1.2 MOST SIGNIFICANT FEATURE FIRST

 

• Generally we can identify the most significant geometry. Some things to look for are,

- the features are all cut from a base piece - cutting

- there is a natural parting line - welding/molding/casting

- features seem to be stuck-on a base piece. - assembly/molding/casting

- large/small mass

- material

 

• An example of this is an angled block with a hole,

 

 

• Identifying significant features can be difficult, but some experience can help.

 

• Large volumes of metal make parts hard to handle,

 

 

• Thin walls can be difficult to manufacture and will collapse under force,

 

 

• Small hole diameters can be difficult to produce,

 

 

• Tolerances can be difficult to maintain.

 

 

• Surface finish can be difficult to obtain, (micro-inches),

 

 

• Difficult to produce features have preferred processes,

 

 

 

• Materials tend to dictate suitable processes,

 

 

 

• We can use a comparative graph of surface roughness to pick a process.