cut pattern following a curve on a tube

[ljcasey]

<hr>


Hi there, I am a little stuck with modelling a feature.





Imagine a large tube. On the surface of the tube I want to create many square cuts which go around the tube.





How would I go about doing this? Im not even sure how to make a cut on
a curved surface unless I cut from a datum plane, but then im not sure
how I would pattern it.





(if you are still unsure what Im tring to create, imagine a waffle, then roll it up into a tube)





mmmm... waffles.

EDIT:
Thought I would take a picture of what I was trying to model. It is the tube/barrel made of square mesh on the right of the picture.

Edited by: ljcasey

 

[PRStockhausen]

It looks like the part is made from plate that is perforated before forming. What I would do would be to create your part using sheetmetal. First create the partial tube. Then create an unbend from one of the edges. Next create a cut of one of the square holes and make a fill pattern to give you the rest.

 

[sip]

2 ways of doing it


2008-01-21_122845_zip.zip


Sip

 

[PRStockhausen]

I was playing around with this and found one thing, it takes a lot of memory (I crashed). I would suggest that the perforations be suppressed until absolutly neccessary.

 

[LHuffman]

Casey,


Try using a "toroidal bend". From your picture it looks that is what you have. The holes are cut when the sheet is flat and then the part is bent.


Good Luck!

 

[ljcasey]

I would just like to say thank you everyone for your time and effort into helping me with this.

It seems a lot of you are suggesting to take the toroidal bend approach. I have never come accross this before.

To me it makes sense to take the sheetmetal approach as this is how we make the part. We buy the perpherated sheet flat and we bend it up.

So... I create the tube in sheetmetal, and due to being inexperienced with sheetmetal, I get stuck..

1. What type of unbend?
Regular?
Transition?
Xsec Driven?

If anyone could give me a guide as to what to do I would be grateful.

Im not after someone to do it for me, you have all already been a great help. Even if anyone could point me to a tutorial where I can learn this it woudl be great.

(my maintenance contract has expired btw)

 

[ljcasey]

OK, just having another think about this and I think Im going at it the wrong way....

I have created the sheet, and the perphirations in sheetmetal. All I want to do now is "roll" it up.

I am guessing you do this via bend > roll ?

Like I say I am inexperienced with sheetmetal and get stuck here. Any help would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

 

[jeff4136]

ljcasey,


Is there a 'real' purpose for modeling an accurate representation?
I kinda doubt you'll be happy with it even if you succeed. There
are different approaches, that will work in theory, demonstrated
in Help, tutorials, etc. Procedural elements can be worked out
and verified using simplified models.


The only practical application elements of interest here are
[1] related to large pattern performance and, to the best of my
knowledge, using identical patterns is going to be the only thing
worth mentioning. There is an article floating around, posted here
in the past, on the use of patterned quilts for the purpose.
"Faster patterns" might be a good search term, but do the search
from outside the site. The search engine here sucks. And,
[2] Whether the flat rep generator will be overwhelmed by the
number of details.


What ~are~ the dimensional parameters for those that want to punish
their computers?


sip,


Is it too much to ask for a Pro/E version number on attachments?

 

[ljcasey]

OK well I have managed to achieve what I wanted. Whether its the best approach I dont know.

I created a tube, with a break in it, (my fixed point which I was missing?). I then unbent it, and created my pattern then bent it back.

Dimensions:

tube:
300mm dia
500mm long
2mm thk

hole punches:
10mm sq
13mm pitch (3mm between each punch)

Currently been regenerating for aprox 10minutes lol. (2009 features in total) 700 to go!

I think you are right Jeff, it isnt practical, and was purely for cosmetic reasons. I think ill just make a cosmetic sketch on region on the surface and make a note.

My CPU is an intel Centrino Duo 2.4ghz
WF3

 

[SRINIVASANIYER1]

it takes a lot of memory (I crashed). I would suggest that the perforations be suppressed until absolutly neccessary.

Paul, if you have not already used Identical patterns, try it. It consumes the least memory (as claimed by PTC).


Only ensure that the perforations are within the sheet. Else it will fail.