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Bending sheet metal walls

The Sheet Metal Bend tool works similar to SplitUsing the Combine tool to split solids or surfaces. You select a solid or surface to use as a Cutting tool to cut the target. See Cutter object., and is used to create bends in a sheet metal flat or unfolded part. You can bend along a sketch curve on the sheet metal face, bend perpendicular to an edge, or bend between two points.

You can also place multiple bend lines along a surface. Existing in-progress bends, that are not yet bent (flipped) remain de-selected as you place one or more new, additional bend lines along the sheet metal surface.

To bend along a line

1. Click the  Bend tool in the Create group on the Sheet Metal tab.

   The Create Bend option is enabled in the Bend Options panelArea of the user interface that enables you to modify functions specific to tools..

2. (Optional) Modify the following values in the Bend Options panel:

   • Bend angle: The angle of the bend.

     When selecting on an edge to create a bend angle, modifying the Bend Angle option propagates to the pull edge handles immediately.

   • Bend radius: The inner radius of the bend.

     • When a Bend Table is applied to the part, Bend radius is changed to Tool radius and the input becomes a dropdown list of available radius values from the table.

   • Die width: The width of the die. This changes to a dropdown list of available widths when a Bend Table is applied to the part.

   • Bend Allowance: Value to use for calculating the flat length of the bend.

   • Bend Deduction: Value to use for calculating the flat length of the bend.

3. Click on a sketch curve on the sheet metal face. The bend will be made across the full length of the face, regardless of the length of the sketch curve.

    

   

    

4. Click the Complete tool guide to create the bend.

To bend in multiple components at once

1. Follow the same steps you would use for creating a single bend.

2. Select curves in multiple components. The curves can belong to one component but lie on a face of another component. For example, curve 1 belongs to component 1, but is sketched on the face of component 2.

    

   

    

3. Click the Complete tool guide to create the bend.

   

To reverse bend direction

Click the bend line to cycle through bending up and bending down.

To remove bend segments

Clicking a bend segment until the bend line turns red removes the segment from the bend.

The dashed lines to either side of the bend line show the extents of the bend allowance area, based on the radius set by default or overridden by the user in the options area.

If necessary, you can click an empty location in the Design windowArea in the user interface that displays your model or assembly. Also known as Workspace. while a tool guide is active to clear the bend line and activate the Select Cutter PointSingle location in the sketch grid. 2-D object that has no height, width, or length. The origin, an axis, and a vertex are examples of points. Use the Point tool to sketch a point on the sketch grid. Points are useful as a dimensional reference, for splitting, and for creating a point on a line or curve through which you want to draw a three-point circle. tool guide.

Tool guides

The following tool guides help step you through the process. Use the Tab key to cycle through them. As soon as the tool guide switches, the cursor may change to reflect the active guide.

Select Cutter Point: Click a point on an edge to create a bend that is perpendicular to the edge at the point. Press Tab to enter a value for the percentage or distance from the bend to the endpoint along the edge.
Select Two Cutter Points: Click a point on one edge and a point on another edge to create a bend between the points. You can see a preview of the line as it extends to the second edge before you click on it. Press Tab to enter a value for the percentage or distance from the bend to the endpoint along the edge.
Select Anchor Point: Select the face you want to remain fixed when the body is bent:
Select Curves: Select curves to be wrapped around bends.

To add bend steps

1. Select a bend.
2. Modify the Bend Steps value in the Sheet Metal section of the Properties panelArea of the user interface that displays editable details about the selected object(s). This panel is initially displayed on the lower left side of the screen, but can be moved..

Adding bend steps creates a bumped bend, which instructs the operator and machine to create a large radius bend by bumping instead of "rolling" smoothly. The bend is hit with a sharp tool, creating closely spaced sharp bends that form a large bend.

To display the bend steps and bend dimension properties of the bend in an unfolded sheet metal part, turn on the visibility in the Bends and Bend DimensionsValues or expressions you enter for precise control during the creation or modification of a design. You can dimension every element, from lines in sketches to faces of solids. See Ordinate dimensions, Progressive dimensions, Ruler dimension. layers in the Layers panel or in the Style ribbon group on the Display tab.

 

To create a joggle

 

1. Click the  Bend tool in the Create group on the Sheet Metal tab.
2. Select the  Create Joggle option in the Bend Options panel.
3. (Optional) Modify the following values in the Bend Options panel:
   • Bend angle: the angle for both bends of the joggle
   • Bend radius: the inside radius for both bends of the joggle
   • Joggle height: the measurement between the top of the sheet going into the bottom bend and the top of the sheet coming out of the top bend.

   • Bend Allowance: Value to use for calculating the flat length of the joggle.

   • Bend Deduction: Value to use for calculating the flat length of the joggle.

4. Use the Select Cutter Point or Select Two Cutter Points tool guide to create the bottom bend of the joggle.
5. Click to select the second bend of the joggle, which is previewed as you mouse over the sheet metal face, as shown below.

    

   

   If necessary, you can click an empty space in the Design2D or 3D model that contains at least one top-level component. window to clear your selections and activate the Select Cutter Point tool guide.

    

6. Use the Select Anchor Point tool guide to select the face to remain fixed when the rest of the body is bent to create the joggle.

7. Click the Complete tool guide to create the joggle.

   You can move the walls between joggles.

To create a joggle from existing bends

 

 

1. Select two bends with a face between them.
2. Right-click and select Create Joggle From Bends from the context menu.

   The face between the two bends is added to the joggle. The highlighting color changes to indicate the joggle.

To return a joggle to independent bends

Right-click the joggle and select Explode Joggle from the context menu.

The independent bends remain selected. If you want to return the bends to a joggle, right-click and select Create Joggle From Bends.

Examples

 

  

Joggles created using the Bend tool.

To create a bead using the Bend tool

1. Click the  Bend tool in the Create group on the Sheet Metal tab.
2. Select the  Create Bead option in the Bend Options panel.
3. (Optional) Modify the following values in the Bend Options panel:
   • Bead radius: The radius of the bead, which is also the height of the bead. The minimum bead radius is 0.25xT (sheet metal thickness). 
   • RoundRounded corner at the intersection of two lines or edges. Round refers to an exterior corner; an interior corner is known as a fillet. Rounds and fillets are both called rounds. See Fillet, Constant-radius round, Variable-radius round. radius: Radius of the round at the base of the bead that intersects with the surface.
4. Click on a curve on the sheet metal face, or select a tool guide and select bend points based on the tool guide you use.
5. Click the Bend tool guide to complete the bead.

You can also create a bead using the Bead tool.

Tool guides

The following tool guides help step you through the process. Use the Tab key to cycle through them. As soon as the tool guide switches, the cursor may change to reflect the active guide.

Bend Options