Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
is a file standard developed by the International Standards Organization that also aims, like IGES, to be a vendor-neutral
exchange format for sharing 2D or 3D design information across different design tools, or between design tools and
manufacturing software.
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As low-cost 3D printers have become widely available, the STL file
format has become a preferred format for sharing 3D model data with manufacturers. Ori-
most mechanical CAD software can read and write. Occasionally, a manufacturer will ask
for a PDF file or, more commonly, physical drawings of the part. I've had several sheet
metal manufacturers request my CAD drawings on paper. It may seem odd, but a decent
number of sheet metal fabricators continue to run completely manual equipment. A prop-
erly drawn paper part sketch might be perfectly adequate if you want to make a simple
part or if you are working with less technologically advanced manufacturers where your
digital files will not be very helpful regardless of which file formats you can generate.
It is becoming more common to find manufacturers asking for high-level design files
versus these common data exchange file formats. 3D CAD software packages such as
Solidworks, Pro-E, Autodesk, and others support direct import of their competitors' file
formats, and many factories have reached a level of automation where they prefer the pro-
prietary design file as the source. This is where things get interesting for open source
hardware creators. Unlike when manufacturing and assembling a circuit board, where
everything is printed on or placed on a flat sheet of fiberglass, mechanical components
have tremendous variation in geometry, materials, tool paths, setup, and other factors. All
of these issues leave a lot of room for error as the manufacturer interprets your design in
relation to the available equipment and machine operator skills.
