Today, customers that want to create quadrilateral meshes from point cloud data to perform finite element analysis need to go through a lengthy process of triangular mesh editing, NURBS surfacing, and finite element meshing until they can launch their FEA solvers. PolyWorks V11 proposes a novel approach based on CAD models. 

With powerful engineering controls such as point pair correspondences and point motion constraints, users can now morph CAD models directly onto triangular models built from point cloud data. Morphed triangulations are then converted to quadrangle-dominant meshes and exported to Nastran format. No triangle editing or NURBS surfacing is required, which makes the new process an order of magnitude faster than existing workflows. PolyWorks’ new module particularly targets sheet metal simulation and fully supports material thickness and sub-assemblies.

PolyWorks/Inspector™ and PolyWorks/Inspector Probing™

With PolyWorks V11, InnovMetric goes beyond its well-established point-cloud-based dimensional control and engineering analysis customer base, and makes solid incursions into statistical process control and probing-only applications. Among its most noticeable new features, PolyWorks V11 offers:

• An integrated statistical process control (SPC) methodology that automatically memorizes all inspection objects measured on a set of multiple pieces and provides a comprehensive set of statistical measurements and trend charts, ideal for quickly and easily analyzing multiple digitized instances of a part or product in a pre-production context;
• A mature probing solution with a new multiple coordinate system management, the automatic recording of alignment history, a new teaching mode for features, the handling of multiple device positions, bundle adjustment, and tens of functional enhancements related to probing-only workflows;
• New part alignment techniques that resolve specific manufacturing issues, such as surface or cross-sectional best-fit alignment that brings data points within a uniform or variable tolerance band, integrated caliper technology in RPS alignment, and edge and shank alignment targets;
• Several important GD&T functionalities, including full support of datum mobility, composite feature control frames, surface profiles, and color-mapping tools for analysis.

PolyWorks/Modeler™

With PolyWorks V11, InnovMetric’s main objective is to enable interoperability between NURBS-based CAD modeling and polygonal modeling:

• Users can now import CAD models in IGES and STEP formats in PolyWorks/Modeler and create watertight triangulated models from these imported surfaces;
• CAD models and digitized polygonal models can be combined in the polygonal world by using either Boolean operations (volumetric) or the new surface-based model-merging operation;
• Users can easily reconstruct a local section of a CAD model by selecting CAD faces to be modified, creating underneath them a curve network on a digitized polygonal model, and using a powerful CAD surface reconstruction tool that simultaneously best-fits, blends, and trims a set of NURBS surfaces that will perfectly fit into the existing CAD model.

PolyWorks V11 also offers a major revision of its reverse engineering workflow, resulting in significant enhancements in terms of speed and ease of use. Finally, a new NURBS surface-fitting engine is released, that ensures greater surface smoothness and improved continuity between patches.

PolyWorks V11 is planned for release in the first quarter of 2009.