1.

Introduction

Sweeps, blends and helical sweeps are some of the useful Pro/E commands that
can be used for crating parts which may be difficult to model with extrusions or
revolves.  Sweeps, blends and helical sweeps allow crating parts with varying
cross-sections and parts that twist or bend.

2. Creating a Swept Part

1.

1. Start Pro/E Wildfire.

2. Choose [File] -> [Set Working Directory…], and select a folder to save
your work in.
3. Select [File] -> [New], and type the part name [Example6_A] in Text
Box, then click the [Ok] button.
4. Select [Insert] -> [Sweep] -> [Protrusion] from the menu bar, as seen
in Figure 6.1.

Important note: Similar to the Extrude and Revolve commands, you can use
the sweep option to crate a solid, cut, thin solid, etc., however, you need to
choose the option you want to use before stating the sweep.

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 [Figure 6.1]

Two pop-up windows will open as shown in Figure 6.2. The upper pop-up
window is the Sweep definition menu which contains all the elements that
need to be defined in order to complete the sweep and this window will
remain open until you complete the sweep. The small arrow (indicated in
the figure) identifies the step you are currently working on. The lower pop-
up window is the Menu Manager and the contents of this menu will keep
changing according to your progress.

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 [Figure 6.2]

5. Select [Sketch Traj] from the SWEEP TRAJ menu in the Menu
Manager. This will allow you to sketch the trajectory of the sweep.
6. Select the plane labeled as FRONT, and then select [Okay] from the
DIRECTION menu in the Menu Manager.
7. Select [Default] from the SKET VIEW menu in the Menu Manager. Pro/E
will switch to Sketcher Mode.
8. [Close] the References pop-up window.
9. Using the line tool draw the path shown in Figure 6.3 starting from
point A, B, .... to pint H. Note that the yellow arrow seen in the sketch
indicates the start point.
10. Dimension the sketch as shown in the figure.

B C

F G

A H

E D

[Figure 6.3]

11. Delete the three horizontal lines, then using the Arc tool draw three
tangent arcs connecting the vertical lines as seen in Figure 6.4.

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 [Figure 6.4]

12. Click the Check button from the sketcher toolbar to complete the
sketch of the trajectory.

Note how the view gets rotated such that you can start drawing the cross-
section of the swept part. The two yellow crossed lines that appear in the
sketcher screen indicate the location of the trajectory start point. The
location of your cross-section relative to that start point defines how the
section will be swept relative to the trajectory.

13. Using the circle tool draw a circle centered at the crosses lines and
set the diameter of the circle as seen in Figure 6.5.

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 [Figure 6.5]

14. Click the Check button from the sketcher toolbar to complete the
sketch of the cross-section.

Note: Once you completed the definition of the cross section you can view
how the swept part looks by clicking the [Preview] button in the Sweep
definition pop-up menu, see Figure 6.6. Also, note that the information
given in that window indicates that both elements of the sweep have been
completed. If you need to modify any of the elements of the sweep
(Trajectory or Section), you just need to select it from the window then
press the [Define] button.

[Figure 6.6]

15. Click the [OK] button from the Sweep definition pop-up menu to complete
the swept part.

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16. Select [View] -> [Orientation] -> [Standard Orientation] from the
menu bar. Your part should look similar to that shown in Figure 6.7.

[Figure 6.7]

17. Select [File] -> [Save] from menu bar to save the part.
18. Select [File] -> [Close window] from menu bar to close the part such
that you start a new part.

3. Creating a Blended Part

1. Select [File] -> [New], and type the part name [Example6_B] in Text
Box, then click the [Ok] button.
2. Select [Insert] -> [Blend] -> [Protrusion] from the menu bar. The
Menu Manager pop-up window will open.
3. Select [Done] from the Menu Manager pop-up window. The Blend
definition pop-up menu will now appear and it will remain open until you

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 complete the blend. Similar to the Sweep, this menu contains all the
elements that need to be defined in order to complete the Blend and the
small arrows indicates the step you are currently working on.
4. Select [Smooth] and then [Done] from the ATTRIBUTES menu in the
Menu Manager.
5. Select the plane labeled as FRONT, then select [Okay] from the
DIRECTION menu in the Menu Manager, as seen in Figure 6.8.

Note: The arrow (indicated in Figure 6.8) shows the direction of the
Blend. If you want to reverse the direction you can do that by selecting
[Flip] from the DIRECTION menu in the Menu Manager.

