(4) Manufacturing data consists of information such as tooling, NC tool paths,
tolerance, process planning, tool design, and bill of materials.
Commonly Used CAD Data Exchange Format IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange
Specification) PDES (Product Data Exchange Using STEP) IGES is focused on
CAD-to-CAD exchange where primarily shape and non-shape data were to be
transferred from one system to another. PDES is previous called Product Data
Exchange Standard. It is for the exchange of complete product descriptions which
covers the four types of modeling data (i.e., shape, non-shape, design and
manufacturing).Other data exchange interfaces include: STL, Neutral, SET,
ECAD, VDA, STEP, PDGS, CATIA, Render, CGM, VRML, PATRAN, TIFF, etc.
LIMITS, TOLERANCES AND FITS
The manufacture of interchangeable parts requires precision. Precision is the
degree of accuracy to ensure the functioning of a part as intended. However,
experience shows that it is impossible to make parts economically to the exact
dimensions. This may be due to, (i) inaccuracies of machines and tools, (ii)
inaccuracies in setting the work to the tool, and (iii) error in measurement, etc. The
workman, therefore, has to be given some allowable margin so that he can produce
a part, the dimensions of which will lie between two acceptable limits, a maximum
and a minimum. The system in which a variation is accepted is called the limit
system and the allowable deviations are called tolerances. The relationships
between the mating parts are called fits.
Tolerance -The permissible variation of a size is called tolerance. It is the
difference between the maximum and minimum permissible limits of the given
size. If the variation is provided on one side of the basic size, it is termed as
unilateral tolerance. Similarly, if the variation is provided on both sides of the basic
size, it is known as bilateral tolerance.
Limits-The two extreme permissible sizes between which the actual size is
contained are called limits. The maximum size is called the upper limit and the
minimum size is called the lower limit.
Deviation-It is the algebraic difference between a size (actual, maximum, etc.) and
the corresponding basic size.