Advanced Sheet Metal Design Using NX Cad Challenge_5_Odd Shaped Enclosure

Title:ADVANCED SHEET METAL DESIGN USING NX CAD OF ODD SHAPED ENCLOSURE

 

Objective:   To design sheet metal part for odd shapes enclosure as per the workflow procedure by using NX-CAD software with suitable commands to achieve the final product. 

Introduction:

software, the digital product development solution from Siemens, includes a set of state-of-the-art tools for designing sheet metal components. Using familiar terminology and workflows, NX Sheet Metal Design provides the design professional with a complete set of tools to efficiently create and manage sheet metal parts based on the knowledge of material properties and manufacturing processes. NX Sheet Metal Design tools incorporate material and bending information, enabling the model to represent both the formed component and flattened blank shapes.

The sheet metal design tools within NX allow companies to apply defaults — based on both industry and company best practices — to the values used in the creation of sheet metal parts. For example, bend radii and neutral factor values can be set to commonly used values to encourage re-use and save design time. Folded and unfolded views of sheet metal components can be used in both the 3D environment, as well as downstream in 2D documentation and for manufacturing.

Design methodology:

Description of Tools used:

SKETCH: It is the 2D representation of the model with respect to the plane or view.

EXTRUDE: Creates a 3D solid from an object that encloses an area, or a 3D surface from an object with open ends.

SHEET METAL FROM SOLID: Builds a sheet metal model that takes its shape from a collection of planer faces. After using this feature the solid body will be converted into a sheet metal.

 FLANGE: Sheet metal flange features consist of a face and bend connected to an existing face along a straight edge. Flange features are added by selecting one or more edges and specifying a set of options that determine the size and position of the material added.

JOG: Modifies the model by lifting material on one side of a sketch line, adding a flange between the two edges.

UNBEND: Flattens a bend and the material adjacent to the bend.

BEAD: Lifts material along the counter of a sketch that simulates a stamping tool.

HOLE: Adds a hole to one or more solid bodies in a part or assembly.

REBEND: Restores an unbend features to its previous bent state, along with any features added after the unbend feature.

FLAT PATTERN: Flat pattern tool is used to automatically create a flattened version of a sheet metal part and prepare model for manufacturing. The flat pattern feature remains the last feature in the model tree and maintains the flat model view.

Procedure:

• DRAWING THE SKETCH:

Click on "Sketch" and select XY Plane -Click ok.  Draw a straight line of length 200mm starting from the origin towards the right — at height 100mm and having an inclination of 60degrees to the straight line draw another straight line — join the endpoints of the inclined lines using another straight line and draw the trapezium as shown below — Exit the sketch.

• CREATING EXTRUDE:

Click the "Extrude" button available under the group titled "Feature" along the Ribbon bar.  In the Extrude popup window  give the end value as 200mm — click ok. This will create an extrude of length 200mm as shown below.

• CREATING SHEET METAL FROM SOLID:

Click on the button titled "Sheet Metal from Solid" available along the Ribbon Bar.  Select each of the outside faces of the solid extrude — then under bend edges — select all the bends — give the thickness as 3mm -give the bend radius as 3mm — click ok.

• ADDING FEATURES:

Add features such as Flanges and Jogs of approximate values as shown below.

• UNBEND THE SHEET METAL:

 Now unbend the sheet metal to add more features  To do that — click on unbend button available under the group titled "Form" — then click on the stationary face— then click and drag the cursor to select the entire part — click ok.  This will create an unbend thus straightening the sheet metal so that it can be machined easily.

• ADDING MORE FEATURES:

 Create a bead by clicking on the 'Bead' button available under the group titled "Punch': In the pop-up window — click on the sketch button — select the top face of the part — give the cross-section as circular — depth and radius  — End condition as 'Formed' — Minimum Tool Clearance  as shown below — click ok. Create a hole by clicking on the hole button — select general hole — select six points on the sheet metal — hole direction as 'Normal to Facd — Form as 'Simple — input the Diameter — Depth limit as 'Through body' — Boolean as 'Subtract — Select the entire body — Click ok.

• RE - BEND THE SHEET METAL:

Click on the "Rebend" Button — drag and select the entire body of the part — Click ok.

• CREATING FLAT PATTERN:

Click on 'Flat Pattern Command available under the Group titled "Flat Pattern".  Select the top face of the part — give the orientation method as "Select Edge" - Click ok.

• CREATING A DRAFTED SHEET:

 Go to the "Application" tab under the menu bar — click on the "Drafting" button — click on "Drafting Tools" in the Ribbon Bar located under 'Home — Now click on "Borders and Zones" — Select the method as "Standard" — click on ok. This will create a Drafting sheet with a border of the required size. Now once again click on "Application" on the Menu bar and select Drafting in the Ribbon bar — Click on home — Base view — For method select Inferred — For Model View to use — Top — Under view origin specify the location of the drafted image onto the drafting sheet.

The various views :

Front view:

Isometric view:

left side view:

Top view:

Various Views on draft:

Conclusion:

The Odd Shaped Enclosure had been designed using Siemens NX Sheet Metal and various features had been executed successfully. A Drafted image of the flat pattern is also obtained.