24 Replies Latest reply on Mar 12, 2018 1:22 PM by Andreas Rhomberg

Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Justin Itzkowitz Jan 29, 2018 2:28 PM

Hi,

I am having difficulty with a custom pipe routing elbow. I created the part and set it up through the routing component wizard. When I place the component into an assembly to start a pipe route it works fine, creating pipes at either end of the component, however when I add the component to an already present route it is not added as a component of the route and no pipes are created. How can I fix this?

I have attached a picture of the issue as well.

Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Peter Kennedy Jan 29, 2018 3:00 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)

I'm not a routing expert by any means but you can drag that component into the folder if you want it to be housed there.
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- Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
  
  Justin Itzkowitz Jan 29, 2018 4:08 PM (in response to Peter Kennedy)
  
  So I am able to drag the elbow into the component folder, however it still doesn't act like a pipe routing component. It doesn't create a pipe at the open end of the elbow, and when I draw a line coming from that end a pipe isn't generated.
  
  Not to mention, the part should automatically be placed in the component folder when I drag and drop it into the assembly, just like other components in a pipe route.
  
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Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Peter Kennedy Jan 29, 2018 4:23 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)

Are you editing the piping route when you add the elbow? Have you properly set the part up using the routing library manager, set the connection points and route points?
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- Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
  
  Justin Itzkowitz Jan 31, 2018 2:38 PM (in response to Peter Kennedy)
  
  Yes and yes. When I went through the routing library manager, I set it up as an elbow and it said everything was accounted for and it allowed me to complete the part without any errors.
  
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Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Kevin Moss Jan 29, 2018 4:30 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)

In routing the elbow creation is driven by the 3D route sketch. To add elbows and pipes to a route, RMB on a section of the route and select "Edit Rout". From there add lines to get where you need to go. When done click on the green check and the pipes & elbows should appear. If you wish to change the elbows to a different style, while editing the route sketch RMB and select "Route Segment Properties", from there under Bends - Elbows you can browse for the location of your custom elbow.
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Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Steven Dod Jan 29, 2018 4:33 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)

While "editing the route", right click the route/connection point of the new elbow and choose "add to route" from the pop up menu.
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- Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
  
  Justin Itzkowitz Jan 31, 2018 2:50 PM (in response to Steven Dod)
  
  Thanks, that worked. I am still having trouble however with automatically using these elbows. I tried setting the route properties as Kevin Moss explained in order to have the sketch automatically add the elbows, but it would still add the normal automatic elbows.
  
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  - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
    
    Steven Dod Jan 31, 2018 2:56 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
    
    I do not have much experience with pipe routing but you can try this:
    
    To start your route put in the first and last connections regardless of elbows and run your orthogonal (?) route. Then drag in an elbow and drop it on the route line/corner. See if it snaps into place and breaks your route accordingly. This may require route points instead of connection points but I am not sure.
    
    Steve
    
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Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Rahul Kumar R. Feb 15, 2018 2:36 AM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)

Hi Justin,

This happens when you place a routing component when not in "Edit Route" mode. You have placed the component when in "Edit Assembly" mode.

Try the procedure in "Edit Route" mode, it will automatically fall into components folder and you can create pipes.
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- Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
  
  Justin Itzkowitz Feb 16, 2018 11:43 AM (in response to Rahul Kumar R.)
  
  I am in "Edit Route" mode when inserting the custom elbow, which is why I don't understand why it isn't working the same as other components.
  
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  - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
    
    Kevin Moss Feb 16, 2018 2:07 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
    
    The beauty of routing is you don’t have to insert every elbow. While editing the
    rout, one simply adds a sketch line to the end of an existing line in the 3d sketch. The software
    automatically adds a dimensioned fillet to the corner and when you’re finished
    sketching the elbow appears.
    The dimension on the fillet in the sketch has to match the "ElbowArc" dimension in the corresponding elbow part file.
    
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    - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
      
      Justin Itzkowitz Feb 16, 2018 3:48 PM (in response to Kevin Moss)
      
      So that's why I made this thread as well: Link.
      
      My hope was that the elbows I made would be inserted automatically, and sized appropriately for the pipe route. However, the elbows do not work properly, and do not get inserted when I draw a corner while creating a pipe route.
      
