What's new

Unwrapping A Cylinder

wsimonton

Senior Member
I have created a T-Boiler which is still in the early stages. What I want to do is unwrap the vertical cylinder and create the sheet metal to more correctly illustrate the design and maybe assist in the development of plans for a new boiler. An illustration of the "Pro Forma Boiler" is below.

I took the vertical cylinder I created with thin extrude and "cut" it with a thin extrude which had a offset of 0.001 on each side of the line. No problem. I then attempted to create a Tab on one side of the "Cut" but Alibre although it recognized the Face and I was able to create a drawing on that face with Project to Sketch, Alibre generated a RED error button and would not Extrude the drawing to create the Tab required to convert the cylinder to Sheet Metal. I also attempted to create the tab using the generated drawing "pasted" into a new sketch and extruding that. Again no joy.

I suppose I could reverse the process and in Sheet Metal and start with a Tab an create the cylinder that way but to create a cylinder which is precisely 44 1/4" in diameter (O.D.) is presently at the edge of my skill set. I am sure
there is an easy way to do this but sometimes the epiphany eludes me.
Screen Shot 09-20-22 at 07.59 PM.JPG
 

Attachments

  • T-Boiler Cylinder.AD_PKG
    40.9 KB · Views: 7

HaroldL

Alibre Super User
Use the Lofted Flange tool.
lofted flange.jpg

If you need to you can Unbend and Rebend the cylinder by selecting the Select All Bends option without having to select a Fixed Face. And it will flatten okay too.
 
Last edited:

wsimonton

Senior Member
Thank you. I learn new things every day. Probably a good this as my hobby is history and a hobby which makes me think is probably very good way to stay alert at my age.
 

wsimonton

Senior Member
Next question. I need/would like to create a flange on the 30" diameter cylinder where it would attach to the 44" vertical cylinder.

A easy way to do that as the original had a flange which was not a add-on but formed (flanged on a flanger) to provide a surface to rivet the two cylinders together. If we are able to use the vertical cylinder that would be ideal as we will not be able to use the horizontal portion due to some welding which was done years ago and will not meet Code today. If an entire new boiler is required, it will be welded in its entirety. Taking a 1902 T-Boiler (the only existing exemplar) and bringing it up to Code and/or designing a new T-Boiler that meets present day Code is like my A-313 drawings a work in progress.

See above.
 

Attachments

  • Sheet Metal Boiler.AD_ASM
    228.5 KB · Views: 3

Ken226

Alibre Super User
If I'm understanding your question correctly, perhaps model two cylinders of the appropriate size/ wall thickness and do a boolean intersect to generate the flange.

Something like this:

1663734652708.png


1663735993510.png


BTW:

I wasn't able to open the file in your last post. An assembly or file containing boolean operations will need to be uploaded as a package file.
 

Attachments

  • New Assembly (1).AD_PKG
    145.4 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:

wsimonton

Senior Member
That is similar to what I did initially (See attached) but I would like to do it in Sheet Metal.
 

Attachments

  • T- Boiler Horizontal w Collar.AD_PKG
    172.7 KB · Views: 8

HaroldL

Alibre Super User
Unfortunately sheet metal doesn't allow complex forms like the flange you want. I tried making the flange in sheet metal then adding to the tube as a Boolean Unite like Ken suggested. However that didn't work out so well and it crashed Alibre on one try and erred on another.

...the original had a flange which was not a add-on but formed (flanged on a flanger) to provide a surface to rivet the two cylinders together.
I would like to see the machine that created the flange, that would be interesting.
 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
Unfortunately sheet metal doesn't allow complex forms like the flange you want. I tried making the flange in sheet metal then adding to the tube as a Boolean Unite like Ken suggested. However that didn't work out so well and it crashed Alibre on one try and erred on another.


I would like to see the machine that created the flange, that would be interesting.

I was trying the same for the last hour. After the 5th time Alibre crashed out and died I had to give up on it. Alibre was having no part of that wave-washer looking flange at all!
 

wsimonton

Senior Member
Here a couple of photos of flangers. the first link is to some photos of flanger being used in the shop of the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington RR Museum - a 2" railroad in Maine, and
the second is unknown and the third from the Age of Steam workshop. Look up McCabe Flanger. One example >>>>



Flanger AOS..jpg

269393529_4655809811121960_4127994108763313083_n.jpg
Flanger AOS..jpgFlanger AOS..jpg
 

Attachments

  • Flanger.jpg
    Flanger.jpg
    63.1 KB · Views: 8
Top