How to Create a 3DQuickPress PRL

The PRL technology is used to automate and leverage SolidWorks and 3DQuickPress data in order to speed up the creation and editing of assemblies, parts, and drawing files according to a designer’s and or a companies’ standard best practices. In this blog we are going to concentrate on 3DQuickPress Part PRL’s.

The PRL’s will update to the new size X,Y and Z following the die set structure when inserted into the design with a completed Detail Drawing, ability to the add Properties, BOM information 1 time to the PRL’s, Standard Components, Standard Fasteners, Dowels would not be included in a Part PRL.

Create New Part PRL

1. From the 3DQT DieSet Design tab select PRL Wizard Icon.

1. Select Create New PRL.

1. From the selection User Define.
2. Select the unit as Inch.
3. As said in the introduction Blog we suggest to keep the PRL short because of the Microsoft 256 character limit.
4. For this example I am naming this PRL as Test.

1. The Functional Group which is the location folder the new PRL will be stored, select Miscellaneous.

1. The last selection is “What are you creating, or will you copy a current PRL” select New Part.

1. After selecting the new button, the New Part File will open with the PRL Wizard Menu.
2. Select the Insert “Die Set Structure” which will automatically insert a Part file that is pre-set with the series of Die Set Planes similar to how a Die Design would be setup.

1. Best Practice to get started designing your New PRL is to setup a Holding Plane or “HL Plane” zero offset from the plane you would like the PRL to be inserted on when Designing.
2. The Z-Datum-DieSet Structure and the Front-DieSetStructure are on the same level.
3. Select the Z-Datum and insert a Reference Plane then rename it to HL Plane.

1. Select the HL plane and start a sketch of your New Part PRL using the Origin as the “O” location.
2. To activate the update of the X, Y is to rename the dimensions, the PRL Menu helps to automate this process. Update the dimension name to OverallY by selecting the Y icon from the menu, continue to update the “X” dimension name.

1. Extrude the sketch “Up To Surface” to Die Plate-DieSetStructure, this will allow the thickness to automatically update when the PRL is used in multiple designs with die plates at different thickness.

1. Now let’s add a construction plane to hold a foot for a keeper, 3/16 foot is a typical thickness but can be update as needed after the PRL has been inserted.
2. Convert the sketch of the block size to the new Foot Keeper Plane and make it construction, use the converted sketch as reference to create the Foot Keeper size.

1. Then add any breaks to the corners as needed.

1. Now that the block is complete we need to add the sketch and planes that will create the clearance holes for the Part and Foot Keeper.
2. Again start a sketch by selecting the HL Plane, convert the Sketch 1.
3. The converted Sketch will need to change because of the Chamfers and Radius that was added for the corner breaks.
4. After updating the sketch in the corners then select the plane the sketch will need to cut down to.

   

5. After selecting the plane Icon it will create a plane to match the sketch name.
6. Repeat the process for the Foot Keeper.
7. After completing the last sketch, look through the tree and hide all sketches and planes so you will not see each one when inserting into the Die Design.
8. Please refer to the original blog “How do 3DQuickPress PRL’s Work inside SolidWorks” to add the proper information to add the finish touches.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy “How to make a Part PRL”, please check back for other articles in this series “How to Build Assembly PRL’s” using the PRL technology to automate and leverage SolidWorks using 3DQuickPress.

Ronnie C. Flaugh

Technical Analyst

Strategic Technology Solutions

Computer Aided Technology