Can you convert this in to sheet metal?

[hiyel]

Hello,
Is there any way to convert the following part into sheet metal, or remodel it using sheet metal features? I used some surfacing features to create 5 profiles and then lofted them to get one of the bands, then circular pattern it 3 times. The result is 3 solid bodies. These bands will be water jet cut and rolled, so I need the flattened out view of them.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

http://files.engineering.com/getfile.aspx?folder=98776501-f024-4dc4-88c6-d0fb1c19c417&file=front.jpg

 

[steinmini]

I'd say you need to flatten only one of the solid bodies if all three are identical. Not sure if you can use the same method now as with flattening the funnel...

http://www.mcadcentral.com/solidworks/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2286&PN=1

HTH

http://www.storyofstuff.org/

 

[hiyel]

Thanks steinmini. Yes, the bodies are identical, and flattening one will suffice. I did not use the method mentioned on your link. But I came up with another solution that worked. Instead of using 5 rectangular profiles to create one band, I used 2 open loop 3D curves and to make a lofted-bend (I was using one of these curves as the guideline for the 5 profile). In the end, the methods would result in identical bodies, but somehow, only the 2 curve loft method was flattenable.

 

[steinmini]

The point is that you got the desired result. I posted the link because I used that basic procedure for several different problems I had with flattening the bodies that were basically circular. The only "catch" seems to be a "cheat" with not closing the circle to full 360 degrees.

http://www.storyofstuff.org/