I need to know how to take a know length of material and bend the entire thing into an arc with a radius of 16.75, and I need to know how to do this in inventor so I can generate where the bend points are so we can bend it in a press break. If anyone can help asap that would be greatly appreciated.
Solved! Go to Solution.
Solved by coreyparks. Go to Solution.
Can you create the part using stardard tools in finished form (sounds pretty simple) and attach here so that someone can demonstrate how to do the same part with sheetmetal Fold (or other technique as appropriate).
Hi drafter,
I think the Fold tool in the Sheet Metal environment is what you're looking for in this case. Attached is an example. Keep in mind that your material thickness (Extrusion thickness in my example) needs to match the sheet metal Thickness parameter to get this to work.
I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com
Are you going to be step bending this?
Ironically, I just answered a very similar question on the SolidWorks forum:
https://forum.solidworks.com/message/264621#264621
Not sure if you can read that or not.
Something like this?
Inventor isn't going to dictate the bend locations for you persay... that's something you're going to have to provide to Inventor. If you want to model each and every bend, that's not difficult but time consuming. If you want to just have a model as a representation with a constant radius bend, that's simple.
Read that thread on the link I provided, the same situation applies to both software packages.
So what I posted isn't what you're looking for?
yes this was the best solution for my application, I took your drawing and was able to modify it to fit my needs. The only thing I was Inventor could do that I have not found that your are able to do is constrain an arc length. I had to keep switching back and forth from the drawing which had the flat pattern to see how close I was in the length, then go back to the part and modify it then switch back so on and so forth.
The only other question I have for this feature is if you can put a square hole in the middle of the part before you bend it. Reason I ask is I know the dimensions of the hole that needs to be there, so I tried adding it, but it wont let me add it unless I am in the flat pattern, but I would like for it to generate the hole before it gets bent.
Have you ever used the unfold and refold feature? It allows you to flatten the part add any geometry you would like and then to refold. It's great for adding things that run across bends.
@Anonymous wrote:constrain an arc length.
See attached
But keep in mind the flat takes into account Bend Allowance (unless you enter a neutral plane k-factor).