RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 19, 2005- Geomagic has recently released three new products for the turbine and power generation industries: new versions of Geomagic Studio reverse-engineering software and Geomagic Qualify computer-aided inspection software, and a completely new package called Geomagic Review that enables customers to share inspection results and collaborate throughout the enterprise.
The new products will be on display in Geomagic’s booth (#511) at Turbo Expo 2005, June 6-9 in Reno, Nev., and in GOM/Microsystem’s booth (14/K29) at Power-Gen Europe 2005, June 28-30 in Milan, Italy. Geomagic software is used worldwide by leading turbine and power-generation companies, including GE Energy, Honeywell, Howmet, PCC Airfoils, Pratt & Whitney, Solar Turbines, and others.
Faster, easier registration
Geomagic Studio software has become an integral tool for companies that need precise digital models for accurate CFD and FEA work. It enables analysis to be done based on a nearly exact model of the as-built part, rather than the original CAD model that in many cases no longer reflects the manufactured part.
The latest version of Geomagic Studio enables faster and easier registration. A new fitting algorithm automatically determines when convergence to a final alignment has occurred, saving time over traditional trial-and-error methods. Further time savings are possible with new code that analyzes scan overlap regions and creates groups of objects that can be registered in a hierarchical fashion.
Integrated turbine blade functionality
Based on feedback from the aerospace industry, Geomagic has added major new functionality for turbine blade analysis to Geomagic Qualify, software that automatically processes scan data from a physical part, enabling instant graphical comparisons between CAD models and as-built parts. Geomagic Qualify is used for first-article inspection, tool validation, wear analysis, object alignment, GD&T, and reporting.
“Geomagic Qualify provides buttons for automatically analyzing many of the properties that are at the heart of airfoil inspection,” says Rick Skelley of PCC Airfoils LLC, a leading manufacturer of aircraft engine blades and vanes. “The new functionality is nicely integrated and right on the mark for the aerospace industry.”
In testing conducted with turbine blade manufacturers, Geomagic Qualify has proven superior to traditional CMM in three important ways:
- generating reproducible test results based on 3D models derived from millions of points instead of the hundreds typically acquired for CMM analysis;
- increasing inspection and analysis speed by collecting data with non-contact scanners and processing it with Geomagic Qualify’s patented technology; and
- providing easy access to dedicated functions that test critical turbine blade attributes and automatically generate numerical and graphical reports of results.
Geomagic Qualify includes new alignment techniques designed specifically for turbine blade inspection. A line target datum simulates surface contact with the cylindrical sidewall of a pin. This enables users to align with edge-to-pin contact that is typically used for turbine blade analysis.
Once scans are aligned, Geomagic Qualify provides graphical inspection for turbine-specific properties such as mean camber line, maximum thickness, leading-edge and trailing-edge radii, thickness at offsets from the blade ends, chord lengths (axial and maximum), and leading-edge position.
Geomagic Qualify also includes 2D twist analysis, which in the past has been difficult to accurately analyze using the limited point data from CMM. The software allows a cross section of a model to be aligned with reference data to determine the lean, bow and twist of the blade. Constraints can be placed on maximum rotation and translation tolerance.
Collaborating on the results
Geomagic Review is free software that works with Geomagic Qualify computer-aided inspection software. It is being used by Pratt & Whitney’s Manufacturing and Development Operations team to communicate and share results from Geomagic Qualify among inspection, design, engineering, partners, contractors and other areas within the enterprise. Managers within these departments in Pratt & Whitney characterize Geomagic Review as a major time and money saver that requires no cash investment for the company.
Geomagic Review offers three principal benefits for product manufacturers:
- It allows graphical information to be shared among engineers in different physical locations, reducing the time it takes to fix a problem detected during computer-aided inspection.
- It provides collaborative tools that improve communication between inspection and design engineers, minimizing the number of design and process changes, and resulting in faster product development and refinement.
- It offers higher return on investment by enabling all those who focus on quality to share information at no additional cost.
Inspection results and analysis generated by Geomagic Qualify – including GD&T analysis, and 2D and 3D comparisons – can be shared with Geomagic Review. Users can open an existing file and manipulate views; select/delete points, curves and polygons; review existing analyses; create new annotations and 2D dimensions; measure distances; and create new reports.
Available now
Geomagic Studio, Geomagic Qualify and Geomagic Review are currently available through Geomagic’s worldwide sales and support network. For more information, visit www.geomagic.com.
About Geomagic
Geomagic (www.geomagic.com) is a global company dedicated to advancing and applying 3D technology for the benefit of humanity. Geomagic’s scanning and design software solutions are used to capture and model 3D content from physical objects, organically sculpt complex shapes, and prepare products for manufacturing. In addition, the company produces powerful 3D metrology and inspection software that verifies dimensional quality by comparing as-built products to master designs. Geomagic’s Sensable Phantom haptic devices simulate the sense of touch in a digital environment.
Geomagic’s software and hardware are utilized by world-class customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, toys, collectibles, coindesign, jewelry, fine art, heritage restoration, research, education, mold making, entertainment, training and surgical simulation. In fact, some of the world’s leading companies and research organizationsuse Geomagic software, including Ford, BMW,Boeing, Harley Davidson, Timberland, Mattel/Fisher Price, Lego, Pratt & Whitney, NASA, Schneider Electronic, 3M, Danaher and Invisalign. Geomagic is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, with an office in Boston, subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and channel partners worldwide.
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Geomagic, Geomagic Studio, Geomagic Qualify, Geomagic Qualify Probe, Geomagic Spark, Wrap, Geomagic Wrap, Phantom, OpenHaptics, Omni, Freeform, Claytools, Sensable and Sensable Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of Geomagic Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
Rachael Taggart
Geomagic, Inc.
+(1) 919-474-0135
Contact Rachael