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Sheet Metal Flat Pattern

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Message 1 of 6
chaseling
130 Views, 5 Replies

Sheet Metal Flat Pattern

I've noticed that if I add a chamfer to my sheet metal part, the flat pattern shrinks? I've tried using 'Chamfer' in Part modelling mode, 'Cut' in sheetmetal mode and Corner Chamfer (but the edge can't be selected). All options give me a shorter flat pattern, then if no chamfer applied.
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Message 2 of 6
Anonymous
in reply to: chaseling

Are you saying you are chamfering a edge, and not a corner? I bet if
you preselect the side of the part that is longer then make a flat
pattern you will get a different result. I believe it just takes the
area of the selected side, and it expects square edges.

--
Kent Keller
http://www.MyMcad.com/KWiK/Mcad.htm

Assistant Moderator
Autodesk Discussion Forum Moderator Program

"chaseling" wrote in message
news:f18c2d2.-1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I've noticed that if I add a chamfer to my sheet metal part, the flat
pattern shrinks? I've tried using 'Chamfer' in Part modelling mode,
'Cut' in sheetmetal mode and Corner Chamfer (but the edge can't be
selected). All options give me a shorter flat pattern, then if no
chamfer applied.
Message 3 of 6
chaseling
in reply to: chaseling

Thanks Kent, Let me restate the problem. I should have been refering to the edge, not the corner.
I have a plate 445mm x 185mm, bent about an axis parallel to the short side. The length of the flat pattern before chamferring is 448mm. When I add a 15mm chamfer along the short sided edge at each end, the flat pattern is reduced by exactly 30mm (2x15mm).
Message 4 of 6
Anonymous
in reply to: chaseling

The sheetmetal tools use the surface on one side when it makes the flat pattern. If you
have shortened that surface by 30 mm then the flat pattern will reflect that. If you
preselect the opposite side of the part which the chamfer doesn't shorten your flat
pattern will show the 448mm length.

Basically the sheetmetal tools expect a part that can be built on standard punch press and
brake. AFAIK the chamfer you are talking about would have to be a milling operation and
the sheetmetal tools aren't really set up to handle that case.

I have posted 2 files to IVCF. I made a part similar to yours and selected one surface
to make the flat pattern. I saved it as Short. I then deleted the flat pattern and
selected the opposite side to make the flat from and saved it as Long. Measure the flat
patterns in both files.

If I am missing the point I apologize, but I believe this is what you are running into.

--
Kent
Assistant Moderator
Autodesk Discussion Forum Moderator Program


"chaseling" wrote in message news:f18c2d2.1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Thanks Kent, Let me restate the problem. I should have been refering to the edge, not
the corner.
> I have a plate 445mm x 185mm, bent about an axis parallel to the short side. The length
of the flat pattern before chamferring is 448mm. When I add a 15mm chamfer along the short
sided edge at each end, the flat pattern is reduced by exactly 30mm (2x15mm).
Message 5 of 6
Anonymous
in reply to: chaseling

There are newer lasers/plasmas/water jets that can produce a beveled edge.
This is one of the major shortcomings of Inventor, in that its sheet metal
tools are designed around a very small part of the sheet metal industry.
Message 6 of 6
chaseling
in reply to: chaseling

Thanks Kent, preselecting the side solved the problem.

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