Class A Surfacing

A excellent product from Concept Design to Digital Modeling to Clay Surfacing & CAS , the next step is Class A Surfacing, in this stage that directly considers aesthetics from customer.

The designer the most goal is the products aesthetics requirements in this stage, such as the appearance of the product under light, smoothness, reflection quality, and manufacturability of the surface, a “production level surface ” is achieved through rigorous design process iteration and optimization.

Surfaces as the user directly or indirectly and on their purpose and quality to classified into 3 categories, Class A Surfacing, Class B Surfacing ,Class C Surfacing.

From the outside visible the surface of product, directly to see, to touch and feel by user that is Class A Surface.

It’s soul for the product’s brand value and quality, hence, it’s a field be of prime importance and  emphasized in product development and design process.

Class A Surfacing are created in a digital software by computer ( Alias、ICEM Surf、CATIA ) , these surface must meet aesthetic expectation and technical requirement.

Class A Surface modeling is used in all industrial products, we most use it in the design process of the automotive,rail transit and ships industry.

Example the Class A Surfacing for automotive, designer must comprehensive to consider the standard of product, such as regulation of society, assembly feasibility, static and dynamic drag coefficient , surface quality, brightness, reflection etc. and achieves mathematically perfect surface continuity G2 curvature and G3 acceleration continuity.

Base on the 3D scanning data from the clay model or the physical model that is the ready manufacture Class A surface, we most commonly used Autodesk Alias software for Class A Surface Modeling, example

1 . BUILDING THE KEY CURVES OF THE CAR AND EVALUATING THE CURVATURE COME OF THE CURVES

•  Initial curve layout
•  Constructing the surfaces with the curves
•  Evaluating the surfaces constructed with the initially built curves

2. EVOLUTION OF THE MODEL STAGE BY STAGE

• Stage 1 constructing the basic surfaces
• Stage 2 Creating the required cut in the basic volume
• Stage 3 Filleting the surfaces
• Stage 4 Final model

3. EVOLUTION OF THE SURFACE QUALITY

• B Pillar evaluation
• Back surface evaluation
• Front hood evaluation
• Alias Zebra shaded evaluation

4. EXPLODED VIEW OF THE MODEL

• Full view of the model
• Front surface details
• Side surface details
• Back surface details

5. FRONT FINAL MODEL AND TOGGLE MODEL

6. REAR FINAL MODEL AND TOGGLE MODEL