3D CAD models of MechMate - SketchUp, SolidWorks, etc.

Hi all

I have started to do some drawings of the MechMate in SketchUp. It is not anywhere near complete yet but will complement the drawings done by Gerald.

For those of you not familiar with SketchUp check it out at www.sketchup.com It is very useful for doing concept drawings and seeing how things will fit together when cut out, it is also very simple to learn to use. Their site also has many downloadable video tutorials that will shorten the learning curve.

If there is further interest in seeing the rest of the drawing completed, let us know. I will be a little busy over this festive period installing a new automatic spray machine in my factory so can't promise by when it will be completed, but the bigger the response, the bigger the motivation...

Gerald has placed the sketchup file on the server, I just hope I will be able to place a link to it. Latest file below this post - Gerald 20 May '07

This image below is of one view, in sketchup it is possible to zoom into, move around, view in x-ray mode etc.

COPYRIGHT FOR THIS DRAWING FALLS UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AS ALL DRAWINGS DOWNLOADED FROM THE MECHMATE WEBSITE, IF YOU WANT TO USE IT FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN MECHMATE RELATED PLEASE GET PERMISSION FROM GERALD FIRST

Alan, as I said to you by mail, very impressive!!

Your link works fine. I loaded Google's SketchUp on your prompt and within 2 minutes I saw this in X-ray mode:

This is very cool! I was able to get a better feel for the design by moving the model around. Nice work! Very usefull free tool. Keep us posted when you finish up the sketch.

You were able to create this sketch from importing the dxf's?

Hi Travis

Thanks, For most of the parts I drew them directly in sketchup, such as the rails, leg assemblies, long beams etc.

For the parts that are laser cut and bent I imported the DXF files, cleaned up any unneeded lines and made the parts from there. Its very tricky to bend a flat part into the shape required so I broke the parts up on the bend lines, rotated them into their required orientation and joined them back together again using fillets to fill the open area of the join. If you inspect the parts very carefully you will see where this was done, its not 100% accurate but visually it works.

From doing this process it becomes apparent how much work Gerald has done in making sure it all comes together easily and correctly and with the parts being laser cut you can be assured your machine will fit and work as well as his.

Alan:
I too would like to congratulate you on your efforts here to make the MechMate come to life. Very much appreciate both Gerald for having brought this project forward to this point. And you for this awesome effort to make it available in 3-D walk around form. It really makes the MechMate come to life.
Thanks to both of you for ALL your hard work.
Bob C.

Here is a new image with the addition of motors, swingplates and decal. I have sent the new sketchup file direct to Gerald, I am sure he will let us know when the link is updated.

It is done. Thanks

See attachment earlier in the thread - that file has been updated

Bump the thread for the folk wanting .dxf files . . . . . .you can pull vectorised info from Alan's work.

[PEU]

Does this exist?

Im not an engineer, but a self educated CNC enthusiast, as such, I learnt to work in SW from day one and now I only can fully understand a design if I can see it in 3D, 2D cut views takes me a lot of time to grasp. I made my small CNC router this way, and a lot of work too, I think I can almost touch an object if I see it in 3D.

The idea of building a business around the mechmate for providing CNC routing services is growing on me, not really yet commited but I find myself thinking about it more and more.
You know the situation, you google for flat pack furniture and the resulting images are like porn

So, if this SW model exist, I would be more than happy if someone can share it with me, if it don't exist, I will do it, hopefully I can use this thread to ask questions about certain parts I don't fully understand.

Thanks in advance!


Pablo

[PEU]

Just wanted to be sure no 3D models are available, before starting doing them myself. Anyone?

[jkasquires]

As far as I've been able to gather Pablo I haven't seen any. There are some .dxf files for the laser cut out components on the Download page but thats all I've seen.

Jacob

[J.R. Hatcher]

Several months ago someone did a 3d in sketchup, it was really cool but I don't remember who it was. Maybe Google "MechMate sketch up" or the file ext.

[Gerald D]

Sketchup was done by Alan_C, but that was a slightly older version.

Take the .dxf drawings . . . .
- "extrude" them to your plate thicknesses (metric/imperial),
- cut them on the bend lines
- rotate the bent part so that the parts still touch other,
- join the parts with a fillet inside radius equal to your plate thickness
- add the sections (pipes, channels, angles) available in your country
- add the racks, pinions, motors/gearboxes available in your country

No sense in copying stuff that isn't available to you.

[PEU]

Thanks, will do and post results.


Pablo

[PEU]

Gerald, using your suggestion I started drawing in SW2007.

Imported as a part the DXF, removed all the anotations and made a flat feature, then added the bend lines and left SW do its magic (sketched bends)

Here is the result, questions below:



Keep in mind that I made a direct 1:1 import from the DXF

When I compare the measured dimensions in SW with the ones in the bend drawings PDF, there are small discrepancies as you can see in the image. There is even a 0.5mm discrepance in the piece length (147 vs 147.5mm)

Is this critical, or 1mm more/less is not relevant? I ask because I don't want to model all the parts and later find they don't mate as expected.

