DavidDEC
Mechanical
- Jun 8, 2010
- 15
Hello,
I'm trying to find some kind of workflow to succesfully design flexible hoses that fit into place from the beginning using the Routing Mechanical module. I'm currently using NX 4.
The main problem is that I haven't found any tool that allows spline generation AND curvature control at the same time. This results many times in hoses that once in the shop don't fit well at all between their connections. The flexible hose supplier needs to come, take some measurements and manufacture another hose. Sometimes, there isn't even the possibility to do this because no hose will fit in some thight assemblies.
Shoudn't the Routing Mechanical module be a help in these situation?
This is what I have been trying:
You only have the "slack direction" option to have some control of the shape. This option is realistic if you are to simulate the influence of gravity on a very soft, very large hose.
However, when space is tight and the shape of the hose comes from bending it to its minimum radius of curvature, the "slack direction" option becomes completely unrealistic. Let's take an "S" bend, in this case one of the two curves would have a fair curvature, while the one that is the oppsite direction of the slack would have a very tight radius.
The only workaround I've found is to create the paths with the "generate splines" option off. Then I start checking in an interative process if I can assign a given minimum bend radius to each corner.
Isn't there any more straightforward method? Something that given two endpoints with their respective slopes gives you a spline that respects a minimum radius of curvature?
Thank you in advance
I'm trying to find some kind of workflow to succesfully design flexible hoses that fit into place from the beginning using the Routing Mechanical module. I'm currently using NX 4.
The main problem is that I haven't found any tool that allows spline generation AND curvature control at the same time. This results many times in hoses that once in the shop don't fit well at all between their connections. The flexible hose supplier needs to come, take some measurements and manufacture another hose. Sometimes, there isn't even the possibility to do this because no hose will fit in some thight assemblies.
Shoudn't the Routing Mechanical module be a help in these situation?
This is what I have been trying:
You only have the "slack direction" option to have some control of the shape. This option is realistic if you are to simulate the influence of gravity on a very soft, very large hose.
However, when space is tight and the shape of the hose comes from bending it to its minimum radius of curvature, the "slack direction" option becomes completely unrealistic. Let's take an "S" bend, in this case one of the two curves would have a fair curvature, while the one that is the oppsite direction of the slack would have a very tight radius.
The only workaround I've found is to create the paths with the "generate splines" option off. Then I start checking in an interative process if I can assign a given minimum bend radius to each corner.
Isn't there any more straightforward method? Something that given two endpoints with their respective slopes gives you a spline that respects a minimum radius of curvature?
Thank you in advance