Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
(OP)
Hi everyone,
I searched the forums but didn't see anything that caught my eye on this topic. I'm hoping to better utilize our vendors' tube laser machine in the design of frames and components and I want to ensure that I'm modeling the parts in a way that accurately reflects their true form.
Linked below is a brief video about normal to surface cutting and how parts made this way can be quite different than if they were cut with more traditional machining or cutting processes. Does anyone know how to use SW to create accurate normal to surface cut tubular parts?
Link
thank you.
I searched the forums but didn't see anything that caught my eye on this topic. I'm hoping to better utilize our vendors' tube laser machine in the design of frames and components and I want to ensure that I'm modeling the parts in a way that accurately reflects their true form.
Linked below is a brief video about normal to surface cutting and how parts made this way can be quite different than if they were cut with more traditional machining or cutting processes. Does anyone know how to use SW to create accurate normal to surface cut tubular parts?
Link
thank you.
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
In the case of the bird-mouth cut for the round tube it transitions from both edges making contact at the one mid-point to only the inside making contact at what I would call the end of the beak.
Construction will be the only way - intersect the part with the mating surface and then look at the curves for inside and outside surfaces. If going 90 degrees into the material at a point on the curve can remove metal more metal than the milled or sawed cut then that is the curve to use.
The little twist at the rounds where it transition from using both inside and outside edges to either the inside or outside will be trickiest.
You should be able to use one curve as a guide curve, making a cut that is normal to the surface that curve is on, and the other surface and it's curve as the limits to the cut profile.
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeMqToVlX_c
Chris, CSWP
SolidWorks
ctophers home
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
With respect to the SW weldments tools, I have used those in the past, but I think all of their cuts assume some orthogonal cutting tool like a saw blade for miters and chops.
I made a simple bird's mouth cut in a round tube and it appears to be correct. I'm not totally sure how all other types of cuts and features would work but this seems to work well for now. I've attached a screen clipping showing the feature tree to see what I did.
Make outside surface, make your cuts using surface features, then thicken at the end.
For anyone else, please feel free to chime in but perhaps this works well enough.
thank you.
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
They are doable. You will need to use surface modelling techniques, like Surface/Radiate command. In mold or cold header, designers use Radiate command to create surfaces to split molds or cold header dies.
Good luck!
Alex
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
With surface modelling, you can do anything you want as long as you know how to define geometries in math.
Best regards,
Alex
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
Trying again
ASIT859, (not jassco) This won't work for the bevel on a rectangular tube. (Pretty sure?)
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
I gave it a try. I see no issue of creating normal to surface cut. You just need to create 3d sketches on surfaces of your tube. And then you create surface(s) to split the tube.
If you want to do exactly (mathematically), then you will need to know cutting paths (rotation and feed). But that would be overkill for your purpose.
Best regards,
Alex
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?
Thank you for the trial and for giving me the tip on the 3D sketch. I think that's what's most important. I'll play around with this later on when I have a chance.
@3DDave,
I did make an attempt on square tubing using the exact method I showed for round tubing and it looked awkward - so I think that precise method won't work for square tubing or perhaps angle. I think jassco's method would work, though.
Thank you all for tips and comments!
RE: Tube Laser Part Modeling - Normal to Surface Cuts?