Harnessing the Digital Thread – Turning 3D Measurement into Manufacturing Intelligence
Measurement data holds immense potential, but it only delivers real value when properly harnessed. In a continuation of the recent interview article ‘Eliminating Data Silos With Smart Inspection Connectivity’ with Marc Soucy, PhD, President and co-founder of InnovMetric, we discuss how PolyWorks 2025 empowers manufacturers to transform raw inspection data into actionable insights.
Q: What are the typical challenges manufacturers face when trying to use 3D measurement data effectively? How does PolyWorks 2025 help translate that data into clear, actionable decisions?
A: Manufacturers often struggle to use measurement results effectively, largely due to their reliance on static 2D reports that lack the level of detail needed for informed decision-making. While having access to rich 3D measurement data is essential to analyze issues thoroughly, managing such data can be cumbersome without a proper data management solution. PolyWorks 2025 addresses this challenge by providing a Web interface that enables engineers to easily access and interact with 3D metrology data linked to 3D models. This gives engineers the freedom to explore the data they need without being limited to predefined reports. They can also extract new inspection results directly from 3D color maps to make quick and reliable data-driven decisions. To acquire a more comprehensive understanding, engineers can turn to PolyWorks|Reviewer, which provides one-click access to the full 3D measurement data set for more in-depth analysis.
Q: What is the significance of derived GD&T dimensions in this process?
A: Derived GD&T dimensions play a key role in helping manufacturers interpret and act on quality data. While traditional GD&T controls like Position and Profile report only the overall deviation magnitude, derived dimension values provide detailed insight by showing the specific direction and location of deviations. This helps manufacturing teams pinpoint the root cause of an issue, whether it stems from poor calibration or a recurring fixture misalignment, and take corrective action to prevent part loss. Moreover, teams can use the SPC tools of the PolyWorks|DataLoop Web Interface to track individual derived values and distinguish between stable and unstable processes. This level of detail enables robust statistical control over GD&T characteristics, which are vital to ensure proper part function and assembly.
Q: How do these tools support engineering and quality teams specifically?
A: By streamlining the communication of engineering requirements, the PolyWorks digital connectors empower quality teams to efficiently plan measurement execution and generate accurate reports. With PolyWorks 2025, teams can deploy best practices for metadata and measurement strategies by leveraging project templates that embed metrology expertise specific to devices like CNC CMMs, gauges, and portable CMMs. These templates also include specialized knowledge related to specific parts or fabrication processes, enhancing metrology processes and delivering value not only to engineering and quality teams, but to the entire organization.
Q: How does traceability factor into this data-to-decision workflow?
A: Traceability plays an essential role in the data-to-decision workflow as it ensures access to 3D measurement data for any dimension within the dimensional measurement process. This data is also much more valuable when accompanied by its full contextual information. The PolyWorks digital thread offers end-to-end digital traceability, linking the initial CAD definition of a dimension to its measurement, review, and final report publication. This allows any dimension under review to display its complete 3D measurement data, context, and metadata to anyone who has access to PolyWorks|DataLoop. With such valuable data at their fingertips, manufacturing organizations are much better equipped to perform efficient root cause analyses and make well-informed, data-driven decisions.
Protecting What Matters – Data Integrity in Dimensional Inspection
Q: Why is data protection such an important issue in the inspection world?
The real value of dimensional inspection data lies in its actionable nature. The feedback obtained from measurements is instrumental in guiding decisions that impact multiple facets of engineering and manufacturing processes. Ensuring the accuracy of this data is thus essential for reliable decision-making, and the most effective way to achieve this is by deploying a digital thread for dimensional inspection that:
- Stores dimensional inspection information from all measurements for as long as needed
- Establishes a single source of truth by delivering measurement information digitally
- Controls who can access the data and specifies permissible actions
Q: How does piece-inspection locking work, and what problems does it solve?
