Showcasing Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) Workflows at SOLIDWORKS World 2018
Close your eyes and listen. Do you hear the sound of a 3D printer cranking out parts 100 times cheaper than molded prototypes?
Open your eyes and watch. Do you see the digital quality heat map per the 3D geometric tolerances generated 100 times faster than manual inspections?
Take a deep breath and feel. Do you sense the fundamental shift of manufacturing that’s happening right now?
We are at an exciting age of manufacturing thanks to the enabling technologies emerging every day. Together, we are making the history at the beginning of the 21st century and we are pushing the human race forward.
This is why General Electric launched the Brilliant Factory initiative with four major pillars:
· Automation based on sensors connected by the industrial internet.
· Novel process prototyping using the additive manufacturing technologies.
· Informatics based on the big data analysis.
· Model-based manufacturing with embedded annotations on 3D models.
To empower your similar smart manufacturing strategies, SOLIDWORKS 2018 released a portfolio of new enhancements. To put the enhancements into action and showcase the manufacturing automations, we are joining force with inspiring partners to set up a shop floor demo at SOLIDWORKS World 2018 at a 40 x 70 foot booth 133.
First, we will start off with a SOLIDWORKS model, a shifter assembly commonly seen in transmission boxes.
To quickly get the touch and feel of the shifter, you can print it out in merely a few hours. The latest Sindoh printer comes with two cartridges so that you can print different materials as shown below.
Then to convey the product and manufacturing requirements, you can annotate the 3D model with SOLIDWORKS MBD. The part level annotations can be displayed and reused in the assembly as shown below.
Next, let’s feed the models to SOLIDWORKS CAM and program the Numeric Control (NC) code automatically according to the 3D features. We’ll machine the parts live with OMAX Waterjet, Haas Mill and Lathe, and Tormach machines.
Now it’s time to inspect the parts. SOLIDWORKS Inspection 2018 can now automatically balloon the 3D annotations and generate an inspection sheet.
Furthermore, David Schlitt with Origin International Inc. shared a preview of the Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) and laser scanning inspection approaches. We will inspect the machined parts live on the shop floor.
Are you excited? Do you want to try these cool toys out? Let’s give a big THANK YOU to all our partners supporting the shop floor activities. Here are the heroes in an alphabetic order: 3D Infotech, Haas, Inspection Technologies Inc., InspectionXpert, OMAX Waterjet, Origin International Inc., Sindoh, Tormach, Wenzel America Ltd., and Xomerty.
By the way, this shop floor demo is just a start. Please leave your thoughts and ideas in the comment area below. Let’s see how we can set up an even more awesome work cell at SOLIDWORKS World next year.
Oh, one more thing. Did you see any 2D drawings used in the above procedures? No, because we’ve paved a path of completely model-based workflows. Roll up your sleeves, cut some metals, and get your hands dirty. Please join us at SOLIDWORKS World 2018 to find out yourself.
