Looking for recomendations/company that will build a model from solidworks file..tia sal

Greets, All

We are looking for recommendations on companies that we can send our
solidworks files to and have our parts built to our specs. We due very
limited quantities a year.


Some of the question we would ask them would be:

1) We currently have access to solidworks can we send you this file and
have the part built to specs.
2) How long does it take to build.
3) what are your size limitations for building parts.
4) What are your rates/costs.
5) what materials do you use

Thanks
Sal

 

What kind of parts are you looking for - machined, cast, sheet metal, etc???

WT

 

Why limit yourself to fabricators with SW? Nearly anyone can read
parasolid and/or IGES.

 

Go to the SolidWorks website:
www.solidworks.com

Near the top, pick Partners and then Partner Services (MFG Network). You
will end up at:
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/partners/mfgnetwork.html

You should find lots of choices.

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

Sal,

I am guessing that you are doing this as part of a school project. I am
also guessing that a great deal of precision may be needed. I am also
guessing that you are near a large American city. Your question is very
broad and I am just guessing or making an educated assumption. So here
goes:

1. Do you know how to make a drawing with SW to ASME specs. that would
communicate unambiguously to a machine shop what it is you want to
make? If you can answer this question then you are about 1/4 of the way
there.

2. Further, if you model the part in SolidWorks or another CAD program,
are you certain the part will fit up with other parts and generally
function as it is intended to? If you can answer this question you are
halfway there.

3. Once you have done 1 & 2 you will have the answer to 5 and be ready
to find the answer to 2. The next step is to take the drawings from
step 1 to a machine shop that you can find by searching the yellow
pages (www.yellowpages.com, www.whitepages.com, www.thomasregister.com,
etc.) and ask them to quote the parts.

4. In order for any machine shop to quote the parts you will need to
convince them you can pay for the parts. Machine shops are not cheap
nor will they give you the time of day unless they think you are
bringing in business. If you really are doing this as a school project
you might consider approaching the machine shop through the school.
Machine shops generally don't work with individuals who walk in off the
street. I recently worked on a project with a lot of custom made parts.
The cheapest was probably $500 and it went up from there to the $50,000
range.

Several things you don't want to ask a machine shop:

What are your rates? Ask for a quote instead. That is what you are
after. After all they know how long it will take and what they need to
charge.

What material to make it out of? If you don't know that, the machine
shop certainly won't.