// SOLUTIONS & DEVELOPMENT valexcon GmbH · PLM ENGINEERING
Solutions & Development

Digital Mockup

Lightning-fast digital mockup with clash detection – even for very large structures

A Digital Mock-Up (DMU) is a concept and method in Product Lifecycle Management that uses digital 3D models of a product to analyse and validate its design, functionality and assembly virtually – already in the early development phase, without physical prototypes.

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Purpose and benefits of DMU

  • Virtual assembly check – do parts fit together correctly (“fitting checks”)
  • Clash detection – identifying potential collisions
  • Motion simulations – studying motion sequences and mechanisms
  • Dimensional and tolerance analysis
  • Time and cost savings through fewer physical prototypes
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration between design, manufacturing, service and marketing
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FastDMU by valexcon

Our solution enables lightning-fast visualisation and navigation through complex product structures – even for models with thousands of parts. A powerful toolset for extracting, filtering, analysing and preparing CAD data provides exactly the information the user really needs. Whether to prepare design reviews, for engineering or in change management: FastDMU brings clarity – right where it’s needed.

  • Lightning-fast loading of even extensive models
  • Intuitive navigation in the context of the selected configuration
  • Collision analysis directly in the 3D view
  • Support for design reviews
FastDMU System architecture · Backend → Frontend
Backend
PDM / VAULT Source system Original CAD data
DMU-SERVER FastDMU DMU-Server Import, conversion, simplification & filtering – builds product-info and geometry datasets
CLASH-SERVER FastDMU Clash-Server Clash calculation (contact, penetration, minimum distance), clash database & export to customer system
DATAPROVIDER FastDMU DataProvider Efficient delivery of FastDMU datasets over a secure line
Frontend
CLIENT FastDMU Client Loading, managing & displaying FastDMU data in CATIA
CATIA V5 CATIA V5 Client Visualisation of product data – “design in context”
Modification → stored back into the source system
Fig. — FastDMU system architecture: from the source system via DMU and clash servers and the DataProvider to the FastDMU and CATIA V5 client; modifications flow back into the source system.
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Processing and visualisation

FastDMU enables powerful data processing as well as the loading and visualisation of very large assemblies consisting of several thousand to millions of individual parts – for example a complete vehicle, a passenger aircraft, an entire production hall or even a cruise ship, including all meta and geometry data. Loading in different configurations is also possible, e.g. displaying left-hand and right-hand drive simultaneously.

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Filtering and navigation

FastDMU offers easy navigation and interaction with large product structures. Metadata can be displayed in various views: TreeView, ListView, PropertiesView and BomView. Geometry contexts in CATIA are efficiently managed and visualised – through data caching, an instance-reference model or selectable levels of detail. Search functions such as spatial or proximity search are precise, and can be combined with automatic setting of visual properties (colour, transparency, visibility). Functional data filtering takes place via the product configuration, e.g. through config handlers or milestones.

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Geometric validation

For geometric validation, FastDMU provides automatic clash calculation (contact, penetration, minimum distances, single and multiple clashes) – for fully configured as well as unconfigured products. Identified clashes are managed in a dedicated database and displayed in CATIA via ClashViews and the customer system (classification). Integration into CATIA enables combined work with visualisation and native data – true “design in context”.

DMU VIEWPORT
○ Detection off
Parts 5 · 20.0 kg
Drag to rotate · +/− to zoom
// Part list
MaterialMassSize (X×Y×Z) · mm
P-01 Base plate Steel S235JR 9.8 kg 480×60×320
P-02 Housing Aluminium EN AW-6082 6.4 kg 200×160×200
P-03 Cover Steel S235JR 1.7 kg 160×30×160
P-04 Flange left Bronze CuSn8 0.9 kg 56×90×90
P-05 Bracket right Steel S235JR 1.2 kg 50×140×80
Penetration Contact Clash-free

Try it yourself

View
// Clash report
Enable clash detection to analyse penetrations and contacts.

Fig. — Simplified interactive illustration of the FastDMU principle: exploded view and clash detection (contact / penetration) on a sample assembly.

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Data security

Your product data is safe in FastDMU: data processing, transfer and management secured to the latest standards through measures (ISSO) such as HTTPS, data encryption and authentication via smart card.

Sounds like a fit for your project?

We’re happy to advise you – including for an existing installation.

Get in touch