Guys, i have a challenge here.

I am designing a part as a sheet metal. Which has to be manufactured by a supplier of our company. Their criteria to upload the model is to convert it to a .step file.

The challenge is: if i do that and upload the .step file, their software gives an error and says: that there is a overlap in the flat pattern of the sheet metal. Their suggestion is that there must be a problem/issue with the way Solidworks handles the DIN 63-something standard.

The supplier opened the .step in 3 different CAD programs ( hiCad, Creo and Catia) and gives the same problem with all of those software packages.

Is there a way to configurate the edge-flange bends in such a way that when converted to .step and then opened in an other cad program, the unfold is Always exact ( deviation of .5mm is acceptable) like the unfold in Solidworks?

I do put in K-factors for the custom bend allowance.

p.s. see attached pictures, i opened the .step in Inventor, and flattened it out using 2 different unfold rules, 1 gives problems, 1 does not.

So is there a way to overrule these unbend rules in different cad packages? Or should i just mention to our supplier that they maybe dont use a k-factor based unfold rule?