Smarter SolidWorks

It continues to amaze me the problem that Solid Modelers have talking to each other. Okay I can see where the curvy stuff would give problems but sheet metal? Come on guys this is as simple as dirt. I was sent a couple parasolid parts translated from SolidEdge the other day and they were both what I would consider to be simple. One of the parts had seven faulty faces that that SolidWorks could not repair. The whole ordeal makes me have a few questions.

Question #1: How do you get faulty faces in a sheet metal part? It wasn’t due to bad modeling practices since the part was created in the sheet metal module of SolidEdge and I know from experience that SolidEdge makes the user adhere to the same basic sheet metal rules that SolidWorks does such as uniform thickness and such.

Question #2: Why can I import a SolidEdge part file and an assembly file but not the sheet metal (.psm) file? The customer was able to translate it into a part file on his end but it didn’t help the situation anyway.

I even sent this part to my VAR’s application engineer and he wasn’t able to do anything with it other than suggest deleting the bad faces and add it back using the surfacing tools. He went on to say:


" I don't really have any good news for you, but translating 3D cad models is a big separate industry - for a reason. Modeling software file formats don't always like to work together, as you can see here.”



Wow that’s a news flash! Since I’m a little rusty on the whole face/surface thing I fell back to my old standby which is to insert the bad part into an assembly and then build a good part on top of it.

Question #3: Why did the part fail? Was it because there was a hem on the part that actually was closed completely flat against it face to which it was added?











Or was it because of the overlapping flange that does touch the opposing flange?











Or maybe it’s the lance & form that has no relief (which incidentally is how it is in the real world)?














It might be one or all of these that is causing the part to fail. But my point is that if we can’t translate other than by ‘dumb’ solids then some rules need to be followed on both ends. Why can’t all the CAD companies get together on some rules that govern sheet metal parts? Why can’t the importing modeler be a little smarter and recognize the face or even let me tell it that this is a sheet metal part and in turn it would know to adjust so that features can be recognized.

Now just to temper the bad with some good, go check out this video. I hope this works as well on my computer. Solid to Sheet Metal