Sheet metal twist??

SW2005 has the flex feature that will allow the type of twist that you are looking for.

But it wont flat pattern the flex feature.

Have you tried a lofted bend?

Can you unfold anything, that is not linear bends ? This deformation will stretch the material on the edges and is therefore not linear.

Leo

In this case, aren't you starting with the flat?

I've got some examples of lofted bends that do some twists on my website:

Go to the SW Parts link.

matt

John H skrev:

If you simply like to have it like the ruler you mentioned, do like this:

1) Select a plane and sketch a line with the midpoint in origin. The length should be as the width of the "ruler". Close the sketch. 2) Create another plane in a distance (Ruler length) from the first plane and sketch a line on this, 90deg to the first line. 3) Select Insert/Sheet Metal/Lofted bends. Select the two sketches and enter the material thickness. There you have your twisted "ruler" and it is possible to flatten.

Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't noticed "lofted bend" under the sheet metal menu, and for a minute I thought it was going to be the ideal solution.

I can create a "twisted ruler" with the command, but what if I want to (say) grip the ruler 1/3 the way in from each end and twist the middle 1/3 only, leaving the ends flat (or with other tabs etc)?

It seems like lofted bends only work if they are the first and only sheet metal feature in the part. Is this the case?

I am not sure but could you pull a 8888 0 degree edge flange bend off the end?

Ben

I am not at my computer to test this so I am not sure if this is possible, probably not as the end would be scalloped in the unfoled state therefore not a flat edge to pull the flange....

John H wrote:

I am not sure but could you pull a 0 degree edge flange bend off the end?

Ben

I am not at my computer to test this so I am not sure if this is possible, probably not as the end would be scalloped in the unfolded state therefore not a flat edge to pull the flange....

John H wrote:

Ben, I don't seem able to do any sheet metal commands on it.

John

Unfortunately there seems to be some limitations. I. e. it is not possible to use more than two profiles for the lofted bends. This will probably create some stretching and deforming and SolidWorks couldn't handle this. For this type of sheet metal features I believe a software like FastBlank is required. This is possible to integrate with SolidWorks as a plug in.

Curious..

Here, try this (it is not a solution to the problem but interesting none the less.

Sample models of what I have discussed here are at

Make two parts part one will have a line sketch on the front plane, next make a plane some arbitrary distance from the front plane and parallel. sketch another line (both lines are mated at the midpoint to the origin) the same length at 90 degrees and loft a sheet metal part on this and flatten it. The resulting flat pattern has arcs at the ends.

Next make another part and draw a circle with a diameter to match the length on the line in part one on the front plane and create a 90 degree helix at the same distance the planes are separated in part one. do this again and crate another helix but at 180 degrees out from the other at the same rotation (counter clockwise if that is what you used). Next create 2 3d sketches based on one of the helixs'. and another for the other helix (sheet metal will not loft off of a helix) and then loft a sheet metal part off the 2 3d sketches and look at the flat pattern. it is perfectly square....

I wonder if on some of my lofted bends in the past could have been much simpler if I had used a different modeling technique? This non conformity for the flat pattern is most likely the reason we cant add anything to a lofted sheet metal part as given it is the same part but two possible flat patterns then there is some problems with the lofting algorithm.

Ben

Ben Eadie wrote:

.

Hi Ben,

I can't open your parts because I'm on SW2004.

John

Sorry I don't have 2004 so I cannot help you the text can walk you through building the models though

Ben

John H wrote:

I have been trying for days to do the same thing. Have you found a way yet. I have been trying to use the louver idea in Sheet Metal | Forming Tool. While it will not give me a flattened sheet metal part it could get me to what I want as a finished product. But no luck yet. David C.

I have been trying for days to do the same thing. Have you found a way yet. I have been trying to use the louver idea in Sheet Metal | Forming Tool. While it will not give me a flattened sheet metal part it could get me to what I want as a finished product. But no luck yet. David C.