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Help Unbending This Piece (Inventor 2012)

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Message 1 of 9
MPerry26
775 Views, 8 Replies

Help Unbending This Piece (Inventor 2012)

Hey guys, Im trying to get a flat (non-curved) version of this piece so i can properly cut the outer profile on a waterjet before bending. For some reason it isnt recognizing the bends as bends (i think) and it just doesnt seem to want to flatten it out for me. any ideas?

 

I've tried slicing it and using the created flat as a stationary reference for the sheet metal bend, but im not sure what else to do. This is a solid imported in from AutoCAD 2012, if that helps/means ill have trouble.

8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: MPerry26


@MPerry26 wrote:

This is a solid imported in from AutoCAD 2012, if that helps/means ill have trouble.


Much of the geometry is questionable.

Do you have the originating profiles in AutoCAD (delobj set to 0)?

 

If I "fix" the geometry I can get a flat pattern.

Flat Pattern Fix.PNG

 

The problem isn't that it was created in AutoCAD.  The problem is that it wasn't created correctly in AutoCAD.


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Message 3 of 9
MPerry26
in reply to: JDMather

I dont know what "delobj set to 0" is, im sorry. Im new to AutoDesk software. (Relatively new to CAD in general)

 

I have the original profile from before i modified it to have a square back as well as the solid from the inventor file i posted above. (is that what you meant by delobj set to 0?) I do not have the original profile of this piece, as i am picking up a project that was being completed by another engineer before me. Let me know if i can provide anything else to help. and thanks so much for the response!

Message 4 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: MPerry26

delobj was set to 1 (1=On, 0=Off) so no useful generating information in the dwg.

 

delobj.png

 

To "fix" the part I -

Delete Face all but one side.

Add missing bend fillets.

Set Sheet Metal Styles thickness.

Thickened by Thickness.


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Message 5 of 9
MPerry26
in reply to: JDMather

What was wrong with the geometry, exactly? I'd love to learn how to fix this stuff so i can do this in the future. Most of my profiles are going to be created in a similar fashion so if i can learn any helpful things to get inventor to unbend them/read them properly that would be awesome.

 

What exactly did you do?  (im completely new to inventor, all of my experience is in autoCAD. the only thing ive managed to do successfully in inventor is unfold a couple of bent metals., and that was just with the unfold tool) Thanks again for the help!

Message 6 of 9
MPerry26
in reply to: JDMather

Alright, so you added the missing bend fillets? does this mean you just added fillets at the individual bend lines after deleting all of the faces? I'll try this in mine. (not sure hoow to do all of that in Inventor...) Thanks for your help, do you think yo could attach the new file? (do you think it will be an accurate representation of the flattened piece of the original?)

 

This was originally created by taking the curved surface of a solid in AutoCAD and thickening to .062

 

Thanks a ton!

Message 7 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: MPerry26


@MPerry26 wrote:

.. and that was just with the unfold tool)


Unfortunately - almost certainly the wrong tool to use.

 

I recommend you start with these and post native Inventor files as you start designing stuff.

 

http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/SkillsUSA%20University.pdf
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com/p/inventor-tutorials.html
http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/enu?adskContextId=HELP_TUTORIALS&language=ENU&release=2014&product=Inve...


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Message 8 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: MPerry26


@MPerry26 wrote:

Alright, so you added the missing bend fillets?


From what I could tell - there should have not been any need to add bends - it looks to me like the curves were not created tangent in the original AutoCAD file.  A basic modeling mistake.

 

If you created this part in AutoCAD, see if you can create the same part in Inventor (from scratch) and attach your attempt here.


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Message 9 of 9
MPerry26
in reply to: JDMather

I added the bend fillets after deleting the faces as you described, but i couldnt get the flat pattern tool to do what i needed it to (ill need to read the tutorial). I'll get into these tutorials as soon as i have time.

 

I managed to get this to work with the unfold tool to create a solid of the part flattened out. I'll export this to autoCAD and finish up my model there. Thanks so much for your help and the tutorial links. I'll post back once ive played around with this, and if i have any more questions.

 

Thanks again for your help.

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