Alibre 2012

[JorgensenSteam]

Assemblies are easy, not much trouble there.

 

[Tin Falcon]

I think one of the biggest things with any skill set is learning to fix or work around mistakes as we will make them. if you can quickly recognize a mistake and fix it then progress will happen .
sometimes the best way to learn is fail early and often.
I tend to check my size as I go by throwing the dimension on stuff if I mess up it is easy to change. Most of the time .
Tin

 

[JorgensenSteam]

When it comes to machining metal, I can honestly say I am an expert..................at failing early and often.

I have that part down to a science.

 

[Tin Falcon]

As a work-around, I would make a sketch, extrude it, and then save it as "File-01". Then make a second sketch, extrude it, then save as "File-02", etc. A new file for every added sketch/feature. Then when I botched the part, I would just open the previous file, and try it again.

Oh I thought of that one pat but by the time I found the save as button(under the jewel) I had figured out how to edit sketches and extrude parameters.
Tin

 

[Dave Sohlstrom]

Assemblies are fun and frustrating all at the same time. You can constrain your assembly so when you rotate one part such as a crankshaft, the piston and valves will move correctly.
Here is an assembly of a Zdrive for model tug boats we are developing using Alibre.

Dave

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Dave-

That is a very nice assembly.
I like it.

 

[Admiral_dk]

Hi Dave

Exactly how do you make Alibre move the gears correctly ?

I have Alibre Design Pro 2012 and haven't found the solution on that problem and didn't get at good answer on the Alibre forum either and I must admit that it frustrates me that I can't "test" my engine design on four-strokes as long as I can't get the gears "to mesh up" and the followers to follow the cams.

 

[Dave Sohlstrom]

Admiral

Gears that are not 1 to 1 ratio are a problem. I too have not found a way to do that. The steam engines I have been designing use excentrics and you can set them up to follow the crank.

Dave

 

[Admiral_dk]

Well I have to start somewhere, so how do you make 1 to 1 ratio gears mesh up in Alibre Design Pro 2012 ?

 

[Dave Sohlstrom]

I just went to an assemble that has gears in it and checked to see how I made gears rotate in sync. You use the orient constraint. You need keyways in the gears. Orient the keyways and then rotate one gear the other will follow.Only problem is they rotate in the same direction verse opposite direction,

Dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

my latest part
a steam chest

tin

 

[Dave Sohlstrom]

Tin it's gona leek one whole side is missing. ;D ;D Nice job

Dave

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Very nice.
Looks like you got the hang of it.

 

[AussieJimG]

You don't need keyways Dave, you can orient the reference planes of the gears. Right click on the gears in the side section (what's it called?) in the assembly drawing and select show geometry. You can hide it again when you have oriented the gears.

Jim