IRONCAD vs Solidworks Lesson 16 3D Modeling Techniques Defined
Alternate Sheet Metal Modeling No Sketching/Feature Based Modeling
The modeling technique is
hugely responsible for the level of productivity. Those of you that
are only trained in the sketch, sketch, constrain, constrain world
are truly limited by not using the freedom of Streamlined Sketching
and Feature Based Design,
that is available in even the most Pro/e-ish of CAD systems. If your
designers are designing in these very unproductive and time
consuming processes it might be time to review your standard design
processes. Don't have any do you? When I introduce IronCAD's very
flexible design paradigm I have a hard time to get the Pro/e clone
users, like Solidworks and other programs to understand the drag and
drop design paradigm.
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Alternative Sheet Metal Design
I was introduced to
3D CAD in 1982 with Computervision CADDS 4, Found PC base 3D CADKEY
at Boeing in 1986, Started using and selling it in 1987. This was 3D
wireframe, no fancy sheet metal modules. We even had unfolding
programs for the wire frame design.
Here is an image of a
this part in wireframe. With CADDS 4 we started with one color!
Green on Black! They added Color for $35,000 per seat with CADDS 4X.
I sold PC Based 3D CADKEY in 1987 with full color with 90% of the
functionality of CADDS 4 and Catia 2 for $9000.00 with CADKEY, a 386
computer and 19in CRT. CADDS 4 and Catia were well over $100,000.00
per seat.
Are you looking up or down? This used to drive the engineers
crazy. Yes, in those days 3D CAD was only in the realm of draftsmen!
Enter solid modeling in
1995. We started modeling our sheet metal like we do all of our
models. I am afraid the many of the new millennial engineers really don't
know you can probably do your sheet metal design faster and easier than
with the sheet metal modules. Now, I suppose if I only designed
sheet metal parts it might be advantageous. But most of us design
projects where a variety of mechanical design is used. Machining,
sheet metal and other fabrication. So you may design just a few
sheet metal parts.
Being a Boeing trained draftsman, I have
extensive sheet metal design experience. We would do flat
pattern development on undimensioned drawings to .005 tolerance.
They would photograph them on to the tool.
Today, I
just use the basic solid modeling tools. In IronCAD I may grab a feature from the sheet metal
module, but that is it.
Here is just one of my many jobs.
IronCAD vs Solidworks
While creating 3D models from drawing is the very best
way to learn 3D CAD and maybe some design techniques is does not
expose the designer to the design flexibility necessary in product
design. IronCAD is all top down due to the single model environment.
Creating mating parts is a cruise. But modeling is just one aspect of a
well designed productive 3D CAD system.
I would do a
video, but I really am not good at it. So I will show you step by
step. I will try and get IronCAD support to create one. They are
very good.
I always create the part before I watch
the Solidworks Video, so as to not taint my process. Of course,
there are a multitude of ways to create a model. There is no right
way, just more productive ways. From what I have seen from these
very complicated processes done by the Fusion 360 fellow, it is not
just limited by the 3D CAD system.
Here is IronCAD. My default is inches,
so we will set the units to mm. Let's get started.
I drag and drop a block into the
scene. I size it 80x50x40
Note: Why does IronCAD call it a scene instead of a workspace?
IronCAD was first released as a graphic design program called
Trispectives. It still has much of the graphic design functionality.
It truly is a wonderful mixture of professional 3D CAD and graphic
design, which puts it in a much more flexible category as compared
to the Pro/e (Creo) clones.
LI
drag and drop a slap (A thin block) on the mid-point of the top face
of the existing block. It drops on automatcally matching the width,
I set the thickness to 1 mm and set the handle to symmetrical and
size the length.
This
part is very simple so we create a couple of 3 mm fillets at the
bottom and shell the part with 1 mm walls.
In design it is a
bit different you basically make the solid shape to fit the
requirement then define the sheet metal part with thin walls and
adding and subtracting shapes.
We
add the back wall. But dragging and dropping another slab on the
affected face.
Now
I can drag and drop more slab, but I can also drag any shape into
the catalog. I want to show how this works.
I created a new
catalog and dragged the side wall into the catalog. Since it was in
the same orientation, dragged it to the top left corner and just
sized it.
While you rarely use a catalog in most design
sheet metal is a bit different case. You flanges in different
orientations you can utilize. I gives you a different viewpoint on
how sheet metal is composed.
You
can also use existing flange by using the Triball to copy and orient
them. You can see it took small flange and copied it in place and
resized it three steps. You can get quite clever.
I just drag and drop a hole block on the size face and locate
and size it.
