IMAGINiT Manufacturing Solutions Blog

Live Industry Lecture Series

We're excited to announce IMAGINiT's Live Lecture Series! Each month, enhance your knowledge and use of Autodesk products with our complimentary "live lecture" style learning that emphasizes real-world topics and experiences not found in standard training classes. Explore the latest features, tips, tricks, and more for your industry.

Sign up now to attend January's free Lectures:

 

MANUFACTURING

Swapping and Updating Blocks in AutoCAD Electrical

January 10 - 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM ET

Objectives

• Understand the various ways to handle changing components
• Use the Swap/Update Block command

View full description and register for free.

 

Technical Overview of Inventor Tube & Pipe

January 13 - 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM ET

Objectives

• Understand the components of a Tube and Pipe run.
• Discuss the difference between a Rout and a Run
• Configure and use a Tube and Pipe Style

View full description and register for free.

 

AUTOCAD - GENERAL

Dynamic Blocks in AutoCAD
January 17 - 12:00 - 12:45 PM ET

Objectives

• Create a single dynamic block to manage different sizes and variations of an object
• Add parameters and actions to objects in a block to make it dynamic
• Add constraints (geometric or dimensional) to a dynamic block to help it retain its correct shape
• Create a block table to select from a list to adjust dynamic block

View full description and register for free.

 

CIVIL

Geotechnical Data for Civil 3D Surfaces
January 13- 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM ET

Objectives

• Review types of Data Formats
• Demonstrate the Geotechnical Workflow
• Review Geotechnical Data
• Create a Surface and Profile

View full description and register for free.

 

BUILDING

Rapid Detailing in Revit
January 27 - 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM ET

Objectives
• Link CAD files into a Revit project
• Add residential doors, windows, components, and floors
• Create a roof and add trusses
• Develop room elements and report schedule data
• Assemble sheets for construction documents

View full description and register for free.

 

Please note: on-demand recordings of these webinars are available for ProductivityNOW customers only. 

See your favorite MFG IMAGINiT Instructors at Autodesk University

We are proud to announce that 6 of our Autodesk-certified manufacturing industry instructors will share their expertise with the Autodesk products at Autodesk University! They are excited and prepared to share their product and industry knowledge with the thousands of professionals that attend AU. Catch your favorite instructors in action by registering for a class or a hands-on lab. 

 

Manufacturing and PLM Presentations

• Rusty Belcher, Solutions Consultant
      Process Modeling Essentials for Industry 4 - Nov 21, 4:30 PM - 05:30 PM

 

• Anthony Dull, Solutions Consultant
      Vault for the Revit User - Nov 21, 1:30 PM - 02:30 PM

 

• Caleb Funk, Solutions Team Manager
      Sharing Is Caring: Sharing Vault Data Outside the Firewall - Nov 20, 8:00 AM - 09:00 AM

 

• Pete Markovic, Senior Solutions Consultant
      Mastering the Fusion Lifecycle App Store in 60 Minutes - Nov 19, 4:30 PM - 05:30 PM

 

• Robert Savage, Instructor
      How to Use Fusion 360 and Inventor for Effective Designs - Nov 19, 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM     
      Generative Design Boot Camp for Product Design and Manufacturing - Nov 19, 1:00 PM - 06:00 PM\
      Fusion 360 Introduction to Generative Design - Nov 20, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

 

• Stan Wile, Application Engineer
      Supplementing Your Designs with Inventor CAM and Inventor Nesting - Nov 20, 2:45 PM - 03:45 PM

Modeling a Garter Spring (Simmerring) in Inventor

While reading the forums at GrabCAD over lunch, I happened upon a question on how to model this type of spring.

There is a method where points are created around a revolved surface torus. Planes are placed about the axis and points on the sectioned quadrants are placed for each rotation. However, for this example that would take hours. Because a spline is then creating by selecting each point. Every rotation is 4 points. That got me thinking of how I would do this if I had to. I started playing around with a better way and settled on this one. My final model is posted here https://grabcad.com/library/ring-spring-1  You can download the model and see how it was created in Inventor.

For those of you without 2020 I will try to explain.

Create a surface torus around an axis. In this example I will use the Y.

Draw a 90 deg arc on the XY plane that runs through the center of the torus.

On the XY plane, project the turus circle and then draw a line from its center to the outside of the circle. This sketch needs to be on one of the end points of the arc created above.

Sweep the line along the arc using a twist of 360 X the number of rotations for 90 degs. (be sure to use 360 X # so that it always ends at the top/bottom so the circular pattern works out.

Start a 3D sketch and use Intersection curve and select the two surfaces. This should give you a single continuous spiral running around the curve.

Turn off the viability of the two surfaces.
Put a plane on the start spline using Normal to a curve at point plane.

On that plane sketch a circle around the start point of the spline.

Sweep the circle along the spline.

Circular pattern around the Y axis 4 times and you should have a continuous spring.

To often we get set in doing something one way, because it works. Quite often there is a better way but we don't take, or have, the time to look for it. If you are interested in digging deeper into Inventor, look over the classes we offer at https://www.imaginit.com/training/find-a-course-and-enroll/find-a-course. Complete outlines are available for each of them. Just click on the Detailed Course Description link when viewing a topic.

With software we typically have the tools in hand, but are unaware of of them or don't know how to use them. Best of luck in your future models and drawings.