Drawings for Manufacturing 1

[frusso110]

Hi everyone. I admit, i'm partially here just to vent.

I'm a mechanical engineer with 5 years experience and am 21/30 toward my M.S. We used SolidWorks for mechanical designs and drawings.

My company recently hired a new employee who is making method sheets/assembly instructions for the assemblers.

The new employee does not have access to SolidWorks to make assembly instructions. So, we decided to provide 3D PDFs so that screenshots of the models can be to included in the assembly instructions.

This new employee is currently requesting that I add the "real colors" of all the parts to the CAD model.

I feel this is a complete waste of my time. We have no "CAD practices" document at this time. We add color to parts like (green)PCBs and (default grey)aluminum because it helps add some clarity. Other parts (connectors, wiring, etc) are colorized in whatever way the engineer feels like - usually depending on the context. Usually it is whatever color would improve the usability of the cad model.

What would you do? Do you have a good solution to this problem?

 

[drawoh]

frusso110,

I try to colour my parts they way they will actually look. This makes it easier to use the JPEG files from SolidWorks.

Why are you not doing assembly drawings? If you are responsible for design and he is responsible for assembly instructions, it will be way easier for you to design thing that are hard to assemble.

Why not give him access to SolidWorks? That way, he can grab the views he needs, he can create exploded views, and he can recolour the parts he wants.

How do you know your SolidWorks JPEGs are up to date?

--
JHG

 

[ctopher]

I have seen engineers go overboard with colors and other details. I suggest makeing the colors readable, but don't go overboard making them realistic.
have you looked at using Composer? SW Composer

Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[frusso110]

We do make assembly drawings.

Getting the employee a copy of solidworks would require a more advanced PC and also another license of Solidworks. Does not seem feasible for someone just making method sheets that tell the assemblers which order to screw things together.

 

[frusso110]

I'm not sure what you're talking about regarding the JPEG files. Can you please explain?

 

[MikeHalloran]

If you're making method sheets, you shouldn't need assembly drawings.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[frusso110]

Thats an excellent point. Care to speak to my management?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Ask it the other way: "If you have assembly drawings, why are you also making method sheets?"

The fact that you are making both suggests that your management has not yet managed to decide who has control of the manufacturing process, as distinct from control of the product configuration.

In traditional outfits, the assembly drawing is the master process document. Unfortunately, that also means that it must be changed to reflect evolution of the process, and a great deal of effort is wasted doing so.

In outfits that have adopted JIT, the master process document is not the assembly drawing or even the originals of the method sheets, but the marked up copies on the production floor. A small crew is charged with keeping the CAD models from which the method sheets are printed up to date, but production and evolution continues while that goes on. The process, note, is completely under control of the Production management, or Manufacturing Engineering management. It was hard to get used to at first, but it vastly reduced the number of panicked calls into Engineering with demands to solve production problems instantly. ... which freed up the design staff to design the next generation. ... and allowed the manufacturing engineers to fine tune the process without having to get the design staff involved, or interested.

I'll admit that I was not real enthused about JIT until I was dragged kicking and screaming into it. ... and saw the huge improvements in morale, product quality, and timely delivery that it catalyzed.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA