While the Internet may hold intriguing possibilities for the future, moldmakers need helpful, online options today. Fortunately, there are several sites that – if used correctly – can help moldmakers become more profitable.

Anyone not living in a cave these past few years should agree that the Internet is arguably the most significant technological breakthrough to come along in the past decade. This tool links us instantaneously to virtually (no pun intended) any person, place or thing in the world. Yet even more impressive is that the Internet is still defining itself while supplying the infrastructure for applications that we can only begin to imagine. The possibilities are limitless.

But what about today? What practical benefits is the Internet currently providing to manufacturers? Phrases like “collaborative product development,” “e-this,” and “virtual-that” are impressive, but presently have little meaning to the average moldmaker or CAD/CAM user.

Fortunately, valuable information and related services are now being provided via the Internet. Businesses of all types and sizes can access sites customized for their specific interests and needs. These sites cut through all of the clutter, offering a single source for industry-specific information, tools and services.

OnLine Repair and Translation
Online CAD model repair and translation is an important area common to all CAD model users. As CAD models continue to solidify themselves as the standard throughout product development, moldmakers and other downstream CAD model users are routinely asked to work with a wider variety of CAD model types and formats.

Whether CATIA, Unigraphics, Pro/E, I-DEAS, IGES, STEP, STL, Parasolid, ACIS or other types of files, suppliers must demonstrate an ability to work with CAD models regardless of origin or risk loosing the business. This creates some very real problems for moldmakers as inherent differences between software systems and platforms make sharing CAD models nearly impossible at times. Consequently, moldmakers and other CAD model users are spending days – or even weeks – repairing or completely recreating models.

One alternative might be to purchase a CAD model repair and translation tool. But what about the shop that experiences only an occasional need for translation and repair? These groups generally don’t perform enough translations to justify purchasing and becoming proficient with software – but when they encounter a model with problems, they need that model fixed and translated and they need it now! These companies are the reason that online translation exists.

How it Works
Generally, users of this new online translation will evaluate this new service in several areas including: results, ease-of-use, time savings, and of course, cost.

The goal of online repair and translation is to deliver a valid surface or solid model that can be immediately imported and used in the customer’s CAD/CAM system with no rework. From our experience, automated online translation will deliver a totally valid surface or solid model that can be immediately read into one’s in-house system the vast majority of the time (70 to 80 percent of models). In other situations (15 to 20 percent of models) most errors/issues in the model will be repaired but there may be some work required by the customer to complete the repair.

Unfortunately a small percentage of CAD models cannot be translated to the point where they can be immediately used without extensive rework. These cases may include models that have serious design quality problems.

Simply translating these types of models will not deliver desirable results. Fortunately these instances are rare (an estimated five percent). Many moldmakers have come to think of repairing and translating CAD models as a normal part of their job. In fact some shops figure time and costs spent fixing models into their bid process. Online translation enables moldmakers to concentrate on their core jobs and turn repair and translation over to the experts.

In fact, continued evolution of the Internet and e-mail reduces the process to a simple “point and click” exercise of sending the file and retrieving the translated file.
Time is Money

It generally takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few days to complete a translation with online services. Turn-around time will vary depending on the size and complexity of the model; additionally, models with severe geometry problems may require some level of human interaction, adding a little time to the process. Compare that, however, to the days or weeks it generally takes to find and fix CAD model problem areas and you’ll quickly see the big dividends online repair and translation offers.

Translation charges are generally based on model size, and most translations would probably fall into a price range of $200 to $500. This is where you may want to take a look at how often you are employing these services to determine if usage warrants purchasing CAD repair and translation software for in-house use.

A word of caution – some online translation services simply run models through a translator, leaving the customer with a “what you get is – well, what you get” take it or leave it result. These services rely on price as their hook, playing the risk-free card that promises no charge for poor results. This might be okay assuming that you have time to burn. A good rule of thumb in online translation, as in life in general, is the reliable adage: You get what you pay for. Moldmakers today have a variety of sites offering online CAD repair and translation.