Autodesk Fusion 360 for Design & Manufacturing – Exploring the Workspaces!

In my upcoming blogs, I will dive into why Autodesk Fusion 360 is such a disruptive technology on the market and why industry and educational institutions are becoming more interested in what Fusion 360 has to offer.

In this blog, I will explain what Fusion 360 is and introduce the Simulation, Manufacture, Drawing and Electronics Workspace.

So, what is Fusion 360?

Fusion 360 is the first collaborative, cloud-enabled CAD, CAM, CAE, and 3D PCB design platform that allows designers and engineers across the industry to connect, collaborate and ultimately bring products to market faster than before.

The Simulation Workspace

The Fusion 360 Simulation Workspace allows Engineers to perform simulation studies of different FEA concepts on the design models. The following image is an overview of the types of study that can currently be generated:

These tools available in the preliminary design stage allow engineers to perform testing on the products during the design phase to help reduce errors and improve the product’s safety before the manufacturing process starts.

Fusion 360 users also have an advantage where you can import any native CAD file from any CAD package on the market and perform FEA tasks when required. Models can also be simplified in the Fusion Design or Simulation Environments that allow output to other third-party FEA tools that may be used in the design or quality departments, for example, ANYSYS, CFD etc.

The Manufacture Workspace

Fusion 360’s Manufacture Workspace offers the CAM Engineer a comprehensive set of manufacturing setup options for Milling, Turning or Mill/Turn, Cutting, Additive, Inspection and Fabrication type workflows.

The types of toolpath strategies available include 2.5-Axis Machining, 3-Axis machining, 3+2 (5-Axis Positional) Machining and 5-Axis Simultaneous Machining techniques. Recent updates are incorporating high-end machining strategies such as Steep and Shallow finishing found in Autodesk Flagship CAM package PowerMill, including multi-axis capabilities and collision avoidance, strengthening the machining capabilities that Fusion 360 has to offer.

As the associative behaviour of Fusion 360, where changes are made in the Design Environment, is automatically updated and reflected in the Manufacturing environment meaning that CAM related rework to applied toolpath strategies is kept to a minimum and captured with the design change.

Autodesk Fusion 360 offers an excellent machining simulation environment allowing CAM Engineers to simulate their toolpaths. They can check for collisions and gouges. Adjustments can be applied to the toolpath strategy to ensure a high level of safety before generating the NC code required to operate their expensive CNC machinery.

 

Autodesk gives users access to a free online library of generic post processors, machine simulation files and tooling libraries where all the big players in the CNC world are accommodated for. They are constantly updated with the new and required functionality, including new machines and post-processors being added regularly

If you are unable to locate the desired post processor and or machine simulation file, you have two options:

Option 1

Autodesk released instructions on manually creating and manipulating post processors, which can be found on the Post Library Website.

Option 2

Manufacturers can approach highly training Autodesk Partners to take on post-processor development projects to get you up and running with the software by producing working post-processor and machine simulation files to suit your needs.

If you are looking at adopting Fusion 360 for manufacturing, exploring the Post Processor Library is the perfect place to start. Many post processors are available for free. If you find a post relating to your CNC hardware, see if you can replicate the required toolpath strategies created with your current CAM solution?

Symetri offers excellent services to help you explore Fusion’s functionality and see if it is right for you. We can take your models, apply toolpath strategies, and generate test code to see if further alignment is required for a working post-processor. We also offer comprehensive best-in-class training around all the CNC machining capabilities mentioned above.

 

 

Stepnell’s BIM approach for University of Worcester - The digital journey from construction through to facilities management

This blog takes a look at the use of various technologies on a refurbishment and extension project, resulting in gaining maximum insight and value from a Revit 3D model, streamlining workflows, formatting data for direct input from the design models into a Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system, through to the use of point cloud technology to assist subcontractors, and monitor site progress every step of the way.

 “This has been a completely BIM-driven project and, as all asset data now moves seamlessly into our CAFM system Archibus, it will carry on being so for long into the future. It was a steep curve learning process for all parties as we set out to integrate numerous technologies, while also working up against the many complexities of combining a refurbishment with a new build.

I firmly believe that embracing others’ knowledge for the betterment of the project is key to a successful outcome. Symetri, were the connecting strand in all of this; they knew what solutions and specialist digital skills to bring to bear, when. It’s something they do every day. Now Stepnell can too”

 

Charlotte Brogan, Technical Manager at Stepnell

Meet Stepnell

Stepnell is a complete construction partner, with end-to-end project lifecycle expertise. The company's main objective is to make sure that its customers realise their visions. Clients can feel confident that every aspect of their project will be executed effectively, to the highest standards, and in a collaborative manner thanks to Stepnell's breadth of expertise and holistic approach.

Stepnell is a financially resilient company with over £58 million in net assets and a history spanning over 150 years in the industry. Stepnell's management team is knowledgeable, experienced and commercially responsible.

Stepnell work with a wide range of clients in the public and private sectors. They combine the focus and accessibility of a regional contractor, with a depth of technical competency, professional capability, and national reach, usually associated with far larger construction companies.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building - A showcase project laying the ground rules for the future

Stepnell was successful in its tender for a project from the University of Worcester which included transforming the former Worcester News building, a sizeable two and three storey building, constructed in1965, into a first-class facility for the training of health professionals.

The building has been named by the University as the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building, in honour of the first woman in Britain to qualify as a physician and surgeon.

The project was partly refurbishment and partly a new build; stripping back to shell and core and then building an extension. Planning was essential for the process of capturing the existing structure and integrating it with the new construction, especially in the context of generating point cloud data.

