Geometric Variability in Parametric 3D Models: Implications for Engineering Design

Modern manufacturing companies operate in environments characterized by increasingly shorter development cycles and the need to develop highly customizable products at competitive prices. In this paper, we examine the role of parametric 3D modeling in the product development process, and highlight the importance of robustness, flexibility, and responsiveness to geometric variations, which are particularly relevant in the context of the Model-Based Enterprise (MBE). We discuss the often-inefficient parametric 3D modeling practices used in industry, their root causes and implications, and identify the detrimental effects of low-quality models on engineering design activities, specifically design changes during development, generative design algorithms, design optimization, simulation, product/part family configuration, AI-based parametric modeling, Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE), and parametric and adaptive encryption. Finally, we present future lines of research aimed at increasing the quality of parametric models