5. Primary and Secondary Supports

Exercise 5: How to add supports

The main objective of this exercise is to add primary supports to the pipeline and secondary supports to support primaries.

The estimated time to complete this exercise is 10 minutes.

Version compatibility

This exercise was carried out with version 27.0 (Vertex 2021).

We will update this exercise during the first half of 2024 to match the updated primary supports of version 30.0 (Vertex 2024).

Open the model of your main assembly (EXP-MAIN.vxm) from the previous exercise.
Open the basic browser by pressing B and find the segment Documents.
The segment Documents divides into two main branches Model and Drawing.
Search the folder of your project from the branch Model. Then double-click it to open the model.
You can find more information about the browser here.

Select the pipe model (EXP-PIPELINES) from the assembly tree.
Context-sensitive function: Edit or double-click the sub-assembly from the assembly tree.
You are now at the editing state of the pipe model. You can see the symbols of other assemblies as unsharp in the tree. The symbol of the model you are editing is sharp in the tree.

Let's insert three slide supports to the pipeline.

Function Insert primary support, in picture 1).
The window Select support type opens, in picture 2).
Select the folder slide, in picture 3).
Select the type 1.bmp and double-click it, in picture 4).
The next action is: Digitize pipe (if you want to select the size from list, digitize air) > Digitize the pipe which follows the y-axis close to the gridline 2.
Define Primary support data, in picture 5).
- Type S001 to the field Support position or use the function Position from series or leave the field empty now and define it later, in picture 6) and 7).
- The primary supports gets data from the pipeline.
- Define Type from the drop-down menu and select (1) Low, in picture 8).
- You can rotate the clamp 45 degrees by enabling the check-box Clamp 45°, in picture 9).
- The support uses S235JR SFS-EN 10025-2 as a default material. In case you want to use different material, type the material or use the drop-down menu to select the material, in picture 10).
- Close the window by clicking the OK button, in picture 11).

After the steps in the previous phase, the support now follows the centerline of the pipeline and movements of your mouse, in picture 1).
Click the button Top View from the tool strip, in picture 2).
Digitize the gridline 2 from the geometry, in picture 3) > The program inserts the first primary support.
The function Insert primary support is still active > Digitize the gridline 3.
The window Primary support data > Give the position S002 and close the window by clicking the button OK, in picture 4) and 5) > The program inserts the second primary support.
The function Insert primary support is still active > Digitize the gridline 4.
Repeat the previous steps and give the position S003 for the third support.
The third and last support is now in its place.
Context-sensitive function: Exit.
Select all three supports from the model or tree (Ctrl + left mouse button) > Context-sensitive function: Constraints > Fix.

Let's insert three secondary supports into the pipeline.

Function Insert variable secondary support, in picture 1).
Select the folder plant > Secondarysupports > PSK 7390 > Construction A, in picture 2).
Select the model PSK7390_A2 and double-click it, in picture 3).
Close the Dimension Table window by clicking OK.
The secondary support is now on tip of your cursor.
Rotate the support twice 90 degrees around the z-axis, in picture 4).
Rotate the assembly so that you can see the top of the beam at the intersection of gridlines 2 and B.
Move the cursor to the top of that specific beam and locate the middle point of the line like in picture 5).
Context-sensitive function: Snap > Set local origin (Q).
Context-sensitive function: Constraint > Z axis (O).
Select a point, line, or plane from the primary support's bottom, in picture 6).
The program inserts the first secondary support.
Repeat these steps to add two more secondary supports to the beams in intersections 3-B and 4-B.
You will have three secondary supports in the assembly eventually.

Select one of the secondary supports from the model or tree. Then double-click it or use the context-sensitive function: Dimension table.
Change the value L to 500 in the Dimension Table window, in picture 1).
Close the window by clicking the OK button, in picture 2).
The support's horizontal beam changes to match the value 500 mm, in picture 3).
Repeat these steps with two other secondary supports.
Select all three supports from the model or tree (Ctrl + left mouse button) > Context-sensitive function: Constraints > Fix.

You can also set the position for primary supports with this technique. This is the main method to set the positions for secondary supports.
Function Positions > Set support position, in picture 1).
The next action is: Digitize parts of the support position. Digitize each part of the secondary support individually if it contains two or more parts, in picture 2).
Confirm the digitized parts > Context-sensitive function: OK.
The window Set support position opens, in picture 3) > Type Support position or use the function From series to generate the position, in picture 4) > Close the window by clicking the OK button, in picture 5).
Set position for all secondary supports.
Context-sensitive function: Exit.
Supporting is now ready.

Return to the main assembly level on the model > Working window > Right mouse button > OK. This action will save the changes of the sub-assembly to the archive.
Save the main assembly also: File > Save or click
or from your keyboard
+
.

This transfer package will create a project EXP and insert the model EXP-PIPELINES into the archive.

We don't recommend using this package if you already conducted the exercise by using the same labels for the project and models as guided.