Rule based apparatus and method for evaluating an engineering design for correctness and completeness

摘要

An apparatus and method provides for the input of geometric data representing features of a manufactured part and data representing datums and tolerances for the features. Relationships are established between the data and degrees of freedom are determined for the part features and tolerances. The relationships and degrees of freedom are interpreted to determine if the tolerance plan defined by a designer is complete and well formed. If it is not, the designer may then revise the tolerancing plan to provide for a more consistent and useful tolerancing plan resulting in higher quality, lower cost manufactured parts and assemblies.