BASICS OF SHEET METAL

&
USAGE OF NX- SHEET METAL TOOLS
IN UNIGRAPHICS
SHEET METAL :

1. Sheet metal involves work pieces with a high ratio of surface area to
Thickness.

2. Plates, thickness > 6 mm (¼ inch).

3. Sheets, thickness < 6 mm.

4. Sheet-metal forming processes:

4.1. Shearing.
4.2. Bending.
4.3. Stretching.

5. Typical items produced by sheet-metal forming processes:

metal desks, appliance bodies, hubcaps,aircraft panels, beverage cans, car
bodies, kitchen utensils.
6. Types of operations :

• Punching
• Blanking
• Die cutting
• Perforating
• Parting
• Notching
• Lancing
• Fine blanking
• Slitting
• Nibbling.
BENDING:

• The minimum bend radius is usually stated in terms of

sheet’s thickness (ex:2T,3T,4T).

• The minimum bend radius of various materials:

COMMON BENDING OPERATIONS:

• Press brake forming

• Air bending
• Roller bending
• Beading
• Flanging
• Hemming
• Roll forming
• Stretch forming
• Deep drawing
USAGE OF NX-SHEET METAL TOOLS
Types of tools in NX-Sheet metal:

1. TAB 18. BEND TAPER

2. FLANGE 19. RESIZE BEND RADIUS
3. COUNTER FLANGE 20. RESIZE BEND ANGLE
4. LOFTED FLANGE 21. RESIZE NEUTRAL FACTOR
5. HEM FLANGE 22. UNBEND
6. BEND 23. REBEND
7. JOG 24. FLAT SOLID
8. SHEET METAL FROM SOLID 25. FLAT PATTERN
9. CLOSED CORNER 26. ADVANCE FLANGE
10. BREAK CORNER 27. BRIDGE BEND
11. DIMPLE 28. UNIFORM
12. LOUVER 29. REFORM
13. DRAWN CUT OUT
14. BEAD
15. SOLID PUNCH
16. GUSSET
17. NORMAL CUTTOUT
1.TAB: Creates a base feature by extruding a sketch along a vector by a
thickness value or adds a material to a plane face.
2.FLANGE: Adds a flange to an angle to a planar face
and adds a bend between the two
3.COUNTER FLANGE: Creates a base feature by extruding a
sketch along a vector, or adds material by sweeping a sketch
along an edge or chain of edges.
4.Lofted flange: Creates a base or secondary feature
between two sections where lofted shape is a linear
transition between the sections.
5. HEM FLANGE: 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.
Types of HEM flanges:

open

S type
 curl

Open loop
Closed loop

Centered loop
6. BEND: Modifies the model by bending material on one
side of a sketch line adding a bend between the two sides
7. JOG: Modifies the model by lifting material on one side of
sketch line, adding a flange between the two sides.
8. SHEET METAL FROM SOLID: Builds a sheet metal model that
takes its shape from a collection of planar faces of a solid.
9. CLOSED CORNER: closes a corner where two adjacent
flanges meet by extending the bends & flanges.
10. BREAK CORNER: Rounds a sharp corner
11.DIMPLE: Lifts an area of the model inside a
sketch that simulates stamping a tool.
12. LOUVER: Pierces the model with a sketch line that simulates
stamping tool
13.DRAWN CUTOUT: Cuts an area of the model inside a sketch
that simulates stamping a tool
14. BEAD: Lifts a material along a counter of sketch that
simulates stamping a tool.
15. SOLID PUNCH: Adds a sheet metal feature that inherits
the shape from the punch type tool body
15. GUSSET: Creates a stiffening gusset on the part

Rounded gusset

Square gusset
17. NORMAL CUTOUT: CUTS THE MODEL
PERPENDICULAR TO THE SKETCH
18. BEND TAPPER: Creates a bend tapper on both sides of bend
faces.

Tapper area
19. RESIZE BEND RADIUS
20. RESIZE BEND ANGLE
21. RESIZE NEUTRAL FACTOR
22.UNBEND: Flattens a bend
23. REBEND: Restores a bend
24. FLAT SOLID: Creates a flat solid feature from the
formed sheet metal feature.
25. FLAT PATTERN: Creates flat pattern feature from
the formed sheet meta l part.
26. ADVANCE FLANGE: Adds flange along an edge using a
bend angle or a reference face the edge and reference can
be curved.
27. BRIDGE BEND: Creates a transition geometry by
joining two edges on different bodies & then unites
the bodies
28. UNIFORM
29. REFORM
Thank you