Best Practices for Working with CAD

and Product Structures

Steve Shaw
Product Management Director, PTC
June 2011
Agenda

Best Practices for Working with CAD and Product Structures

 Background

 PTC Best Practices Overview

 PTC Best Practices Details & Supporting Capabilities

 Q&A

2
Background

CAD-Driven Product Structure

Part: Cell Phone
Requirements Part No: CEL9412
Cost: $34.95
Data Sheet CAD Model Weight: 3.5 oz.
Builds
Assembly Test Plan
Part
Part No: KEY124
Software Code Analysis Name: Keypad
Requirements Cost: $0.65
Viewable Weight: 0.25 oz.
Manuf: Key, Inc.
CAD Model

Builds Data Sheet

Component
Part
Analysis
Viewable
Skeleton Test Plan Part No: SCR243
Model Software Code Name: Screen
Not Built Cost: $1.04
CAD Model Weight: 0.35 oz.
Requirements Manuf.: Screen, Inc.
Builds Data Sheet
Component
Part
Analysis
Viewable

Software Code Test Plan

CAD Structure Enterprise Structure

3
 Storyboard Overview

START 2 1
Business
1 Administration
Preparation
Leveraging New Windchill
10.0 capabilities to the
fullest
Enterprise
2 Top Down Design
Defining a New Product
Concept
Using enterprise top
down design 3
3 Detailed Design Detailed
Execution
Design
4 Finalizing Product
Structure
Reconcile
5Available for downstream CAD-to-Part 4 5
activities/systems Relationships

END Downstream
deliver/usage
4
 Preparation

System Administration, Configuration and Process considerations

START  Maintaining data consistency is a must
1 Preparation  What CAD tools does the system need to manage & do
Leveraging New Windchill
10.0 capabilities to the
fullest
they have differing needs?

2
Defining a New Product
 What information should be extracted from the CAD
Concept models?
Using enterprise top
down design – relevant to Search?
– does it contain information relevant to the Part
3 Detailed Design
Execution
 Do different design/product/organizational disciplines have
4 Finalizing Product differing needs?
Structure

5Available for downstream

activities/systems

END

5
1 Preparation

Attribute Management
 Identify File-based or Non-file-based
attributes required for CAD
– Designated Dimensions / Parameters coming from
CAD authoring tools (file-based)
– Attributes strictly managed in Windchill
– Identify and define any constraints

 What CAD attributes should be

propagated to its related Part?
– Building Part structure from CAD propagates
attributes to the Part
– All, Some, maybe None

6
1 Expanded CAD Document Soft-type support with 10.0

Possible use cases may be one of the following

 Desiring certain behavior based on a given
authoring tool.

 Wanting more granular control of attributes that

might be applicable for specific model types or
disciplines
– Previous Windchill Releases have all attribute go on a
single type.
– For example: If I’m modeling a bearing, there may be
attributes that are not applicable

 Managing differing OIRs (conventions and life

cycles) for different disciplines.

7
1 Support for multiple CAD document soft types

 Select while Creating New CAD Document in

Workspace

 New Create New CAD Document while

creating New Part

 Drive type created based on CAD model

Select CAD
attribute (parameter) value Document Type
– Use designated parameter UPLOAD_SOFT_TYPE
– Drives creation on upload of content to server

 Map CAD Document soft

type to Part soft types
– As part of CAD document
soft type definition

Forward looking information subject to change without notice © 2010 PTC 8

1 Support for multiple CAD document soft types

 Define types based on authoring tools

– Ex. Different soft types for Creo and AutoCAD
– Site wide configuration using EPMDefaultSoftTypes.xml

Forward looking information subject to change without notice © 2010 PTC 9

1 CAD Document Templates

CAD Documents Template Support

 Create and check in CAD start parts into
Windchill

 Steps to create CAD Document

Template
– Navigate to the “Templates” page
• Available from Site Level to Context
– View “CAD Document Templates”
– Select new CAD Document template
– Navigate to the Cad Object to be used
as a template
– Identify the necessary information
• Including Soft Type
– Select OK

