Living Hinge FeatureScript custom feature?

sofia_simon_trench

I am trying to create a living hinge on a flat surface that can be laser cut.  I have been able to create the living hinge by cutting long rectangles out of a part but the process is time consuming and not efficient. I tried to create a custom feature myself but do not have enough coding experience to do it successfully.  Is there a custom feature similar to how LaserJoint functions that would allow me to create living hinges quickly and easily? 

Jake_Rosenfeld

@sofia_simon_trench

I don't think this specific feature exists yet, but there are lots of code happy people around here.  It seems like a pretty simple custom feature, maybe if you describe the inputs and desired result in detail here, someone will code it up for you quickly.

shaleen_harlalka

I'd like to second the request for a living hinge featurescript.

Here's how I see it working.

• Acts on a single part, that is a combination of planar sections interleaved with cylindrical sections
  
  
• Other inputs will be:
  

  Input	Default	Description
  stretch	1.05	Hint of how much the flex part should be shortened
  connection	1 mm	width of the gaps in the cuts
  distance	0.5 mm	width of the pattern perpendicular to the cuts. The code should try to evenly divide the available length so that distance is at least the specified number
  thickness	0.1 mm	Thickness of the cuts made
  slotcount		Number of slots to cut lengthwise

  
  

The output will be the original shape, flattened out to a single plane, with the cut pattern made along the cylindrical edges.

I will be incredibly grateful to anyone who can make this.

Prachi

I don't have a script but your cut outs can be made on the flat pattern. You'll need a better pattern than I thru together as example. Your dimension table can be incorporated as variables and using constraints on construction lines.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/44300b8443e31a8a7552cb4e/w/9ece92663a727e60560de254/e/7065876524fb33db90d58e16

jeff_simmons327

Prachi said:

I don't have a script but your cut outs can be made on the flat pattern. You'll need a better pattern than I thru together as example. Your dimension table can be incorporated as variables and using constraints on construction lines.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/44300b8443e31a8a7552cb4e/w/9ece92663a727e60560de254/e/7065876524fb33db90d58e16

Document not found

I would also like this feature, or at least a feature where a curved surface can be laid out flat to then export so I can make the pattern elsewhere.

MichaelPascoe

@jeff_simmons327 Here is an example of how to do a living hinge using the sheet metal tools:

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/9b95d0f99a614eb73fc1dd01/w/78d2e95164b478fc9aacdde8/e/b8321fcb14634774a60ae201?renderMode=0&rightPanel=sheetMetalPanel&uiState=66b13e4c27ed9e58fdd9b92b