Manufacturing Tolerance Design and Analysis

Tecnomatix TolMate enables you to interpret and manage tolerances and design specifications throughout the manufacturing process. TolMate's easy-to-use interface and functionality transform inexperienced users into tolerance experts.

TolMate enables you to predict the effect of tolerances and mating operations on an assembly process. It identifies key characteristics of an assembly - such as the flushness of an airplane wing, the gap between a door and the fender of a car, or the clearance between the removable hard disk and the bay in a portable PC - as well as the critical features of an assembly. TolMate calculates the variations in these characteristics and the contribution of tolerances to these variations. Simulation and analysis tools help deliver optimal tolerances for manufacturing and assembly.

Features:

• Embedded within most CAD systems
• CAD model data storage
• Manual and automatic tools for defining assembly sequences and methods
• User-specified key characteristics simulation including distances, angles, clearances and virtual size
• Analytical feature definition
• Ranking of tolerances based on contribution to variation
• Utilization of measurement data from the shop floor
• Simulation results displayed in graphical, text and HTML formats

Benefits:

• Saves money by minimizing design changes and manufacturing reworking
• Reduces Time to Market by helping users design products "right, the first time"
• Optimizes design by predicting the variation of key quality characteristics in parts and assemblies
• Improves quality of the product and process by identifying assemblability issues and helping engineers overcome them prior to manufacturing

Determining Assembly Tolerances

TolMate identifies the key characteristics of nominal component models that are critical to proper assembly. You can use TolMate to analyze specific tolerance contribution to the assembly stack-up variation and to identify where tolerances need to be tightened or can be loosened.

Analyzing the Assembly

TolMate combines the Monte Carlo statistical simulation techniques with Tecnomatix Tolerance Management System (TMS) technology. This combination provides a consistent method to predict variation caused by part tolerances and assembly method alterations.

Shop Floor Applications

Tolmate is part of the Tecnomatix Quality Solutions portfolio that addresses the complete tolerance management process. It uses actual shop floor data, ensuring that the stack-up analysis reflects the actual distribution of measured variations. By promoting a productive dialogue between design and manufacturing, TolMate improves overall quality and efficiency and promotes concurrent engineering practices.