Provide sheet metal unbent (flat) patterns on drawings?

[trainguy]

How many of you in the consulting engineering profession produce flat (unbent) patterns on your detail drawings of plate bent into angles, channels, and zees, etc.?

Isn't it up to the fabricator to calculate where his bend lines should go to produce a finished part to the cross-sectional dims. on your drawings?

Curious, because this adds to our workload if it's required.

Thanks in advance,
tg

 

[Ron]

trainguy....I wouldn't do what you mentioned. That's the fabricator's job to get you the final product, based on your specified parameters. Don't do his work for him.

Familiarity with his process will help you in your designs (for example, making your sections such that pieces can be formed out of standard sheets and making your dimensions so that waste is reduced), but the final product is still the fabricator's responsibility.

Keep your specifications as nearly as practicable to PERFORMANCE specs, not prescriptive specs.