Sheetmetal - bending a bend?

[aftr9]

Hello. I'm trying to create a sheet metal part which consists of a corrugated sheet of steel being bent (please see attached picture).

The one in the picture was created using a sweep but I am hoping it can also be created using sheet metal features. We would like to unfold it, add a hole pattern, then fold it again so the holes follow the contours of the bends and so we can provide a flat pattern for the shop.

I already tried converting the sweep into a sheet metal part, using the forming tool to create the corrugations and then bending it, and I've also tried adding the corrugation and bends using the regular sheet metal tools but always end up with an error.

I'm using SW2009 SP4.0

Thanks!

 

[Updraft]

aftr9,

SWX cannot do this exactly as you would like. I would suggest you take a two-step approach; one with the corrugations to get the one dimension (vertical in your picture), and one without the corrugations, but with the big corner to get the other dimension and the hole locations.

- - -Updraft

Kenobi in 2012
You're our only hope!

 

[DesignerGuy16]

Aye, your only hope is to keep the corrugations in the as bent configuration, and remove them in the flat configuration.

James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The closest you will get is to extrude the ribbed/corrugated section as a SM part, and then use the Flex function to create the 90° bend. The Flex will have to be suppressed for the Flatten to work though.

 

[aftr9]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I figured it wouldn't be possible but was hoping I was wrong.

I'll go ahead and try all three of your suggestions and see what works better for what we need.

Thanks again!

 

[DesignerGuy16]

Note you can always make a second feature to make the rib IN the flat pattern if you're that anal about it. =D Better yet just convert the original sketch into your new feature for this so it remains linked.

James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP

 

[rollupswx]

I figured it wouldn't be possible but was hoping I was wrong.

You probably don't want to hear this but this geometry would be trivial whith new sheet metal tools in Inventor.

Look at it this way, if Inventor can do it how far behind can SolidWorks be with similar functionality?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

rollupswx ... That reminds me, you never did reply to the other thread in which you mentioned Inventor's Contour feature.
thread559-250791

That looks good. Similar but better than Flex by having more options and control. I assume it is a true feature of a sheet metal part. i.e. it can be flattened without having to suppress the Contour feature.

 

[rollupswx]

I assume it is a true feature of a sheet metal part. i.e. it can be flattened...

One of the pictures I posted in that thread showed the Help screen for Contour Roll where it clearly says at the top of the screen that it is a sheet metal tool.

In the other picture I posted it shows the sketch, folded and rolled part and flat pattern for the OP's part.

I can supply more (impressive) examples if desired but I am afraid of being banned from this site if I carry the discussion too far.

CSWP

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Thank you for the confirmation. Hopefully SW will have a similar SM function soon. Flex is OK, but is a workaround.

As for being banned from the site ... providing you are only responding to a question and not just promoting Inventor (or whatever) there should be no problem.