Solidworks 2006: Roll forming

#1 (**permalink**) February 21st, 2007, 11:20 AM

Is there a way to roll a non-rectangular plate?

#2 (**permalink**) February 21st, 2007, 03:17 PM

Model a regular tube first, add the sheet metal features, roll back the 'process bends' feature, cut the shape you want in the rectangular rolled out sheet, then roll forward the feature tree.

#3 (**permalink**) February 21st, 2007, 03:25 PM

The plate I need to roll starts off as a trapezoid (2 sides taper in) not as a rectangular plate. Solidworks wouldn't allow me to insert a sketched bend on this shape.

tilco · #4 (**permalink**) March 1st, 2007, 06:32 AM

Form a conical solid, make a shell. Cut a smal split out of the cone.
Select the edge of the split and insert Sheet-Metal feature.

#5 (**permalink**) March 1st, 2007, 04:31 PM

Thanks for your feedback, but in this case the rolling axis is not between the tapered sides, its across them (between the parallel sides).

tilco · #6 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2007, 02:04 AM

I think i have made it.
Look the attached part!

#7 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2007, 02:03 PM

Hey, nice thing. Could you explain for me how you got a sheetmetal part out of it? So you could unfold it.
Thanks

tilco · #8 (**permalink**) March 15th, 2007, 04:36 AM

You can suppress Process-Bends2; than the sheetmetal part is unfold.

#9 (**permalink**) March 17th, 2007, 06:01 PM

Well done. Thanks for the help.

#10 (**permalink**) March 21st, 2007, 12:03 PM

thanks, I was first thiking how you got Process-Bends, I hava a thicken surface i would like to unfold. It would be great if any one knew of a program that allows me to unfold a serial of surfaces and spread it out on a sheet with minimal waste of material. So that i can cut them out.
Thanks