×
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

Flat Pattern - Dimples

Flat Pattern - Dimples

Flat Pattern - Dimples

(OP)
Is it possible to create a flat pattern from the attached file?

Using the forming/flattening set up I use for for straight bends, gives poor results.
So, I have been trying to use the other algorithms, but its trial and error and I don't seem to be able to get anything close.

I am using NX 5.0.6.3

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

This is NOT a part which can be 'formed'.  It must be 'stamped', using dies.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

(OP)
Can UG flatten anything other than straight breaks then?

 

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

There's a functionality called Metaform which can be used to flatten sheets with complex curvature, based on the material properties of the part.  (Within Modeling application, go to Insert > Sheetmetal > Metaform)

There is also a tool that can be used to flatten woven materials.  Within the Modeling application, go to Tools > Composite > Fabric Flat Pattern.  I've heard that this functionality is, for some unknown and incomprehensible reason, being considered for removal.  It's pretty useful for, say, generating flat patterns for fabric plies draped on surfaces with complex curvature.  The only other alternative tool I'm aware of in NX is in the optional Laminate Composites module - and if I remember correctly, the process to calculate a fabric flat pattern in Laminate Composites is much more involved (it depends on a finite element mesh, for example). So hopefully Siemens won't discard Modeling > Tools > Composite > Fabric Flat Pattern - rather, enhance it : ).

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

I'm sorry, but the ONLY practical way in which THIS particular part can be manufactured is by using STAMPING techniques and therefore what you need to look at is modeling the necessary dies.  Considering the shape of the part as well as the size and number of the 'dimples', you will learn very little from going through an exercise using any sort of flattening or unfolding software, and in my humble opinion, would be a waste of time and effort since this is obviously a rather simple and straightforward STAMPING.

And yes, NX Sheet Metal was designed to ONLY unfold straight break sheet metal parts.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

(OP)
No need to be sorry John.

I did'nt mean to upset you. You seem to be FORMING a bad opinion of me.
In my humble opinion you should just BLANK this reply, no  PUNCHING or FLATTENING required!
Anyway I'll have to CROP this short and DRAW myself away, so calm down and have a beer on me.

cheers

BTW the last part of your post was ALL I needed to know.
 

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

Sorry if that came off a bit 'strong' (that was not my intentions at all), but I was just trying to save you some time and effort looking at alternatives which in the end were not going to help you all that much with THIS particular part.

Note however that I was also responding to a feeling that I had which suggested that recommendations were being made as to possible solutions, but perhaps without actually looking at the part in question.

Again, sorry if my tenor was a bit off winky smile

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

Hmm, I guess I should apologise to someone as well; I didn't mean to send minesaber off on an unrelated path; the follow up question was:

Can UG flatten anything other than straight breaks then?

So I answered it.  Sorry about that.

Cheers.

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

For clarity I've used these tools extensively on metal and composite. What occurs is that straightforward flat patterning methods just don't work for shapes that need to be formed rather than folded and that is what this example is. In forming then you can sometimes quite accurately approximate results by a finite element method but they can also be very sensitive to variations in material properties and other process related factors. As a result you simply wouldn't go about it that way because it would not work well enough to be even worth considering.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

RE: Flat Pattern - Dimples

Just for the record, we actually do sell a comprehensive Die Design package which includes the tools needed to analyze and model the tooling needed to manufacture stamped parts, however it is optimized for the type of work done when designing and fabricating automotive sheet metal stampings.

If interested, you can learn more at:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/nx/machining/tool_fixture/auto_stamping.shtml

and

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/Images/4672_tcm1023-4494.pdf

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

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