Clearly marking and transferring tolerances by means of colours
In the course of further standardisation, defined colours are being employed in 3D CAD design to permit easy identification of tolerances in mould and tool making.
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Aiming to use colour schemes that are as uniform as possible and create an easy-to-implement standard, HASCO, as the inventor of the modular standard parts system, has worked with various partners of the VDWF (German Tool and Mould Makers Association) in a joint project to find a solution. A uniform colour table has now been developed for tool and mould makers which allows easy identification of tolerances and models in 3D design.
Since there has been no standard colour table to date, the project team collected more than 70 different versions during the project. Overlaps were determined in the many effective approaches that had been adopted for the different tables, and the current guidelines of the German automotive industry were also consulted.
The result is a standardised colour table (VDWF Guideline 2020-1) for tool and mould making which is now available on the HASCO website and makes it possible to clearly identify tolerances through defined colours. The CAM systems in standard use can read in 3D models directly, automatically recognise the colours and derive the tolerance from these.
This constitutes an efficient means of avoiding any misinterpretation when performing conversions from 2D drawings. ACTUAL dimensions can be automatically compared with the 3D model through the use of appropriate measuring systems. This then simplifies process automation. This tool can similarly be used for the easy exchange of models for production at other locations.
