The right way?

Hi there. I have a question that I haven't been able to resolve by myself. Could somebody explain to me what is the correct way.

I have made an assembly where everything fits together as it should. The bolts are there, threaded holes are there, everything looks as it should. But now comes my dillema.

For instance. I have two flanges in my assembly that will be welded to the body. They have some chamfers on the circumference where the weld will be done and they also have some threaded holes for bolt connections. Now, I have to make drawings for the workshop. The flanges will be cut out with laser. So the chamfers and threaded holes should not be there, they can't be done in a cutting phase. I think that the chamfers could be easily hidden with "suppress" command. But how about the holes, I have to do tap holes first? I am able to make correct drawing, but only if I make a copy of the part first and then delete and adjust all the things accordingly for a laser cutting process. I make a copy so that I don't mess up the assembly.

Is this a correct way or am I missing something? I'm hoping for the last.

Thanks for all your answers.

If the cuts are made at the assembly level in the real world equivalents that is where they should be made in Inventor.

Other option is to model the basic part and then Derive Component for subsequent machining.

Perhaps if you could attach an example...

The laser cutter will use a 2d file you send them for the cut path. You can export a face from your 3d model before the chamfer is added(by rolling the End of part marker back up the feature tree) or export your idw file as a dxf. On your idw file you can hide lines(such as your chamfer lines) before you save the file. Your holes in the flanges should be sized for tapping with notes for the tapped hole size BUT in the case of laser cutting these holes wont like to be tapped after they are laser cut. In the case of tap holes i would water jet, then a drill up to the tap size would be a better fit.

Thanks for all the answers given so far.

JD, I've attached two files. One is showing final version, while the other is showing what a laser will be able to do. And that is also how I "solved" my problem. Two files, first one is referenced in an assembly, while the other copy was done especially for the cutter. It works, but it's not "clean", if you understand me.

And shift you are most probaly correct on the mater of a hardend tap holes. I've actualy already sent the files to the cutter. I'll let you know how much troubles did they gave me.

Flange.zip

Flange_lasercut.zip

You could use Matts method of rolling the EOP to save the dxf

or

start a new part file.

Exit sketch mode (if in sketch).

Select Derived Component tool and then select the Flange lasercut.ipt.

Add your post-laser cut machining to the derived component.

Save this as Flange.ipt

The advantaged of the Derived Component method is for 2D documentation and if you make a change to the laser cut part the changes are automatically updated in the machined part (and associated 2D drawings).

For something this simple might not be a big deal, but on more complex stuff....

Ok. Will try that.

Thanks for sugestions.