3D Exercise 123
- Breno Cruz
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
In this CAD tutorial we'll use the features:
1. Extrude
As always, this is your anchor. In a routing or framing workflow, the Extrude command is typically used to create the heavy, solid mounting points.
Function: You might extrude a flat base plate, a mounting flange, or a bulky central manifold block. This gives your tubular structures something solid to connect to or originate from.
2. Pipe
This is a highly efficient, specialized version of the "Sweep" command found in software like Fusion 360 or FreeCAD.
Function: Instead of forcing you to sketch both a 2D profile (like a circle) and a 3D path, the Pipe command only requires the path. You simply select a sketched line, a spline, or an existing model edge, and the software automatically wraps a solid or hollow tube around it.
Application: It is the fastest way to model brake lines, cooling channels, wire routing, or welded tubular steel frames. You can usually define the section as circular, square, or triangular, and instantly hollow it out by specifying a wall thickness.
3. Rib
When you have a long pipe or a tall cylindrical boss extending out from a flat extruded base plate, it becomes structurally weak at the joint. Ribs are the engineering solution to this.
Function: By sketching a simple 2D line bridging the gap between the pipe and the base plate, the Rib command instantly generates a thin, triangular gusset or web.
Mechanism Design: This adds massive rigidity to the pipe, preventing it from snapping off under heavy lateral loads or vibration, without requiring the material volume of a solid block.
4. Fillet
In this specific structural workflow, fillets are less about aesthetics and entirely about distributing mechanical stress.
Stress Relief: The sharp internal corner where your pipe meets the extruded base plate—or where your newly generated ribs connect to the pipe—is a prime location for fatigue cracking. Adding a fillet to "smooth" that 90-degree transition forces the physical stress to distribute along a curve, dramatically increasing the part's strength.
All dimensions are in mm/g/s/ISO
3D Sketch
Exercise 123 - 3D practice drawing for all CAD software ( AutoCAD, SolidWorks, 3DS Max, Autodesk Inventor, Fusion 360, CATIA, Creo Parametric, SolidEdge etc.)
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Tutorial In Autodesk Fusion: https://youtu.be/PSUsE2Fja00