FT&A used with a CMM, Paperless shop floor

[ken1]

This is a contiuation of thread 560-200193.

How can FT&A be applied to CMM inspection?
Does the CMM automatically extract all GD&T from a FT&A file?

Also there is alot of talk about going paperless on the shop floor and FT&A aids in achieving this.

We have a customer that uses Catia. We machine large mutli piece molds for them. We used to recieve prints that were
36" x 54 or 36 x 108....now they send us Catia files with FT&A included.

At present we do not have the FT&A module and getting drawings to the shop floor has been an issue.

These type of parts are large and viewing a large print is much better then trying to view all details on a 20" monitor out on the shop floor.

How does your company handle large prints in a paperless enviroment?

 

[jackk]

How can FT&A be applied to CMM inspection?

That depends on which CMM programming software you're using.

At present we do not have the FT&A module and getting drawings to the shop floor has been an issue.

It would be very easy to create CATIA drawings from the FT&A models. It's not paperless, but it keeps the shop floor happy until they get used to working without paper. In theory, working with the monitor is supposed to be better because you can accurately measure anything and you can zoom in to see all the details.

 

[HGMorgan]

We have Catia MD2 configuration, which doesn't have the FT&A module. However, we create drawings using the model and FT&A info, and get paper to CNC shop and CMM.

On our (and most) CMM(s), we can import the model and drive inspection points to desired features. FT&A doesn't come accross, so the paper shows us the datums and tolerances.

The theory of working off monitor in shop is not time and money efficient.

 

[DBezaire]

We use PCDmis with their Catia interface. Basically they access the CATParts and CATProducts to create the points and drive the machine. This requires a seat of PCDmis, CATV5 interface and a Catia license. Our operator has access to all the FTA info using Catia.

 

[ken1]

I've been giving the go ahead to purchase what we need to get prints to the shop floor and have our insp dept handle catia files.

We have Catia p1 v5 r19 (just rec'd r20 still in box), we also have PCDMIS.

Do we need 2 seats of Catia? (1 engineering and 1 inspection)

If I get the FT&A module, what will inspection dept need to read in Catia files and extract FT&A info?

 

[DBezaire]

Ken,
Depends on what you would like to do.
DM1, entry level DMU navigator will allow you to open parts and products, dynamic section, measure, view property page of parts/products, view annotations (FTA info), add annotations (text only), add catatlog parts, manipulate/create scenes, view 2d drawings. This is strictly a viewer and no geometry can be changed. Check with your VAR but it is somewhere around 5-6K/seat.
The PCDmis route, we use the PCDmis overlay for 6K which requires another license of Catia. The benefit to this is no translations losing design intent(FTA). Quality department would view latest data in engineering. So to answer your question, yes 1 in engineering and 1 in cmm

Regards,
Derek