How to Calculate Tube Elongation Percentage in VTube-LASER
|
|
|
Why Calculate Tube Elongation Percentage?
For some applications, it is important for fabricators to calculate the cut length of parts in advance of bending. The tube elongation percentage value lets you remove elongation from the cut length before bending begins. For example, you may want to quote a project with tens of thousands of pieces - and you want to make a better calculated estimate of total material use.
Reason 1: For Reuse on New Parts
You could setup and bend the part and measure the cut length before and the length of elongation on the end of the tube after bending for every part. Or you could store this information in VTube's springback compensation library and use it to predict the lengths of future parts with similar materials and setups. (VTube stores the tube elongation % for a setup inside the springback table.)
Reason 2: To Unbend Parts with Components in VTube
VTube can unbend tubes in real-time. Unbent parts with holes and components unbent are more useful if they take into account proper tube elongation. For example, you may need to unbend a tube with holes in order to drill the holes before bending. Accounting for elongation becomes critical in this situation.
The Tube Elongation Percentage Calculation Method
VTube-LASER can calculate Tube Elongation Percentage by subtracting the current CUT LENGTH from the MEASURED LENGTH - then calculate the percentage by comparing that change to the total ARC LENGTHS in the measured tube.
The formula used is (Measured Length - Cut Length) / (Arc Length Sum for Whole Tube) X 100
How to Calculate Tube Elongation Percentage in VTube-LASER
Any time VTube-LASER has these three conditions it can calculate tube elongation percentage:
- MASTER XYZ centerline data is present
- MEASURED XYZ centerline data is present (You have measured the tube.)
- You have entered the pre-bent Cut Length value in Part setup of the part that you just measured
If these three conditions are true then you can right click on the Part Setup menu, and use the recalculate tube elongation percentage value.
Note that it is critical that you have entered the ACTUAL CUT LENGTH of the part you just bent for VTube to properly calculate the tube elongation percentage value.
Other Pages
- Back to VTube-LASER
- See also Calibration-Leapfrog-Move Targets
- Purchase the targets at the store.
