Electronic engine 'mockup' shortens design time

CAD systems approaches being used by one engine manufacturing company to display the engine and all accessories are described. The electronic mock-ups of engines under development permits examining the entire engine and its support equipment without resorting to a manufactured model. The Geomod program module allows definitions of sections of tubing in appropriate places and subsequent generations of a solid model, or cabling sections in a wire frame representation. Interferences are automatically identified, even when the system is accessed by several designers simultaneously. Storage of the data provides for representational printouts and plots for subcontractors.