Designing a Box

What is the purpose of this box?

Could you build a scale model?

What forces will this box experience?

What is the box made out of?

Does the box have to have a high IP rating?

So many questions cos a box is the fundamental shape of so many components you need to give us a clue as to what's going on.

First, are you an engineer?

I'm a maintenance engineer at a pioneering commercial aquaculture facility. My background is in Applied physics. Um yeah your right, the original post was that he didn't want an engineer so I will bow out now.

I'm currently designing a box. Its 200m long 100m wide and 45m tall.

I designed another box just last week. It was for a modular bookcase system.

Depending on what you are designing, you may or may not need an engineer.

I'll answer your question. NO, there is no software out there to help you design a box or a fox, or green eggs and ham. As you can see from the posts above, there are so many different factors that go into any design, there is no software or pill you can take to get the answers you want.

I guess you just have to engineer it.

Yes...it may be possible to do that ...just observe a Mango packer...

If he can make a box ...why not you? certainly he does not have ay degree...

If you plan & do ..it is Engineering...it is designing...a Degree may not be required...

So Do not hate Engineers ... you are already one!...

Guruprasad.K

Mumbai

I use ta couldn't spell engineer ... now I is one!

We are so misunderstood!

By posting your question to this forum, aren't you asking for "the use of an engineer." that's kind of like saying, "I don't need your help. Just show me how, and I'll do it."

wow.

-A-

Spend $7000 to buy Inventor Pro or Solidwork with Cosmos to FEA analysis on your model.

Then how would you know how to define the loads if you're not an engineer?

Oh wait I shouldn't reply to this cause I'm engineer too.

You want play, you gotta pay.

Pineapple

PS: Since you're "designing" a box, try to ask an Art student.

Or take an engineering course and learn how to do it yourself.

Then you became an engineer and not suitable to solve your own problem.

Holy Smokes! Are we a bit sensitive this morning? I've heard less spite and snide remarks from my ex wives, in court.

I don't believe Foursome meant to bruise so many egos. I'm guessing he meant to ask if there is a way he can design this box without hiring the professional services of an engineer. Free advice is obviously welcomed by him. That's why he is asking in this forum.

And sharing our knowledge is why we are all here, after all. Unbind those panties, folks!

Foursome, the answer to your question is yes ... and no. There are several programs that do more or less what you're asking. The problem is ... the knowledge required to use them is mainly confined to trained engineers. The forces that you speak of are measured in units, and are represented by symbols that are rarely understood by anyone other than engineers.

Additionally, if you have an engineering question ... ask away! That's the purpose of this place. But you simply have to provide much more information and specifics. There are many here that are eager to help ... if you don't make them pout

ok, you got me. Foursome, I'm sorry.

As to your question, anyone can "design" a box. Just like anyone can "sing." When all is said and done, most of the time you pay for what you get. That goes for advice from the internet too.

In the future I will try to be more helpful.

-A-

I must thank all of you that replied, and must also appologize for not responding as I have been away due to family matters.

I am building a box, actually four of them. The intended sizes are 10 yard, 15 yard, 30 yard, and 40 yard.

They are to be designed for rubbish, yet some may handle metal/steel materials.

Currently rubbish boxes are abbused and do not stand up to the environments we install them in.

Most boxes of this size have similar construction - all metal. They range anywhere from 7' wide, 4 - 6' high and 10 - 25' long.

I have access to the load charateristics of aggregate through to metal.

What I am really looking for is the designing charteristics of the box minimizing the amount of welding and fabrication required for each.

I have built several samples (out of cardstock) as per what the current industry is using, yet the fabrication is intricate and time-consuming.

Most rubbish boxes consist of one skin, unlike aggregate boxes that have 2 skins. The price points for fabricating is equivalent, yet the aggregate boxes have a longer life span.

Another difference between the two types of boxes are that the rubbish bozes have vertical supports, yet the aggregate boxes have horizontal strengthening supports. I like the later due to ease of fabrication.

As I progress with this reply, other areas of interest are identified - which is stronger, having a series of bent angles or a curved radius? If I can, I would prefer to have the inner skin shaped within the box (product side) and the outer skin fabricated in such a way so that it strengthens the entire box with minimal amount of fabrication costs.

Other differences, aggregate boxes are somewhat supported to the frame of gravel trucks. Unlike rubbish boxes, they are free standing and are hoisted onto the trucks for rubbish removal.

I trust this helps.

If you drew up the box in a CAD program, then "meshed" it and imported it into a FEA (Finite Element Analysis) program, you could let a computer help you analyze the stresses involved. This approach, however, does not relieve you from doing the engineering.

Thanks Ken,

Are there cheap alternatives to both programs?

There are cheap alternatives in the Linux world. There recently was a thread here with inexpensive/free CAD programs (Linux and otherwise). You can search for that, and you might also search here for a similar thread on FEA, (although I don't remember seeing one -- but there are zillions of threads here I have not seen). I suspect if you searched for Linux FEA on the web you'd find possibilities. If you read up on it, you may find that FEA is overkill for your needs.

Given the factors that you are taking into account, you are doing engineering the moment you start. In my book, that makes you the engineer. The only question is whether you are competent in this field and/or with the software.