There is a growing use of 3D models within manufacturing and a need for specialized software applications to support complex machining operations. Consequently, automated machinery and equipment manufacturers are choosing to develop custom 3D software to drive their machining solutions and achieve competitive differentiation. While off-the-shelf CAD software has provided a generalized solution to the challenge, CAD applications are developed for the workflows of product design, not the unique workflows of manufacturing applications. The result is a solution inadequate for the specialized needs of machine programmers and operators. Instead these manufacturers are choosing to develop their own software with the use of software components to speed development and reduce development costs.

Automated machinery manufacturers produce software-enabled machinery for tasks such as metal working, metal cutting, and robotics. For these companies, Spatial provides a foundation for specialized applications that optimize end-users’ specific work-flows, shorten the learning curve and increase their productivity. Spatial’s software components enable development resources within these manufacturers to maintain focus on adding product-specific capabilities, rather than re-inventing basic 3D modeling infrastructure, data exchange, and 3D visualization capabilities.

Spatial provides 3D software components, a rapid application development framework, technical support, and 3D expertise. The result is higher-quality products, faster time-to-market, and market-leading applications that distinguish themselves in this highly competitive market.

Automated Machinery Companies Partnering with Spatial can:

• Accelerate development of 3D manufacturing applications
• Create specialized applications that optimize end-users’ specific work-flows
• Readily integrate standard functions, such as 3D geometry representations, import/export and visualization capabilities
• Address complex manufacturing requirements such as 7-axis robotics
• Differentiate themselves in the market

Automated Machinery Applications:

The following are examples of automated machinery applications and the capabilities enabled through the use of Spatial software components:

• Robotics – geometry import, geometry query, manipulation and editing, visualization, simulation with collision detection, reverse kinematics, and path planning capabilities
• Metal Working - geometry import, geometry modification for improved manufacturing, algorithms for path planning, feature identification, and removal capabilities
• Inspection – geometry and manufacturing information input, geometry query and manipulation for path planning, visualization and simulation with collision detection