Week 8 - Challenge 2 - Switch Bezel Design

SWITCH BEZEL

This report demonstrates the complete design of an Automotive Plastic Component – Switch Bezel from a given Class-A surface as an input.

Note:

• Thickness of the component is 2.5 mm.
• The component is designed using CATIA P3 V5-6R2021

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this Project is to create the Plastic component SWITCH BEZEL from Class-A surface along with creation of TOOLING AXIS. In the end DRAFT ANALYSIS of class-A along with the closed body has also been performed.

INTRODUCTION

TOOLING AXIS:

The line along which the mold (CORE and CAVITY) opens. It decides the direction of two mold half opening or closing. The component should clear the tooling axis in the given specific direction. As a general rule, along tooling axis we must we able to see maximum faces of the component.

There are different methods to create tooling axis. It depends

• According to the given surface geometry (face symmetry, surface normal, assembly direction etc)
• Already given direction in input (by customer)

DRAFT ANALYSIS:

It is a tool that allows the designer to check in advance whether the part they are designing can be removed easily from the mold being used to make it. A functional part for injection molding must have draft angles that face both the cavity and core sides. This will reduce the risk of damage to the parts and ensure that part can be ejected from the mold easily. When the draft angle is provided the sticking tendency of the part during removal becomes minimum because as the part ejects contact between surfaces breaks just after moving a little distance which leads to the reduction in friction and easy removal of the component.

Generally a 3^o draft angle is recommended on the surfaces and 0.5^o on ribs and screw bosses.

In CATIA before doing draft analysis first change view mode as material.

PUBLICATON:

Publication is used for easy access of the surfaces or components to work or view them.

PROCEDURE TO CREATE THE TOOLING AXIS

If the component is symmetric about one or more plane then bisection method is best suitable. The procedure is as following:

For the given surface the tooling axis has been created using bisection method. Refer the following diagrams

First bisecting line

Second bisecting line

Creation of third bisecting line (main tooling axis orange in colour) using two bisecting lines created earlier.

Main tooling axis

CREATION OF CLASS-B SURFACE

By using offset, fill and join features class-B has been created.

Class-B surface

CREATION OF CLASS-C SURFACE

By using extract, boundary, smooth curve, sweep, multi-section surface, trim and join features class-C has been created.

Class-C surface

CREATION OF CLOSED SURFACE

By using trim feature closed surface has been created.

Closed surface

CREATION OF CLOSED BODY

By using insert body and close surface feature closed body has been created.

PROCEDURE TO PERFORM DRAFT ANALYSIS

Draft analysis of CLASS-A surface

Draft analysis of closed body

Draft analysis of closed body in different views