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Is there a way to use more than 1 cutlist in a weldment?

Question asked by Ken Kobmann on Jan 2, 2018
Latest reply on Jan 5, 2018 by Sergio Monti

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So, the weldments I design will have a mixed bundle of material types that are processed in multiple differents locations. Let me use just 4 examples so my babbling makes sense. This cutlist will have 4 different processed types of material. There is a Shear & Brake Process, Saw Process, Laser Process, and Plate Burn Process. All 4 process areas have their own material, so there is no pre-processing prior to the cut list making it the their department. The person in brake & shear needs material type, gauge, and blank dims. The person in the saw department need material type, profile size, and cut length. The folks in Laser and Plate need to know material type & gauge/size. And they all only want what they need. Example: The guy from laser doesn't want a cutlist laid out like break and shear because he doesn't want the column called "blank size" because he's cutting from a file, and nobody wants all the blanks on the custlist when it doesn't apply to them (Like if I have a column on the custlist called "profile size" and "profile length", that only applies to the saw department). I know I can split a cutlist, but what I'm looking for is to only populate those custom properties that each group needs via a custom property like Group (Saw, Laser, Plate, etc), or through equations like IF("cutlist prop@part2" = Profile Size, Unsuppressed, IF("cutlist prop@part2" = Blank Size...........and so on.

As always, thank you very much for the free education.

Ken

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Solid Air Jan 2, 2018 7:57 PM
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You can create as many cutlists as you like. But more will be required to get what you want. How about one cutlist with the items for each location grouped together. Then note on the drawing which items pertain to each. ??? We are constantly asked by other departments to do "special" things for them on our drawings. May save them time but my boss does not understand why it took me longer to do my job (and it may cost more in the long run).
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Elmar Klammer Jan 3, 2018 6:09 AM
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Hi Ken,

Here is one way to do it...

We work in a similar fashion. To group the BOM for each zone (shear, saw, burn, etc.) we add a custom property/cut list property for each Zone. So we would add PRP_Shear, PRP_Saw, PRP_Burn and add a X if it applies and leave it blank if it doesn't. Then we include these properties in our BOM (indented) and filter accordingly. We keep the number of Zone properties down to 3. This can get overboard very quickly. The cad operator must be skilled to assign those zones or you need someone to go through the drawings and mark them.
The material identifier like HSS 4x4x1/8 @ 120" or PL 1/4" @ 48 x 48 is designed that they work well for tables. That means I split Type HSS, PL off into a cell, then SecSize 4x4x1/8, 1/4 then OverallSize into 120, 48 x 48. So when we filter the list all material ID entries end up in the same column. If I want to create a description like HSS 4x4x1/8 then I simply concatenate the cells. Keeping tables clean makes for easy data manipulation. I don't use descriptive strings entered into a cell. Breaking string apart is much harder then adding single cell entries into a long string. I have used this scheme for many years, and while it adds work to the cad operator, it simplifies work down stream and saves money overall. I have one single BOM and can split out all the variations for my other departments. We even add a column if a drawing exists. That way I can print out sets of drawings for each department without picking through a stack of prints.

Elmar
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- Ken Kobmann @ Elmar Klammer on Jan 3, 2018 12:18 PM
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  Solid Air & Elmar,
  Here is a picture of a cutlist, although it only has 2 processes. They want the areas with the red X's gone. Usually I just place a "-" or "X" in the custom properties for the cutlist items that don't pertain to each item, but they would just like them gone. I of course split the cutlist.
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  - Kyle Kabot @ Ken Kobmann on Jan 3, 2018 12:46 PM
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    Maybe not right but I would:
    Open your assembly that made the BoM, suppress everything from row 9-19 and save as a new assembly. Do the same for the other like items.
    
    Place both Assemblies on your BOM sheet off of the page so they are not seen on your drawing and create 2 seperate Bom's from each assembly.
    
    hope this helps.
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    - Ken Kobmann @ Kyle Kabot on Jan 4, 2018 6:24 PM
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      Kyle,
      This is a cutlist in a weldment versus a BOM in an Assembly.
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  - Elmar Klammer @ Ken Kobmann on Jan 3, 2018 12:48 PM
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    Hi Ken,
    
    Export the list out to Excel and filter the table. Your table is clean that should work just fine.
    
    Elmar
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    - Ken Kobmann @ Elmar Klammer on Jan 4, 2018 6:34 PM
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      Elmar,
      That is what I am currently doing. I was hoping there was a way to generate a cutlist by process or material. Like if it's a sheet metal part it goes to cutlist 1 and if it's a Boss or something it goes to cutlist 2.
      
      On a side note I absolutely love Solidworks as a product but having spent my whole working career in both the front and back of a plant, I wish Solidworks would get a better feel for sheet metal fabrication versus sheet metal automation. As I've heard and said on more than one occasion "It doesn't work on the shop floor like it does in a computer".
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      - Elmar Klammer @ Ken Kobmann on Jan 5, 2018 4:39 AM
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        Hi Ken,
        
        I can't say I fully understand why you need two distinct cut lists in your SW drawing. But let's say you have set your mind on this.
        Out of the box you won't be able to do it unless you do it manually which you obviously don't want.
        You can do it by automation. Your data looks clean that's a pre-requisite. Going through your cut list and filtering out is possible.
        There are some good programmers active in this forum i.e. Deepak, Artem, Samu, Handleman +++ or many VAR's too.
        If your solution is good enough then you should be able to fit it into your cost-benefit budget. Another option is to reevaluate your approach again. Maybe using SW as the all-to-go-to-tool isn't necessarily the best approach.
        
        I've seen my fair share of concepts intended to strike a balance between the requirements in office and on shop floor. Which way you end up going & your level of success is usually determined by work force. Not the tools. Mostly people's willingness to work as a team.
        Your approach reminds me of a very common situation. You try to force a work flow even though SW isn't necessarily suited for it. And that "force" usually comes from areas in your company that want someone else to deliver the "change" while they can remain idle. And I get it. Many companies do it however they waste valuable potential in the process.
        
        So first and foremost I would try to find a solutions that would incorporate not only better tools but also requires the personal to improve both their personal & technical skills. Now that's the big goal that works anywhere. To get moving you need motion. Again. People are important. Most people initially resists change (motion is change). That goes for good or bad change if you can believe it. Good change happens incrementally and goes in the intended direction. If you do it mostly right then you will find the next change won't be as hard as the one before.
        Physics taught me that many things in nature work in such way to consume minimum energy. Many people believe minimum effort equals (=) minimum energy. Truth is minimum energy often requires maximum effort.
        
        Elmar
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Sergio Monti Jan 5, 2018 5:10 AM
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You can create multiple configurations. RMB on cut list tree items you can exclude from cut list for different configurations.
Then, on the drawing, on each cut list you create you can recall different configurations.
I've never done it cause I never needed .... Hope it works.
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Is there a way to use more than 1 cutlist in a weldment?

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