Manufacturability Testing (Design For Manufacturing)
Blog Post 1.02.02 - Prototype Your Parts Before They Leave Engineering
What is Manufacturability Testing and how can it reduce and eliminate shop floor rework? Read More ...
Global Edge Video Blog-1.02
Prototype Your Parts Before They Leave Engineering
An expensive component of the prototyping process is the trial-and-error time of fabricating a sheet metal part. This is especially true for contract manufacturers when their customers provide them with a wide multitude of sheet metal parts that need to be first prototyped before they are put in wider production. Many considerations come into play with the following considerations:
Material
- Proper Material Type
- Proper Material Thickness
- Proper Material Finish
Bending Machine Tool Capabilities
- Within Tooling Limits
- Bend Angles Within Allowable Limits
- Part Within Bend Tonnage Limit
- Part Flange Size Within Allowable Limits
- Internal Bend Heights
Hole / Embossment / Louver / Special Features Locations
- Placement of Pem Holes from Bend Lines
- Embossment / Louver Placement
- Special Feature Interferes with Flange
Hardware Specifications
- Proper Matching of Hardware
The Global Edge Engineering Assistant provides a simplified method to identify potential common sheet metal fabrication errors taking into consideration items from the above list. Simplifying the prototyping process starts with the automated analysis of CAD sheet metal parts which includes the importation and database capture of the following CAD Part Parameters:
- Material / Thickness / Part Weight / Bend Radius
- Blank / Flat (Length & Width)
- Cutouts / Holes (Count & Size)
- Minimum / Maximum Bend Length
- Minimum / Maximum Bend Angle
- Minimum / Maximum Flange Width
- Minimum Pem Hole to Bend Line Gap
- Minimum Embossment to Bend Line Gap
- Minimum Louver to Bend Line Gap
- Maximum Up / Maximum Down Bend
- Fold / Hem / Extrude Counts
- Minimum Taper / Die Cut to Bend Line Gap
These CAD part parameters are subsequently stored in the Global Edge database to serve as a foundation for a “Manufacturability Testing” process. The CAD part parameters include identification up and down bends counts, location of Pem Hole and Louver distance from a bend line, including cutout counts and cutout perimeters, etc.
Sample CAD Part Parameters
As part of the CAD part analysis, the Global Edge Engineering Assistant automatically identifies and matches the sheet metal part with the proper user definable Bend Processes as illustrated with the following Sample Bend Process:
As the Global Edge Engineering Assistant completes the importation and storage of the CAD part parameters, the software automatically generates routings based on those parameters:
During the generation of the routings, the Global Edge Engineering Assistant automatically determines if the sheet metal part can be successfully fabricated with each of the routing steps. For example, with the “Press Brake Bending Operation”, the software automatically determines whether the sheet metal part can be successfully bent comparing the CAD Part Parameters with the matching Bend Process. This includes the automatic execution of a “Manufacturability Test” that allows the engineer to view the test results:
The above and below example includes 22 tests that were performed on the selected part. The highlighted test below (Minimum Down Pem Gap) detected a warning that “Feature Within Warning Gap”. The matching Bend Process for the sheet metal part requires the Minimum Down Pem Gap is at least 1.500000 inches from the nearest bend line. The detected gap with the selected sheet metal part is 1.800000 inches, which indicates the gap is allowable. However, a Warning Message is detected because ideally with the matching Bend Process indicates that the Minimum Down Pem Gap should ideally be at least 2.000000 inches.
When a manufacturability test fails one or more tests, the engineer can make the appropriate change(s) to the necessary 3D CAD Sheet Metal Model and repeat the Manufacturability Test until the errors are corrected. The Global Edge Engineering Assistant provides an innovative software tool that helps speed up the whole prototyping process and eliminates shop floor rework by getting things right the first time before a part reaches the shop floor.
Summary
The Global Edge Engineering Assistant can save your manufacturing operation significant time and money by reducing and significantly speed up the prototyping process. The Global Edge Engineering Assistant helps get it right the first time with the following features and benefits:
- Significantly Reduces Prototyping Trial & Error Process
- Reduces Prototyping Costs
- Provides Engineering Design For Manufacturing Capabilities
