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How do I bridge a gap?

How do I bridge a gap?

How do I bridge a gap?

(OP)
I'm trying to connect 2 cylindrical objects, but one is also helical (a spring) so I'm not sure how to make a guide path that's perpendicular to both ends.

But the "Bridge" doesn't have to be perfectly tangent. I'm just throwing together concepts for a rainstorming session, so if you have a quick & dirty way to sort of fake it, that's okay.

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

I usually use the "tube" command to make spring like objects. Start with your helix for the spring, make lines for your spring legs, use bridge curve to connect them, and finally use the tube command to make it a solid.

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

Unless the 'straight' sections do NOT line up with the ends of the 'helical' section, I can't see what your problem is.  Granted, the ends of the helical section are not normal to the direction of the straight sections (close but not perfectly aligned) but a simple surface through curves with tangency control should do the trick.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

(OP)
Thanks guys,

John - I don't know anything about mesh surfaces.  I tried experimenting with the command & reading the help file but I'm totally lost.  I probably need more advanced training, but 99% of what we do here is simple Extrudes, Revolves, etc.

Hudson - it appears your sample .PRT is from a newer version of NX.  We run NX4.

I "faked" it with a simple extrude to bridge the gap.  It doesn't line up perfectly on the coil side, but you can't tell unless you zoom way in.  My manager is happy so I'm just going to move on.

 

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

I suggested using 'Surface Through Curves', which is not the same as 'Surface Through Curve Mesh'.  In the case of 'Surface Through Curves', all you need is a start and end profile, while in 'Surface Through Curve Mesh' you need profile curves going in both the U & V directions, thus the use of the term 'Mesh'.

Attached is a simple example.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

When you select the profiles, an indication is given showing the 'direction' of the curve.  The direction of all of the profiles must be going in the same direction.  When you select the second profile, if it appears to be going in the opposite direction that that first profile was going, there is an option to reverse the 'sense' of the curves direction.  Select it and see if this helps.  BTW, if you still have that twisted model, you edit the feature and reverse one the 'sense' of one of the profile curves, which may fix your model.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

(OP)
John,

Is there a reverse button in the Through Curves dialog box in NX4?  I can't find it.

 

RE: How do I bridge a gap?

You're right, the 'Reverse Direction' button was not added to the Surface Through Curves dialog until NX 5.0.  In NX 4.0 what you had to do was if the direction of a pick was wrong, you had to 'Delete' that 'Section (String)' and reselect it on the opposite side of the displayed arrow so as to reverse the 'sense' of the profile.  It may take a bit of getting used to, but it can be done.  Granted, the button to reverse the direction is much easier, which of course is why we added it to NX 5.0.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

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