Rocket Propulsion Fluid Panel Build
I joined PURPL and was first given a P&ID for a fluid panel and asked to build a BOM from it. That meant figuring out fittings, standards, sizes, and how everything was actually supposed to connect. After that, I spent time at Zucrow Labs helping bend and fit stainless lines by hand on another panel to understand what works in practice. When the gas-generator panel came up, the earlier paper layouts were starting to fall apart, so I took on routing the full panel in NX, reviewed it with mentors, and produced drawings that could actually be built. Those drawings were used to fabricate the lines, and I stayed involved through assembly and hotfire.
What I Worked On
The work followed a pretty clear progression. I started by pulling a BOM from a P&ID so the team actually knew what fittings and interfaces were needed. Then I helped bend and install lines by hand at Zucrow to get a feel for spacing, bend limits, and access. When it became clear that paper layouts were too loose to scale up, I routed the gas-gen panel in NX, reviewed it with others, and turned that layout into drawings with real dimensions and bend callouts.
- P&ID to BOM: extracted fittings and interfaces so parts matched the schematic.
- Hands-on tubing: helped fabricate and fit stainless lines at Zucrow.
- NX routing: laid out the full gas-generator panel with clearances and access in mind.
- Drawings: produced bend angles and straight lengths that fabrication could follow.
CAD Routing & Drawings
Moving the layout into NX made the work reviewable and buildable. It let us catch interference, check access to fittings, and agree on routing before anyone cut tubing. A lot of time here went into tracking down vendor models so the interfaces were right.
Tubing Fabrication
Once drawings were done, the lines were fabricated and installed. Even with CAD, most lines needed small adjustments during fit-up. The earlier time spent bending tubing by hand helped a lot when things didn’t land exactly where the model said they would.
Results
- Built a complete BOM directly from a P&ID.
- Helped fabricate stainless lines and learned tube bending through hands-on work.
- Routed and documented a gas-generator fluid panel in NX.
- Produced drawings used to fabricate lines for a successful hotfire.
What I’d Do Differently
- Move into CAD earlier so layout decisions aren’t locked in by paper templates.
- Automate some of the repetitive drawing callouts for bends and straight lengths.
- Start routing sooner to reduce last-minute schedule pressure.