Good morning, I am trying to flatten an ellipse sheet metal band. I have drawn it multiple different ways, but not once have i been able to flatten the part.
I have a deadline on a project, and am half tempted to go out in the shop and lay this project out by hand! Anyway, if anyone can help that would be great.
as this project has multiple different size bands that need welded and polished and need to be accurate. Attached is an example of what i need.
Thanks
Hi Nathan,
currently elliptical geometry is not supported by sheet metal and I guess there is no way how you can get around it. The only possible solution I am seeing is to approximate the ellipse with tangent arcs and if necessary tangent lines. As long as all sketch entities are tangent to each other it should be possible to flat pattern the part.
Kind regards
Frank
SOLIDWORKS Product Definition Team
Nathan,, Use the sheet metal loft feature. 2 sketch and loft. In the attached part I used you geometry and made a couple of sketches for loft profiles. Your part is in the file and you can see everything lines up. You can hide your part.
about as easy as it gets huh Frank?
I'm proud knowing guys like you that take a challenge and make it look so easy....
Hi Dennis,
this is a good one! You got me.
Personally I do not like lofted bend since it is not "real" sheet metal. I have to rely on what the algorithm gives me. I prefer to be able to comprehend how things work and why the flat pattern is as it is.
In this case however it is definitely a viable solution. The bend deviation should be so small that it can be neglected. But this is exactly the point I am trying to explain. There is some deviation and I cannot comprehend why and how it was calculated. In more complex cases definitely something you will have to consider:
Kind regards
Frank
SOLIDWORKS Product Definition Team
Hey John,, You got me into trouble yesterday. I'm still laughing. Don't know if I should be associating with you.
Me ??? - you'll never know what to expect as I work with wood and sometimes it rubs me the wrong way
Are you showing a difference from the developed top edge to the developed bottom edge of .00000002? Then I withdraw my answer. What the heck is a bend deviation? I'm going to have to look into that. Interesting tool. Thank you.
John Stoltzfus is rubbing his wood.
I know this will be deleted, but sometimes we just have to have a little laugh!
Hi Dennis,
when you RMB on the "Flatten -<Freeform bend> you will get the bend deviation:
Bend deviation will show you the difference (if there is any) between the folded and flattened geometry. You will have to evaluate if you want to trust the flat pattern or not.
Kind regards
Frank
SOLIDWORKS Product Definition Team
It is the morning after all.
That's even better than yesterday.
Dennis Bacon and Frank Ruepp, this was very eye-opening and my hat is off to both of you: Dennis for providing a solution and Frank for providing some insight and explanation as to what some of those other things are that we never or rarely have bothered to look into.
That Bend Deviation has probably been there since SWX introduced sheet metal (in 1997 I think). I occasionally do some sheet metal, but I have never poked around to find this, but then I have never read any What's New cover to cover either. Has anybody?
Frank, I said this similar thing in Is it possible to change Keyboard Shortcuts in Flyout Menus? addressed to Tom Spine. I'd like to see more things like this from the good folks at SWX. We'll be better informed and we'll feel better connected.
I'll bet others would also like to see more informational replies from you guys as well.
I actually had to delete my reply on that one, what a drip
LOL! John Stoltzfus spelled grip wrong! (sometimes we have to work to have a comment or post deleted!)
Dennis Dohogne wrote:
"I'd like to see more things like this from the good folks at SWX. We'll be better informed and we'll feel better connected.
I'll bet others would also like to see more informational replies from you guys as well."
You are right there! I love learning about all the cool little things like this.
Bernie Daraz wrote:
LOL! John Stoltzfus spelled grip wrong! (sometimes we have to work to have a comment or post deleted!)
And yet, Bernie, sometimes it's no work at all.
Just to make sure: Bend deviation is only available for formed lofted bend. For other "ordinary" bends it is simple math that leads to the flat pattern.
Kind regards
Frank
SOLIDWORKS Product Definition Team
Dennis, that was exactly what i was looking for, I didnt think of that. I have used that same method for duct fittings in the past. I really appreciate the help!
Frank, thats good info right there! thank you!
also in response to everyone else, thanks for the laugh, i spent all day Friday at the mill trying to get it set up and didnt see all the replies.
It was a great Monday morning thanks to you!
Ill share a rendering of the project when complete!
Would show mine as well - if I could.......
I searched and found this post to find a solution to flattening an ellipse as I was having trouble as well and thought it worth while sharing something I discovered whilst trying. I don't know if it's a SW's 2019 SP3 glitch or how long it's been like it but if I sketched half an ellipse on the front plane and used 'Base flange/tab' to create a sheet metal ellipse it flattened but if I sketched it on the right plane it wouldn't flatten. Very Strange??
I had forgotten about this post. I ended up figuring it out, what I did was I drew it like a loft but as a sheet metal part. thankfully it worked. As you can see my drawing and the finished product. We made 4 of these carts for Lawry's Prime Rib, they have 5-6 carts at each location, and they serve your table with these. The units we built were shipped to their new location in Japan. They have a steam bath inside them that keeps all the food hot while serving, and an Led Light located under the top of the hood. We did all the forming,welding and polishing all in house, with the exception of the lids, I had them stretch formed in Compton,California by a place that makes nose cones and wings for airplanes, and the Caster skirts/handles I had cast of aluminum in Cleveland Ohio.
Very impressive.
Thank you
Nathan,, Use the sheet metal loft feature. 2 sketch and loft. In the attached part I used you geometry and made a couple of sketches for loft profiles. Your part is in the file and you can see everything lines up. You can hide your part.
about as easy as it gets huh Frank?