Learn Pro Engineer: Overview of Sheet Metal Design using Pro Engineer

Learn Pro Engineer: Overview of Sheet Metal Design using Pro Engineer

Unlike solid modeling, sheet metal modeling can sometimes utilize open sketch instead.

The most important part about sheet metal modeling is the controlling the dimensions. We will discuss different operations possible for sheet metal modeling.

Wall

Like extrusions in part modeling, wall is the basic design feature for sheet metal.

If you wish to create your sheet metal from scratch, then the first wall you will create is called primary wall. Except flange, extend, twist and merge you can use any of the wall as primary wall.

Secondary wall is created based on primary wall. In other words secondary wall is dependent upon primary wall, so any change in primary wall may create problem to secondary wall.

Different types of attached and unattached wall are possible in pro engineer sheet metal. Some of them are: flat, extruded, sweep etc.

Cut

Cut is used to remove materials. For creating hole also normally cut command is used. Sheet metal cut is bit different than solid cuts, for sheet metal if the sketching plane of the cut profile is at an angle to the surface, till the cut in sheet metal will be straight.

Extended wall

As the name indicates, this command works like the extend command of sketcher mode. You need to select edge of a wall, which needs to be extended and the surface of another wall up to which it needs to be extended.

Bend

For bending any sheet metal wall, this command is being used. Here you need to sketch a line with respect to which you want bend. You need to specify bend radius, you can specify zero bend radius as well.

Another alternative modeling approach for bend is attached flat wall. Instead of creating bend we can create angular flat wall and attached with the desired edge of the sheet metal model.

Corner relief, notch and punch

Like actual sheet metal manufacturing, in pro engineer also, you can give various types relief. You can give notch and punch in any sheet metal wall. In pro engineer, notch and punch performs same functions but actually in industry notch is give at edges and punch is at center.

Form

Like actual die and punch in sheet metal forming industry, pro engineer is having the operation called form. Sheet metal wall can be given the shape of any other reference part (die) by this command.

Flat pattern

Flat pattern is almost like unbend all, but there are some differences as well, flat pattern always stay at the end of the model tree, for one part only once the flat pattern can be used. Once you have created flat pattern, you will always see the flat view of your model only unless you have manually suppress the flat pattern feature.