Switch Bezel Design

Aim:-

The motive of the project is to design the switch bezel & to do a draft analysis for it by creating the required tooling direction with the help of bisecting method.

Theory:-

The control panel bezel is the frame part of the window switch that holds its switch covers and buttons into place. Moulding is the method used to manufacture the plastic trims of an automotive by most OEM’s, hence by considering the manufacturing consideration the switch bezel is designed.

Consideration for Design:-

Class-A surface should be asthetically smooth and good.

Class-B surface should have all the supporting features like ribs.

Parting Line should coincide with the B surface since flashing couldn't affect the asethetic of Class-A.

Class-C surface should also pass the draft analysis.

PROCEDURE:

First,the given stylish surface is checked for any irregularities and if found and then it is corrected by using trim,extrapolate,split and join commands.

The below images shows that the Class-A surface is clean and no irregularities present, so let's move on to the next step.

CREATION OF TOOLING DIRECTION:

Considering the ejection from the cavity of the mould after manufacturing the interior trim must have the nominal 3-degree draft angle.

Hence the tooling direction is created by considering the above factor and bisecting method is used.

The base surface of the class-A was extracted and a point at the center is created and an axis system was inserted to the point with the current feature is disabled.

Then using project intersection along yz plane is created and the two inclined lines were drawn inside the positioned sketch.

Then bisecting lines with the two inclined lines were drawn.

Now the same procedure is done along the xz plane but no one side we don't have inclined lines so the center point is used to extrude a line along the z-direction and gave a measurements of 5 degrees.

With these two lines from sketches 1 and 2,the bisecting line is created and published as tooling axis.

CREATION OF CLASS-B SURFACE:

For creating the class-B surface the required surface except the offset surface have been extraced and then untrimmed all the surface.

Then all the surface have been extrapolated to get intersections between them.

Since the thickness of the switch bezel is 3mm.

CREATION OF CLASS-C SURFACE:

The required outer edges of the A-surface were extracted using Multiple Extract.Then for avoiding the patches the curve is smoothened using the curve smooth option.Then by using the sweep command the surface was created.

After using the extrapolate command the edges were intersected between the surface cornors which eases the trimming operation.Now the required portion of the C-surface were trimmed out.

CREATION OF CLOSED SURFACE:

Now the class-A and class-C surfaces were joined together by removing the gaps in-between them with the help of extrapolation and Trim surface.Then the exact surface of the switch bezel was trimmed from the above -resulted trim surface with the class-B surface.

Then,by defining the part body by using the closed surface command in Part design,the components's solid body is created.

DRAFT ANALYSIS:

First the class-A surface is checked before creating the class-B&C surface and finally the solid body must be analysed.Both can be done by following the below procedures.By changing the view mode to custom view parameters-material mode then the feature draft analysis is enabled.

Then the compass was activated and placed with the tooling axis by dragging the red pointer and then locked it.Then by selecting the quick analysis mode,the nominal value will be 3 degrees and checked for the component's draft angle.

The green colour area shows that it satisfies the 3-degree draft angle.If not satisfied then by using the running point tool the area is measured and then altered to get a successful draft for the created tooling direction.

CONCLUSION:

Finally the Class-A,B & C surfaces with the tooling direction have been published and the switch bezel is moved on to the designing of the next operation-the creation of B-side features.