Creating multiple folds on 1 face

[Anonymous]

I am trying to make a sheet metal part that has flanges folded down on one side and then folds running orthogonal to those flanges to make a somewhat curved have tunnel if you will. See model. Inventor 2018 won't let me make the folds on the face I previously folded the flanges from. What should I do? 

[Cadmanto]

Welcome to the forum.

Are you talking about something like this?  See attached.

If this solved your issue please mark this posting "Accept as Solution".

Or if you like something that was said and it was helpful, Kudos are appreciated. Thanks!!!! 

     

[Anonymous]

Yes that is very similar as to what i'm trying to do. I just want to be able to fold along the blue lines as shown in your screen shot.

It actually won't let me make any more folds in my part no matter what fold line i draw in any location.

[IgorMir]

Maybe something like that? Please see  the attached.

Cheers,

Igor.

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@Anonymous wrote:

Yes that is very similar as to what i'm trying to do. I just want to be able to fold along the blue lines as shown in your screen shot.

It actually won't let me make any more folds in my part no matter what fold line i draw in any location.

[Anonymous]

Sort of, that seems to use lofts and curved bends like a long rolling curve, I was more looking for distinct bends running the length of the part. I guess I'm really am not sure why my part doesn't seem to want to let me do any folds what so ever anymore?

[IgorMir]

I am still a bit foggy on the design intent of yours. Maybe you have got a picture or a sketch of the item you want to model. It would be good to have a look at it. And the reason why you can't create any folds along the sketch lines is that the fold is crossing over the existing one. That's if I follow your design intent correctly.

Cheers,

Igor.

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@Anonymous wrote:

Sort of, that seems to use lofts and curved bends like a long rolling curve, I was more looking for distinct bends running the length of the part. I guess I'm really am not sure why my part doesn't seem to want to let me do any folds what so ever anymore?

[Anonymous]

Hi TylerG106

Is what your after?

The fold will self-intersect if folded more so you may need to tweek cutouts to suit

[Thomas_Savage]

Hello @Anonymous

Is the file and screenshot attached what you wanted?

If this is what you wanted i will create a better model for you. 

I placed the fold past the Bend Radius. As this can cause issues.

You can move the fold to the correct distance. But the cut triangles need to go past the bend lines. Else it won't bend correctly.

Hope this helps? 

Thomas.

[Anonymous]

Mark this is getting much closer to what I'm trying to do. I do have a few issues with your model. on fold 2, I tried to switch the direction of it so that the 1 section folds down rather than the 2 on the other side of the fold. The edit feature wont let me switch this direction, why?

Also, I wanted to repeat this fold 2 on the other side so I made another cut and tried making a fold along a cut like but it sadly wont let me select the fold line. It's really frustrating why I cant make a fold here, not sure if I'm doing something fundamentally wrong here or what when I'm making folds. See your modified part attached. 

[JDMather]

I still do not understand your design intent.

At this point I would recommend forgetting sheet metal for a bit and simply use the standard modeling tools to generate something in finished form as close as you can get and attach that here

or

hand sketch 

or

photo or link to something as similar as you can find.

Once your true Design Intent is understood - I suspect the solution is really quite easy.

[kelly.young · Accepted solution]

Hello @Anonymous I see that you are visiting as a new member to the Inventor Forum.
Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

I'm tending to agree with @JDMather, if you can share what are you trying to accomplish that would be helpful in directing the best way of modeling.

Do you have part specs or dimensions you are trying to reach?

Here's a screencast going through a few helpful tips:

If you want to make the angled gap flush/parallel to each other you have to do additional calculations to get it to match up but not sure what your intent is.

At 3:30 you could project the horizontal line from Sketch1 and use Collinear Constraint to it instead of creating the Cut_Rad dimension reference.

Also noticed you projected the X and Z axis for alignment, a better approach would be to just Project Geometry > Center Point and use Coincident Constraint to it and make the lines horizontal and vertical instead. That way there is less overlapping of lines requiring RMB > select other... if you ever want to select them. 

Hope that helps!

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Kelly Young answered my question regarding all the sheet metal items I was dealing with. I was making some silly mistakes and there were just some things i flat out didn't know I could do. As per your request, I created the full part (a fender for a wheel). The part is too be made out of waterjet polycarbonate and then folded. I realized as I was going through this whole process that I had overlooked some geometrical and dimensional considerations that will need to be accounted for in a sheet metal part but the attached part shows what I want it to be after all the cutting and folding is done. 

[Anonymous]

Kelly, 

this was a very helpful video and thank you for taking time out of your day to work through some of these issues for me. It will help me in my future sheet metal modeling. In another reply i posted a part made from conventional techniques that i want the finished product to look like. Now, I have to try and get that to be from a  sheet metal part. Your video did answer all the sheet metal questions I had and I thank you for that. 

[Anonymous]

Hello kelly i have kind of same problem, after a certain point i can't fold anymore;
this is the complete draw, so you can have an idea, im using the left one to build up a face and fold but afret 3 folds i cant do that anymore

[JDMather]

@Anonymous

Something like this (see Attached file)?

[JDMather]

..or this?

[Anonymous]

thanks JD Mather, thanks for the fast reply and HAPPY NEW YEAR : )

your result are really good and is what i'm looking for!
in the end i was able to fold it but i can't have the corner like you did, i attached also a file of what i've done so you can see.
im using inventor since couple of days so i'm not so expert,
can you explain me where i was wronging?

thanks again for your fast reply!

[JDMather]

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@Anonymous wrote:

...but i can't have the corner like you did, i attached also a file of what i've done so you can see.

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You can edit the corners to whatever is needed (as long as you don't violate the rules).

Did you measure up your folded model?  

Did you notice the obvious overlap of flanges in the easiest part if the design?

Video to follow...

[JDMather]

@marinermrc

Turn on your sound - your folded dimensions do not match the information that you presented and are what I refer to as "oddball" dimensions.  Not logical dimensions.

Research Bend Allowance in sheet metal fabrication.

[Anonymous]

Thanks JDMather 

im honestly improving thru your suggestions and this is the result wich i got,  " see attached"
acutally i've done te first face right and im trying to understand  how to procede with the little lateral faces,