×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal
4

Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

(OP)
I'm an recovering AutoCAD user so bare with me.

In solidwords, I have my sketch which I've extruded, then inserted bend - converting it to sheet metal. The flatten works exactly how I want it to.

At this point how can I a tongue all around the outside edge of the part.

My sheet metal is .118" thick and I want a tongue around it at .060"thick by .060" wide. As if a table saw added the tongue when the piece was flat and so it's still there when I unflatten it?

Hope that made sense.

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

You would have to rollback your Process-bends, add your cuts to create the tongue (wouldn't this actually be the groove?) on all 4 sides, then unroll the Process-bends.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

(OP)
Okay, this is where my problem is. I tried that, but it turns out funky.


Here's what I'm trying to get.. and if I insert bend half my part disapears.
http://www.toolless.com/SW/c-want.jpg

If I dont have the tounge I can add the bends and fold just fine..
http://www.toolless.com/SW/C-bent.JPG

If I unfold that and add my tounge.. like this,
http://www.toolless.com/SW/C-flat.JPG
 it wont let me fold it back up.

Now, I'm just doing an extruded cut to created the toungs, maybe thats my problem.

Thanks for you help.


I havent even started to think about the grooves.

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

No, the problem is that the Sheet Metal module in SolidWorks cannot not handle differing thicknesses of material in a part. The part has to be a constant thickness. This is a limitation of SolidWorks & most other solid model programs.
Any variations in thickness have to be created using normal SW features ... after & outside of the Sheet Metal scope of features.

As you have experienced, once the machined features are added the part is no longer a "true" sheet metal part & cannot be flattened unless the machined features are suppressed.


Making the best use of this Forum.  FAQ559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions.  FAQ559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of.  FAQ559-520

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

(OP)
Thanks, I was afraid it might be something like that.

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

I have nothing to add other than to verify what CorBlimeyLimey is correct.

I definitely understand you frustration though.

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

(OP)
Is there a plugin that can handle non-standard sheet metal features?

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

3
You can cheat this, but you cannot update it without deleting the rabbet and flat config.  What you have to do is complete your sheet metal to it's final form.  After all flanges, holes, etc. are complete, make a configuration of it (not a derived configuration).  Now flatten the 2nd configuration.  
You should have 2 configs, 1 formed, 1 flat.
Finally, add your rabbet cut BOTH the flat AND the formed config.  

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/36/testsampleformed2rn.jpg

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5401/testsampleflat1mg.jpg

Flores

RE: Tongue & Grooves in sheet metal

Good workaround ... well done.


Making the best use of this Forum.  FAQ559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions.  FAQ559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of.  FAQ559-520

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources