Data exchanges impact an increasing range of disciplines. This makes it natural and imperative to work with vendors to enable as many end-users as possible to exchange their CAD data. Actually, interoperability issues have increased the need for data exchange and considerably exceeded the scope of CAD.
CAD models provide a working basis for more and more disciplines.

The technology is based on the modelling paradigms used in the original models and assemblies. Hence its strong attachment to native formats, which alone let users recover complete CAD data structures and maximise the number of entities exchanged, Datakit can make a commitment to be able to read specific items of data.

Datakit focuses on breaking down the entities into the finest grained detail possible and on building structures that enable data to be stored thoroughly and then used as needed by different applications. The solutions do not work like black boxes but deliver a level of visibility of data transfers.

In technical terms, the substantial growth over the last few years is the switch from IGES surface data to STEP, which does a much better job in handling solids and assembling data.

The current trend is all about managing FTA modules from Catia V5, UG’s PMI and all the other data of this type. Companies must work from these modules to increase productivity. Exchanging 3D models that have dimensioning and tolerancing data is of course essential. Datakit has been proactive in this area for the last years. It has been working with vendors of data inspection solutions, for whom the ability to build this information into the 3D model is an additional guarantee of quality. Viewer developers, who facilitate access to CAD data, are also among our prime targets. Manufacturing departments are also interested and this could lead to 2D paper drawings disappearing completely from many workshops.

The checks and comparisons between modelised and original models are becoming ever more crucial issues in which Datakit is involved, as well as healing, simplifying models, especially for viewing or manufacturing.

To conclude, reliable and complete Cad Data exchanges are key factors regarding increasing demands to speed products launch. The recovery of the different data available in a model, does not concern sole Cad and Engineering departments or teams. It deals with a much more global enterprising issue.
Actually, among the fields concerned, CAD and CAM still prevail, but areas such as metrology, prototyping, numerical simulation, visualization or rendering are better and more and more represented. Sign of the times, new customers work in the fields of design, reverse engineering, creation of interactive documentation, viewing, rendering and QC.