A new software tool designed for the downstream user of the CAD model analyzes the data and highlights the problem areas – CADfixT. These problems may be corrected automatically in many instances or repaired manually.

Just as important, the software allows users to import one type of file – IGES for example – repair the model and output an IGES (standard or flavored for I-DEAS, Pro/E, CATIA), Parasolid, ACIS, ANSYS, STL, STEP or another type of file.

This feature is extremely valuable for downstream organizations working with a variety of customers/suppliers and software packages. This software offers users the ability to “heal” and repair these models to the extent that they can use them in their own internal systems – whether it’s getting rid of duplicate points/edges or “tightening” up a series of surfaces so that they can be stitched into a solid.

As a technical resource to mold shops, it is common for users to get hung up on this step of imported IGES file translation. In the pursuit to solve this problem of importing IGES files, Caley discovered a powerful and easy-to-use IGES file cleaning and manipulating package.
What stands out about this IGES file cleaning and manipulating package above all other solutions is the level of automation that is built in. It seeks out problem areas then applies intelligent fixes automatically – all within “safe” tolerances that the user can control, Keeping in mind that “safe” depends on the receiving system.

Interactive tools also are included which help to evaluate and repair IGES files at a part modeling level. The user works with points, edges, faces, surfaces and solid bodies – not lines of ASCII code from IGES files! It is very effective in cleaning IGES files. The more knowledgeable the user is on the process and CAD/CAM, the more successful he/she will be. There are test cases where errors in an IGES file would actually crash I-DEAS, but after cleaning the IGES file up in this file cleaning and manipulating package, the part is imported into I-DEAS with a minimal number of needed repairs to get a stitched-up solid model.