The shape is described by using a feature based classification system which enables the important manufacturing related design issues to be taken into account.
First the general shape is selected from one of three families:
You might like to think of these as turned parts, milled parts, and pressed parts. We avoid process-specific definitions like these because any of the shapes may be produced, for example, by injection moulding.
In the second stage of classification, One of five levels of complexity is selected. Detailed descriptions, examples and pictures of typical parts are included to help with this selection.
