Practice exercise

In this exercise, you'll practice how to  create a sheet metal component, use Flange, and create Flat Pattern.

Exercise

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00:02

This is a practice exercise video solution.

00:05

For this practice,

00:06

we're gonna begin with a new untitled document,

00:09

navigate to our document settings,

00:10

and change our units to the inch unit system.

00:14

Next,

00:15

we're going to navigate to our sheet metal tools,

00:17

and we want to begin by first creating a new sheet metal component.

00:21

We're gonna be using the steel inch rule,

00:23

so navigate until we find steel inch and say,

00:26

OK.

00:27

Then we want to begin a new sketch.

00:29

In this case,

00:30

we'll select the front plane

00:32

and use our line tool to begin a single open sketch.

00:36

We'll drag this out to the right,

00:38

up vertically,

00:39

and out to the right once more time before selecting the green check mark.

00:43

Then we want to use some of our dimensions.

00:45

This first line is gonna be 2 inches long.

00:48

Next we have our vertical line.

00:50

This is also gonna be a distance of 2 inches.

00:53

And finally,

00:54

the last horizontal line is gonna be a distance of 3 inches,

00:58

giving us a fully defined sketch.

01:00

Next we'll use our flange tool,

01:03

select the sketch and pull this out a distance of 2.9 inches.

01:08

We'll hit enter,

01:09

and now we've created our sheet metal component.

01:12

Next,

01:12

we're gonna create a flat pattern.

01:14

Select create flat pattern and select the stationary face and say OK.

01:19

The flat pattern is gonna give us all the

01:21

information needed to create this part in 3D.

01:24

This information can be exported as a DXF or used in a detailed drawing.

01:29

Let's finish the flat pattern.

01:31

And let's take a look at using the modified tool unfold.

01:35

We're gonna select a stationary face and unfold all bends and say,

01:38

OK.

01:40

Next,

01:40

from a top view,

01:41

we want to create a new sketch on our part.

01:45

We're gonna be using the two-point rectangle

01:48

and create a rectangle from the left hand side

01:50

to the right-hand side that goes across all bends.

01:53

We're going to use the dimension tool to ensure this is 1 inch wide.

01:57

And we're gonna dimension it

01:59

from the bottom edge,

01:60

a distance of 1 inch.

02:02

And from the left edge,

02:04

a distance of 1 inch as well.

02:07

We're gonna give it an overall length of 4.5 inches

02:10

and finish the sketch.

02:13

Using our Extrude tool,

02:14

we'll select all the internal profiles

02:17

and pull it all the way down through our part.

02:20

It's a good idea to use through all and say OK.

02:24

Finally,

02:24

we can use refold faces.

02:27

Let's go ahead and select flat pattern one more time,

02:30

selecting the stationary face

02:32

and updating the existing flat pattern.

02:36

At this point,

02:36

let's go ahead and make sure that we save our design before moving on.

Video transcript

00:02

This is a practice exercise video solution.

00:05

For this practice,

00:06

we're gonna begin with a new untitled document,

00:09

navigate to our document settings,

00:10

and change our units to the inch unit system.

00:14

Next,

00:15

we're going to navigate to our sheet metal tools,

00:17

and we want to begin by first creating a new sheet metal component.

00:21

We're gonna be using the steel inch rule,

00:23

so navigate until we find steel inch and say,

00:26

OK.

00:27

Then we want to begin a new sketch.

00:29

In this case,

00:30

we'll select the front plane

00:32

and use our line tool to begin a single open sketch.

00:36

We'll drag this out to the right,

00:38

up vertically,

00:39

and out to the right once more time before selecting the green check mark.

00:43

Then we want to use some of our dimensions.

00:45

This first line is gonna be 2 inches long.

00:48

Next we have our vertical line.

00:50

This is also gonna be a distance of 2 inches.

00:53

And finally,

00:54

the last horizontal line is gonna be a distance of 3 inches,

00:58

giving us a fully defined sketch.

01:00

Next we'll use our flange tool,

01:03

select the sketch and pull this out a distance of 2.9 inches.

01:08

We'll hit enter,

01:09

and now we've created our sheet metal component.

01:12

Next,

01:12

we're gonna create a flat pattern.

01:14

Select create flat pattern and select the stationary face and say OK.

01:19

The flat pattern is gonna give us all the

01:21

information needed to create this part in 3D.

01:24

This information can be exported as a DXF or used in a detailed drawing.

01:29

Let's finish the flat pattern.

01:31

And let's take a look at using the modified tool unfold.

01:35

We're gonna select a stationary face and unfold all bends and say,

01:38

OK.

01:40

Next,

01:40

from a top view,

01:41

we want to create a new sketch on our part.

01:45

We're gonna be using the two-point rectangle

01:48

and create a rectangle from the left hand side

01:50

to the right-hand side that goes across all bends.

01:53

We're going to use the dimension tool to ensure this is 1 inch wide.

01:57

And we're gonna dimension it

01:59

from the bottom edge,

01:60

a distance of 1 inch.

02:02

And from the left edge,

02:04

a distance of 1 inch as well.

02:07

We're gonna give it an overall length of 4.5 inches

02:10

and finish the sketch.

02:13

Using our Extrude tool,

02:14

we'll select all the internal profiles

02:17

and pull it all the way down through our part.

02:20

It's a good idea to use through all and say OK.

02:24

Finally,

02:24

we can use refold faces.

02:27

Let's go ahead and select flat pattern one more time,

02:30

selecting the stationary face

02:32

and updating the existing flat pattern.

02:36

At this point,

02:36

let's go ahead and make sure that we save our design before moving on.

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