Advanced Sheet Metal Design Using NX Cad Challenge_2_Box Assembly
1]. TITLE OF THE PROJECT : Advanced sheet mrtal design using Siemens NX cad - Box Assembly.
2]. OBJECTIVE : To design a box assembly and create a draft of it using Siemens NX Sheet metal application.
3]. INTRODUCTION :
Sheet metal :
It is a type of metal that is formed into thin, flat sheets of varying thicknesses. It is commonly used in a wide range of applications, including manufacturing, construction, automotive, and aerospace industries. Sheet metal can be made from a variety of metals, including steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and titanium, and can be produced using a range of manufacturing processes, such as stamping, bending, cutting, and welding. Sheet metal is often used to create various products, such as ductwork, roofing, enclosures, and automotive parts, due to its durability, strength, and versatility.
Sheet metal is available in flat pieces or coiled strips. The coils are formed by running a continuous sheet of metal through a roll sitter.
NX Sheet Metal:
NX Sheet Metal is a software module within the NX CAD/CAM/CAE software package developed by Siemens. It is a comprehensive toolset for designing and manufacturing sheet metal parts and assemblies. The NX Sheet Metal module includes features for designing sheet metal parts with complex geometries, creating and editing sheet metal components, flattening 3D models into 2D profiles, generating flat patterns for manufacturing, and creating tool paths for CNC machines.
With NX Sheet Metal, designers and engineers can create accurate 3D models of sheet metal parts and assemblies, and validate them using simulation tools to ensure proper fit and function. The software also includes features for designing complex bends, flanges, and cutouts, and for creating welding and assembly features. Overall, NX Sheet Metal provides a powerful and flexible solution for sheet metal design and manufacturing, helping to increase efficiency and productivity in the production process.
4]. DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Design methodology is explained by the flow chart as follows;
5]. DESCRIPTION
Sketch:- It is the basic of any design.
Tab:- It is used to create base feature of a sheet metal by extruding a sketch along a vector by a thickness value. Here tabs were created as the base of the top and bottom hinges as well as the base of the box.
Flange:- It is used to create an extended part (bend) of a sheet metal. There are total twelve flanges created in the box assembly.
Unbend:- This feature is used to unbend the adjacent bends and flatten them. Here it is used to create cut outs for the hinges.
Rebend:- It is used to rebend the corners that were bent before along with any features added after the unbend feature.
Dimple:- It lifts an area of the model inside a sketch that simulates a stamping tool. Here three dimples are created,i.e., in the middle of the base and two at the sides of the box.
Bead:- It lifts material along the contour of a sketch that simulates a stamping tool, it is used for giving strength to the sheet metal. There are total four beads created around the dimple at the base.
Normal cutout:- It cuts the material by projecting a sketch onto the model and then cutting perpendicular to the faces intersected by the projection. Here a rectangular shaped cutout was created to create the top and bottom hinges.
Mirror feature:- It copies a feature and mirrors it across a plane. Here the dimple on the side wall and beads on the bottom of the tab are created using this feature.
Hem flange:- It modifies the model by folding the edge of a sheet metal flange over onto itself for the purpose of safe handling or to increase edge stiffness. It is used to create flanges on the walls of the box, on the sides of the lid and also on the hinges.
Break corner:- It rounds or chamfers a sharp corner of a tab or flange. It is used in the tab created for hinge.
Closed corner:- It closes a corner where two adjacent flanges meet by extending the bends and flanges. It is used to close the gap between the flanges used to create the walls of the box.
Mirror body:- It copies a body and mirrors it across a plane. Box, lid and hinges are mirrored as a body using this command.
Unite:- It combines the volume of two or more bodies into a single body. Two box and lid parts are combined using this feature to create a single body.
Flat pattern:- It creates a flat pattern feature from the formed sheet metal part. Separate flat patterns are created for the box, lid and the hinges.
Datum plane:- It creates a datum plane used to construct other features. It is created to form the lid.
Datum coordinate system:- It creates a datum coordinate system used to construct other features. It is created as a reference to mirror the bodies and the features.
6]. IMAGES
Following are the images of box assembly in different views;
Front view
Back view
Top view
Bottom view
Left side view
Right side view
Isometric view
7]. CONCLUSION
By performing this task, I have learned how to use features like tab, flange, break corner, closed corner, dimple, hem flange, bead, rebend, datum plane, datum coordinate system (Datum CSYS), flat pattern, mirror feature, mirror body, unite, normal cutout and unbend by creating a box assembly.