Hi everyone!
I am designing a concrete form and these pieces (attached) were derived from the final product, however they will be laser cut and must be flattened out.
Can anyone help me with converting these type of components to sheet metal? I have tried and tried but keep hitting a dead end.
I will attempt to attach two parts I have that I must convert, with many more to follow.
I think with some instruction I will be able to do the rest on my own...I hope.
Thank you!
Dan
Dear Dan ,
Your parts can be converted to sheetmetal using Solidworks.
I'm not sure which version of Solidworks you're using. Shift to Solidworks 2010. The sheetmetal functionality and flattening
seems to have been improved a fair bit.
For the first part 09-909-2 all you need to do is to use the command Insert Bends. Pick a planar face and its done.
If your using an older version. Model the part with a small radius between the straight and linear edges. Extrude a surface.
Thicken it . Insert Bends.
You could also create a lofted bend using two sketches. This will result in a more accurate development.
For the second part you will have to create a lofted bend using two sketches. The resulting sheetmetal body will
have to be trimmed in the shape required by combining with a solid or any other technique to obtain the fluid contour
of your part.
The flattening follows.
There would be manual clean up required of the flat pattern obtained from Solidworks though !!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Ive really not bothered with the accuracy of the solution. This needs a bit of care and thought . The principle however
is there for you to see.
You could even unfold and trim your part to the desired shape.
Pankaj Bir
Are you kidding me, I have worked on 09-909-2 for hours trying to figuare it out and I tried what you suggested and it worked!
How ever I will have to scatch my head on -3.
I am using SW2009 but I have SW2010 sitting on my desk reluctent to install it because I had so many problems with 2009 that I had to work out.
Thank you!!!!!!
If you look at the attached sketch, both open loops, when I try and do a lofted bend I get a error message about the sketch that has two striaght lines on it, says "they need to be smooth or add radius"
Now why is that?
I tried a lofted boss and it works fine:(
Dan
Your top sketch (Sketch2) has 2 lines and one arc. All arcs/lines have to be tangent. If you add a tangent to the other line, it works. However, you will also find that it becomes overdefined with the external references. You will have to decide how to define it such that it works for you. But you have to have the tangents.
WT
As you might know I'm still learning, how can you tell if the lines are tangent or not? The arc and line I am using are from the convert Entities from the actual incontext part I'm working on.
In other words as I study the sketch it looks fine and if I do a lofted boss/base that works but not with the loft bend?
Thank you all of this info helps me!
Dan
Ok now I'm getting closer with your help Wayne and thank you.
I added tangents to the line and yes it was over defined, but now it has a issue that would allow it to unfold. See attached.
I can't chose a edge or surface/face per the error message.
Now what?
Dan
Sorry, but I'm out of ideas to try. The cut you made with the reference surface is obviously what's keeping it from unfolding because it doesn't cut normal to the material and it also cuts off all of the end. My best guess at this point is to put in an unfold, put a sketch on the face, cut it, fold back up and compare to the surface. Tweak the sketch as needed. But you can't put in an unfold without a flat face, and the end of the lofted bend will not fit the bill. So I think maybe you would have to modify the two loft sketches to put a small flat in the middle and then work off that.
I'll keep it in mind and let you know if I think of something else. Maybe someone else will have an idea to try.
WT
Your top sketch (Sketch2) has 2 lines and one arc. All arcs/lines have to be tangent. If you add a tangent to the other line, it works. However, you will also find that it becomes overdefined with the external references. You will have to decide how to define it such that it works for you. But you have to have the tangents.
WT