ribbon cable routing

Guys,

I don't have pro-cabing and am trying to create a ribbon cable, which is
routed through an assembly. Parts of this assembly routing require the cable
to fold back on itself to turn around 90 degree corners (I have three such
bends). I can't figure out how to model it accurately without making an
individual 3D datum curve for every single strand and then sweeping a circe
along each curve. This will take for ever and the datum points of the curves
will be a nightmare to calculate. Anyone know of an easier way?

Dave

 

The conceptual or visualization is the most difficult part of this problem.
In thinking about it, I imagined a fold, like taking a strip of paper and
folding it so that it leaves a 45 degree corner. I couldn't see how to do
that with Pro/e (and I certainly wouldn't want to open a computer and see
that anyone else had done it, either.) But when I thought about it as
wrapping the ribbon around a pin at a 45 degree angle, starting from behind
and twisting it around to the front of the pin, the idea of doing it with
Pro/e got a little clearer.

Considering it that way, I don't see why you couldn't create two
trajectories, wrapped, at the corners around a literal or figurative pin.
Then, using those trajectories as the guide for the bottom and top strands
of the ribbon, create a variable section sweep that would bend a cross
section of multiple circles as you would like them at the corners. Mind you,
I haven't tried this but I would think that, if the ribbon can do it, you
can do it this way with Pro/e. I'm making no predictions of immediate
success, first try. But I also can't see doing it at all with less than two
trajectories.

David Janes