« Page 1 | 2 “These are grizzled veterans who are the modern-day equivalents of the old-time fact checkers,” says Emerick. “They are the depository of years of knowledge and have a deep understanding of how things work. They pass down the knowledge on how to do something well. We’ve found that peer-to-peer mentoring develops the best users.” At Schneider-Electric, DSSP users are broken down into three categories: generalists, who use Geomagic Review, a free inspection review tool, for evaluation and new product development; experts, who use Geomagic Qualify for linear and GD&T part analysis, first and last article inspections (FAIR and LAIR), and basic reverse engineering; and specialists, who use both Geomagic Studio and Qualify for complete part and assembly analysis, Cp/Cpk analysis, reverse engineering, and providing instruction and mentoring. 
The hole and the pin are brought together in Geomagic software, showing how they will function in the real world. Image courtesy of Schneider-Electric | Cross-functional Convergence
Schneider-Electric’s system is not only thorough, it spreads knowledge fast: Emerick says it took only six months after the introduction of Geomagic Qualify 10 for the company to add functional analysis across multiple applications. Under the “design anywhere, build anywhere, qualify anywhere” approach, analysis results obtained with Geomagic software are leveraged throughout the company. It’s one data set, with multiple users and multiple solutions, according to Emerick. Applications include design and verification, FAIR, LAIR, reverse engineering and documentation replacement, tool validation for predicting wear and making repairs, and functional analysis. “The combination of DSSP based on Geomagic and our system of training allows true convergence across all cross functions of product development,” says Emerick. “We can use the same data set to answer different functional questions: How well did the supplier do its job? Is tooling faithful to the design? Is the part engineered to specifications? Can parts and assemblies be manufactured efficiently? Was the tolerance analysis accurate?” 
Geomagic Qualify 10 teams dimensional analysis with functional analysis. This image displays the largest possible pin diameter that will fit into a hole. Image courtesy of Schneider-Electric | It was only recently that the answers to many of these questions were speculative. Now, using a single data set, deep, functional knowledge is available throughout the enterprise. And, when it is time to replace a part, Schneider-Electric has a history of its 3D definition from each time it was scanned. “Our virtual team around the world can now see how different parts work with one another,” says Emerick. “It’s not theory, but real-world facts displayed visually so all can understand. That has incredible company-wide benefits, including major reductions in time to market, and, in the case of part evolution, faster return to market.” More Info:
Geomagic
Research Triangle Park, NC
Bob Cramblitt is a freelance writer based in Cary, NC. He writes about design, engineering, and manufacturing technologies. To comment on this article, send an e-mail to DE-Editors@deskeng.com. « Page 1 | 2
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