Assembly or Not

Assembly or Not

Being a job shop we regularly receive CAD files from customers. Even though the customer has the best intentions what we usually get runs the gambit from laughable to utterly useless. Every now and then a situation merits mention…

One customer sends us SolidWorks assembly files, parts files and drawing files using the pack and go feature. These parts are usually a sheet metal part with some PEM hardware installed. You would think it would be a simple matter to load their sheet metal part, apply the ‘Byers’ sheet metal standards, unfold and BAM! We would have a usable flat pattern for our production. Dream on!

The same customer and even the same engineer will do things differently on each and every part. One time we will get an assembly file that contains the sheet metal part and the PEM hardware mated up nicely and then the next time we will get a part file with the PEM hardware extruded onto the sheet metal. This is easy enough to deal with but we still have to generate an assembly drawing for our contract review process and there is always an issue with the hole diameter for the associated PEM hardware.

Some of our customer’s are concerned about what they give us being useful but even though I’ve talked to this customer about the problem they refuse to adopt any kind of standard.

I guess I’m more perturbed when the problem files we receive have been modeled in SolidWorks. I find myself thinking, “Why don’t they take a training class at their VAR?” I tend to think that if they had the proper training then some of these problems would go away. Does one absolutely have to be trained by a SolidWorks instructor? No. Would it be to their benefit? Yes. Would it be to my benefit? Most definitely!