Model-based enterprise
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Model-based enterprise (MBE) is a term used in manufacturing, to describe a strategy where an annotated digital three-dimensional (3D) model of a product serves as the authoritative information source for all activities in that product's lifecycle.[1][2]
A key advantage of MBE is that it replaces digital drawings. In MBE, a single 3D model contains all the information typically found on in an entire set of engineering drawings, including geometry, topology, dimensions, tolerances, materials, finishes, and weld call-outs.[3]
MBE was originally championed by the aerospace and defense industries, with the automotive industry following.[4] It has been adopted by many manufacturers around the world, in a wide range of industries. Significant benefits for manufacturers include reduced time to market and savings in production costs from improved tool design and fabrication, fewer overall assembly hours, less rework, streamlined development and better collaboration on engineering changes.[5]
There are two prerequisites to implementing MBE: The first is the creation of annotated 3D models, known as a Model-based definitions (MBD). This requires the use of a CAD system capable of creating precise solid models, with product and manufacturing information (PMI), a form of 3D annotation which may include dimensions, GD&T, notes, surface finish, and material specifications. (The mechanical CAD systems used in aerospace, defense, and automotive industries generally have these capabilities.) The second prerequisite is transforming MBDs into a form where they can be used in downstream lifecycle activities. As a rule, CAD models are stored in proprietary data formats, so they must be translated to a suitable MBD-compatible standard format, such as 3D PDF,[6] JT, STEP AP 242, or ANSI QIF[7]
The core MBE tenet is that models are used to drive all aspects of the product lifecycle and that data is created once and reused by all downstream data consumers. Data reusability requires computer interpretability, where an MBD can be processed directly by downstream applications, and associativity of PMI to specific model features within the MBD.[1]