Pipes, Vessels (3-D SM)

Sheet Metal > New > Pipes + Vessels

The Pipes and Vessels function enables you to insert various solid primitives, connections, y-pipes and direction elements into your sheet construction and to process them with the tools.

The menu, which appears once you have activated the function, has the following structure:

• Fitting
• Pipes and Vessels like Solid Primitives, connections, Y-Pipes and Direction Elements
• Tools for Processing Pipes and Vessels

• Rotate the last pipe segment
• Offset
• 2x Difference
• Offset and Difference

You can delete pipes and vessels as well as individual members of the direction elements via the ICN or via the context menu.

Fitting Pipes and Vessels

The procedure for fitting solid primitives, connections, y-pipes and direction elements is always the same. This procedure is described by means of an example below.

Example: Inserting a truncated cone.

1. First, choose one of the fitting options:

Origin: The part is fitted in the coordinate origin.

Reference surface: The part is fitted at the midpoint of the reference surface.

2. Then, select the truncated cone .

The mask containing the type variants for the truncated cone appears.

3. Choose a variant or create a new variant.
4. Choose OK to confirm your entries.

If you have changed the values, you can create a new variant. A corresponding prompt appears.

In terms of the fitting point, you can either select the origin of the active coordinate system or a connecting surface which you identify by means of two edges.

5. Specify the fitting point.

The part is fitted to the construction.

Rotate last pipe segment

Sheet Metal > New > Pipes +Vessels > Rotate last pipe segment 

You use this function to rotate the part that you loaded last. The body axis serves as the rotation axis.

You can rotate the pipe piece in various ways:

1. If you call the function, you can use the mouse to rotate the part.
2. Click the left mouse button to enter a value for the angle.
3. Click the right mouse button to mirror the part about the body axis.

(1) Rotation angle

Offset

Sheet Metal > New > Pipes +Vessels > Offset

The Offset function enables you to assign a sheet thickness to a pipe construction. You can mark off the sheet thickness inwardly or outwardly.

1. Once you have called the function, the Offset window appears.
2. Specify the sheet thickness and choose a direction.
3. Click OK to confirm your entries.
4. Select a contour of the pipe part to which you want to assign the sheet thickness.

2x Difference

Sheet Metal > New > Pipes +Vessels > 2x Difference  

You use this function to create the difference between two bodies which intersect.

(1) Identifying the first body
(2) Identifying the second body

Offset and Difference

Sheet Metal > New > Pipes +Vessels > Offset + Difference

If two bodies intersect, you use this function to determine the difference and assign a material thickness.

1. Identify the two parts in turn and specify a value for the wall thickness.

(1) First part
(2) Second part

Function Overview (3-D SM) • General Information on Sheet Processing (3-D SM)