Workflow for designing exhaust header

[viperx85]

Ive got a 3D scan of my engine and chassis and i'm trying to design a set of 4-2-1 headers for my KA24DE inline 4. I have the header flange and the collectors in position and just wondering if there is a easier way to layout the tube's?

I need the bends to be a certain radius and I need the individual tube lengths to be equal and a certain length.

So far my workflow has just been trail and error (Alot of trail and error)

Im using a 3D sketch to draw a path with straight lines, then apply a fillet to the corners with the correct radius (using a parameter)

First problem is I cant just draw the straight lines to add up to the length I need because once I add the fillets the length changes and the amount it changes depends on the angle of the bend.

Alot of the time I draw my straight lines but once I apply the fillet's when two bends are too close to each other they overlap. once you have applied fillets they sketch becomes very unruly, By that I mean if you try to move a point or a line alot of the time it either wont move or it will move all other lines randomly so I usually have to ctrl+z to remove all the fillets, adjust the lines, re-apply the fillets, realize I need to move them abit more. rinse repeat then finally use a pipe command to model the tube.

You can see in the pics below Ive managed to get two primary's routed to exact same length and not interfering with each other but that took ALOT of trail and error.

Wondering if anyone has done similar and knows of any tips/tricks on how to improve my workflow?

An AI feature would be lovely. Tell it I need pipes to run from here to here... be this long, have this radius bend and not hit each other or surrounding components... GO

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! This might be another case that Solid Sweep (sweeping a volume along a path) may help. For Profile Sweep, you need to worry about path self-intersection or profile self-intersection along the path. Solid Sweep does not have such concern, particularly using a sphere. Please see attached part.

Use a sphere as the tool to sweep along the path. You only need to worry about the paths has to be tangent to both ends and they don't go across each other.

Many thanks!

[viperx85]

@user015M86Y Can you upload the file you made with the equal lengths please so I can inspect and learn.

[viperx85]

can you attach your file @user015M86Y ?

[zachkokorovic]

Try using the blend curve tool between two lines in the sketch environment.

Draw a line ,doesnt matter how long, at the beginning of the header, and then another one where you want it to end at the correct angle then blend curve between them. you can add and locate addtional lines to interpolate what youre tryign to accomplish with multiple blend curve commands

[davebYYPCU]

Blend curve Tool, you mean Spline?

Spline is hard to use when using Pipe bending machines.

Might help…..

[viperx85]

@zachkokorovicIf I could define the radius of the spline with a dimension to match the radius I have access to in the real world so I could actually fabricate it that would work great but unfortunately I don't seem to be able to