Thanks!


Pablo

[Gerald D]

Pablo, the reason that I do not publish CAD drawings, is to avoid exactly this time wasting discussion!

[Gerald D]

Practical experience, since before the days of CAD, says that 95% of the time when you bend a channel on two lines, the distance between the lines gives you the inside dimension of the channel. It is as simple as that, and it very seldom goes wrong.

Your CAD program is probably assuming that the neutral fiber is in the center of the thickness, which gives results that don't agree to practice. Tell your CAD program to move the neutral fiber to the inside of the bend, as follows:

Clipboard01.gif

I have just calculated that factor. . . . . . adjust it until it agrees with drawing 10 20 456 B B.

[PEU]

Bingo Gerald!

In SW this is called K-Factor, changed it to 0.2732 and now measurements are perfect, I assume this factor does not change with sheet thickness right?


Thanks again (Im sure I still have a lot of thanks to give )


Pablo

[PEU]

Originally Posted by Gerald D

Pablo, the reason that I do not publish CAD drawings, is to avoid exactly this time wasting discussion!

OK, I keep them to myself, if you ever need them, just let me know and I send you the full set. I just finished with all the DXFs profiles&bends, now its assembly time

I posted some minor errors I found in the archive section, wasn't sure which section was the correct one, so just in case I started the thread there.


Pablo

[PEU]

Im doing a model in Solidworks, but I suck at reading 2D drawings, this model will help me a lot!

Thanks for sharing it. I hope I can produce such a nice work


Pablo

[Gerald D]

I moved your "minor errors" post to:
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75

[Gerald D]

Originally Posted by PEU

In SW this is called K-Factor, changed it to 0.2732 and now measurements are perfect, I assume this factor does not change with sheet thickness right?

It changes with sheet thickness, angle of bend, radius of bend, type of bend tool used, shape of inner and outer bend tools, temperature, type of material, etc. It just makes life a lot simpler for the drawing office and the people in the workshop if we draw the bend lines at the inside distances. As I said, 95% of the time it will be close enough without giving special instructions or buying special tooling.

[isladelobos]

Hola Pablo.

Te voy a hacer una pregunta en español si me permites:

¿Para que quieres hacer un nuevo modelo en 3D? si ya existe uno.

Un saludo.

[PEU]

Hola Ros,

Porque yo se usar Solidworks y no Sketchup y ademas porque las partes que se consiguen en Argentina no son las del dibujo. Como comente en el post anterior, soy muy malo leyendo planos 2D, hacer el modelo desde cero me ayuda a entender como se arma la maquina.
Checkea este thread en CNCzone, de CAD a realidad la diferencia entre modelo y resultado final es casi inexistente.

Saludos

[translation]
Because I know how to use SW and not Sketchup, besides that because the parts available here in Argentina aren't the ones used in the available model. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I suck at reading 2D models, redoing the model from the ground up helps me to understand how the machine is assembled.
Check this thread at CNCzone, from CAD to reality the difference between model and end result is almost inexistent.

Greetings


Pablo

[PEU]

I started a log HERE

I will ask questions there, thanks!

[CNCQuest]

Hi Pablo,

Nice work and thanks for the effort.

I can open the eDrawing files without any problems but can we have the drawings in original SolidWorks parts and/or assembly drawings?

TIA,
WT

[PEU]

Im not sure if I will release the source SW files, the edrawings files I provided have all the measurements enabled.
Unless Gerald asks me to post them, they will be available only to him, the original designer.

Pablo

[Gerald D]

Pablo, feel free to publish those files here at the MechMate site. People wanting to read the files have to register and agree to respect the user agreement.

[PEU]

Originally Posted by Gerald D

Pablo, feel free to publish those files here at the MechMate site. People wanting to read the files have to register and agree to respect the user agreement.

OK, I just wanted to be sure you had no problems here they go, the zip file is 13mb so I uploaded to my site, but to force non registered users to agree to the terms and conditions I created a zip file with a link to the file and its attached to this post.

Parts were drawn with SW2007 so previous versions cannot open them. And no, Im not willing to become a file converting service for other CAD packages or SW versions

Suggestions for improving the drawings are always welcome, and I will do them on a time available basis.

If you have to thank someone, thank Gerald, without his generosity, this would not be possible.


Pablo

[CNCQuest]

Hi Pablo & Gerald,

I greatly appreciate the SolidWorks original files and thanks both of you for your kind generosities and hard works.

I thought of asking for the SW files so that I do not have to reinvent the wheel . My intention is to make certain changes to suit my purpose as not all the materials are readily available here. Like you, I prefer working in 3D though I can read the 2D drawings without any problems.

Should I make any changes and think it will benefit others, I will no doubt share it in the spirit of this great community.

With my thanks and great appreciation,

WT