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3-way bend for a flexible material

Question asked by Thomas White on Jul 23, 2014
Latest reply on Jul 24, 2014 by Thomas White

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Hello,

I'm having some issues trying to do a tricky bend. I'm trying to create a part that represents a piece of vinyl which has been bent/deformed around a few edges. The important thing here is that I need to be able to generate a flat pattern so that the future parts can be cut from that.

I've attached a photo showing how the vinyl is being bent, the trouble area is the angled section that is bent back with a triangle shape and then meets the wall. If I try to do each bend separately using sheet metal tools it ends up with messy cuts and a gap etc.

Does anyone have any suggestions that may be able to help?

Jamil Snead Jul 24, 2014 1:34 PM

Correct Answer

If you flatten the part you have made you will see that the material overlaps itself. There needs to be a triangular gap in order to make it from one continuous flat piece of material.

In general, to reduce gaps you can change the default Auto Relief in the Sheet Metal feature to tear. Also what I frequently do is flatten the part, then extrude material in to fill in the gaps, and then fold it again. If you are editing the flat part, you need to make sure that the bend boundaries never cross each other. Also if the part has tears sometimes it won't let you cut or extrude material to the unfolded part because it gets confused when it tries to merge. This can be prevented by changing the flange positions to Bend Outside.

This is the best I could do with your part:

And here is the part flattened. You can see there is no room to add more material.

Unfortunately I have SW2014 so you wouldn't be able to open my part if I attached it. But hopefully you can duplicate the same procedures.

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Jamil Snead Jul 23, 2014 7:46 PM

You'll need to have a gap there because of how the flat pattern will be laid out. You can see in the photo that a separate triangle piece has been placed there to fill in the gap. If you attach your attempt so far we can give more specific and helpful pointers.

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Thomas White @ Jamil Snead on Jul 23, 2014 8:37 PM

The triangle piece is just a single cut...only looks like a triangle in the photo because they've scored an extra line that wasn't needed.

If I could manage to get the gap in my part down to 1-2mm with a clean flat pattern I'd be happy.

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24537-P1115.SLDPRT.zip109.4 KB

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Jamil Snead @ Thomas White on Jul 24, 2014 1:34 PM

If you flatten the part you have made you will see that the material overlaps itself. There needs to be a triangular gap in order to make it from one continuous flat piece of material.

This is the best I could do with your part:

And here is the part flattened. You can see there is no room to add more material.

Unfortunately I have SW2014 so you wouldn't be able to open my part if I attached it. But hopefully you can duplicate the same procedures.

Actions

Lenny Bucholz Jul 24, 2014 3:23 PM

there isn't enough material to make it. see pic.

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Thomas White @ Lenny Bucholz on Jul 24, 2014 6:11 PM

Thanks for the help, I already knew about changing the relief type. It was just giving me a larger gap than I already had.

I'm thinking the problem here is that solidworks sees the material as stiff/rigid when it's actually flexible. The physical part itself just has one small cut. I'd measure the physical flat pattern if I could but a contractor provides it so technically it's their I.P

Thanks for your time anyway. I might try to re-jig the joins to make the part less complicated.

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Jamil Snead @ Thomas White on Jul 24, 2014 6:37 PM

Maybe the contractor had glued that triangle piece to one of the sides so that it just looked like a score line?

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Lenny Bucholz @ Thomas White on Jul 24, 2014 7:26 PM

Thomas White wrote:

Thanks for the help, I already knew about changing the relief type. It was just giving me a larger gap than I already had.

I'm thinking the problem here is that solidworks sees the material as stiff/rigid when it's actually flexible. The physical part itself just has one small cut. I'd measure the physical flat pattern if I could but a contractor provides it so technically it's their I.P

Thanks for your time anyway. I might try to re-jig the joins to make the part less complicated.

ridgid is not the issue in SW, the issue is that if you cut it there is not any material from one sheet, take a piece of card board and try to make the shape, you can't, betcha a $100 bucks. you have to add a patch of material some where.

Now vinyl on the other hand can, it can be heated and stretched, just like vaccum forming a plastic sheet or stamping a form into sheet metal.

