Learn about planning joints - Intergraph Smart 3D - Help - Hexagon

Intergraph Smart 3D Planning

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Intergraph Smart 3D
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Planning
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Smart 3D Version
13.1

A planning joint is a decomposition of the physical connection into its manufacturing components or welding tasks for planning purposes.

Parts do not have physical connections until they have been detailed in the Structural Detailing task.

The planning joint is placed on the Assembly tab of the Workspace Explorer by Generate Planning Joints . Planning joints for all welds in an assembly or block are placed in a Welds planning joint folder .

The output is one or more planning joints for each physical connection depending on the weld type and position. The parent of a planning joint is a physical connection. However, the planning joint only displays on the Assembly tab, while the physical connection only displays on the System tab. The initial weld position on which the item is placed is flat. Actual weld positions can only be provided at a later stage (after assembly hierarchy assignment of the planning joint).

Within the Planning task, the planning joint serves the following purposes:

  • The ability to plan weld tasks using the block/assembly hierarchy and sequencing. The planning joints are grouped by the part joined to the assembly after assembly sequencing has been performed. The default placement of planning joints is with the assembly or block where the joining parts come together. The planner can, however, move the planning joint to a higher-level assembly or block, and, thus, postpone the welding task.

  • The ability to automate bevel selection and attribute definition. Weld position, weld equipment, plate thickness, and material and grade data provide the basis for bevel selection and attribute definition. Weld position and weld equipment data can only be calculated or found through the planning joint and its assembly hierarchy assignment. The weld position is derived from connection geometry and assembly manufacturing orientation, whereas weld equipment is an assembly attribute.

  • The ability to export geometry and data for work content estimation. Work content estimations are based on data such as weld position, fillet length, fillet size, accessibility, and fillet shape, among others.

You can view and set property values for the planning joint, including name, name rule, weld equipment (overriding the assembly value), and accessibility.

You can view other properties with values defined by the parent objects of the planning joint. Properties such as inclination and rotation of the planning joint are calculated based on the manufacturing orientation of the assembly where the planning joint welding task is performed. Using inclination and rotation values, the software determines the welding position based on definitions in the Planning reference data. Other properties such as side and shape are defined by the physical connection.

You can split a physical connection in the Structural Detailing task using a split command if, for example, another bevel characteristic is needed. Split Planning Joint allows you to further split planning joints with identical bevel characteristics (children of the same physical connection) but with individual assembly assignments. For more information, see Split Physical Connection in the Structural Detailing task and Split Planning Joint.

Planning Joint Groups

Planning joint groups are organized in folders and are created based on the assembly and weld sequence, as defined using the Sequence Form Sequence Form ICON button on the Sequence Ribbon. See Sequence.

The following software-defined groups are available:

Welds

The parent planning joint group. All other planning joint groups are children to the Welds group.

Unassigned

Contains planning joints for which at least one part is in the Unassigned Parts folder on the Assembly tab, as created by the Block Assignment process.

Joining <assembly name>

Contains planning joints for sequenced assembly objects. The initial (base) object in the assembly sequence does not have a planning joint group because it is not initially welded to anything. The first joining group applies to the second object in the assembly sequence. This group is created when Build And Weld As Sequenced is set to True on the General tab on the parent assembly's properties.

Unsequenced

Contains planning joints for unsequenced assembly objects. An Unsequenced group is not created until at least two assembly objects are sequenced, and one joining group is created.

Subsequent

Contains all planning joints for the assembly sequence. This group is created when Build And Weld As Sequenced is set to False on the General tab on the parent assembly's properties.

Postponed

Contains planning joints for parts at a lower assembly level that you have moved to a different assembly.

Custom groups, such as Stage and Module, are also delivered. Your reference data administrator can modify the custom groups.