A SOLID SURVEY

[Scott Bond]

Hi

I would like to know what is the most common form of data that you are given to start your manufacturing process.

examples of file formats that you might receive: Solid model,iges ,dxf

,AutoCAD dwg even including direct file formats like *.prt or *.sldprt.

 

I have included some questions in regards to thoughts.

(1)If your customers are giving mostly solids(any brand) or mostly something else.

 

(2)Do you as a user of Mastercam prefer solids(any brand) ,or something else.

 

Please give a brief answer to (1)&(2)of the survey request at the top of your post, and then go into any details you would like about your personal preferences .

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: Scott Bond ]

[Tony]

Only Solids

UG/PROe/Sldprt/sat etc.

It is the latest Data path(Solids) so we have to have it.

We have to be at least Equal if not More advanced then are Customer's...

When is .step coming out of the closet!?!

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: Tony ]

[cadcam]

I like this Question Scott, I to be wondering what the rest think about were there files are coming from.

Now to follow Question 1:

I mostly receive Iges format of files.

In most cases this works fine.

But quit often the files are not as clean as they could be.

Do to poor Export flavors.

Now as for Question 2:

I prefer to receive a solid when ever I can.

Or as Tony put it a direct file from the software like UG, Catia, and solid works.

In most cases the solid will be water tight model that if I need surfaces or wire in all most all cases I can pull from a clean model.

[Will Slota]

Yeah I get solids...Solid castings of someones leg!!! Heh-Heh!! As far as data goes I get Pro-E surface and wire files from engineering when writting code for parts for the machine shop. However, I've inhierited (sp?) a bunch of castings that we've been thermoforming over and they've been hand trimming parts for the last three years. Enter me, a Microscribe run with RHINO, a 5 axis thermwood(12 years old ) the greatest and only cam package I'll EVER use...MASTERCAM , and an awesome post from CNC Automation,(Thanx Brad )and we're now making parts in a total process time of under 5 mins down from 20. I couldn't do the voodoo that I do without my trusty tools.

[bryan.davis]

As a company that does its own design developement and machining all our export files are generated in house.

1 Generally we use SAT files for solids, as it seams to give the best reliability, but sometime we will use IGES or X_T if there is a complex surface that one of the other translators cant handle. For 2D stuff we use CADL.

2 Solids is always best!

HOWEVER, when we send work out

1 Its normally IGES or dxf that our suppliers want, though we do have one major supplier that will accept cadkey .prt files

2 Again I prefer to send solids as there is less work involved for me to communicate the part design

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I usually get a native file from AutoCAD R13 or R14. Flat, 2-D and almost worthless. That's what our engineers use.

I of course would prefer a solid model because I can get watertight surfaces off it if I need surfaces, but 80% of the time I machine right off the solid model.

 

JM2C