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      - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Peter De Vlieger Feb 19, 2018 2:55 AM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
        
        If the elbows don't work properly on a newly started pipe then either
        
        - the elbow is set up wrong
        - you are doing something wrong
        - or you don't start a route in a correct manner, see below where one selects the standard type and size of pipe as well as the type of the standard elbow to be used in that route
        
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        Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Justin Itzkowitz Mar 9, 2018 2:59 PM (in response to Peter De Vlieger)
        
        I have been meaning to respond to this thread, however PC had a software issue that kept causing the Solidworks Pipe Routing Library Manager to crash. I finally got this issue resolved however, and I went through all the steps again to try to catch any error. I created both a pipe and an elbow. I then tried to set my route properties, and got the following error.
        
        I'm wondering if it is associated with the fact that I didn't set a pipe schedule, as I wasn't sure how to do this. I made a part specification called Schedule, but that doesn't show up in the Routing Library Manager. What do I need to change to allow me to use the pipe I added?
        
        When I select the pipe that Solidworks already uses, I am able to save the route properties. When I created a quick test route, this was the result:
        
        The elbows finally appear (which is a win, I guess), however the pipes no longer appear. I believe this is associated with the fact that I had selected the pipe I created as the pipe which the C-Points utilize on the elbows. This error appeared when I left the 3D sketch pointing out that it could not use those pipe.
        
        Any ideas on how I can resolve this issue?
        
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Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow

Andreas Rhomberg Mar 9, 2018 3:57 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)

could be that the Pipe you are selecting and the elbow do not have matching Size and schedule.
check both Items have the same Size and schedule available?
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- Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
  
  Justin Itzkowitz Mar 9, 2018 4:39 PM (in response to Andreas Rhomberg)
  
  So as I mentioned above, I am not sure how to set the schedule for the pipe, I will look into that and try it. As for the pipe size, both the pipe and elbow have several configurations. The pipe has a couple more than the elbow, but all the ones the elbow has the pipe also has, so that shouldn't be an issue.
  
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  - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
    
    Andreas Rhomberg Mar 9, 2018 4:45 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
    
    if you know your pipe is set-up correct check the Elbow.
    make sure it is pointing to the correct Pipe file and set the size, this is configuration specific.
    
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    - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
      
      Justin Itzkowitz Mar 9, 2018 5:25 PM (in response to Andreas Rhomberg)
      
      Yes, it should be set up correctly, and I selected the pipe in that menu. I assigned both the pipe and the elbow a schedule, so I no longer got the error when confirming the route properties, but the pipe still isn't showing up. This is what happens as I draw the route:
      
      Once I click the icon in the top left to exit the sketch, this happens:
      
      (I added an extra line in between the images.)
      
      Edit: I forgot to mention, the error I was getting when I would place the elbow into the route about the pipe was simply because the pipe file was open.
      
      Second Edit: I just noticed I get the following error, which doesn't make sense to me:
      
      All of the elbow configurations are present in the pipe configurations. Do they need to have the same name or something?
      
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      - Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Andreas Rhomberg Mar 9, 2018 5:26 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
        
        can you post your Elbow and Pipe file?
        
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        Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Justin Itzkowitz Mar 9, 2018 5:39 PM (in response to Andreas Rhomberg)
        
        I attached the parts I am working with.
        
        pvcpipe.sldprt.zip 118.7 KB
        
        pvc_elbow.sldprt.zip 298.3 KB
        
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        Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Andreas Rhomberg Mar 9, 2018 5:46 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
        
        sorry, future version. still running 2017
        
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        Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Peter De Vlieger Mar 12, 2018 3:51 AM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
        
        Still running 2017 as well.
        Should be changing over sometime this week at which point I'll take a look at your files if nobody else has done so.
        
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        Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Justin Itzkowitz Mar 12, 2018 1:06 PM (in response to Peter De Vlieger)
        
        No need. I figured it out. I had the pipe schedule set to "Sch 40" while the elbow was just "40." Once I set the schedule to the same value it worked out.
        
        Edit: I do have a follow up question however. Is there an element I should add to the design table so that each elbow size generates a different length pipe stud from the connection points? At the moment they all generate the same size stud, which is hidden inside the elbow for the larger pipe sizes.
        
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        Re: Pipe Routing Custom Elbow
        
        Andreas Rhomberg Mar 12, 2018 1:22 PM (in response to Justin Itzkowitz)
        
        Size and Schedule have to match!
        
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