Advanced Sheet Metal Design Using NX Cad Challenge_5_Odd Shaped Enclosure
Odd Shaped Enclosure
Objective : To design an odd shaped enclosure using the various sheet metal modelling tools available in NX CAD.
Introduction : The sheet metal application provides an environment for the design of the sheet metal. It’s various applications are aircraft bodies, automobile bodies, utensils used for domestic purposes and beverage cans.
We can create uniform thickness sheet metal parts using basic features such as flanges, tabs, bends, break corners, closed corners, and much more. In this project an odd shaped enclosure is made using the following features:
- Extrude.
- Sheet Metal from Solid.
- Flange.
- Jog.
- Unbend.
- Bead.
- Hole.
- Rebend.
- Flat Pattern.
Design Methodology
Features used :
Extrude : It helps to extrude a closed sketch drawn in plane in either direction of the axes. In this command, the sketch or the curve is selected then the direction vector is specified and the distance is given upto which the extrude will be done.
Sheet Metal from Solid : This commands builds a sheet model that takes its shape from the collection of planar faces. The web faces and the bend edges should be selected carefully as this changes the shape of the figure in the flat pattern.
Flanges: This command to add a flat flange at an angle to a planar face and add a bend between the two. A flange consists of a bend region and web. In the flange properties we have to select the edge where we want to create the flange , then length of the flange is given, direction and angle of the flange is set to complete the process.
Jog : This command is used to create an offset or a step in a tab. It lifts the material on one side of the Jog line and a flange between the two sides.
Unbend: This feature flattens a bend and the material adjacent to bend. In this we first have to select the stationary face or edge and the face we want to unbend is selected.
Bead: This feature lifts the material along the contour of the sketch that simulates a stamping tool. In this feature sketch is selected followed by the cross section type which can be circular, U shaped, and V shaped then the depth and radius of the cross section is selected, then we can select the “round bead edges” option followed giving the parameter of minimum tool clearance.
Hole: This feature adds hole to the model. In this we first have to specify the point where we want to create the hole in the “Hole” command tab, then specify the type of the hole we want create such as screw clearance hole, drill size hole, and many other options are available, after we have to specify the form and dimension such as screw type, size, depth limit, and finally “subtract” is selected in the boolean and the body is selected in which want to subtract the material to create the hole.
Rebend: This feature restores the unbend feature to its previous bent state, along with any feature added after the unbend feature. Here the unbend face is selected to return it to its original state.
Flat Pattern: This creates a flat pattern feature from the formed sheet metal part. A Flat pattern is a 3D sheet metal model in a flattened state.
Modeling Images:
ISOMETRIC VIEW
FRONT VIEW
TOP VIEW
RIGHT SIDE VIEW
LEFT SIDE VIEW
DRAWING SHEET
CONCLUSION :
- The convert Sheet Metal command helps to easily convert a solid body into sheet metal to use in sheet metal application
- The edges should be selected carefully while using the convert sheet metal command to get the desired Flat pattern of the odd shaped enclosure.