I'm working on a round sheet metal part, material thickness of .012in, basically a barrel. I drew the barrel as a sheet metal base flange to get a flat blank. Added a male and female dovetail to join the flat when formed into a barrel and lock it. I'm trying to get shear formed flanges on the walls of the barrel but there are no planer surfaces. I put in the cut geometry for the shear located where the flanges need to be for my purposes to develop a tool but need to send a completed part to a customer for their approval. Can't figure a way to show the folded up barrel with the sheared forms. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.
No good way that I'm aware of Robert. You probably would be better of just modeling it from a solid for show and tell. I take it you want to bend the horseshoe shapes??.
This method does work but will leave a spine on the tabs. Also flattens.
This was done with a form tool but will not flatten. You can convert it with some extra stuff on it and flatten it but you will loose the tabs.
Like I mentioned. To show it to the customer I think you are better off without the sheet metal tools.
Just figured I would let you know that you are not being ignored.
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the reply. I didn't think it would work but thought maybe someone had a trick or two. Figure it couldn't hurt to ask. I guess I'll go the solid (non sheet metal) route. Curious, on your second part, are you welding the seam to hold your round? Have you ever tried to lock it with a dovetail as I have shown? I've locked squares and rectangles but never tried a round in a punch press. A customer want to take a machined part and try to make it a stamping to cut down on the scrap.
Your component is easy to manufacture on Kovopol machines...try to have in mind like how much steps you have to make it real.
Album Archive
METAL COLD FORMING MACHINE - THE HISTORY OF KOVOPOL (pressing and bending of wire, metal etc.) - YouTube
Since I had to model my form tool, I did it as quick a dirty as I could just to show. I don't see how your dovetail is going to lock it (without a tack weld).. Is this material really .012" Like really thin? Have you considered any of the HVAC type of joining methods?
Denis this fella wants a dovetail (Milano) similar as this one.
Yo entiendo.. I did not want to spend the time to do that.. But it doesn't seem to be a very good lock for a cylinder unless there is something else going on.
Great screenshots btw..
Yes Dennis, The material is .012 in thk. Ruben has it correct as far as my intent. I've done it many times with square and rectangles but this will be a first for me on a round. Was tossing around suggesting ultrasonic welding, that's why I asked about your part. I've done that also but on squares or rectangles. I have "some" confidence I may be able to do it and the customer is paying for me to play with it. I do have a couple ideas on a plan B if it doesn't hold. I like Rubens shape better, that's what I usually use in heavier material but this part doesn't lend itself well as there is very little real estate to work with. I still need to add more features to complete the part than what is shown. A folded seam as your showing won't work in the application.
As always I said, on sheet metal you rules buddy....
Sure would love to hang out in your shop Ruben.. You undoubtedly to some really nifty things.. Super jealous. Do you use Logopress in your tooling design?
The previus progresive is on sheetmetal and SW, another kind of procces we buy it Autoform process in Brazil if our client want it, if they don't needed it. We have some rules and expertise to do able. (math by hand by almost the cases)
I see some excercises on Logopress and the next step is buy one license. It's works fine to us I think. Autoform is "too expensive".
I've been looking at Logopress & Quick Press for a few years. I really like logopress from what I've seen and their main office is only about a half hour from me. I just cant get a company I work for to invest in it. Full package ( all modules) is about $12,000. not that I need everything but it does some really complex stuff with ease. I've worked with companies that use Quick Press and find their files very tedious to work with. almost annoying. I'm using just plain old SW here for tool design and it does ok until you look at Logopress and how much time could be saved and the ease of use.