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Thomas White @ Lenny Bucholz on Jul 24, 2014 7:32 PM

It's alright, I looked at the next one and they have added a triangle piece. I was thinking it would need it but the physical evidence was disagreeing with me. They just blended the top edge well on the first one I looked at so it only looks like a score mark rather than a join.

I'll just do as Jamil suggested, change the flange position and add another piece. The other possible ways to do this all end up being more messy with larger joins etc.

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8 Replies

Jamil Snead Jul 23, 2014 7:46 PM
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Correct Answer
You'll need to have a gap there because of how the flat pattern will be laid out. You can see in the photo that a separate triangle piece has been placed there to fill in the gap. If you attach your attempt so far we can give more specific and helpful pointers.
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- Thomas White @ Jamil Snead on Jul 23, 2014 8:37 PM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  The triangle piece is just a single cut...only looks like a triangle in the photo because they've scored an extra line that wasn't needed.
  If I could manage to get the gap in my part down to 1-2mm with a clean flat pattern I'd be happy.
  Attachments
  - 24537-P1115.SLDPRT.zip109.4 KB
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  - Jamil Snead @ Thomas White on Jul 24, 2014 1:34 PM
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    Correct Answer
    If you flatten the part you have made you will see that the material overlaps itself. There needs to be a triangular gap in order to make it from one continuous flat piece of material.
    
    In general, to reduce gaps you can change the default Auto Relief in the Sheet Metal feature to tear. Also what I frequently do is flatten the part, then extrude material in to fill in the gaps, and then fold it again. If you are editing the flat part, you need to make sure that the bend boundaries never cross each other. Also if the part has tears sometimes it won't let you cut or extrude material to the unfolded part because it gets confused when it tries to merge. This can be prevented by changing the flange positions to Bend Outside.
    
    This is the best I could do with your part:
    
    And here is the part flattened. You can see there is no room to add more material.
    
    Unfortunately I have SW2014 so you wouldn't be able to open my part if I attached it. But hopefully you can duplicate the same procedures.
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Lenny Bucholz Jul 24, 2014 3:23 PM
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Correct Answer
there isn't enough material to make it. see pic.
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- Thomas White @ Lenny Bucholz on Jul 24, 2014 6:11 PM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Thanks for the help, I already knew about changing the relief type. It was just giving me a larger gap than I already had.
  
  I'm thinking the problem here is that solidworks sees the material as stiff/rigid when it's actually flexible. The physical part itself just has one small cut. I'd measure the physical flat pattern if I could but a contractor provides it so technically it's their I.P
  
  Thanks for your time anyway. I might try to re-jig the joins to make the part less complicated.
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  - Jamil Snead @ Thomas White on Jul 24, 2014 6:37 PM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Maybe the contractor had glued that triangle piece to one of the sides so that it just looked like a score line?
    Like • Show 0 Likes0
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  - Lenny Bucholz @ Thomas White on Jul 24, 2014 7:26 PM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Thomas White wrote:
    
    Thanks for the help, I already knew about changing the relief type. It was just giving me a larger gap than I already had.
    
    I'm thinking the problem here is that solidworks sees the material as stiff/rigid when it's actually flexible. The physical part itself just has one small cut. I'd measure the physical flat pattern if I could but a contractor provides it so technically it's their I.P
    
    Thanks for your time anyway. I might try to re-jig the joins to make the part less complicated.
    
    ridgid is not the issue in SW, the issue is that if you cut it there is not any material from one sheet, take a piece of card board and try to make the shape, you can't, betcha a $100 bucks. you have to add a patch of material some where.
    
    Now vinyl on the other hand can, it can be heated and stretched, just like vaccum forming a plastic sheet or stamping a form into sheet metal.
    Like • Show 0 Likes0
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    - Thomas White @ Lenny Bucholz on Jul 24, 2014 7:32 PM
      Mark Correct
      Correct Answer
      It's alright, I looked at the next one and they have added a triangle piece. I was thinking it would need it but the physical evidence was disagreeing with me. They just blended the top edge well on the first one I looked at so it only looks like a score mark rather than a join.
      
      I'll just do as Jamil suggested, change the flange position and add another piece. The other possible ways to do this all end up being more messy with larger joins etc.
      Like • Show 0 Likes0
      Actions

3-way bend for a flexible material

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