15 Replies Latest reply on May 23, 2016 11:23 AM by Julia Gilligan

Link pipe length to item description

John Sidwell Jan 11, 2013 6:39 AM

Hi All,

I’m new to SW routing and I’m trying to include length of my pipes in item description of BOM eg. “Pipe, 40 NB Sch 40, 200 LG”. I know that I could have separate column with SWPipeLength property. However, I don’t want to have extra column in BOM just for the length. Is it somehow possible to link SWPipeLength property to description?

I think one way to link pipe length to description is to have Length@Extrude in my pipe design table which would give me different lengths for different configurations. This lengths could be then linked to Description. However I was told not to include Length@Extrude in the pipe Design Table.

Another issue I have is that sometimes a tube between 2 fittings is broken up into a few shorter segments instead of one long tube. I notice this happens when SW complains about bend radius being smaller than the one specified in the route properties even the bend radii are exactly as specified for that route. I don’t use flexible tubing.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Re: Link pipe length to item description

Richard Wehmeyer Jan 11, 2013 9:20 AM (in response to John Sidwell)

You may be able to do this by opening the pipe file and changing the pipe description to include length. I will try it and repost.
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Re: Link pipe length to item description

Peter De Vlieger Jan 11, 2013 9:27 AM (in response to John Sidwell)

Do you want each piece of pipe mentioned separately in the BOM or do you want the BOM to have one line for each type (having same sch., Ø and material) of pipe and therefor mentioning the sum of those pieces of pipe?

If the former then perhaps by having a custom colomn in the design tables of the fittings and pipe.
When it's a fitting it has an order code and when it's a pipe it mirrors the SWPipeLength property.

If the latter then I don't see a manner that would work uniformly without constant fiddling.
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- Re: Link pipe length to item description
  
  John Sidwell Jan 11, 2013 6:37 PM (in response to Peter De Vlieger)
  
  Thanks Peter.
  Each pipe of different length/size/schedule would be separate item in BOM. I want to get pipe length in my Design Table directly through SWPipeLength property. It seems it is not possible unless I use API. From Richard’s response below it seems only possible indirectly through Length@Extrusion.
  
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Re: Link pipe length to item description

Richard Wehmeyer Jan 11, 2013 9:52 AM (in response to John Sidwell)

Yes, use this part for your pipe. I changed the description in the design table to:
Pipe 0.75 in, Sch 160 - "Length@Extrusion@@Pipe 0.75 in, Sch 160@pipe.SLDPRT" Long

The excel method used was:
=TRIM($B2)&" - "&CHAR(34)&"Length"&CHAR(64)&"Extrusion"&CHAR(64)&CHAR(64)&$B2&CHAR(64)&"pipe.SLDPRT"&CHAR(34)&" Long"

Where B2 is the column that contains:
Pipe 0.75 in, Sch 160

Works for me, I have included a screen shot
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- Re: Link pipe length to item description
  
  John Sidwell Jan 11, 2013 6:48 PM (in response to Richard Wehmeyer)
  
  Thanks Richard.
  
  That would work. So, basically you cannot directly access SWPipeLength property in Design Table. Only, through BOM or API or indirectly through Length@Extrusion. However this will work only if you allow model edits to update the design table. Is that right?
  
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  - Re: Link pipe length to item description
    
    Richard Wehmeyer Jan 14, 2013 10:18 AM (in response to John Sidwell)
    
    Sort of. This is a driven value (even if you specify the length of the spool the pipe length is still a "calculated" value). A design tabl could affect the length but not control it. You could dimension lengths in the spool sketch and control those through a design table.
    
    I think I forgot to add the pipe file so I have attatched it here
    
    pipe.sldprt.zip 137.7 KB
    
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    - Re: Link pipe length to item description
      
      John Sidwell Jan 17, 2013 5:06 AM (in response to Richard Wehmeyer)
      
      Thanks Richard,
      
      This is exactly what I was looking for.
      
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    - Re: Link pipe length to item description
      
      Julia Gilligan May 23, 2016 11:23 AM (in response to Richard Wehmeyer)
      
      I'm quite new to Solidworks. I've just found your pipe file and it seems to be what I'm looking for.
      Can you please tell me how I would use multiple instances of it in the same assembly with the same diameter and schedule configs but have two different lengths within an assembly? I'm not using routing.
      
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Re: Link pipe length to item description

Richard Wehmeyer Jan 17, 2013 9:04 AM (in response to John Sidwell)

I don't know if you figured out the multiple pipe problem but I would check for extra line segments. If you have two collinear line segments they will be treated as two separate pipes. This happens sometimes when a fitting is drag-and-dropped to the end of a line segment. I would have to see the sketch of the route to determine the bend radius problem but it seems to me I had the same issue when I first began using routing until I got the library figured out.

One of the first rules I discovered was draw and plan before making the route sketch as fixing and adding to an existing one is a lot more difficult.
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- Re: Link pipe length to item description
  
  John Sidwell Jan 18, 2013 5:22 AM (in response to Richard Wehmeyer)
  
  Hi Richard,
  
  I haven't figured out what was the problem with multiple tube segments. I just deleted and recreated offending tubes. BTW I've come across this problem only with tubing not pipes. Tubes were always separated at bends not fittings. I made sure that straight segments are tangent to bend radii and bend radius was correct for the tube size. I assume it has something to do with sweep being used for tubes and for some reason SW couldn't create continuous sweep.
  
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  - Re: Link pipe length to item description
    
    Richard Wehmeyer Jan 18, 2013 9:42 AM (in response to John Sidwell)
    
    Tubing is a pain and I have used it very little but I have had the same problem. When you start a tube spline you have to make the leader both tangent AND quite long. The problem is that a spline is a continuous radii'ed (forgive my grahmmer/spelling: I'm an engineer) curve. Pull the spline leg long and set as concentric/colinear/normal-to-plane. You can also dimention it.
    
    Here I have set the spline leg as "along X" and length 10"
    The 10" will not be directly related to bend radii but is a measure of "straightness", I can't remember the mathematical interpretation, I think is is the second derivitive.
    
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    - Re: Link pipe length to item description
      
      John Sidwell Jan 27, 2013 8:10 AM (in response to Richard Wehmeyer)
      
      How do you get length in your BOM if you have a pipe with form bends? Length@Extrusion wouldn't work. I think I will have to add another column in my BOM just for the pipe length.
      
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      - Re: Link pipe length to item description
        
        Richard Wehmeyer Jan 28, 2013 9:00 AM (in response to John Sidwell)
        
        I believe you would form bends using a part based on a sweep and would therefore have differant entries in the design table. I dont know of a variable that would give a sweep-path length. In this case I suppose you would need to add the pipe length column. I will post if I find anything.
        
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        Re: Link pipe length to item description
        
        John Sidwell Jan 29, 2013 7:17 AM (in response to Richard Wehmeyer)
        
        Actually form bends are created by SW with revolve feature.
        
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        Re: Link pipe length to item description
        
        Richard Wehmeyer Jan 29, 2013 9:09 AM (in response to John Sidwell)
        
        My mistake. I mistook form bends for tubing. If the form bends show up as a different part then this method may not work.
        
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