Pipe/Tube Design

[mxalix258]

hey,
Ive been getting into autocad a little more, i have autodesk inventor 5 and was wandering if someone could help me design some tube/pipe structures such as a roll cage. if you could just go over how to make a simple pipe, bend it, weld it ect or if you have some site refrences or books that might help me that would be great too. probally a stupid question to some of you more experienced designers but i gotta start somewhere

Thanks alot!
-Alix

[CADTutor]

Do you want to do this in AutoCAD or Inventor?

[Mr T]

hey,
Ive been getting into autocad a little more, i have autodesk inventor 5 and was wandering if someone could help me design some tube/pipe structures such as a roll cage. if you could just go over how to make a simple pipe, bend it, weld it ect or if you have some site refrences or books that might help me that would be great too. probally a stupid question to some of you more experienced designers but i gotta start somewhere

Thanks alot!
-Alix

If it's for INVENTOR, I'll record an onscreen video doing this for you. I use IV7 which is probably the same for the EXTRUDE and SWEEP features.

Other IV videos - view full screen at 1028x827 ish

Creating 2D Layouts form a model
http://www.cadimage.net/mrt/2dviews.wmv

Nick

[mxalix258]

that'd be great if you could do that, that'd help me alot, and cadtutor its for inventor

thanks alot
-Alix

[mxalix258]

this is what i was looking at doing if you needed more help on what im looking for
http://www.cadimage.net/cadtutor/image4.gif
that and welding 2 segments of pipe together ect.......thanks alot

[mxalix258]

can anybody help me out or not? thanks

[erona]

You cannot 'BEND' and 'WELD' in AutoCAD. Bended pipes are extruded circles thru a 'path' (drawn PLINE). UNION is used to unite or weld solid objects together.

[Mr T]

that'd be great if you could do that, that'd help me alot, and cadtutor its for inventor

thanks alot
-Alix

It's for INVENTOR not autocad.

Nick

[mxalix258]

so is it the same proccess in inventor or what because i still have found out how to extrude a circle in a path or union different pipes together if you could tell me where to go or what to do that'd help or a tutorial somewhere......

thanks

[Mr T]

so is it the same proccess in inventor or what because i still have found out how to extrude a circle in a path or union different pipes together if you could tell me where to go or what to do that'd help or a tutorial somewhere......

thanks

Sorry bout the delay I have a dial up. :x I have
uploaded some videos showing, in Inventor 7. :D

How to create a bendy tube using SWEEP
http://www.eezylearn.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/tube.wmv

How to weld a tube to a plate, fillet weld. 2.21mb
http://www.cadimage.net/mrt/welding.wmv

How to create a SWEEP visual gloss.
http://www.cadimage.net/mrt/visual.wmv 1.12mb

The IV7 Asembly file
http://www.cadimage.net/mrt/Assembly1.iam

The two part files
http://www.cadimage.net/mrt/baseplate.ipt
http://www.cadimage.net/mrt/tube.ipt

Nick

[mxalix258]

great those helped alot but one question how would you build it in the form of a roll cage (square) i dont get how you'd beable to connect it on all 4 corners like that i get how you bend the pipe and such but not go down and connect in 4 corners if you know what i mean and know how to help that'd be great.

thanks alot
-Alix

[Mr T]

great those helped alot but one question how would you build it in the form of a roll cage (square) i dont get how you'd beable to connect it on all 4 corners like that i get how you bend the pipe and such but not go down and connect in 4 corners if you know what i mean and know how to help that'd be great.

thanks alot
-Alix

Well use the sweep feature but with the sqr profile. Or draw it in
one part file them constrain in the asembly and fit it at whatever
angle.

Nick

[mxalix258]

hey,
sorry guys im really dragging this out farther than it should and im prolly making it harder than it actually is but this is all i can come up with as far as corners and and a more boxy shape like a frame or roll cage
http://img41.exs.cx/img41/540/part6bb.jpg
is there a better way to do this than what im doing? or is this as good as it gets for what i want

thanks, and sorry again :oops:

[Hendrik]

I think the following add-in could really help you,
http://www.vectrasys.com/

you will have to pay for the add-in, but you can download a trial for 15 days.
i am still looking for a way to do this without the add-in ( see topic creating a truss ("structural member"))

is this what you are looking for?

Hendrik Witting