topic Re: Contour Roll - Creating a Flat Pattern in Inventor Forum

Contour Roll - Creating a Flat Pattern

chris.barrie — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:50:45 GMT

Hi All,

Can anyone help with an issue I'm having using the "contour roll" function.

I am modelling a conical canvas seal with different diameters top and bottom. The top and bottom diameters then have a "flap" or a flat for bolt holes. So my profile looks something like this.

When Im then creating the flat pattern, the shape of the flat pattern isnt a curved radius as expected, its a rectangle.

It seems to be the "flats" that are causing the issue on the unfold, without them the model looks like this, with the corresponding flat pattern below, which is what I was expecting.

However, with the flats added in the contour roll profile, the model looks like this (as expected), but the rectangular pattern is shown below.

Can anyone help with what I might be doing wrong?

Many thanks

Re: Contour Roll - Creating a Flat Pattern

JDMather — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 11:49:09 GMT

You are not doing anything wrong.

Those two flanges are deformations - Inventor will not unfold those correctly (are you sure you can manufacture them).

Re: Contour Roll - Creating a Flat Pattern

johnsonshiue — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 21:44:18 GMT

Hi! JD is right. The Contour Roll was meant to create the elbow portion with linear extensions on both ends. The roll creates non-cylindrical bends. Inventor Flat Pattern cannot unfold it. It can unroll it linearly.

You may use Unwrap command to flatten the shape. Please note that the flattened surface is an approximation. It does not consider any material property like K-factor.

Many thanks!

Re: Contour Roll - Creating a Flat Pattern

chris.barrie — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 08:59:27 GMT

Thanks guys, most helpful as always.

Re: Contour Roll - Creating a Flat Pattern

JDMather — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 12:56:46 GMT

@chris.barrie

I suspect your liner material is very flexible and not close tolerance.

I did an Unwrap on similar geometry and I suspect this operation would be fine for your needs.