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Advanced Modeling Technologies
A large percentage of all engineering drawings in the U.S. are not computer processable, and without technology to convert raster drawings to 3D product data models, this situation will likely persist. The backlog of manual drawings is a serious impediment to improving manufacturing designs as most engineering projects involve incremental changes to, or reuse of, components in existing designs. The conversion of engineering drawings reduces procurement and maintenance costs by enabling reverse engineering, re-engineering, competitive reprocurement, the redesign of manufacturing processes, and 3D virtual simulations of operational and maintenance scenarios. Lack of technology for converting drawings to 3D product data models seriously limits the effective use of cutting-edge computer technologies (e.g., simulation-based design and virtual reality-based training) for cost saving, cycle-time reduction, and inventory reduction.
KBSI has participated in several intiatives involving drawing conversions, including the Navy-funded Logistics Information Delivery System (LIDS) initiative, which developed technology for converting blueprints to 3D. The LIDS technology accepts a part blueprint on paper, as a digital raster image, or in 2D-vector format and outputs 3D data. What distinguishes the LIDS conversion from direct digitization is that it recovers the 3D product specification data for parts. If solid models of the component parts of assembly structures are created in a CAD system, then the engineering drawings can be created automatically from the solid model, and the assembly drawings can be generated automatically by combining the solid models into assemblies.
KBSI also utilizes the integration of 3D visualization tools in its user interface design--a critical component in any virtual environment application--and also applies 3D visualization tools in the generation of 3D models for simulation, manufacturing, training, and analysis.
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