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Creo is a 3D CAD (three-dimensional CAD) software that has been the industry standard for product design and development software for over 30 years. We provide high-end features tailored to our customers' needs. Do you have any of the following concerns in your design work? - Struggling to keep up with the wave of digital transformation (DX) Although it is said that "DX in manufacturing" is important in the industry, I don't know how to take specific actions. - Time-consuming and labor-intensive analysis Is there a way to execute analysis tasks, such as stress analysis, thermal analysis, and fluid analysis, more smoothly, not just focusing on weight and center of gravity? - Frequent simple mistakes Many employees are inexperienced, leading to interference checks and increased man-hours due to revisions of drawings. - Doubts about operational efficiency While design is digitized in 3D CAD, we later create 2D drawings, which prevents data utilization in subsequent processes. Creo from PTC can solve these issues. It is a design application suite equipped with all functions from 3D modeling to analysis modules, suitable for 3D-2D integration and data management.

This content provides important information about the application of geometric tolerancing (GD&T) using Creo, as explained by PTC Japan Corporation, and the shift in design philosophy behind it. It introduces specific methods to dramatically improve design quality and productivity. In design, tolerances are an extremely important factor that determines product functionality and cost. Traditional tolerance notation has limitations and can often lead to misunderstandings and issues in international manufacturing processes. This document explains how to accurately and efficiently apply GD&T through the 3D CAD software Creo, facilitating communication with the manufacturing site. In particular, the use of Creo's powerful tool, the GD&T Advisor Extension, is key to achieving a high-quality design process. If you want to fundamentally rethink your design process and enhance international competitiveness, please download the full document to check the detailed explanation. *For more information, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

This document is a comprehensive guide that explains the importance of geometric tolerances (GD&T), which have become essential in global manufacturing environments, starting from the changes in Japan's JIS standards, and the effects of implementing Creo's features and Model-Based Definition (MBD) to achieve it. It addresses the reality that the "ambiguities" inherent in traditional design methods lead to increased manufacturing costs and quality issues, arguing that transitioning to the international standard of GD&T is urgent. It specifically introduces how the GD&T Advisor Extension included in the 3D CAD software Creo automates and verifies the design process, thereby reducing the burden on designers. This document will serve as an important guideline for all 3D CAD designers aiming to elevate design quality to an international level and pursue the digital transformation (DX) of the entire manufacturing process. To check the overall picture of the roadmap for the international standardization of design and the promotion of DX, download the document now and take a look. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

In 2016, JIS B 0420:2016 was established, changing the traditional term "dimension" in part to **"size"** and "dimensional tolerance" to **"size tolerance."** The background of this standard change is the growing adoption of the concept of GPS (Geometric Product Specification) in Western countries, raising concerns that Japan would fall behind international standards. The new standard strongly encourages a shift in design philosophy from a focus on traditional dimensional tolerances to geometric tolerances. 3D CAD designers must urgently understand the requirements of this new standard and reflect them in their designs. The revision of JIS B 0401:2016 was also carried out simultaneously, changing the old name "Dimensional Tolerances and Fits" to "ISO Code Method for Size Tolerances Related to Length." Please refer to the materials for specific methods of compliance with the new JIS standards and accurate definitions of terms. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

There have been reports of cases where defects suddenly occurred in parts that should not have had issues in domestic manufacturing when the design drawings were brought to overseas manufacturing contractors. This is a significant problem arising from differences in the interpretation of design intent at the manufacturing site. Conventional dimensional tolerances cannot fully convey the true tolerances of the shape, such as bending or tilting of parts. Domestically, designers communicated their intent, and manufacturing personnel understood and improved upon that intent, but overseas, interpretations of the drawings were made arbitrarily, leading to defects as a result. By applying **Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)**, this "ambiguity" can be completely eliminated, allowing tolerances to be communicated clearly. This standardized language is the key to ensuring global manufacturing quality. Please refer to the materials for specific examples of the limitations of dimensional tolerances and why geometric tolerances are essential. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

