does anyone know of software for drawing ram movements etc

[dannewhouse]

I don't know where to put this but i've been searching for a computer program which I can accurately draw different mechanisms which include rams or just a series of pivots such as a tipper trailer with an automatic door to check the geometry works (ideally on the move but if I could snapshot various points in the movement)

at the moment any of these ideas I have I draw them in auto cad but I have to fully draw them every time I alter something and in the "open" and "closed" position I'm sure there will be a better program I just haven't found it yet.

something far more accurate than CAD (Cardboard Aided Design!!!)

 

[bkg]

https://www.onshape.com/videos/assembly-mates

Assembly Mates | Onshape CAD Tutorial have a look at this link, this is what you want, just get some cups of coffee, and sit back and learn, this is very good software the beam future is or some.

 

[wr.]

Computer programme, My At$e We used to use Meccanno to work things out

 

[bkg]

Things have moved on for some people.

 

[dannewhouse]

Computer programme, My At$e We used to use Meccanno to work things out

theres too much difference from the 1 hole to the next!!!! haha I used to trial ideas in lego though!

wish I had photos now I designed an "up and over" door on a tipper trailer, drew it all to scale in cad both up and down showing door onen/closed. then printed it out and pinned it to card to show as the tipper tipped it opened the door. then I drilled the trailer and used wood and rope to prove it worked before we set too and made it ... dad cut 2 holes wrong!!! I think it was 1120mm and he cut 1020mm so it still wasn't idiom proof!!!

thanks for info I will give that software a good go!

 

[bkg]

If you are using auto cad this software should not be a problem,stick with it,check out the beam script it will help you to draw a back door very fast, let me know how you are getting on,
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN5jxFVtYCc this link, will give you a idea what can be done very fast.

 

[pycoed]

Try this one:-
http://blog.rectorsquid.com/linkage-mechanism-designer-and-simulator/
It only runs under Windows which was a potch for me, but it worked OK for me in modifying my home made & extremely heavy double up&over garage door.
DO take the youtube tutorial because I found it almost completely inpenetrable to use before the examples. If you have CAD experience it may make sense but it didn't seem intuitive to me...

 

[Selectamatic]

I used to use a program called working model, quite a clever thing, but would do what you want perfectly.

No idea if you can get it now, things have moved on since I was buggering about with such things...

 

[dannewhouse]

I used to use a program called working model, quite a clever thing, but would do what you want perfectly.

No idea if you can get it now, things have moved on since I was buggering about with such things...

That looks just the job a little more basic than the one mentioned above but spot on.

I may progress to the one above/trial it anyway thank you very much for the answers.

 

[dannewhouse]

had a good play been designing a "cheese wedge ramp" see what you think to the mechanism behind it.

 

[Andrew]

had a good play been designing a "cheese wedge ramp" see what you think to the mechanism behind it.
View attachment 491266 View attachment 491268 View attachment 491270 View attachment 491272 View attachment 491274 View attachment 491276 View attachment 491278

How are you getting so much travel on the green cylinder?

 

[dannewhouse]

the green cylinder is 300mm closed centres, 200mm travel ie 500 open its just a standard cylinder.

the green cylinder rotates it 90 degrees (with scope for a little more rotation ie I don't want all the weight sat on the ram.
the blue cylinder rotates it 102 degrees again with scope for more in case your on uneven ground

on this program you can create a ram which has more travel than its initial length like a 2/3 stage tipper ram but it doesn't make them single acting ie they can pull as well as push they just look funny as the inner part of the ram sticks out the bottom of the ram in the diagram.

the only down side I have found with this software is that I cant draw the mechanisms with the ram in the "open" position.

 

[dannewhouse]

the cylinder I was just on about being 200 stroke 300closed 500 open is a 30mm rod do you think this would lift the ramps no bother? I think it would lift them but it might be a little fast?
the other ram is a 400 stroke 560 closed 960 open again 30mm rod but it has much more leverage as I think this will be the main ram ie you will lift this 1 first just in case you want to leave the ramp stood upright.
its just as long as the littler ram can lift the ramps from the stowed position.

 

[Andrew]

If it's 30mm rod and 200 stroke, double acting you're more than likely 450+mm closed length.

If the green cylinder won't unfold the ramps you could always unfold the purple bit first, would help the green cylinder. Its hard to know what forces are involved with no distances.

 

[dannewhouse]

200 stroke is 360 centres closed and 300 stroke is 460 closed according to Ramko website/standard stock.

yes I thought that you could unfold them that way, I originally thought about putting them both on the same spool but I think it will be handy if its possible to leave the ramps stood straight up (just for instance you load a machine that's just too long to allow the ramps to fold over)

just debating whether to run 2 full sets of pipes to the tractor or do it like our artic where you supply oil to a valve block on the trailer and control the ramps from the ground.

 

[RWG Contracts]

I made a hooklift trailer, worked it all out using scaled down cardboard models

 

[dannewhouse]

I made a hooklift trailer, worked it all out using scaled down cardboard models

I just wanted to be a bit better than that for the ram open/closed distances etc to be honest I got all the dimensions I wanted from maths (triangle rules) and then just drew it open and closed to prove it worked then went onto the linkage program to prove it (cheaper than getting to end and it not working)

 

[RWG Contracts]

I just wanted to be a bit better than that for the ram open/closed distances etc to be honest I got all the dimensions I wanted from maths (triangle rules) and then just drew it open and closed to prove it worked then went onto the linkage program to prove it (cheaper than getting to end and it not working)

I was spot on with my cardboard how do you think people made things before cad

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/hook-lift-trailer.81270/

 

[dannewhouse]

I was spot on with my cardboard how do you think people made things before cad

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/hook-lift-trailer.81270/

looks good CAD (Cardboard aided design?)

good think with cad is if you alter something you can see the result and just press back if you don't like it (I suppose its easier to trial end error with cad)

only thing with scale and cardboard is if something looks like it will foul you cant tell to easily whereas you just zoom in on cad and it could be a 5mm clearance but you'd never see it at say 1:20 cardboard scale?

I would like to think I'm "old school" like you if I was faced with a problem a calculator and cardboard I'm sure I could manage.

interestingly I did get the ramps to work on just 1 ram but it would have had to be mid mounted as oppose to the "fixed" end being mounted past the end. I decided for the cost of extra rams it would be better job to have 2 and be able to leave door in upright position.

 

[Andrew]

just debating whether to run 2 full sets of pipes to the tractor or do it like our artic where you supply oil to a valve block on the trailer and control the ramps from the ground.

Run one set of pipes to the back with an electric diverter off the sidelights? Work the spool to work cyl 1, then flick lights on and work cyl 2?