The University team also requested the usage of a reliable Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system, which calls for data to be reliably populated from the building's maintainable assets. When it came to synchronising the data between the Revit model and the CAFM system against strict parameters, this latter requirement posed a particularly difficult task. There were additional difficulties, which gave Stepnell the chance to create an approach to projects of such complexity, that would later serve as a model for other projects.

To assure adherence to Building Information Modelling (BIM) norms while adapting to the specific requirements the University voiced for its CAFM system, a complete multidisciplinary team of professional technology providers came together.

 STAGE 1: Preparing to succeed

·         Establishing the BIM level 2 framework

BIM was clearly something that the University of Worcester wanted to utilise on the project. They were determined to employ Revit 3D collaborative models and to make sure that all important data to facilities management after handover could be transferred from the Revit model to the CAFM system, Archibus. This system hadn't yet been put in place.

Stepnell included Symetri as its designated BIM partner for information management during the tender stage, and this partnership swiftly grew. The University's Service Development Manager for Estates and Facilities contacted Symetri for advice on the necessary detail and documentation for the BIM Level 2 project as well as for setting up the facilities management system before they could create their specific clarified requirements for Stepnell. These two foundational strands of project preparation got underway in parallel.

The University team was coached by Symetri through all of the crucial BIM requirements, protocols, and associated project planning, and created key documents like the BIM Execution Plan (BEP). Additionally, they showed how workflows would be integrated between the construction stage (and earlier) to facilities management (and beyond).

·         Simplifying the data focus

The University team appointed Service Works Global (‘SWG’—part of the same group as Symetri) under a separate service to the BIM support services. SWG experts in computer aided facilities management, who guided the setup of Archibus to meet the precise requirements of the University around pertinent data and asset information.

To ensure that the parameters were shared, it was necessary to pay attention to the nature of the data and how it was presented in order to match the file data coding with Archibus. This included information like the building code, warranty information, classification codes, and serial numbers.

 

Usually, Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) data is used for these purposes. However, the University had a specific requirement on the precise fields of information they needed for the maintenance of their CAFM system, thus it was chosen to structure the data in a bespoke manner. The data that is available in the 3D model is also difficult for those who are not necessarily 3D proficient. The fastest path to comprehension is simplicity. For example, asset manuals are now conveniently accessible by having the URL embedded in both the Revit file and Archibus.

Together, Symetri and SWG formatted the data fields and guided population of the information from the design teams and suppliers directly into the database. This collaboration's specific objective was to create a data flow between Archibus and the project models, so that modifications could be done in the model authoring software and then simply exported, sent to the university, and imported into the CAFM system (Archibus). There were regular data-drop dates that necessitated a general ‘health-check’ on the models from Symetri, in order to make sure the information was accurate before pushing to the university. Symetri used Solibri to ensure the data were reliable, correctly assigned, and checked for information quality within the model.

We’re ready

“At this early stage we knew that every aspect of both the BIM parameters for the project and the smart use of data both within and beyond it had been addressed” says Charlotte Brogan, Technical Manager at Stepnell. “The University was up to speed on how to adhere to BIM protocols and were reassured that the team that we had around us in specialist support roles, were giving everybody a lot of confidence”.

STAGE 2: On-site—making the connections between physical and digital

With the CAFM system in place and the BIM direction of travel defined, documents prepared, and all involved parties brought up to speed, it was time to address how what happened on site, would not sit alone as a physical exercise, while information capture and data foundations for facilities management sat in a different digital world.

·        Gaining visibility of the frame

It took a laser scan to display the frame following the strip-out. The intention then was to combine the point cloud data with the 3D models. From the perspective of MEP and structural contractors, this stage was crucial.  For instance, in order to help them build the roof cladding (a gold copper shingle) offsite, the roof cladding suppliers needed to see how the roof looked. For the purpose of detecting clashes, the point cloud was also crucial.

At this point, the next specialist company joined the team. Stepnell was referred by Symetri to 1st Horizons, who specialise in 3D laser scanning among other things. An invaluable lesson was learned at this stage around the specifics of point cloud.

A simple scan will examine every element in its path. Even when these are subsequently meshed, they do not convert into the ‘solid’ elements that Revit requires. The way around this is to commission a ‘Scan To BIM’ that creates a 3D geometric shape compatible with Revit.

 

·         Seeing the site progress - 360° image capture
Going onsite and taking a look at the situation has typically been done to ensure that the model accurately depicts reality. Taking pictures with a camera (or a smartphone camera), uploading them, attaching them, and sending them can take a lot of time.

Oculo builds a 3D walk environment using a hard-hat mounted camera by taking countless continuous photos until the final product closely resembles video footage and can be completely manipulated on-screen (zoom in and out, rotate etc). A key function of Oculo is the ability to import the project clash detected federated model directly into Oculo, which can be used to compare the scans of the physical as-constructed state on site against the design intent models.

“Oculo has really sped up so many tasks that were previously so painstakingly slow”, says Charlotte. “As-built checks are now easy and also deeply detailed, allowing us to compare what is happening on the site directly to the model”.

Charlotte also states that changes can now be made to the design and not onsite, the far more costly alternative.

The outcomes

The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson project got underway on 6^th June 2021 and is on track for completion in December 2022. Beyond just finishing the project, it has been a valuable exercise in educating all parties in best practice in digital and physical, and connecting the two together:

• University of Worcester intends to use its new BIM standards (such as the EIR and the AIR), to define all projects going forward.
• University of Worcester now has an up and running CAFM system.
• Data is now formatted for feeding into Archibus from the model.
• Clarity, collaboration, and contentment—a winning combination.

Would you like to discuss your BIM projects or Construction workflows?

Please get in touch with SYMETRI by emailing us at info@symetri.co.uk or call us on 0345 370 1444.