Folding Sheet Metal Inventor

The advantage to using folds over flanges is no material is added by adding.

Folding sheet metal inventor. Autodesk inventor webinar series. Before you begin download the step by step guide pdf. Sheet metal fabrication is the process of forming parts from a metal sheet by punching cutting stamping and bending. Let s start with the rules of sheet metal.

Use fold location to set what the sketched bend line represents the start of the bend the end of the bend or the centerline of the bend. Unlike the bend flange contour flange or hem features which all add material to the design the fold feature does not add material. The bend line must be placed on the face you are folding and must terminate at face edges. Autodesk inventor allows for converting models to sheet metal.

Use the fold command to fold a sheet metal face about a sketched line. Many software packages like solid works inventor and solid edge will let you incorporate a bend allowance chart into its calculations when developing flat patterns. In fold location click one of the following to specify. On the ribbon click sheet metal tab create panel fold.

Use the fold angle to set the bend angle and the bend radius to override the radius set by the sheet metal styles if required. A fold on a sheet metal face forms about a straight sketched bend line that terminates at face edges. Click the bend line to use for the fold. Click the bend line to use for the fold.

Creating a chart with your standard values is a key component of speeding up this process. Rule 1 you must have a consistent thickness. Specify the location of the fold line. Which means regardless where the model geometry originates you can convert it to sheet metal add sheet metal features and generate the flat pattern.

Total project time approximately 20 minutes. Click to indicate whether the line defines the centerline start or end of the bend. Design a sheet metal bracket in this project we ll design a bracket using the sheet metal environment inside inventor for an inkjet printer while in context of the larger assembly. On the ribbon click sheet metal tab create panel fold.