Comparing Sheet Metal Design Methods
You can better understand the features available in SolidWorks by comparing
methods of creating sheet metal parts. There are three ways to create
a sheet metal part:
You can convert a solid or surface body,
or an imported part.
When you create a part initially out of sheet
metal you can use the Base Flange tool with an open or closed profile
sketch. This eliminates extra steps because you create a part as sheet
metal from the initial design stage.
If you build a solid, then convert it to
sheet metal, you need more features: Base Extrude, Shell, Rip, and Insert
Bends. However,
there are instances when it is preferable to build a part and then convert
it to sheet metal.
For example, conical bends are not supported
by sheet metal-specific features such as Base Flange and Edge Flange.
Therefore, you must build the part using extrusions, revolves, and so
on, then convert it to create a conical part to which you can add bends.
The following links show how to build sheet metal parts using these
methods.
Related Topics: