"How to" suggestions solicited

[Timelord]

I've got to model a wave spring washer and I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions on an easy way to do it. I can think of one or two approaches, but they seem kind of involved (cutting away sections from a thick washer or maybe rolling up a wavy rectangular rod with the sheet metal tool). Does anybody know of an easier way?
Any help would be appreciated!

Timelord

 

[alexit]

Sweep/loft a 90° section and make the rest as a pattern combined from this piece.

 

[Timelord]

alexit,

Thanks for the great suggestion, I hadn't thought about that way. The washer has three waves, so I will do one wave and pattern three of them.
This forum is great!

Thanks,

Timelord

 

[SBaugh]

Now with Multi-bodies, it is alot easier making complicated geometry like that.

You could make the separate sections and circular pattern each or all of them.

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[CADGemini]

A friend of mine had to model a wave spring as you are discussing and he created a square to the height of the wave spring then used the Copy/Rotate bodies so that you now have something that looks like the star of david. Then you use curve through reference points to create the wavy curve for the sweep path. You can download this model from Solidworks 3D Content Central in the user's library under springs. Who would of thought you could create a round spring by starting with squares.