How Do You Route a Pipe in SolidWorks?

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In this tutorial, we will learn how to route a pipe in SolidWorks. Routing pipes is an essential part of designing systems that involve fluid flow, such as plumbing or hydraulic systems. SolidWorks provides powerful tools that make the process of routing pipes efficient and accurate.

Step 1: Creating a New Routing Assembly

To begin routing a pipe in SolidWorks, we need to create a new routing assembly. Follow these steps:

  1. Click on File in the menu bar and select New > Assembly.
  2. Select the desired template for your assembly.
  3. Click OK to create the new assembly.

Step 2: Enabling Routing Add-In

Before we can start routing pipes, we need to enable the Routing add-in in SolidWorks. Here’s how:

  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Add-Ins.
  2. In the Add-Ins window, check the box next to ‘Routing’ and click OK.

Step 3: Adding Pipe Route Component

To start routing a pipe, we need to add a Pipe Route component to our assembly:

  1. Navigate to the Design Library tab on the right side of the SolidWorks window.
  2. Expand ‘Routing Library’ and then ‘Piping’.
  3. Select a suitable pipe route component from the available options by doubling-clicking on it.
  4. Drag and drop the selected component into the assembly workspace.

Step 4: Creating a Route

Now that we have our pipe route component, let’s create a route:

  1. Select the Pipe Route component in the assembly.
  2. Click on the ‘Route’ icon in the Routing toolbar or right-click on the Pipe Route component and select ‘Route’.
  3. Select the desired start point for your pipe route by clicking on an edge or vertex of another component in the assembly.
  4. Select the end point for your pipe route in a similar manner.
  5. Select additional points to define the path of your pipe route. SolidWorks will automatically generate suitable fittings as required based on your selections.
  6. Add fittings, valves, or other components as necessary to complete your pipe route.
  7. You can also use routing options to customize various aspects of your pipe route, such as diameter, bend radius, and more.

Step 5: Editing and Modifying Routes

SolidWorks provides several tools to edit and modify routes. Here are some common operations:

Moving Components:

To move components within a route:

  1. Select the component you want to move by clicking on it.
  2. Deselect all other components by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking on them.
  3. Drag the selected component to the desired location.

Adding Components:

To add components to an existing route:

  1. Select the route where you want to add a component.
  2. Click on the ‘Add Component’ icon in the Routing toolbar or right-click on the route and select ‘Add Component’.
  3. Select the desired component from the available options and place it in the assembly workspace.

Modifying Fittings:

To modify fittings within a route:

  1. Select the fitting you want to modify by clicking on it.
  2. You can now change various parameters like size, angle, or configuration from the PropertyManager that appears on your screen.

Step 6: Generating Bill of Materials (BOM)

SolidWorks allows you to generate a Bill of Materials (BOM) for your routing assembly, which lists all the components used in your pipe routes. To generate a BOM:

  1. Navigate to File in the menu bar and select ‘Make Drawing from Assembly’.
  2. Create a drawing for your assembly and place all necessary views.
  3. Add a BOM table to your drawing sheet using either automatic or manual methods.

That’s it! You have successfully learned how to route a pipe in SolidWorks. With the powerful routing tools provided by SolidWorks, you can efficiently design and visualize complex piping systems with ease.

Note: It’s important to practice regularly and explore additional features to become proficient in routing pipes in SolidWorks.