How to create a sheet metal design from finished sketch

[treahuggs]

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? 

[laughingcreek · Accepted solution]

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.

[Drewpan]

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

[treahuggs]

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. 

[Drewpan]

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

[user015M86Y]

@treahuggs ,

See attached my proposal with your flat pattern and bend

Need your sketch dimensions to achieve what you want

Is there more bend ?

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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?

[TheCADWhisperer]

---

@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?

[treahuggs]

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. 

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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?

[treahuggs]

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! 

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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...

[user015M86Y]

@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

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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.

[user015M86Y]

@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

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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.

[user015M86Y]

@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

[treahuggs]

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