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.

Sheet Metal functionality

bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭
I know this has been discussed but I want to let Onshape designers know I can hear the chant from manufacturers.......WE WANT SHEET METAL! (insert clap clap clap clap clap sound) WE WANT SHEET METAL! (insert clap clap clap clap clap sound)...............Any time frame of this?????
Bryan Lagrange
Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

Comments

  • brucebartlettbrucebartlett Member, OS Professional, Mentor, User Group Leader Posts: 2,137 PRO
    Sheetmetal is an absolute must, huge gains for manufactures can be made from a good sheetmetal package, not easy to work around with current Onshape setup. Even a simple k-factor unfold of suitably modelled geometry would be a great start. 

    Onshape knows the need for this but can't hurt to keep the pressure on. 
    It is also the Highest Voted Improvement Request: https://onshape.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/202922330-Sheet-Metal-Features
    Engineer ı Product Designer ı Onshape Consulting Partner
    Twitter: @onshapetricks  & @babart1977   
  • andy_morrisandy_morris Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 87
    We hear you! We understand that sheet metal is important functionality.

    So how can we make sheet metal awesome in Onshape?
    Or, alternatively, what sucks about the sheet metal tools that you use now?
    The more we understand about your workflows and challenges the better Onshape will be.

    Feel free to post examples here or drop me a mail and we can discuss your requirements.
    Andy Morris / Head of Product Design / Onshape, Inc.
  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Basic functionality first (tab, flange, contour flange)

    Sketch a bend and have a jog command.

    Ability to bend and unbend in design mode to add specific features.

    Set material thickness, bend radii, and K factor.

    Normal to thickness cutout and hole command.

    One button click to create a flat pattern and ability to create a .dxf directly from the flat pattern.

    Different types of hem bends.

    Add deformation features such as bend gusset, dimple, and louver.

    2 corner and 3 corner close options to make water tight seals and the ability to add reliefs, offsets, and cutouts if necessary.

    These features would be a good start.


    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • StanislavSpektorStanislavSpektor Member Posts: 4 ✭✭
    Some of a mechanical engineers like convert to sheet metal from extruded files by options shell thickness.



    Best Regards,
    Stanislav Spektor / Mechanical Designer 


  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭

    With convert to sheet metal option  add a rip corner feature.

    Having the ability to add a cross break would be nice as well.

    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭

    When creating a flange the following options would be nice.

    Ability to designate bend to the inside, outside, or with an offset.

    Ability to set the dimension as either an ID or OD flange length.

    Option to select the bend to go:

    1) Full width of the edge selected

    2) Start from the center of the edge selected and symmetrically place a width

    3) Start the flange from either end point of the edge and then set a specific width.

    4) Select the edge and then set the width of the edge from both sides that will not contain the flange.


    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭
    andy_morris pm me and I can get you more feedback if you need. I work at a job shop and we heavily use sheet metal. We use Solid Edge. I have been designing in Edge (mainly sheet metal module) since V7 (not ST7) and about to update to ST8.
    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • shashank_aaryashashank_aarya Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2015
    Sheet metal should have predefined templates based on factors such as thickness, bending radius, bending allowances etc.for respective materials before starting any new sheet metal part. e.g. templates could be (t=2, R=2), (t=3, R=3), (t=2, R=5) etc. where t and R indicates thickness and bend radius. So depending on industrial needs, predefined standard templates should be available. Also user should allow to define the templates as per requirement. This will set default parameters while designing sheet metal part which can be changed during any point of design.
    Additionally I would like to suggest options as given in below picture from Creo

  • Logan_5Logan_5 Member Posts: 44 ✭✭✭
    Some of my sheet metal designs start from a finished plate with a finite set of dimensions.  I am struggling to work backwards from a flat plate in OnShape.  Coming from SolidWorks, I can use the bend feature with a sketch on a surface to bend the plate up or down.  Is there a good way to utilize this approach in OS?
  • brucebartlettbrucebartlett Member, OS Professional, Mentor, User Group Leader Posts: 2,137 PRO
    @Logan_5 this is an important improvement I hope it will be added to Onshape soon.  I also would like to create a folded sheet metal model from an existing flat pattern. Vote here https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/6414/sketch-bend-line

    Engineer ı Product Designer ı Onshape Consulting Partner
    Twitter: @onshapetricks  & @babart1977   
Sign In or Register to comment.