The Current State of Model Based Definition

Historically information has been communicated by the product designer to other stakeholders in the production chain such as manufacturing and quality inspection by means of 2D drawings. These drawings contain orthogonal projection views annotated with dimensions, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, material specifications and other data. With the advent of a new methodology called Model Based Definition (MBD) this 2D drawing approach is often referred to as the "traditional way". Proponents of this new methodology claim applying MBD will lead to immense (time) benefits and greater accuracy when compared with the "traditional way" not only because of the way data are handled within a CAD system but also because of the implications for PDM and PLM systems. This article should not be seen as supporting or rejecting the widespread adoption of MBD. It has been written from a none biased perspective based on many years of experience of practically applying CAD/CAM systems in real engineering situations and an in depth study of the current state of the art for MBD. As such this article presents the advantages and disadvantages for both the traditional and MBD philosophies presenting the reader with discussion points as they consider the adoption of the MBD philosophy within their own environment.status: accepte