In our box example, imagine that we incorporated a hole on one side with four flanges bent outward from the hole. Quantum mechanics says that you can’t have the same particle in two places at once. It’s not just a great name for a punk band, it’s a basic course in physics. Welding will take care of that, if needed, to make your part stronger in that location. The good news is that the area impacted is very small. You’re probably thinking that this will create a small hole in that corner, and you’re right. This will allow the metal to bend freely and the part to form properly. (0.381mm) past the end of the bend radius on either side of the bend on your part. Remember that each soon-to-be vertical side of the box is essentially a flange and has to be able to move independently of the others.īefore unfolding your part in your design program, make small cuts in the corners where two sides meet. It’s nothing more than two small incisions, located on either side of a bend feature. If you try to bend those sides up on a press brake, the surrounding metal will deform because you haven’t designed in bend relief. Here’s the tricky thing about that open-top box we’re building. Adding those bend radius specifications in the model can also improve your lead times. It's important to note that any time your design requires multiple setups, it could increase your part price and lead times. Forming all the bends with the same radius is always a good idea. The standard interior bend radius is 0.030 in. Your designs should take this into account because it might affect the geometry of your part. The tooling actually creates a slight curve at the exterior and interior bend point called a bend radius. When you bend sheet metal in a press brake, say to make a 90-degree corner for our box, you don’t get a straight or sharp interior within that perpendicular bend. Your designs can indicate that all of the sides be welded together, to return the form to a solid box. Without seams, you wouldn’t have areas for the metal to unfold.Īs you can imagine, when the flat part is put on a press brake and formed into a box shape, the edges between the sides will be parallel, but not connected. Rips are the processes that allow you to create seams, and are typically needed when designing certain kinds of formed parts.
![capture gif in solidworks capture gif in solidworks](https://media.giphy.com/media/t0rld1qPjLhTi/giphy.gif)
The great thing about the Convert to Sheet Metal command is that rips and seams are introduced into the model automatically. Easy, right? Needless to say, not all designs are this simple because of the nature of sheet metal. When you use Convert to Sheet Metal, you’ll get a manufacturable sheet metal part. Doing this will save you some time and aggravation later. Start by modeling a cube that has uniform material thickness-it is sheet metal, after all. If you design a solid 3D cube, Convert to Sheet Metal gets you where you want to go. All of those loose sides can be welded together later. The four outer squares would be folded upward to form the sides of the open-top box.
#Capture gif in solidworks plus#
If you had designed it as a flat part, it would initially look more like a plus sign, with four outer squares surrounding a square in the center (see animation). Let’s say you want to build a cube without a top. Comparing Sheet Metal Design Methods: Flat vs. Here are some basic rules to help get you started. This design tip presumes that you’re starting from a solid 3D object, as many designers do.
#Capture gif in solidworks how to#
Both will get you partially there, but you still have to consider other elements of your part and how to get it to behave as a sheet metal flat. If you already have a formed part with uniform thickness, use Unfold to ensure that your part is sheet metal worthy. If you start with a solid 3D object, the Convert to Sheet Metal command is your friend.
![capture gif in solidworks capture gif in solidworks](https://cdn.dribbble.com/users/347360/screenshots/5760568/record_animation_800x600.gif)
For example, in SolidWorks, there are two tools to accomplish this.
![capture gif in solidworks capture gif in solidworks](https://media.giphy.com/media/CQyQqtnId5LbO/giphy.gif)
Many designers prefer to work initially from a 3D design and then make the transition to sheet metal to create a flat design.