Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
(OP)
I'm interested in learning how people are handling the use of extruded aluminum profile in SWX assemblies. (Used for guard framing, machine bases, etc.)
Ideally, I'd like to build by extruding the profile mat'l from a face of the frame up to another surface. This could be handled by inserting a new part, but how to track the length so that it can be included in the BOM?
Configurations would get very messy, because ANY length may be needed, this would lead to a huge number of configurations.
Individual part files could be used, but if the part file name (1515_x_31_inch.sldprt) contains the length, it won't update if I change the frame and the extruded length changes. Plus, to name the part, I'd need to first measure the distance...
Ideally, I'd like to build by extruding the profile mat'l from a face of the frame up to another surface. This could be handled by inserting a new part, but how to track the length so that it can be included in the BOM?
Configurations would get very messy, because ANY length may be needed, this would lead to a huge number of configurations.
Individual part files could be used, but if the part file name (1515_x_31_inch.sldprt) contains the length, it won't update if I change the frame and the extruded length changes. Plus, to name the part, I'd need to first measure the distance...






RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
If it is, you can put the extruded length into a Custom Property that is used in the BOM.
Mr. Pickles
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
This is what I recommend as well although depending upon what's important to you, you may find it necessary to customize the BOM template.
I have a seperate BOM format that I use when dealing with weldments and the like which reads custom properties containing the length information and displays them on a drawing. Another thing that you could do is have standard generic part models designating different extrusion profiles.
Following along the same lines of thinking you mentioned above, you would just make as many copies of the generic models as needed for different lengths that you require BUT don't included the lengths in the part name (as you already alluded to, this is a major pain in the a**). Of course each individual part needs to have a unique name so you have to deal with that. In the way of suggestion, I get around this by assigning a part number that is used only for purposes of managing the model in SolidWorks to each individual model under this scenario. Depending on your part numbering scheme this may work out well for some but not others.
Hope this helps.
Chris Gervais
Mechanical Designer
American Superconductor
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
There is a way to have your extrusion profile in the library, have the "up to surface" definition for the base-extrude and get the length in the BOM. Create a profile sketch and extrude it 0.001" and put this profile "part" into the library. When you need an assembly with this extrusion, create a derived part (insert->base part) and position it on the first face. Then edit the part in the context of the assembly, convert entities on the profile face and extrude up to the desired surface. Add a reference dimension on the length and put this in the BOM.
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
There's some "code" in the $PRP@DESCRIPTION property that reads the distance from an annotation... blah blah blah.
I think it'll do what you want.
I wish I could take credit for this - I stole it from a buddy at work.
Never-the-less, post your e-mail and I'll send it to you.
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
Our VAR has suggested that we purchase and modify the SWX piping module to handle designing with extruded parts. Instead of round pipes, use the special rectangular profile. This would seem a good approach, as the piping module tracks the length of "pipes" and reports them on the BOM. Has anyone tried this?
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
Regards
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
My experience with them has been poor. The profile sketches are too complex and are very unfinished and do not close up. Better to start from scratch.
I create new configurations for each new size I use. If the size I want exists I just use it from the config tab. The config name is the decimal length. The profile is the text definition in the BOM.
Crashj 'keeps a low profile' Johnson
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
I would like to check out the part that has “code” in the $PRP@DESCRIPTION property that reads the distance from an annotation. I have been trying to find out someway of reading values in an annotation.
Thanks for your help.
brad_johnson@dstoutput.com
Bradley
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
Start your custom properties editing in the part as usual with File, Properties. Then switch to the 'configuration specific' tab and select the 'description' property (or whichever you use in your BOM description field. In order to get values from annotations, type in the text portion, then double click your part (with the property dialogue still open) and click the text of the annotion you want. So, for example, you can type:
'ALUM. EXTRUSION, '
Then select from your profile sketch an overall dim showing the extrusion size. Next you type:
'MM SQ. X '
Now you can select the extrude length dim. Finally, finish it off with your desired text at the end, such as:
' MM LG.'
Remember to click Add or modify!
When you select the dims, Solidworks automatically puts code in the property which reads the value. You will see something like '"D1@Sketch1@@Default@Part1.Sldprt"'
When the BOM reads the property from the example above, it will show:
'ALUM. EXTRUSION, 40MM SQ. X 232 MM LG.
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
It has the exact feture you describe. all pipes are generated from a set of profile configurations, and then for each assembly i generates a set of lenght configurations for each size. Pipe lengths ar then listed in the Bom.
I tried to apply it for square ducts, but I had problems with the orientation of the elbows and That the straight ducts tend to spin 45 degrees about its lengt axis, so I gave up. Anyone else tried Alternative Profiles in the Piping module?
Anyways, te most decent method seem to be te same as the piping module does, just do it manually.
Create a part with the different profile configurations (sizes), it might be smart to maked different parts for profiles that does not have the same shape...
then use save as, and give the profile a unike name for every assembly its used in, and make confiurations for every different lenght in that assembly. DO NOT link the configuration name to the lengt because that might change, use the method described in posts above on how to read the lenght to BOM.
Most fun would be to incorporate all kinds of profiles to piping, but... Have to try that later some time.
good luck.
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
HTH,
Scott Baugh, CSWP

3DVision Technologies
credence69@REMOVEhotmail.com
http://www.3dvisiontech.com
http://www.3dmca.com
*When in doubt always check the help*
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
I use derived component parts. I know, this is not great because SldWks will not let you make such things from stand alone parts. So I have to keep an extra asm floating around. However, this makes it so that I can have a file that drives the shape of many, and at the same time have the many be isolated from each other as well as NOT update the extrusion profile. Most of our extrusions get machined in some way. Of course they don't get the same cutting as that would be too simple. So doing this way solved some problems for me. Now the shape of the base extrusion can be dealt with in one place at the same time updating all related parts as needed. This keeps file names in line for me as well. This for us is important as ERP/MRP tracks the extrusion as a seprate part number that is more or less "attached" to the finished part, that of course will have a different part number from the base extrusion. So, for me doing things this way has worked well for me.
Regards,
Sean F
RE: Technique for Building with Aluminum Extrusion
Each of these would have a "Master sketch" which has your main parameters; width, lentgh, height, etc..
This sketch could drive all dimensional properties of your components via equations and/or design tables. You can create quite complex and sophisticated templates. Dimensional values can then be exported to your BOM's.
Later, this could also be used as a quote/costing tool.
How complex and sophisticated they get, it will depends how much time you are willing to invest to create them.
Good luck
Marek K
Marek Karczmarczyk
MD-PM Inc.
www.sentex.net/~marekk