What's the best way to model standard aluminum extrusion in Onshape?

declan_oller

I want to make a model with standard 2020 aluminum extrusion, with T or V slot, like this:
 
I'm new to Onshape though, and I can't seem to find it in any standard parts. I found a few forum threads from a long time ago but they seemed to be workarounds.

Is there some good way of doing this, or would I have to design the part myself? thanks!

NeilCooke

Already done for you: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/00584604cf60e1fefade2c8a/w/d0b62e9d50bbc4d4d49b2497/e/dc2ae4bdf2e05bcbd939f4a9

You can also use the Beams custom feature to make your frame - see video here: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/9963/improvements-to-onshape-august-20th-2018#latest

michael3424

In a more general case, you can also download the profile for 80-20 extrusions as DXF files from their web site.  You could then import that DXF into Onshape and extrude it to create extrusions.  That's not necessary here, but could be a useful technique for extrusions that haven't been modeled and made public yet by other Onshape users.  Heat exchange fin extrusions might be one example.

michael_mcclain

You can use that dxf in a sketch and then import that sketch into the beams feature to be used like a standard beams profile 

declan_oller

NeilCooke said:

Already done for you: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/00584604cf60e1fefade2c8a/w/d0b62e9d50bbc4d4d49b2497/e/dc2ae4bdf2e05bcbd939f4a9

You can also use the Beams custom feature to make your frame - see video here: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/9963/improvements-to-onshape-august-20th-2018#latest

Thanks, this seems perfect! And it's really cool that the maker of it is responding to me. The videos are really helpful too. Does the package come with common extrusion connectors, like:


or


?

If not, it seems like they might be easy enough for me to make manually. Thanks again for the great tool!

john_mcclary

The beam featurescript is for constructing frames / weldments, extruded aluminum, or whatever custom shape you want.

You will need to create your own library of fasteners separately.

declan_oller

john_mcclary said:

The beam featurescript is for constructing frames / weldments, extruded aluminum, or whatever custom shape you want.

You will need to create your own library of fasteners separately.

Thanks! Is there a good way to search for existing libraries in case someone has already made one before?

TimRice

There is this app in our app store that already has many of those connectors for 80/20 profiles:

https://appstore.onshape.com/apps/Content/KAMXGDNGLR7APEHQNTPRS2CFEMW5AZL7JZG542I=/description

declan_oller

TimRice said:

There is this app in our app store that already has many of those connectors for 80/20 profiles:

https://appstore.onshape.com/apps/Content/KAMXGDNGLR7APEHQNTPRS2CFEMW5AZL7JZG542I=/description

Awesome, thanks, I'll try it out today!