Comments, Questions, and Answers with PCF translator into AutoPIPE:

Note:

1. See PCF translator Help / manual for complete details

2. How to create a PCF file - click here

0: Install PCF translator

1: Process aborted or crashed

2: Translator Freezes / Not Responding / Disappears

3: Warning message about  Flanges and Valves are set to weightless “Zero Weight” components

4: "E880-1: Error in opening import batch file. File extension must be NTL" message appears

5: No graphical elements found for the components

6: Branch piping not connected to the main header pipe

7: Imported pipe sizes are very Large or Small

8: Imported file truncated pressure values

9: Piping code, material, and components are not supported

10: Imported branch connection are not connected correctly

11: Status = "Incorrect Component Connection Tolerance Value" displayed

12: All the pipe wall thickness values are very large

13: Mapping a Line Number

14: Mapping examples

15: Parts of my PCF translated file are missing piping or components

16: Imported flanges from a PCF file rotated 90 deg

17: Reset the PCF translator PCFin.MAP file

18: Piping was not connected

19: Remove Cad Length

20:  Cannot select a specific item from drop down listing when importing a PCF file 

21: Filter out small bore piping from being imported into the model

22: Bend radius units

23: Bend Radius calculation

24: Bend are shown as straight pipe

25: Imported piping appears disconnected or not aligned

Below are general questions and answers about the process of exporting an existing AutoPIPE model (DAT) to a PCF file, translate the newly created PCF file with the PCF translator back into an AutoPIPE model, and compare AutoPIPE results between before and after translation:

Q1.   The expansion joint are not support in the current PCF translator

A1. Support for Flex/Expansion Joints were implemented in PCF translator 1.0.0.24. Suggest to use the latest release of PCF Translator. Y

Q2. The pipe is oriented 180 deg from original

A2. Before export to PCF from AutoPIPE, In AutoPIPE  Go to Tools> Settings > Isogen Settings

Change North arrow to +X then the coordinates will matched exactly

Q3. Pressure and Temp are different from before to after, example: 10 deg & 100 psi converted to 0.0 deg  & 0.0 psi

A3. This is a limitation in AutoPIPE PCF Export, which does not write Pressure and Temperature and hence default values are used.

Q4. Pipe properties changed; wall thickness changed sch 160  changed to STD and Pipe material, from A335-P91 changed to A106-A

 A4. There is a limitation in AutoPIPE PCF Export could not correctly map the material and by default A106-A with STD wall thickness has been used. Adjust the map file as required to correctly map the material and wall thickness.

Q5. Extra support (V-stop)  added to the converted file at origin point with anchor.

A5. During first time Export to PCF. AutoPIPE write Anchors as a Support with SKEY 01AN and then on import this support component converted to an default support V-STOP. Manually delete V-Stop.

Q6. Flanges converted for the expansion joint are in the wrong location.

A6. This has been fixed in a newer version of the translator, upgrade to the latest version of PCF Translator,

Q7. Tee SIF values are different (because of wall thickness issue above, Q4)

A7. Yes, proper schedule has not been exported by AutoPIPE in PCF. update PCF map file accordingly.

Q8 Bend radius is different

A8. Bend length is exactly same but after import from PCF the actual radius has been written instead of "LONG"

Q9  I cannot get the PCF translator to execute from the command line (Batch Processing) as mentioned in the help info, why?

A9. This passage was not suppose to have been printed in the published documentation because this feature had never been added to the program. This information was removed in the new version of the documentation.

See Also

PCF Translator Issues

Bentley AutoPIPE