Author Archives: Oboe Wu
Three New MBD Tutorials Built into SOLIDWORKS
Model-based definition (MBD) is a new approach to specifying product design requirements on 3D models directly. Most engineers are familiar and versed with 2D drawings, but when it comes to MBD, it certainly takes some learning and time to get
... Continued
How to Work with Non-SOLIDWORKS 3D Designs
Among the hundreds of new features and enhancements packed into SOLIDWORKS 2017 is 3D Interconnect, which enables users to collaborate on all major proprietary CAD formats in a way similar to native SOLIDWORKS files. Do you need to insert a
... ContinuedMBD Implementation 10 DOs and 10 DON’Ts – Don’t Exclude Printouts
Paperless is a buzz word in Model-Based Definition (MBD) discussions. However, is MBD “Paperless”? Or is “Paperless” MBD? Let’s clarify these several concepts first here. MBD is drawingless, which focuses on the presentation style: PMI is integrated directly into
... ContinuedMBD Implementation DOs and DON’Ts – Customize and Standardize Templates
We all know the benefits of templates: they provide the ability to reuse data to avoid duplicated effort, maintain consistency, and improve quality. Here in the context of Model-Based Definition (MBD), templates can help with many areas too, such as
... ContinuedMBD Implementation DOs and 10 DONT’s – Don’t Stop at Graphical PMI (Part 2)
Let’s continue the discussion after understanding two important concepts: Graphical PMI and Semantic PMI covered in Part 1 of this blog. Although graphical PMI is human-readable, it comes with many gaps: lack of associativity to models and no automatic update
... ContinuedMBD Implementation 10 DOs and DON’Ts – Don’t Stop at Graphical PMI (Part 1)
In my last blog I underlined the importance of 3D PMI organization and presentation. A great story shared by Tim with Waters Corp. in a SOLIDWORKS MBD forum discussion illustrated this point well: “One point listed that should NOT be
... ContinuedMBD Implementation Dos and Don’ts: Organize and Present 3D PMI Clearly
My last two blogs on the topic of model-based definition (MBD) implementations (Part 1 and Part 2) explained the importance of calling out critical dimensions and tolerances. Another best practice from a product perspective is to organize and present 3D
... ContinuedMBD Implementation 10 DOs and 10 DON’Ts – Don’t Skip Critical 3D Dimensions and Tolerances (Part 2)
Part 1 of this topic covered four benefits of calling out critical 3D dimensions and tolerances explicitly in Model-Based Definition (MBD), or the downsides of not doing so. Here let’s look into two more. Downstream data consumers may not be
... ContinuedMBD Implementation 10 DOs and DON’Ts – Don’t Skip Critical 3D Dimensions and Tolerances – Part 1
Missing critical dimensions and tolerances is one of the major complaints against MBD in production, especially among suppliers. Some machine shops dismiss MBD as “irresponsible laziness” because their clients provided only 3D models with no 2D drawings, 3D dimensions or tolerances
... ContinuedMBD Implementation Dos and Don’ts: Pilot with One Manufacturing Document
My last blog post “Don’t Overlook MBD over the Web” concluded the second aspect of Table 1 on Process. From our first MBD Implementation blog post last October to today, this series of Model-Based Definition (MBD) Implementation 10 DOs and 10
... ContinuedMBD Dos and Don’ts: Don’t Overlook MBD over the Web
One of the Model-Based Definition (MBD) enablers is 3D PDF, viewable in free Adobe Reader that has been installed on 95% Internet-connected computers. One step further, in this online age, wouldn’t it be nice if 3D content could be interrogated on
... ContinuedNew Partner Integration Makes Customized 3D Printing Inside of SOLIDWORKS Easy
The impact of additive manufacturing in the manufacturing industry has been significant and is only poised to grow in both usage and downstream impact. Manufacturers in a wide variety of industries are actively piloting and implementing 3D printing today. Prototyping
... ContinuedMBD Implementation 10 DOs and 10 DON’Ts – Upgrade infrastructure
In a previous blog on Drawingless or Paperless, we clarified that MBD Implementations don’t require heavy upfront investment on digital equipment. However, there are indeed MBD manufacturers around the world who are also very successful with paperless processes. This post will
... Continued10 DOs and 10 DON’Ts of MBD Implementations: Don’t Only Send 3D PDFs to Your Supply Chain
3D PDF has gained great popularity thanks to the free Adobe Reader’s ubiquitous presence (installed on 95% internet-connected computers according to 3D PDF Consortium in 2014). Its intuitive embedded 3D content viewable in Adobe Reader greatly lowers 3D data communication
... Continued