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MINNEAPOLIS, MN, - Laser Design
announced
the availability of Geomagic’s Qualify 7, with major new
functionality for turbine blade analysis and geometric dimensioning & tolerancing (GD&T). Geomagic Qualify automatically processes scan data
from a physical part, enabling instant graphical comparisons between CAD
models and as-built parts. It is used for first-article inspection, tool
validation, wear analysis, object alignment, GD&T and reporting. Qualify
and other Geomagic products are available with Laser Design’s line of 3D
laser scanning systems. Qualify is also used by Laser Design's own
engineering services division for contract inspection projects.
Automated GD&T
Geomagic Qualify 7 brings the highest level of automation ever provided
for GD&T analysis, traditionally a labor-intensive task requiring
extensive expertise and training. Within Qualify’s graphical menu, the
user creates a GD&T callout on the 3D model with the click of a mouse.
The model with callouts can be manipulated interactively for the best
view. A single view can have multiple callouts, all of which can be
edited. A one-button command performs evaluation of callouts on the test
data, creating views, annotations and tables of the results on the test
model. Percentages for scanning outliers can be assigned and results will
be adjusted accordingly. Results can be displayed as a simple pass/fail
(green/red) display, or as a detailed color map showing different levels
of variance. All test data – including 3D graphical views, tables and
pass/fail information – are automatically recorded in a Geomagic Qualify
report. Version 7 allows reports to be generated in HTML, PDF, Microsoft
Word and Microsoft Excel formats.
Integrated turbine
blade functionality
Based on feedback from the aerospace industry, Geomagic has added
major new functionality for turbine blade analysis to Geomagic Qualify
V7. In testing conducted with turbine blade manufacturers, Geomagic
Qualify 7 has proven superior to traditional CMM analysis in three
important ways:
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generating reproducible test results based on 3D models derived from
millions of points instead of the hundreds typically acquired for CMM
analysis;
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increasing inspection and analysis speed by collecting data with
non-contact scanners and processing it with Geomagic Qualify’s patented
technology; and
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providing easy access to dedicated functions that test critical turbine
blade attributes and automatically generate numerical and graphical
reports of results.
Version 7 of Geomagic Qualify includes new alignment techniques designed
specifically for turbine blade inspection. A line target datum simulates
surface contact with the cylindrical sidewall of a pin. This enables
users to align with edge-to-pin contact that is typically used for turbine
blade analysis. New blade section analysis within Geomagic Qualify 7
provides graphical inspection for the following properties:
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mean (camber) line;
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max thickness or pitch (fitting the largest circle within the cross
section);
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leading-edge and trailing-edge radii;
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thickness at offsets from the blade ends;
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chord lengths (axial, max and parallel); and
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twist angles.
Version 7 also includes 2D twist analysis, which in the past has been
difficult to accurately analyze using the limited point data from a CMM.
The software allows a cross section of a model to be aligned with
reference data to determine the twist of the blade. Constraints can be
placed on maximum rotation and twist tolerance.
Other new features in Geomagic Qualify 7 include:
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object averaging that enables data from several scanned models to be
combined to produce a gold master or average part, commonly used when a
CAD model is not available;
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offset points that compensate for material thickness when only one side
of a sheet metal part can be scanned, but the other side needs to be
compared; and
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the ability to create multiple cross sections along a curve to analyze
data for very specific areas.
“Automated turbine blade analysis and GD&T functionality represent major
steps forward for computer-aided inspection,” says Ping Fu, president and
CEO of Geomagic. “It signals a shift from slow, manual tools
that require a great deal of expertise, to fast, automated processes that
can be managed by practically anyone.”
Qualify 7 SR1
enhancements (added after initial release)
·
Management
of CAD layers: Users can now load or ignore specific layers when reading
Cad geometry. Geometry in a specific layer or a selected body can also be
deleted.
· Report
file/folder names: The default naming convention of the report file has
changed so that both the folder and file are named as the test object plus
the date stamp.
· Separate
requirement for GD&T: Following the ASME Y14.5 standard, it is now
possible to prescribe Separate Requirement for a given callout.
· Improved
front view definition: Users can now define the front view with Z or Y up,
duplicating CAD conventions.
About Geomagic and Laser Design
Geomagic is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and has wholly
owned subsidiaries in Europe and Asia. Geomagic software is used by
manufacturers to digitally reconstruct and inspect physical parts from 3D
scan data. More than 3,000 users worldwide turn to Geomagic to
provide the technology for customizing products, automating processes, and
increasing throughput.
Since 1987, Laser Design Inc. has been the leading supplier of
ultra-precise, 3D laser scanning systems and services used for capturing
the 3D shape of objects with complex geometries and free-form surfaces.
Laser Design’s Surveyor line of automated and portable scanning systems
are ideal for 3D applications such as computer-aided verification,
discrete dimensional measurements, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping,
and manufacturing from scan data. The company’s patented laser line-probe
technology dramatically reduces scanning time by collecting data
substantially faster and more accurately than conventional metrology
technologies. The company also operates an in-house Service Bureau
offering complete 3D scanning, modeling and inspection services. For
further information, contact Marty Schuster, by phone (952-884-9648, ext.
202), fax (952-884-9653), via email to
sales@laserdesign.com
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