Category: CATIA V5

Performing repetitive tasks manually leads to a loss of productivity. This is one of the major reasons why organizations are increasingly trying to automate processes which helps to reduce manual labour, design time and increase productivity. In CATIA V5, repetitive manual tasks can be automated using CATIA V5 Macros.

There are two ways to create CATIA V5 Macros:

1. Recording a macro.
2. Writing a macro.

How to record a macro in CATIA V5:

1. Launch CATIA V5 & Go to Tools 🡆 Macro 🡆 Start Recording.
   

2. Now, you can specify the macro library in which you want to save the recorded macro, specify the name you want to give to the recorded macro & click Start.
   

3. Now, perform the operations which you want to automate in CATIA V5 e.g., Open Part Design Workbench 🡆 Create A Sketch 🡆 Create Pad.

4. Once all the operations which you want to automate are completed, click on Stop Macro Recording.

   

5. Now, to perform the task automatically, run the recorded macro by clicking Tools 🡆 Macro 🡆 Macros or simply by pressing Alt+F8 keys.
   

6. Now, select the Macro Library, the macro which you want to run & click on Run.
   

7. The task will now be performed automatically e.g.; pad is created automatically.
   

You can modify the recorded macro and use that macro to create all the variants of a product.

For example, if you need to create multiple bolts which are having different diameters then you don’t need to create all the bolts manually, you can automate the bolts creation process and the parameters can be entered using “input-box”.

How to write a macro in CATIA V5:

CATIA V5 Macro can be written in three languages:

1. Visual Basic 6
2. VBA
3. VB Script / CATScript

Applications of CATIA V5 Macros:

Macros can be used for automating the below set of scenarios:

• Repeated set of tasks: Create/Insert customised title block, saving images of annotation views to PowerPoint, extract BOM table to excel, etc.
• Create templates & standardise the company work flow: For example, you have a standard template of part in which only few parameters might vary. The part can be created using automation and the parameters can be put in by the user.

• Quality checking process: Macros can be used to automate the predefined quality checks like checking whether material is applied, font style in drawing, proper tree structure in assembly etc. Based on the check results, we can perform additional tasks.

Advantages of CATIA V5 Macros:

• Faster completion: 90% of the time can be saved in product design using CATIA V5 Macros.

• Error free: As there is no human interaction while performing the repeated set of tasks, there are minimal chances of error.

• Run the automation during non-working hours: As macros can work automatically, repeated set of tasks can be performed during non-working hours which ultimately increases the productivity by reducing design time.

Organizations are adopting Lightweight Engineering solutions to optimize their design, engineering and manufacturing processes. R&D departments in the Automotive and Aerospace sector is increasingly considering ways to adopt Lightweight Engineering solution to develop the new product designs.

There are multiple methods to optimize the weight, shape and material selection of parts and assembly. However, Lightweight Engineering is much more than this. Lightweight Engineering is the optimization of design, engineering and manufacturing processes which helps to create and evaluate new types of concepts and techniques that will make better lighter products.

There are multiple challenges which are faced while designing a part for Lightweight Engineering. Some of the challenges are listed below:

• How to optimize the weight and shape of the design and further simulate and test virtually considering the entire Vehicle or Aircraft Design?
• How to optimize fastening in complex assemblies?
• How to achieve paperless engineering and manufacturing?
• How to optimize the process for composites from design to engineering to manufacturing stages?
• How to achieve a complex sheet metal part design right the first time in Aerospace and Automotive sectors?
• How to manage weight and balance workflow to achieve the KPI?

To address the above challenges, there are multiple processes and digital validation solutions which traditionally work in silos. However, a single solution which can carry design, engineering and manufacturing processes with the same digital thread without any data loss is desirable and preferred as well.

CATIA for Lightweight Engineering solution addresses the above challenges through:

• Cognitive Augmented Design with respect to Additive Manufacturing with best trade-off analysis approach
• Simulation Driven Design for Digital Continuity with SFE concept
• Reverse Engineering Processes with methodology and approach – from scan of “as built” or FEA deformation prediction results
• Fastener analysis and review in earlier stages for complex Assemblies
• Fully optimized process from design to simulation to manufacturing for composites
• First time right approach for complex sheet metal parts by considering manufacturing constraints
• Quicker design innovations in Mold Tool Designs
• Predicting the change management with best impact analysis approach
• Predicting mass distribution to balance weight in the earlier stages for large assemblies
• Increasing the quality of manufactured products with minimal tolerancing and drawing interpretation errors by 100% Product Manufacturing Information in 3D for accurate & annotated geometric definition

The emerging trends in the market and the progression towards Industry 4.0 indicate an increased need for “Model Based Definition” (MBD) or 3D GD&T in design and manufacturing companies.

GD&T is used by engineers in drawings to convey design details to manufacturing teams.

With the increased adoption of Model Based Definition, engineers now place GD&T directly into 3D models instead of generating in 2D drawings. This would make 3D geometry as a “Single Source of Design Information”.

CATIA 3D Master (FTA) allows the designer to create GD&T for designed parts as well as for assemblies.

Once the FTA is done, the same data can be shared to manufacturing teams so that they can directly access the design data along with GD&T eliminating the need for traditional drawing sheets.

Evolution of the Design Process:

The design process has undergone a transformation over the past 50 years. The below infographic shows the evolution of the design process from 1970 to the present day.

Advantages of CATIA 3D Master (FTA):

There are many advantages in using CATIA 3D Master as compared to creating GD&T in 2D drawing sheets. Some of them are listed below:

• Eliminates the effort to generate and update 2D documents according to the 3D geometry definitions
• Can re-use the design from previous projects quickly
• FTA implementation can eliminate the time taken to create the drawings
• Since CATIA 3D Master acts as a “Single Source of Truth”, the latest version of the data is always available
• Helps to increase the quality of manufactured products
• Ensures compliance to international standards
• Leads to better communication since the work flow is entirely 3D based
• Reduces drafting time, supports paperless design and increases the collaboration with customers and suppliers

Adopting and implementing CATIA 3D Master (FTA) ensures companies to reduce design time and that the products reach the market quickly.