Modeling tubular steel roll cage

[jhyder79]

I am working on designing an off road vehicle (something sort of like a Jeep) and I am now to the point of designing the roll cage. I was wondering if anyone has every designed a roll cage from structural steel tubing, and what is the best method of modeling such an animal. Is it better to create the individual pieces of the roll cage by sweeping a profile along a path or is it better to use Pro/Piping to create individual pieces.

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[nofalloff]

I'v built tubular steel motorcycle frames by sweeping thin protrusions along sketched datum curves.

 

[design-engine]

I administered a specific workflow to a NASCAR race team and Cannondale for constructing tubular forms inside Pro/ENGINEER. The process involves the use of Top down design and swept surfaces. Each tube is cut off by another tube to get the perfect cut with the very specific clearance. If you use parameters you can control the clearance with a number.


Edited by: design-engine

 

[rudresh.hm]

best approach according to me:


Top down approach with curves forming skeleton of the cage/frame in skeleton part of the assembly. individual parts will have copygeometry from the skeleton. these curves will be used as trajectories for sweep features in frame parts. copygeometry surfacesfrom adjacent tubes/parts which will be welded together will serve astrimming surfaces(at ends) with required offset(clearance for the weld flow)for the weld.


thnx


-Rudresh

 

[design-engine]

you might even try sweeping surfaces in your skeleton and trimming those back as copy geometry surface trims