New VDWF guideline presented: Working group develops color table for CAD-supported transmission of tolerances in tool and mold making
On October 21, Dirk Falke, chairman of the "Color Table Working Group" and owner of Ingenieurbüro Falke, presented the guideline for CAD-based transmission of tolerances created by the committee. The new framework is intended to facilitate cooperation between companies and help avoid errors. For Dirk Falke, this is "association work as it is written in the book". Because with its working groups, the VDWF provides the structure for exchanging experience and the industry-internal coordination for the standardization of processes. At the presentation of the guideline, VDWF President Prof. Thomas Seul also emphasized the importance of such results from the association's working groups: "After all, it's the small steps that make digitization practical for our industry."
Why had the guideline become necessary? Toolmakers color surfaces of CAD models to determine the required manufacturing accuracy in the design. This helps streamline one-off manufacturing processes. However, the effect of this sensible procedure has been limited in recent years by the fact that numerous companies have created their own color tables and a large number of different systems have circulated. As a result, "habitual errors" occurred time and again in everyday production, for example when tool and die companies outsourced individual sub-tasks, such as milling, drilling or eroding work, to external service providers. "However, as further increases in deadline and cost pressure are expected, the need for networked working will increase," explains Dirk Falke. "This is where the color table developed by the VDWF is intended to prevent transmission errors."
For this purpose, the VDWF had initiated the "Color Table Working Group" in spring 2019. In close cooperation, a panel of experts from the industry worked there to develop the standardizing guideline for CAD-supported transmission of tolerances in tool and mold making by color coding. To ensure a transparent procedure, there is now a revision period of six months after the initial publication. During this period, suggestions for improvement and specification requests can be submitted to the VDWF. Relevant contributions will be incorporated into a revised version to be published in April 2021.
On behalf of the VDWF, Dirk Falke thanked all the experts who volunteered to help create the guideline. The VDWF guideline "Color Table" (ISBN 978-3-00-065278-3) can be obtained from the association's office. It is available free of charge and in German and English.
