Pinpointing assembly Variation

When it comes to designing an assembly, a common problem with CAD programs is that they focus exclusively on parts and ignore how the assembly functions as a whole. Quality parts are good, but they do not guarantee a quality assembly. There is now software available that provides variation analysis to an assembly. That means that the software will provide a summary of the assembly-build variations. Any inherent design issues due to part tolerances or other limitations will be discovered and reported. These inherent design issues should be noted as early in the design process as possible because they can lead to a sensitive assembly that may have severe design limitations. The article points out several areas in which the CAD software can help. Order of assembly, tolerance of the individual components, accurate measurements to avoid gaps and imperfections, statistical Monte Carlo simulations and reports, sensitivity analysis to gauge tolerances, and a Geofactor analysis to determine tolerances related to part geometry.  Read the full article at Machine Design.

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