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Drainage pans for sheet metal

Drainage pans for sheet metal

It would be nice to have a dimpling procedure in sheet metal (similar to sheet metal punch tools that create "feet" or other punched forms that do not actually cut a hole in the sheet metal face. Given a starting face, a dimple point and a dimple depth, crease  the face along the four crease lines to create a drainige pan or strengthening ribs.

 

Drain Pan 1.jpg

 

 Drain Pan 2.jpg

 

The result is a piece of sheet metal with a depressed point at the "dimple" depth, slightly bent along the creasing lines.

Creasing sheet metal along 4 lines from a dimple point is a very common procedure for creating drain pans and strengthening sheet metal assemblies such as heating & air conditioning system conduits.

30 Comments
BryanKelley
Alumni
Status changed to: Future Consideration
This is something that the team has brought up in the past
BryanKelley
Alumni

Hello Marshall,

 

  One possible way that may work for you now is to use a Lofted Flange.  To model it, create one sketch that defines the outside perimeter.  Then create an offset workplane that describes the depth of the pressing operation.  At that location, create another sketch that is just a 1/32" square.  Use the Lofted Flange feature with the Press Brake output selected.

 

  Now this will not work for modeling ducting due to the hole in the side, but it could suffice as a drainage pan.  A hole/punch could be placed afterward.

 

DrainagePan.png

 

 

Bryan Kelley

Sr. Software QA Engineer

 

BryanKelley
Alumni

One side note, you could then use a few Boundary Patches and Sculpt them together.

 

DrainagePanBrowser.png

 

It will be closed after that if it is participating within some ductwork.

 

DrainagePanClosed.png

 

Bryan Kelley

Sr. Software QA Engineer

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Solution Provided
Mashall, We would be curious to hear if the workaroud Bryan suggested currently satisfies your request. Thanks, Dan
marshallw
Advocate

Lofted flange solution does not work. it rounds the corners of the original rectangles. This negates adding additional flanges to the model (that are correct). Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Curtis_Waguespack
Consultant

Hi  marshallw,

 

I wonder if the Cosmetic Centerline tool would help you.

 

To create cross-break lines, follow these general steps:

  1. Click the Create Flat Pattern button (or the Go To Flat Pattern button if it’s already created) found on the Sheet Metal tab.
  2. Create a new 2D sketch on the appropriate face of the flat pattern (click OK if warned about the sketches on the flat pattern not carrying over to the folded model).
  3. Use the Line tool to create the cross-break line(s) as needed.
  4. Click the Finish Sketch button on the Sketch tab.
  5. Click the Cosmetic Centerline button (found on the Create panel in the Flat Pattern tab) and select the previously sketched line(s).
  6. Adjust the manufacturing information using the controls in the Cosmetic Centerline dialog box, and then click OK.

 

A Cosmetic Centerline feature will be created in the browser, and it will consume the sketch you created. You can edit it as you would any other feature if needed.

 

This cosmetic information is then availble in the drawing environemt allowing you to detail the flat pattern as needed.

 

f0632.png

 

 

 

rptandy
Contributor

I see this marked as "solution provided,' but that is not the case IMHO. Another common term for what marshall is trying to do is a "crossbreak". The cosmetic centerline on the flat pattern works great for showing your manufacturer where to hit the metal, but it doesn't show the end result in the model. That causes problems with our press brake software too.

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Under Review
All "humble opinions" are considered on the Inventor Idea Station. Therefore I am modifying this status from "Solution Provided" to "Under Review". Thanks - Dan
jakeericht
Explorer

Hi Marshellw, I was wondering if you have managed to find a workable solution to the 'Drainage pans for sheet metal' which allows you to add flanges to it too? I am also trying to create what is a 'creased shower tray' and have tried Bryan's suggestion of a lofted flange, yet I am unable to add flanges to this without creating errors. I have added a 'Rip', then added a flange, yet their corners overlap and it will not flatten.

I am using Inventor 2013.

Really appreciate some help please.

Thanks

 

marshallw
Advocate
Jakeericht,

I ran into the same problem, which is why I started the thread in the first place. I have attached the original test file (which does fold out into a flat pattern) for your inspection.

Good Luck,

Marshall Wilson
Applications Engineer
[cid:image003.jpg@01CEA498.65B38090]
Total CAD Systems
480 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. E
Suite 234
Houston, TX 77060
(281) 445-6161
Autodesk(r) Platinum Partner
bverboort
Advocate

I just do this with 4 triangular surfaces and "Thicken". but it would be nice to have an automated way to accomplish this. "Kudos" from me.

BramosB
Contributor

Regards marshallw and all participants on this thread.

Could you please upload the testing file you got for this thread please, I have been looking -without sucess- for a way to get this "feature" in an efficient way in Inventor model. I mean it is for documenting manufacture but as well it is a visual element (for one industrial design aspect as its semiotic dimension) that will be good as feature palette for shaping/configuring products beside its functional approach, so i think A tool/feature avilable for presentation and documents, able for the sheet metal benefits will be productive. Inventor to integrate multidisciplinary intentions. Maybe creating an ifeature for the crossbreak. In summary, i support this Idea ( to be implemented for next relases of Inventor). 

I will be following further opinions and the software team attention.

ted
Explorer
Explorer

It would be nice to have a functioning Cross Brake command or button where we can dictate the degree of the CB.  This would be helpful not only for production but for simulaiton as well.  I have done them but it is painfully slow.  Or if I am missing something I would appreciate feedback.

 

Thank you,
Ted

 

 

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Gathering Support
 
mindink
Contributor

I see this is Gathering Support. I would also like to be able to see this modeled as well able to create a flat pattern and annotate in the drawing environment from the flat pattern view. I currently just use a sketch in the drawing environment and change the line properties and leader text to it, but its not automatically updatable which causes confusion with the other employee's.

ahobby
Contributor

@dan_szymanski

 

Hi Dan, I stumbled on this 6 year old thread while looking for this exact solution for inventor. I have a lofted surface I want to create in sheet metal comprised of essentially a football shaped perimeter, and a straight ridge line. The only solution I was able to come up with was use the lofted flange with the smallest interior shape I could get it to work with, and fudge the pattern. It would have been extremely helpful to be able to define the top of the lofted surface as just an edge, not as a closed profile. 

michael.cantu
Community Visitor

Has there been any progress on creating a true cross break tool that can flatten? I've tried creating a punch tool with ifeature but giving it the ability to flatten is still not available. Our company would prefer not to use the cosmetic option.

dusan.naus.trz
Advisor

Flat Pattern Cross-Break. Please see the picture and video link. If you like Idea, then vote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlm2ap6328c

2019-10-12_14h25_57.png

chris
Explorer

Really could do with this as a feature. Unless it's been added but I've missed it?

 

Panel work we do sometimes includes cross breaking like this in order to add strength to the panels. It's quite a common thing. It's an easy feature to model up for show, but it seems impossible to model up in any usable way - i.e. to produce an unfolded flat pattern drawing. I'm handing it back to the metal worker to work out for himself, currently, and obviously I'd like to be able to produce proper drawings instead.

bvankauw
Contributor

Count me in on this one, we use cross breaks for drainage of tank bottoms, and it's difficult to show customers the tanks are actually pitched to drain using "cosmetic" bend lines. 

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