With each new release of SolidWorks there is increasingly more functionality.  Sometimes these enhancements are revolutionary, and sometimes we wonder why they even bothered.  Over the years, the push has been towards the “paperless shop”, where all engineering data is stored in a complete format that is backed up and revisioned appropriately. 

Why then are shops full of dog eared prints rolled up in a rubber band?  The answer has historically been that the incoming quality inspector needs the prints to check the parts against.  While the need is valid, the next step in the process goes off the grid.  The print is highlighted for critical dimensions, the dimensions and tolerances are ballooned and given numbers, and transposed, by hand, to an excel spreadsheet.  “On the record”, the digital spreadsheet doesn’t correspond to the digital print in any way. 

As a process analyst, I see this as a systematic flaw, and Inspection Expert bridges that gap.  Inspection Expert for SolidWorks will automatically populate your inspection chart and maintain corresponding notations on your SolidWorks documents.  Most importantly, if your drawings change, which unfortunately they often do, it only takes minor work to confirm that your inspection sheets are up to date.

Someday, quality engineers pouring over a drawing with a highlighter will go the way of drafters etching on velum, and Inspection Expert can bring Quality processes up to current engineering standards.  Check it out at: www.extensiblecad.com