Needs and choices for small company

[Icrquer]

Hello,

I'm working in a small company, and I would have some questions to know how we should improve our CAO system.

We are on SW 2017 standard, with no PDM.
Here the thing : we works largely with the weldment module. Our parts are almost all created with it.

The first thing hard for us today : we have to export every body of the parts separately for our subcontractor.AND we have to create a .dxf, and a pdf for each of those. Until now, we export manually each body, and then transform it to a metal sheet, then flatenize, then create a drawing sheet, then export it in pdf. It is a looong journey for some parts, because we can go up to 60 bodies like this.

Second thing : in our assemblies, we have sub assemblies, monobody parts, and multibody parts. Some times sub-sub-assemblies. Actually, it's a multi level assembly.

For now, we create our BOM with a drawing sheets. We use the decompose function de reach the lower-level BOM, with ONLY the lower-level bodies and monobody pieces.
It is also a really annoying task, but we also know that there are loads of bugs with the decompose function, which doesn't seems to correctly assign quantites for each component. We've tested it a lot and we are absolutely certain that it is due to bugs (I could send you a bug assembly if you want).

Well :
My question is : what should we do to improve our workflow ? We can pay for it, but what would be the best solution ? We've thought of PDM which seems to allow us to automate the exports of components and to create BOM without drawing sheets.

We also saw some addons to SW, but what is the capacity of those ?

Thank you

 

[Icrquer]

Hello,
I found this : https://mycadtools.net/
Do you know other addons like this ?

 

[M_Crozet]

Hi guys,
concerning your workflow, it seems normal and common to a lot of other companies, nothing much to improve without further analyzis.
For your assemblies, instead of decompose, would it not be easier to use the "parts only" level of the BOM ? BOM without dawing sheets is indeed one of the features I'm currently trying to implement (PDM professional), seems a good choice, maybe a little bit pricy if only for the BOMs.

Mycadtools is a tool that permit a lot of batch functions, it is a good tool which can do a lot of things. to be tested.

however, due to the more complex workflow, it would be more efficient to get in touch with a programmer in VB or another language to create the batch programm custom made for your needs (for example, automatically extract the dxf of each bodies in the parts, automatically exclude the welded profiles, etc.) .
But as always, a overall reviews of the work which can be automatised must be done before.

 

[Icrquer]

Hello, and thanks for your answer !

We can't use the "parts only" level of the BOM, we want the detailed cutlist, to get theproperties of each body. The "parts only" does not go to that level.
Am I wrong ?

We will get in touch with MyCADTools.

 

[M_Crozet]

Yes you're right, the part only stops at the part (as a file) level, but as far as I know, SW has never been a champion in stability when you grind a little bit too deep into the functionality.
The main problem as I can see is for you to get a BOM of all the bodies contained inside your assembly ?