Article
April 1, 2010
Putting 3-D CAD on the grill - Part IV
As promised last month in Part III (Precision Matters, March 2010, p. 28), we're going to continue modeling the Shashlik Grill components, such as the wheels, axles, and retaining caps. Our goal is to maximize our efficiency in modeling the parts that are going into our assembly. (The... Read more...
Article
March 1, 2010
Putting 3-D CAD on the grill—Part III
Figure 1 The Lower Tray is linked parametrically by a Derived Sketch to the controlling sketch in the Upper Tray. As promised last month in Part II, we're going to explore a few techniques for modeling sheet metal parts within the context of a master assembly. What we want to end up... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2010
Putting 3-D CAD on the grill
Figure 1
Here's a rough sketch of the product concept.
Our goal for the next several columns will be to bring the product concept shown in Figure 1 into virtual reality. This will involve some 3-D CAD modeling. Perhaps the most important themes will be planning and documentation.... Read more...
Article
December 2, 2009
3-D CAD design communication skills
Figure 1 Design review meetings are critical to the success of any product development project. The 3-D CAD model is effectively the first prototype. Design review gives everyone involved a chance to catch errors, omissions, and gaps between vision and reality. When the meeting can be... Read more...
Spanish
November 16, 2009
Diseñando dados amigables con la velocidad
En el competitivo ambiente de la actualidad, las compañías de estampado están buscando reducir costos a cualquier forma imaginable. Usualmente, el primer lugar adonde voltean los estampadores para reducir costos es la carga de mano de obra por parte, lo cual conduce a la inevitable lucha por... Read more...
Spanish
November 12, 2009
Article
November 3, 2009
Drafting useful drawings
Our project is to create the drawing shown in A production drawing is ready to be sent to a fabricator for manufacturing.">Figure 1 . For the purposes of publication I used an excessively large font for the bill of materials (BOM). Other than that, I believe this print would be presentable to... Read more...
Article
October 8, 2009
Design, build, troubleshoot
The critical phases of producing a capable stamping die are design, build, and troubleshoot (debug). Each of these phases is of equal importance and dependent on one another. If one of these phases is inadequate, determining the effectiveness of the other phases is extremely difficult.... Read more...
Article
October 8, 2009
Bedeviled with the details
Figure 1 An extremely realistic model of a shoulder bolt—it is easy to visualize, hard to model. A recurring theme in 3-D CAD modeling is design intent. What is the reason for creating the model? Generally, the goal is some combination of visualization, virtual prototyping, and... Read more...
Article
September 23, 2009
Flat responsibility in sheet metal modeling
Figure 1a This sheet metal design looks OK in 3-D. (Editor's Note: The 3-D CAD software referred to in this column has several sheet metal-specific modeling tools. Other software packages have similar capabilities, but have a different user interface. It will be up to you to make the... Read more...
Article
September 23, 2009
Drawing the bead on weldments
Figure 1 Here is an exploded view of what we have in mind for a battery cage. ?Our project this month is to model a cage that will hold about 528 pounds (240 kg) of batteries. Our project manager has not settled on the specific battery spacing or on the structural members to use, so a... Read more...
Article
July 9, 2009
Designing speed-friendly dies
Each of the physical speed-limiting factors is dictated by the configuration, or design, of the part. You can identify product design compromises that make the part more speed-friendly.
In today's competitive environment, stamping companies are looking at every imaginable way to reduce... Read more...
Article
July 1, 2009
Top-down modeling
Figure 1 How do you model the elliptical cut in the middle plate for the tubes? This month's column is in response to a question from Mike B.: "I have three plates parallel to each other 12 inches apart. Plate 1 is 9 in. by 9 in., while Plate 2 and Plate 3 are 18 in. by 18 in. Connecting... Read more...
Article
June 1, 2009
The most important output of 3-D CAD modeling
Figure 1 Click to view image larger This drawing with a BOM helps both purchasing and manufacturing. I recently attended a very interesting presentation by Chris Naujok, an engineer who is a SolidWorks® guru. One of the first questions he asked his audience of CAD jockeys was this:... Read more...
