To Extrude or not to extrude

[Graybags]

Hi,

What do people consider best practice to create a simple cylinder? I have traditionally produced this type of feature by drawing a circle and extruding it. I am now being told by a fellow solidworks user that I should be using revolves.

Any comments?

Graybags

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

It's mainly personal preference.

If it's truly a simple cylinder then, performance-wise, you will not see a difference. If the profile is complex it often makes for a simpler FM tree to do a revolve.

If you start with a simple revolve, and the profile later changes into a more complex one, it might be easier to add the complexity to the revolve rather than separate features to the extrude.

 

[MadMango]

I agree with CBL, for any cylindrical parts, if they have any features, it is best to create them with a revolve. The rebuild times are faster, and you get a less-cluttered Feature Manager.

Of course this forces others to modify a more complicated sketch, and if there are a lot of features and relations, it could introduce problems down the line. Added features to the FM can reduce the errors, but is not guaranteed.

[green]"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."[/green]

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[ctopher]

I agree with the others. Also, when creating a cylinder, I prefer starting on the right plane so it is horizontal. It makes it easier for machinist if exporting to CNC.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)