The major advantage of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is that it completely clarifies design intent, which is difficult to express with traditional dimensional tolerances, and eliminates any discrepancies in interpretation at the manufacturing and inspection sites. In GD&T, datum planes (reference shapes) are clearly established, and by specifying positional tolerances and orientation tolerances relative to them, the tolerance zones directly related to the functionality of the parts can be concretely defined. For example, an instruction that regulates the position of a hole based on datum A and B with a tolerance zone of $\phi 0.2$ standardizes the basis for manufacturing and measurement globally. This contributes significantly to achieving the goal of "producing cheaply, quickly, and accurately," while keeping manufacturing costs down and ensuring stable design quality regardless of where production takes place. The effect is maximized by combining it with the Model-Based Definition (MBD) approach, which directly adds GD&T to 3D CAD models. Please refer to the materials for detailed examples of correct geometric tolerance illustrations and their impact on global manufacturing quality. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

JIS B 0060 is an important standard that technically supports MBD (Model-Based Definition) and specifies the display requirements for 3D annotation models (3DA). This standard has been standardized based on an investigation of the three major CAD systems: Creo, CATIA, and NX, focusing only on what is fundamentally possible with current CAD systems. JIS B 0060 consists of multiple parts, with JIS B 0060-4 specifying the methods for indicating dimensions and tolerances, and JIS B 0060-5 defining the methods for indicating geometric tolerances. By adhering to this standard, design intent can be clearly communicated not only in 2D drawings but also on 3D models, preventing misunderstandings in downstream processes. Designers utilizing 3D CAD are required to understand this standard and possess the skills to create 3DAs compliant with international standards. The materials include examples of 2D and 3D indications when tool sizes or dimension lines are extended. For detailed excerpts of the standard, including specific differences in indication methods between 2D and 3D, please refer to the materials. *For more information, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

In the digital transformation (DX) of design, the role of 3D CAD models is changing significantly. We are transitioning from the traditional state of "3D model + 2D drawings" to Model Based Definition (MBD), where annotated 3D CAD models serve as the master. MBD is the concept of directly adding all product information, such as tolerances and notes, to the 3D model, making it the master model. Furthermore, the activities that utilize this MBD model across the entire company are referred to as Model Based Enterprise (MBE). The information consolidated in the MBD model is utilized in various downstream processes such as analysis, NC program creation, manufacturing process planning, quality inspection, mold design, assembly instructions, and technical illustrations, achieving seamless collaboration from design to manufacturing. This is the core strategy for enhancing competitiveness in today's manufacturing industry. Please refer to the diagram in the materials for a detailed overview of how MBD/MBE can be integrated into your company processes. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

The Creo GD&T Advisor Extension is a groundbreaking tool offered as an add-on extension for Creo Parametric, providing expert guidance on the application and verification of geometric tolerances (GD&T). This extension aims to simplify and expedite the creation of correct geometric tolerances, even for designers who are not fully familiar with GD&T standards. The GD&T Advisor checks the rules of GD&T in real-time during the design process and notifies users of warnings or errors through the Advisor Tree if any issues arise. Its main features consist of three pillars: the creation, verification, and education regarding geometric tolerances, enhancing work efficiency while ensuring design quality. Please check the documentation for details on the GD&T Advisor's interface and specific functionalities, and experience its power. *For more information, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is a powerful tool, but if applied incorrectly, it can lead to inefficiencies that outweigh its benefits. The difficulty designers face in maintaining knowledge of advanced GD&T principles and standards is a backdrop to this issue. Improper application of GD&T can create errors and misunderstandings in drawings and 3D models, ultimately increasing manufacturing costs. Additionally, repeated discussions over GD&T applications and increased review cycles and revisions can lead to decreased productivity and efficiency. Furthermore, mistakes in tolerances directly result in unnecessary expenses such as scrap, rework, changes, confusion, and downtime. The GD&T Advisor helps prevent these risks and enables the proper application of GD&T to increase tolerances and reduce part manufacturing costs. Let’s verify the risks of GD&T misapplication lurking in your design process with specific examples from the materials. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

The Creo GD&T Advisor Extension fundamentally transforms the process of creating geometric tolerances. Designers no longer need to memorize all the complex rules of GD&T standards. The tool features a wizard-style dashboard that guides users step-by-step on the correct application of GD&T based on the shape (feature) being designed. Notably, only the options applicable to the designer are highlighted, and controls prevent the selection of invalid options. This ensures accurate tolerance indications based on mathematical and functional evaluations, maintaining standardization and consistency in design quality. Please check the materials for a screen of the dashboard used to select and apply GD&T, along with its intuitive operability. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

One of the core features of the Creo GD&T Advisor Extension is the Advisor Tree and the Constraint State Legend. These are essential tools for designers to understand the integrity of the model in real-time during the process of applying GD&T. The Advisor Tree displays information, warnings, and error messages related to the applied GD&T in a hierarchical structure, pointing out design issues and violations of standards. Furthermore, the Constraint State Legend highlights the surfaces on the model with color coding to indicate whether they are "Fully constrained," "Partially constrained," or "Unconstrained" based on the tolerances. This allows for the visual identification of areas with insufficient or excessive tolerances, supporting complete and efficient tolerance design. Please check the details of the Advisor Tree, which prevents overlooking design intent, and the legend that indicates the state of tolerances with colors in the screen captures of the materials.

