topic Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

treahuggs — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 22:49:11 GMT

Hello,

I am designing a motorcycle license plate holder, because of the shapes it feels like it would make more sense to draw the entire flat piece out first THEN bend it in fusion. However, I cant seem to figure out how to make that work, every tutorial i've read and watched start with basic shapes.

Is there a way to use sketch lines to direct my folds or should I use another method?

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

laughingcreek — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:47:51 GMT

you do use a sketch to direct the bend function. but it doesn't generally make sense to start with the flat pattern and bend it unless you already have a flat pattern where all the bend allowances have been figured for you. (ie,, you have a library of flat patterns produced by other means, and you want to get those designs into fusion.) it makes much more sense, and is WAY easier to model it in it's finished form and then unfold.

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

Drewpan — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:01:10 GMT

Hi,

The whole point of doing a model and then converting it to sheet metal and then

creating a flat pattern is to avoid what you are trying to do in reverse. If you actually

MODEL the design then fusion can easily work out where the bends are and what the

angles are and what allowances to make for the bends. If you flat pattern FIRST then

how does fusion work out all of this stuff?

Sure, this "might" be able to be done starting from a flat pattern but if you are going to

do it that way then you might as well continue and make a bend template for the

machinist and hand it over. Sometimes the traditional way is the hard way. This is a case

in point.

I would either start again and model this as a Solid and convert it, or I would start it as

a Sheet Metal part and build it with the flange commands.

Cheers

Andrew

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

treahuggs — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:21:00 GMT

I did end up using the flange feature from the bottom up. To me it still seems easier to tell fusion what lines to bend on and then it rotate your sketch to the new planes.

How would you do a bend similar to this one in fusion? (pictures attached)

Have my folded part all made but now I am getting "Error: There was an unexpected problem with exporting the flat pattern as a DXF file." with zero indication where the issue is occurring. I suppose that is an issue for another topic however.

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

Drewpan — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 03:59:10 GMT

Hi,

Export your design file from the fusion file menu and attach it so we can have a look.

It will probably be something simple.

Cheers

Andrew

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

user015M86Y — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:22:25 GMT

@treahuggs ,

See attached my proposal with your flat pattern and bend

Need your sketch dimensions to achieve what you want

Is there more bend ?

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

TheCADWhisperer — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:29:55 GMT

@treahuggs

What process will be used to cut the edges (currently you show zero kerf)?

Do you have a picture of a similar holder from the real world?

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

TheCADWhisperer — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:35:08 GMT

@treahuggs wrote:
Have my folded part all made but now I am getting "Error: There was an unexpected problem with exporting the flat pattern as a DXF file." with zero indication where the issue is occurring.

@treahuggs

Can you File>Export your *.f3d file to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply?

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

treahuggs — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:47:35 GMT

Attached is my design. Since I couldn't figure out how to do the unique bends I just kept the top part flat and was going to try a manual bend on one axis instead of my two axis bend like my picture. Unsure if I need two bends till I do more testing.

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

TheCADWhisperer — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 16:13:52 GMT

@treahuggs

Before I spend a lot of time on this - are you basically satisfied with the outcome - or would you be interested in learning more about how to do this correctly starting over from scratch?

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

treahuggs — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 16:19:57 GMT

So far I am satisfied but I would love to learn how to do bends like user015M86Y showed. The more I learn the less I have to ask!

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

TheCADWhisperer — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:35:15 GMT

@treahuggs

I don't really understand your Design Intent as you were missing many dimensions - but use symmetry about the Origin and fully define your sketches.

See Attached...

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

user015M86Y — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 23:42:45 GMT

@treahuggs @TheCADWhisperer

See attached my proposal with sketch flat pattern and bend

I used parameters to define the arc length according to the different angles
@TheCadWhisperer what do you think

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

TheCADWhisperer — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:48:39 GMT

@user015M86Y

I am getting a better idea of the true Design Intent.

The problem with Bend is that first a lot of work goes into creating the sketch, and second the Bend Allowance is not calculated so the end result dimensions are not known. The finished part is what the customer measures for specs. They don't care about the flat pattern, only the end results.

I have an idea of an easier technique to model that I will try to demonstrate tomorrow after @treahuggs gives input on these two examples.

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

user015M86Y — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 07:18:43 GMT

@TheCADWhisperer

Thank you for your comment : in fact it is exact that the creating of sketch require lot of work

I am waiting your easier technique

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

TheCADWhisperer — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:24:57 GMT

@user015M86Y

The starting sketch could be as simple as this...

This defines the length and angles of the faces and the bend positions.

Create Flange of minimum width and then add/cut as needed to complete.

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

user015M86Y — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:10:31 GMT

@TheCADWhisperer @treahuggs

In the meantime, I made a variation using the sheet metal flange and bend
I preferred to use the Hole function which allows not to make a sketch
Fusion lacks the possibility of making a rectangular, square, polygon hole without using a sketch
Less work and certainly closer to the final plan

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

treahuggs — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:39:46 GMT

What user015M86Y posted is what I would like to learn how to do. The complex bends

Re: How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

drl767 — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 02:40:38 GMT

I have a scenario where it makes more sense to model it flat first, which is how I found this thread. I already have a part and process to make a part where all bends are in the same plane and orientation. I start with a rectangular blank, and using a manual steel rule die type bender, I make all bends starting at the farthest bend in from each end, working my way back out to the edge. All bend dimensions are held from the end which makes locations accurate from the same (and only available) datum. I have a starting blank size and all the bend locations, angles and direction. I would like to parameterize a model in fusion to work like the machine I make it with works, known bend dimensions off the outside edges. To make it more difficult, my part has a large radius cylinder on it which I don't know how to tell Fusion to bend from flat. I have to do a flange extrusion from a sketch of a circular arc of 350 degrees.

In any event, assuming I figure out that part, It would be valuable for me to model in this way as that's how I have to manufacture it.

Additionally, I would like to model the basic geometry of the bending machines to look for interferences while bending. It would be very helpful in making alternate models of the product to be able to model the motions, and potential machine interferences in order to modify the design and or have different orders of operations to make complex shapes work without physical trial and error.

Thanks

Dean