OT - Solidworks EDM setup sheets

[Brian B 74]

Good morning all,

 

I am not sure if this belongs here but figured if it doesn't belong then it will get moved to the appropriate forum.

 

We have been doing our electrodes in NX for many years but are starting to move to Solidworks (much cheaper than NX). I am the only one here who works in both so I have been given a task to make the output drawings for EDM sheets look as similar to the NX sheets as possible. Down below is a link to the SW EDM sheet in its current state:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/438wbis78w5tbpm/swedm.PDF

 

I am just about done but I am stumped in an area. In the upper left hand corner there are the burn coordinates. These coordinates are pulled from a custom property in the mating sldprt file. The custom properties in the sldprt file are values from equations in that file. It is taking a lot of fancy work arounds because SW doesn't work in negative numbers. I just cannot link to a dimension or anything because all dimensions are positive.

 

Where I stand right now is I need to format the X Y and Z values to 4 decimal places with no leading zeroes. Because they are linked properties I cannot find a way to format them.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Brian

[Brian B 74]

Ok. So what about this. For those of you who do electrodes in SW how do you create a setup sheet with negative values for burn locations? Do you just type them in?

[LA CAMmer]

I have a sheet pretty much like yours except I don't have a table with the burn locations. The EDM operator just uses the dimensions on the print for burn location and depth.

 

I don't like having something double dimensioned - seems like every once in a while the dimensions won't agree, then I gotta start digging to find out why.

 

When I create my electrodes in Solidworks I give the associated x and y locating dimensions a label - such as "Trode 1" (in the Dimension Text box). Then when I create my drawing and do INSERT, MODEL ITEMS, ONLY ASSEMBLY, the dimensions with those labels show up. It serves as a check for me and the operator.

[Brian B 74]

Thanks LA. I had a conversation about how to do electrodes in SW with a tool maker from another company. He does his with an assy file. I do mine with a multi-body part file. How do you do yours?

[LA CAMmer]

With an assembly file. I have a blank assembly template file setup with a coordinate systems and some custom properties that show up on my drawing, such as company name and job number.

 

I bring in my plate, insert, etc. (which also has a predefined coordinate system) and mate coordinate systems. Then I create each electrode (in its own display state labeled Trode 1, Trode 2, and on) and bring it into the assembly, giving each x and y dim the same label (Trode 1). I create the needed geometry, do a check with Interference Detection, then bring the assembly file into an assembly drawing template, show dims of each trode in its display state (one trode per sheet), and done.

[Brian B 74]

I gotcha. In our part template file we use lots of equations. We use equations to dictate the electrode blank size, location, c-axis rotation, overburn (yes we model on overburn), z-depth, and a few others. This is the same way we do things in NX so I felt that using an assy file just wouldn't work. We have been successful at doing it this way but need to work on the table because the edm operator wants it 4 place decimal with no leading zeros. I don't think I am going to get it but will have to keep trying.

 

Thanks again for the help!

[LA CAMmer]

Good luck!