Inspection Software Upgrade

A new version of PowerINSPECT software is now available, featuring point cloud processing functionality, more geometric inspection choices, and new reverse engineering capabilities. The software provides a method of comparing tooling, prototype parts, or production samples with CAD data. This type of inspection is being used more throughout the manufacturing cycle because much of the design data is now available as CAD models rather than drawings.

With the version, inspection reports can be produced automatically, including pictorial, graphical, and tabulated data, either to recognized international standards or in a customer-specified format. By providing real-time results, the software is said to identify problems earlier and can correct them at lower costs.

Because the software can work with point cloud data, the range of equipment that can be used to provide data to the software is increased. The software can analyze point clouds with tens of thousands of points in seconds. To help with interpretation, the software can highlight just the points that are out of tolerance.

Additional protocols are new in this release, linking to a wider range of CMMs. Now, articulated arms can be used with the software. The range of CAD data has increased, so files can be extracted from Catia, CADDS, Pro/Engineer, and UniSurf, in addition to IGES and VDA translations.

The new reverse engineering capabilities allow the software to collect point data from physical models and read them into a CAD system. The points are then used to create cross-sections or other wireframe information that can be used as the basis for a CAD model.

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