New Cast Assembly
In this section, we will start the creation of a new Cast Assembly and we will review the main menus and Icons from this application.
Create a New Cast Assembly
Create a New file and then select the Manufacturing type and the Cast Cavity sub-type; You may unchecked the "Use default template" button to see the list of available template files.
If you have unchecked the "use default template", you are presented with the "New File Option" dialog Box where you may browse to use your own template file, and where you may want to copy the associated drawings. In our example, we will use the default mmns_mfg_cast template.
Press OK button, and the MFG Assembly is created.
Understanding the UI
In this image, we can notice several information:
- There is a PULL DIRECTION arrow point up: this indicates a default direction for the mold opening; This default direction is used by other features like parting line calculation.
To change the Pull Direction, From the top menus, select Edit > Setup: the side menu manager appears,
Select PULL DIRECTION from the menu manager, and then select a most convenient reference for you (Plane, Curve, Edge, Axis or CSYS) to specify the mold Pull Direction.
- It is highly recommended to display the features in the model tree as most of the work will consist in creating features.
- The default features in this template model have been named to help the user to orient the model.
From there, the user is presented with top menus, right side (menu manager) and special icons dedicated for the Cast Cavity environment: as a generic guide line, to create a new Cast Cavity Assembly, start from the top icon, and go down, 1 by 1... and the Cast assembly is complete.
Creating Ref Part
In this section, you will learn how to select and place a model in the cast assembly, and we will learn how to re-define a model to to represent the cast model. This section is made of 2 sub sections:
Preparing the Mold Layout
Modifying the RefPart
Preparing the Mold Layout
Open the model CULBUTEUR.PRT: This model is obviously not the model to be casted, it is a finished model that is machined already (the red surfaces). Nevertheless, we will use this model as is to create the RefPart (the manufacturing model) and we will modify the RefModel to represent the model to be casted.
You may close this window and return to the casting assembly we started before.
and select the model CULBUTEUR.PRT from the list.
Select to create the RefPart as an Inherited Model.
We will now work on the reference used in the design model (CULBUTEUR) to optimize the orientating we want to achieve... to do so, you may re-select the CS0 reference from the "Ref Model Origin and Orient" section...
Then pick "DYNAMIC" from the side menu: we want to re-orient the default part CSYS as follows:
Rotation about Z of -160 degrees (You may use the slider bar to change the orientating dynamically).
Do not use any other actions (update projected area, draft checking...)
You may use the Draft Check (change values to 3 degrees) and button Shade.
Once you are done, press OK to validate the Orientation and set the Layout of the parts as follows:
- Circular Layout,
- Radial distribution,
- 4 Cavities to be created,
- the distribution radius is 50 mm
- and the start angle is set to 45 degrees
The result should look as follows:
When pressing OK to validate the layout, you may receive the Warning message about the automatic setting of the Accuracy... press OK to proceed.
Modifying the RefPart
Obviously, the models we have in the assembly are not realistic casted models: we will now re-work the RefPart to suppress the un-necessary features and create additional information to have the model look like a casted result.
RMB in the model tree on the model named CULB_CAST_REF and OPEN.
You will notice that we have access to all features from the original model as we have used INHERITANCE to create the the RefPart: Expand all nodes in the model tree to review all the features.
Select all features (using CTRL) named ***_TO_REMOVE (like CUT1_TO_REMOVE, HOLE1_TO_REMOVE, and all others), and RMB to SUPPRESS the features,
Then, modify the diameters of the holes: Hole id 651 and Hole id 787: reduce the diameter by removing 2 mm on each one-> Regenerate,
Create a Surfaces Offset Feature to add over-thickness to the sides of the holes (4 surafces)...
from the top Menu: Edit > Offset and set the values as follows:
Validate the feature...
You may now add some rounds and any other feature you may think useful to complete the casting model.
You may now save this part and close the window, return to the Cast Assembly to notice that all 4 models are updated on the Layout.