Advanced Sheet Metal Design Using NX Cad Challenge_2_Box Assembly
- DESIGN OF SHEETMETAL BOX ASSEMBLY
- Objective- The main objective of the Project is to design the ‘Sheetmetal Box Assembly’ using SIEMENS NX CAD.
- Introduction- In this Project, we are designing the Sheet metal Box assembly by using 3D CAD software NX CAD by Siemens. It is an advanced software which is used in the industries to design wide range of components. This software uses familiar technology and workflows & provides a complete set of tools to efficiently create the desired models. NX gives you an integrated toolset that coordinates disciplines, preserves data integrity and design intent, and streamlines the entire process.
For designing Box Assembly, we have used Sheetmetal application of NX CAD. Our model is created in ‘.prt’ extension. This application provides an environment for the design of sheet metal parts which are used in machinery, automotive, aerospace etc. NX sheet metal Design tools incorporate material & bending information, enabling the model to represent both the formed component & flattened blank shapes. Sheet metal parts are known for their durability, that serves the purpose of variety of applications such as cabinets, chassis, assemblies, components.
Fundamental terminology related to Sheetmetal designing-
Bending- It is a process in which a force is applied to sheel metal at a particular direction which causes it to bend at an angle and form the desired shape.
Bend radius- The distance from the bend axis to the inside surface of the material between the bend lines.
Bend line- The straight line on the surface of the sheet, on either side of the bend that defines the end level of the flange & start of the bend.
Bend angle- The angle of the bend measured between the bent flange & its original position.
Bend relief- When sheet metal makes a transition from a bend to a flat surface, or to another bend, it tends to rip and tear. To eliminate this, a bend relief is added so the edge of the sheet metal is perpendicular to the bend.
Bend height- The sheet metal bending height should be at least 2 times the thickness of the sheet metal plus the bending radius, that is, H ≥ 2t + R.
K-Factor- It is the ratio of the neutral axis to the material thickness. When metal is bent the top section is going to undergo compression and the bottom section will be stretched. The line where the transition from compression to stretching occurs is called the neutral axis.
- Design methodology-
- Description of Tools/ Features used in designing Box Assembly-
Tab- Creates a base feature by extruding a sketch along a vector by a thickness value or adds material to a planar face.
Flanges- Adds a flat flange at an angle to a planar face & adds the bend between two.
Closed Corner- Closes a corner where two adjacent flanges meet by extending the bends & flanges.
Hem Flange- It modifies the model by folding the edge of Sheet Metal flange over onto itself for the purpose of safe handling or to increase edge stiffness.
Mirror body- Copies a body & mirror it across a plane.
Unite- Combines a volume of two or more solid bodies into a single body.
Dimple- Lifts an area of the model inside a sketch that simulates a stamping tool.
Mirror feature- Copies a feature & mirror it across a plane.
Unbend- Flattens a bend and add material adjacent to the bend.
Rebend- Restores an unbend feature to its previous bend state, along with any features added after unbend feature.
Beads- Lifts material along the contour of a edge that simulates a stamping tool.
Datum Plane- Creates a datum plane used to create other features.
Break Corners- Rounds a sharp corner of a tab or flange.
Normal cutout- Cuts material by projecting a sketch onto a model & them cutting perpendicular to the face intersected by projections.
- Various views of Sheetmetal Box Assembly-
Isometric View
Top View
Front View
Side View
Bottom View
- Conclusion:
- Hence, Sheet metal Box Assembly is designed successfully using NX CAD.
- We have also learned fundamental features of NX Sheet metal environment like creating Sketch, Tab, Flanges, Hem, Cutout, Bead, Bend, Rebend etc.