SolidWorks 2007 Gauge Tables

[gp13]

Hi all, new to the forum.

When I insert the table, there is a drop down menu for which guage I would like to use. I need to link the guage that I select to a custom file property. The only thing I can figure out so far is Thickness, but that only gives me a decimal value. I need something like the following:

Custom Property:
MaterialType

Value:
20 gauge

Thanks,
Matt

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Import that thickness into a Design Table and use Excels IF function to convert it to a gauge size. The result can then be propagated back to the part and in turn propagated to a linked annotation in a drawing or BOM.

 

[gp13]

Tried that, but the design table shows the text value used to generate the decimal value("Thickness@Default@Part3.SLDPRT")

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

It works fine for me. The correct actual values show in the DT.

Have you created at least 2 configs manually before creating the DT with the Auto-create option?

I vaguely remember someone having the "text only" problem some time ago.

Which versions of SW (and SP) and Excel are you using?

 

[gp13]

2007 sp0, yeah I know I need to update. The only two configurations I want are the default and the flat pattern. Also, will it be an automatic change since it's in the DT, or would you have to open the DT and then it would change? I would prefer it to be as automatic as possible, change the gauge and the custom property changes without doing anything else.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

You would have to open the DT to have it update, but that can be handled by a macro, I believe.

The only reason I mentioned having two configs was for ease of creating the DT with the auto-create option. If properties are typed in, it is all too easy to mispell or use the incorrect syntax.

 

[gp13]

I just thought of something else that wouldn't work with that method. There are multiple materials that can have the same thickness, i.e. there are four different types of 18 gauge, polished, 304, and 430. All would have the same thickness, but would require a different property.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

That could be allowed for with IF-AND functions.

 

[bearly]

I developed a workaround for this issue some time ago. And as far as I know, it only works between 4 to 14 ga. steel, but I believe it could be modified to work with other materials. Maybe it’s not exactly what you want, but it worked for me for a while (I actually gave up trying to link material gauge to a property automatically). If you’re using a design table anyway, this probably isn’t the easiest way.

But you CAN set up an equation that drives some arbitrary feature (I used a small planar surface and then made a linear pattern equating the # of instances to the gauge). The small surfaces accomplish 2 things: one, if you make them small enough they will not really effect any surface area calculations and two, they won’t effect the mass calculations. The equation is as follows:

Gauge thickness = int(14 – (“Thickness” - .0747) / .0149)

.0747 = the thickness of 14 gauge steel
.0149 = the thickness per gauge between 4 and 14 gauge steel
The int() function simply rounds down to the nearest whole number

You could set it up to drive either the gauge number or the actual thickness.

Like I said, this worked for me because we typically don’t use material outside that range. It does take some work to modify existing parts, so I made the features as well as the equation part of a “sheet metal” template.

Basically, what I’m saying is that between 4 and 14 gauge steel (8 and 14 for stainless) the change in thickness is constant, so you can apply a simple equation.

Brian

 

[gp13]

I got a best fit curve from excel to equate the thickness to its corresponding gauge using round(). If a part is .048 thick, it will give the value "SS18". However there is SS18-2B, SS18-3, SS18-3-304, and SS18-430. Since they all have the same thickness, what would be a way to "automatically" distinguish them?