SHEET METAL

FLAT SOLID AND FLAT PATTERN

 SHEET METAL WORKFLOW
Content : ESTABLISH BASIC PARTCHARACTERISTICS
DEFINE THE BASIC SHAPE OF THE PART
CONSTRUCTING BASE FEATURES
SHEET METAL CORNERS
SHEET METAL CUTOUTS
SHEET METAL DEFORM FEATURES
FLAT SOLID AND FLAT PATTERN
ADVANCED SHEET METAL COMMANDS
ANALYZE FORMABILITY – ONE STEP
AEROSPACE SHEET METAL
WORKING WITH NON-SHEETMETAL DATA
SHEET METAL CORNERS
Purpose
• Creating a flat solid version of a sheet metal
part is an interim step between the formed part
and the flat pattern used for drawings and later
manufacturing.
• The Flat Pattern command in Sheet Metal
provides many options for displaying sheet
metal features.
Objectives
• Upon completion of the lesson, you will be
able to:
• Create a Flat Solid and a Flat Pattern of the
sheet metal part.
• Become familiar with the sheet metal
preferences available for displaying and
modifying the flat pattern view.
 Flat Pattern

• Use the Flat Pattern command to create a 2D representation of a 3D sheet metal part.

You can:

• Include annotations for bending, punching, or cutting manufacturing instructions.

• Export the flat pattern data to a cutting tool for the manufacturing of the part. o You can use the
Export Flat Pattern command to export flat pattern curve data to a DXF file or a Trumpf GEO file. The
exported flat pattern curve data is non-associative.

• If you export a drafting flat pattern view using the File tab→Export→Part command, the exported
drafting flat pattern view is non-associative.
 Flat Pattern

• Occasionally, the curves representing the exterior boundary, or interior cutouts in the
Flat Pattern view are incorrectly classified if the sheet metal model has a deform feature
such as a dimple or a bead on the model boundaries, cutouts across deform features, or
cutouts that have chamfered edges.
 Tips for working with flat patterns

• You can view the Flat Pattern features that you create in one of these ways:
o In the Part Navigator, expand the Model Views node. If you delete the feature, the Flat Pattern
view is also deleted.
o In the View → Layout → Replace View dialog box, select the Flat Pattern view.

• You do not need to create a Flat Solid feature first. The Flat Pattern command will automatically
create the Flat Solid and make it internal to the Flat Pattern feature. To make the Flat Solid feature
external, in the Part Navigator, right-click the feature, and choose Make Flat Solid External.
 Tips for working with flat patterns

• You can add the drawing view onto a drawing sheet for drafting.
• You can use the Bend Table command to insert a bend table in a drawing that you create using the
flat pattern view of the Sheet Metal part. The tabular format makes the bend information easy to read
in downstream applications.
Summary: Flat Solid and Flat Pattern

• The Flat Solid command physically alters your part in shape and material attributes. You can use this
command to prepare your part for manufacturing.
• The Flat Pattern command lets you incorporate system and user-defined elements into a model view
and a drawing sheet for use in the manufacturing process.
• In this lesson you:
• Identified the key elements necessary to create Flat Solid and Flat Pattern features.

• Created Flat Solid and Flat Pattern features.