ASi-Profile - short description

3D-Constructional Steelworking with ASi-Profile based on Autodesk Inventor

(click on the pictures to enlarge them!)

ASi-Profile (ASi) is an add-on application for Autodesk Inventor and aids in the construction process of steel components. It supports the user starting with draft sketches, based on specially supported work spaces, simplifies the installation of any steel construction profiles and their typical connections, as well as working with typical bolted joints for constructional steelworking.

Using ASi-Profile, steel constructions can be planned and designed in Inventor. This allows the user to benefit from the advantages of designing with Inventor in constructional steelworking. ASi-Profile is completely developed based on the parametric technology of Inventor. ASi is seamlessly integrated into the user interface of Inventor and even uses parts of usual Inventor functionality, for example its parts list.

Therefore ASi-Profile is particularly easy to learn and to operate.

ASi-Profile enables users in mechanical engineering and plant engineering to create scaffolds, support structures, platforms and substructures for machines and plants directly in Inventor through ASi-Profile in the same workspace. This replaces the otherwise required, mostly incompatible, special software for constructional engineering and spares learning a new working technique for an additional software.

By combining ASi-Profile and Inventor, metal workers and locksmiths have an efficient way of constructing "design-oriented" stairways, balconys and railings as well as platforms and jigs in industrial construction, thus securing their position in existing markets and conquer new clienteles (take a look at our customer projects).

Design Principles

To aid in spatial and isometrical orientation in constructional steelworking groups, ASi offers the possibility to build a basic structure of 3D-Lines as a basis. This skeletal structure is the work space, which can also represent the outer and inner system lines and the knot list in statics. The 2D or 3D sketch lines of the predefined work space - even as self defined 2D or 3D sketchlines in your own parts - may be used as "frames" to easily insert the steel construction profiles in the model space.

Profiles

ASi-Profile offers a variety of features for the administration, the construction and the changing of standard and special (user defined) steel-profiles.

As standard profiles there are over 1000 different profiles available though templates. The profile data base is provided as a Microsoft Access data base and can be extended and changed by the user (if you have MS-Access available!). It is possible to integrate special profiles, i.e. profiles with almost arbitrary form (e.g. sheet metal-bend profiles, aluminium profiles, trapezoidal sheet metals …) into the standard ones.

Profiles can be inserted in the model in different ways:



Since the direction of rotation and the insertion direction can be choosen, the profiles can be used efficiently when inserting them.

Special Profiles (user-defined)

ASi-Profile offers the possibility to sketch your own profiles, for example trapezoidal sheet metals, rolled steel sections, etc., and to integrate them into the user interface. For defining different sizes of your own profiles, based on one shape, you only have to insert the different values in the database.
The database is based on Microsoft Access®.

Manipulation of Profiles and Profile Knots

With this very efficient feature, most manipulation operations on profiles and their knots can be performed. Profiles can be, e.g.:

• extended and shortened,
• rotated,
• ausalignedgerichtet,
• cut parallel to a plane surface and
• cut parallel to a part surface

An easy and simple definition of profile knots (corner joint, miter-points, t-impact etc..) is now possible with ASi. Rotation, moving and exchanging of profiles without recovery problems is very useful.
The length information for the bill of material (BOM) remains correct and associative with the model during the whole process (update feature for the BOM).

Inserting and Changing of Drilling Fields

	It is possible to construct and change almost any regular drilling field using ASi. The produced drilling field consists of one sketch level and an Inventor drilling feature. In the sketch all the drillings are connected by dimensionings. The drilling fields do not change. It doesn't matter where it is moved to or turned.

Structural Components typical for Constructional Steelworking

Mono-railed, straight Stairways

Constructional steelworking typic stairways are being designed and constructed following common rules. Yet, the user can then change every necessary parameter according to his needs and let the stairway be reconstructed. The desired version is then being created as a completely new Inventor assembly structure and can be changed by the user subsequently or can be used as a template for further stairways.

For fully user-defined stairways, the user can benefit from the special stairways workspace and rapidly design customized designer-stairways.

 

 

Diagonal Braces

Constructional steelworking typic diagonal braces with L- or planar profiles can easily be created by the user in bolt- or welding realization. The desired realization is then being created as a completely new Inventor assembly structure and can be changed by the user subsequently or can be used as a template for further diagonal braces.

Joints typical for Constructional Steelworking

Plate Joints (german DSTV/DASt)

The easiest way to connect two profiles is to use the standard "DAST-Joint" (German committee for constructional steelworking). After selection of the joint type, it is just necessary to select the profile to be joined, or the surface and closing profile, and the chosen profile will automatically be extended or shortened, the steel plate will be inserted and the drillings in both parts will be created. Optionally, the joint can be defined with all necessary dependencies and the drillings and bolted joints can be created..

Custom Plate Joints

The feature custom plate joints offered another possibility to create custom joints. The procedure is thereby analog to the creating of DASt-plate joints, but plate- and joint parameters can be choosen freely.

Editing Plate Joints

All plate joints created with ASi can be changed subsequently. Moreover, all data of the particular plate joint can be saved and reused when creating additional joints.

Web Angle Joints

This features enables the user to create web angle joints. After selecting an angle (isosceles or non-isosceles) and choosing the number of bolts and the position of the rows of bolts, the connecting profile is being shortened corresponding to the settings, the angle and optionally the opposite angle are being created, the drills are being created and the bolts are being inserted.

The choosen parameters can be completely saved under a user-defined label und be reused for further joints.

Stiffeners

ASi can create stiffeners adequate to the particularly selected profile, for symmetric profiles even in pairs. The distance to the edges as well as the shape of the stiffeners can be preset by different parameters. The stiffeners are positioned through Inventor dependencies, whereby just the longitudinal position in the profile needs to be set - all other dependencies are already defined.

Bolted Joints

After selecting the start and end point, the whole bolted joints is being inserted in the drill with the correct clamping length.