Christopher E. Naujok, P.E., CEP, CSWP

Christopher E. Naujok, P.E., CEP, CSWP

Optimizing SolidWorks through Standards

Optimizing SolidWorks through Standards

Optimization

What is optimization?– The best route to the final product

How do we do that?

• Determine:– What do we do now

– What do we design

– How do we want to do our design

Mechanical design

Parts and assemblies

Better, faster, cheaper

Now we have a finish point

• Look at how you do your design, are you using:– Consistent modeling practices?– “Good” modeling practices?– Working between departments?– Incorporating all the engineering data?

Good Modeling Practices

• Why do we want them?– Design re-use– Engineering changes– Downstream users– PDM

• These are your modeling standards

What should the standards be?

• Dependent upon your work. Do you design:– Sheet metal?– Machinings?– Castings?– Plastic parts?

• Since they are designed and function differently, standards will be different.

So, you don’t have any suggestions?

• Of course I do– Think about what you do

Example: Simple plate

• How many ways can I make this plate?– 3 types of extrude– Sweep– Loft– Import– Surfaces

• So which one is the right way?

Example: Simple Plate

• How would you manufacture this plate?– Get stock– Cut it to length

• Duplicate that in SW– Sketch the section– Extrude to length

Example: Square Tube

• How do we create it?– Extrude thin?– Extrude and shell?

• Is it one feature or two?– If it’s made as one on

the shop floor, it’s one feature in SW.

Example: Sketch Complexity

• What do I put in one sketch?– Break it up by function, two jobs - two

sketches– If you use two tools, make it two sketches– Use separate pattern features, not patterns in

sketches

Example: Feature Order

• Big cuts first– Why?– That’s how you would do it in the shop– Most small features are dependent on the big

ones– It provides an engineering check with each

rebuild

How many features?

Another question

Castings and Machinings

• Configurations

• Merge part

Example: Assembly Structure

• Reflect the BOM– Automate the drawing– Automate the PDM– Remove retyping from your process

Standards :: Conclusion

• Goal - everyone doing the right things

• Process - think about it, define what are the best methods

• Document - put together the what’s and the why’s for every standard

• Educate - if people don’t understand why, they won’t do it.

Automation

• Making the most of your time

Why automate?

• Remove repetitive tasks

• Automate complex tasks

• Make standards compliance easier

• Improve interaction between different departments

• Improve the engineering environment

What should be automated?

• “Recipe” tasks

• Data transfer

• Standards compliance

“Recipe” Tasks

• A task where every step is clearly defined, and always done the same way

• Lends itself to easy automation

• Saves valuable engineering time for actual design tasks

Data Transfer

• Remove manual tasks

• Don’t retype data– Waste of time– Waste of effort– Source of errors

Standards Compliance

• Make it easier to follow the standards than to violate them.

• Check for standards compliance.

• Make data access easier.

Example: “Custom” products

• Family of products where customer mixes and matches options.

• Family of products where the overall size is customizable, but the rest is driven by relations.

Example: Start Models

• Incorporate manufacturing process

• Check part numbers - avoid duplication

• Automatically fill in parameters

Example: Component Design

• Complex design system that can be driven by a limited data set

• Captures engineering knowledge

Example: Assembly change

• Automation of change notice– System knows what was added/removed– Let the system fill in the forms

Automation Tools

• Macros– Just record and go

• Keyboard macros– Great for very repetitive tasks

• Visual basic– Relatively easy to learn, powerful, but limited

• Visual C++– More complex, very powerful, unlimited

Automation :: Conclusion

• Automate what makes sense

• Continue to improve what you have automated

• Make it easy to use