A: In certain scenarios, it is necessary to grant access and editing rights exclusively to one person within a company. For example, an expert may need to lock a piece template while making modifications to make sure no one can edit it in the meantime. Another possibility may involve wanting to preserve a measured piece indefinitely, either retain it as a reference or to document a specific issue. In such cases, locking the piece ensures that no manual or automated modifications can be made.
Q: How does PolyWorks 2025 balance data access with confidentiality? What does this mean for manufacturers dealing with sensitive or proprietary parts?
A: Effective permissions management and database partitioning are key. It is important to maintain granular control over who can create, edit, measure, and delete information within the data management system. This means defining security roles and policies, and assigning them to all system users. Additionally, distinct storage spaces should be assigned to different user groups so that it is possible to restrict access to certain data when necessary. PolyWorks provides manufacturing organizations with comprehensive tools to ensure the protection of sensitive and proprietary parts.
The Road Ahead – InnovMetric’s Vision for the Digital Future of 3D Metrology
Q: How do you see the role of dimensional inspection evolving in the next five years?
A: In today’s fast-paced and rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, customers are more demanding, international trade is more complex, the recruitment and retention of skilled workers pose growing challenges, and global competition has reached unprecedented levels. That’s why it is crucial to invest in areas enterprises can control. Across all industries, time to market has become a critical factor for success, prompting companies to seek and adopt technologies that will enable them to launch products 25% or even 50% faster than before. We see dimensional inspection as a cornerstone technology in achieving this, along with simulation.
Imagine that you’ve consolidated all your dimensional inspections, whether from physical or simulated models, conducted in-house or by your suppliers, into a single system. This would enable you to trace and analyze the life cycle of every key dimensional characteristic of a product, from design to production. You could easily identify which characteristics are the most expensive to manufacture, highlight underperforming process steps, and assess supplier quality. Such valuable knowledge would empower your organization to better calibrate its investments and select the best suppliers.
All of this becomes possible when dimensional inspection is fully leveraged as a strategic asset in product development.
Q: What are the most exciting technological trends you’re tracking right now?
A: Of course, AI is on everyone’s radar, and we’re just as interested in its potential as any other player in our field. Successfully integrating AI into business starts with properly identifying the applications that deliver the most value. It is undeniably a powerful statistical tool, particularly for tasks like document analysis, but its capabilities in other areas such as logic or mathematics are still lacking. The key is to target workflows where AI can truly excel while controlling usage costs and implementing policies to ensure data confidentiality.
When it comes to manufacturing companies, I believe that they must fast-track the adoption of cloud technologies into their practices. While it may not be as exciting as AI, the potential for cost savings is substantial. Cloud technologies offer scalable and on-demand storage at an affordable cost, along with computing power without the need for internal hardware provisioning. Data exchanges between multiple sites are significantly faster, thanks to high-speed interconnections between the data centers of cloud providers. And when a trusted vendor offers you a cloud-based solution, you know they’ll manage security and keep the system running smoothly. Harnessing the power of the cloud should be the number one priority of all manufacturing companies over the next five years.
Q: How will the digital thread enable better integration with digital twins and PLM systems?
A: Firstly, by optimizing engineering simulation modeling workflows, which have come to resemble those in 3D measurement processes. We simulate the manufacturing process of a part by generating a polygonal model and comparing it to the CAD model typically using a color map. The results are then sent to experts, who analyze them to define the parameters for the next simulation cycle. Imagine a digital thread where every step is handled digitally, every simulation result is accessible with a single click, and every specific deviation is automatically linked to its corresponding manufacturing parameter. All within a single software solution. The difference is striking.
Secondly, the digital thread provides the design team with valuable feedback, which is instrumental in driving continuous improvement. Designers can now visualize inspection results, trace the root causes behind design changes, and verify whether those changes effectively resolved the identified issues. With dimensional inspection, designers can measure the tangible effects of their design choices and gain the insights needed to refine their work and elevate product quality.
Part One of this interview article can be read here.
