Fabrication / Machining Drawings - Multi sheet States

[desilvan]

I want to create a multi sheet drawing showing the fabrication state for the welders on one sheet and the machined state on another sheet. Is this accomplished with reference sets or a family table?

I did this in SolidWorks using Configurations (family table) to suppress the machined features but I was hoping to avoid this as the PDM system will view this as another object and it is really just a transitional state in manufacturing.

 

[Dave K]

It will depend some on company policy, but I've done it with separate part numbers for fabricated, and final machined files. I've also done as below, where everything lived in one file:

I've done it using "Extract Geometry". I would model the file in the fabricated state, and then extract the geometry (at time stamp), put it on the "fabrication" layer, and remove it from the model reference set. Then continue with the machine operations, keeping those solid bodies on their own layer.

On the drawing, I would use layer visible in view, to show either the fabrication, or machined state, as needed.

-Dave

NX 9, Teamcenter 10

 

[looslib]

I prefer the multiple drawing/model file approach with different part numbers for each operation.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[ewh]

Same as Ben, as much of our work is farmed out to different vendors. As Dave notes, much depends on established company policy.
Combining can work if everything is being done in one shop.

“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[desilvan]

I like the idea Dave described. Historically, the company produced a single drawing in the finished state but we had numerious problems with Production as the Engineer was responsible for specify the raw material and often they got it wrong. I'm currently using this technique with Inventor and the shop seems pretty happy with the multisheet document. As we move to NX, I want to maintain that level of clarity.

Thanks everbody for your input.

 

[ewh]

While that level of clarity works for your shop now, multiple drawings would only add to the clarity and would be better set up for future situations (such as the company expanding beyond shop capacity). With expansion comes more metrics, and the financial department may appreciate a better break down of what $$$ is being spent on which processes. Here, for example, machining operations are much less expensive than welding operations; you would lose some of the ability to differentiate between the two if everything is lumped together.

“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[looslib]

When we introduced the casting/machined structure, it allowed us to buy the castings from global suppliers and then machine them either in-house or at another machine shop. We could now track where each part was and know what state it was in since they had different part numbers. We then expanded this to sheetmetal parts that had inserts added to them. One PN for the formed sheetmetal piece and a second PN for that piece with the pressed in inserts.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[desilvan]

To Gunman
I think there is a problem as I've modeled my fabrications as an assembly. When I try to Extract Geometery, it wants to grab geometery from the assembly file. Is this still an option?

Just a little overview of my data structure.
1. Multi sheet drawing file showing both Fabricated and Machined views.
2. Assembly file with all control geometery (planes, sketches etc.) and assembly features.
3. Multiple part files with Wave Linked sketch elements from the Assembly.

I also need the drawing to show a BOM with the raw material dimensions along with other part family driven library part (flanges, fittings etc.).