Threading for 3D printing

[voltagearc]

I'm very new to Inventor (have worked with other modelling softwares) so I still don't quite understand how to create a physical thread versus a "visual" or cosmetic thread. I'm currently modelling a supressor prop (which I will 3D print in plastic) for an airsoft gun and am making two parts 1) the supressor, with a threaded hole to stick the barrel into and 2) an adapter, essentially a cylinder with a hollow smooth inside and a threaded outside which will fit over the unthreaded barrel of the airsoft pistol and allow for me to use the threads. My confusion is that, after exporting my objects as STL files, the threads do not appear, despite my using the hole-> thread command and thread commands. Could anyone explain how to get physical threads for 3D printing. Threads are ANSI Unified Screw Threads 11/16-12 UN 2B and 2A respectively.

[EverhardDawnwood]

F360 will do it, unless Autodesk for some odd reason removed the feature. 🙂

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! As other users already mention, Fusion can generate the physical thread in the Hole command. Regarding CoolOrange ThreadModeler, it should still run on later Inventor releases. You need to change the AddIn file. Please see the following discussion.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/cooloranges-thread-modeler-is-not-visible/td-p/1185917...

Many thanks!

[gallen-ext]

Good Morning, thanks for replying. Unfortunately I do not have F360.

[gallen-ext]

Good Morning, and thank you for replying too.

I don't have access to F360, I also cannot share info over the internet, and I don't think IT will modify or allow modification so it can work.

I only want the thread generation so I can use it for images and for FEA within Ansys. 

It would be nice if Inventor could make it a switching option, 'SHOW THREAD' & 'SHOW IMAGE'.

Also, knowing you have vast knowledge and experience, how does the Inventor FEA deal with threaded items into threaded items?, when wanting to look at loads on say, lifting eye bolts?

Regards Gavin

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Gavin,

The Inventor Thread feature has always been cosmetic. The appearance is a texture. But the thread depth and thread spec is indeed captured in the drawing views. It is just not physical geometry. Inventor FEA does analysis based on the geometry. I don't think it takes the cosmetic thread into account. If you build the thread geometry by using ThreadModeler or manually, it may over complicate the FEA. It may take a long time to perform the analysis and the result may not be accurate enough.

Many thanks!

[christopher.pepin]

---

@johnsonshiue wrote:

H It may take a long time to perform the analysis and the result may not be accurate enough.

---

You know what is definitely not accurate? Treating threads as if they don't exist. Stop with this excuse. We know the load threads put on our system because we end up modeling them ourselves. Let us decide if the load is to much for our systems, we can make that judgement call ourselves and switch to cosmetic threads when it makes sense.