CAD FILE MANAGEMENT

Learn how to "Perfect Your Trade" from Carrera Casting experts. In this episode, Creating and Checking STL Files, Master Jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos discusses with Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager the problems that ‘heavy files’ create and the use of file-checking programs to check and repair poor STL files.

Key Takeaway:

• To much information in the file creates heavy files
• Use file correcting programs: Materialize Magics or Netfabb to correct STLs

Learn how to "Perfect Your Trade" from Carrera Casting experts. In this episode, Watertight Solids and Dirty Files, Master Jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos discusses with Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager on how to avoid non-watertight solids by checking for naked edges and dirty files.

Key Takeaway:

• Naked Edges: Two surfaces have not been joined together and create a non-watertight solids
• Dirty files contain debris left over in your file and cause bad castings

Learn how to "Perfect Your Trade" from Carrera Casting experts. In this episode, Positioning & Planar Surfaces, Master Jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos teams up with Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager on the importance of positioning to eliminate gaps and avoid coplanar surfaces for successful Booleans.

Key Takeaway:

• Intersect your parts to eliminate gaps and to avoid coplanar surfaces for successful Booleans
• Planer surfaces are two surfaces that coexist in the same dimension

In this episode, Booleans vs. Grouping, Master Jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos teams up with Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager on a) how to transform separate parts into water tight solids (Boolean) and b) moving multiple parts together through “Grouping” for a successful casting process.

Take Aways - Boolean VS Grouping

• Boolean transforms separate parts into one water tight solid
• Grouping is moving multiple parts together
• Check stones, positions and prongs to make sure pieces are “glued” all together
• Best Practices: Ungroup everything before you Boolean

Learn how to "Perfect Your Trade" from Carrera Casting experts. In Episode 5, Supporting Delicate Parts, Master Jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos teams up with Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager to solve common small parts model support issues for successful casting. Techniques shared include:

Take Aways - Supporting Delicate Parts

• Situating your parts in a box
• Building a wall around your delicate parts
• Connecting your parts in your box with sprues
• Properly preparing your structure for casting

In this episode, Supports and Scaffolds, Master Jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos teams up with Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager master jeweler and Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos to solve common model support issues for successful casting.

Take Aways - Supports & Scaffolds

• Designing supports for ring settings
• Supporting open shanks
• Supporting small settings
• Building brace supports for cuffs and bangles

In Episode Three "Spacing" Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager, explores with master jeweler Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos frequent customer spacing issues. Tom points out why designing proper spacing into your jewelry design will ensure better survival through the casting process.

Take Aways - Spacing

• Proper separation at base of a tapered prong is best
• Avoiding knife sharp edges by using a radius

In Episode Two "Stamps, Logos and Draft Angles" Greg Falkner, Carrera's Product Development Manager, explores with master jeweler Carrera CAD/CAM Director Tom Manos frequent customer logo and lettering issues. Tom points out the best way to implement logo and lettering into your jewelry design to survive the casting process.

 Take Aways - Stamps, Logos & Draft Angles

• Use of draft angles between 5 and 10 degrees
• Recommended depths for logos and stamps - "Deeper does not mean Better"
• Use of block or sans serif fonts to minimize sharp angles and maximize casting quality
• Creating the best logos and stamps by laser engraving

In Episode One "Maximizing Your Prongs and Walls", Greg raises some common problems many customers have when designing in CAD prongs and walls. Tom offers some easy steps that will maximize your prongs and walls for a successful casting process.

 Take Aways - Prongs & Walls

• Hidden engineering problems that may hinder your building and casting process
• Optimal height to width ratio for the prongs
• Drafting or pyramiding of the prongs
• Prongs and walls tolerance can impact your casting results