Populate Tube & Pipe in Reverse

[lesmfunk]

Has anyone been successful in populating the T&P in reverse? I have a bent tube that can only be bent starting in one direction, but was modeled in the other. Is there a way to reverse the bend machine output without remodeling the tube?

Notice how in one direction the tubing will interfere with itself before the final bend is performed.

Any ideas...other than remodeling it?

[cbenner]

Um,... what?  Populating in reverse?  Reverse of what?  I can't see any errors in your image, but it would seem that if there is an error in one direction it would be there regardless.  As far as I know there is no direction to the way T&P populates a route.

[lesmfunk]

If you open your populated Tube Segment or Flexible Hose in its own window, you will notice that the sweep does indeed start at one end. The direction seems to be based on the order in which the points were created.

Now, when you export the Bending Machine Output, the CNC coordinates (for start of bend) follow that same order. Unfortunately, it may not be manufacturable in that order. (This is a similar problem to bending sheet metal)

I want to flip the coordinates, without remodeling, so that it is manufacturable. Just thought someone might have been successful in doing this.

I am also realizing there are very few of us T&P guys on this forum.

[blair]

The direction of the T & P run goes from start point (first point selected) to the termination point (second point selected).  As posted not sure if this will help you as stated in the post from "lesmfunk". You might be able to do a Derive Component and then try using the Move-Body command to change the orientation of the Derived part.

We have some pipe that we bend here that we can only bend 1/2 of the pipe and then turn it around and bend the other half. I'm pretty sure my shop foreman would do the LH side bends first, then remove the pipe turn it around and bend the RH 90d bend last.

[lesmfunk]

Thanks guys for the thoughtful responses.

I have an excel macro that creates my .csv bend table from the .lra bending machine output. I think I'll make an option in excel to create the table in reverse.

I was just being lazy hoping Inventor had a flip switch.

Thanks again.

[cbenner]

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@lesmfunk wrote:

I am also realizing there are very few of us T&P guys on this forum.

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We're a very elite group! 

[blair]

And to take that ever further, some of us are ridgid T & P while others are on the flexible side.