Drafting for cutting

[sodamninsane]

I'm designing a chassis with a lot of tubes in it, and would like to print out a flat version of the tube to use as a template for cutting out the "fish mounths" or mating areas on each tube.

How I do that? essentially I would like to unroll the tube in cad, print it out, then roll the flat piece of paper around the tube in the real world.

Thanks,
Andy

 

[velto]

Andy
In NX I think if you want unroll a tube, the tube must draw like open (opening circle). If you have that you can use flat solid in NX sheet metal to do it. I don't know another method may be someone has better?
Velto

 

[hudson888]

There is a way that you can do this if you have a Sheet Metal license.

To follow the method that I would have you use you'll need to model a slot though the tube wall along the length of it on one side only. This defines where the edges of the paper start and end and it gives the flat patterning tool in UG something it can work with. In testing I made the slot 0.02 wide.

The tool I used was Application>Sheet Metal>Forming/Flattening, then Tools>Flat Pattern. You select the outside face of the tube and then you probably want to change the bend allowance formula. UG flat patterning allows you to apply bend allowance based on standard formulas. With what you're proposing to do you may need to force UG not to apply any setback.

(Radius+(Thickness))*rad(Angle) , for thin paper wrapped round the outside with no bend allowance.

(Radius+(Thickness*0.44))*rad(Angle) , applies bend allowance suitable to steel or aluminum. This is the default.

It is easy enough to pick <bend allowance formula> and edit the values after you have selected the outer face. You will find you can edit the orientation as you go as well.

Regards

Hudson

 

[sodamninsane]

wow.. i thought there would be an easier way. Thats going to take a while...

thanks for the help!

Andy

 

[JohnRBaker]

Try Insert -> Curve from Curves -> Wrap/Unwrap...

You can use it to either wrap curves around cylinders/cones. You can also use it to unwrap curves from cylinder/cones (note that this can include cuves AND edges.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Product Line
SIEMENS PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[sodamninsane]

Thanks John, thats exactly what I was looking for!!