Lots and lots and lots of surfaces

[k turk]

I have a series of parts that have come in that have raised an interesting question. The parts are all roughly 20 x 30 inches and not very complex shapes. The question comes up in the number of surfaces that were created to make the forms. They aren't mesh files but the smallest of these forms is comprised of just over 50,000 surfaces where if this were drawn efficiently it could easily be under a hundred. (see attached images) Toolpathing these parts is a slow laborious process where just opening a path might take half a minute. I am running on a middle of the road computer (HP Z600). The general question is this - how much of the bog is computer related? Or looking at it the other way, is there a point where it doesn't matter how fast your computer is . . . if completely flooded with information the MC software can only process so fast?

 

I've always thought of it as straight computer power for speed, but a friend in a similar vein has claimed his situation was a product of the software he was using.

 

k.

[Oscar R.]

is there a point where it doesn't matter how fast your computer is . . . if completely flooded with information the MC software can only process so fast?

 

 

Any program, any computer... if completely flooded with information will bog.

 

I have a relatively beefy rig and I get close to maxing it out every day. I run a lot of complex parts, full 5-axis, and high speed toolpaths which usually take tons of memory to process, so that has a lot to do with it.

 

 

With a part like this, most toolpaths will bog your computer just on selecting your surfaces.

[rocheey1]

Looks like a healed STL to me ... which could be a product of the software that was used

[htm01]

have you tried to create a solid from the surfaces?

[k turk]

No, not yet. Haven't started the job in earnest yet. I was just reviewing the files to see what they were which lead to the discussion on surfaces, computer speed and software. I was thinking to run it through Solidworks and see if I couldn't get some easier data to work with. What do you suggest?

 

k.

[crazy^millman]

This is STL and looks like someone saved the file as a tessellation model and not a surface or solid model. I would go back to the customer and tell them they either pay you $1 million to do the part or give you an file you can work from. Sometimes the only way to educate people is to show them what the cost of their error is. That is a rookie engineering mistake I have seen many times. You can machine it, but what you will be what you get and if that is exactly what they want then someone already bid the $1 million to do it.

 

Crazy to the Millman Logic is $20 per surface in surface machine operations you have 50k surfaces so I would bid $1 million to program it. Amazing how people seem to always come back with models with 20 surfaces when I throw them out a bid that gets their attention.

[Oscar R.]

This is STL and looks like someone saved the file as a tessellation model and not a surface or solid model.

 

That is a rookie engineering mistake I have seen many times.

 

 

+1 on that.

[TK-32™]

machinist 1, engineers 0

[Zoffen]

machinist 1, engineers 0

LOL!

 

I really think its machinists 9999999999...., engineers 11.1

 

not really but maybe......