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

Chapter 5: Creating Complex Parts Using Swept Flanges and the Fold/Unfold Tools

Swept Flanges are similar to Miter Flanges and can cause confusion with some users, but each tool has a specific use case. In this chapter, we will learn how and why they are used.

We will also explore folding and unfolding operations. These are distinct from flattening and unflattening and can be used to make specific features, such as cuts across bends.

By the end of this chapter, you'll understand how to use Swept Flanges and the Fold/Unfold tools and why they might be needed.

In this chapter, we're going to cover the following main topics:

  • How to use Swept Flanges
  • Swept Flange versus Miter Flange
  • Folding and unfolding
  • Why use Fold/Unfold?
  • Unfolding versus flattening