Week 8 - Challenge 2 - Switch Bezel Design

OBJECTIVE:-

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

RAW MATERIAL USED IN SWITCH BEZEL:-

• ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

INTRODUCTION:-

 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.

DESIGN CONSIDERATION:-

• Class – A surface should be aesthetically 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 aesthetic of Class – A.
• Class – C surface should also pass the draft analysis.

PROCEDURE TO CREATING CLASS A SURFACE:-

• First, the given styling surface is checked for any irregularities and if found any then it is corrected by using Trim, Extrapolate, Split and Join commands.
• The Class A surface has some irregularities shown in below figure.So join operation performed on the surface and it became clean surface.
• The below image shows that the Class – A surface is clean and no irregularities present, so let's move on to the next step.

CREATION OF TOOLING AXIS:-

• Considering the Ejection from the cavity of the mould after manufacturing the interior trim (switch bezel) must have the nominal 3-degree draft angle.
• To select the flat surface is more easier way to creating a tool axis.

FEASIBILITY CHECK OF CLASS A SURFACE:-

CREATION OF CLASS B SURFACE:-

• For creating the class-B surface the required surface except the offset surface have been extracted and then untrimmed all the surface.
• Then all the surfaces have been extrapolated to get intersections between them.
• Since the thickness of the Switch bezel is 2.5mm the B-Surface was offset to 2.5 mm and the required trim operations must be carried out.

• To get the radius of fillets the filleted surface is extracted and untrimmed the surface and then the redius is measured.
• Then make offset class B surface to class A.

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 with the following feature controls,

1. Profile type – Line
2. Subtype – With Draft Direction
3. Guide Curve – Smooth Curve
4. Draft Direction – Tooling Axis
5. Draft Computation Mode – Square
6. Angle – 3 Degree

• Then by using extrapolate command the edges were intersected between the surface corners 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(tangent continuity) 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 component's solid body is created.

PROCEDURE FOR 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.

FEATURE TREE:

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.