Loft it…so you can actually make it…in Solidworks

Loft is a fairly easy option to use on Solidworks, but if someone actually is going to manufacture this loft feature of yours without crashing there head through the roof, you might want spend a few extra minutes detailing your creation.

Picking a top and bottom profile can by Solidworks standard result in a successful loft as sown in the picture above. From a manufacturing standpoint in the other hand, this could be a difficult task to actually make (like produce, you know, real world stuff).

By the way, did you read Josh Mings of Solidsmack post a few months ago?Extrude. Print. Manufacture. 10 Tips to Design Your Parts for Manufacturing in SolidWorks {CheckList}

Alright, so…

With a “right” click on our loft profile our options for adding, deleting and shuffling our connectors appear, these “dots” are what you are going to manipulate the flow of your loft feature, you need to synchronizing the development between the two shapes, as if you where following each profile with a pencil in each hand, and the two pencils where connected with a string, without crossing hands or feeling noxious.

The devotion of you detailing your loft correctly can be considered more than burning hot, if the feature is coming near a WEDM for something like an extrusion die. Imported into Mastercam your connection points will be the section divider, by breaking up the top and bottom geometry, something that can result in a huge time saver on the manufacturing floor, but also devastation if you do not twist your lofted feature to be made in the real world.

#CADCAM #Solidworks