Book Image

Mastering SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal

By : Johno Ellison
Book Image

Mastering SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal

By: Johno Ellison

Overview of this book

SOLIDWORKS© is the premier software choice for 3D engineering and product design applications across a wide range of industries, and the Sheet Metal module forms an important part of this powerful program. This book will help you to understand exactly what Sheet Metal is, why it is used, and how you can make the most of this fundamental design feature. You’ll start by understanding the basic tools, including Base Flanges and Sketched Bends, before moving on to more complex features such as Custom Forming Tools and Lofted Bends. The book covers all the necessary tools in a step-by-step manner and shares practical manufacturing tips and tricks that will allow you to apply the skills that you learn to real-world situations. By the end of this SOLIDWORKS book, you’ll have understood how to make the best use of SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal tools and be able to create a whole range of 3D models and designs confidently.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Section 1: Getting Started with the Sheet Metal Module
6
Section 2: Advanced Sheet Metal Tools
13
Section 3: Converting 3D Parts to Sheet Metal and Creating a Sheet Metal Enclosure

Creating the enclosure base

Our example enclosure will consist of two components – the base and the lid – both made within the same SolidWorks part file. These will each be made as separate sheets within the part file, starting off with the base sheet.

Throughout this chapter, the instructions given are more of a guide than hard-and-fast parameters, so feel free to experiment with different sizes and features as you see fit.

To create the base, follow these steps:

  1. Start a new SolidWorks part document.
  2. First, we will draw the Base Flange profile. Start a Sketch on the Top Plane and sketch a 350x600mm rectangle, as shown in Figure 13.1:
    Figure 13.1 – Sketching a rectangle for the Base Flange profile

.

Figure 13.1 – Sketching a rectangle for the Base Flange profile

Sketching Tip!

Remember to always Fully Define your sketches by using Smart Dimensions and Relations.

In this case, I recommend using a Center Rectangle tool and starting from the Origin. This will mean that the Front and Right...