Question about frame/body engineering/CAD 1

[revoltevp]

I've got an idea for a vehicle that I'd like to have 'engineered' but I can hardly get sketchup to do what I want it to.

Its a simple, small, tube framed, tilting three wheeled, modular design. I've made some drawings and stuff but I'd like to have someone who knows what their doing actually CAD it and get it to the point where I could start making them. I think it has so much potential that I've got to do something, even if it means starting by building them one at a time by hand.

I need help figuring out the best way to attach the power and suspension modules to the frame pod and get the suspension figured out etc.

I don't really know where to start or who to contact that does this sort of thing and I don't have the budget of a startup or anything like that. Just a really good idea and some spare change.

I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.

 

[GregLocock]

I've done this from scratch a couple of times for solar cars. Unfortunately what you are asking for is either going to be badly done, expensive, or a labour of love.

Roughly speaking, if you need production type drawings you'll need something like three to six man months, less if your current sketches show exactly what needs to be done (in which case why do you need CAD?). You are looking for a CAD designer who has experience with the method of fabrication you have selected.

Personally I'd build from what you have, then get the expensive drawings done.



Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[MikeHalloran]

I agree with Greg; do your modeling actual size, in real materials, using hand sketches and cardboard templates where you need to, and taking photographs as you go for record purposes.

The awful truth is that CAD is a horribly inefficient way to design anything. Even someone who is really good at CAD will spend a lot of time fighting problems that appear significant only within CAD's limited window on the world. Those same problems will be instantly bypassed by the guy with a hammer and a saw and a brain.

Save the CAD for the eleventh generation, where you need to make production drawings and production tooling drawings and all that sort of crap.

Until you reach that point, the basic idea is to fail as fast as you can.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[patentless]

Which program would be best if you had unlimited money? And which one is the best free or open source program out there for designing a car chassis?

 

[GregLocock]

The first is a religous argument, in which I prefer to laugh at all dogma rather than expressing a preference. However, Catia and NX seem quite popular.

As to cheap or open source there are a few options, TurboCad among them. A search of this site should find a longer thread on that. To be honest for a chassis I'd have thought pencil and paper were adequate.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[Komodo86]

I found for a tube frame, Solidworks' 3D sketch feature made it a pretty straightfoward process.

I now work in Pro/E and while I could create the same frame as I could in Solidworks, it would be a lot longer process as there is no 3D sketching ability.

 

[KevinDeSmet]

I believe Pro has a weldment module extension that works similar to Solidworks' 3D Sketch.

Certified SolidWorks Professional