Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape.

First time visiting? Here are some places to start:
  1. Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
  2. Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
  3. Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
  4. Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.

If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.

Options

Auger screw to sheet?

marek_zbikowskimarek_zbikowski Member Posts: 4
Hi. How can I transform auger screw spiral (1 turn) into a flat sheet metal surface?
I've tried the available options, but I can't seem to accomplish it. Here is the link to the project I want to replicate on a piece of sheet metal and then bend it:

Answers

  • Options
    Paul_15Paul_15 Member Posts: 6 ✭✭
    I used to have to deal with these in SolidWorks. They aren't sheet metal parts and the way they are made would affect the undeformed shape. Since they aren't sheet metal and have multiple ways to make them, OnShape or any other CAD likely wouldn't be able to un-form them. In SW there was a package that might do this, but that was long ago.

    If you were familiar with the manufacturing process you could simply draw the unformed shape which is a circle with a hole and a gap and add some allowance for stretch.
  • Options
    marek_zbikowskimarek_zbikowski Member Posts: 4
    Exacly problem is in sizes formed or deformed.
    This is for my personal hobby project that will be done in future, and i want bend it also myself. Draw flat will be usefull to cut sheet before bending.
    I saw YT videos that someone do it in SW but this software is some problematic to me, i make few draws in onshape and im still looking way how to do that here. If sheet option will not work, maybe it is any other way to do that? This looks like big challenge :)
  • Options
    rick_randallrick_randall Member Posts: 104 ✭✭
    edited April 14
    Screw conveyor flighting is made by rolling the outside edge of a piece of flat bar through tapered rollers, which thins and stretches that edge. (They are not cut from flat sheet). It's the stretching that turns it into a spiral. Like the guys above have said - sheet metal does not support this stretching behavior in the flat pattern. 
    You can accurately model the finished flighting as a solid, by sweeping a trapezoid profile along a helix (thinner section at the outer edge) 
      Bad news is, it will not develop a flat pattern in cad - And this is also the reason why you can't make curved flanges that work with flat patterns in sheet-metal (does not support stretching or shrinking,and will fail)  
    Forming complex shapes in sheetmetal parts is made by either shrinking or stretching - and it is truly a fascinating subject. I would recommend that you research it fully.
    Good luck
Sign In or Register to comment.