Article
May 1, 2009
Love of loft in 3-D CAD modeling
Like an extrude, revolve, or sweep, a loft is a tool for modeling a 3-D shape. A loft consists of two basic elements—two or more profiles and a set of rules for lofting between the profiles. Before getting too far into the details of lofts, I am going to offer up a couple of... Read more...
Article
April 1, 2009
Getting swept away in 3-D CAD modeling
Like an extrude or revolve, a sweep is a tool for modeling a 3-D shape. A sweep consists of three basic elements—a profile, a path, and a set of rules for "sweeping" the profile along the path. Before getting too far into the details of sweeps, I am going to offer up a couple of... Read more...
Article
March 1, 2009
Modeling in a 3-D CAD system
Figure 1
An example of a simple extrude based on a sketched circle is shown.
One of the core skills to have when operating a 3-D CAD system is the mastery of extrudes. With enough extrudes, almost any product can be modeled.
However, other tools in the 3-D CAD... Read more...
Article
February 1, 2009
Dimensioning in a 3-D CAD system
Figure 1
Modeled dimensions make sense to a CAD jockey, but they may not make much sense to those in fabricating.
How important are dimensions to 3-D CAD modeling? Depends on your design objective, I guess.
The 3-D CAD software that I frequently use will allow me to model... Read more...
Article
January 1, 2009
Sketching in a 3-D CAD System
Figure 1
This adapter plate is the design goal.
There's nothing sketchy about the general skills involved in sketching. You need to be able to create sketch entities, establish sketch relationships, and add dimensional features.
When I'm drawing a sketch, I have a habit of... Read more...
Article
December 1, 2008
The real world of 3-D CAD assemblies
Figure 1a
This sheet metal bracket model is an example of an assembly of components.
We live in a 3-D world, so it makes sense that metal fabricators would work with 3-D CAD assemblies as a typical part of their work life. Fortunately, working with 3-D CAD assemblies also has many... Read more...
Article
November 1, 2008
3-D CAD drawings in a 2-D world
Fabricating is all about meeting the customer's expectation. That is hard to do if you don't know what they want. One of the best tools for communicating those expectations is with a drawing.
That insight has been around for a while. After all, our ancient foremothers drew on the walls of... Read more...
Article
October 1, 2008
Thinking inside the box
Sometimes it matters how things fit together. It is always nice when holes for screws align properly and when connectors fit in their mounting holes. When modeling a design for an assembly in 3-D CAD, you might find one technique to be useful: top-down design.
As a point of reference,... Read more...
Article
September 1, 2008
3-D CAD strengthens customer bond
For many of the job shops that I've visited, the 3-D CAD system investment was largely a marketing decision; the goal driving that decision was customer service.
I recently asked a job shop owner what prompted the purchase of a 3-D CAD system, and part of the answer reaffirmed the... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
When does a punch/laser make sense?
Shops that process enough of the right parts can increase uptime and reduce secondary operations with a combination punch/laser machine. Photo courtesy of TRUMPF Inc.
Business growth led Hawkeye Industries President and CEO Bryan Hawkins to seek a machine that could punch and laser-cut... Read more...
Article
August 1, 2008
One easy piece to model
I've met more than a handful of people who have access to a 3-D CAD system, but are restricted in what they can do with the software. In many cases, the 3-D CAD system is used merely as a data exchange tool; the main mission is to generate a CNC program for manufacturing. As often is the... Read more...
Article
July 1, 2008
Getting a handle on 3-D CAD modeling
Figure 1a
A simple five-line sketch can create a full sheet metal part.
CAD software of the 3-D variety can be a lot of fun to use. Perhaps it's because the software does a lot of work quickly.
Figure 1a shows an example of the power of 3-D CAD software. To create a sheet metal... Read more...
Article
June 1, 2008
Unfolding truth about flats
Three-dimensional CAD software provides great power to generate flat layouts of sheet metal parts with just a click of a button. But as Uncle Ben told a young Peter Parker in Stan Lee's "Spider-Man" saga, "With great power there must also come great responsibility."
So what responsibilities... Read more...
