Using Skeleton Design Techniques for Tube and

Pipe Modeling
Torben Bo Christensen – NTI CADcenter A/S

MA311-2 Modeling the tube and pipe member of a large machine can be very challenging. We’ll
explain special skeletal modeling techniques in Autodesk Inventor Professional that will allow users to model
up to 1,500 tube and pipe members into their product design.

About the Speaker:

Who am I? Currently employed as Technical Solution Consultant, at NTI CADCenter A/S in Denmark.
Educated as a Mechanical engineer at the Technical University of Denmark with FEA. Working with 3D
feature based modeling since 1990, with Finite Element since 1991. After starting with Pro/Engineer, Torben
then moved to Autodesk Rubicon, also known as Inventor in 1999. During his Career, Torben has vast
experience in solving problems in Fine Element, and has assisted many customers throughout the whole of
Scandinavia. At the AU I want to percent how to use Large Asm Modeling and PIPE together.
tbc@nti.dk
The first step in creating a stable foundation for Piping   

It is very important that the sketch for the part is “solid as a rock”

Here is an example, of how to do this.

The best way to demonstrate this example is to.. 

If the foundations for the parts are instable, therefore we cannot expect that the assembly
(asm), where the part is placed will be stable.

One way to show this is to use a pyramid as an example.

Just a small change can cause the model to be instable, and jeopardize the pipe asm

Instable Stable
Here is one of the huge performance killers in the pipe module. 

The pipe module uses adaptively to update the pipe run.

Everyone that has tried to use adaptivity, know that a large quantity of adaptive parts in an asm
kills the performance.

Therefore it is very important, not to use too many adaptive parts/asm in the asm, and this also
applies for the pipe module.

What are the “dimensions” we need to be aware of?

To keep it simple, it’s not allowed to have more that 15 pipe run in an asm.
The way to solve the performance problem 

The use of dummy assemblies is a very strong tool, for creating of very complex pipe runs.

Instead of creating the pipe run in the ordinary asm, then “just” take the ordinary assembly and
insert it into a dummy assembly, and create the pipe run in the dummy asm. .

This is done, because it is possible to insert the Ordinary assembly, into a new dummy-
assembly, and then make a new pipe run.
Here is the trick, after the ordinary assembly is inserted into the new dummy assembly, the
“create pipe run” must be activated, and a new pipe run will be created. After this, exit the pipe
run, and then insert the pipe run from the previous dummy asm.

Go to the pipe run that’s just been created in the new dummy asm.

Now it is possible to create new pipe runs, and create them without conflicts with the pipe run
from the previous dummy asm.

Note: A pipe run asm will have the same center point as the asm it is be created in. So therefore
it is very easy to insert the pipe run from the previous asm. Just flush the origins plane.

This method will be continued in all the pipe runs which are created.
When all the pipe runs are created, a new “main” assembly” should be created. In this Main
assembly the “Ordinary assembly” and all the pipe runs should be inserted.

None of the pipe runs are adaptive, so the performance on this Main assembly is very good.

The problem with this process is if some components are moved in the ordinary assembly, all
the dummy assemblies need to be opened an updated.

Although this may seem like a huge task, in the long run you will reap the benefits, because the
top level pipe assembly can now be created with all the pipe runs.