Method to check interference

[spartan2674]

Hello,

I have an assembly, which consists of a a few pipes, a motor cylinder and some other wirings. There is a packaging requirement that no other part/component should come within a range of 15mm of this assembly. In other words, this assembly should have a clash/interference free zone of 15mm on all sides.

Would it be possible to start from one end of the assembly, create an "expanded" structure of 15mm and sweep this along the entire assembly all the way to the other end ? Once done, I would also like to save this "swept volume".

I have used the options such as Spatial Query and Distance and Band Analysis, but is there any other way ?

"Das Beste Oder Nichts"

 

[ferdo]

Transform your CATProduct in a CATPart using Tools-Generate CATPart from Product then you can run the script posted here

http://www.catiav5forum.de/wbb3/wbb/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=4540

It will give surfaces which can be offset at what distance you want (if I remember correctly).

Regards
Fernando

 

[spartan2674]

Hello Fernando,

Thank you for your reply. I tried the macro you pointed me to. It creates a bounding box all right, but the box as the name suggests is rectangular. The part selected has a complex profile.

What I really need is, each surface of the part to be selected, an offset made normal to each surface. The end offsetted surfaces must be joined together. In other words, the bounding "box" must maintain the same shape/profile of the part.

I have tried Scaling option, but the result is in a way inaccurate. Is there any other way to achieve this ?

"Das Beste Oder Nichts"

 

[ferdo]

Sorry, I didn't read carefully what you write in first post. After transforming in a CATPart, switch to GSD worknech and extract surfaces with point continuity.

Regards
Fernando

 

[spartan2674]

Yes, thats what I do. I extract the surfaces individually, offset them all in the normal direction to a distance of 5mm, and then try to trim/extrapolate/sweep etc and get the final surfaces which I join.

Is there an automatic/better way of doing it ?

"Das Beste Oder Nichts"

 

[ferdo]

As far as I remember, point continuity will extract a single envelope surface (of course, if the part will allow this) which can be scaled.

If you want to extract each face of the solid with a macro, yes, it can be done (I remember I saw something like this on gtwiki

http://www.gtwiki.org/mwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

but I can't find exactly the link).

Regards
Fernando

 

[jackk]

Spartan,

I think the Plant Design workbenches (Equipment?) has the capability to reserve the extra space around the parts to assure a clearance zone. I recall demos of reserving space for getting your hand around a valve, and space for doors to open, etc.). But I don't know any way to define the "clash free" zone, without manually modeling it.

The Clash Analysis tool provides a way to check for a minimum clearance between your assembly and all the other parts in a higher assembly.

 

[spartan2674]

Hello jackk,

I dont want to reserve extra space around a part, although that would fulfill my requirements, in a way.

My need is to create a solid body around a part, so that when this solid body is placed along with other surrounding parts, I can check if the solid body is intersecting with them. I am currently extracting the surfaces of the part, offsetting them normally by a specified distance and then creating a closed volume.

A bit painstaking I know, but is there an alternative ?

"Das Beste Oder Nichts"

 

[Azrael]

I'm struggling to understand why you need the offseted solids, sounds more that you need a clearance check, like an expert check that checks dynamically or script checking distance between parts

 

[spartan2674]

Each component has a minimum clearance around it, a space in which no part of any other assembly should violate. Think of it as a no fly zone.

The idea was to offset all the surfaces of the component to the minimum clearance value and make a closed surface with them. This way, when the "offseted surfaces" a.k.a the closed surfaces are placed in a product level assembly for eg: engine in a car, all non-engine parts that interfere with the closed volume of the engine can be observed.

"ounds more that you need a clearance check, like an expert check that checks dynamically or script checking distance between parts" - this is also an option, but I have no knowledge with scripting. DMU navigator has a tool called Spatial Query or Distance and Band Analysis I think, but I dont know if the result of the analysis can be saved. Furthermore, for the component which I am working on, each face of the component have different minimum clearance requirements, for eg: one face has 5mm and another has 7mm and so on.

"Das Beste Oder Nichts"

 

[Azrael]

It's hard to give good advice when you don't see the parts but I will try. You could try the band analysis and it can be saved on product level and also generate package reports. The last part about having different clearance requirements for the same part is more trickier, I would try make a linked catshape with offseted shapes so I can switch from engineering part to package part with manage representations functions just for package reviews. I know that manage representations may not work depending on which PDM you use.