PLM-Driven 3D

Interoperability @ Ford
Strategy & Opportunities

Ilan Weitzer
Ford Motor Co.

BOEING is a trademark of Boeing Management Company

Copyright 2012 Boeing. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 Northrop Grumman Corporation. All rights reserved.
GPDIS_2012.ppt | 1

Topics
Global Product Data Interoperability Summit | 2012

PLM Interoperability
Current Architecture
Opportunities
Product Visualization
CAE Visualization
Engineering 3D Efficiency
Suppliers Integration
3D Mobility
Openness and Standards
Discussion

BOEING is a trademark of Boeing Management Company

Copyright 2012 Boeing. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 Northrop Grumman Corporation. All rights reserved.
GPDIS_2012.ppt | 2

PLM Interoperability - Overview

A Global product strategy relies on a global PLM strategy
A global PLM strategy is enabled by interoperability
Interoperability must be achieved at all levels
Visualization as key enabler

Primary
PrimaryTarget
Target

1. Geometry and
Topology

3.CAD metadata
(PMI,
annotation ,
Weld, layers &
groups)

2. Assembly
Hierarchy

Level

Next:
Next:Re-mastering
Re-mastering

of CAD tool

4. Interface to ancillary
products (CAx,
6. Associativity support
EESE, etc.)
(change notification)

9. Common user
interface,
common data
model

5. Design-in-Context
Tessellation,
7 PDM driven data
Precise, Onexchange, PMI
Demand
independent

8. CAD History Tree, Design

Intent, geometry
supporting info

Level-1
Data & Tools Interoperability
across core design and
engineering activities

Level-2
Interoperability across
all PLM Components,
Processes & users

Increasing Levels of complexity

Product Definition (Geometry)

PMI & Metadata
CAD Attributes
PDM-Enabled

PDM
BOM
MFG Systems and Processes
Requirements & Assumptions
Functional, Logical & Physical
Concept/Styling/Marketing/Sale

Level-3
Interoperability across
global vehicle programs
Global Platform
Global Commodities
Global Release & Change
Management
Enabled by Standard
Information Model

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PLM Driven Interoperability

Design/Styling

TCe

JT

JT

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JT Enabled Multi-CAD Design in Context

Visualization-based interoperability
Reuse of existing assets
Multi-CAD / Single PDM Environment
JT Generation via Tce Translation Services
Seamless and Transparent
On the fly JT read capabilities in V5 and IDEAS
Seamless Integration on consumption
C2C is still around, but in diminishing capacity

Teamcenter Engineering

JT Read/Write

IDEAS

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CATIA V5

Evolution of Visualization at Ford

Key Milestones
1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

TCBuck

LTDR

Enhanced PDM Vis

Suppliers

Integration

JT for CAD Interoperability
Design-in-context

PDM based Visualization

Visualization imbedded in the PDM

Clearance Management
Systematic analysis of clearance / clash

Immersive Buck
Digital Human with motion capture

Web-Based PC Access
Broad web-based access to Digital Mockup

Automatic Tessellation
Continuous, automatic generation of a general purpose digital mockup

Distributed Visualization
More frequent generation of the digital mockup available on numerous visualization servers

Manual Digital Buck

Periodic manual generation of the digital mockup to support major program milestones

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Current Ford PLM Environment

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Integrated C3PNG Digital Environment

TCe

Mfg Rich Client

BOM
Authoring

Rich Client

Thin Client
FIDES

ICM - Integrated Clash

Management
AVBOM
Issue
Management

IDEAS

CATIA V5

TC Vis

Req. Mgmt

Clash Mgmt

Multi-CAD

Integrated
Reporting

Digital Prototyping

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JT Pipeline DPA Process View

DPA 0

DPA 1

DPA 2

DPA 3

DPA 4

DPA 5

DPA 6

Function

Static
Nominal
Taisen

Craftsmanship

Tolerance

Service

Mfg/
Assembly

Package/
Ergo

Design
Appearance
Margins/
Flushness
Grains / Gloss

VSA Focus
studies agreed
by Design,
Program & VO

Removal
Access
Damageability

DPA Owner:
Craftsmanship

DPA Owner:
Craftsmanship

DPA Owner:
FCSD

DPA Owner: VO
& SBU ME

DPA Owner:
Basic Design
Package

UP

UP

UN & UP

UN & UP

UN & UP

Craftsmanship
Specifications

Appearance
Tolerance

Service
Specification

Mfg/Assembly

Package/Ergo

Dynamic
displacement
Movement
Heat
Clearances
Variation

Clearances
Positional
correctness
Interface
completeness

DPA Owner:
Block Leaders

DPA Owner:
Block Leaders

UN & UP

UN & UP

Formability
Assembly
Process
Plant Floor
Ergonomics

Ingress/egress
Reach
Vision
Accessibility
Spatial
Relationships

Requirements

Verification

DPA Assessments

Digital Pre-Assembly: Geometric Verification & Compliance to Standards

Functional
Specifications
Material
Key Life
Component

Nominal Taisen
Component
System &
interface
requirements.

