LRA Designer Tutorial

Introduction

This tutorial will step through the process of of creating a part (Shown on the right) in the LRA designer interface.

While designing in the LRA designer, the die, material, number of bends, and lengths, rotations, and angles are provided to determine the shape of the part.

Note: This tutorial will use millimeters as the measurement units.

Tutorial

Step 1

First, a new LRA part design needs to be started. On the start up page, click the LRA Designer button.

Note: Depending on the version of software currently in use, fewer designer buttons may be included on the start up page.

Step 2

Now a new LRA part designer window will open. This is where the part will be designed.

Step 3

First of all, the die and material need to to be chosen. The die and material menus are located in the upper left corner of the designer window.

Choose a die by clicking the drop down menu next to the die icon. Select the 100mm die from the list, as shown in the image below. (Note: This die was made in the Die Library Tutorial. If this die is not shown in the die selection menu, please complete the die library tutorial before proceeding.)

Choose a material by clicking the drop down menu next to the material icon. Select the 50mm material from the list, as shown in the image below. (Note: This material was made in the Material Library Tutorial. If this material is not shown in the material selection menu, please complete the material library tutorial before proceeding.)

Step 4

Next, the number of bends in the part will be selected. The bend selection menu is located in the upper left corner just below the die and material menus. The part that will be created in this tutorial is going to have 4 bends.

Choose the amount of bends by clicking the drop down menu next to the bend number icon. Select the number 4 from the list as shown in the image below. Once the number of bends has been increased to 4, the coordinate fields will adjust accordingly. There will be 5 rows available now.

Step 5

In the LRA designer, the option to change the dimensions type/where the dimensions are measured to is available. Dimensions can be measured up to the apex of the bend or just the straight lengths of tube. For more information, see the dimension types section on the LRA designer quick start page.

In this tutorial, the length of straight dimension type will be used. Click the length of straight button as shown below.

Step 6

In the coordinate entry fields, there will be 5 rows and 4 columns. The first 4 rows will represent the length, rotation, and angle of each bend (Row 1 defines bend 1, Row 2 defines bend 2, etc.). The 5th row will be the length of the last length on the part.

The first column represents the length before the bend, the middle column represents the rotation, and the third column represents the angle of the bend. The fourth column lists the center line radius/CLR of each bend. This column will have the achieved CLR of the currently selected die (100mm).

Step 7

Now the coordinates will be entered. These coordinates will define the shape of the part. On the left side of the window, there will be a series of coordinate entry fields.

Enter the exact coordinates shown in the image below. As these values are entered, the part will gradually be generated in the graphical display.

Tip: Hitting the tab key will move the cursor to the next available cell while entering the coordinates.

Each set of coordinates represents a specific length and bend on the part, as shown below.

Step 8

Now the CLR of each bend will be adjusted. These CLR values can be adjusted in order to replicate a part design that requires the given CLR, but will be bent using the die chosen at the top of the window. For example, in this tutorial, the 100mm die is selected. Giving a CLR of 122 will cause the straight lengths of the part to be increased slightly so the part shape will mimic the shape of the same part made with a 122mm die.

Enter 122 into each of the CLR fields, as shown below.

The changes in length will be reflected in the part dimensions and the length values in the results table.

Step 9

As each set of coordinate values are supplied, the 3D part model will be generated in the graphical display to the right. Once all coordinates are entered, the complete part will be shown. The part's bend information will also be generated in the results table at the top of the window. See the image below.

Depending on the options chosen in the results/output format and results/output settings tabs in the program settings menu, the results table may look slightly different.

Step 10

The part is now complete!

The part design file can be saved by going up to the main tool bar and clicking the save option.

The bend order can also be adjusted in the bend order menu.

The part setup sheet can also be printed by clicking the print option on the main tool bar.