Product Overview

Wilcox Associates, Inc. is proud to bring you PC-DMIS™ Blade 3.1. This is a completely independent software package that, through automation, uses PC-DMIS 4.3 or higher to analyze airfoil data.

PC-DMIS Blade is an analysis package that takes collected data (2D or 3D) about a measured airfoil and three dimensionally analyzes and compares it against nominal data. Various characteristics can be displayed in reports and plots that allow a user to quickly identify problems and solutions to manufacturing and engineering issues.

There are two methods PC-DMIS Blade is used to analyze an airfoil:

• Online: Blade works in conjunction with PC-DMIS to take airfoil measurements and analyze the report file results. This automated method is typically used in a manufacturing scenario and requires very little operator input. This is the most common method for using Blade.
• Offline: The user interacts with Blade in order to create a custom analysis of an airfoil or reanalyze an airfoil that was previously measured. This is typically used in an engineering or reverse engineering scenario.

PC-DMIS Blade can be used for:

• Manufacturing - Process control (In-process inspection)
• Manufacturing - Final Acceptance
• Engineering - Process Engineering
• Engineering - Reverse Engineering

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

• Blade operates under 32-bit and 64-bit Windows XP; 32-bit and 64 bit Windows Vista; and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7. See the info below on XP support. Blade will NOT function on computers using any other operating system.
• Pentium IV or higher processor is suggested.
• 1 GHz or higher Intel processor.
• 512 MB of RAM (but significantly more may be required if working with large CAD models).
• 750 MB of free hard drive space minimum for the application.
• SVGA graphics card capable of OpenGL shading. (We cannot specify the exact Graphics card because every user has varying needs). Note that Nvidia GeForce video cards are not recommended. These are defined as "gaming" cards according to Nvidia Engineering.
• SVGA capable monitor
• Screen resolution of 1280 x 1024 or higher.
• CD-ROM drive.
• USB Port

Recommended Minimums:

• Blade operates under 32-bit and 64-bit Windows XP; 32-bit and 64 bit Windows Vista; and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7. See the info below on XP support. Blade will NOT function on computers using any other operating system.
• 2 GHz or higher Intel processor for improved performance. Pentium 4 or higher processor recommended.
• 1 GB of RAM or higher. More RAM may be required if working with large CAD models. You should have RAM equal to 8 times the size of your largest CAD file. (For example, if you use an IGES model of 250 MB, then 2 GB RAM is recommended)
• 1.25 GB of free hard drive space plus enough for allocated Virtual Memory equal to 8 times the largest CAD file used.
• SVGA graphics card that supports OpenGL shading and that has WHQL (Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs) certified drivers. These drivers can be downloaded automatically when using the Windows Update software.). On board video card memory should be based on the size of your largest CAD file. For small CAD files (less than 50 MB), 32 MB video memory. For medium CAD files (50-100 MB), 64 MB video memory. For large CAD files (> 100 MB), 128+ MB video memory.
• SVGA capable monitor
• Screen resolution of 1280 x 1024 or higher
• CD-ROM drive.
• USB Port

Features

PC-DMIS Blade 3.1 provides the following capabilities:

• Evaluating BladeRunner Report Files
• Modifying Blade Preferences
• Modifying Blade Files
• Creating Profile Plots
• Measuring Blade Parameters
• Reports and Output

Evaluating BladeRunner Report Files

If you are ONLINE using the BladeRunner application, a Report file will automatically be created upon execution of your Blade part program. This newly created Report file is then passed directly to PC-DMIS Blade for analysis.

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Modifying Blade Preferences

Blade Preferences determine how analysis Reports and Plots are created and displayed. This allows you great flexibility in the data that will be displayed in the reports.

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Modifying Blade Files

PC-DMIS Blade uses a group of files to analyze your blade:

• Report File: Contains the measured blade data and other information such as statistics, time, date, and probe radius if any.
• Nominal File: Provides the nominal shape of one or more sections of your blade.
• Tolerance File: Provides the tolerance values for analysis.
• Flavor File: Provides calculations, methods, special processing requests and reporting styles for a blade analysis.
• Header File: Provides custom information for the Profile Plot header.
• Math File: Provides a binary spline representation of the airfoil.

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Creating Profile Plots

Profile Plots provide a graphical comparison of the nominal data against the measured data around a cross-section of your blade. This allows you to quickly determine issues with the measured blade. Below are a couple examples of Profile Plots:

Trailing Edge Plot	Leading Edge Plot

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Measuring Blade Parameters

Based on the Blade Preferences and Files, you can report a vast array of Blade Parameters:

• Bow: The displacement of a bowed blade outside the expected bow.
• Chord Angle: Best fit chord angle compared to a nominal line.
• Chord Length: Length of an airfoil section; nose point to tail point.
• Contour Points: Number/percentage of points that are out of tolerance.
• Displacement: Offset given by user defined best-fit.
• Edge Angle: Angle of the blade edge against a certain axis.
• Edge Position: Distance between stack point and leading or trailing edge relative to an axis.
• Edge Thickness: Width of a blade section at a certain point on the section.
• End Radius: Radius of the leading or trailing edge.
• Extreme: Finds the extreme of a section along any of the 4 axes.
• Form and Location Contour: Maximum or minimum material found on the contour.
• Form Only Contour: Calculated using the formula (MaxDev - MinDev) where MaxDev is the maximum material on the contour, and MinDev is the minimum material on the contour.
• Maximum Thickness: Maximum thickness of a section.
• Relative Calculations: Some calculations can be done relative to a datum section (REFSECT parameter).
• Twist: Amount of rotation an actual section is turned to coincide with the nominal section.

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Reports and Output

PC-DMIS Blade allows you to create Reports and Output in various formats:

• Matrix Report: Standard Blade report that is presented in a tabular form to provide a quick look at part deviations.

• CMM Report: Standard CMM data output, similar to a PC-DMIS part program.

• PC-DMIS Import XYZ File (XYZ): Outputs data in an XYZIJK, comma -delimited, probe-compensated format that can be imported into PC-DMIS.
• IGES File (IGS): This file is a standard IGES points file and should import into all CAD packages.
• Airfoil Surface File (AS): Output in OEM specific airfoil surface data file, data is filtered to 112 points per section.
• Comma Delimited File (CSV): Output data including measured points, nominals, tolerances etc. can be imported into a table.
• Ball Center Data File (BCD): Output in OEM specific airfoil surface data file, data is not filtered.
• Mean Camber Line File (MCL): Outputs an ASCII text file representing the mean camber line of the airfoil, all sections included.
• CMM Report CMM Sorted by Calc: Standard CMM data output, similar to a PC-DMIS part program sorted by calculation type.
• DataPage Database Export: The capability exists to export to a DataPage database.
• Average File (AVG): Contains the output points from the average analysis of a blade. These files can be "averaged" to produce the mean airfoil from a set of airfoils. This is particularly useful in engineering applications including reverse engineering.

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