Exterior
Interior
Under Hood

Acceptance
Criteria for
Component
Variation

Component
Standards for
Service

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Component Mfg
Standards

Component
Ergo Req

Control specs

Component
Package
Standards

DFA Req

JT Pipeline - Systems View

JT Enabled Interoperability across the product creation tool sets
PD/KBE

Color Buck
PDV
Jack
TCe
TC Buck

E2Ks

TCe

Marketing
& Sale

Services

Indirect
Jack
PDV
Jack
TCe

IsoDraw

3DVia Composer
Adobe Illustr.

TCVis
VisJack
VSP

PDV
3DsMax
AutoTrol
TCViTransCabels

JT pipeline

Mfg
TCM
eMS
Jack
FIDES
Flexible PartViewer

PTO

Corp Design

CAE Mashing
TessOnDemand
ePEds
PTO Buck

Showcase
ICIDO
Opticore
MotionBuilder
Bunkspeed

EMS Planner

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Significance of Interoperability
Warranty Part
Support Desk
(2001)
Full Vehicle
Buck
(1996)

Plant
Visualization
(1998)

PD and Mfg
Illustrations
(2007)

1st Buck
On Road
(1999)

Marketing
For 20 Vehicles
(2007)

Ergo-based
Serviceability
(2000)

1st Marketing
Process from JT
(2006)

Mfg PMI
(2000)

Service Tools
InClass
(2006)

Released
Content
(2000)

Digital
Pre-Assembly
(2005)

Service
Manuals
(2001)

Ford GT
Marketing
Swept Volume (2004)
for Serviceability
(2005)

Dealers
Catalogs
(2003)

Photo-Realistic, Engineering
LIVE Reviews
(2007)
Shadowed
Under hood
Drawings
(2007)

Interactive
Service Pubs
(2008)
Web-based Build
and Price
(2008)

PDM-bases
Visualization
(2009)

Future:
HD3D, AWS,
Mobility

Immersive Buck
(2007)

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11

Summary: Visualization Is Interoperability

Product Visualization - Lightweight product data everywhere
Ability to move native geometry interactively to the visualization tool, enabling
real-time viewing and analysis

Verification and Digital Prototyping

Digital Pre Assembly (DPA) Process enabler

Visualization-based CAD Interoperability

Data sharing and collaboration across multiple design and engineering disciplines
using efficient product data representation.
Design-in-Context with reference data
Ability to work with geometry in one CAD tool with reference geometry from another
CAD tool

Geometry pipeline to engineering applications and products (CAD, KBE,

CAE, Illustration, etc.)
Product pipeline to Manufacturing applications
Product representation for photo-realistic and VR applications
Legacy Migration & Archival
Bridging between next generation and carryover systems and Long-term data
retention
IDEAS and PDGS archived as JT
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12

What are some of the Opportunities

PLM Interoperability
Current Architecture
Opportunities
Product Visualization
CAE Visualization
Engineering Efficiency
Suppliers Integration
3D Mobility
Openness and Standards
Discussion

Copyright Ford Motor Company, 2012 - Ford Proprietary

Product Visualization
Product Visualization Supports Decision making
Interoperability is manual and customized
Integration with PLM is just kicking off

Sale
Marketing
Design and
Simulation
Concept
Styling

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Example: Advanced Material Interop

In the PLM today, CAD applications and
Technical Visualization (Mock-up)
applications have been integrated with PDM.
Other visualization applications supporting
High End Visualization, Photo-Realistic
Rendering, Video Animation, Virtual Reality
have not been integrated.
Most of the HEV systems are typically used
standalone with repetitive manual effort
required to manage and update information.
So best in class capabilities are typically custom-made with data conversion optimized for
each company.
There is a growing need to improve integration and work flows for visualization
applications that utilize current data from the PDM/PLM environment.
There is a case for PDM/PLM driven Visualization with a goal that applications integrated
with PDM/PLM systems have a consistent and predictable set of visualization behaviors.
There are no industry wide requirements for PLM integration of Visualization Systems &
Tools
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Advanced Color Material - Automotive POCs

