Top 5 design errors for tubes in Sophia®

Thousands of parts are uploaded to Sophia® every day. Although the vast majority are ordered without any problems, we also receive files with parts that are not entirely drawn in accordance with our guidelines and therefore cannot be manufactured on our machines.

In this article, we share the five most common design errors in round tubes and rectangular ducts and explain how to avoid them.

NB: For convenience, we refer to these as design errors in this article. We are aware that your drawing is not necessarily incorrect, but simply does not meet our delivery specifications.

1. Use of different wall thicknesses

One of the most common problems is that multiple, different wall thicknesses are drawn in a single tube or duct. Because we cannot cut parts of walls thinner than they are, we cannot process these requests. That is why it is important that every tube or duct in your design has a wall thickness that is the same throughout.

Below are some common errors drawn in a duct.

The left wall above is thinner than the other three walls, the tab in the bottom wall is drawn thicker than the initial duct, there is a weld seam* drawn in the right wall, and a section in the top wall has been made thinner.

*You do not need to draw a weld seam yourself. You can simply indicate it in Sophia®. You can read how to do this in our blog.

2. Contour chamfering

Our online software assumes that cutting lines are cut in 2D (straight down). If you draw a line in 3D (diagonally down), Sophia® converts this to 2D and uses the outside of the wall as a guide. As a result, your part may turn out smaller and will definitely have a different cut. So keep this in mind in your design.

The image above shows two types of beveling that we do not process as standard. Namely, beveling at the edges of pipes and tubes and cutting countersunk holes (in the illustration on top of the tube).

NB: Although we perform standard tube laser cutting in 2D, 2.5D and 3D are often possible on request.

3. Contour rounding

While a beveled contour can still be achieved with 3D tube laser cutting, many rounded contours are not possible at all. This is because the laser cannot cut parallel through an entire wall, the intensity of the laser cannot be adjusted as accurately during cutting, and a tube cannot be placed upright in the machine.

The image above shows two types of rounding that are not possible.

For the record, there are rounded edges that are achievable. Think, for example, of creating a radius when the laser cuts perpendicularly through a wall. 

4. No (correct) inner radius

Sophia® only recognizes tubes if every corner has a radius. What often happens is that three corners have a radius and one corner does not. You can see this in the image below. The bottom left corner has no radius.

Radii are often forgotten. In addition, it also happens that the radius does not have the correct dimensions. Make sure that each corner has a radius and that it is drawn according to our guidelines:

Steel and stainless steel:

• Outer radius: wall thickness x 2
• Inner radius: wall thickness x 1

Aluminum:

• Outer radius: maximum 0.6 mm
• Inner radius: 0 mm (right angle)

5. Engraving against cutting line

Sophia® can distinguish engraving lines from cutting lines, but not if the engraving is drawn against or through a cutting line. In such cases, the software sees both lines as equal. The result is that the entire piece is cut. 

In the image below, you can see yellow lines (engravings) and black lines (cutting lines). The letters E and F on the left wall and the arrow on top are originally engravings. Because they touch the cutting edge of holes and the cross-section, respectively, they will be completely cut out instead of engraved.

The only way to solve this is to draw the lines separately. This usually means that an engraving has to be moved slightly, reduced in size, or removed altogether.

Questions about drawing pipes and tubes for Sophia®?

Do you have any questions about this topic? Please feel free to contact us.