CAD Modeling: From the computer and into the workshop.

As I have mentioned in a few of my earlier blogs, most of the work I have done on SolidWorks has been for the robotics club. This means that the parts will have to actually be built in real life, and within a reasonable time frame as well. The book SolidWorks: A Tutorial Approach say this "... while making a part that would be able to do many useful things you need to consider that in the field your work will only be useful if it is possible to build" (Tickoo location 2450)

The part used on the left is relatively small being 0.3" X 1.6" X3 .75" and ends up have a volume of 3.72 cubic inches with a tiny amount of 0.04 cubic inches of material needing to be removed, this part took me and my partner about 30 - 45 minutes per piece, most of it being measuring out pieces and lining them up to be cut.

Having experience in making parts in real life is useful when making realistic CAD models. The part shown below is a 2.7" X 13.75 X 6.0" part having a volume of 238.68 cubic inches when in an uncut rectangular prism form. Yet after cutting the volume is expected to be at 31.57 cubic inches. This means that you have to cut through over 200 inches of solid metal. For people that have not hollowed out over 150 cubic inches of aluminum with the tools in the KR shop, don't try, you can't do it. This part had to be redesigned so that it was possible to build with the tools available at KR and the person who modeled it the first time learned a valuable lesson. SolidWorks a tutorial approach also says this: "...remember also that money is almost always a constraint as you will not want to spend too much material on a part that could have been build the same strength with less cost" (Tickoo location 2462)

My question for you guys is: When has the phrase it only looks good on paper applied to something you have done?

Works Cited
Tickoo, Sham. SolidWorks 2014: A Tutorial Approach. Schereville: CADCIM Technologies, 2014. Kindle eBook.