How to make a clip part, using a bend or curl feature

[dalibu]

Hello-

Since I have only been with Inventor a few years I do not know everything. With Pro-Engineer I can use the spinal bend tool to curl a part around a spline. In the example attached, I start with a flat part. Then I can see how it might be when it is flexed - as it would be in an assembly, etc. No matter how complex the original part, all of the geometery is changed. Is there a way to do this in Inventor? Many thanks.

David

[JDMather]

The easiest way is to assign an arc length parameter and then drive the radius dimension.

As a arc radius gets larger - the arc approaches a straight line curve.

[dalibu]

That's good to know, but that technique won't solve the problem. Imagine a fairly complex part, and as the last feature, you want to flex it a bit to see how it would be in assembly. Alternatively, you might want to flex it so that it is moulded in a certain position, and after moulding it might relax a little. It would be a very useful addition to the Inventor features option.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Have you tried Bend Part feature? All you need is a straight line intersecting the part body and a driven (or driving) parameter dictating the part length. Let me know if it works for you.

Thanks!

[dalibu]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try the bend feature. Although powerful, it seems to distort attached features. (please see the attached). I am therefore going to accept JDMather's solution for this post. Thank you all for your contributions.