Modelling variational geometry in computer-aided design for tolerance aware product development

This thesis describes the development of means by which the Digital Mock-up (DMU) can better inform decisions related to tolerance design concurrently with functional part design.<br><br>The lack of CAD capabilities to represent ‘as manufactured’ products means design evolves with limited consideration of the effects of dimensional variation. These effects are analysed statistically using computer-aided tolerancing software, but at late stage design when changes can be time consuming and costly.

There is currently no opportunity for the designer using CAD software to model and analyse dimensional variation during preliminary design to better inform decisions relating to manufacturing.<br><br>This work identified the need to provide the capabilities to model dimensional variation of parts within CAD enriching design from a manufacturing perspective. This work has developed and presented a methodology to successfully model and integrate variational geometries alongside their nominal parts in an assembly within the CAD environment, propagating dimensional change along the assembly to visualise and understand its ultimate effect.