GMs POC Phase 1
GM, Autodesk, RTT, Siemens

Fords POC Phase 2

Ford, Autodesk, Theorem, Siemens

Upstream/Downstream Vis

JTOpens effort
Feasibility for using GUMID as a
persistent color attributes index for
consistent visualization
Feasibility to interop, associate, use and
maintain the color attributes during
engineering workflows phases
(Teamcenter, TCVis, V5)
GAAGs Product Visualization

TCe

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Engineering Vis

CAE Visualization
Functional Buck
Better communication of CAE results
into the PD decision making process
Improved robustness and efficiency of CAE
model build process via closer link to the
PDM system
Improved quality of CAE analysis based
on better integration on geometrical
and non-geometrical data
Improved consistency of the design/
package assessment by enabling a
integrated geometrical and functional
assessment
Improved communication of complex
CAE results by enabling a visualization
in an immersive VR environment

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17

Visualization in the Digital Buck

What is possible today (a CFD Example)

EnSight geom

Iso surface
Vel = 15 m/s
Color: Pressure

Clip plane
y const.
Color: Velocity
EnSight results
CAD geom

Clip plane
z const.
Color: Velocity
Elevated surface
@ Outlet
Color: TKE

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Functional Buck: Requirements

Animated section cut:

Animated streamline:

Animated iso surface:

LOD 3: 4000 facets

LOD 2: 7500 facets

LOD 1: 11500 facets

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OEM/Supplier Integration
Supplier Product

A repetitive iterations where reference geometry and

updated design geometry is exchanged until a final
design solution is agreed on.

OEM Environment

A small set of parts to design:

11 End Items
80 CAD Files, 399 Versions
Average of 0.44 versions per day

In an extremely complex environment:

43 CAD Assemblies and multiple versions

Average of 1.73 versions per day
~30 minutes per download
4.3 hours per week for downloads

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JT Enabler Supplier Integration (cont.)

Simplified product representation such as JT just make sense.
Suppliers use it anyways
Immediate benefits are fairly clear (just to list a few):
Size and performance
IP protection
Available as asset
Streamline the process
Not Always, but in many design iteration scenarios
Devil in the details

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Engineering 3D Efficiency
Engineers need modeling capabilities but dont have time to become and maintain
proficiency in parametric modeling
Engineering

CAD

Request
Approval?
Marked up

Released

Final Design in PDM

PDM

Engineers are actually isolated from the design process by the

CAD system
Engineers regularly waiting for CAD Designer to execute design
Mark up is not communicating in 3D Its marking 3D

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3D Design Capable Engineer (cont.)

Direct Modeling Intuitive, Simple to use with a short learning curve.
Direct Modeling addresses users that need to be engaged in the design process but are not full
time CAD users which:
Work with the CAD the whole day
Require extensive CAD training
Regularly interact with the CAD tool to retain proficiency

So for engineers thats great.

No need to master a complicated CAD whose most capabilities they dont need
Dont have to wait to get the CAD folks to make a simplified model or modified a fully-featured model
because they can do it themselves.

Engineers could

Perform a rapid product creation, modification and analysis.

Simplify design to meet CAE analysis
Develop proposals and studies
Perform most functions in a discoverable manner
Dont have time so minimal or no training is desirable

Enabling non CAD users with 3D data by:

 Enabling some level of editing in the visualization tools
 Enabling Direct Modeling integration with CAD data management
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23

Mobility 3D Visualization
Preliminary technical assessment
JT-enabled mobile devices
Tablet apps in the PLM space
Ford's 3D geometry and product data
Tablet overall role as engineering tool
Very promising, Its just a matter of time and its just
around the corner
So we need to prepare.

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Key Enabler:
Open Standards
Openness enables Innovation
Standards enables Openness

JT and STEP - Automotive view:

OEM Commitment to Support ISO JT Standardization (Oct, 2010)

CODEX of PLM Openness

Industry requires standard-based visualization solutions: JT

JT needs an XML-backbone: STEP

 STEP AP 242 XML and JT will enable lightweight data exchange

 STEP AP 242 XML for product structure , meta, kinematic data etc.
 JT as lightweight visualization format for 3D industrial data

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iweitzer@ford.com
Copyright Ford Motor Company, 2012 - Ford Proprietary