Question about lasercutting tube and pipe

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys,

I have a question about the following picture:

I made a design including some tube and pipe. I would like these parts to be laser cut. I laid down a sketchline and added the pipe by using the 'insert frame' command. Inventor then adds 5 pieces of pipe to create the model. Since I want it to be laser cut and bend, does it need to be build up out of 1 piece? So I can make a flat pattern as we can in sheet metal? And if yes, can I convert this model into one piece? 

I hope somebody can help me out!

Thank you and greetings from The Netherlands,

Edwin Potter

[Sergio.D.Suárez]

Hi, I think what you need can easily be done with inventor. Then I share a video

[video]

This is a possible way to fold a tube cut by laser. Note that the example is illustrative, more tweaks to the file are needed mainly in the corners.
This way you can customize any type of complex cut through the inventor and you don't need to use program tools like Radtube to achieve this.
You must consider other points. If your laser cutting machine is 3-axis, you must make a thickness compensation on the inside faces of the folding so that they do not overlap between them.
On the other hand, you will have to program microjoints in the remaining material so that it does not fall out when the machine is cutting, since if the flavorings leave the part, in a turn of the machine the part could be curved and hit the head of your machine. You should be very careful that the weight of the part does not cut the microjoint, you must stop the machine or someone from the end of the machine may check that everything goes as appropriate. (That is, you have to control a little more this work that the simple cut of a structural tube)
On the other hand you have less use of material, if they are short parts in length you can take advantage of a nesting, but since here you have a longer part that joins all the previous ones there is less use of structural bar.
I hope I have been clear, and that some of the contributions may be useful. Greetings from Argentina!

[Sergio.D.Suárez]

In the case of a circular tube, the procedure is similar, it changes that you cannot perform a bend in the part. Micro-joints must be made to the pipe of the order of 2-3 mm. In this case this method is very effective, even if a part is cut by manipulation. In the parts the marks of these micro-joints remain, and it makes it impossible for the welder to make a mistake in the exact position of the circular tube (there may be two positions if there is no micro-union mark).
Here I share a file, how I achieved this by trying to model a simple ladder bar. Sweep 1 was used to model the finished part, the rest of the operations to be able to present it in the cutting machine
I hope the file is understood. regards

[info]

Nowdays where most of the factories have fiber laser tools for cutting such frames, sadly there is no automation in this process.
It could save hours of work in design, cutting process, assembly and also less waste material.
We need smart design practiques to implement in CAD software that take advantage of modern tools of fabrication.