This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Wickman, C. Articles by Söderberg, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Increased Concurrency between Industrial and Engineering Design Using CAT Technology Combined with Virtual Reality

Volvo Cars, Body and Trim Engineering, Department 93980 PVS, SE-405 31 Göteborg, Sweden, Chalmers University of Technology, Product and Production Development, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden

Rikard Söderberg

Chalmers University of Technology, Product and Production Development, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden

These days, when an industrial design concept is evaluated in an aesthetic manner, all models used are nominal. If the design is evaluated with nominal models, variation aspects and design solutions that would greatly influence the overall quality appearance might not be discovered until the first test series are made. By using nonnominal models during the design process, important geometric aspects can be issued, and the need for physical test series can be reduced. In the automotive industry, especially in body design, the relationships between doors, hoods, fenders and other panels are critical for quality appearance.

This article suggests how combining traditional Computer Aided Tolerance (CAT) tools with modern Virtual Reality (VR) tools has the potential to enhance concurrency between industrial and engineering design and provide support for the geometry process in early phases. Traditional nonnominal verification can then already be conducted in the concept phase using digital models instead of physical. A VR-CAT tool supported geometry design process is proposed from a holistic point of view. Results and indications from a case study, where prescribed VR-CAT tool has been tried out in an on going project at Volvo Cars is presented.

Key Words: concurrent engineering • virtual geometric verification • industrial design • nonnominal evaluation

Concurrent Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 1, 7-15 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/1063293X03011001001


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Yoshimura System Design Optimization for Product Manufacturing Concurrent Engineering, December 1, 2007; 15(4): 329 - 343. [Abstract] [PDF]