The Creo GD&T Advisor Extension is not just a tool for checking tolerances; it is also a powerful educational platform with rich help content built in. Even designers who are unfamiliar with GD&T standards can acquire knowledge while progressing with their work. If questions or errors arise regarding the application of GD&T during design, help can be accessed with a simple right-click on the messages displayed in the Advisor Tree. This help feature provides detailed information on the principles of GD&T, interpretations of the standards, and specific solutions to errors. As a result, designers can refer to the standards and acquire GD&T knowledge in a practical context without interrupting their work. This feature eliminates the hassle of flipping through standard documents and allows for immediate access to correct information, significantly contributing to the improvement of GD&T skill levels across the entire design team. Examples of tutorials are also included. For more details on the helpful features that aid in knowledge acquisition, please refer to the documentation. *For more information, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

The Creo GD&T Advisor Extension includes a Basic version with fundamental features such as guided creation of GD&T and standard validation, as well as an Advanced version that offers more advanced functionalities. A major feature of the Advanced version is the ability to reuse and evaluate existing Annotations created in standard Creo. This allows for the smooth integration of past design assets into an MBD environment and provides guidance for modifications to meet specified standards. Additionally, it includes support for assemblies (available from Creo 8.0 onwards), enabling it to handle complex tasks such as tolerance design between parts and assembly tolerance design, not just individual components. For companies involved in large-scale MBD implementation or complex product design, the features of the Advanced version are essential. To determine the version that best suits your design assets and future MBD strategy, please refer to the feature comparison chart in the materials provided. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

The transition to MBD (Model-Based Definition) aims to significantly reduce the labor involved in creating annotations. It will free us from the cumbersome tasks and unnecessary information addition that occurred with traditional 2D drawing creation. To achieve this goal, designers will reduce the number of annotations and promote more efficient geometric tolerancing. Furthermore, the automation of annotations will play a crucial role. Specifically, we will prepare templates for 3D models and utilize user-defined features (UDFs) that have pre-added annotations for standardized parts. This will eliminate repetitive tasks and allow for rational discussions between designers and manufacturing engineers regarding the necessary annotations, consolidating only the truly essential information into the 3D model. As a result, the overall productivity of the design department will improve. Please refer to the materials for specific methods of MBD that address the "too many annotations" problem and reduce design labor. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

The essential value of MBD (Model-Based Definition) lies in the fact that the annotations added to the 3D model are utilized by downstream software not just as information for humans, but as **machine-readable** information. The geometric tolerance information (GD&T) contained in the 3D CAD model is directly understood and utilized by various "machines" (software). For example, tolerance analysis tools (e.g., CETOL) can automatically calculate and evaluate the accumulation of tolerances based on GD&T information. Additionally, this information is used in automatic part inspection systems such as CMMs (Coordinate Measuring Machines) for creating and executing inspection plans. This eliminates the need for duplicate data entry and manual interpretation throughout the manufacturing process, achieving thorough digitalization and stabilization of quality. Please refer to the diagrams in the materials for a concrete image of how machine-readable GD&T information can transform the manufacturing process. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

To ensure the design quality of MBD models, a reliable inspection process for 3D annotations (3DA) is essential. Creo View MBD Analysis strongly supports this inspection process. The inspection function (Design Check) provided by this 3D viewer allows tagging of each annotation and geometry on the 3D model, managing inspectors, time, and history. This clarifies design changes and the approval process, ensuring traceability. Furthermore, using the View State Compare function, annotations between different versions of the 3D viewer can be compared, allowing for immediate understanding and management of changes in content such as numerical values. These features integrate with data management systems to establish a high-quality design review process centered around MBD models. Please refer to the materials for details on the new workflow for inspection utilizing 3D models and its integration with data management. *For more information, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

