×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Need help with a loft or freeform feature

Need help with a loft or freeform feature

Need help with a loft or freeform feature

(OP)
Hello Solidworks experts,
Here's a challange for you!
I'm trying to model a cylinder head for a vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle. Whilst I work with solidworks quite regular this part is quite different from the normal models that I work with as it has a lot of 'organic' geometry so I'm really struggling. I have no experience or training with surfaces so I have been trying to build this model using mostly solid features - maybe this is my mistake. Anyway heres a couple of pic's showing the basics so far (most cooling fins removed for clarity).
Top side:


Underneath:


My main problem I think is how I have created the combustion chamber (cut-loft1 & freeform2 features), so when I shell the top surface away to give me a 9mm chamber wall thickness I get an error about 'minimum radius of curature exceeded' although the shell still completes it creates some unusal overlapping or disjointed geometery which causes me issues later on in the model.
Attached is a SW2013 part file, I would be very happy if one of the experts that lurks here can have a play with it and make some suggestions on how I can improve the shell operation.

RE: Need help with a loft or freeform feature

I didn't download and open the file, but you will want to shell this part early in the design - before any of the ribs or bosses.

RE: Need help with a loft or freeform feature

(OP)

Quote (rollupswx)

I didn't download and open the file, but you will want to shell this part early in the design - before any of the ribs or bosses.
Yes, that is how I have done it. The basic steps were; extrude a solid block, loft cut the chamber shape in underside, then shell the top face. So the shell feature is already as early as is can be.

RE: Need help with a loft or freeform feature

If you have the time try playing with the surface functionality, it's easier than you think and it opens doors that are harder to do with with solids. jump in, you may love it.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources