Coping intersecting sheet metal profiles while still be able to generate flat pattern.

TinWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

I am looking for some work flow to be able to create "coped" custom sheet metal corners( intersections) .

What kind of work flow can I take to develop these profiles with custom copes to generate flat patterns for my plasma to cut.

in this case the material is 1/8 aluminum.

the green and yellow profile in the example would be cut to fit the red and blue profile.

there would be a couple small bit to take off on the red and blue profile too.

ultimately I would want to end up with 4 custom profiles that I could Nest , plasma cut, bend and weld out with a minimum of gaps.

A plasma cutter can only cut straight through the material ( perpendicular ) so the flat pattern would have to reflect that.

Any suggestion how to achieve this?

I would also be valuable if I could go back in my history and change the original opening size and all those changes would carry through the history smoothly.

TheCADWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

Is Sketch1 (the very foundation of your design) fully defined?

I would use hybrid modeling techniques and the BORN Technique.

All would be fully associative.

It would be (very) highly unlikely that I would use Move command.

TinWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

should be fully defined now. ( updated f3d )

I will check into those 2 methods . thank you

I was just trying to make a file to get the point of what i am trying to do across. Whichever ends up being the most repeatable and reliable flow is what ill use into the future if move is not a part of that flow i will not use it in the future.

I want a work flow that will work with all kinds of custom profiles intersecting and 90deg (or other angle into the future)

TheCADWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

A fully defined sketch displays a Lock symbol...

When I walk out to the shop floor to set up a job - the first thing I do is establish some Datums (stops on the machine) - the Origin at a specific location that I can take the part out of the machine and place it back in the machine with same location and/or change distances with confidence of the results and make multiple identical parts.

I would never use dimensions that I cannot measure with my calipers or on the coordinate measuring machine in inspection...

TinWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

for example the yellow piece cope should end up similar to this but still be able to become a flat pattern.

I know this pattern wont work and would need some alteration to became flat

TinWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

Still learning.

Where do suggest a define the sketch1 from? Maybe start with a center rectangle?

I will start over and try to figure out how to properly define this sample sketch. ( any good video for this?)

Then hopefully I can post a correct sample drawing and we can proceed to figuring out how to cope to intersecting sheet metal profiles to then create flat patterns from.

Thank you for the help so far.

TinWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

I had a couple undefined construction lines in sketch1, I deleted both.

Redefined the measurements to origin at 1" and 1"

I would take a recommendation of where to start a drawing like this.

I went through and fully defined all the sketches.

I delete all the moves in the history and used push pull instead where I had to.

attached is the latest file reflecting those changes.

Is this drawing ok to start with?

TinWhisperer · ‎12-26-2021

here is one version but it do take a lot of projections and push/pull and combine tool to complete.

davebYYPCU · ‎12-26-2021

You can't partially cut a bend, so with a fiddle, I found a cope cut for both left corners. Second one slightly modded for the change profiles.

Should get a workflow from this though, Red Component was better streamlined than the blue.

Step up the time line.

Frame size is on parameters, any changes to the file, might require the Flat patterns to update, but I wasn't able to break the file with changes I tried.

Might help....

TinWhisperer · ‎12-27-2021

Thank you, I will scour through the file would've linked.

If only there was a tool that could take two intersecting sheet metal profiles, allow you to chose the coped areas then apply rules to it will still be flat patternable .

This is where I am currently at. I meant to post last night but did not get back to the computer.

The work flow is still cumbersome in the my file v8. I would like improve it considerably.

This is close to the result I am looking for.

The small divots on the edges are some bend locator point on the sample.

I also do not have a CNC brake so that's a bit of a wild card too.

Thank you @TheCADWhisperer @davebYYPCU for the input so far.

TheCADWhisperer · ‎12-27-2021

You will want to do these as separate Components... ...back in a few minutes with example...

TinWhisperer · ‎12-27-2021

yes ideally I would want each profile to be a separate component so I could have a flat pattern for each.

TheCADWhisperer · ‎12-27-2021

@TinWhisperer wrote:
yes ideally I would want each profile to be a separate component so I could have a flat pattern for each.

Examine the Attached.

The Bend Relief sketch might have been done separately from Sketch1.

TinWhisperer · ‎12-27-2021

thank you I will run through this file.

TinWhisperer · ‎12-31-2021

Making progress.

@davebYYPCU @TheCADWhisperer thanks again!

@TheCADWhisperer I have going through all your sheet tutorial you tube video again try to get my : constrain, Hybrid and BORN techniques up to par. The content you have produced on your you tube page is an excellent resource . Thank you for going through the trouble of producing them.

I'll post more pictures once it is weld out and installed.