• 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
• 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.
