Some Sheet Metal Questions. (How can I do it better?)

Ste_Wilson

I've been asked to model up a drawing and redraw it.  It's a sheet metal toolbox.  The original drawing is the flat view.
I've managed it here with the help of Fold SM feature script.

A few questions then. 

It feels like I've cludged things a little.  Is there a more elegant way?

Is there any way to sketch up the flat pattern and just fold up from there?

What are the best/ other useful feature scripts?

Cheers!

MichaelPascoe

Hey @Ste_Wilson, I'm no sheet metal expert, so I'm sure there will be some more experienced input eventually. For now, here is one way you could simplify your workflow:

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/e0302be1c3a9ba5e2a645bdf/w/82cd9f2bbaf30f31997480eb/e/9ce9a92a75c84a9a005...

MichaelPascoe

Hey @Ste_Wilson, I'm no sheet metal expert, so I'm sure there will be some more experienced input eventually. For now, here is one way you could simplify your workflow:

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/e0302be1c3a9ba5e2a645bdf/w/82cd9f2bbaf30f31997480eb/e/9ce9a92a75c84a9a005...

Ste_Wilson

@MichaelPascoe, thanks for the response.  A few tricks I need to learn there!  It would never have occurred to me to use thicken on a solid and I hadn't noticed the partial flange, though I can't get those side tabs to flange on my original!

MichaelPascoe

There was a trick to getting those to work: I split the solid and gave the side flanges some room. 

Ste_Wilson

So that's what the spilt did!

phares_blank

Because of the various tooling used to form sheet metal, the bend loss (and therefore the flat pattern dimensions) can change depending on the manufacturer. In the industry, the flat pattern should only be used for reference. 

Looking at your part, many of the flanges on the flat pattern are whole numbers. I don't think the original designer accounted for bend loss. What I would do is draw the part in 3d, then compare the flat pattern and adjust if necessary.

Ste_Wilson

I have fudged the drawing somewhat. You may notice I've set the precision down to no decimal places. It's for hand marking out, cutting and manual folding machine for a student excerise. If you look at the tolerances it's labeled +- 3 mm!