Wire form

[CADone]

Hi Friends,

I appriciate the capabilities of the sheet-metal bend features. Especially the Flange and Bend tool features.

Question - I need to peform the same kind of bend features on a wire instead of a sheet metal. For instance, say I need to model a wire clip (Like office paper clip). Model bends, Flat pattern of the wire form etc.

Does any one know which feature is applicable in this case?

-Mohan Rao

 

[trulyshy]

I have had good results in bending tubes with the flex option. insert>features>flex

Christine

 

[CADone]

Christine,

I tried this, but i felt that not so useful.
You may have a diffrent approch to suggest.

Please bear with my example.Correct me if my approch is incorrect.

Consider I need to bend a Dia 10mm x 400mm long rod into a square shape (100mm X 100mm). T ostart with I model a rod Dia 10, 400mm long. Create planes at every 100 mm intervals along the rod. Then when I use Flex to bend first corner, i will now not have the rest of the planes avilable to continue the operation (the planes wont move with the part :O )

Is there a better way I can use this feature rather than I stuggle with the plane building.

BMR

 

[smcadman]

Simply use a sketch path and a sweep. Sometimes a simple sketch will work, other times a 3D sketch is required. I make 2 configs, one for the flat pattern, the other for the bent piece.

Wire Sample

SW07 SP2.0

Flores

 

[MadMango]

I've always done profile sweeps on a path for any exhaust tubing or handrails that I have had to do. I get lengths from the 2D drawing using the neutral centerline lenghts.

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

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

An alternative to the sweep would be to create a square Sheet Metal strip with bends, and then radius the edges.

 

[CADone]

Those are very smart approch. Thank you all.