 You can create as many templates off

the same type object as necessary

10
1 Attributes to Control Associations & Part Behavior
On/Off association with Boolean
Using an attribute to control whether an
association between a CAD document
and a part should be created
Details
– New Windchill 10.0 Site-wide preference
Part Structure Override Attribute Name
• Located under Operation > Auto
Associate
– Exclude auto association/creation with
Boolean attribute on CAD Document
– Define attribute per CAD authoring tool
© 2010 PTC
New Gathering Part concept
Improves handling of CAD assemblies
that exist only for modeling purposes
Resolves the problem when the
“assembly” doesn’t belong in the eBoM
but it’s children do
Details
– New Part attribute Gathering (Yes/No)
– Set manually on Part common attributes
– Drive setting based on CAD document
attribute, with new Windchill 10.0 Site-
wide preference Phantom Assembly
Override Attribute Name
• Located under Operations > Auto
Associate
• Defines attribute to be used per
authoring tool
12
 Defining a New Product Concept

Using Enterprise Top Down Design Capabilities

Iterative process of developing complex products in a concurrent fashion by
START going from concept product architecture to a defined set of design
deliverables
1 Preparation
Leveraging New Windchill
Detailed Product Definition
10.0 capabilities to the
fullest Concept Product Develop Top-Down Top Level
Architecture A.asm
A
2 Top Level A-Skel
Defining a New Product Top Level Top Level a
Concept a.prt
Using enterprise top A A A Create b
CAD A.asm b.asm
down design
B a a A-Skel 1 1.prt
C b a.prt B
b
3 Detailed Design B B
B
b.asm c
Execution c
c 1.prt
d
c d

4 C
C C
Finalizing Product
Structure
D D D.asm
5Available for downstream 001 D-Skel.prt
activities/systems E
001.prt
E.asm
002
002.prt
END 003
003.prt

13
2 Enterprise Top Down Design

Challenge: Design complex multi-disciplined products

Practice: Create initial
Develop hi-level product architecture that drives a enterprise product
architecture
defined set of MCAD design deliverables used in
concurrent and iterative development of complex
products
Capabilities: Create corresponding CAD
deliverables
Simultaneous creation of enterprise part &
associated CAD structures
Interactive preview for conceptual development of Preview and manipulate in
design structures and validation lightweight environment

Concurrent editing of associated structures with

pro-active reconciliation of differences
Drive CAD
Synchronize and drive controlled changes deliverables
throughout concurrent design development
Benefits:
Manage changes and
Engineer products from top-down relationships

Shorten time to design by enabling concurrent

design process
Eliminate manual rework with automated
communication of changes

© 2010 PTC 14
2 View the video here

15
2 Enterprise Top Down Design Capabilities & Workflow

 Simultaneous Creation of Part & Associated

CAD Document from Create Part UI
– Folder browser
– Product Structure Browser Edit

 Edit part structures in PSB and PSE

– Supports Adds & Removes
– Manual position entry/editing
– Set flag to indicate change to be reflected in CAD

 Positioning in Creo View and Save to PSB Compare

– Components positioned in CAD when loaded & Build

 Update CAD Assembly from Part Structures

– Compare and build in Structure Compare UI
– Option to execute “reverse build on check-in

 CAD Tools supported

– Creo 1.0 and Creo Elements/Pro 5 Validate
– CATIA V5

Forward looking information subject to change without notice © 2010 PTC 16

 Detailed Design Execution

“Bottom Up” design completion and product structure updates

START  Retrieval of TDD created assembly
– Creo 1.0 ability to accept/reject TDD changes
1 Preparation
Leveraging New Windchill
10.0 capabilities to the
fullest
 Complete detailed design
– Working in CAD tool
2
Defining a New Product – Data reuse
Concept
Using enterprise top – New models/geometry
down design
– constraints
3 Detailed Design
Execution  Design complete
– Associate/auto-associate new models to Parts
4 Finalizing Product – Flag item as gathering
Structure
– Use parameters to control part creation behavior
5Available for downstream
activities/systems  Check-in
– Product structure updated
END

17
3 Detailed Design

design of new
components
define parametric
relationship

Designate Parameter
& Attributes

design
collaboration

Edit/Create CAD-to-
Part Associations
apply constraints

18
3 Design In Context Overview

Enable Designers to create or update designs faster by finding the right

information
 Filter CAD Assemblies and/or Product Structures in Windchill
– Spatial criteria (Box, Sphere, Proximity)
– Attribute criteria

 Preview Filtered Structures in Lightweight Viewer (Creo View)

