Data Delight: Leveraging Parameters and Equations for Smarter Designs with iLogic

In our previous article, we explored how user parameters and equations can simplify the design of Ellipsoidal Dish Head.

This article delves deeper, demonstrating how to design various ellipsoidal dish head shapes (e.g., 2:1 and 1.9:1) within a single Inventor model. While user parameters and equations alone cannot achieve this level of flexibility, leveraging iLogic programming within the model unlocks the ability to generate different head types efficiently. This article will showcase a streamlined iLogic program that facilitates the creation of diverse ellipsoidal dish heads in a single model.

To facilitate the design of various ellipsoidal dish head shapes within a single model, we'll leverage a previously designed 3D model of a standard ellipsoidal dish head. We'll introduce a new user parameter named "Shape" (text type) to control the head geometry.

By right-clicking the "Equation" option and selecting "Multi-Value List," we'll define new options within the "Shape" parameter, such as "2:1" and "1.9:1."

This functionality will be extended to the Crown Radius (CR), Knuckle Radius (KR), and Dish Height (DH) parameters. The corresponding formulae for each parameter, as illustrated in the accompanying image, will be incorporated into the model.

Having established the parameters, the core iLogic automation comes into play. We'll utilize simple IF-THEN-ELSE IF conditional statements within the iLogic code, which will be outlined in the following section.

The code utilizes a series of conditional statements to determine the appropriate equations for calculating the Crown Radius (CR), Knuckle Radius (KR), and Dish Height (DH) based on the selected "Shape".

• IF Shape = "2:1" Then: This condition checks if the "Shape" parameter value is set to "2:1". Then following lines are executed.

CR = 0.9 ul * ID- This line assigns a value to the CR parameter. The value is calculated by multiplying a factor of 0.9 with "ID" (Inside Diameter) of the dish head.

KR= 0.17 ul * ID- Similar to CR, this line calculates the Knuckle Radius (KR) using a factor of 0.17 and multiplies it by "ID".

DH = 0.25 ul * ID: This line calculates the Dish Height (DH) using a factor of 0.25, multiplied by "ID".

• ELSEIF Shape = "1.9:1" Then:

CR = ID/1.16: Here, the CR is directly calculated by dividing the "ID" by 1.16.

KR = ID/5.39: The KR is calculated by dividing the "ID" by 5.39.

DH = ID/3.8: The DH is calculated by dividing the "ID" by 3.8.

In summary, this iLogic code allows users to select a dish head shape ("2:1" or "1.9:1") through the "Shape" parameter. The code then automatically applies the corresponding formulas to calculate the CR, KR, and DH values based on the chosen shape and the provided Inside Diameter (ID). This simplifies the design process by eliminating the need to manually update equations or create separate models for different dish head shapes.

Now by Just changing Outside Diameter (OD) and Shape option from User parameter, we will get different sized and shaped Ellipsoidal Dish heads.

Here's a revised closing paragraph that sounds more professional and emphasizes the takeaways for the reader:

In this article, we've explored the power of iLogic programming to streamline the design of ellipsoidal dish heads. By leveraging a single model and user-defined parameters, we've demonstrated how to efficiently generate various head shapes (e.g., 2:1 and 1.9:1) within Inventor. This approach eliminates the need for creating separate models and simplifies formula management.

In our next article, we'll delve deeper into user experience by building an intuitive form within iLogic. This form will facilitate easier and faster selection of dish head parameters, further enhancing the design efficiency for engineers.

Stay tuned for more informative articles exploring the exciting capabilities of iLogic in Inventor design!

Dattatray C. Kelkar

Mechanical Design Engineer