Input for Manufacturing Curved Plates (Jig Pillars)

Input to this module is based on the general selection tool. Input is normally generated automatically when activating the jig module through any of the interactive hull applications via a production program interface. This interface and the selection possibilities are described in Manufacturing, General, About the Production Program Interface.

If a curved panel has been selected (if many, only the first one will be taken care of), jig pillar information will be calculated for that panel. If no curved panel has been selected, you are guided to build up a curved panel by picking its bounding seams.

In case of an existing panel, one of the following two forms will be displayed:

The difference is the Valid field that will be displayed only for symmetrical curved panels (that is, panels with one portside and one starboard image). The contents of the Valid field are shown below:

Configuration

If Sym is chosen, the jig pillars are calculated on the portside of the ship and the resulting jig object will get the suffix "-JIG". PS means that the calculation is performed on the portside image of the curved panel and SB means that the calculation is performed on the starboard image of the curved panel. The suffix will be "-JIGP" and "-JIGS", respectively.

1. Select the Jig Row Position dropdown to define the position of the plane of the jig pillars.

   

   The defining options are as follows:

   • Default means that the assembly plane is calculated as defined by the IP AUTOMATIC_ASSEMBLY_PLANE (that is, either by the corner points of the panel or by the midpoints of the boundary seams).

   • X means that the assembly plane will be parallel to a frame plane; Y that the assembly plane will be parallel to a buttock plane; and, Z that the assembly plane will be parallel to a waterline plane.

   • 3 Points requires you to give three points that define the assembly plane together. The points must not be co-linear. By selecting 3 Points followed by Next or Return, the following form will be displayed.

     

     In the X-fields frame terms are accepted as well as LP-terms in the Y- and Z-fields.

     By filling in the different coordinate fields followed by Next or Return, the program controls the validity of the given terms. Should an invalid term be used, a message notifies you and the form is displayed with the correct terms displayed while the incorrect ones are empty.

     Example

     The form is filled in as shown below:

     

     The input form will then be returned with the following contents.

     

     The fields for X3 and Y3 are blank because of incorrectly given terms, (FE instead of FR for the X-value and an invalid long position reference). When valid terms have been given for these two fields, followed by Next or Return, the program proceeds.

2. (Optional) If you select Seam in the assembly plane definition field, the program outputs the following message: Indicate seam for assembly plane decision. You can either indicate an existing seam in a current drawing or, by selecting Options, key in the total name of the seam manually as shown below.

   

   In this case, the curved panel is tilted the same way as in the Default option, and then tilted in a way so that the referenced seam becomes as horizontal as possible. This is a very specific feature normally used for two-plates panels only.

   The given seam must be an internal seam of the curved panel.

   If no curved panel has been selected, the following form is displayed to assist in building up a curved panel by references to its bounding seams.

   

3. Enter the Object name of the panel to be created. The name of the resulting jig object will be this name followed by "-JIG" (or "-JIGP" or "-JIGS" depending on the validity choice). When selecting Next or Return, the message: Indicate seam to define the panel part (must be given counter-clockwise) appears. You can either indicate existing seams in a current drawing or, by selecting Options, manually key in the total name of the seams (as described above). These seams should form the outer counter of the panel.

4. (Optional) There is also a check function marked Add Seams. Normally, this should only be used for non-panel input to indicate inner seams of the panel. If activated, you are prompted by the message: Indicate additional seam. You can either indicate an existing seam in a current drawing or, by choosing Options, manually key in the total name of the seam. The definition of inner seams is completed by Operation Complete or Return. For existing curved panels this option is normally not used because the inner seams defined in the panel are automatically included in the jig object.

5. (Optional) There is another check function marked Hull Curves. When checked it is possible to select any hull curve and will be drawn in the resulting drawing of JIG program if within the JIG arrangement.

6. The next step is to define the seam that will be the base for the positioning of the jig rows. The message: Indicate seam parallel to y-axis appears and the seam is picked as described above, either by indicating an existing seam in a current drawing or, by selecting Options and keying in the total name of the seam.

   The plane of each jig row will be calculated in the following way:

   • It is perpendicular to the assembly plane

   • It is parallel to the intersection line between the assembly plane and a frame plane (if the selected seam is a butt) or a waterline plane (if the selected seam is a longitudinal seam).

   • It touches the selected seam in its utmost point.

     The intersection between this plane and the assembly plane defines the direction line (= the y-axis). The position of the jig rows are measured from this line as controlled by the IPs DIST_TO_FIRST_JIG_ROW and DIST_BETWEEN_JIG_ROWS.

7. The next step is to define the seam from which contour lengths along the inner seams to a certain jig row will be calculated. The message: Indicate seam from which distances will be calculated will be issued and the seam is selected as described for other seam selections (normally the same seam that is used to position the jig, see above).

8. The final step is to define a thickness of the plate and the designation (A to Z) of the jig row to which contour lengths along inner seams should be calculated (the distances will be measured from the seam defined prior to this step).

   Furthermore, the distance to the first jig row and the distance to the first pillar within each jig row can be changed (the default values given via the IP file jigpillar.ip are given in the form). The following display appears:

   

   The thickness is an average thickness of the plate that will be used if the IP TRUE_SURFACE has not been given. For built-up objects the given thickness will always be used.

9. (Optional) Quit will terminate the current jig pillar session, Cancel will go back one step in the definition process, and OK will continue the process.

10. (Optional) If Seam parallel to sightline is checked and activated, you will be prompted the message: Indicate seam to be parallel to the sightline. The seam is selected as described for other seam selection and the assembly plane will be rotated around the normal of the plane so that the selected seam will be parallel to the sightline. The seam must be an inner seam to the panel (or an added curve, see above).

11. Select OK to create an input scheme and assign the file to the program via the logical variable SB_INPUT1. The layout and contents of the file are explained in the following paragraph.

    In the first form there is a field named Production Information. If this has been asked for, an additional form will be displayed.

12. You will then be able to define principal planes to be used for calculation of checking information. It will be possible to define up to 10 different planes in each of the 3 principal directions.

    

    As for the 3 points definition, frame terms might be used for the X Planes and LP-terms for the Y and Z Planes. By selecting Next or Return, the positions filled in will be checked upon its validity and any incorrectly given position will be blanked and the form will be displayed again. This will be repeated until all given fields are correctly given.

13. (Optional) Quit will terminate the current Plate Jigs session, Cancel will return one step in the definition process, and Next or OK will continue the process.