Bolts, Washers and Nuts

Contents Hide

• Virtual Fasteners

• Gasket/Nozzle Features

• Additional items

This article treats of managing fasteners (bolts, washers and nuts) by Smap3D PipeFab Connector.

Getting fasteners correctly to PCF files can be carried out by methods described below.

The method selection depends on source data form.

Fasteners can be physically placed in the assembly or attached to piping components as special file properties (or later in Smap3D Pipefab Connector via feature overrides).

Virtual Fasteners

Fasteners can be attached virtually using special PCF features which can be obtained by rules (feature overrides), custom properties, occurrence attributes, etc.

There are two possible ways to set virtual fasteners.

 Virtual fasteners are not displayed in the components treeview of Step 2.

Gasket/Nozzle Features

For gaskets and nozzles (i.e. components with ComponentType GASKET or NOZZLE) it is possible to map specific PCF features to specify a set of fasteners (i.e. one item for e.g. bolt, nut and two washers). BOLT_DIA, BOLT_ITEM_CODE and BOLT_QUANTITY are mandatory.

Optionally it is also possible to set mappings for BOLT_ITEM_DESCRIPTION and BOLT_LENGTH.

Additional items

Fasteners can be added to any component as additional items.

Additional items can be defined using components features in format of ADDITIONAL_ITEM_[index]_[PCF property].

Index can be any integer number, it just serves to keep together properties for the same additional item (e.g. a bolt).

To define a fastener as an additional item it must have at least set PCF properties BOLT_ITEM_CODE and BOLT_QUANTITY.

The PCF properties suitable for additional items are BOLT_ITEM_CODE, BOLT_QUANTITY, BOLT_ITEM_DESCRIPTION, BOLT_DIA, BOLT_LENGTH, CATEGORY, ITEM_CODE, LENGTH, QUANTITY, REPEAT_PART_NUMBER, SIZE, UCI, WEIGHT.

 Add (Step 2) has implemented a support for adding additional items.

 If there are specified values for both BOLT_ITEM_CODE and ITEM_CODE, BOLT_ITEM_CODE takes precedence. This applies also for physical fasteners.

Example:

To add virtual fasteners (bolts, washers and nuts) for a flanged elbow it should have associated (as file properties or via feature overrides) following features at least:

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_1_BOLT_ITEM_CODE = Hex bolt M16x70

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_1_BOLT_QUANTITY = 16

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_1_CATEGORY = ERECTION

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_2_BOLT_ITEM_CODE = Washer M16

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_2_BOLT_QUANTITY = 32

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_2_CATEGORY = ERECTION

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_3_BOLT_ITEM_CODE = Hex nut M16

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_3_BOLT_QUANTITY = 16

ADDITIONAL_ITEM_3_CATEGORY = ERECTION