Mold cavity ID Engraving

[SteveLucas]

I was wondering what mold makers using Pro Manufacturing are doing to engrave cavity ID's. Right now we are labeling the ID using a sketch

then make an engraving program for each of the 64 cavities. So we have to edit the part file for each number as well as the engraving program to create 64 tap files to send to the cnc.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for automating the process or how they did cavity ID numbering. it can be quite a tedious job creating 64 files that take about a minute to run in a cnc.

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[DogariuSebastia]

I use a cosmetic in modeling. Then Engraving in manufacturing. All you have to do is to change the cosmetic and then Regenerate.

[SteveLucas]

Yep that is what we do to but with a sketch. just wondering if anyone had any ideas for somehow automating it?

my only thought was doing a family table where the number would be the only change for each of the 64 parts. then just doing a replace of the model (replace works very well with family tables) in the manufacturing file .

[SteveLucas]

I guess it's a datum curve not a sketch that we use instead of a cosmetic groove.

[NickMihelich]

I belive there is a way to include manufactuing information with features so that when the model is desinged all will be embedded. I will try to find more info about that.

[SteveLucas]

Nick are you refering to annotation features? I haven't done much with them yet. Not sure of the capablilities of them.

The problem is right now some one (me Usually) has to take the 1 pin with the reversed engraving datum curve on it. Create a manufacturing program with my engraving sequence, cut the number 1 then go back to the model modify the datum curve from 1 to 2 then go back to the manufacturing file regenerate select the new datum curve for 2 then recode the file. Then do that 64 times. Very labor intensive... looking to automate it some how

[NickMihelich]

Yeah that is what i was refering to. Now I understand what you are doing... individual parts one at a time in a machine with a fixture. Is that correct?

[NickMihelich]

If that is the case then I dont have a good suggestion for automating this type of operation. unless you would build a fixture for all the pins to be machined togather as a assembly