Comments on: Ask the Reader: What Kind of 3D Model Check Process Do You Have?

By: 3D CAD News and Tips |

3D CAD News and Tips | — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:25:00 +0000

[...] What kind of model check process do you have? Tips for avoiding circular references How to buy a pro-level graphics card for SolidWorks SW opens [...]

By: Marijn

Marijn — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:14:56 +0000

The; My boss starts yelling at me because it failed again, check is also very efficient. don't use it but it is very efficient for you just abuse your supervisor.

By: bigmikeo

bigmikeo — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:54:31 +0000

I guess most of this gets caught in our engineering proto types. Granted I spend a lot of time looking over my model, I don't use a checklist, I'm terrible at that, I'll use interference check in SW to help. We will build several first to find the major flaws and then do a pilot production run to see what the people on the floor have an issue with.

By: Josh M

Josh M — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:42:05 +0000

Ah, the switch. Well, depending on what you're manufacturing, you can start with a simple checklist that maintains general processes used by shops you use.

After that, you'll be able to see where some checks could be automated. Like a custom program that check the thickness of all your parts, or something that checks densities against a material database.

But starting with a simple checklist will allow engineers to 'pre-check' and give senior staff a way to determine what has been reviewed.

Thanks for the comment!

By: Josh M

Josh M — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:37:09 +0000

I'm refering to the basic practice of a check happening on a model. As SWPriest goes into there's a lot of different types of checks that can be done depending on the model/industry. But do people actually do model checks and if so, when do they take place?

In the 2D days, it was a check on format, callouts, and maybe fit to a certain extent. With 3D models there are a lot of other aspects that are now available to check. It's to the point where a significant portion of our bids including check time for models.

This use to not be as much of a concern as 'check' via production would produce redlines for engineering to incorporate. This still happen, even with 3D... because most are still producing 2D drawings and the coordination between engineering and manufacturing is lacking.

By: Josh M

Josh M — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:31:59 +0000

automation of any sort definitely helps, especially if hte checks are happening against the drawing. Best aspect of using drawing against model checks is that the drawings serve and production checks as well. So there's a good link in there, even though I'd prefer the link to be directly between the model and production.

By: SWPriest

SWPriest — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:18:46 +0000

These models are good too, for something – show the other guys how to do NOT. I have some, specially prepared for newbies and beginners.

By: SWPriest

SWPriest — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:16:49 +0000

Yeah!
I don't think I've seen a program to capture all these stuff, I don't think is possible and I DON'T WANT TO! I mean, where's the fun if the computer made all these things without us?

By: Josh M

Josh M — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:52:53 +0000

Great input SWP. There's a lot of ways to virtually analyze models. I think these lay a lot of the ground work for the type of checks we make against drawings. I'm very curious as to if people do any sort of checks at all or include these type of analysis in a checklist of sorts.

We have some automated tools that check materials against a database. While it's worked well, it' still prone to human error.

It's amazing to me the amount of different types of checks that may go into a model. Seems nearly impossible to capture them all within one program.

By: Josh M

Josh M — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:47:17 +0000

I've been there. One reason my cubicle is stained with BLOOD. I kid. It's just ketchup, from some hashbrowns.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:55:23 +0000

No check – All models are fail.

By: SWPriest

SWPriest — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:33:28 +0000

Well, depending on the project type you can go through the following:
- check the model and the drawing against the blueprint or best practice rules with SW design checker (the right start part, the right drawing format, fully defined sketches, interferences in assemblies, use of right symbols, etc),
- for those rules that cannot be checked with DC, check with a checklist,
- use draft check for molded/forged parts,
- use zebra stripes or other tools for surface analysis, if needed (better export to UG NX and made some surfaces analysis there),
- use Tolanalyst for tolerances, if needed (as a guidance),
- use DFM analysis for manufacturability, if needed (as a guidance),
- use COSMOS stress/thermal/flow/motion analysis for some design problems (or other FEA tools outside SW),
- use some add-ins for RapidPrototyping analysis, if needed,
- best of all: use a PDM/ERP/SAP system with automatic checking capabilities and put all involved guys (Tol, FEA, electrical, tehnol, production, etc) in the loop.

For Bruce - you can define drawing templates with all Custom Props embedded and start parts with those Custom Props embedded also. I think you can find on youtube some video about these.

My 2 pence.

By: AltheBig

AltheBig — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:03:40 +0000

We are currently looking to verify and validate our models such that any shop drawings from the model will not have to be gone over.
Switching from Autocad where every detail had to be reviewed for every drawing, every time we had a new project.

By: bigmikeo

bigmikeo — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:59:50 +0000

What kind of “check” are you referring too? An actual design check, like a group of peers? A design review meeting where all involved parties get together (engineering thru production)? Talking about the overall design with a supplier? Or having a finance person question why the parts are so expensive?

It's me and one other guy, we bounce stuff off of each other, other than wrenches. Others times we don't “it's mine mine all mine”. Problem is everyone is a Mechanical Engineer just ask them, no one questions the PCB layout guy or the power engineer or the software guy but “its just aluminum plates and screws how hard can it be? I've put a desk together.”

By: Bruce Buck

Bruce Buck — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:53:38 +0000

Well, until I learned how to start automating all that type of info on drawings with Custom Properties, it was always an issue. Biggest was when something was changed on a drawing (a weight, length, add config) and the model wouldn't get updated. Drove me nuts. Maybe I should have taken jowl kicking lessons.

Linking all that stuff to Custom Properties has alleviated a lot of that, until a bug crops up. Then it's back to the hair pullin'.