How to Better Treat Thickness Tolerances in Sheet-Like Materials

We encounter many situations where there is a form tolerance on a primary surface and then the other side of the part has a thickness allowance. Often implicitly it is assumed to have the same form or a very local refinement. (i.e. stamped sheet metal, composite lay-ups)There are many situations in both aerospace and automotive I would think where sheet of material is stamped and parts are indexed to both sides and sheet metal is accepted using a spec tolerance. 

One method used in the past has been to use ghost parts but it seems like there should be an easier way. What am i missing?

Mechanical Modeler Add-on Expands 3DCS to Support Kinematic Joints and Constraints

Extracting Joints and Constraints from CAD can make model creation easy. With embedded GD&T (PMI, FTA) tolerancing your model and Joints and Constraints brought in as 3DCS Moves, a user only has to create Measurements to complete their Tolerance Analysis Model. 

Mechanical Modeler is an inexpensive add-on for all versions of 3DCS Variation Analyst Software

This tutorial will cover  Fixed Constraints and  Fix Together Constraints to illustrate common constraints you can expect to use. The Fixed Constraint holds all of the parts in the Move Parts list in their current location and orientation. Any moves that list one of the parts as the "object" will force the "target" part to move instead. The Fix Together Constraint holds all of the parts in the Move Parts list perfectly rigid relative to one another. If one of the parts is moved then the other parts will move with it. Additional constraints include Coincidence, Contact, Offset, and Angle.

This tutorial will cover Revolute Joints and Cylindrical Joints to illustrate common joints you can expect to use. The Revolute Joint move locates two axes to one another controlling four DoFs (degrees of freedom) and uses a pair of plane constraints to control a fifth, translation, DoF. The Cylindrical Joint move locates two axes to one another controlling four DoFs. Additional joints include Prismatic, Spherical, and Planar.

Setting Up Supplier Quality Assurance for Tier 1 Suppliers

Many Tier 1 Suppliers support different customers with different expectations and needs. A well implemented quality assurance system can make it easy to meet these different expectations, with monitoring, communication and problem solving built in to the system. 

• When: November 29th, 2018 -- 11 am EST
• Where: Gotowebinar
• Register FREE: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4757837893591746561

In today's demanding automotive marketplace, OEMs rely on large Tier One suppliers for major systems across vehicle platforms.  This in turn has put the onus of validating parts on the Tier One.  OEMs demand high quality systems - Tier Ones have to demand high quality parts from their supply base to put into those systems.

Datum Design and Optimization in 3DCS Tolerance Analysis Software

Datum design and optimization is the most important step in any assembly quality control process which can be simplified by evaluating the geometric factors and concerned variations.

DCS has already covered creating Datums in the CAD platforms - CATIA, NX and CREO, but what about verifying those Datums and optimizing them? 

See How to Create Datums in CATIA, CREO and NX Using PMI and FTA Callouts

Datums are essential to your Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) in CAD, as they determine the reference points from which all information is based. 

When creating GD&T in CAD, it is important to set your Datums first. They determine the reference points for your other callouts. Different CAD systems have tools to help you create Datums, but understanding where they should be created often requires some experience with GD&T. CAD systems have progressed, but their GD&T creation tools for creating PMI and FTA still require the user to make determinations that are not corrected or checked by the system. The following clips from the DCS Digital GD&T Webinar Series help show how to create Datums in the CAD system, and offer tips and advice on creating Datums that can help you dodge common mistakes. 

New For 3DCS Tolerance Analysis Software - Model Variants

The Upcoming Version 7.6 of 3DCS offers the ability to create Model Variants - Different configurations of Moves, Tolerances and Tooling in the same model to test and validate processes. 

In design, different methods of assembly, tolerance schemes, and tooling / fixturing need to be considered. Oftentimes, on the same model, there are a plethora of assembly processes that can be used to achieve the same end result. Some of these processes cost more, some are more complicated and some require special skills. The question Designers and Engineers ask when designing their product is; which process and what tolerance should I use?