1. Parametric & 3-D Solid Modeling

2. 3-dimensional design software such as:
AutoCAD 3-D
AutoDesk Inventor
PTC Pro/D or Pro Engineering
Rhino
Solid Works
Allows engineers to visualize proto-types before construction.
Allows engineers to perform simulated analysis mechanical analysis called Free Element Analysis.

3. Inspect the model before it is produced.

4. Detail important information like center of gravity and mass before it is constructed.

5. Check for tolerances and ergonometrics before any production money is spent.

6. Complete mechanical analysis in the design process saves money in the long run.
Provide presentation graphics of a proposed idea to future investors and engineering managers.

7. Provides designers working drawings that comply with all ISO and ANSI standards. These can be used oin the manufacture of the project.

8. Also converts designs to. iges or
Also converts designs to .iges or .stl for rapid prototyping and CNC operations.

9. Parametric Design - a system that constructs relations among the geometry of different elements. When one element is changed, the geometry of the rest of the elements are changed as well.
Parametric design changed the way products are designed and prototyped: design > prototype > manufacture … all on computer

10. Parametric Design Model:
The nature of design problems: Many design problem can be informally described as a problem in which a set of needs and desires is given and where the solution is a description of some structure that satisfies these needs and desires (Wielinga, Akkermans, and Schreiber, 1995).
Analysis process - designer transforms the needs and desires into a more formal and complete set of requirements and constraints.
synthesis process - a structure is developed —the design— that consists of a number of building blocks or elements with specified properties —such as dimensions, material etc.— and relations between them.
Needs &
Desires
Informal
Constraints
Analysis
Formal
Requirements
synthesis
DESIGN

11. Conceptual Engineering: resources that allow you to develop ideas at the earliest stages of the design process, without getting bogged down in specifications; systems that allow you to quickly explore design possibilities and rapidly capture ideas...
and allow you to go back and change almost any parameter of the design.

12. Reverse Engineering: producing 3-D images of manufactured parts when a blueprint is not available in order to remanufacture the part.
Coordinate measuring machine (CMM) generates a wire frame model.

17. Output for CNC mills & routers
PTC- Design & Technology in Schools Program
Output for CNC mills & routers

18. RapidPro
Stacked paper slices

19. Wire Frame Modeling Stores positions of lines (in 2D or 3D)
• Helpful for drafting (easy multiple views and easy editing)
• Ambiguous surfaces limit the automation possibilities (e.g. no volume calculation, no CNC tool path generation)

20. Surface Modeling • Stores equations of surfaces
• Most 3D graphics libraries
use surface modeling
• Good for visualizing complex
surfaces and automated NC
path generation of complex
surfaces
• Material volume information
is ambiguous or hard to
determine (therefore can’t
calculate volume)

21. Solid Modeling
Various mathematical representations exist that each allow point-set classification: “Is a given point inside or outside the solid region?”
• Solid models can be used for:
– volume calculations
– Automatic FEA mesh generation
– Collision determination in robotics or CNC path generation

22. Solid Modeling Functions
Different ways that a user can create
solid shapes:
• Primitive creation
• Boolean operations
• Sweep operations
• Surface operations
• Engineering Feature-Based modeling
• Parametric modeling

23. Solid Modeling Functions
• Primitives are simple solid
shapes with simple
mathematical surfaces
• Can be controlled by a small
number of parameters and
positioned using a
transformation matrix

24. Solid Modeling Functions

25. Solid Modeling Functions

26. Solid Modeling Functions

27. References:
Michigan Tech University
The College of New Jersey Engineering and Technology Department.