checklist or set of company standards for making models
checklist or set of company standards for making models
(OP)
hello - our company has been going thru hell w/ solidworks ever since we had someone who knew nothing about setting up a solidworks users group to get our engineering group started in 3d cad - the person our so called expert just dumped the software in the engineers laps and said go for it - now we have parts & models w/ sketches under defined, planes & origins all over the map, etc. - does anyone have a set of standards or a checklist that their engineering group follows & is policed by in creating their models such as sketches must be all black, dims & datums on the models so they follow to the drawing , etc. - any help or documents that i could use as a boiler plate to follow for our group would be greatly appreciated - thank you in advance






RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Model dimensions must follow drawing dimensions in all cases except where maybe they shouldn't.
All origins must be at coordinates (0, 0. 0). Planes must've on the map. The map must be flat. No globes.
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Can you convince your company to invest in some on-site training? That's the best way to get everyone in the same room and establish a set of "Best Practices", like "all sketches must be fully defined", or "use mid-plane extrusions over blind extrusions whenever possible", or "learn to use offset extrusions rather than creating new planes", or many others. You have a long hard road in front of you, but if you can at least get everyone on board as to the value of a set of common best practices you can create your own. If on-site training isn't available, try to assign (or evolve) one or two "master users" that can serve to answer questions and slowly migrate those best practices among the group. Weekly departmental gatherings for this purpose can be very valuable too.
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
I second Jboggs recommendation to set up standard templates in a common location, and to use the settings wizard to get everyone looking at the same location to start with. Also standardize the design library with annotations, parts, forming tools, etc. We've beefed up our peer review process in the last couple years so at least non-standardized prints are easier to find before they leave the department. Our peer review check sheet is at a higher level than the sketches, generally it verifies the drawing is complete in a standardized format, and the routings are correct and complete. It's far short of a design review.
Good luck, it's worth the effort to pursue. Diego
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Also, if you know the models are being created wrong, start your own in-house training once a week.
I do it now.
There are also ASME/ANSI/ISO/etc specs to follow that help.
Chris, CSWA
SolidWorks 14
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
1) SW Training from you VAR
3) Search Solidworks World presentations or VAR websites. 3DVision posts their presentations from all those that presented at SWW in years pasted. (http://www.3dvision.com/3dvision-technical-support...)
4) Hire an outside source to help you get organized, trained, etc...
5) Never change the default colors in SW.
Most companies are not going to release their modeling standards, etc... because its specific to them and may not work for your needs. Its something that you or someone there needs to start creating and make sure management backs you. Because if they don't push this along, everything you do will be for nothing. If users are not told by management to follow this process, then they will continue to do what they want how they want to get work off their desk. A lot like "DiegoLGraves" points out above [quote it is aggravating to work on a coworkers models when they've been using the software for 5 or 6 years and still are too lazy to do any more than get it off their desk.]quote]
Good luck sounds like your going to need it!
Scott Baugh, CSWP
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policieswww.SuperATV.com
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader
www.scottjbaugh.com
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
http://resilientmodeling.com/BP1_Menu.html
http://resilientmodeling.com/BP5_Checklist.html
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Here are some modelling rules I would like to see...
--
JHG
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Dan
www.eltronresearch.com
Dan's Blog
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Machined parts cut from blocks? Maybe, if nothing you design has purpose or context...
Color? Trying to think of something that matters less...
Modeling parts to match drawing views doesn't count for much in auto and computer industries, where parts are modeled with common origins. Maybe just fire the users who are incapable of making drawing views "relative to model".
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
ASME Y14.5M specifically advises not to call out manufacturing methods on prints.
Best regards,
Alex
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
feeling passive/aggressive, Diego
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Excuse the formatting from posting in the forum... but this should get you well started.
-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Machined parts have to be cheap and manufacturable, among other things. Cutting down from a block keeps you aware of what they can do easily. You are not calling out the manufacturing method, just understanding it.
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JHG
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
I did not mention anything about where the origins are. I had a nasty experience recently generating drawings of parts which had been modelled in place on weirdly oriented features. I had to add planes orthogonal to the parts so that I could save views that would allow me to generate fabrication drawings. Most of my stuff is machined. I do a fair bit of sheet metal, and some weldments.
In the automotive industry, with all the weird, non-ortho body features, I would expect to see different modelling techniques, especially if they are doing MBD.
--
JHG
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
1. Capture design intents;
2. Efficient models (less rebuild time);
3. Simplicity.
Best regards,
Alex
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Scott Baugh, CSWP
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policieswww.SuperATV.com
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader
www.scottjbaugh.com
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
I love the post you put out there... but can you give some clarification on "6.5 Feature creation should be as simple as possible. The practice of adding/removing material when a previous feature’s dimension could have been changed to achieve the same result should be avoided. (No FrankenModels)" are you referring to the actual material (steel, aluminum, etc..) or are you talking about something else? You mentioned a previous feature dimension could have been changed. not sure how a dimension and a material can resolve a feature... what I am missing here?
I am just starting to read through all the items, so I might have some more questions about your post.
Thanks,
Scott Baugh, CSWP
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policieswww.SuperATV.com
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader
www.scottjbaugh.com
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Paragraph 6.5 is not referring to the type of material the part is made of. I am referring to cutting away some of the model rather than adjusting a dimension. i.e. original dimension on the sketch of a plate is 8" x 6". Later we decide to make the plate 8" x 5". Rather than going back to the original sketch and changing the sketch to 8" x 5" (good practice), the user decides to cut an inch off to achieve the 8" x 5".
The Frankenmodels reference is in regards to glomming on feature after feature, adding material then subtracting it... ala Frankenstein's Monster.
In recent years, I have come across a new feature called "move face." While I see its merits for imported models, my first exposure to it was when an outside contractor used it to adjust a part dimension as described above.
-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks
RE: checklist or set of company standards for making models
Thanks!
Scott Baugh, CSWP
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policieswww.SuperATV.com
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader
www.scottjbaugh.com