Sheet metal. Turning an existing flat drawing into a SMP

[steveastro]

I have not actually used the SMP tool much, in the probably 10 years of being a user. Nearly every time I make a SMP, I've sent a model based on a standard part to the sheet metal supplier.

Right now, I have a project where all I have are existing flat patterns (giant PDF drawing) with fold lines marked on them. What's the best method to use to turn these into SMP ? I haven't found a good tutorial. Are there any ?
Thanks for any help
Steve

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Hi Steve -- I am on the west coast (-3 hours from your time zone) but if you will name a date & time (between 10AM and 9PM EST) I would be happy to do a GoToMeeting with you and walk through the basics with you. (tangent@olympus.net) -- Lew

 

[hradford5]

Hi Steve -- I am on the west coast (-3 hours from your time zone) but if you will name a date & time (between 10AM and 9PM EST) I would be happy to do a GoToMeeting with you and walk through the basics with you. (tangent@olympus.net) -- Lew

I would love to participate in that meeting!

 

[Lew_Merrick]

I would love to participate in that meeting!

Hi Zeke -- Should Steve reply and agree, certainly. If not, you may suggest a time and date and we could do a "nother" GoToMeeting.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I have not actually used the SMP tool much, in the probably 10 years of being a user. Nearly every time I make a SMP, I've sent a model based on a standard part to the sheet metal supplier.

Right now, I have a project where all I have are existing flat patterns (giant PDF drawing) with fold lines marked on them. What's the best method to use to turn these into SMP ? I haven't found a good tutorial. Are there any ?
Thanks for any help
Steve

Draw your flat pattern in a sketch in a sheet metal part.
Create a Tab feature of the flat pattern sketch.
Draw a fold line on the face in another sketch.
Create a SketchBend feature using the fold line sketch.
That's the basics. There are many settings of the SketchBend feature to get the bend how you want it.
Clicking the ? question mark in the dialog box will open the help the section about that feature with much more info.

 

[steveastro]

Sorry Lew, I had this thread set to tell me if there were replies, and it hasn't taken.
Yes, I'd love to be instructed !
Really appreciate the offer. Name a date and time

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Sorry Lew, I had this thread set to tell me if there were replies, and it hasn't taken.
Yes, I'd love to be instructed !
Really appreciate the offer. Name a date and time

Hi Steve (and, in aside, Zeke) -- Would noon tomorrow (Wednesday 11 December) work for you. Please (you and Zeke) send me an a-mail (tangent@olympus.net) so I can send out "invites." -- Lew

 

[steveastro]

Hi Lew.
Your noon ? 3PM Eastern ? Sure. Works find for me.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Hi Lew.
Your noon ? 3PM Eastern ? Sure. Works find for me.

It is actually set for noon EST based on the "invite" I sent you. -- Lew

 

[Lew_Merrick]

I would love to participate in that meeting!

Then send me an e-mail (tangent@olympus.net). -- Lew

 

[Lew_Merrick]

For those interested the attached AD_PKG file is my "result" from yesterday's GoToMeeting get together with Steve and Zeke. I do hope that is helps. -- Lew

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Yes, I (apparently) have lost it! Back in the 1990's when I was developing automotive airbag inflator systems I had "tables" of DIN and JIS sheetmetal designations (alloy & thickness). I placed them in a notebook and have been unable to find them. They typically break down into "cold rolled steel," "hot rolled steel," "galvanized steel," "austenitic stainless steel," and "aluminum" sheet materials. They include "minimum bend radius" values (expressed as a multiplier of sheet thickness). My intent is to create a spreadsheet that will specify material type & alloy, appropriate sheet thickness, and provide "K Factor" values. [And provide "entries" for said materials in alibre_unicode_custom.mtl dataset.] Assistance will be appreciated. -- Lew

 

[Lew_Merrick]

And, to be clear that I share as cleanly and widely as possible, here is a (xslx) spreadsheet with American (ASTM) values of sheetmetal alloys and thicknesses.

 

[hradford5]

Thanks Lew

 

[Idahoan]

Thanks Lew

Is there a reason that the aluminum sheets don't line up withe the gauges for the steels? Is aluminum sheet thickness not identified by gauge and only decimal thickness?

Dave

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Is there a reason that the aluminum sheets don't line up withe the gauges for the steels? Is aluminum sheet thickness not identified by gauge and only decimal thickness?

Steel & Stainless Sttel were defined by the Brits in the 19th Century. Aluminum "sheet" was defined by the American "Aluminum Association" on the 1930's. Steel "reduces" in rolling by (about) 58% which is wat led to "Gauges." Aluminum "reduces" by (about) 40% which led to different "force rollers" being employed -- which is why (as I was taught) the difference. -- Lew

However, I am still looking for DIN and JIS rolling thicknesses...

 

[idslk]

Lew,

search for "Aluminiumblechdicken DIN" and you will get a lot of pdf data sheets...
The complete DIN Informations are not freely distributable here in Germany, you have to buy them at a "famus publisher"!

Regards
Stefan

 

[Lew_Merrick]

The complete DIN Informations are not freely distributable here in Germany, you have to buy them at a "famus publisher"!

Hi Stefan -- You mean that "distributors" do not list "sheet steel per DIN XXXX" by sheet thickness in their catalogs? Here in the US every supplier of (say) "ASTM A366 CRS Sheet" (meaning Ryerson, Earl Jorgenson, McMaster-Carr, etc.) provides such a list. -- Lew

 

[idslk]

You mean that "distributors" do not list "sheet steel per DIN XXXX" by sheet thickness in their catalogs?

No. Do the search and you will see...
What you don't get for free is the complete document of the "DIN" association.
Regards
Stefan

 

[Lew_Merrick]

What you don't get for free is the complete document of the "DIN" association.

Stefan -- The (say) ASTM A366 specification lists (among other things) allowable steel alloy designations, allowances and tolerances for various "Gauge" thicknesses, and packaging requirements for shipping such materials. However, as I said, every distributor of sheet metal will list the types os sheet metals they sell and the (if you will) "nominal thickness values" they provide.

About 2 years ago I was designing components for a German company that were to go on an ESA spacecraft.. I would tell them the "cm value" of the thinnest said components could be and they would respond with the standard value available to them for the "next thickest" sheet (AL 6061-T4) that they could get from their supplier. I assumed that somebody looked that up in a catalog.

??? -- Lew