Complex Configurations

I admit to being guilty of learning the hard way many times, and this
time I learned not to do derived configurations of the default
configuration in complex work.

When I convert a plastic part into a cavity, the easy part is getting
the whole part with shrink removed from a cavity block entirely
encompassing the part.

I typically add an "Ejector Side" configuration & then
derived-configurations for that which contain the outer cavity block,
then inner sleeves and pins as I remove material. I do the same with
the "Sprue Side" configuration.

The last time I did a pair of parts, one was done like above, but the
other, I made a mistake. I started adding derived-configurations to
the Default. This resulted in all sorts of errors that needed fixing
when I changed the size of the cavity block. It is easy to "fix" the
overall problem, but time consuming to wipe all the 6-9
derived-configurations and start it over.

I suppose if I read all the Help files, I would have found it earlier,
but then again my head might have exploded, too.

Bo

 

Do you have a design table set up? You might be able to speed things
along by having all your config-specific parameters in a design table
and then copying your derived config settings to a new non-derived
config.

 

A design table wouldn't "cut it" for this type of work, since it is all
geometry specific cutting and chopping of the cavity block.

I just didn't realize I could get configs messed up if I started
putting derived configs under the default and then adding other configs
in addition to the Default, which kept getting messed up.

Bo