Knowledge Based CAD

CAD data is a valuable resource to a company that is often under used. Major time savings and efficiencies are to be had by correctly exploiting the CAD system and the data already owned by the company. This can include standardized features and components, parametric rule driven models and assemblies and also new uses for the information. We have completed several projects along these lines in several different CAD systems.

Rolls Royce is famous for it's jet engines and we were delighted to be able to work for the Combustion Department which designs the middle section of a jet engine where the fuel is burnt. The project was to help with the development of a general parametric CAD model of a jet engine combustion module. This was to allow the department to explore initial concept designs for new engines much more quickly than had been possible. The project won a company award for innovation, a very satisfying moment.

Dunlop Aviation is a world leader in the manufacture of aircraft wheels and braking systems. Our involvement over a period of time has been with the design of a new aircraft braking system. We have assisted in a knowledge based engineering project to help streamline the design process within the company.

We have also been able to create specialist applications by combining the CAD software with excel using VBA routines to calculate new information from CAD models. One of these systems was for calculating the waterline and the stability of a floating object. Normally this is done in specialist (and very expensive) software.