Presentation
This book is a step-by-step guide to accompany beginners, and those with some prior experience, attending Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) workshops. It will assist you in learning to use the TopSolid 2009 environment's "Industry" modules: Design, Draft, Mold, Progress, Electrode, Wire and Cam. Moreover, this book is fully compatible with previous versions 2007 and 2008.
It is a pedagogical document structured around an authentic central project: the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) Livet Robot project. The scenario takes you step-by-step through the product design and manufacturing phases of the project.
The first set of workshops deal with the 3D design of the robot base using TopSolid'Design. The product drafts then have to be drawn up using TopSolid'Draft. Two of the workshops are concerned with designing a plastic injection tool and its associated electrode: TopSolid'Mold and TopSolid'Electrode. You will then implement the TopSolid?Wire module for machining with electro-erosion machines and the TopSolid'Cam module for programming the numerically-controlled milling and turning machine tools, up to 5-axis positioned! During the last two workshops, you will design a piece of sheet metal that you will then put into production with a cutting machine, using TopSolid'Progress.
The twenty workshops in this book are designed so that you progressively assimilate the functions of the software. The 2008 and 2009 versions of all starting files, as well as the CAD & CAM answer keys, for every workshop are available for downloading on the Editor's web site.