Why Can't CogChamp Make My Part?

CogChamp prioritizes automation to keep costs low and lead-times fast, and sometimes that means a perfectly good design doesn't fit within the boundaries of what we can automate right now. Here are some common reasons for why our machines might not be the right fit for your design:

1. The design violates our design rules. Some of these rules are basic, like “the part must have non-zero volume.” Others are limitations of the types of tools and machines we are ready to automate right now. For example, we are not yet ready for internal grooves cut into the inside of the central bore. These design rules are constantly changing as we develop new capabilities, so please bear with us.
2. The design doesn't fit within the material limits for the chosen material. The material limits are set by the properties of the material chosen as well as the work size and tool selection associated with all machines available for that material.
3. The automated CAM program chose to cut the part in a specific orientation, and it can't access all of the features. The program chooses one end of the revolved profile to stay attached to the bar stock while being machined based on the following factors:
   1. If the part has an inner bore, the largest bore diameter faces away from the stock.
   2. (If above is not definitive) if the wall thickness (outer radius - inner radius) is less than 0.040 inches on one side, that side faces away from the stock.
   3. (If above is not definitive) the side with the smallest surface area (still greater than 0.025 square inches) faces away from the stock.
4. The revolved profile isn't a great fit for the gear or thread you want to put on it. This could mean:
   1. The revolved profile's diameter is too small for the gear or thread. When matching the profile to a gear, the profile should ideally match the addendum circle of the gear. When matching to a thread, the profile should match the outermost diameter of any external thread, and the internal diameter of any internal thread. In general, the profile should have all the material filled in that the gear or thread will cut away (in other words, the profile would have the diameter that you could measure with calipers).
   2. The revolved profile's diameter is too big for the gear or thread. We don't currently auto-truncate the profile when a gear or thread would cut too deeply into it. We do this to preserve any nearby desired features. As stated above, it is best to match the profile to the addendum circle of a gear, the outer diameter of an external thread, or the internal diameter of an internal thread.
   3. You're trying to cut a compound gear stack or herringbone gear and the gears are too close to each other. See “How are CogChamp gears made?” to see why this can be a problem.