DRESSING UP OF SOLIDS

3.4.1 Edge Fillet

Edge fillets are smooth transitional surfaces between two adjacent faces. With the use of a constant radius: the same radius value is applied to the entire edges. Click the Edge Fillet icon . The Edge Fillet Definition dialog box appears. Select the edges. The edge selected then appears in the Objects to fillet field. CATIA displays the radius value. Clicking Preview previews the fillet to be created. Two propagation modes are available: Minimal, Tangency. If you set the Tangency mode, the option "Trim ribbons" becomes available; you can then trim the fillets to be created. Use Limiting Elements to limit the fillet. When filleting an edge, the fillet may sometimes affect other edges of the part, depending on the radius value you specified. With the Edges to keep option the application detects these edges and stops the fillet to these edges.

3.4.2 Face-Face Fillet

You generally use the Face-face fillet command when there is no intersection between the faces or when there are more than two sharp edges between the faces. Select the faces to be filleted. Click Preview to see the fillet to be created. Click OK. The faces are filleted. This creation is indicated in the specification tree. Instead of entering a radius value, you can use a "hold curve" to compute the fillet. Depending on the curve's shape, the fillet's radius value is then more or less variable.

3.4.3 Tritangent Fillet

The creation of tritangent fillets involves the removal of one of the three faces selected. You need three faces two of which are supporting faces. Select the faces to be filleted. Select the face to be removed. The fillet will be tangent to this face. Click Preview to see the fillet to be created. The creation of this fillet is indicated in the specification tree indicates the opposite portion of material.

Click OK.

3.4.4 Chamfer

Chamfering consists in removing or adding a flat section from a selected edge to create a beveled surface between the two original faces common to that edge. The default parameters to be defined are Length1 and Angle. You can change this creation mode and set Length1 and Length2.

Chamfers can be created by selecting a face; the application chamfers its edges. Click Preview to see the chamfers to be created. Click OK. The specification tree indicates this creation.

3.4.5 Basic Draft

Drafts are defined on molded parts to make them easier to remove from molds. The characteristic elements are:

Pulling direction: this direction corresponds to the reference from which the draft faces are defined.

Draft angle: this is the angle that the draft faces make with the pulling direction.

Parting element: this plane, face or surface cuts the part in two and each portion is drafted according to its previously defined direction.

Neutral element: this element defines a neutral curve on which the drafted face will lie. This element will remain the same during the draft.

The Propagation option can be set to: None: there is no propagation, Smooth: the application integrates the faces propagated in tangency onto the neutral face to define the neutral element.

Parting = Neutral to reuse the plane you selected as the neutral element. If Keep Parting =Neutral, you then can also check the option Draft both sides. Click OK. Material has been removed & the face is drafted.

3.4.6 Variable Angle Draft

Click the Variable Angle Draft icon . The Draft Definition dialog box that appears, displays the variable angle draft option as activated. Select the face to be drafted. Select face as the neutral element. The application detects two vertices and displays two identical radius values. Increase the angle value: only one value is modified accordingly in the geometry. To edit the other angle value, select the value in the geometry and increase it in the dialog box. To add a point on the edge, click the Points field. You can add as many points as you wish. Click OK to confirm.

3.4.7 Draft from Reflect Lines

This will draft a face by using reflect lines as neutral lines from which the resulting faces will be generated. Click the Draft from Reflect Lines icon . The Draft from Reflect Lines Definition dialog box is displayed and an arrow appears, indicating the default pulling direction. Select the face. The application detects reflect line and displays it in pink. This line is used to support the drafted faces. Enter an angle value in the Angle field. The reflect line is moved accordingly. Click Preview to get an idea of what the draft will look like.

3.4.8 Shell

Shelling a feature means emptying it, while keeping a given thickness on its sides. Shelling may also consist in adding thickness to the outside. Click the Shell icon . The Shell Definition dialog box appears. The selected face becomes purple. Select the face to be removed. Enter the Default inside thickness field. Click OK. The feature is shelled.

3.4.9 Thickness

You can add or remove thickness to parts. Click the Thickness icon . The Thickness Definition dialog box is displayed. Select the faces to thicken. Enter a positive value. Click OK. The part is thickened accordingly. This creation appears in the specification tree.

3.4.10 Thread/Tap

The Thread/Tap capability creates threads or taps, depending on the cylindrical entity of interest.

Click the Thread/Tap icon . The Thread/Tap Definition dialog box is displayed. Select the cylindrical surface you wish to thread. Select the upper face as the limit face. Limit faces must be planar. The application previews the thread.

The Numerical Definition frame provides three different thread types:

No Standard: uses values entered by the user, Metric Thin Pitch: uses AFNOR standard values, Metric Thick Pitch:: uses AFNOR standard values.

Enter the thread depth, pitch value. Check the Left-Threaded option. Click Preview. Red lines provide a simplified representation of the thread. Click OK to confirm. There is no geometrical representation is the geometry area, but the thread (identified as Thread.xxx) is added to the specification tree.