W are currently having an internal discussion here on how pipe spool drawings should be done. We are in the marine shipbuilding industry and the traditional method is to use single line isometric lin drawings to represent the center lines of the pipe spool and dimension those, basically a traditional pipe spool drawing of which you can find many examples. We would like to update this to modern methods, either start using SolidWorks piping and or model the pipe route using 'normal' modeling methods and then do an isometric spool drawing of the model but still dimension center lines.
My questions are:
Does Solidworks piping generate isometric hiddn line spool drawings or traditional single line drawings or do you have a choice?
What are people normally doing in industery? what are the 'modern' methods of doing spool drawings?
Does anybody have any experiance setting up SolidWorks piping with parts etc and how long did that take?
Thanks for any insights you can provide.
Steve,
It's been a few months and nobody chimed in so let me have a go.
SW Routing doesn't do single line isometrics by itself. There's a way by which it should be possible to achieve this but then you need a 3rd party product to get this result. This means that it doesn't only require that you learn SW Routing, but also learn how to set it up so that it incorporates the .PCF data and also learn how to use Isogen or some other program that can translate .PCF data to an isometric drawing. If you are already familiar with .PCF or you have the opportunity to use it then great. For us however it was not a viable option.
SW Routing can produce 3D isometrics and will even auto-balloon and auto-dimension it but in general I'm not fond of it because although it looks pretty there's no decent way to verify on sight if the dimensions placed are indeed to FOF. Perhaps you would have less qualms about it and might find it acceptable.
Our 'modern' way of doing spool drawings comes down to making a classic multi-view (front,side and top view, depending on what is needed for clarification) of the spool as if it was just a regular mechanical drawing. No I'm not happy about it. It goes against everything that I was trained in as a piping draughtsman but at least then we are able to produce clean, clear and easy verifiable drawings without jumping through all kinds of additional hoops and do keep in mind that getting the classic multi-views in SW goes quickly, it's putting in the notes-remarks-dimensions-tweaking BOM-etc... that takes the majority of time in making a drawing that way.
How long does setting up SW routing take? That depends on all kinds of factors:
-How much have experience with SW do you have or is it all still pretty new to you?
-The amount of users and their skill level?
-Do you use ASTM/ANSI and if you do, do you mainly use regular schedule steel piping or is it more exotic.
Standard SW comes with a parts library that is focussed on imperial measured scheduled steel pipe. In other words, if you aren't using that then you'll have to either find a library, good luck with that, or make it yourself using the provide library as a starting point. Making a library however isn't difficult and can be quickly done, depending on how many different parts and materials you need it in. However mastering making a library can take a while because one has to figure out what exactly each part has to contain in data according to the needs of Solidworks Routing and to your needs . What you might find essential information, I might find optional and another might find it fluff. There for having a clear idea what it is that you want to achieve, and what kind of data do you want to extract in a BOM, is paramount.
So in short, you could be up and running within a few of days, we were and that was with making our own library, but do keep in mind that you'll probably will be wanting to re-visit your library a few times, after 4 years we are still adding minor tweaks to it, because you have to learn what's possible, what's needed, what's wanted and how to get it which you can only truly do once you know the program and it's possibilities and limitations. Your best bet is getting as much information and help as you can from your VAR and actual long time users.
All together it asks for a new way to look at things, a different mind set if you will. It simplifies things when you are squeezing lots of piping in a tight area because you quickly see if and when there are conflicts or possibilities. So be realistic about your expectations and prepare to roll up your sleeves but in the long run it should be worth it unless you have a boss that thinks that seeing as that now you have a 21st century program it should just all magically appear in seconds at the push of a single button.