How To Work With Sheet Metal In Solidworks

To convert a solid part to a sheet metal part.

How to work with sheet metal in solidworks.

Click on the sheet. That means you need a contour of the sheet metal to be cut known as a flat pattern. Solidworks multibody part functionality lets you work with several bodies in one part to create. Solidworks sheet metal tutorial step 1.

By choosing bend table or bend calculation an excel document can be used. Create the solid part. In the propertymanager under sheet metal gauges set options if you want to use a gauge table. Forming tools are parts that act as dies that bend stretch or otherwise form sheet metal to create form features such as louvers lances flanges and ribs.

First create a new part. Right click on the toolbar and activate sheet metal. Select use gauge table. Using forming tools with sheet metal.

A common favorite is sketching out the profile and using the base flange tab tool see figure 2 that is usually located first on the sheet metal ribbon. By choosing k factor bend allowance or bend deduction from the pull down menu a specific value can be entered. Before any bending you have to cut the sheet metal. Click convert to sheet metal sheet metal toolbar or insert sheet metal convert to sheet metal.

Now sketch and use smart dimension to give a dimension to the design. Click on the top plane and then create a new sketch. Sheet metal parameters in the bend allowance section we can select how solidworks determines where the neutral axis is the flat pattern calculation.