Spool Drawings?

[pauljordan]

Has anyone had any luck creating a semi-automated spool drawing using Acad MEP??

In case the terminology is different in other parts of the planet, the spool drawings are where you'd take a section of pipe and fitting and make a separate drawing to send to the shop so your guys and gals can weld them up and then send them to the site already put together. The drawing would have a bill of materials, cut lengths of piping, and list of equipment etc. that goes into making that whole section of pipe.

I know there are 3rd part products out there that create the spool drawings but, I'd rather not spend another $9000 for something that we should be able to create with the $7000 worth of software we've already purchased.

What do you use??


OK, I found out how to make my spool drawing and have the schedules all set up and ready to go.. Just gotta keep diggin I reckon. Now if I can only figure out how to make my piping have property sets when I draw it, I'll be cooking with gas!

[robw1031]

I spent some time on this a while back….The pipe was no problem i.e. it already has a cut length property in the extended data….Now I had two other mountains to climb….. One, adding weld gaps and, two adding the property sets to the fittings….After about 20 hrs I looked at where I was and where I need to be and figured that it will probably take another 100 plus hrs or so….. 100 hrs of my time = a 3rd party ad on and a few rounds of golf in Hawaii so I am saving…… IMHO In order to have true spools you will need to create new parts I would start there……

[pauljordan]

Thanks Robert. I think you're right along the lines of the East Coast Cad program and what it does with a spool sheet. It adds in the weld gaps for the manufacturers equipment/piping.

I think I'm looking at a lisp routine that will allow me to grab the pipe and fittings, insert the schedules and attach property sets so the schedules will automagically fill themselves out.

Then it's just a matter of the shop guys figuring what to take off for their weld gaps from the spool sheet and we should be hangin ten on a Tsunami.. It don't get much better than that for free stuff.

I just have a hard time walkin into the bosses office and sayin "We need $9000.00 to show weld gaps.. Oh yeah, times 2 for the two stations we're running."

I can't imagine that's what the larger firms are doing. $9000 a pop for fancy fittings that a manufacturer should be making available in the first place. If you want me to spec your parts, give me your 3D stuff with the weld gaps and all.

~ Walks off whistling "To dream the impossible dream..."