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Trying to learn sheet metal ... no unconsumed sketches problem!

agordon
Advocate

Trying to learn sheet metal ... no unconsumed sketches problem!

agordon
Advocate
Advocate

I am very familiar with F360, but I am attempting to solve a sheet metal problem (now s/metal in F360 yet).

 

I am attempting to "unfold" the shape below and get "No unconsumed sketches on the part".  I've searched in vain to find an answer, and watched several S/metal videos, but still don't have a clue how to proceed.

 

The Flange was exported from Rhinocad as a STEP file, and imported in Inventor Pro17.  I've attached the ipt file.

 

Appreciate any advice!

 

flange.jpg

 

 

 

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mdavis22569
Mentor
Mentor

I think you need to thicken it and make it a solid and not a surface


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---------
Mike Davis

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Mark.Lancaster
Consultant
Consultant

@agordon

 

When sharing files and posting, you should always indicate what version of Inventor this file was created with or last saved in..  In your case its Inventor 2017.  

Disregard what I just said..  I missed the part about importing it into Inv Pro 2017.  My bad..  Smiley Sad

 

Secondly as @mdavis22569 pointed out..  This is just a surface, its not a solid so Inventor Sheet Metal is unable to work with just surfaces.

Mark Lancaster


  &  Autodesk Services MarketPlace Provider


Autodesk Inventor Certified Professional & not an Autodesk Employee


Likes is much appreciated if the information I have shared is helpful to you and/or others


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mdavis22569
Mentor
Mentor

Happy dance ... I was right about something today ....

 

 

:smileyvery-happy:   Smiley Very Happy   Smiley Very Happy   Smiley Very Happy


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Mike Davis

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agordon
Advocate
Advocate

Thanks Mark (and MDavis).  I trying not to sound dumb as a rock, but I'm guessing I must be ... I have tried every link in the sheet metal tab to try and extrude the surface with no success (just lots of No unconsumed etc.!).

 

 

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Curtis_Waguespack
Consultant
Consultant
Accepted solution

Hi agordon,

 

Look on the 3D Model tab as shown here. Also be sure to set the Distance to "Thickness" which is pre-named the parameter that the sheet metal file uses to determine the metal thickness.

 

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

 

Autodesk Inventor Thickenn Sheet Metl.PNG

TheCADWhisperer
Consultant
Consultant

Thicken, not extrude (same as in Fusion) and it is not on the sheet metal tab (same as not in Fusion Smiley LOL ).

Look on the 3D modeling tab.

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Mark.Lancaster
Consultant
Consultant

@Curtis_Waguespack

 

I will not comment on your highlighting but are you modeling "Pringles" (chips) now?  Smiley Very Happy 

Mark Lancaster


  &  Autodesk Services MarketPlace Provider


Autodesk Inventor Certified Professional & not an Autodesk Employee


Likes is much appreciated if the information I have shared is helpful to you and/or others


Did this resolve your issue? Please accept it "As a Solution" so others may benefit from it.

agordon
Advocate
Advocate

@Curtis_Waguespack wrote:

Hi agordon,

 

Look on the 3D Model tab as shown here. Also be sure to set the Distance to "Thickness" which is pre-named the parameter that the sheet metal file uses to determine the metal thickness.

 

 

 


Worked like a dream!  Just got to try and work out how to unfold the darned thing!  (and it does look like a pringle!)

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Curtis_Waguespack
Consultant
Consultant

@Mark.Lancaster wrote:

 

I will not comment on your highlighting but are you modeling "Pringles" (chips) now?  Smiley Very Happy 


That was supposed to be melba toast. Smiley Wink I'm doing a Chex-Mix assembly for the weekend. Smiley Tongue

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PaulMunford
Community Manager
Community Manager
Hi agordon. Inventor may not be able to unfold the part if is made up of undevelopable geometry.

I wrote an explanation in this post that you might find helpful?

https://graitec.co.uk/blog/entry/autodesk-inventor-sheet-metal-flat-pattern-success-every-time

 


Customer Adoption Specialist | Informed Design
Opinions are my own and may not reflect those of my company.
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agordon
Advocate
Advocate

@PaulMunford wrote:
Hi agordon. Inventor may not be able to unfold the part if is made up of undevelopable geometry.

I wrote an explanation in this post that you might find helpful?

https://graitec.co.uk/blog/entry/autodesk-inventor-sheet-metal-flat-pattern-success-every-time

Paul,  you are correct, the shape will not develop into a flat pattern, and after reading your blog (VERY helpful!), I think it fails because it is a partial sphere and so is curved in all directions and fails the straight edge rule.

 

I'm guessing that creating a sketch of the flange in inventor (it has a large concentric hole in finished form), and then (somehow?) projecting that sketch to the surface of the object drawn might have more success?  Or am I back in the weeds of a complex curved surface?

PaulMunford
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi agordon,

 

I tried to extrapolate the curvature from your file, but it so far away from any of the origin planes as to be unusable 😞 (Perhaps if you moved it in Rhino and re exported?

 

Anyway - I have built a part in Inventor that is similar, take a look at how it's built - I hope that you find it useful?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

Double curved Sheet metal.png

 

 Double curved Sheet metal - Result.png

 

 

 

 

 

 


Customer Adoption Specialist | Informed Design
Opinions are my own and may not reflect those of my company.
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agordon
Advocate
Advocate

Hi Paul, out of the office for a few days, so unable to thank you for your efforts.  I really appreciate you taking the time to show how a domed surface can be created in Inventor.  I'm learning alot about the SM commands: I now know a little more about the Contour flange one!

 

My goal with this post was to see if I could develop a flat pattern that could then be CNC machined.  I realize after posting a followup targeting the flat pattern issue that any shape with curves in more than one direction cannot be "flattened"!  Back to the drawing board ... perhaps, where I know how to do this! (the "orange peel" development process).

 

 

PaulMunford
Community Manager
Community Manager
No worries. Keep at it. Keep focused on the end goal, and let us know if we can be any help : D

 


Customer Adoption Specialist | Informed Design
Opinions are my own and may not reflect those of my company.
Linkedin