How to reduce rebuild time with wrap features 1

[swuser1]

Hey everybody!

I am trying to reduce the rebuild time on my product and the most time consuming part is a wrap feature. I use the wrap feature to scribe our company logo and product information onto a round shaft for engraving on a machining center. The shaft has a number of features on it, so location and orientation of the logo and product info is important.

I have been able to reduce the time SLIGHTLY by creating a block from the logo, and inserting the block and wrapping.

Even simple text strings wrapped are very time consuming to rebuild. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can try?


Thx!

Matt

 

[SteveMartin]

I don't have much in the way of helpful suggestions for speeding up that feature. Can you get away with having a simplified configuration of the part where that feature is suppressed? Use that in your assemblies and only use the fully detailed configuration for drawing generation (or whatever other means you use of conveying design information to the manufacturer).

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Have you tried using a Decal?

 

[TheTick]

It's only a logo. Why not make another configuration for normal use with the logo suppressed?

 

[EEnd]

If using a simplified configuration as suggested above does not work...

Are you leaving the logo as a 2-d sketch or creating a 3D boss or cut from it?

If you are going 3D, you might try creating a separate part with just the volumes resulting from the wrapped logo, save it as a parasolid and then insert and merge that into the final part. That MIGHT rebuild faster.

Eric

 

[mncad]

swuser1,

I'm not sure how you are doing the wrap, but try using Scribe instead of Deboss. This just puts an outline of the text on the surface instead of a depression in the model. That usually seems to speed up mine.

mncad

 

[swuser1]

Thanks! Good input!

I do have it as a separate configuration right now for this reason (good idea everyone!), but I have to edit the product info ie serial number, dimensions, on every part. I need to have it on there for my CAM to be machined onto the part.

I am currently using a 2d sketch that I saved as a block. Since I save it as a block, the rebuild time was reduced slightly.

I tried re-ordering the features thinking that might help, no it didn't!

 

[gwubs]

I am doing something similar with a label I need in an assembly (wrap that is). It is sloooooow - until you think about how long it would take to do the same task manually - then it seems lightning fast. I guess the faster we can go, the more we hate to wait. I remind people of this when they grumble about the time it takes to render a section or similar view in SW. Think how long that used to take in 2D cad.

 

[Gurjjeet]

Hi Swuser1

In my experience the machining & programming of 3D embossing/debossing will need a lot of processing in CAM compared to a 3D sketch program where the tool only has to follow the path(3D sketch/loop). Sketch method can save a lot of machining time as well but it needs special tools etc.

If this fits into your work pattern & you can adopt that it will save time from model to machining.

 

[swuser1]

Very good feedback!

Gurjjeet, you made me think about WHY I am wrapping text and logos in SW, to use in CAM for machining. I am able to extract the loops once in my CAM from the solid...The reason I like to wrap everything in SW, is that it is very nice to see the final product and there are no questions that the engraving is in the correction location.

I guess what I should think about is not neccessarily how to speed this feature in SW up, but to speed the process up by identifying a quicker way to process.

I wrap the sketch onto the model, then in CAM I extract the 3d loop, it would seem that I am creating some unneccessary step purely for the purpose of visual satisfaction. I beleive that I will try to insert the geometry in my CAM and not use any wrap features!

Good point, Gwubs! Or try sketching by hand! haha I can't tell you all how valuable SW is to our company. It really is the core to creating an efficient manufacturing facility!

CorBlimeylimey, I am not familiar with a decal. I will look into this further. It is possible this will help!

Thanks again everybody! Very good suggestions!

Matt