– Configured Digital Mockup (cDMU)
– Design Reviews
– Clash and Interference Mgmt

 Load in CAD Tool to perform Design change

 CAD Tools supported

– Creo Elements/Pro 5.0
– Creo 1.0
– CATIA V5

Forward looking information. Subject to change without notice © 2010 PTC 19

 Finalization of Product Structure

Reconcile differences between CAD Assembly and Product Structure

START  Leveraging the CAD assembly to generate rich intelligent
Product Structures
1 Preparation
Leveraging New Windchill
10.0 capabilities to the
fullest
 How things are modeled doesn’t always reflect the product
structure, or Engineering Bill of Material
2
Defining a New Product
Concept
Using enterprise top
 Engineers need tools (and) flexibility to make adjustments
down design

 Downstream consumers and processes depend on an

3 Detailed Design
Execution
accurate BoM

4 Finalizing Product
Structure

5Available for downstream

activities/systems

END

20
4 Detailed Design

CAD Driven Product Structure Challenges

BOM
CAD Model Parts Structure
For Modeling
purposes only

CAD DMU
CAD Model
specific subassy
level not needed
in Product
structure
Erroneously
built in
structure

Incorrect
Quantity
modeled in CAD

 More flexibility  Product Structure changes tied to

workspace & CAD users
 Management of attributes &
processes limited for CAD  No tools to view and compare
structure
 CAD and Product Structure not
always the same

© 2006 PTC 21
4 Improved Part – Document Relationships

Top Level
Top-level.asm
A
 Goals A.asm

– Deliver more flexibility to user working with product a a.prt

structure driven from CAD data b

b.asm
1.prt
– Enable user outside of CAD tools to work with CAD 1

driven product structure

How can I change my Product Structure but
keep the association to the CAD Model?
 Key Capabilities
– Provide environment for viewing CAD and Product
Structure side-by-side
• Compare differences
• Make edits
• Provide graphical feedback
– Relax restrictiveness of build rules
• Edit Product Structure qty.
• Restructuring capabilities
– Parameter driven part creation capabilities

© 2008 PTC 22
4 Structure Compare
Launched from the
Compare Action

 Side-by-side comparison of structures

– CAD-to-Part
– Part-to-CAD
– Part-to-Part

 Highlight and Navigate differences

 Additional cross-highlighting reporting in

lower third

 Lightweight editing

 Bottom Up and Top Down Design build

support
© 2008 PTC 23
4 Structure Compare

Central Column for

Build difference reporting
Structure
on RHS

Difference
Navigation
Configure table
display

Add’l reporting
and comparison
on highlighted Search
row structure

© 2008 PTC 24
4 Editing CAD Driven Product Structure

Gathering Parts Toggle gathering

part on/off
 Purpose
– Handing assemblies that are for modeling only
– Elevating its children in the BoM

 Product Structure
– Identified with special part icon
– Controlled by Part attribute
• Edit Common Attributes toggle on/off
– Ability to initially set using CAD attribute

 BoM reports
– Excluded from BoM reports Toggle gathering
part on/off
– Children of gathering part maintained
– Children elevated up a level in BoM
Sub-asm_1 excluded
children comp_3.prt &
comp_4.rt elevated
to 1st level

© 2008 PTC 25
4 Editing CAD Driven Product Structure

What’s modeled isn’t always exactly what you want

 Changing Quantities
– Including for CAD built
occurences

 Adding non-modeled items

– Bulk items

© 2008 PTC 26
4 Editing CAD Driven Product Structure

What’s modeled isn’t always exactly what you want

 Deleting unwanted (built) members
– Model included in assembly for reference (not part of BoM)
– Correcting any unwanted items in structure

 Decide whether change should be propagated back to CAD

 System automatically keeps track of changes with Deleted Occurences

© 2008 PTC 27
4 View the video here

28
 Release to production systems

START  Releasing BoM to

downstream
1 Preparation
Leveraging New Windchill process
10.0 capabilities to the
fullest – Exporting BoM
reports
2
Defining a New Product – Available for MPM
Concept
Using enterprise top – Publishing to ERP
down design
other downstream
3 systems
Detailed Design
Execution Manufacturing
Engineer
4 Finalizing Product
Structure

5Available for downstream

activities/systems

END

29
Questions?
Thank you!