SolidWorks 101-Creating cutting die files?

[richmondva]

My company uses Solidworks to design foam packaging. Each component of the assembly is a die cut piece (in effect a 2D geometry that's been "extruded&quot. Then the Parts are simply mated in the Assembly. Is it possible to use the SolidWorks files to create the geometry for the steel rule cutting die? Die maker can use .dxf files. The cutting die would normally include several different parts in varying quantities (depending on how many "Part A's", "Part B's", etc.). Key is to be able to manipulate the Parts in the die layout to maximize material yield. Other designers are simply redrawing the 2D profile in AutoCad, but that seems like a waste of time. Is this clear as mud?

 

[MadMango]

I've designed a few steel-rule dies. What I did was get my sketch geometry the way I needed it (as a closed-loop), then extruded it to the height of the die. Then I Shelled both top and both faces of the extrusion to get the die shape.

Now however, I think I would still get my sketch geometry correct, but I would extrude the shape mid-plane as a thin feature.

Ray Reynolds
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[richmondva]

That sounds good. However, can I use the work I've done in creating the part profiles to shortcut the tooling design? It sounds as though you are suggesting redrawing the 2D parts.

 

[murugansubham]

if u know autocad,
no need to redraw the 2d profile.
how?
if u already have the 2d profile for the die (ie autocad 2d drawing or 2d dxf file ),
open the drawing in autocad.
convert the profile drawing into single entity.
how to change the die profile into single entity?

select boundary command in autocad.
click inside area of the profile.(this profile should be closed)
now the die profile is converted into single entity.
open this file in solidworks - copy.
now paste this into ur working plane in solidworks part file.
then give ref dim for positioning.
it does n't loose it's original shape and dim.
now u can easiely extrude that profile.
or
another way:

(CONTRAIN ALL CONCEPT.
Sets constraints on the sketch entities of an unconstrained imported .DXF or .DWG drawing.)

To solve relations in an imported drawing:

Import a sketch from a .DXF or .DWG drawing.

Click Tools, Relations, Constrain All.

The command tries to solve all the apparent relations in the sketch and reports the number of constraints that were added to the sketch.


thanks,

regards,
murugan S
Design Engineer,
GlobalSoft Pvt Ltd,
INDIA.

 

[richmondva]

OK. Sorry for the confusion. I'm not explaining this clearly. Step 1 is to design the final part (actually an Assembly of extruded 2D pieces). Then Step 2 is to design the die layout (tooling). To create the die layout, you take all of the pieces (2D extrusions) which make up the Assembly and manipulate them in 2D. You squeeze them together, rotate them, nest them, etc until they all fit in the smallest area (L X W) possible, therefore minimizing the size of the "blank" for die cutting. So the question is, can I take all those 2D shapes which I have created during part design, put them onto one drawing, and then easily manipulate them to create a die layouot? Somehow it must be not only possible but also simple.

 

[TheTick]

SW does a decent job of exporting 2D geometry to DXF. The catch is that SW can only create DXF from drawings. Create a drawing of your part (you only need the one plan view and no title block format), and click "File --> Save As", and change the file type in the save dialog to dxf.

You could even make a scratch assembly file arranging and nesting all of your parts, place that assembly in a drawing, and cut them all from the same sheet.

If the ladies don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

 

[MadMango]

You can rotate the 2d sketches by using Tools>Sketch Tools>Modify. I think this might be what you are looking for.

Ray Reynolds
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[richmondva]

Excellent! Tried Trick's suggestion of putting all the parts into an Assembly and shuffling them like that. Then create a drawing using only that front view. I think it worked like a charm. I'll find out for sure in the AM when the diemaker opens up his e-mail.

 

[Rocko]

all the die maker will need to do is a mitered die.

 

[sirmick]

We follow the Tick's method here. The making of blocks, and the manipulation of blocks such as arraying, moving, and rotating is much easier in ACAD than in a SWorks drawing.

 

[SolidsMaster]

TTT

Getting ready to take a company into the marvelous world of SW, and a big part of what they do now is Acad files only (various versions too). What are people doing with it now-a-days. I got a few ideas in my head of how I want to handle it. So, anybody doing die cuts in 2005? We are getting files in various forms to work with, so this should be interesting. And seeing as there is no SW structure in place, I get to set it up right from the get-go!!

Any suggestions with die cuts and dealing with rule is what I'm looking for. I'm a single user with SW professional, but I'm setting up PDM and the whole thing fresh! They've had SW for almost a year I guess, and it's the most expensive file translator for Acad I've ever seen....but that's why I got hired....

thanks,

john

 

[ctopher]

We create DXF dwgs from SW dwgs all the time, just like Tick's method. They are also saved along with the part dwg in PDMWorks.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP2.0 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

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