InCAD Library In The Practical Test

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-08-25 03:36

Misumi is a Japanese company and supplies mechanical components to over 100,000 mechanical engineering customers worldwide. The parts and assemblies can be ordered both via catalog and online. I am not a thoroughbred designer, but I have been working with CAD and 3D programs for many years and, among other things, write advice texts. I was immediately interested in a library with “finished” CAD models.

First impression: Misumi describes his library as "a source of inspiration for designers" - and that's how it is meant to be. The currently more than 200 ready-made models and assemblies are only intended to serve as the basis for our own developments. The text under the "inCAD Library" info button also says: "Save development time and get to know new development applications when you design new machine concepts." Without in-house know-how, without in-depth knowledge of constructive mechanical engineering (corresponding Software included) is not possible.

Picture gallery

What is striking at second glance is the multitude of selection options, supported by sophisticated search functions. A direct choice according to use or process or category is also possible. If you only want to “leaf through” the catalog, you will see meaningful assemblies in isometric representation on a total of five browser pages.

Hand press as a test object

For the test, I chose the model “No. 000070”decided, a“light press fit tool”with quick release glides. Such devices are required for precise manual insertion of parts in a plastic housing, a kind of classic in production. The parts of the construction - as with all models of the library - are created in three colors: yellow, blue and gray. While blue marks the workpiece, gray stands for third-party components and yellow for the metal parts that come directly from Misumi. In the present case, only the base plate and the base for the quick release are from third parties. The Misumi principle is visible here: design, add data to the shopping cart, order, have it delivered, set it up. That this has been working in practice in a short time for decades,According to its own information, it is thanks to a logistic system that makes the production and delivery of the components possible in a short time. In total, around 10 million components are said to be available for order.

Back to our tool: Of course I have to have design data to edit it, a parts list would also be helpful. The inCAD Library provides both for download. Before that, however, registration is necessary, either as a "CAD user" or immediately as a "corporate user" with order authorization. I chose the "CAD User" because I can then immediately download the design data free of charge. When it comes to the format options, Solid Works comes first (in 2010 version). This is not a problem, as the current release 2017SP3 is also backwards compatible. Other CAD formats are STEP, IGES, Parasolid (binary or as text) and SAT. Even the time-honored DXF is offered, naturally as a 2D model.

CAD data

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In the download window, Misumi again points out that the data are only intended to explain the structure and functionality of the assembly and should not be regarded as a "final design". A - from a legal point of view - understandable, although not absolutely necessary in the professional environment. You obviously want to protect yourself from someone recklessly taking over the data 1: 1 and ordering the relatively expensive parts depending on the material selected. And afterwards finds that nothing fits.

Universally applicable data formats

I downloaded the "Model No. 70" in Solid Works and IGES format as test files, both of which went very quickly, since a ZIP file was sent in each case. First I tested the IGES file, in 3D software that is actually not part of the canon of machine builders: in Cinema4D. Nevertheless, the loading went smoothly, all I had to do was rotate the model 90⁰ around the X axis. The only drawback was the hierarchical arrangement: there was only one null object, among which the 31 "parts" were arranged as individual polygon objects. But the colors were taken over properly.

Next step: Load the data into SolidWorks. After unpacking the ZIP file, I noticed that my press fitting tool was delivered in 27 individual files instead of just one file (IGES), including five assembly files (.sldasm). After loading, our tool showed up in the Solid Works image: everything was nicely tidied up, each individual part was easy to select and change. After the individualization - and provided that you are registered as a "corporate user" - the CAD file can be added to the shopping cart and finally ordered from Misumi as a complete assembly including parts from third-party suppliers.

Conclusion of my test: The Misumi inCAD library is a real treasure trove for designers who do not always want to reinvent the wheel. However, the expectations should not be too high, since each assembly is only a suggestion that must be adapted to the respective circumstances by an expert.

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