Surface protection is additional material that protects the surface of a wire harness.
Surface protections include actual surface protection, looms, wrap tapes, flexible tubing, braided sleeves, and shrink tubing. These are called source objects.
They can be placed onto bundles, which we refer to as "target objects". You can place one surface protection on two or more bundles which are connected by using the Stretch surface protection function or the Shrink surface protection function.
The source objects are placed either automatically between two end points or manually between any two control points or end points on the target objects. The source objects are placed either on an existing target object, or they can be placed freely in the working window, and other source objects can be led through them later. In such a case, they will be created together with a bundle.
Placing surface protections in the workspace
The following description applies to any type of surface protection.
- Select the Insert > Place <component> menu items or the corresponding button on the main toolbar.
The Part navigator dialog is opened. - Select the desired part and click [OK].
The Part navigator dialog is closed.
- In the Properties panel select the Free option to snap surface protections onto existing bundles / surface protections, their control points or onto the end points of leading parts / clip points of clips.
- Or select the Surface option to place surface protections onto existing surfaces. In this case, a surface offset can be specified. If this option is used, the surface protection can still be placed freely, but it is not snapped to any objects.
- Or select a bundle to place the surface protection on.
- If you accidentally place an unwanted control point, press the [Backspace] key to remove it.
The command remains active.
- Enter the coordinates and click [OK] to place the control point. The command remains active.
- Right-click to finish placing the surface protection.
Placing surface protections in the workdesk
The following description applies to any type of surface protection.
- Select the Insert > Place <component> menu items or the corresponding button on the main toolbar. The Part navigator dialog is opened.
- Select the desired part and click [OK].
The Part navigator dialog is closed.
- In the command bar, you can switch between the Cartesian and the polar coordinate system in the System section.
- You can also switch between absolute and relative coordinates in the Measurement section of the command bar.
- Enter the desired values, or place the surface protection freely.
While placing the surface protection, the dimensions are shown according to the current settings in the command bar. Start, end and control points are automatically snapped
to the global grid in the workdesk working window. - While placing the surface protection, you can change its Path diameter and Bending radius values in the command bar.
- If you accidentally place an unwanted control point, press the [Backspace] key to remove it. The command remains active.
- Click [Finish] or right-click to finish the command. The so-called "active dimensions" are inserted within the surface protection. You can edit their values, and the surface protection changes accordingly.
The bending radius is displayed at each control point; by selecting a particular control point you can individually modify it in the properties panel. The radius of several control points can also be changed at once in the same way.
See also