Sweep a profile

[RBPrice]

The attached file shows a gear tooth profile that I need to sweep along the lines shown. The problem is those lines are not all parallel to the UCS The tooth profile is a region.

 

Is there a workaround to make this happen? I used to do this all the time in 2008.

 

UGH - I couldn't attach the file 'cause it wss too big so I saved it as a PDF but now I can't attach that because it is not a DWG

 

How do I attach a PDF?

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

Did you use the FLATTEN command to bring all geometry to an elevation of "0"?

[RBPrice]

Hello Remark - not sure what that will do since the profile was created in one plane and the lines that I want to sweep the profile along are nominally perpendicular to that plane.

 

I stepped the profile along the Z axis in increments of 0.30 in. till the last one was 1.50 in. back, which is the Face Width of the gear. What would the FLATTEN command do about that?

 

And is it possilble to attach a PDF file?

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

Post a copy of the drawing itself. All we need is the tooth profile and the lines you are sweeping the profile along. Someone here will take a look at it.

 

A PDF is not acceptable.

Edited January 29, 2013 by ReMark

[RBPrice]

I tried Remark but cannot get the file size down below the acceptable threshold. Not sure why that is since it is nothing but the tooth profile and one line.

 

Any chance I could get you to link to me using TeamViewer?

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

WBlock out the profile and the line. Do a "saveas" then attach that DWG file to your next post.

 

No chance re: TeamViewer. Sorry.

[RBPrice]

OK - I changed the tooth profile to a region vs. a polyline making the file small enuf to fit.

 

 

TOOTH PROFILE & PATH.dwg

[ReMark]

Is this the result you were looking for?

[RBPrice]

YES YES YES - how did you do that?

 

Thanks thanks thanks

[ReMark]

It wasn't magic.

 

You had five lightweight polylines not on the same plane therefore they could not be joined.

 

I created a new layer called 3Dpoly and traced over the five lines using a 3Dpolyline. Then I extruded your tooth profile along it.

 

It may not be the best or most elegant way to achieve the desired results but it worked.

 

Sorry for any initial confusion on my part. Words sometimes elude me while actual drawings seldom do.

[RBPrice]

ReMark you are the essence of a knowledgeable and helpful guy - 3dpolylines were not in my so-called brain. Why did you need to create the 3d layer, just to keep the orignial dwg. and can I just establish the points etc.?

 

Guess I have some reading to do in my 2013 book.

 

Thank you very much. And just for your amusement, the gear set will be used to restore a 1914 era three cylinder diesel engine that was used to develop the first diesel-electric locomotive at the G.E. plant in Erie, PA

[ReMark]

Thank you for your kind words. Not everyone here holds me in such high regard.

 

Yes, I created the extra layer to retain all the original objects/layers which is something I often do with drawings that are uploaded here at CADTutor when people are in need of assistance.

 

Well good luck with your restoration project. Post an image or two when completed.

[RBPrice]

ReMark - I have redrawn the tooth profille and created my 3dpolyline but when I sweep the profile along the line it twists 90 deg.

 

Two questions - how do I prevent the rotation and is it possible to eleminate the nodal points along the line so the solid created does not have that demarcation?

 

Thanks

[JD Mather]

Why is the path not perpendicular to the profile, is this intended?

Why line segments for the path? If I set the UCS to the path and then create a 3Point circle it appears the the path was intended to be a arc rather than lines. Is this correct?

[RBPrice]

The gear is a a helical gear with a helix angle of 44 degrees in order to achieve the required Center Distance. The path was created by displacing each tooth profile 0.30 in. from the first profile until a distance of 1.50 in. was achieved which is the Face Width of the gear. Then each profile was rotated 1/5 of 7.5 degress which is the incremental Pitch angle for a gear with 48 teeth. The path was then defined as the center point of the base of each tooth profile. It would be nice if there were no inflection points along the line so that the sweep created one continuous solid. But the 3P command does not have the Fit or Spline choices that the 2D Pline commnad has.

 

Your suggestions are earnestly solicited JD.

 

Thanks

[ReMark]

Note that in my previous response to you regarding how I created the posted image I used the EXTRUDE command not SWEEP.

[ReMark]

Used a 3Dpolyline that I then did a Pedit > Spline.

 

Note that I am using a Realistic visual style. No materials have been applied thus it was not rendered.

[JD Mather]

The gear is a a helical gear with a helix ......

Your suggestions are earnestly solicited JD.

 

Thanks

 

Uhmm, I think I would use the Helix command to create a helical path.

Am I missing something obvious here?

[RBPrice]

JD - how would you define the helical path of the gear tooth. The teeth of the gear are not like a giant threaed rod with a sigle continuous thread. In the case of this gear with 48 teeth, if they were extended for 360 degrees they would create a giant thread with 48 threads.

 

And if my construction method does create a realistic short length of the helix why isn't that sufficienct to allow the profile to be swept along the path and why is the profile rotated 90 degreees. I created a rectangle and swept that it it too was rotated so it is not the profile. One point, the software that created the profile creates a true Involute curve.

Edited February 2, 2013 by RBPrice

[RBPrice]

AH Ha - that answers one of my questions ReMark - can one after creating a 3D polyline then refine it with the PEDit command. And yourcoleration is good enuf for me to learn from the gear witll be machined from a disc of 4140/50 HT alloy steel.

 

Thanks