×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

creating geometry usable for machining

creating geometry usable for machining

creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
I have a round core with ribs on the sides and I need to create some 2D geometry in 3D space (2 profiles @ different heights) in order to wire edm these ribs. How can I create these profiles and save them as a DXF or DWG. Maybe I can't in SW, I'm still learning. I tried creating split lines from intersecting planes to the body and I can get that but I'm not sure if I can pull that geometry and use it as 2D geometry.

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

use the Intersection Curve tool, instead of Split Line. It creates a sketch profile rather than splitting the models faces.

You can then make a config of the part so that the core body can be deleted. You should then be able to Save as to your choice.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

Ooops ... sorry, missed a step. The last sentence should have read:-

"You can then create a drawing & should be able to Save as to your choice."

Also, you could 'copy-n-paste' directly from the profile sketch to an Empty View on a drawing, then "save as".

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
I need the 2 profiles at different elevations in space though. Do you see a way possible to do this. thanks.

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

What EDM software is it? Can it accept solid geometry formats?

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
I can bring solidworks files right into it but for machining it still needs 2d data. This is for a wire edm and it needs a profile for the top guide to follow and a profile for the bottom guide to follow. The geometry is skewed at 2° so I need to pull sections at 2 different levels and use those sections as my profiles to follow. I currently resort back to KeyCreator to accomplish this but am looking to have SW as my source for all my engineering situations. Maybe a parametric modeler has it's limitations in this area. I can import the SW file creating a wireframe on import the only thing I need to do is delete a bunch of geoetry I don't need. just seems redundant.

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

I'm confused!  You are EDM'ing a hole (the 'mating' shape of the core) into a plate of material, correct?
If you create a solid of the plate c/w hole & if the EDM software can read a SW file, what geometry do you need to delete?

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
let me get a picture posted and this should help explain it

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

Under the options tab in IGES export you can: export sketch entities. When I bring models into Delcam I will often use this tool to export my model along with all the useful sketches I create for boundaries, patterns and profiles...which I then create in the CAM package. I would try the IGES importer in your CAM package on your model after exporting it from SW *carefully review and test all you export options in SW*.

Follow CorBlimey's tips to make the sketches.

This should work. You can also just export sketch entities in IGES format as well.

What I don't understand is that your CAM package doesn't have the ability to create 2d features from 3d data. This seems kind of silly.

RFUS    

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
The wire software is Esprit, and it requires that you create wireframe geometry in order to create features from. If someone knows different then i'm willing to listen.

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

OK, I misinterpreted. You need to cut the actual part ... not it's mate. After re-reading your OP I see I missed that.

However, I still don't understand what geometry you need to remove. If you model the part between the 2 planes you want to use and export that to the EDM machine ... why can't the EDM software machine it?

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

Quote (Esprit):

          
ESPRIT     Partners and Solutions

CAD Partners & Solutions
ESPRIT's data exchange functionality will read data from most native formats,including Autodesk, Catia, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, ACIS, Pro/ENGINEER and Unigraphics.DP Technology provides complimentary add-ins for several CAD programs that allow more seamless integration of the part models,saving the user valuable time.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
I guess if I just cut the part at the two levels I need I could use the top and bottom geometry. Is that what your suggesting? I was thinking importing the complete geometry and create wireframe on import which would throw geometry up and down every one of them slots. That would be the geometry I would need to delete because it would try to select all of that on chain selection. All I need is the top profile, bottom profile, and one connecting leg between them.

RE: creating geometry usable for machining

(OP)
Solidworks 2004. it's a little dated and this is a brand new machine.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources