flat pattern for the intersection curve of 2 tubes having the same diameter

[Anonymous]

hi ,

i'm trying to have a flat pattern for the intersection curve of 2 tubes having the same diameter.

those tubes are both non-rectiliniar.

Iwas trying to sweep a riped circle onone arc. (in the standard part envirement)

then cut it with another sweep of the same circle on an intersecting arc.

then convert it to sheet metal. but i'm not having a flat pattern.

please advise if you have any other way to make it. (i can do it when the tubes are rectiliniar but i'm intrested in arced tubes ) thank you.

[JDMather]

Attach your file here.
Sweep surfaces.
Trim Surface

Thicken one at a time or Derive Component the surface bodies and thicken.
Convert to Sheet Metal and Flat Pattern.

[Yijiang.Cai]

One point is important that the thickness of thickening surface must equal to the sheet metal thickness when coverting the part to sheet metal.

If the solution is not fine, please attach the dataset.

Thanks,

River Cai

[Anonymous]

CHECK MY ATTACHEMENT ,

I'VR TRYIED YOUR SOLUTION OF THICKENING SURFACES ,

BUT NO BEND WERE FOUND.

YOU CAN TRY IT AND CHECK THE EROR DISPLAYED.

THANKS.

[JDMather]

What version of Inventor did you say you are using?
I think you will have to use Contoured Roll and include a rip.
The trimming is going to be a bit tricky.

[Anonymous]

hi ,

1- i am using the 2010 edition.

by the way this is what i'm getting as eror :

   TUBES ATTACHEMENT.ipt: Errors occurred during update
     TUBES ATTACHEMENT.ipt (Flat Pattern): Errors occurred during update
       Definition1: Could not build this ASMFlatPattern
         Unfolder Failure: No bends found, nothing to compute.
           Unfolder Failure: No bends found, nothing to compute.

2 - i don't have the corresponding sketch to perform the sweep in the contour roll command.

thanks a lot for your help!

[alewer]

Your surface is not developable and therefore you won't be able to get a flat pattern from it with Inventor.  However, you can roughly approximate it as I have in the attached file.  I hope that this method is sufficient for your needs.

A side note--if you aren't sure if a surface is developable, imagine making your shape from a sheet of cardboard.  You can roll the cardboard into a cylindrical tube, but you can't bend the tube without the cardboard tearing or crumpling.

Attached file is 2010.

[WHolzwarth]

Hmm. Here is my input.

I think, your task is somehow away from reality. It makes no sense, manufacturing a 30 mm dia tube from sheet metal.

Therefore, you can get a 3D model of  bent and intersected tubes. But from sheet metal - forget about it.

Walter

[Anonymous]

Dear sir ,

in reality i'm working with 406.4mm tubes.

all i need is the flat pattern forthe intersection so i can print it at a 1:1 scale and execut the tube cut at intersection points on site.

with 30mm tubes it will be a lost of time to make it with sheet metal.

do you have any other software that can perform the flat patern of the intersection curve of 2 arced tubes.

thanks.

[WHolzwarth]

Go back to the roots.

Think about manufacturing a single bent tube from sheet metal.

After that, you could intersect them. But normally, the first task will fail. It depends from the ratio of tube diameter versus bend radius.

You can get a straight tube and bend it, limited by bend radius versus tube diameter. But from sheet metal?

Walter

[JDMather]

Stick around for a couple of days and I might have an example using the Contoured Roll tool, but unfortunately I have little confidence in Autodesk's unfolder for Countored Rolls, so not sure an exceptable solution can be reached.

There are other tools like AutoPoL that I have heard of but never used.

I think you can download a demo.

[WHolzwarth]

Try to take a sheet of paper and bend it somehow to a curved tube, Jeffrey. You'll never succeed.

This can't be done without additional shape changing energy and special pickups, IMHO. But I'm learning from day to day.

Walter