topic Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface in Inventor Forum

Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

wowrs1608 — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:07:39 GMT

Hi,

The exported dxf has two different profiles for both sides. Is it possible to get the profile at the mean radius? So I could cut it?

I found one post close:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/holes-in-curved-surface-flat-pattern-inventor-2014/m-p/4471423#M484011

Regards,

Pete

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

CCarreiras — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:50:32 GMT

Hi!

The link you refer to is very old, (it reminded me how long I am participating in this forum😅).... nowadays there are new options in the Inventor sheet metal module, that can do what you need directly.

Delete extrude (maintain the sketch)
Use Cut tool with the options in the image below.

Result:

Flat:

File attached.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

wowrs1608 — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:47:48 GMT

Thank you very much.

The Cut Normal is interesting. But I have a pipe go into this part horizontally. So the end result is not preferred.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

wowrs1608 — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:54:28 GMT

Prefer this

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

CCarreiras — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 02:16:13 GMT

The hole is made when the part is flat, or when the part is already folded?

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

wowrs1608 — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 02:25:25 GMT

I want to cut the hole on the flat sheet, then roll.

Then a small pipe will be welded on to this part horizontally. The small pipe will has the right shape at the front end.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

CCarreiras — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 02:43:04 GMT

Your cutting machine is able to do a cut like this?!!! wow!!!

Well... in that case, you have to do it manually and follow the method shown in the "old" link:

Create the tube

Create the hole Witout the cut normal option
UNFOLD the part and use the holes as a reference to create the "mean radius".

REFOLD the tube to have the final folded part.

....but in this case you have to deform the tube to fit in the hole.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

IgorMir — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 04:46:06 GMT

If your cutting machine is capable of performing 3D cut - then to model the part is simple. Here is a quick example (Part1) in IV2020 format.
If the machine of yours can only cut in 2D - then you are limited to Part2 version.

Cheers,

Igor.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

wowrs1608 — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 06:05:05 GMT

Only 2d cut. So I am after one profile from the centre mean plane. Not the two profiles from both the sides.

ccarreiras has already provided part2 type. Not preferred.

I need the software to generate the cut profile along the center mean radius line for the dxf.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

IgorMir — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 00:50:00 GMT

In such a case - Part2.ipt sent earlier is what you can use.

Cheers,

Igor.

@wowrs1608 wrote:

Only 2d cut. So I am after one profile from the centre mean plane. Not the two profiles from both the sides.

ccarreiras has already provided part2 type. Not preferred.

I need the software to generate the cut profile along the center mean radius line for the dxf.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

swalton — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 03:57:56 GMT

I think the Cut Normal will be the fastest way to model something that will both pass a 20mm OD pipe and have perpendicular edges that can be cut with a 2d laser/plasma/waterjet. The gaps between the formed part and the pipe can be filled with weld bead during fabrication to hide the odd tail from the tangent intersection.

If the smaller pipe could be moved away from tangent to the ID of the formed part, the resulting cut would not have the sharp intersection. The further the pipe moves, the larger the curve.

I used surface modeling and the thicken command to cut the formed part at the midplane. There are issues. See attached.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

swalton — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 04:31:14 GMT

Here is another version where the formed part is nicer to cut, but requires coping the smaller pipe to avoid any interference. I used a surface model and some projected geometry to modify the cutout shape. I used an obround, not a circle to trim the midplane.

I'm sure there is a cleaner way to model the intersection, but its late and I ran out of time...

I hope the two additional examples give you some ideas about modeling exactly what you want.

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

CCarreiras — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 09:52:34 GMT

Well, if you want to go that way, here's an example of the "mean" radius hole, and normal to face, to cut in the flat sheet.

File attached.

Adjusting the tube:

Re: Flat pattern for hole in rolled surface

wowrs1608 — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 20:35:20 GMT

The small insertion pipe will use template to cut into profile to join the big in horizontal direction.