Hi to all from Frankston

[Trevor_pn]

Hi all
This is to introduce myself to the community. Having 30+ years experience in the Plastic Packaging Industry, primarily in the Thermoforming area and thin wall injection molding. My Cad experiences started around 1993 using Cad key V6 Dos
. This was my hook into 3D Cad, V7 was the best ever. Unlike the Windows versions the Dos V7 was unstoppable, no crashes, small computer and ram but no fancy bells and whistles. How things have changed, moving to Cadkey 98 then Solid Works for many years. I have now started using Alibre Design, not quite Solid Works but for the cost a viable product for any one wanting a very good 3D Cad system that challenges SW for 99% of jobs. I have many other design interests out side of work, including helping a friend design RC Blimps, AFL. NRL football and V8 super cars. Well thats about it for the moment, any one with similar experiences please contact if you feel I can help.
Great to meet you all
Trevor

[Karl_T]

Originally Posted by Trevor_pn Hi all This is to introduce myself to the community. Having 30+ years experience in the Plastic Packaging Industry, primarily in the Thermoforming area and thin wall injection molding. My Cad experiences started around 1993 using Cad key V6 Dos

Winter is setting in on the top half of the world. Bet you got spring down under.

In another life, I was an engineer molding VHS tape cartridges. We tried to save costs by using less plastic in the top (cover) and bottom(body) of the VHS cartridge. Had nothing but trouble with warp and getting the side walls ejected out of the mold. In the end, the Chinese ate our lunch and the whole factory closed.

Anyway, I know your issues, and welcome to the Zone.

Karl

[Eclipze]

Hi Trevor... I'm 20km north of Frankston. Lived in Frankston for the first ~15 years of my life.

I know what you mean about DOS. V7 with 8MB of RAM was fantastic. Since then, computer hardware just can't keep up with the software bloat. I love the extended functionality software provides these days and wouldn't swap speed for current features. But at the same time I think the industry has concentrated far too much on features and not bug free solid fast/efficient software. They sent the first man to the moon using a computer that had less computing power than the Commodore 64. I run a PC with mild overclock to get descent performance to work with.

I do a lot of embedded micro design, small applications. All software done in assembly, very efficient, very fast, cost effective, bug free and very reliable.

I've used Solidworks. Really enjoyed using it, until I had to design something using surfaces. Then it became an endless trial and error to solve each problem with different approaches, without SW crashing or failing to produce a surface edge/join smoothly. That really punished the CPU too, particularly on a model re-build where it was have a make a cup of coffee, finish it and hopefully it would be done.

Welcome to the forum!

[Trevor_pn]

Thank you for the reply Eclipze
May be we should get together at some stage, any way yep, the P110 with 12Mb ram was great with CK7, next was my power machine, a P200 with 64Mb ram and a whopping big 3.2Gb HD. All be that the P200 with a 17" CRT was just shy of $3000 cost as a build. One of the things, amongst many, is the design and development of a accurate 3 axis router, 5 micron is the aim. Still in the infant stage at the moment, still researching. Its all good fun, at least my work has a great involvement with allot of this area.
Regards,
Trevor

[Bamber]

Hi Trevor,

I am just down the road from you, Mt Eliza, have been here about 5 years now and am enjoying my retirement playing with cnc.

Dave

[grunto]

Ahhh - I know Frankston very well. Have ridden my bike up Oliver's Hill too many times!!
Welcome aboard.

[Trevor_pn]

Thank you all for the welcome, it is very much appreciated. I have a few projects I am working on at the moment and your input at some stage would be appreciated. If I can help any one who is interested in the Vacuum & Pressure forming of plastic sheet and associated product or tooling designs please contact me.

Kind regards

Trevor

[mikie]

Trevor,

Welcome abaord and I have to say we need to talk.
Benny (the moderator) was building a vacuum former. Think it's on the back burner at the moment.

Do you have your own unit?

/M

[Trevor_pn]

Sorry for the long delay, work prior to Christmas was a little on the busy side
I do not have a personal unit however if you guys would like any ideas or assistance please do not hesitate to contact me
There are many ways to look at making your own vacuum former, the correct design needs to suit the materials you wish to form, the shapes and the amount of power you have available. if you send me a model or sketch of the type of products you want to form I can give you some ideas
Regards
Trevor