On-Demand Automated Inspection Tool

By DE Editors

Extensible CAD Technologies (Apex, NC) has announced the release of InspectionXpert OnDemand, which it says is the first web-based application that can help users “quickly create ballooned inspection drawings from PDF and TIFF file formats and export instantly to an inspection report form.” A redesigned version of the company’s InspectionXpert inspection software, InspectionXpert OnDemand is said to eliminate the manual processes associated with ballooning inspection drawings as well as the manual creation of inspection sheets for first article, in-process, and final inspections.

InspectionXpert OnDemand enables manufacturers to make ballooned inspection drawings from PDF and TIFF files created from scanned paper drawings or CAD files developed with such CAD systems as AutoCAD, CATIA V5, Creo Parametric (formerly Pro/ENGINEER), Solid Edge, and SolidWorks. However, the company reports that InspectionXpert OnDemand does not require CAD software, meaning that companies not using CAD to create or modify inspection drawings can still automate their quality inspection drawings.

InspectionXpert OnDemand also does not require installation. The software launches from a web link, and, because it is web-based, users have access to the latest version of the software. Further, InspectionXpert OnDemand directly integrates with the company’s web-based Net-inspect suite of quality management software, allowing users to publish inspection ballooning data directly to their Net-Inspect account.

Extensible CAD Technologies says that with InspectionXpert OnDemand users have the choice of searchable text recognition or OCR (optical character recognition) for extracting dimension and tolerance information from PDF documents or TIFF drawings. Additionally, users can extract high-quality images of each characteristic for use on their inspection report forms, which has the effect of enabling InspectionXpert OnDemand to work with scanned drawings. Dimensions can be exported to standard inspection report forms, such as AS9102 and PPAP, as well as to user-customized report formats.

InspectionXpert OnDemand deploys with a single-window ribbon interface. Its integrated navigation reportedly allows users to simply click on a balloon in a drawing to view and edit that item’s data. Clicking on a row in an inspection characteristic table is said to highlight the corresponding balloon or balloons on the drawing. Users can work with multiple, single, or multi-page drawings in a single project. A simple file management scheme is said to ensure that all of a user’s inspection project data is stored in a single project file.

InspectionXpert OnDemand is offered at a monthly subscription price. Extensible CAD Technologies will hold a series of webinars on InspectionXpert OnDemand throughout the summer and fall. Contact the company for complete details on pricing.

Access the InspectionXpert OnDemand webinar schedule.

Go here to access a library of videos on the InspectionXpert product suite.

For details on Net-inspect, go here.

See why DE’s Editor’s selected InspectionXpert OnDemand as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.