Digital Mock-Up Methods

Lecture 5

Warren Hall
 The role of 3D Mock-Up
• Digital Mock-Up is latest innovation in
digital product development
– allows full visualization of complete product in
3 dimensions
– Permits collaborative engineering as all users
can see other users work as it evolves
– improves error detection by locating clashes /
interference's earlier in process
 Evolution of the mock-up
• Mock-up development began with introduction of
3D modeling
• First mock-ups were created using one huge
model with all parts included
– Very poor performance due to model size
• With development of multi-model sessions one
session was used to position several models
– had to copy session for more than one user
– data integrity issues
• now implemented using relational databases
 Digital Mock-Up
• A digital mock-up is
– a collection of 3D models which are positioned
in 3D space to represent the form of the product
to be developed
 Digital Mock-Up
• All geometry is accessed via the database
– models may be in database or pointed to by the
database
• Each model is attached to a part in the
product structure (BOM)
 Mock-Up Schema
Digital Mock-Up

Mock-Up Database

Geometry
Bill of Material
(Assembly Structure & positioning)
 Role of The Master Model
• Not all representation types are used in the
digital mock-up
• The 3D master model is the model which is
used to build the 3D mock-up
– represents prime 3D definition of part
– at Bombardier this is the structural model
– at PWC this is the PDS model
Derivative Representation Types
• Positioning applies to all models attached to
a part
• although mock-up is almost always
constructed using master model one can
build a mock-up from other rep types for
specific purposes
– FEM rep types for simulation contact analysis
 Basic Mock-up Methodology
• Basic steps to creating a mock-up
– 1. Create the parts
– 2. Create the Bill of Material structure
– 3. Attach the models to the parts
– 4. Position the models to create the mock-up
• Parts must be created within their context
and at their final position
– the latest surrounding geometry must be easily
retrievable
 One Part per Model
• Key methodology in implementing BOM driven
mock-up
• In order to observe the structure of the BOM, a
geometrical (CATIA) model should contain the
definition for only one part
– For initial designs of parts, they may be included in
layout models. They can later be exploded to detail
parts within the BOM structure
• Better structure and simplified management of
information
• enables part re-usability
One Part per Model Methodology
• A part is a collection of specific attributes
• CATIA models also have attributes
– name, representation type, etc.
• A model must be attached to a part
• A part does not necessarily have a model
attached to it
 Exceptions - System Software
• In certain cases there are exceptions to one
part per model methodology
• Decision to make exception must be
carefully weighed
– Gains vs. Losses
• Within CATIA environment systems
Software (Electrical Wire Bundle, Tubing)
is one such exception
 Exceptions
• To maintain intelligence of systems
software all elements (I.E. wiring harnesses
and supports) must be in the same model
– this automates re-routing with automatic
support placement
• If one part per model methodology
implemented intelligence would be lost
– Results in net loss of productivity
 Exceptions
• Methodology to document exception must
be developed
– One possible solution is to store wiring harness
model data at assembly level
– Parts at sub-assembly level that should hold
connectors, etc. have no models attached
 Exceptions
• Graphically following OPPM methodology

Harness Assembly

Harness Support Support Support Support

Part Part Part Part Part

CATIA CATIA CATIA CATIA CATIA

Model Model Model Model Model
 Exceptions
• Graphically, alternative methodology
CATIA model
containing
harness & supports
Harness Assembly

Harness Support Support Support Support

Part Part Part Part Part
NOTE: No models
attached at part level
 Associating a Model to a Part
• To insert geometry in the database the
model must be attached to a part
• General methodology
– Using the VPM part object create the part in the
proper environment (CAMAQENV)
– Start CATIA and make the desired model
active
– select the model object in VPM
 Associating a Model to a Part
• General methodology - cont.
– Click on the SAVE icon
– complete the required fields in the panel
– select ok to save
• NOTE
– the part can be created at the same time the
model is being saved
Associating a Model to a Part
Associating Non-Geometric Data
• Non-geometric data is associated to observe
the concept of the part (specs, etc.)
• No relevance in digital mock-up context yet
key to using BOM as data management tool
• VPM refers to non-geometric data as
DOCUMENTS
• each document has an associated viewer
used to view/edit (I.E. MS WORD)
Associating Non-Geometric Data
• As with models data may be stored
physically in the database or pointed to by
the database yet must be accessed via the
DB
• Some “typical” documents
– FEM post processing results
– specs
– performance data
Associating Non-Geometric Data