Week 8 - Challenge 3 - Switch Bezel Design

SWITCH BEZEL PLASTIC COMPONENT

Aim : The main objective here is to create a Switch Bezel plastic component from a given Class A Surface and validate the design by doing Draft Analysis on it.

The approach towards it will be simple. We will create a closed surface and later solidify the component. To start with, lets create a tooling axis first. The CAS is not that complex here. We can see a green base, which can be our origin for tooling axis to go through.

So, extract the base and take a point in centre of it and add an axis system. Create a line that passes through origin and along an axis kind of normal to surface. This is a dummy tooling axis.

We can notice that three blue walls can disrupt the ejection of component. So, here for Y-direction clearance take an intersection of YZ plane and the CAS.

Draw lines along the wall instersection entities and take a bisection of them. This will act as a Y-direction clearance tooling axis.

For X-direction also, take the intersection and as it just has wall on one side, we can simply add a line at some angle for a better clearance. Later take bisection of both the clearance axes, which will give us the final tooling axis.

To ensure if the tooling axis is perfect, lets do the draft analysis for CAS. Drah and drop the compass along the tooling axis and analyse the surface. Here, it is all green that means the draft angle is achieved all over for the particular tooling axis and there will be no disturbance during the ejection.

Now, let us move further and create Class B surface. For this, neglet the fillet surfaces and focus on other surfaces. Here, first of all start with side walls and extract them.

After extracting, to get a uniform shape, untrim them and extrapolate adequately.

Trim the set of surfaces to meet the needed structure and take an offset of required thichness. (Here it is 2.5mm) Make sure the offset direction is correct and the produced surface is towards inner side of the component.

Continue the same process for the base surface and top surface too.

For filleting the edges in Class B surface, if it is difficult to measure the fillet radius in CAS as the profile varies, use a different method. In this method, extract the fillet surfaces and untrim them. Measure the radius value at the edges which will give the correct value. This will give a Class B surface, which needs to be trimmed from sides.

For this, lets create Class C surface, which will also enclose the surfaces. Sweep the boundary of CAS towards class B along the tooling axis and keep a draft angle. Here, required draft angle is 3 degrees, so we are taking 4 degrees safely.

Make sure the sweep direction is chosen wisely. Class C needs to get clear with Class A only, so in case there are flashes, they be on parting line which is connected to Class B surface.

View along the tooling axis shows that Class A and C will get clearance together.

Join both the surfaces and trim it along Class B surface. A final closed surface of component is created which is shown below in pink.

Switch to the part workbench and make the closed surface into solid part which is our final Switch Bezel plastic Component.

Lets ensure the design by draft analysis. Drag and drop the compass along the tooling axis and click on the component. Here we are getting all green over Class A and C, that means the design is fine and will get ejected easily.

Tree Structure