I am trying to make this a unfoldable sheet metal part. Can anyone help.
Thanks
Steve
I am trying to make this a unfoldable sheet metal part. Can anyone help.
Thanks
Steve
I used the extrude to visualy show the end result of what I wanted. If I use tab or flange part will not work/unfold.
I've attempted a few different techniques and the real problem is that a Lofted Bend creates an additional Sheet Metal feature and an additional body - the options for merging bodies and maintaining sheet metal features are very limited. You can easily get a non-sheet metal part that "looks" correct but I don't think you'll be able to flatten it.
Interesting challenge - this is the best I can come up with. Both bodies can be flattened individually, save out the flats to DXF or whatever and then put them back together to create the full flat pattern. Not the ideal solution but the best I can think of for now.
(If you decide to go this route, you should start over as I converted stuff and used existing sketches, etc. You know what you want to hold and can create it cleaner - this part is my sloppy just to test a concept without starting totally over.)
I tried making a base flange first, edge flange, loft first, surfaces and then thicken, etc. Nothing was the real solution. Sorry.
WT
Thanks everyone.
My provider said SW cannot do it. Do the loft then add tab. That way I can use it in an assy. When I unfold I use the loft and add the flange in the flat.
Steve try this, I believe this is what your looking for, generally we'll bump bend a part like this.
Steve use either edge flange or base/tab feature to create the base instead of using the extrude feature.
You part doesn't have a bend radius (which is must in sheet metal part). Also the kind of geometry it has (check pic) will not flatten it.