Auto Generate Bent Pipe Cut Length

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

as the title says, is there a way to have AutoCAD 2017 generate this sort of cut length? 

A little background, we manufacture aluminum guardrail and handrail. Its made out of sch 40 and sch 80 1.89(OD) pipe. Now that we are under new management and are upgrading everything, we are looking to improve all the steps we take from start to finish. This included the way our shop figured out the cut lengths for bent pipe. Shop foreman is using a 10 year old program.

I currently have AutoCAD 2017 while the rest of the office is using LT so I was tasked with finding a better/faster way of doing this. I have not fully explored AutoCAD's capabilities but I would like to be pointed in the right direction. Thanks in advance!

[TheCADnoob]

Im not familiar with the following product but I believe the feautre you are looking for is built into AutoCAD Plant3D. one would simply click on the line (and in the properties) to get the cut length and i believe it can be exported in excel as well. I realize this is a different application of pipping than you are using but it is there it might be in some of the other verticals. 

I might hope over to the plant 3d forum and ask around if you dont get another answer here. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-plant-3d-forum/bd-p/371

Another solution would be to use lisp or something along those line within autocad to calculate these lengths, but that will likely take some development. 

To help me better understand what you are looking for could you describe the process which you are trying to automate. 

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

Please give me some more detail. I assume you are preparing shop drawings which can ultimately make their way to the manufacturing process. So, how are you doing your Pipe drawings? Do you go on-site, measure conditions and then start to draw your layout? Are you doing this in 3D?

I am guessing a simple Data Extraction in AutoCAD could report the length of each pipe and could also include any joints or sleeves (maybe best as blocks).

You could possibly run an extraction and paste the resulting information directly in your drawing file or you could export to Excel for pricing and such.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Hi @john.vellek,

I typically do not include pipe cut lengths for our rail in out shop drawings, we provide overall dimensions and post to post center-line dimensions and our shop creates the cut sheet for the pipe according to what fittings are going to be used to connect the pipe. Our shop superintendent usually breaks it down, he plugs his information into a spreadsheet he created over the years that gives him the over all cut length. He has to plug in the radius of the bend, the angle it needs to bend, and the amount of straight pipe in between bends. All of this is done in 2-D for the time being.

I am currently using the Data Extraction tool in the same manner you describe it but only to count the parts that are being used to fasten together our rail. 

How would I set up the Data Extraction to give me this pipe length? Would it be able to tell me the cut length for bent pipe?

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

Is it possible to attach a sample file? It would help me to give you a better answer.

As far as the bend measurement is concerned, I imagine the formula used in the Excel file might be able to get applied here too. I would have to see it as I don't do that for a living 🙂 

[Anonymous]

Hi @TheCADnoob,

I am not familiar with AutoCAD Plant3D, I haven't worked with it but I have heard of it.

What I am trying to accomplish is to eliminate the time it takes our shop foreman to take our shop drawing, break them down to create a cut list for all the pipe that will be used to assemble a job. I would like to be able to provide him with the list of the lengths in order to be able to place jobs into production much quicker. 

What I am focusing mainly on is the stair railing, where we have most of the bent pipe. 

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

AutoCAD Plant 3D is super cool for handling pipe but might be overkill for what you are doing. I suggest grabbing a trial version to see how it might fit your needs and workflow.

[Anonymous]

Hey @john.vellek,

when I first began we were using AutoCAD 2011 LT, and that was one and a half year ago. I suggested going to full which everyone in the office said the same thing, it would be overkill, but now we have it. the ROI was greater that expected but you may be right. 

Side question, I was told there was a program that auto creates a part number leader that corresponds with the part list created from the DataExtraction command. Is this so?

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

Yes, sometimes the proof is in putting the program to work.

As far as AutoTagging goes, I believe there are several third-party apps that might do this. You might take a look in the Autodesk App Store to see if there is anything that might look fruitful.

As far as capturing length, I suggest that making the pipe into dynamic blocks with a stretch parameter would make insertion easier and faster and then the length could be captured in a field that is contained in a tag. The tag could then be data extracted into a table.

[john.vellek]

Hi Jose,

I am checking back to see if my post helped you with your problem or if you need additional assistance or information. Please add a post with how you decide to proceed and your results so other Community members may benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.