[Figure 6.8]

6. Select [Default] from the SKET VIEW menu in the Menu Manager. Pro/E
will switch to the Sketcher Mode.

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7. [Close] the References pop-up window.
8. Draw the square shown in Figure 6.9 by selecting the rectangle tool
and starting from point A to point B as shown in the figure, and then set
the dimensions as seen in the figure.

Note: A yellow arrow, as indicated in the figure, will be displayed at point

A (if you started from point A) where this arrow indicates the start point.
The meaning of start points for blended sections will become clear as you
go on with this tutorial.

Start point

[Figure 6.9]

9. Now we will move the start point to a new location, to do that first you
need to select the new location of the start point by clicking on the new
point such that it is highlighted in red, as seen in Figure 6.10, then from
the menu bar select [Sketch] -> [Feature Tools] -> [Start Point].

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 New location

[Figure 6.10]

Now we completed the sketch of the first cross-section of the Blend, so we will
move to the next section.

10. From the menu bar select [Sketch] -> [Feature Tools] -> [Toggle
Section].

Note: Once you move to the next cross-section, the previous cross-
section will not disappear but its color will changed to light gray. You still
can modify the dimensions of the previous section if you want to do that.

11. Select the line tool and draw two diagonal lines connecting the corners
of the square as shown in Figure 6.11.

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12. Select the two diagonal lines (such that they are highlighted in red as seen
in the figure, you need to hold down the Ctrl button on the keyboard while
selecting the second line) then from the menu bar select [Edit] ->
[Toggle Construction] as shown in the figure.

[Figure 6.11]

Note: You can also change entities to construction entities using Ctrl+G
from the keyboard. Once an entity (line, arc, circle, etc.) is changed to a
construction entity it will be displayed using dashed lines. It should be
understood that a construction entity is not a part of the sketch, it is just
used as guidance while drawing a cross section and it does not need to be
deleted.

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13. Select the circle tool and draw a circle centered at the intersection of
the two diagonal lines and set the diameter of the circle as seen in Figure
6.12.

Construction lines

[Figure 6.12]

14. Select the Divide an entity tool from the sketcher tool bar (as shown
in Figure 6.12) then divide the circle into four arcs by clicking on the
points of intersection of the circle with the diagonal construction lines as
indicated in the figure. The construction diagonal lines were created just to
be used as guidance when dividing the circle.

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 Important note: Make sure that you divide the circle into four arcs (no
less and no more). You can make sure that the circle is now divided to
arcs by moving the mouse over the circumference of the circle and
observing that each time one of the four arcs is highlighted. The reason
we have to divide the circle into four arcs it to match the number of
corners "vertices" of this cross-section with the previous cross-section
(i.e., the square which contain four corners). It should be understood that
blended cross sections must have the same number of vertices (or
segments).

15. Once you divide the circle a start point arrow will be displayed at one of
the points (the location of the start point depends on the order in which
you divided the circle). If the location of your start point does not match
the location of the start point shown in Figure 6.13, then move the start
point to the location shown in the figure using the procedure described
previously in step 9.

Note: When the different cross-sections of a blend are joined, the start
point of each cross-section will be directly connected to the start point of
the next cross-section and the remaining points will be connected in the
same order.

137
 [Figure 6.13]

Now we completed the sketch of the second cross-section of the Blend, so we

will move to the next section.

16. From the menu bar select [Sketch] -> [Feature Tools] -> [Toggle
Section].
17. Select the rectangle tool and draw the rectangle shown in Figure
6.14 then set the dimensions as seen in the figure.
18. Make sure that the location of your start point is the same as that shown
in the figure, if not then move it to that location.

[Figure 6.14]

Now we completed the sketch of the third cross-section of the Blend, so we

will move to the next section which will be the last section.

19. From the menu bar select [Sketch] -> [Feature Tools] -> [Toggle
Section].
20. Select the point tool from the sketcher tool bar then click at the
intersection of the two diagonal construction lines to place a point there as

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 shown in Figure 6.15. This point is the fourth and last section of this
blended part where this point will cause the blend to have a pointed tip.

Note: Though this last section is only a single point while the previous
sections have four points each, but that will not be a problem because all
points of the previous section will be connected to this single point.

