×
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

Indent Features

Indent Features

Indent Features

(OP)
I am trying to design ribs for a sheet metal piece. I would like to have the sheet metal stamped out when it is flat then formed. Does anyone know how to simulate that in SW. I am also trying to do indent features and can successfully do it when the shape is a square, but when I change the shape to a different polygon SW says it cannot handle the case.
Any help would be nice.

RE: Indent Features

Have you used the Design Library > Forming Tools > Ribs?

You can copy a rib from there and modify to suit.

If you haven't used the forming tools before, you will need to RMB on the folder and select Forming Tools Folder. This allows SW to recognise the contents of the folder as forming tools?????

cheers

RE: Indent Features

Quote:

I would like to have the sheet metal stamped out when it is flat then formed. Does anyone know how to simulate that in SW.

I know how to make all kinds of mistakes, including this one.

RE: Indent Features

TheTick,
I'm curious as to why you consider that a mistake? I have often done this. If a part is being punched out on a CNC turret press, it makes sense to do as much as possible of the punching and forming prior to bending. Oftentimes the bending makes subsequent punching/forming impossible.

cheers

RE: Indent Features

(OP)
I don't understand why you think doing this is such a mistake.
Should be no problem trying to simulate the forming and stamping of a sheet metal part. Doing this would make the workers job easier.

RE: Indent Features

You will not be able to generate the correct flat pattern for a stamped part using SW alone.  Stamp blanks are irregular in shape and takes into consideration the stretching/compression of the material involved, something that SW Sheet Metal features cannot accomplish.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: Indent Features

Foofire,

I think we have some different interpretations of what you are trying to do. Perhaps some images or sketches would help to clarify.

cheers

RE: Indent Features

I'm all for DFM.  However, trying to simulate manufacturing processes in CAD generally leads to ungainly models that do not hold up well over the life of a product.

Processes can change many times over the life of a part.  Machines are replaced; vendors go out of business.  The design still needs to work.

Picture something as simple as a U- or L-shaped bracket where positions of holes on one flange need to be controlled w.r.t. holes on another flange.  Simple change to a bend radius or K-factor (material change!) results in the need to adjust dimensions controlling hole positions in order to maintain their final design positions.

Whose job are you making easier?  You may save a manufacturing engineer a few minutes.  Meanwhile, you are doing manufacturing engineering's work (and now they expect it) while the design work and ECN's are piling up.  It is counterproductive use a CAD model to do the work of a process drawing or work instruction.

If you still waznt to do it this way, fine.  I'm paid by the hour.  More $$$ for me.

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