Question about welded valves

[tuudor]

I am a beginner and work with MEP 2012. I have a problem concerning valves. My company mainly uses weldable valves and my boss wants me to have weldable valves on pipelines in 3D. The problem is that the only valves I can find in the catalogs are threaded and flanged valves. Does anybody know if MEP 2012 has any weldable valves or how can I modify the existing threaded valves in the catalog to make them look like welded valves on pipelines?

 

Thanks!

[tzframpton]

If it's socket welded valves then they are there. What type of valves are you using? Do you have any submittal data for me to look at so I can further assist?

[tuudor]

We use butt welded valves. To be exact we use welded valves by Naval. Here's a link: http://www.naval.fi/english/www/order.php?af=11&card=11

Mainly we use steel ball valves and steel control valves. As we do chiller lines, the sizes are mainly between DN15 and DN40.

[tzframpton]

I see, it's good that you do have submittal data because what's going to happen is you're basically going to recreate the Naval brand valves in your own catalog. Even though people have their gripes about AutoCAD MEP, I'm actually impressed with the amount of content that comes with it. So what you can do, or what I would consider the "best practice" would be, is to make a copy of the type of valve that exists already and build on top of it, so you don't have to start from complete scratch (which would be a total and complete pain and almost not worth it in the end).

 

When you get the dimensions of the valves correct, then change the connection type from Flange to one of the other potential connection options that AutoCAD MEP gives you. See my screenshot below:

 

Now if you don't want to go so far as to recreate their valves exactly to the thousandths of an inch, and just want to use what's there but show it as a welded connection instead of a flanged or threaded, then you only have to change the connection type and that's it. Far less of a pain.

 

Hope this gives you some direction.

[tuudor]

Thank you very much! This is very helpful information and I will try these solutions tomorrow.

[tzframpton]

Glad it was helpful. A link was just posted the other day regarding (in my opinion) the best book released for AutoCAD MEP users. Link is here: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=piu5eS2ILMkC&lpg=PP1&dq=autocad%20mep&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Seems like Google has the entire book online which is great. This book will explain a lot of real-world AutoCAD MEP experience and is the best resource available for this program. Or you could always purchase a copy, but keep this book close at hand, it will help you more than you could ever imagine.

 

[tuudor]

It seems that I have a problem modifying the connections. I tried to change it from content builder. I selected the valve I wanted, then rightclicked on connectors and edit. I changed the type from threaded to butt welded. Later when I want to add the valve, it is still like the threaded one. I also saved it and in my mind it should work.

[tzframpton]

Anytime you make changes to something in the Catalog, you have to regenerate it. Look at the attached image below. Notice the icon with the book and the red lightning bolt.... double click it and look at your command line. You can regen a single catalog or just select ALL (which is what I do). This should give you the results that you are looking for, but.... start a new template after this is done. This will not override the valve part if it's already been placed in a drawing (to the best of my knowledge anyways).

 

I've been losing my memory on a lot of this AutoCAD MEP stuff as I've been using Revit MEP instead the past couple of years so you'll have to forgive my "on the fence" approach in my posts.

 

Edited December 7, 2012 by tzframpton

[tuudor]

Thanks! It worked.