Where does 3-D simulation fit into the production process?
We work based on a phased approach ? concept, prototype, pilot and production. For us, 3-D simulation falls into the process of production. The manufacturing team has little input in the beginning of the design process and their involvement ramps up more and more as a product moves closer to production. Design is predominant in the beginning and manufacturing takes over toward the end of the product development process. 3-D simulation helps with this transition from design to manufacturing. How do 3-D tools improve production? We’ve found PTC’s Pro/ENGINEER 3-D simulation tools help with everything from training to quality checks. To ease the process of training production teams, we now use Pro/ENGINEER to create a solid model of a product and then take screenshots of the design and each piece of the product and present them in a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation. The end result is an instruction sheet with a sense of motion. Teams can see how things go together in a fashion they can r
