Part name/flat pattern question

[Nate242]

I am currently working with some sheetmetal parts which need to be exported/saved as a dxf in order for us to convert them to nc code. The current method I have been using is to open up a blank drawing file, place the flat pattern view, and save it as a dxf. Note that this dxf drawing is for nc code generation only and is seperate from the "real" part drawing. This seems to work fine as long as I take note of the scale and select the view as flat pattern.

Recently I noticed that after saving the nc drawing as a dxf, the part name changes in solidworks. If for example the original part name (as displayed in Solidworks) is "WF-55297-065 ->" it changes to "WF-55297-065 (Default) ->" after I save the drawing as a dxf. This doesn't happen if the drawing is saved as a slddrw. Why is solidworks placing (default) in the part name, and what is (default) refering to? Is there any way to remove the (default) from the name or to keep it from being added to the name? This isn't a big deal but I would like to know what's going on. Does anyone have any ideas?

Nathan

 

[Heckler]

What CAM Software are you importing this to? I would not waste my time importing via DXF. Import 3D IGES or STep files! Most modern CAM programs will import solid if not native model data. I'm sure there are some exceptions.

I use to work at Lockheed Martin and we used SDRC for our design software. We use to develop 3D models of our composite parts layer by layer. Then peel off the tool surface into this ply unwrapping software that generated flat patterns with ply orientation, splices, and cut sequence. Then send it to a cutter. This was back in the mid 90's and we didn't even touch DXF or DWF file formats. I know it can be done without using DXF or DWG formats.

Best Regards,

Heckler

Do you trust you intuition or go with the flow?

 

[Nate242]

We are currently using Merry Mech. SMP 21.12 which does have the ability to import iges files, but it is much easier to import dxf files. This program does the job but is basically an autocad type program for sheetmetal. I wouldn't consider this a "modern" CAM program. Do you know if another way to export a dxf, or what the (default) means?

 

[aamoroso]

Not sure about the default in the file name, that doesn't happen to me, maybe try to dxf to a different directory.

For your scale issue, edit your scale note to read like this:

$PRPSHEET:"SW-Sheet Scale"SCALE: $PRP:"SW-Sheet Scale"

Always use the sheet scale for your flat view (it should be that way by default). If you change the scale of the sheet it will update automatically, that is only useful if your cam reads the scale of your DXF.

 

[MortenDK]

Heckler:
It could be the manufacturer, who would like to have a dxf as their manufacturing setup is tuned in for this. If they recieve designs from a lot of different people, it would shure be nice to have it all in a form where you don't have to think different every time. You wouldn't change from a good supplier just because they can't read an iges file when doing sheet metal, would you?

Nate242
I also export in dxf for a laser cutter. I just add a sheet, normally the last one or two after doing the drw file with all detailling. The first "add sheet without any frame or text (because dimensions and text are killing dxf imports)will be the part 1:1 in 3views+ as wanted complete with bends, the second is the flat pattern model. Mostly depending on the difficulty to get the folding done. I have asked the manufactorer about the k-factor and bend radii to various sheet thicknesses. The additional sheet are then "save as dxf", where the flat pattern gets a "flat" in its name by me like:
NORMALPARTNAMEflat.dxf
I then have files
NORMALPARTNAME.sldprt
NORMALPARTNAME.slddrw
NORMALPARTNAME.dxf
NORMALPARTNAMEflat.dxf
NORMALPARTNAME.pdf (made with adobe pdfwriter from the detailled drawing, only including the sheet-no. up to the dxfs)

I have found it a bit difficult to manage all filetypes in different directories, so I keep all files specific to one project in the same directory.


Morten K. Thillemann

 

[Dennyd]

Nate242,

It is possible that the "(Default)" is making reference to the default configuration of your part file. I am not sure how that is ending up in your part name, perhaps there is a setting that needs to be changed somewhere.

When you flatten a sheetmetal part and save the drawing of the flat pattern as a DXF or DWG you may be getting some unwanted results. We found with our turret press and laser cutting software that these files had edges composed of several line segments. If you look at them on the print they look like one single line, but in a drawing file the edges of a flattened part are composed of segments from the flange edges separated by segments for the material in the bend itself, from tangency to tangency. For the laser cutter this was less of an issue because most of the software computes the net trajectory anyway. However, for the turret press this was a major headache. The turret press software would choose punches to cut the length of each segment instead of the net long smooth edge. This caused a tooling and cycle time issue. We were able to resolve this completely be exporting the flat pattern as a parasolid, bringing it back in to SWX as an intermediate tooling reference part (since it was no longer parametric) and then making a dxf/dwg of this flat pattern which had a single continuous edge rather than colinear segments. The turret press software was much happier now and it even seemed to make the laser cutting software happier too. The world was a better place. Of course if the turret or laser software can take the parasolid directly that would shorten the steps.

World peace, anyone?

- - -Dennyd