Article
May 1, 2008
Machined-part modeling in 3-D CAD
Almost anything can be built. Clever machine tool manufacturers offer solutions for even the most challenging manufacturing problems.
Sometimes, however, manufacturing resources are limited. What sorts of things should CAD designers consider when modeling parts that are intended to be... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Curving out a niche
In celebration of its 50th anniversary in April 2005, McDonald's® opened a 24,000-square-foot restaurant in Chicago. The fast-food chain wanted to highlight both its past and its future, and to that end the restaurant features the red and white colors of founder Ray Kroc's first building,... Read more...
Article
April 1, 2008
3D CAD modeling of sheet metal parts
Figure 1a
This is the starting point for the pedestal design.
The main variation in sheet metal modeling techniques is when to let the 3-D CAD system know that the part is to be treated as sheet metal. With the 3-D CAD tool that I use most often, I have three basic options: Create... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Recruit, train, and retain
The FABRICATOR's Editorial Advisory Board meets to discuss ways to find new talent and keep them interested in manufacturing as a career choice. Time has passed, but the times haven't changed that much. A little over two years ago The FABRICATOR's Editorial Advisory Board engaged in a... Read more...
Article
March 1, 2008
What CNC programmers wish you knew
CNC stands for computer numeric control and refers to an electronic control system that is attached to a piece of machinery. These CNC systems are connected to the machine tool's electromechanical devices (for example, motors and clamps) to position the workpiece for manufacturing. The... Read more...
Article
February 26, 2008
Economy edges out other concerns
Metal manufacturers greatest concerns-2008 for the past four years, the fabricating update e-newsletter has surveyed its subscribers—metalworking professionals—about their main business concerns. for three years, steel prices ranked no. 1. in the 2008 survey, we added a... Read more...
Article
January 1, 2008
Essential CAD: A starting point
My fantasy is to have my thoughts telepathically linked to a computer—resulting in smarter and faster designs. It would be even more helpful if the computer would dream up solutions for me. Now that would be computer-aided design! However, mind reading is a little beyond what even the... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Laser cutting with less labor and less hassle
In February 2007 a four-man precision metal fabricating shop—with the help of two temporary employees—laser-cut more than 500 jobs comprising 73,863 metal pieces and weighing more than 315,000 pounds. That's good news for Chris Hollenback, president of Integrated Manufacturing... Read more...
Article
October 3, 2006
Warm forming magnesium, aluminum tubes
Research shows that in forming lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium alloys, the formability increases as the temperature increases, especially in the range from 200 degrees C to 300 degrees C (392 degrees F to 572 degrees F).1-5 The Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
A breath of fresh air
Ten years ago laser cutting offered a distinctive advantage to those who invested in the technology. For the most part, successful laser cutting required gas, optics, and patience. The decade has brought many changes to laser cutting, including higher power levels and faster drive... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Achieving quality global manufacturing networks
Pressure from customers, regulatory agencies, and shareholders is driving manufacturers to produce higher-quality products as they continue to strive for additional cost reductions. Although high quality is a key determinant of customer satisfaction and long-term corporate... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2006
Finding direction for the welding industry
In some ways, the welding industry is almost entirely in a class of its own. As far as manufacturing job prospects go, the welding industry is in a minority because it's expected to experience job growth—albeit average—through 2012. Boilermakers, for example, have dimmer job... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2005
Growing gains with lasers
Growing pains with lasers
Significant investment in laser processing equipment helps Laser Precision process both shim-thick stainless steel to 1-inch-thick plate and remain competitive by keeping labor needs low.
It took one phrase to change Jeff Adams' direction in... Read more...
Article
February 8, 2005
Manufacturing more efficiently south of the border
World-class manufacturing requires more than efficient, flexible, and productive machinery, according to Industrias John Deere (IJD), a subsidiary of John Deere in Mxico. It also takes reliability and service.
In the 1990s IJD wanted to modernize the way it manufactured... Read more...
Article
November 9, 2004
Article
October 12, 2004
A growing force in Washington, D.C.
If you take a thorough look at federal bureaus and agencies, you'll see quite an array of departments intended to promote a variety of industries and business-related activities. Many of them have been around for decades, and some are more than a century old. The United States Department... Read more...
