Welcome!
I am very pleased to present these pages of Siemens Nx Ideas CAD examples. Thank you for visiting…
Unless otherwise noted, site illustrations are screen shots or pictures from my camera. Pages are written for an audience with basic knowledge of Nx Ideas software. If there is enough interest I will add a glossary.
Please contact me with any comments or questions.
Thank You.
CAD Projects
Featured
Joystick Handle – Reproduction of Logitech Wingman Attack 2 joystick handle. A new take on an old method of parametric surface modeling. Click here to view 3D view of final product: Joystick Handle.
Current Project
Hydraulic Excavator Upper Structure – Steel frame and upper structure panels, brackets, machinery and subsystems. With motor, transmission, pumps, hydraulics, piping, hoses, and electric cables.
Click on links below for 3D views of excavator. It may take a few minutes for object models in the pages to load.
The following links take you to models of the upper structure without exterior panels or doors. This allows easier view of compartment panels, engine, pumps and other interior components.
Upper Structure uploaded November 13, 2019
Upper Structure uploaded December 8, 2019
Upper Structure uploaded January 2, 2019
Upper Structure uploaded January 21, 2020
Upper Structure uploaded February 9, 2020
Upper Structure uploaded March 13, 2020
Upper Structure uploaded May 5, 2020
Electrical harness models featured in pages below may be used for drawings and manufacturing instructions.
Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded January 21, 2020
Flattened Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded January 21, 2020
Battery cables uploaded January 21, 2020
Flattened battery cables uploaded January 21, 2020
Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded February 9, 2020
Flattened Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded February 9, 2020
Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded March 14, 2020
Flattened Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded March 14, 2020
Battery cables uploaded March 14, 2020
Flattened battery cables uploaded March 14, 2020
Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded May 5, 2020
Flattened Starter Relay and Protection Harness uploaded May 5, 2020
Battery cables uploaded May 5, 2020
Flattened battery cables uploaded May 5, 2020
Air conditioning hoses and piping models are featured in pages below and also may be used for drawings and manufacturing instructions.
Air Conditioning Hoses and Piping uploaded May 5, 2020
Air Conditioning Hoses Flat uploaded May 5, 2020
Future Projects
Plastic Boss Repair – Custom designed plastic part for auto repair. Passenger door rattles because two bosses inside interior panel are cracked and broken. The bosses have keyhole slots for plastic clips that fasten the panel to the door. Task is to design and print a pair of PVC plastic parts and repair the bosses.
Wave Guide Sub System – Three bands of microwave conductors.
Onsite Nx Ideas CAD model design
Distinction between Part Dimensions and Manufacturing/Inspection (MI) Dimensions
Many sketch curve dimensions illustrated in images on this site have 8 decimal-places and all trailing zeros, ” 1.00000000 ” for example. These are part dimensions, as opposed to manufacturing/inspection or MI dimensions. Part dimensions constrain curve geometry elements for Boolean operations to create model features. MI dimensions are used in 2D drawings and 3D model documentation (as PMI).
Part dimensions disappear into the part as the CAD model is updated and are invisible by default. Outside customers do not typically have access to part dimensions. MI dimensions on 2D drawings and models are always viewable.
Precise part dimension numbers (3.14159265 for example) in illustrations, result from using the right-mouse-button-click “measure and paste” function while editing. After accepting whatever measured value results, it replaces the old value. Eight place part-dimension decimals do not add to cost of the model. However, more decimal places on 2D drawings and PMI imply stricter accuracy requirements of the manufactured part. More decimal place drawing-dimensions result in higher estimated cost.
Quality problems from tolerance stacking can occur in solid models when rounding part dimensions. Problems likely compound if MI dimensions between assembled items are also rounded. 3D models displayed on this site are as precise as possible.
For these reasons, I use part dimensions during prototype and design revision processes. They provide a visual check to find and prevent potential problems. After editing and design reviews are finished, I change all part-dimension-decimal-places (to match PMI or drawings) then release the ECN.
Sketch on Coordinate System (SOCS) method and defaults
Best practice to begin an Nx Ideas part is by using the base-orphan-reference-node or BORN method. The process starts by creating a coordinate system referencing the default (dashed blue X-Y axes) work plane. I create another coordinate system “CS3”, on top of CS2, with 6 degrees of relations for maximum part-location adjustability. The second step is to create the first feature of the part and associate it with CS3. You will notice in my models, that CS minor-operations in featured history trees start with CS2, but that CS2 is never visible on the bench. This is because I hide CS2 after creation of CS3. The last step of the BORN method is to name/number the part and proceed with CAD process.
Other than sheet metal and complex parts, the majority of solid part models types I have created need only one CS. Complex surface and sheet metal parts require additional sketch planes to create features. Sheet metal parts have 1 CS per panel. To make coordinate systems most available, all CS minor-operations are located in an orphan node.
Basically SOCS expands on the BORN method to create all downstream features on CS planes. I like to create models this way because CS have 6 degrees of freedom and perpendicular planes are built-in for convenience. The SOCS method virtually eliminates outdated-sketch-edge error messages, otherwise typical during part editing. Finally, sketch curves dimensioned from CS axes keep precise relations within features.