Ballooning a Print (Drawing) - A correct way to do a "bubble" print for a PPAP

A

Al Dyer

Oh how can I say it -in my area of manufacturing, start at the top left work your way clockwise. There will be some anomolies but work your way arround clockwise and you will be the one that notes those are the static points. During that way you will points missed but go over them like it was the plan you had in the first place. Never let them know you sweat~!!!!

Al...
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
FWIW:
In my machining business, we numbered the features in a regular pattern, BUT we also created an Inspection Plan which grouped the features in a manner to expedite inspection.

We grouped the attributes and characteristics in sections keyed to the inspection tool/instrument which would be used (we had one plan for First Article - ALL features; another plan for In-Process; a third for Final Inspection once in production)

The inspection would start from least complicated instrumentation through most complicated

  • confirm material cert,
  • visual for obvious blemishes, nonconformance,
  • external simple dimension check - caliper,
  • precision dimension check - micrometer
  • threads (gages or wires)
  • internal measurements (bores, threads, cavities)
  • special instruments (cnc optical comparator, CMM, hardness, chemical analysis, etc.)
This ordering would make for a more efficient inspection and allow replication using similar instruments for each stage of the inspection.

It just didn't make sense to us for the inspection routine to follow the numbering pattern dictated by starting in one corner of the drawing, switching from caliper to bore gage to super micrometer, back to caliper as each feature was examined..

Now, of course, programmed CMMs or optical comparators (or machine vision) can take dozens of measurements once the piece part is fixtured into the device, making the process even more efficient.
 

gmontaigne

Registered
Not sure where to post this or how to start a new thread.

Was searching google today and came across Combinumeral Font-this is the way to go.

Been Ballooning Prints for years and have tried many different softwares that never really worked for me, but the Combinumeral Font will place a balloon(circled) number on the print, I am using it in PDF.


This is a free font and will have to be installed to use it. ENJOY

fontsite.com/2092/combinumerals-ltdLet me know how you like it.

Happy Friday!

Gary Montaigne:)
 
M

Mark Paul

I used to be quite pedantic about the way ballooning was done. This was brought on by a FORD STA w/ issues.

In my new position, I found that with up to 200 balloons what really mattered was how the CMM was going to spit the numbers out. To make life easy, I always ask the programmer if we ran the part 5 - 10 years ago. If so, what numbering did the long departed engineer and cmm guy use?

Sometime there is no rhyme or reason, the numbers are everywhere. However, since datapage and 'export to excel' are caput (don' ask) it makes it easy on the tech to fill out the ISIR when the ISIR numbers are in the same goofy order that the part is measured in. I can just sort the whole thing in excel for the customer. I've had to learn to let go...:notme:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
T

tabort

Not sure where to post this or how to start a new thread.

Was searching google today and came across Combinumeral Font-this is the way to go.

Been Ballooning Prints for years and have tried many different softwares that never really worked for me, but the Combinumeral Font will place a balloon(circled) number on the print, I am using it in PDF.


This is a free font and will have to be installed to use it. ENJOY

fontsite.com/2092/combinumerals-ltdLet me know how you like it.

Happy Friday!

Gary Montaigne:)
Did you have any problems getting Combinumerals working in Acrobat? It works fine for me in Word but in Acrobat it just gives me left side semicircles on each number.
 

gmontaigne

Registered
Follow the link for instructions-wouldn't let me put in a link_
You can only number 1-99 with the combinumeral LTD font.
You would need to purchase the combinumeral pro version if you need to go past 99

you need to look up combinumeral instructions myfonts dot com

Use the letters on the Keyboard Q-P, A-;for 1-20

The number keys gives you the open and closed numbers, the number then shift and the number
 
T

tabort

I think I did all of that correctly but when I try to type in Acrobat I get this:

https://i.imgur.com/UAl5e0v.jpg

I don't have enough posts so you'll have to copy and paste the image link above.




.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

gmontaigne

Registered
See my attachment, if it goes through...
 

Attachments

  • Ballooning a Print (Drawing) - A correct way to do a "bubble" print for a PPAP
    Capture.JPG
    95 KB · Views: 441
T

tabort

That's exactly what I needed! In word, it worked without using the Shift key and I had not seen that tutorial. Thanks!
 
N

ncwalker

OK. I will bite and fight the stream ....

Absolutely do not forget to number the notes.

But as far as the dimensions go, IF it is a complex part (say 50+ dimensions) the best way to do it is to start with the datums. Number 1 is the primary datum, 2 is the secondary, ....

I will also add if you are doing this on a CMM, you should spit out the FORMS of the datums (typcially flatness and roundness) even if the print doesn't call for it. Why? When you start running the program, if the forms are ****, go ahead and stop the program. Because nothing else will be believable.

So 1-3 are your primary datums. Here is where you have a choice... you can then continue with all features based on these OR if there are secondary datum structures you can group ALL of them in the top. I like the first version, because contrary to popular belief you can't just switch alignment systems in a CMM. Everyone SAYS you can. Try it. You start to get round off accumulation errors.

My two cents.

(And yes, it's also nice to group them by HOW they are checked. First CMM stuff, then profilometer, micrometer, etc. Can't remember who said the comment).
 
Top Bottom