Creating a tube with rounded corners? 1

[CNSZU]

Hello,

In the attached image is 3 different ways to create a tube. What I want is to create the C version but without having to add a sketch fillet. The reason I don't want to add a sketch fillet is because there is a situation where I have a collection of straight lines in 3D space, and I want to save the time of adding Circular Blend Curves to all corners, and also because I want to be able to adjust the diameter of the tube and have the size of the corners radiuses updated automatically. So, is there a way to create a sketch like in the A version and have a tube created that automatically adds a radius to the resulting tube corner?


NX8 Win7 i7-3770K@4.3Ghz 16GB Quadro2000

 

[cowski]

I want to be able to adjust the diameter of the tube and have the size of the corners radiuses updated automatically.

Create an expression that will drive both the tube diameter and the blend curves.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[JohnRBaker]

There are no automatic corners created when using the Insert -> Sweep -> Tube... function. You MUST define a complete path including the corner curves. But as cowski suggested, the radius of those corner 'fillets' can be linked to the size of the tube by using a common Expression..

John R. Baker, P.E.
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Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
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[Toost]

Using NX Routing, Yes.

Regards,
Tomas

 

[CNSZU]

Thank you for the answers.

Attached is an image showing a Tube on a path consisting of several straight lines, with Circular Blend Curves added as corners. The blend curves radius are controlled by the formula TubeDia/2, and the tube outer diameter controlled by the formula TubeDia with a value of 30. This method works fine.

Tomas, I'm not familiar with Routing, is that easier than this way?

NX8 Win7 i7-3770K@4.3Ghz 16GB Quadro2000

 

[Toost]

In case you do a lot of tubes/ tubing etc, it probably both easier and faster,
if you don't it's a quite different application with it's own working methods , and ... a learning curve...
Another "problem" with routing is that one needs to do quite a lot of system setup before one can use it efficiently.

Regards,
Tomas

 

[CNSZU]

Thank you, in that case I'll stick the regular modeling application.

NX8 Win7 i7-3770K@4.3Ghz 16GB Quadro2000

 

[capnhook]

CNSZU, you should model your tubes using "reality" as your guide. None of your three examples exists in nature.

A tube is bent around a radial form, sometimes using an internal mandrel to avoid collapsing the tube. It needs to be swept along a guide that includes a bending radius between your straight sections.

You want other people to use your model afterwards, don't you?

Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community..

[green]To the Toolmaker, your nice little cartoon drawing of your glass looks cool, but your solid model sucks. Do you want me to fix it, or are you going to take all week to get it back to me so I can get some work done?[/green]

 

[CNSZU]

capnhook, you have a good point. A centerline bending radius of 1/2 the OD of the tube is probably a tad optimistic. It should probably be more like 2.5 times the OD, this is something I need to find out more about.

NX8 Win7 i7-3770K@4.3Ghz 16GB Quadro2000

 

[JohnRBaker]

That's another advantage of something like the Routing package, since in this case, when creating tubing runs, it can apply manufacturing rules such as minimum bend radiuses to assure results which can actually be built in the real world.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[carlharr]

An entirely different feature that behaves in the way you want is the contour flange in sheet metal, where the bend radii are added based on sheet metal preferences (if not overriden with sketched lines).

Maybe a "bend radius" parameter could be added to the tube feature in future, to work just like contour flange.

You never know.

 

[JohnRBaker]

There already is, in the Routing application.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.