AnsweredAssumed Answered

Is there a way to create a ball nose drill profile instead of an angle?

Question asked by Dusty Nogueira on Aug 24, 2016
Latest reply on Aug 25, 2016 by Chris Mackedanz

Like • Show 1 Like1
Comment • 8

When designing die cast dies, all holes that are drilled in the holder blocks and inserts have to be ball nose to minimize stress cracking. So anytime I use the hole wizard for a threaded hole or to add a water line I have to set the drill angle to 180° and then after I add a fillet that is 1/2 the diameter of the tap drill to create the ball nose. It would be great if this could be completed in one operation during the hole wizard process. Does anyone know of a way to do this? I asked for this as an enhancement a couple years ago, but it didn't get anywhere. (What do you think Alin?)

No one else has this question

Outcomes

8 Replies

John Stoltzfus Aug 24, 2016 12:08 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
Did you try Library Features - that should work, but then your not taking advantage of the Hole Wizard, I would rather add the fillet then loosing Hole Wizard..
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions
Mike Pogue Aug 24, 2016 1:10 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
You can do a poor man's hole-wizard by making you ball-end hole feature and sketch-driven patterning it.
Like • Show 2 Likes2
Actions
Solid Air Aug 24, 2016 10:59 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
While not directly available in Hole Wizard you can, as John suggested, make a library feature (yes John, you can use a Hole Wizard feature as a library feature). And you do not need to add the fillet feature. You edit the profile sketch by adding a radius to the bottom of the 180 degree hole. Remember do not delete any of the dimensions and change the solid horizontal line at the bottom of the drill hole to construction. Also use relations to make the radius half the diameter.
Like • Show 2 Likes2
Actions
- John Stoltzfus @ Solid Air on Aug 25, 2016 6:25 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Awesome Solid Air - Using SW since 1997 there is still an opportunity to learn new stuff almost everyday
  Like • Show 2 Likes2
  Actions
- Steve Calvert @ Solid Air on Aug 25, 2016 7:03 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Seems like to me, that should be a end treatment (special) for any hole. Good idea...
  
  Steve C
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
- Chris Mackedanz @ Solid Air on Aug 25, 2016 7:59 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Will he have to edit this sketch for every hole he wants drilled? I would hope not since it is being set up as a library feature.
  
  I was thinking that it would be possible to edit the toolbox database to create a new hole type which would point to sketch with this profile and would be driven by the database and would work like any other hole.
  
  I've recently started looking into what it would take to create our own hole wizard library standard, such as ansi inch or ansi metric. Here is what I've discovered, IT'S POSSIBLE! The database is just a Microsoft Access Database with a LOT of tables in it. The main table of interest is the USEER0_AI_TYPE_HOLES. It contains information about the other tables for each hole type, straight, tapped, countersunk, counterbore slots... which all contain information specific to that hole type.
  
  I believe it would be possible to create your own library standard with specific ball end mills/drill bits.
  
  Note you do have to update the text file calloutformat.txt for your new standard or you will get an error, and SolidWorks will default to a higher or previous standard.
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
  - Solid Air @ Chris Mackedanz on Aug 25, 2016 8:30 AM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Chris,
    No, once the sketch is edited in the library feature, it will not need to be edited. A library feature for each tap size may be required though.
    
    If you find a way to get holewizard to point to this profile, I would be very interested in how it is done.
    
    Yes it is possible to create and/or modify an existing standard by directly editing the database file. Please note that starting with SW2015, the database is an SQLite3 file. One word of caution if you pursue this path: make sure you edit a copy and back it up as you go along; one wrong entry in a table can cause it to be unusable.
    Like • Show 1 Like1
    Actions
    - Chris Mackedanz @ Solid Air on Aug 25, 2016 10:47 AM
      Mark Correct
      Correct Answer
      One should always make a back up when working with something like this.
      Like • Show 0 Likes0
      Actions

Is there a way to create a ball nose drill profile instead of an angle?

Outcomes

Related Content

Recommended Content