Lofted cut with curve

[WilliamH]

I am trying to create an intake port for an automotive engine. What I have tried with poor success is:

I drew a spline from the port flange through the valve seat pocket centered at the port flange and seat pocket. I then placed a series of planes on the spline, piercing the planes, and the planes placed perpendicular to the spline at each intersection.

I then drew my port profile on each plane. The problem is, when I included the valve guide faired boss the resultant lofted cut goes awry. I can make the cut if I do not draw the guide boss.

Is there something I am overseeing? I checked past threads and found one that is similar to my problem. However there is no solution.

This company is still using SW version 2003. That may be the problem...

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[TheTick]

Sounds like a technique problem. At this distance, I would say you are using a loft with too many sections when a sweep with guide curves is what you need.

Also, consider your topology more carefully. Just because your surface ends at a certain point doesn't mean you want the definition to stop at that point.

 

[StefanHamminga]

Are you using guide curves to ensure proper point to point flow? In my experience earlier SW versions didn't like lofts with profiles, which would each have a different amount of sketch points, without guide curves.

Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer/AI student

 

[WilliamH]

The Tick,

I ended the feature past the actual plane that I wanted. The sweep with guide curves will be my next approach.

Stefan,

I have tried the cut with one guide curve.

The reason I am trying to get this done is our CAM software can import Solidworks features and we can machine the port in our five axis machining center. We have done lots of ports this way without the valve guide boss. We can digitize an existing port geometry and import that information into our CAM program and duplicate the port.

We need to create the entire port in a CAD environment and bypass hard parts/digitizing.

I will try TheTick's idea next.

Thank you both for the replys.

 

[EngJW]

I have found lofts difficult to work with for a complex shape like a port. Instead of doing the whole port at once, I found it easier to break it up into sections and do one at a time. Depending on the shape, you might have some sweeps, lofts, or just plain extrudes. It might take a bunch more steps that way.

In your case, if you are able to generate the basic port shape, would it work to extrude the guide boss at the end and then blend it with fillets?

 

[WilliamH]

EngJW,

"... would it work to extrude the guide boss at the end and then blend it with fillets?"

I have done this but would rather create the whole feature without adding a bunch of fillets which are unpredictable.

I am sure the software can do this. I may need to convince the management here to upgrade to the current version of Solidworks.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Theophilus]

SW 2006 has some major enhancements in creating complex geometry like this--especially with lofts. Although one tool I use a lot is Surface Fill, which allows me to cut out a section of a surface (with a split line and deleting the surface) and patch it back in manually with surrounding surface tangency options, guide curves, etc.

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe trumps reason.