About PDQ

Creating a high quality CAD model is not only one of the most time-consuming and costly parts of the new product development process, it is also one of the most critical. Companies rely on these models to create the products that are the lifeblood of their business. Given the complexity of modern design, as well as the many powerful technologies used in this process and the pressures of getting new products to market, it is not surprising that errors occur regularly in new models. Then, each time the same model is handled by another user – particularly when they are operating through a global supply chain, with different corporate processes and practices – the likelihood of poor product data quality increases.

PDQ in the process

Product developers have been repeatedly reminded that the later in the process a problem is found, the more difficult and expensive it is to fix. This is why the companies that benefit the most from Q-Checker are not only those that implement it from the beginning of their product development process, but those that have come to recognize the value of implementing stage-gate or phase-gate processes. Properly applied, a stage-gate process ensures that each development stage is fully completed and verified before the decision can be made to move to the next stage.


Q-Checker has been designed to enhance this process by ensuring the successful completion of each phase of CAD model development, before that model becomes available for other applications or departments. Users can configure the solution so that it must achieve pre-set standards at each stage, with crucial fixes being completed before it can be passed to the next process step. In other words, Q-Checker will not allow models to be released to a new level until they meet corporate standards and “pass” the requirements at each decision gate. This ensures that each model fulfils the quality requirements for downstream applications, such as virtual reality (VR), digital mock-up (DMU), finite element analysis (FEA), visualization and numerical control (NC).

Consulting and process implementation

There are 2 basic levels of implementing Q-Checker as a management system for Product Data Quality.
Bullet     

  • Q-Checker has to be customized to check according to the customers process requirements
    Bullet 
  • Q-Checker can be implemented in the process to
    • Run automated in batch to analyze models in specific process steps
      (Data exchange, check-in or promote with a PDM-system
    • Establish a continuous enhancement process for PDQ