[Figure 6.15]

21. Click the Check button from the sketcher toolbar to complete the
sketches of the cross-sections.
22. Enter 300 as the depth for the second section in the textbox at the
bottom of the screen, and hit Enter on the keyboard.
23. Enter 250 as the depth for the third section in the textbox at the bottom
of the screen, and hit Enter on the keyboard.

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24. Enter 100 as the depth for the fourth section in the textbox at the bottom
of the screen, and hit Enter on the keyboard.
25. Click the [Preview] button from the Blend definition pop-up menu and
then rotate the part to see what it looks like. Your part should look similar
to that shown in Figure 6.16.

[Figure 6.16]

26. Note that at the beginning we chose a Smooth blend and that option
causes the cross sections to be connected using spline curves. Now we will
change the option to Straight such that the sections will be connected
using straight lines where that will enable us to recognize the different
cross sections that we defined. To do that select [Attributes] from the
Blend definition menu then click the [Define] button, as shown in Figure
6.16.

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27. Select [Straight] from the ATTRIBUTES menu in the Menu Manager,
then select [Done].
28. Click the [Preview] button from the Blend definition menu and see what
the part looks like.

Your blend should look similar to that shown in Figure 6.17 where you should
be easily able to recognize the four cross-sections that we defined. Note how
each corner of the first (square) cross-section is connected to one of the four
points that we crated on the second (circle) cross-section. You should also be
able to see how the second (circle) cross-section looks to be twisted relative
to the first (square) cross-section since the start points of the two sections
were located at angularly shifted locations.

[Figure 6.17]

29. Click the [OK] button from the Blend definition pop-up menu to complete
the blended part.
30. Select [File] -> [Save] from menu bar to save the part.
31. Select [File] -> [Close window] from menu bar to close the part such
that you start a new part.

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 4. Creating a Helically Swept part

1. Select [File] -> [New], and type the part name [Example6_C] in Text
Box, then click the [Ok] button.
2. Select [Insert] -> [Helical Sweep] -> [Protrusion] from the menu bar.

Two pop-up windows will open. The upper window is the Helical Sweep
definition menu which contains all the elements that need to be defined in
order to complete the helical sweep and the small arrow identifies the
step you are currently working on. The lower pop-up window is the Menu
Manager and the contents of this menu will keep changing according to
your progress.

3. Make sure that the ATTRIBUTES are Constant for pitch, Thru Axis for
the cross-section and Right Handed for the helix rotation, then select
[Done] from the Menu Manager.
4. Select the plane labeled as FRONT, then select [Okay] from the
DIRECTION menu in the Menu Manager.
5. Select [Default] from the SKET VIEW menu in the Menu Manager. Pro/E
will switch to the Sketcher Mode.
6. [Close] the References pop-up window.
7. We will define the profile of the helical sweep shown in Figure 6.18 and the
axis of rotation for this profile, so first select the Center line tool

and create a centerline collinear with the Y axis as

seen in the figure.
8. Select the Line tool and draw the profile shown and set the dimensions
as seen in the figure. Note that the yellow arrow seen in the sketch
indicates the start point.

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 Profile
Centerline

[Figure 6.18]

9. Click the Check button from the sketcher toolbar to complete the
sketch of the sweep profile.
10. Enter 30 as the pitch value in the textbox at the bottom of the screen, and
hit Enter on the keyboard.
11. Now we will sketch the cross-section (note that the two yellow crossed
lines that appear in the sketcher screen indicate the location of the

trajectory start point), so select the circle tool and draw a circle
centered at the start point and set the diameter of the circle as seen in
Figure 6.19.

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 [Figure 6.19]

12. Click the Check button from the sketcher toolbar to complete the
sketch of the cross-section.

Note: Once you completed the definition of the cross section you can view
how the helically swept part looks by clicking the [Preview] button in the
Helical Sweep definition pop-up menu, see Figure 6.20. Also, note that the
information given in that window indicates that all the elements of the
helical sweep have been completed. If you need to modify any of the
elements of the helical sweep you just need to select it from the window
then press the [Define] button.

144
 [Figure 6.20]

13. Click the [OK] button from the Sweep definition pop-up menu to complete
the helical sweep.
14. Rotate your part and see what it looks like. Your part should look similar
to that shown in Figure 6.21.

[Figure 6.21]

15. Select [File] -> [Save] from menu bar to save the part.

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This completes Tutorial 6.

Homework

Estimate appropriate dimensions for the part shown below then

create it.

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