P.E.P. SolidWorks Interface with H2OJet DOME Assembly

Highlights Of PEP’s Solidworks Interface

The PEP software interface with SolidWorks (SW) automatically:

Finds the BOM within the SW file, temporarily filters out non sheet metal assembly parts that make up the SW assembly.
Commands SW to unfold the 3D part and generate a flat pattern for each sheetmetal part
Commands SW to export the flat pattern for each assembly and pass the flat to PEP seamlessly without creating an interim DXF.
Commands SW to export the BOM data along with the flat pattern; revision number, material description and required quantity of each assembly.
Analyzes each flat pattern and saves each as a PEP drawing, correcting CAD errors in the part such as short lines, gaps, overlapping lines, blend errors. Splines, ellipses, and poly lines are converted to arcs and circles.
Pauses the conversion process when a large gap ( typically >.050″) can not be corrected automatically.
Repeats the conversion process until all 18 parts are converted.

Converting Of The Globe

In addition to finding CAD errors, PEP creates the cutter path less lead-ins at the time of saving the PEP drawing. By creating the “cutter path” the PEP software can check for short lines, gaps and tangency errors and make the user aware of the errors immediately that can not be fixed automatically.

Fourteen of the eighteen assemblies converted correctly to a cutter path. Four of the assemblies were not flattened correctly by SolidWorks ( Dome – H11, Dome – H12, Dome – H13, and Dome – H14 ) and as such the cutter path could not be created. When the cutter path can not be created the software pauses the automation and displays the pop up below.

The four parts had a common error associated with the notch on the end of the part. The 3D view is correct, however, the SW flattening logic did not process the geometry correctly.

The following documents the 3D to 2D errors:

The ½” tab on the end of the part is stretched down and beveled as displayed in the flat below.

Below we see the dimensioned part, with the error, in PEP.

The gap error can be corrected in PEP in seconds, or the user can return to SolidWorks from within PEP, flatten the part and fix it in SolidWorks.

P.E.P. SolidWorks Interface with H2OJet DOME Assembly

Highlights Of PEP’s Solidworks Interface

Converting Of The Globe

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