Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (Rapid Prototyping), Tooling and Fixture Design, Sheet Metal, and Injection Molding

SpaceClaim enables manufacturing engineers to work with any CAD data to edit and prepare models for manufacturing and even create complementary models such as fixtures with ease. The SpaceClaim user interface allows anybody to work with 3D models, avoiding lengthy and expensive training in traditional CAD tools.

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Challenge

Traditional history-based CAD software was developed for design engineers to create detailed models and associated documentation. When it’s time to make parts, however, its complicated constraints and internal dependencies can get in the way of getting the job done. Too often, manufacturing engineers can get caught up in the theory of CAD and lose focus on getting parts out the door. And if the designs aren’t right, it can be difficult to make the changes on-the-fly. Instead, change requests need to go back to the design team.  

Solution

SpaceClaim Engineer makes it easy for manufacturing engineers to create and optimize models for manufacturing.  SpaceClaim’s unique user interface enables anyone to work in 3D but, it is not a lifestyle tool like complex CAD systems. Engineers don’t need to use SpaceClaim daily to remain proficient. Engineers who aren’t CAD specialists -- and don’t want to be -- can learn SpaceClaim in hours not weeks.   

• Open data from any CAD system
• Edit designs as necessary to prepare them for manufacturing
• Create in-process models for machining
• Suggest changes directly in 3D and supply the design team with 3D markups that document the changes
• Remove or adjust rounds and chamfers, hole sizes, face offsets, draft angles and other geometry with no knowledge of how the model was built
• Easily extract surfaces for contour machining and parting geometry for mold making
• Convert basic designs into appropriate shapes for molding, casting, or forging
• Design tooling and fixtures around imported CAD files

Advantages

• Prepare the parts quickly without hassle
• Train users in hours, not weeks
• Work with any customer CAD data
• Make real-time edits with customers and designers

Benefits

• No need to maintain installations of different, expensive CAD software
• Focus on getting parts made, not being CAD specialists
• Reduce lag time from ECOs
• Increase profitability

Features

• Open parts from any CAD system
• Clean dirty and corrupted geometry with simple, automated repair tools such as Stitch and Missing Faces
• Add or remove and modify round or chamfers with the Pull tool
• Simplify and de-feature models using the Fill tool (the SpaceClaim magic eraser tool)
• Fill holes and faces to create parts ready for machining
• De-feature designs to work backwards and plan machining operations
• Adjust face offsets for different manufacturing conditions
• Create surrounding geometry for molds or fixtures with the Enclosure tool
• Combine and split parts to solve manufacturing limitations
• Draft, undraft, and redraft geometry easily
• Checks face angles and create parting lines on surface geometry using Draft analysis
• Create and convert parts to sheet metal using specialized sheet metal design tools
• Optimize the sheet metal unfold process by creating or changing edge junctions or corner reliefs
• Export the unfolded sheet metal model as a .dfx file with bend lines, angles, and part dimensions
• Copy/Paste and extend surfaces for machining and mold making
• Create in-process models using the Fill tool, and document the steps with the 3D Mark-up

Applications

• Additive Manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping
• De-featuring and Adjusting for CNC Programming
• Sheet Metal Manufacturing
• Mold Manufacturing