MBD directly adds critical factors that affect quality (CTQ: Control Characteristics) to 3D models instead of drawings, and efficiently communicates this information without omissions to quality management, manufacturing departments, suppliers, etc. From the definition of control characteristics, checks (verification) using tools like Creo GD&T Advisor, to the digital execution of communication and reuse in process instructions and work instructions, we promote a paperless manufacturing process. As a result of adopting this MBD-based approach, remarkable achievements have been reported from pilots and PTC customers. Specifically, it has been demonstrated that non-compliant products were reduced by 90%, first-time inspection times were cut by 60%, and document creation was accelerated by 40%. Let's review the astonishing numerical results obtained from the introduction of MBD and the flow of digital information transmission in the materials. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

Creo has been an industry expert promoting MBD (Model-Based Definition) for over 10 years since the era of Creo 1.0. With each version upgrade, the MBD functionality has been continuously enhanced. In Creo 4, complete semantic definitions and the GD&T Advisor Ext. were introduced, establishing the foundation for the MBD workflow. Subsequently, Creo 5 saw improvements in semantic queries and annotation UX, while Creo 6 continued to modernize annotations and added support in ModelCHECK. In Creo 8, support for assembly and mismatch annotation management was included through the GD&T Advisor Advanced. Furthermore, Creo 9 introduced updates for surface finishes and a "Repeat Mode" for continuous placement, continually improving compliance with standards and usability. Please check the evolution matrix in the documentation for specific evolution points of the MBD features available in the version of Creo you are using. *For more details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

Creo's MBD features are continuously evolving, and in the new versions Creo 10 and Creo 11, compliance with international standards and improved usability for designers have been achieved. In Creo 10, the functionality of related symbols has been enhanced by associating related symbols, such as surface finish symbols, with other MBD annotations and inheriting annotation planes from parent annotations. In Creo 11, the GD&T Advisor supports general tolerances according to ISO GPS 22081, further improving compliance with ISO standards. Additionally, the expansion of table functions allows for quick organization of information, such as security markings, in tabular format. These enhancements reduce the complexity of applying GD&T and decrease the number of clicks required for necessary updates, thereby improving designer productivity. For more details on the new MBD features in Creo and the key points of enhanced compliance with international standards, please refer to the materials. *For more information, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.*

GE Appliances is actively utilizing Creo MBD to promote digital transformation. For them, the key to streamlining processes was automating downstream processes. By implementing MBD, they were able to retain all design information within the native 3D CAD model, eliminating information duplication. In particular, automating the creation of PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) reports resulted in a reduction of errors, leading to time savings and cost reductions. Furthermore, by introducing QIF (Quality Information Framework) to check the quality of downstream results of MBD, they successfully reduced manual work and ultimately achieved a 50% reduction in error rates. They emphasize the importance of establishing consistent standards between human readability and machine readability. Please refer to the materials for details on GE Appliances' MBD strategy and the specific methods used to halve the error rate, which may be beneficial for your quality management.

CNH Industrial has reported that by implementing Model-Based Definition (MBD), they have achieved a "50% reduction in time" compared to their previous drawing-based approach. They recognized that creating 2D drawings requires time and cost, and by embedding all information such as tolerances and notes into the 3D CAD model, manufacturers and end-users can gain a deeper understanding of the product's intent. This has improved the efficiency of information transmission and resulted in significant time savings. However, there are challenges in transitioning to MBD, as it has become clear that competing formats (such as Creo View, 3D PDF, QIF, etc.) can disrupt the digital thread, and delays in the transition can occur if support from executives is lacking. Nonetheless, by leveraging MBD, they have significantly streamlined the process from design to manufacturing. *Please refer to the materials for details on the challenges CNH Industrial faced in transitioning to MBD and the specific approaches that led to the 50% time reduction.*

Blue Origin and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) have each implemented Model-Based Definition (MBD), achieving significant results in cost reduction and enhanced communication. Blue Origin recognizes that the greatest benefit of MBD lies in the ability to understand design through semantic references and model-based definitions, which has led to substantial cost savings. On the other hand, they cite the need for external training as the biggest challenge. JHUAPL also acknowledges that MBD provides an excellent method for conveying engineering information downstream, emphasizing that MBD encompasses not only annotations but also CAD geometry. Both companies are realizing improvements in design quality and efficiency through MBD while overcoming challenges related to appropriate standardization and interoperability. *Please refer to the materials for examples of how MBD successfully reduces costs and enhances communication in complex projects for both companies.*