Seeking help with creating pipe expansion drawings
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Recently, I’ve had to work on creating expansion diagrams for pipelines, and I don’t have any experience in this area. I’m turning to the knowledgeable users here to ask how to approach this task. I’m looking for relevant methods or standard guidelines; thank you very much
Which pipelines require an expansion diagram?
What kind of pipeline is it? Are there any pictures? Is it drawn in CAD?
Is there a difference between an expanded view and an axonometric view?
Look at the HVAC connection: it consists of two pipes that are perpendicular or at an angle to each other, and that curved shape referred to as a footprint, saddle, or Saddle-shaped opening. After lofting, take the lofting paper to the outside surface of the pipeline on-site and use this line as a guide for cutting and processing.
If the pipeline layout referred to by the original poster is as described on the 6th floor,； I’ve done this before – I used a laser cutter to cut steel plates that were 1–2 mm thick, and the dimensions after welding were perfectly fine. I’m not a professional at drawing pipe layout diagrams; I’m not qualified for that. Some CAD software patches have this feature; it seems to be related to things like HVAC ductwork. I downloaded it and used it; the version with all functions requires payment. Sometimes, if I don’t quite understand the patch functionality, there can be some discrepancies. Later, I obtained pirated SolidWorks software, 5 GB in size; after installing it using various crack versions, I used the sheet metal lofting function to create models first, then left gaps at the welding points. The sheet metal was lofted, and the drawings were converted into CAD files at a 1:1 scale. Finally, those CAD files were adjusted to version 07 and used with a laser cutter to cut the materials directly. The error is very small; it’s perfect. If manual feeding is used, it can be indicated on the engineering drawing. There is no need to produce CAD drawings on a 1:1 scale. The tricky part of using SolidWorks is becoming familiar with the sheet metal functions for creating drawings from lofting. I think this software is great; it’s convenient for creating 3D models and for unfolding them. Some insights from working in a small factory; I’m not sure how design institutes operate.