Article
February 26, 2004
A 'bout' with the champion
Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., has emerged on Capital Hill as the mouth for manufacturers. As a congressional representative for a district in which many manufacturers have closed their doors in recent years, he says he can't help but accept that role. His public statements, sponsorship... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2004
Gaining from friction and formability data
Figure 1 Business owners now are paying closer attention to forming lubricants. Why? Because new data has linked lubricants to an important driver of business profits—steel efficiency. With metal representing close to half of a company's total operating cost and manufacturing... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2004
Beating 'world' pricing
This Finn-Power Express Bending Cell, which automates complex bending and reduces tedious and costly work stages, has last bend negative capability and fully automatic operations cycles—from loading the sheet to unloading the bent parts. "I have a precision sheet metal shop and... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2004
Hydroforming heats up
Hydroforming at Higher Temperatures The majority of hydroforming knowledge is based on steel. Steel's characteristics make it a favorable choice for many products, and steel has been the dominant material in many industries, especially automotive, for decades. Lately, though, hydroformers are... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Budget cuts hit welding hard
Bill Garner is outraged when he hears that Connecticut, where he teaches welding, would rather import welders than keep adult vocational education programs that train the state's own residents. "I don't think that the people making this decision understand that welding is used in... Read more...
Article
August 14, 2003
Selecting equipment for a robotic welding workcell
Keep the end result—the product that the robotic workcell is turning out —as your primary focus when you select automation equipment. The entire workcell, no one part of it, is crucial for successful integration and an expedient return on investment. A robot is repeatable and makes... Read more...
Article
August 14, 2003
Any good news in manufacturing?
This article was inspired by a reader's reaction to Part II of David Goodreau's two-part series about the state of manufacturing, The Perfect Economic Storm and the 100-year Flood in Manufacturing . The reader asked, "Can you find ANY good news out there for the industry?" While... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Making the connection
Eaton Corp. manufactures a patented end connector, called STC®, or Snap to Connect. It is a reusable connector designed for low-, medium-, and high-pressure applications. STC is a threadless connection that requires only hand assembly to connect and a simple release tool to... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 1
Figure 1
Original tubular forms, such as bulrushes, are found in nature. Modern tube isn't an invention—it's merely a copy of a natural plant form. Photo courtesy of Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, copyright 2001.
Editor's Note: This article is the first part of... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Lifting the load
Using electric lift trucks in the confines of a manufacturing facility eliminates the byproducts of combustion, resulting in better indoor air and noise quality. A range of electric lift trucks is available for manufacturing environments, including sideloaders, multidirectional trucks,... Read more...
Article
March 27, 2003
A different battlefield, the same strategy
The OODA Loop One strategy that has stood the test of time is the Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Action (OODA) Loop. In this process, rivals observe their positions, the environment, and their opponents; orient themselves to the situation; decide on a course of action; and act.... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2003
The Age of Cautious Optimism
For most of my life I thought that cautious optimism was an oxymoron -- that people were either optimistic or pessimistic, and anyone who professed to be cautiously optimistic was sitting on the fence, waiting to see which way the wind blew, or, worse yet, really pessimistic and trying to... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2002
Merging research with manufacturing
It doesn't take vast financial resources, though, to gain access to modern research. By partnering with a university's engineering program, a manufacturer can benefit from the knowledge and experience of professors and students at a fraction of the cost of hiring researchers and... Read more...
Article
June 27, 2002
Manufacturing in Mexico
Object The recession in the U.S. was also felt by Mexico, the 2nd largest trading partner of the U.S. But, through the maquiladora program, which has been in effect for 37 years, the blow was softened. Mexico had over 150 plant closings in 2001, but even more new plants sprung up to replace... Read more...
Article
June 18, 2002
Staying lean in a lean economy
Over the past few months I've had the chance to speak at six different manufacturing conferences and trade association symposiums. Without a doubt, the most recurring topic of conversation has been the current economic slowdown. Specifically, many people have expressed concerns about how they... Read more...
Article
March 26, 2002
Is Your Welding Lean?
