Sample SolidWorks Design
UWO Product Design and
Development MME2259a
Presenter: Jim Barron, C.E.T.
Industrial Products for discussion.
Vacuum system support stands. Two
different designs and common parts.
Vacuum system power package with
multiple configurations for sizing.
Test station, Conveyor and Scanner.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
1
Durovac Vacuum Development
• Customer Northwind Air Systems was
spending $1,500.00 on fabricated structural
framing for his vacuum systems. The large,
bulky frame was also expensive to ship.
• He had an idea to make the structural parts
out of sheet metal and get the benefits of
shipping compactness and less expense.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
2
Vacuum system with structural framing
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
3
Another similar system in the shop
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
4
This is the welded steel structural
frame ready for shipping
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
5
Vacuum Framing Design Approach
• Work from customer supplied sketches and
information. See what they like and don’t like.
• Get your measurements and reference data.
• Do some basic models in SolidWorks.
• Send over some Edrawings for them to look at
and comment on.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
6
CAD Drawings of Proposed Frame
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
7
CAD Drawing of Frame Exploded
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
8
CAD Detail of Connector Piece
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
9
So…is it going to work?
• Here are some static FEA analysis results of
the structure.
• The basic approach is to fix the base legs,
since they are anchored to a concrete floor
and set up a static load in excess of what the
structure is likely to see.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
10
Basic FEA Stress Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
11
Basic FEA Strain Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
12
Basic FEA Displacement Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
13
Basic FEA Safety Factor Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
14
So…let’s build one and see
• Make all the detail drawings and send out for
quotes/bids.
• Get the parts in and paint them. Assemble it
with hardware and see how it fits up.
• Get the vacuum canister system and bolt it on
top.
• Add all the other stuff that it needs….
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
15
First Prototype Hybrid Stand
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
16
Close-up of Hybrid Stand
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
17
Variations of the Framing System
• The “Lunar Lander” framing system was
developed in conjunction with the Hybrid
Frame to achieve taller vacuum elevations.
• It uses some of the same parts and lifts the
system up to greater heights for clearance
underneath the discharge outlet.
• Have a look at the next FEA results…
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
18
Lunar Lander Stress Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
19
Lunar Lander Displacement Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
20
Lunar Lander Factor of Safety Check
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
21
Lunar Lander with Dual Cross Bracing
Stress FEA
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
22
Final Factor of Safety FEA
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
23
Vacuum Framing Summary
• Both framing systems worked out well after
building and tweaking a few things, like hole
patterns and hardware issues.
• Customer got his cost for the framing down from
$1,500.00 to $650.00 and saved money on
shipping, storage and packaging.
• The other benefit was eliminating fab shop lead
times. Errors and omissions were reduced.
• The frames are now stocked as knocked down
kits for quick shipment.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
24
Typical Hybrid System with Modular
Package
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
25
Vacuum Package Accessories
• Apply the same modular thinking to the
vacuum power package.
• How about using some of the same parts like
the formed legs?
• How about a stackable sheet metal table that
has premade holes for a wide variety of motor
and blower sizes?
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
26
Power Package with Configurable
Components 20HP, 286T 4L Blower
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
27
Power Package with 50 HP Motor and
7L Blower
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
28
Vacuum System Redesign Conclusion
• Bottlenecks and tolerance issues from steel
fabrication/welding shops were eliminated.
• Laser cut and CNC formed sheet metal parts
increased the accuracy and decreased the
cost.
• Some development cost recovered through
SR&ED credits.
• I got to work on some interesting design and
you get to have a peek at it!
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
29
Test Station Concept
• Customer needed to test and validate that the
window regulator - the system that lifts a car
window up and down - works properly before
shipping.
• They also need to validate that there are key
components in place before they start the
test.
• If not, it is rejected and someone is in trouble!
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
30
Test Station Concept and Design
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
31
Tester JPEg from SolidWorks Model
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
32
Test Station Frame Details
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
33
Tester Frame sheet 2
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
34
Test Station Conclusion
• The concept sketch
• The concept sketch
matched the
conveyed the design
SolidWorks design and
intent before starting
was within the allocated
the modeling. The
budget.
customer understood
what he was getting
before the work started.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
35
Dual In-feed Conveyor Design
• Customer wanted to load large thick sheets of
paper from two potential positions.
• The paper then had to align perfectly on a
registration edge, in order to run through a
scoring system that creases it for folding
further down the packaging line.
• All of the rollers had to driven and yet offset at
5 degrees to force the paper to the edge.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
36
Dual In-feed Conveyor and Scoring
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
37
Assembly drawing of conveyor
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
38
Exploded view of conveyor
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
39
Dual In-feed Conveyor Conclusion
• My Tool and Fixture design teacher at Ryerson
was still correct when he boldly stated “Every
mechanical design issue that you encounter with
machinery, can be directly attributed to the
incorrect application of tolerances”.
• This man was Jim Feather, the Chief Tooling
Engineer at Spar Aerospace. Think Canadarm…
• I had to find ways to remove tolerance
accumulation on this project-otherwise it would
not have worked.
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
40
Other Benefits of SolidWorks
• You can make some poster quality images
from the photo rendering capabilities if you
have a decent processor and a very good
video card-and some time on your hands.
• These can be used in sales brochures and
other documentation.
• Have a look at the GeoSight Scanner images
and compare it to the scanner featured at
www.geosight.ca
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
41
Photo Realistic Images
Scanner
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
42
Photo Realistic Comparison
Scanner
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
43
Advice for Aspiring Designers
• Learn how to freehand sketch in 3D. The
easiest way is to learn “contour drawing” as
taught in high school art classes.
• Consider sketching what the graphic design
people call “mini’s” which is a series of small
rough sketches, that show a wide number of
quick possible outlines.
• Every drawing is a series of recovery from the
first line!
4/13/2015
www.updatedesign.ca
44