I See the engineering warehouse has a lot of shapes, pipes, etc.
where can I download things like roller chain sprockets, roller chain, ? also expanded metal? in my work we use a lot of mechanical stuff.
I know I can get air cylinders, hydraulic, Pillow block bearings, etc from websites.
You can’t always trust the things you find on the Warehouse, anyway.
It seems to me that almost all the items you mentioned are–or consist of–simple forms used repetitively. They are things you could make easily and set up in a custom component library. It would be good practice in essential skills, and then you’d know exactly what you’ve got. I don’t think this would be very hard to model:
Something like expanded metal screening, if that’s what you mean, would be best handled with a texture, I think.
Instead of making a generalized call for “stuff” before you even know what you need, wait 'til you need something specific, whether common hardware items or some kind of texture, and when you run into a wall, let us know.
-Gully
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I would agree with Gully. I generally find it’s easier to draw my own components than to find useful ones in the Warehouse. There’s enough information readily accessible to draw your own respectable things like roller chain and sprockets.
And definitely, for things like expanded metal, you should use a material instead of using geometry.
on the other hand, I often download generic bearings, rod-end, chain links, dc motors, etc… from TraceParts as .skp files to use for detailed reference…
i.e. I make a simplified component from the import and save that in my own collection…
john
Thanks, will try that.
I would agree. I use autocad 2D for most of my work mainly because I’m more familiar with it and it is the standard for communication. I can fake a sprocket profile given the pd, od, and plate thickness. just trying to save some time.
I doubt there are any vendors out there that offer sprockets as there are so many combinations.
Thanks
There are some gear plugins you may like listed here.
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Traceparts is also available on 3d Warehouse (11,000 models).
CADenas PARTcommunity is also on Trimble’s 3D warehouse as well, with more than 50,000 models of engineering parts
SimLab (paid) plugins will also let you import SolidWorks or IGES formats meaning you could grab CAD data from websites like McMaster Carr to import into SketchUp.