Do you create a machined housing as merge feature from a casting model or as an assembly part?

[jgfrankusa]

Pro Gurus:

Do you model a machine housing using merge feature from a casting model or
using an assembly part?

I have been advised to create a machined housing model as a merge feature (#
Insert, # SharedData, # Merge/ Inheritance) from a casting model. The
casting has datum axis, targets points and planes (A, A1-A6, B1, C1, B, C)
that I need to show on the machined detail housing. I am unable to create
datums with the same names since they are already existed and I am unable to
show them in the machined housing drawing. Am I illed advise (the person
given the advice is in vacation)? Should I make the machined housing as an
assembly part instead and machined out the desired surfaces.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and enjoy you week-end.

Frank

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[gchampoux]

This is an age-old topic, and there are still difference of oppition.

Our experience has been that using assembly cuts is the worst way to go, mostly due to long regeneration.

We used Merge-Part until Copy-Geom came alone, which had much more control of what gets merged in.
Never had a problem with it.

Gerry,