Mitered Rectangle Tube Bend, Flatten?

[srobbinsZMA6L]

Long time user (R4 days) it's been a while since I've had a good challenge...

We have a new toy, Plasma Tube Cutter, and I ran across a modeling challenge. This is not just tube bending or sheet metal solution. 

Challenge: Determine OAL of rectangle tubing and the location of relief cuts.

The bends will be manual, then seems  welded. The problem is the bends are essentially sheet metal bends but because bends are on opposing sides of the tubing profile I can not just flatten out the tube (aka "unwrap" part) or use Sheet Metal flatten tool. I did derive the model into parts that represent the "pieces" then grabbed the length of arc segment across the bend
(this doesn't take into consideration the bend factors) to space out pieces into an assembly with intent to derive the .iam into an .ipt but I'm curious if anyone else has a better idea?

[kacper.suchomski]

Take a look at the methods of designing broken profiles:

[pcrawley]

Without digging too deeply, I suspect the twisted shape of the first Corner Seam turns in on itself (faces 'twist' too tightly and the model fails).

I edited your profiles to make the wall thickness on the sections = the Thickness Parameter, then made the internal radii = (Outside radii - Thickness).  Then I was able to experiment with just changing the Sheet Metal Thickness parameter to see where it fails. If I set the "GapSize = 0.5", I could get a wall thickness of 1.47 to work.  (A tip to make this easier to edit would be to draw the section as a Sketch block - then you only have to edit the parameters on one sketch - not three 🙂)

Sorry @LuukDW - I didn't check to see which version of Inventor you were using - the attached is 2025.

[LuukDW]

Hi @pcrawley

It makes sense that the turn would be to tight. I am using 2024, Is there a possibility you are able to use 2024 as example? so i can see what parameters and features you have used? I can now only open it as a derived part unfortunatly.

Thanks already for you time and effort

[LuukDW]

Hello,

I actually worked it out! Thank you for suggesting this solution.
Sketch blocks or parameters would indeed be better, This model started out as a experimental model and kind of grew into the current state.

Thanks for reaching out @pcrawley and @kacper.suchomski .