Anyone know of a workaround for a 'bellows' feature? 2

[Recneps]

Without spending another $10,000 for the modules to allow me to use the 'spinal bend' surfacing feature, does anyone know how to create a bent 'bellows' feature? By bellows, I mean a pipe compressed on its axis, making a sort of accordion out of it, with a sine wave as its profile. Creating this feature on a straight axis is easily done, but I want to bend it and show how the convolutions spread on the outside of the bend and compress together on the inside of the bend.

 

[selim]

Hello Recneps

Try using the toroidal feature in the tweak menu.

Create a straight feature fist then use the toroidal feature. This will do what you want as it will bend the part in both directions if you want. If you need more help on how to use this let me know at.

miles@acorn-engineering.co.uk

 

[Recneps]

selim,
The toroidal bend worked (sort of). The only limitation that I see is that for the cross section, it will only accept an open section. For a tube, I need to have the section be a completed circular section. I am going to try different things as I get around to it, but this has given me a good start in the right direction - THANKS.

Recneps

 

[selim]

Recneps

Make the tube first as a normal revolve or something. Then apply the toroidal feature to the first section. I have made a quick part that is like this in proe 2001. If you want it let me know.
This is not perfect but its the best that I can do without spending a fortune.

 

[buzzsmith]

I used to teach variable section sweeps by using the bellows on a gas pump nozzle. The variable section sweep will be "thin" Just draw the trajectory and X trajectory (I made them identical, but moved one away from the other).
When you're ready to start drawing the section, draw just a circle. (this is the pipe's I.D.)
WHILE STILL IN THE SKETCHER create a relation something like this (assume d99 is the circle's diameter):
d99=2+(sin(trajpar*360*25)+1)/10
This will cause the pipe's diameter to oscillate in a sine wave as it sweeps along the trajectory.
In the equation, the "2" represents the smallest I.D. of the bellows, the "1" added to the sine function is to make the Y value of the sine function always >=0 (remember sine of any angle varies between 1 and -1), the "10" that was used to divide the sine function lessens the peaks and valleys of the sine function (instead of an I.D. that varies between 2 and 4, you have an I.D. that varies between 2 and 2.20), and finally, the "25" is the number of "waves" the sine function goes through.

Richard D. "Buzz" Smith
Solidiform, Inc.

http://www.solidiform.com