You pull or push the affected handle to the face
or feature you want to reference and set the distance. On the left
edge of the hole block I set it to the face it was referenced from
and subtracted the distance of 43 mm.
Now I
have a vertical shape that is part of the inner flange. I will
select it in the scene browser turn on the Triball and locate it and
set it to he inside of the cut. Now I am very aware of how to use
drag and drop so I see these short cuts to use existing shapes
This is truly a new way of thinking and modeling in 3D.
We
set the size and now we can do the same with the inner flange. We
select it in the scene this time, turn on the Tribal and move it to
the mating edge and copy it to the new location and size it.
We
just match the edges and set the length and we are done with the
basic shape.
We drag and drop the two hole cylinders on the
relative faces and size and locate.
We
create the bend relief, we only create one, mirror link and copy the
others.
Now
we have the most tedious part of this type of sheet metal adding the
blends.
We are done with the part. I do this because I only
do a few sheet metal parts and the sheet metal function has a bit of
a learning curve. This is just too easy and straight forward.
Now for the flat pattern. I sort of chuckled when I saw that the
Solidworks presenter set the flat pattern to fold the major bends
down. The problem with many modelers they are CAD jockeys not
designers. To learn modeling only without the design intent or
purpose does no favors for the budding design engineer. Most CAD is
form, fit and function design and those should be a consideration on
designing machine, sheet metal and fabrications.
IronCAD can
turn any correctly designed sheet metal model into a flat pattern.
It is especially beneficial when working with imported or non-native
dumb models.
IronCAD can convert the correctly designed
sheet metal model native or imported to a sheet metal model that
will create an associated flat pattern. But we won't do that in this
lesson since it really doesn't add much. If you change it you can
just unfold it again.
You do not dimension a flat pattern,
you just want to make sure you can get a full size .dxf to the sheet
metal shop.
I do not recommend doing flat patterns unless
you make them in house. I suggest you send them the 3D model and
fully detailed AID. Most sheet metal shops like to have the fully
defined documentation along with the model. But I will not do that
here, because we are only going to create a undimensioned flat
pattern.
I never supply a flat pattern to my sheet metal
shop. We want the the part to match the defined model and
documentation.
I am going to the my original part, I want
want to add the flat pattern to the existing AID as a new sheet.
I select the unfold command set the sheet metal thickness and
select the bottom face. It selects all the 5 bends and faces
affected.
We
select okay and we have our flat pattern.
Both
the part and then flat pattern a in the same file so we will create
a flat pattern configuration to create our AID. This flat pattern is
not associated to the part like the using the sheet metal function.
But if you are working with dumb non-native imported parts this is
fine.
IronCAD is a SME (Single Model Environment), you
define the different scenes with parts and assemblies with
configurations.
Here
is the flat pattern in it own
configuration.
While
Isometric AIDs are a bit easier to understand, they leave much to be
desired to truly define the part. I expect all engineering
professionals to be able to understand a drawing, if you can't you
will be out the door.
Now we will detail the part correctly. Of course, we cannot really
detail a part by itself. We need to have the assembly so we can
define relationships of the features so both or more mating parts
align. So I will just defined the part so it can be understood by
manufacturing and those that may want to create the model.
When converting drawings to 3D you have to re-detail the part to
assure it is the same as the drawing.
Here is the AID. IronCAD has a separate
documentation module.
Unless you are working in a sheet metal house you should send the
AID (drawing) and the 3D model to the sheet metal supplier to create the flat
pattern. But IronCAD will unfold any correctly designed model.
Here is the AID of the flat pattern full scale so we can get a .dxf
to send to the sheet metal house. No we do not dimension flat
patterns. The detailed AID will provide all of the tolerances.
So there you go. That is how we
modeled sheet metal parts in the past and I still do.
It is
very important that you look into how you or your engineers are
creating the parts. Streamline Sketching and Feature Based Modeling
is easy to learn and implement. It, alone, will increase
productivity 10X. Now, IronCAD with its unique integrated
history/direct edit functionality can increase your productivity
another 5X or more with changes! Again, time is money in
engineering.
More on Streamline Sketching and Feature
Based Modeling.
To experience this increased level of productivity, please download
IronCAD for a 30 day evaluation. Legacy data is no problem, IronCAD
can read the native files of all of the popular programs. IronCAD is
a great replacement for the subscription only Autodesk and PTC
products.
Give me a call if you have any
questions. I can set up a skype or gotomeeting to show this part
or answer any of your questions on the operation of IronCAD. It
truly is the very best conceptual 3D CAD system.
Now 
