Space frame chassis sweep?

[tbgallant]

I've made a wireframe 3d sketch of a space frame chassis. I would like to model this being built with rectangular steel tubing.

I know I could extrude the cross section along each member, but this would take A LONG time... can anybody suggest a quicker method?

Thanks

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Use the Sweep function.

Details can be found in the Sweeps section in the Help > SolidWorks Help Topics files.
Also do the Revolves & Sweeps tutorial in the Help > Online Tutorials section.

If you are using SW2005 you may be able to use the Weldment module.



Eng-Tips:-
Intelligent Work Forums For Engineering Professionals

 

[brengine]

The weldment module is available in SW2004 as well. You will most likely either have to break apart your single 3D sketch, or instead keep it as your driving sketch and then create multiple 3D sketches based on it by using the Convert Entites on portions of the driving sketch at a time.

Look up Weldment and Structural Members in the native SW Help.

Ken

 

[Theophilus]

I think weldment is definitely the best option. It works in 2004 and has been greatly enhanced in 2005.


Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reality is no respecter of good intentions.

 

[koyote5]

SW 2005 is much kinder to those using weldments. 2004 dislikes streching profiles over more than one line at a time. If you have access to SW 2005, go for it.

 

[tbgallant]

Thanks guys, I checked out the weldment help section and I'm on the right track.

I just created a weldment feature of my 1X1X0.06 RHS tubing and am using it to piece together the frame a section at a time.

The trouble I'm having is how to treat the connections of mutliple tubes. It is easy enough on the corners of say a square (one can set the corner treatment to mitre) but then if I want to put a diagonal in the middle of the square it becomes very tough.

I try to "trim" the weldment but I can never seem to get it to form a nice "V" in the corners (inside corners of the square where the diagnol is connected).

Any suggestions?

Also, to produce an accurate representation of the frame in FEA / Cosmosworks do I need to add "welds" to all the joints??

Thanks

 

[SBaugh]

"Use construction geometry" in the middle of the Square or shape and place the point at the point at which the construction geometry intersect.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[SBaugh]

Cosmos - You can have the welds, but at the end of the model you must combine everything into a single body. Cosmos does not use multi-bodies.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[tbgallant]

I'm sorry I don't understand your suggested use of construction geometry.

Could you try wording those instructions in a different way??

Thanks

 

[engAlright]

Not to get too off-topic, but just a few caveats on making a single part model of a weldment for CosmosWorks:

-the Solidworks welds do not "finish" the weld as a welder would, they form a sharp corner at the piece that is being welded, so you might see stress concentrations on the edges of the welds
-watch out for seperate members that are touching - Solidworks will fuse these in to single body, whereas in real life they are held together by the weld only, so you will see artifically low stresses at these joints. Add in small gaps between members to avoid this.

A generous safety factor is usually a good idea when doing weldment FEA in Cosmos...

 

[tbgallant]

Hello engAlright, thanks for the post.

I don't understand how i can make a solid body with small gaps between the members?

If I add welds (either actual SW weldments or just another feature to replicate a weld) to fill these gaps, it will just in the end up being a solid body anyways (welds in the real world will fill the gaps).

If I don't add welds, it wont' be a solid body (and I won't be able to do FEA on it).

I'm mainly designing to measure torsional stiffness, but will also attempt to subject the frame to expected loads to see what SF would result.