DELCAM EXPANDS REVERSE ENGINEERING SOLUTION 

Birmingham, UK 18 Feb 2002 -- Delcam has released a new module, called PS-Surfacer, for its CopyCAD reverse engineering package that can be used to create prismatic geometry and to generate fillets and blends, or to fill in gaps, between surfaces. Combining the new module with the existing functionality within CopyCAD will provide a complete reverse engineering solution capable of generating both free-form and geometric surfaces. The combination will allow high quality CAD models to be produced, even when the initial digitised data is of poor quality or is incomplete.

"There are a number of reverse engineering solutions that are capable of generating free-form surfaces from digitised data," explained CopyCAD Product Manager Chris Laawrie. "However, these systems have limitations when the time comes to combine these surfaces into a complete, closed CAD model."

"For example, if the model being scanned has a constant radius fillet between two surfaces, this will not normally be reproduced exactly in the digitised data and the result will be a fillet that varies around the required value. Eliminating these imperfections manually requires some very time consuming editing of the data. With PS-Surfacer, the user simply has to estimate the required radius and then generate a consistent fillet between the surfaces."

"The new module also allows "perfect" surfaces to be produced in many other cases to replace "problem" surfaces caused by any lack of accuracy in the data collection device or any flaws in the original physical model. For example, it can quickly generate geometrically precise mating surfaces to be used in place of an area containing unwanted bumps or ripples resulting from imperfect data."

This ability to generate geometrically exact features represents an important addition to CopyCAD's existing tools for smoothing and editing surfaces. While it is important for the aesthetic appearance of the component, it also means that features such as bosses and holes can be made, for example, perfectly round, which simplifies alignment when assembling the component within the final product.

PS-Surfacer also enables any gaps in the data to be filled with a new surface both quickly and easily. Smooth transitions can be maintained between this surface and its neighbours. Similarly, smooth blends can be created when combining data from a modified area of a physical model back into the CAD model of the whole part.

The new module even allows a complete component to be produced if data for only the external surfaces have been provided. Once these surfaces have been generated, they can be offset to produce the internal surfaces. Any additional features that might be required, such as reinforcing ribs or bosses for fixing, can then be created. At any stage, all or part of the model can be scaled, for example, to give the required volume in packaging applications, or mirrored to give a right- and left-hand version.

PS-Surfacer incorporates an extensive set of analysis and measurement tools so that the quality of the model can be assessed and any dimensions calculated at any stage in the process.

"The introduction of PS-Surfacer represents an important addition to Delcam's range of tools for reverse engineering in the real world," commented CopyCAD Product Manager Chris Lawrie. "By using it alongside CopyCAD, our customers will have the capabilities to produce complete and geometrically accurate CAD models from digitised data, regardless of any limitations in the original model or the scanning process."

www.delcam.com

 

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