Toolbox vs. Standard Parts 9

[macduff]

All,
I would like everyone's opinion on the question I'm about to ask, so here we go.

I'm wondering what is the best way to set up standard parts/hardware for our company. We use many NAS, MIL, AN fastners and would like to standize this for the end users when building an assembly/drawing BOM's and also not having conflicts with PDMWorks when chenking in & out parts and assemblies.

1) Do I use the SW Toolbox and edit all the part no.s and descriptions?

2) Do I setup separtate part files and add configurations?

3) Do I use the SW Library feature for this?

We are currently having some issues with our PDMWorks not resolving part paths to the toolbox and takes alot of time fixing the assemblies.

Our SW Toolbox is now located on our server and everyone is mapped to that drive. So if changes to this, everyone will see the new parts, right? I made a copy of the "ANSI inch" area of toolbox and started renaming the configurations and descriptions.

Also....what do think about the BOM tables in SW2004? Do I use the new SW BOM or keep using the Excel based table?

I know whatever I do, it's going to take alot of time setting up standard hardware. I'm looking to you for the right direction.

Thanks,

macduff

 

[rokahn]

I most like EdDanzer's suggestion to make a library of fasteners based on as few parts as possible so fasteners can be substituted without losing mates.

I'm just getting started with Toolbox and I'm setting up the environment for myself and two other engineers and making this library seems like an uncreative but necessary time sink.

Would anyone (EdDanzer?) be willing to send me their already-created library and let me send them a good bottle of wine or something? A CD-R or network-accessible download would work great.

 

[macduff]

rokahn,
Give me your email and I will send you an example of an NAS620 washer that I did. I works great with the excel BOM in the assembly mode.

Best,

macduff

 

[SBaugh]

Check out the SW Website Model Library & 3D Content Central

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[EdDanzer]

Rokahn,
Contact me at ed@danzcoinc.com about what you need. We have both grade 5 and grade 8 cap screws, several types of nuts, several types of washers, some socket products, mostly in inch size.
It will probably require CD’s if you want very many parts.

 

[macduff]

rokahn,
I deal with military hardware numbering systems and nomanclatures, NAS, AS, MS etc...

 

[rokahn]

SBaugh wrote:
> Check out the SW Website Model Library & 3D Content Central

3D Content Central looks to have all the content of SW's Model Library but not vice versa. Is this true?

These have everything except the fasteners so I'm looking forward to EdDanzer's offer of help.

 

[DesignSmith]

Re: Changing Toolbox hardware standards...
In SolidWorks Toolbox 2003 and prior, the option to create derived hardware standards is under:
Toolbox - Browser Configure - [Standards]

In 2004 and beyond the Toolbox and Hole Wizard data have been integrated and the Edit Data capability moved to where it is universally accessible even for those without Toolbox installed.
Tools - Options - [System Options]- Data Options - [Edit Standards Data]

Once you make a derived standard such as NAS or MIL from ANSI, you can then configure that standard to remove invalid sizes or lengths and change some of the dimensional parameters.

What is new in 2004 and beyond is that this edit data capability now applies to the Hole Wizard data as well.


DesignSmith

http://www.DesignSmith-Services.com

 

[SBaugh]

3D Content Central is the new Model Library for users files plus it has Company files as well. Whether it has the same thing as in the Model Library, I doubt it. Because I have entered stuff in the model library that isn't in 3D Content central. At least as far as I can tell.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[rokahn]

DesignSmith wrote that Toolbox standards can be edited to adjust hole wizard standards.

We use roll taps here rather than cutting taps and this makes the tapdrill different. Can one change the default tapdrill for hole wizard?

 

[SBaugh]

Tools\Options\System Options\Data Options\Edit Standards Data -

1) Highlight a Standard
2) Create a new name for you Database
3) Click Create
4) Click "Edit Data" Tab
5) Once in that Tab scroll to the bottom and expand your new DB.
6) Find the Hole Wizard keep expanding to find TapDrill
7) Once you get to the DB file You will see a list of rows and columns. Scroll to the bottom and you can add new ones or edit the existing ones.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[DesignSmith]

Rokahn,
Goto: Tools - Options - [System Options]- Data Options - [Edit Standards Data] and make a standard called something like ACMERolled, derived from ANSI Inch.

Then go into the [Edit Data] tab, and expand the tables under that new standard. At the bottom should be the Hole Wizard tables, and the Threads categories. Specifically, you may want to change values in the Drill Sizes, and Tapped Hole tables, changing the diameter values but keeping the size designations.

If you have Toolbox, you may want to get into the Configure Browser settings and disable the hardware in that standard so that it shows up only in Hole Wizard and not in the hardware browser.




DesignSmith

http://www.DesignSmith-Services.com

 

[rokahn]

Thanks for the help! I've edited as you suggest.

Follow-on question:
If I want to share these modifications with buddies on my network, is there a file I can copy over one of their files or...even better, store this file on the server and we all point our SolidWorks clients at it?

 

[rokahn]

Hmm...two additional follow-ons:

1. Your suggestion to disable the standard in Toolbox configure browser made the standard disabled in Hole Wizard as well. So far as I understand it, there's no way to enable this standard exclusively for Hole Wizard, n'est-ce pas?

2. Is there some way to make this new derived standard the default for Hole Wizard tapped holes? If not, perhaps I'll edit the built-in thread data for the ANSI-Inch standard.

 

[DesignSmith]

Rokahn,

1. There are specific instructions available from the SolidWorks website for installing Toolbox in a shared orientation, but the short of it is that the Toolbox.ini file on each machine points to the SWBrowser.mdb copy that installation uses. Once 1 user has it properly pointing at network location for the library, the file can be copied to the other machines.
2 Instead of using [x] Disable at the Catalog level, goto to the Chapter level instead and [x] Disable, the individual hardware categories such as Bolts & Screws, or Power Transmission. That should leave the standard enabled for Hole Wizard but hidden from the Toolbox Browser.
3. Hole Wizard remembers your last used choice for each session. At the start of each session the drop list is presented in alphabetical order.
4. You can not edit the International standards other than to turn individual items to disabled. That guarantees that your installation always has at least 1 set of working data. With a derived standard and the right combination of Configure Browser settings you should be able to get what you need.

DesignSmith

http://www.DesignSmith-Services.com

 

[SBaugh]

2. Is there some way to make this new derived standard the default for Hole Wizard tapped holes? If not, perhaps I'll edit the built-in thread data for the ANSI-Inch standard.

Not that I know of. But you can't edit the ANSI standard HZ DB or any of the Default DB's. Those are locked out, that's why you have to make a Derived Copdy of a standard DB.

Regards,



Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[JNR]

I know of one guy who has a unique hardware library. For example, he has one pan head screw file with many (MANY!)configurations all driven from a design table. For a new part, he merely adds a line to the design table.

There are pro's and con's to that approach, but he loves it.

John Richards Sr. Mech. Engr.
Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics

There's no place like 127.0.0.1