Solidworks for (forming)PressTools and pipe fixtures?...

[Sirius2]

Has anyone had any luck using Solidworks for exhaust pipe fixtures or multistage (forming) presstools yet?. How about modelling things in an assembly that are non contacting (yet positioned in relation to each other) and at compound angles in 'car line' orientation?.
If you can follow what on earth Im describing, lol.

For example, an exhaust pipe which has flange/mounting plates on each end & multiple brackets along its 3d path positioned in space at different radial positions along pipe and around pipe bend sectons etc..

The partially surfaced iges pipe data sent is usually positioned in 'car line', ie way out in space at like x3500mm,y2567mm,z1235mm etc and may need orientating a particular way round relative to the fixture 'baseplate'. eg, to get a particular portion of the pipe perfectly axial in normal space, or a bracket horizontal etc.

Dont forget the data is usually too poor and comprised of wireframe and or surfaces to be healed or stitched without unwanted and often unnecessary redraw of the component.....these are usually 1 offs you see.
Turn around, a timescale of about 24-30 hours design time or less for a pretty complex check fixture, which by hook or crook we manage in 2d now, but the drawings are forced to be quite basic due to lack of using the component data effectively etc.

Just curious to whether its possible to do this fully inside of Solidworks in a realistic time frame......Some linked web examples or know how/instructions would be fantastic, cos I know what you solidworkers are like - "it can do everything and make a coffee at the same time" lol.

I may pester a few other software pages on here aswell, if its allowed......


Thanks,

Sirius.

 

[Jevakil]

First and formost try to get the data in STEP format as opposed to iges. You will have a lot easier time using STEP files.

Second, you can always add planes and axes to any model and use those for positioning and mating.

Good luck.

 

[Sirius2]

We cannot get Step files unfortunately....the drawings we get originate via Japan (using CADDS5 from what I gather) and they are very sloppyly constructed wireframes (which miss each other significantly at the endpionts of lines etc) with the occasional surface on bracketry work/lugs and a single skin representing the outer surface of the pipe and outlet flange.

For presstooling parts (from the same place) again, its poor wireframe with surfaces only where form is undescribable via pure lines alone.
If it is surfaced, they are never truely finished off....ie sharp corners which should be very complex blend radii.

Lead times/job turnaround are getting ridiculously short and spending a lot of time reconstructing to water tight solids for solidmodellers is on the whole unwanted....however, we need to get our foot in with solidmodelling to help us move out of 2d and keep competitive and avoid mistakes and lengthy calculations trying to project/draw/construct obscure angled features in 2d!.

Mechanical desktop is the best Ive seen so far for this stuff, but surely something is possible with a 'newfangled/trendy' solidmodeller (beit SW/Inventor/S.edge etc), even though the input data is so bad????.
We got a 30 day Rhino3d demo, which was good because it can create 2d views of pure wireframe geometry.....however, handy as this is to us considering the files, you cant really draw up a full fixture in Rhino and theres no parametrics,proper dimensioning tools or feature based parts/history tree etc, besides, the idea is to use 3d more. That said, a seat of rhino would be an advantage in my opinion.

Do you know of any free web based information on creating non standard workplanes and pipe paths for solidmodellers like Inventor or Solidworks etc so I can have a read at the 'way they work' in this regard?. Poeple who draw machinery and products etc are alright - they dont seem to need the same manipulation tools we do.

Thanks again,

Sirius2

 

[Jevakil]

Having worked in Auto industry you have my full sympathy.

From what you are describing, the data you are receiving is pretty much hopeless. My suggestion is that you recreate the files in Solidworks. I know you have very tight deadlines, but the time spent recreating the models is time well spent. Solidworks has a number of robust tools for creating complex surfaces.

If you can, email me a typical file that you receive from your vendor. That will give me a better idea what you are up against.

Regards,


What this site needs is a spell checker.

jevakil@mapdi.com

 

[TheTick]

As for working in "in-car" position, it mostly takes a different mindset. I work for a tier2 auto interior metal hinge and stamping manufacturer, so I have to do this a lot.

Set up base axes through the origin and perpendicular to each of the 3 principle planes so that you have X, Y, and Z axes. When 2D sketching, don't use horizontal or vertical constraints. Constrain parallel or perp to one of the principle axes instead. You will have a more robust model. The axes are also helpful in 3D sketching, though 3D sketching has absolute orientation w.r.t. X, Y, and Z axes.

Use 3D sketches to set up some skeleton geometry (in my case, centerline of hinge barrel; in your case tube centerlines). In the context of an assembly, you can constrain lines and points to mating parts (i.e. concentric to a cylinder, normal to a surface). Usually, after I get a skeleton sketch in position, I delete the in-context constraints and constrain by dimensions or fixing points.

You can then use the skeleton sketch to create planes and axes that are key to your design (like locations ov tube centers or mating ends).

Someday, someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

 

[TheTick]

I am laying some groundwork to write some addins that make "best fit" geometry, such as best fit planes and best fit cylinders that most closely match point sets.

I am curious how much interest there is in something like that.

Someday, someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.