Following World War II and during the rebuilding of the Japanese industrial base manufacturers recognized that to restore production of manufactured goods and be globally competitive, new methods were necessary. One of the pioneers in this re-engineering of manufacturing was Toyota, led by... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
Article
December 13, 2001
It's all about precision, craftsmanship
Consider the various applications for microwelding and some of the first images that come to mind are the highly intricate weld operations performed on hardened tool steels and machined weldments—synonymous with a high level of precision and craftsmanship. An increasingly large... Read more...
Article
November 29, 2001
Mobilizing equipment-saving time and talent
Think about the increased production that would be possible if one operator could manage two machines simultaneously. You could make it work simply by varying access to different pieces of equipment as needed anywhere in your facility.
Of course, some machines on the shop floor cannot be... Read more...
Article
November 29, 2001
Fabricating precision parts for automobiles
In September the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trade ministers agreed with Australia and New Zealand to move ahead with a closer economic partnership initiative in the wake of a global economic slowdown. All 12 countries agreed on a need for an initiative to reduce trade... Read more...
Article
November 15, 2001
Article
October 25, 2001
Common barricades on the road to lean
Shops trying to create a lean manufacturing environment within their businesses sometimes make common mistakes that could be avoided with forethought and a little knowledge of the pitfalls faced by lean pioneers past. Self-imposed Inflexibility Job shops, make-to-order shops, and... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2001
Article
October 11, 2001
Article
September 17, 2001
Monitoring laser beam performance
In the last 20 years, the use of industrial lasers for cutting, drilling, welding, marking, and cladding has increased dramatically. Industrial lasers, unlike their laboratory cousins, are not designed with continuous monitoring in mind. The laser often is assumed to be operating at peak... Read more...
Article
September 4, 2001
Robotic arc welding gets smart in real time
Though robots probably are best-known for their ability to accomplish repetitive manufacturing tasks, it's no secret that, by themselves, they are unintelligent and must be told what to do. They are silent, unable to talk over problems with their controller, power sources, the robot in... Read more...
Article
August 16, 2001
Article
July 12, 2001
Laser welding of stainless pressure tubes
The vast majority of welded stainless steel pressure tubing is produced with the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. This process often is referred to as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. However, with the recent advent of reliable, high-power laser power sources, the laser beam... Read more...
Article
May 30, 2001
Skelp edge preparation for manufacturing ERW pipe
Achieving a quality weld requires starting with good edges. In manufacturing electric-resistance- welded (ERW) pipe and tube, this is critical. Perfect edges are almost impossible to obtain consistently by rotary side trimming single-width coils or side trimming and slitting master... Read more...
Article
May 15, 2001
Overcoming the skilled labor shortage
The booming business climate manufacturers experienced in the '90s increased the number of jobs available to skilled workers and lowered the unemployment rate. This, along with the dirty, sweaty work image that has been, perhaps erroneously, attached to engineering has dealt a blow to recruiting... Read more...
Article
May 15, 2001
Ironworkers and contractors adapt to FCAW trends
In September the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trade ministers agreed with Australia and New Zealand to move ahead with a closer economic partnership initiative in the wake of a global economic slowdown. All 12 countries agreed on a need for an initiative to reduce trade... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2001
Predicting the outcomes of laser thermal forming
Applying a laser or any other high-density heat source to the surface of a metal sheet for a short time will distort the metal. If this distortion could be predicted, the laser could be directed so that the sheet metal would form the desired shape. This idea opens up many possibilities,... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2001
Article
February 19, 2001
Article
February 19, 2001
Gaining control over the shop floor:
What happens after you finally get that big order, the one that can keep the shop busy for the next few months, and with a strong profit margin? What do you do after the high fives and champagne? Most likely, you review the capacity of your shop to handle the job, with a schedule to be... Read more...
Article
February 19, 2001
Article
February 19, 2001
Auto industry demands shape the future of stamping
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of the Engineering Research Center for Net Shape Manufacturing (ERC/ NSM), The Ohio State University, Professor Taylan Altan, Director. As we face the 21st century, the stamping business continues to be driven primarily by the automotive... Read more...
