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SWx 2010 Press Tool oddity

Hi All,

I'm having a bit of a problem with Sheetmetal press tools.

I'm trying to make a die to press some text into an aluminium plate. Rather than modelling each individual letter, I've modelled them in a single block, like it'll be done for real.

The press tool looks like this:

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The selected face (green) is the tool stopping face.

However, when I apply this forming tool to a sheetmetal part, the resultant part looks like this:

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As you can see, the pressing is exactly as I want, EXCEPT it's mirrored, which is very strange.

Now, usually you'd use the REAR face of the tool as the stopping face and this is what I think is throwing it out. However, if I cut the rear block away, SolidWorks cannot handle a press tool as a multiple body part.

Now, the obvious workaround is to create a mirror part and use that... but form tools aren't allowed external references (even when broken).

So the workaround is to re-model it as a mirror from the start.

Other than using the cheating workaround, is there anything else anyone can think of to help me out here?

Thanks in advance,

George.

Reply to
Esprit
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Did you tried using TAB (button on the keyboard) to change the direction after you placed the form tool. If you haven't used tab earlier, then press TAB while you seeing a preview of form tool during its placement or face selection. I hope I'm clear.

Deepak Gupta SW2009 SP4.1 SW2007 SP5.0

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"Please c> Hi All,

Reply to
Deepak Gupta

Deepak,

Thanks for the suggestion, I never knew about that!

Sadly, this doesn't help me much at all. Using the TAB function seems to work the same as pressing it from the other direction. I've done a test and done the following:

  1. Apply to front face
  2. Apply to front face, TAB pressed
  3. Apply to rear face
  4. Apply to rear face, TAB pressed

Numbers 1 and 4 come out the same as do numbers 2 and 3.

I can get the pressing coming out looking correct from the front but debossed instead of embossed... or if the pressing is made to go in the right direction, the text is mirrored.

I've done a workaround by designing up a mirrored press tool, which gives me the right result, but obviously if I want to make drawings of this press tool, it won't be what I want my toolmakers to actually build.

Regards,

George Maddever.

Reply to
Esprit

Reply to
Deepak Gupta

George ,

I did a quick trial and it works as required expected. I just have to use TAB key to set the position.

Deepak

Reply to
Deepak Gupta

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