Conference kepnut::euclid

27.0. "S.M. fabrication success on EUCLID solid" by CUBIC2::HOARY (Marto Hoary, Adv. Mfg. Technol., GAO.) Wed Sep 20 1989 20:00

    
        Today, with assistance from Gary Pittman at the machine shop in the
    Mill, I managed to successfully fabricate a sheet metal part derived
    from Euclid 3D solid model geometry ONLY - no text or other information. 
    
    The process involved tracking an IGES file of the solid and/or 3d
    wireframe model into SMP81 and generating a postprocessed NC file which
    was down loaded to a Strippet punch press. SMP81 also generated a fully
    dimensioned flat pattern or development of the part which provided the
    coordinates for setting the back stop on the bending machine. 
    
    The part included holes, bends and edges at angles other than normal.
    The process relied entirely on the data contained in the 3D IGES file
    and succeeded on the first attempt to a very comfortable degree of
    accuracy. Furthermore, the part was designed and ported to SMP81 in
    metric units. 
        
    Clearly, there are advantages in terms of Quality, reliability and
    time to market,  if we can apply elements of this integration process to
    vendor fabrication of sheet metal components and internal fabrication
    operations for both volume manufacture and prototype development.
    This is very much a first step and now the process must be developed
    to one that makes good business sense.
    
    At this stage one obvious development is that the range of IGES entity
    data from solids must be improved. I believe that this applies not only
    to EUCLID but also to GEOMOD and Pro-ENGINEER. 

    
    	I've just noted that it is not clear from the this note that this
    project I am involved in is sponsored by the Power and Packaging group
    at LE MSB in BXB2 where I am currently relocated from GAO. They are
    using EUCLID to design a complete product and the my objective is to
    develop CAD/CAM integration between design engineering and
    manufacturing engineering for EUCLID applications.