How to unbend tubes to be cut on a laser tube cutting machine?

[santiago_vergel201]

Hey guys!

I am working on a furniture project using metal pipes with somewhat complex bends with cuts and perforations. Each piece will be cut on a Tube Laser Cutting Machine. This is my first time using this cutting system.

Because these tubular pieces have this series of characteristics, the machine manufacturer tells me that the 3D model must be virtually unfolded to be programmed and cut on the machine.

This is where my doubts and questions lie.

How should the modeling process be, so that the interaction of the pieces and the operations that arise from them can be manufactured on this machine?

How can I display these 3D pieces from the Autodesk Inventor 2021 software to be able to cut them on the machine?

Does Autodesk have any extension o plug-in that offers to develop this process?

*I attach the model of a part and I added a diagram that explains it

Please, your help and ideas will be of great

[ldutkaTUZ58]

couldn't you "Measure" it and total up the dimensions, ie, I saw 898 mm in total, which figured to be over 35.3'. 

[Pineapple2024]

"Unfold" usually means flatten.

I think  you mean "straighten".

IV cannot "straighten" bend pipes.  You need to test on your bending machine to find the length you need.

Similar to bend allowance for sheet metal flattening.

[santiago_vergel201]

Do you know if there is a tool or process that allows me to generate the unbending automatically? The fact that some cutting operations are associated with other parts, and in turn, are located according to the angularity of the folds, increases the complexity of creating a second element from scratch and making the process precise. ;(

[kacper.suchomski]

Hi

The subject is vast and there is no one optimal workflow. It all depends on the case.

A while ago @bradeneuropeArthur  created an add-on that allows reading lengths - but it seems to only work for sweeps. A different workflow is required - 3D sketch and Sweep.

Another way is to create such a 3D sketch and use the frame generator - in the BOM table you will find information about the pipe length.

Yet another way is to read the path length using iLogic - but this also requires having a sketch with the path.

The last can be done in reverse order - on the basis of the finished model, you create a 3D sketch based on key points and measure its length (manually or via iLogic).

In your case I have one more question - where did you get the length of the first Extrude?

Isn't that what you are looking for?

Isn't it enough to just read the parameter?

[santiago_vergel201]

Hello, thanks for offering this help!
I think I may not have explained myself very well when I asked the question.
What I am looking to do is to perform the unfolding/unbending/straightening* of the tubular piece and to include ALL the cutting operations (cutting the dimensions of the tube, perforations, and cutting the fishmouth of this model), so that the Tube laser cutting machine can interpret everything and cut it.

*Sorry, My technical English is not very good

[kacper.suchomski]

You can change the order of operations (perform all Extrude and holes before bending) and create a model state excluding bending operations.

[santiago_vergel201]

The product is made up of several parts. I could make the perforations before the bends, however the interactions of the parts limit other parts such as fish mouths and perhaps some welding guides. *See attached image

Even so, I don't know how to generate this unfolding/unbending/straightening (to include all operations) so that the machine accepts it and cuts it.

Maybe, do you know of any additional program that allows unfolding/unfolding/straightening with all cuts included?

I saw that other CAD software allows this process (Link) 

[kacper.suchomski]

You can still prepare a model state without bends, which will work analogously to straightening. Such a model can be exported to step.

[santiago_vergel201]

Apparently in Autodesk Inventor this process is not possible. 😢

[Pineapple2024]

The video you show is a Solidworks addin which cost extra.