CNPC USA
Stats That Matter
6-month fast-tracked development cycle
Over 90% reduction in manual mapping errors
Fully integrated with CNPC USA’s proprietary simulation tools
Introduction
CNPC USA, a subsidiary of the Fortune Global 500 energy giant China National Petroleu
Corporation (CNPC), aimed to digitize and optimize their drill bit design workflow. A key bottleneck
existed in the simulation pipeline—mapping mesh geometry from Creo models to simulation
environments lacked precision and automation, introducing delays and inaccuracies.
They needed a reliable CAD-to-simulation bridge that could precisely tag cutter geometries and
produce analysis-ready data.
Our Role
Optellix collaborated with CNPC USA to deliver a custom Creo-based toolkit designed for high-
fidelity surface tagging and tessellation extraction. The objective was to enable seamless generation
of structured XML files that directly map CAD surfaces to simulation components, drastically
reducing errors and engineering effort.
Scope of Engagement
- Development of Creo plugin for complex surface tagging
- Integration of tessellation and XML export modules
- Implementation of component-based tagging workflows
- Implementation of component-based tagging workflows
- Geometric computation for cutter vector alignment
Client Testimonial
“The toolkit built by Optellix transformed how we prepare drill bit models for simulation. The tagging and tessellation capabilities have drastically reduced mapping errors, making our workflow significantly more efficient.”
Challenges
- No structured mapping between mesh triangles and original CAD surfaces
- Manual tagging was inconsistent and error-prone
- Suppressed/unwanted geometries cluttered simulation data
- Need to distinguish various cutter components like faces, chamfers, and gauge pads
Solution
Developed an in-Creo toolkit using C++ and Creo Toolkit API
Enabled interactive tagging of cutter surfaces with persistent metadata
Implemented Euclidean distance-based cutter ordering
Automated tessellation extraction for only tagged surfaces
Exported geometry into a hierarchical XML file compatible with CNPC’s in-house FEA system
Calculated cutter direction vectors and local coordinate systems for simulation precision
Results
Improved simulation accuracy with precise cutter mesh tagging
Saved hours of manual pre-processing
Standardized workflows for tagging, meshing, and exporting
Accelerated simulation-readiness, enabling rapid testing of multiple cutter designs
Conclusion
This engagement empowered CNPC USA to modernize their drill bit design process. Optellix’s
tailored Creo plugin created a robust, user-friendly pipeline from CAD modeling to simulation, laying
the groundwork for broader automation and engineering digitization.
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Looking for Something Similar?
We have built everything from Creo plugins to AI-based VR walkthroughs. If your challenge feels like one of these — or somewhere in between — we would love to hear about it.
