Tolerance Analysis in the Industry 4.0 Era

Industrial software is the backbone of Industry 4.0, and independent R&D in this field is critical for advancing quality and intelligence. Tolerance analysis systems enable early precision design, driving down costs and boosting efficiency.

Today, AI and automation are not just for software engineers. With Python and the DTAS API, dimensional engineers can now script custom assembly logic and perform tailored tolerance simulation.

Engineer‑Led Customization
Every engineer can build bespoke assembly solutions that closely match real‑world behavior.

DTAS 3D: Built‑in Modes + Your Logic

•Ready‑to‑use assembly modes cover >95% of rigid, flexible, and dynamic scenarios. 

•User‑Defined Assembly and an open API let you script novel logic for specialized applications.

How It Works

1. Select features.

2. Write Python using DTAS keywords (target, object) to read feature data.

3. Output a transform matrix via RotateAndPanList.

Example: Two‑Feature Assembly in 3 Steps
Step 1 – Define Features
Set feature points on both components, e.g., O1 and T1.

Create assembly point O1

Create target component point T1

Step 2 – Select Features
Like in standard assemblies, manually choose the relevant features involved in the custom assembly. In this example, select O1 (assembly feature) and T1 (target feature).

Step 3 – Write & Link the Python Script

• Read the object and target lists for the assembly.
  object[0] and Target[0] correspond to feature O1 (assembly) and T1 (target) respectively.
  For example, object[0][0] gives the X‑coordinate of O1. 

• Write your own assembly logic using feature positions, diameters, etc., compute the required rotation/translation matrices, and store them in RotateAndPanList.

In this example, only one translation is used:
Transform1 = T1 - O1
which is then placed into RotateAndPanList.

This example defines a basic translation matrix, but users can also script complex rotations and introduce tolerance variations—just one of many possible applications. The same method can extend to scenarios like pin‑float modeling, as long as DTAS API conventions are followed.

Watch the Video Demo

In short, DTAS supports custom assembly logic and tolerance simulation via Python and its API—making dimensional modeling more creative, engaging, and effective. We invite all DTAS users to explore this feature and share your experiences with us.