CETOL vs SuperNX: Statistical Tolerance Analysis for Real Budgets
The short answer: CETOL 6σ and SuperNX overlap on exactly one question — will this assembly vary inside spec? — and diverge on almost everything else. CETOL is Sigmetrix's enterprise 3D variation-analysis suite: it runs inside your CAD, models three-dimensional statistical variation, and is bought the way enterprise software is bought, through demos, quotes and implementation projects. SuperNX is a self-serve tool that reads an uploaded NX part, finds the dimension chains, solves them worst-case and statistically, and hands back a report and a toleranced model for $29 a month. Which is right depends less on feature lists than on what kind of organization you are.
What CETOL 6σ actually is
CETOL 6σ is a 3D model-based tolerance analysis product that integrates directly into PTC Creo, SOLIDWORKS, Siemens NX and CATIA. It builds a variation model on the real CAD geometry — assembly constraints, feature-level GD&T, distributions per input — and solves it statistically as well as worst-case, with sensitivity ranking so you can see which tolerances drive each measurement. Sigmetrix positions the method as precise-constraint statistical analysis rather than brute-force Monte Carlo; the practical point is that it models three-dimensional effects — tilt, float, contact order — that a 1D chain sum cannot see.
Commercially it is enterprise software. There is no public price list: you request a guided demo, get a quote, buy annual licenses, and typically budget for training and implementation so the methodology survives beyond one user. The customer it is designed for is an organization that does tolerance analysis as a discipline — dedicated dimensional engineers, programs where the analysis itself must be documented and repeatable, assemblies complex enough that 3D effects dominate.
What SuperNX actually is
SuperNX is narrower, and it is honest about being narrower. You upload a Siemens NX .prt; it reads the geometry and PMI, finds the dimension chains through the actual mating features, and solves each chain worst-case and RSS with per-contributor sensitivity. What comes back is a traceable report and a toleranced model — the PMI write-back is gated on the key characteristics, so a failing loop stops the write rather than publishing a bad value. It costs $29 a month, self-serve: no demo call, no implementation project, no NX seat required on the analysis side.
What it is not: a multi-CAD suite, a 3D kinematic simulator, or a process platform. It does chain analysis on NX models and writes the results back. That is the whole product, and for a large fraction of real tolerance work it is the right size.
Side by side
| CETOL 6σ | SuperNX | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Organizations with dedicated dimensional-analysis roles and program-level requirements | Working engineers and small teams on NX who need the chain answered |
| Analysis scope | Full 3D model-based variation: statistical and worst-case, sensitivity, assembly-level what-if | Dimension chains found in the model: worst-case + RSS + per-contributor sensitivity |
| CAD coverage | Creo, SOLIDWORKS, NX, CATIA | Siemens NX .prt only |
| Getting started | Demo → quote → license → training/implementation | Upload a part |
| Price model | Quote-priced enterprise licensing, typically annual | $29/month self-serve subscription |
| Deliverable | In-CAD variation model and reports inside your process | Analysis report plus toleranced model back (PMI write-back gated on key characteristics) |
Where CETOL is genuinely the right choice
- Real 3D kinematics. Fastener float, contact order, tilt-driven variation, mechanisms that shift the loop depending on which face seats — these are the problems 3D suites exist for. A 1D chain solve is systematically optimistic there, as the stack-up guide covers.
- Multi-CAD estates. If your assembly spans Creo, CATIA and NX data, a single-CAD tool is out by definition.
- Regulated programs. Where the analysis toolchain itself must be validated, versioned and auditable — and vendor implementation and training are part of the requirement rather than overhead — the enterprise model is a feature.
- Organization-wide process. Standardized variation models, shared methodology, libraries of joints and measures across teams. Enterprise pricing is partly buying that process, and some companies should buy it.
Where SuperNX fits
- NX-native work that is chain-dominated. Bore-to-bore distances, gap chains, shoulder stacks, bearing preloads — most products' critical loops are this, not body-in-white kinematics.
- The this-week answer. An engineer who needs a chain found, solved both ways, ranked by sensitivity and reported — without standing up a variation-modeling program first.
- The iteration loop. Tighten a contributor, re-run, write the result back to PMI, repeat. The report and the model stay in sync because the tool writes both.
- Budgets that are real. $29 a month expenses; enterprise licensing procures. That is not a knock on the suite — it is a different product category.
The honest version
Decide on three axes: the dimensionality of the physics (line-dominated chains vs 3D kinematics), the size and procurement shape of the organization, and governance requirements. If you need the full landscape — 3DCS, Siemens VSA, Enventive and the spreadsheet — the 3DCS alternatives article maps it, and tolerance analysis software for small teams frames the budget side.
We built SuperNX for the large population of NX work that never justified an enterprise variation program. If your program genuinely needs what CETOL does — 3D simulation, multi-CAD, validated process — buy it; a wrong stack-up costs more than either subscription. If your need is chains found, solved and written back on NX parts, that is what we do, and the price reflects the difference in scope honestly.
FAQ
- Is SuperNX a replacement for CETOL?
- For NX teams whose tolerance work is chain analysis — finding loops, solving worst-case and RSS, reporting with per-contributor sensitivity — SuperNX covers that daily volume. It is not a replacement for 3D kinematic variation simulation, multi-CAD support, or an enterprise variation process; programs that need those need CETOL-class tooling.
- How much does CETOL 6σ cost?
- Sigmetrix sells CETOL through demo-and-quote enterprise licensing, typically annual, with training and implementation services around it. There is no public price list, and rather than quote a number that may be wrong, the honest guidance is: budget for it as a procurement decision, not a purchase.
- Does CETOL work inside Siemens NX?
- Yes. CETOL 6σ integrates with NX as well as Creo, SOLIDWORKS and CATIA, building the variation model on native CAD data. SuperNX also works on NX data but reads an uploaded .prt file directly, so no NX seat is needed on the analysis side.
- Which should a small NX team choose?
- If your assemblies are chain-dominated and you need worst-case and RSS answers plus a defensible report, start with the self-serve path — you will know within a part or two whether the analysis scope is enough. If you already know you need 3D kinematic simulation or enterprise process controls, go straight to a CETOL evaluation.
- Can I use both?
- Yes, and larger organizations often do. A common split is a lightweight chain tool for routine stack-ups during design and a CETOL-class suite for the few assemblies where 3D effects, compliance requirements or governance demand it. The tools answer overlapping questions at different depths and prices.