Suppliers have been accepting customers’ 2D prints for decades and have become accustomed to using and interpreting these PDF or Tiff drawings for inspection reports. But sometimes, the quality team has had difficulties using the drawings, especially the ones that are badly produced and almost impossible to read and interpret. These issues have led to mistakes in understanding the engineering intent and has resulted in much back and forth between the supplier and the customer—all of which causes delays and unnecessary confusion.
The Problem with 3D
Now enter the 3D CAD modeling age! With the model, the clarity of the design is clear and off ers less ambiguity. This, indeed, is the desired eff ect. But is the reality? To deal with the model, suppliers then have to purchase expensive CAD modeling software, from Catia, to NX, to Creo, to fully utilize the CAD models. Then if the models are not dimensioned, the supplier’s ability to meet the need of his customer is another problem. From start up to execution, the challenges are overwhelming.
As a workaround, many suppliers create a 2D print of the 3D model and balloon that 2D for inspection reports. One must then ask, “What was the point of the 3D in the first place?” It is recognized that the CAD ability can be a key market di erentiator that helps companies win business. But what if suppliers cannot interpret the model? They are back to where they started and will not be able to attract more OEM business.
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The 3D Solution
However, a software, unlike any other, can help suppliers interpret their 3D models without having to purchase a single license of any 3D modeling software. DISCUS 3D software takes the pain out of 3D interpretation by allowing the quality team to easily extract the dimensioned data in a matter of a few clicks and completely interpret the model in various views. With DISCUS there is no need to create a separate 2D image of the model and then balloon it. Instead, suppliers use DISCUS 3D to work directly with the model; they then gain more OEM business and fu lfill the inspection requirements, no matter the 3D model type. DISCUS 3D has been engineered with suppliers in mind and with the goal of meeting the customer’s needs with one complete, intuitive tool, fully using the 3D model, as intended, as the prime driver of the engineering intent. All this is possible without purchasing a single seat of any CAD software. This may seem almost hard to believe, but it is true.
The BIG Benefit
According to one supplier in California,
“DISCUS 3D has helped us become a preferred supplier to some major OEMs because we can handle whatever model type they send. We are no longer just another supplier trying to compete with price, as we have the tools to embrace 3D and do so easily now. I don’t know how we could manage without DISCUS 3D!”
This quality goals to use models is readily available in DISCUS. To learn more, attend an interactive demo or to download a trial, contact [email protected]. Find out today how you can earn more business by embracing the world of 3D with DISCUS Software.