Best Practices: Sheet Metal Modeling 2

[MadMango]

I think anyone that has been using SW to do sheet metal design has come to several "best practices" conclusions. I am wanting to start this topic in the hopes that others will share thier practices within our community.

1) Insert your Sheet Metal-Bends feature last, after all of your design work is completed.
2) Use Thin-Extrudes when ever possible when you are modeling long channel-like parts.
3) Features like Counterbores and Countersinks should be placed after the Sheet Metal-Bends, unless you know that these features can be fabricated in the flat pattern of your part (punched or stamped in the flat pattern).
4) When parts are designed for fabrication on a laser cutting machine, include small radii at every interesection of 2 lines (inside and outside corners) so the laser doesn't have to pause to change direction.
"Happy the Hare at morning for she is ignorant to the Hunter's waking thoughts."

 

[YJeepster]

I have been modeling that way since day one. No problems with anything. It works the exact same way as using the sheet metal commands but with two advantages; 1. Tighter control over what you are doing (ie Bend relief) 2. No bend radius showing in my models till the end, (Then again I still do all my modeling in wireframe, kinda like the "Matrix" I guess) As for hole lining up, never had a problem. And in the assembly all the bends are there. I guess like so many other things in modeling it comes down to personal preferance.

 

[MadMango]

Something that worked for my company was to model several 3" x 8" test strips of our most common materials (6-16ga HRPO/304/CRS1018). These would be models of C, U, W and Z brackets with "simple" leg lengths (like 1.000" or 2.500&quot. We started with the default K-factor of 0.50, made flat patterns and sent them to our sheet metal department and waited for the results.

After about 3-5 rounds of this, we managed to find a default k-factor of 0.43 that works for >90% of our most common materials. We were able to tzero-in on our tooling, methods of manufacturing, etc. Now, if I specifiy a .020" gap between flange edges, chances are they fall with in our +/-.005 tolerance zone. "The attempt and not the deed confounds us."

 

[OliverManhire]

Does anybody have experience in modeling steel plate in the ranges of 10 - 20mm? And if so can anybody suggest a K-factor for this application? any pitfalls in modeling plates as sheetmetal?