Technical Support

Cut List Sorting: Handling Identical Bodies

In SOLIDWORKS 2017 we have the ability to deal with situations where identical bodies may be present in the Sheet-Metal or Weldment workflows, but do not collate as we would expect them too.

The classic case is where we use the same stock, such as RHS section, but has one body with no holes and another with some mounting holes cut in it; because the mounting holes change the geometry the two bodies are assigned different cut list folders, even though they have the same stock size; For purchasing and production planning this may not be desirable.

So a new option has been added in SOLIDWORKS 2017 to sort the cut list and allow the two bodies to allocate in to the same cut list folder again.

The Cut List Sorting Options are found by right clicking on the top level Cut List feature in the FeatureManager Design Tree.

Here we can choose to Collect Identical bodies or identify Faces/Features to exclude:  For our RHS example we would exclude the Ø25.0 (25) Diameter Hole1 Feature only, and click okay.

The result is that the two bodies are now recognised as the same cut list item and the bodies shown in the same cut list folder:

Another situation where this may be less obvious is in the case where two bodies occupy the same volume and have the same general shape, but are created using different modelling methods.

In the example below, two cones have been created, one body as an extrude feature with draft, the other body with a revolved feature that has been chamfered.

The result is two separate bodies with identical volume and shape, but in the cut list they are listed as two separate cut list items.

Again, if we return to the Sorting Options, we have the ability to ‘Collect Identical Bodies’, which when checked, will resolve the issue above:

The result is again one cut list folder with the two bodies collected, which is what, was required.

This will reflect correctly for item quantity in the Drawing cut list.

About the Author:

<Craig Stevens>, <Technical Support Engineer>

<CSWE, CSWS-D (Data Management)>

Based in <Adelaide, Australia>