TPT September 2007

D esign, P roduction & M anagement S oftware

should not only trim traditional points, but whole fields must be sorted to a repeatable correction computation formula. If the freeform bent tube fits in a reliably repeatable way after no more than two or three bending tests, the loop is closed. Because a freeform bent tube has no reproducible fixed length and radii, it cannot be measured either in the traditional tactile way or with a non-contact infrared fork probe.

Laser measuring software for freeform bent tubes

TeZet, Switzerland, produces TeZetCAD, tube-specific software which features a new laser measuring module for freeform bent tubes. Freeform bending requires highly developed software for tube measurement, which also incorporates tube editing and processing software. In a CAD design department, tubes are generated out of planes, and no longer based on the traditional centreline. These

theoretical freeforms have to be read into the software via a special 3D IGES module, and are converted to bending data for processing by the tube bender to produce a freeform bent tube. Such tubes do not use the traditional tube bending procedure, which was generated from straights and bends. Because a desired value and the actual value are often poles apart, the software

fi (Below left) a freeform bend measured tube with complete data sets for correction against CAD and bender; and (below right) masterpiece inspection of 2 freeform bent tubes (deviation 0.071906mm)

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