Creating Lofted Bends

To create a lofted bend:

  1. Create two separate open profile sketches.
  2. Click Lofted Bend Tool_sheet_metal_Lofted_Bend.gif (Sheet Metal toolbar) or Insert > Sheet Metal > Lofted Bends.
  3. In the PropertyManager, under Manufacturing Method, select Formed.
  4. In the graphics area, select both sketches. For each profile, select the point from which you want the path of the loft to travel.
    loft_open_profiles_shm.gif
    In the PropertyManager, under Profiles , the sketch names appear.
  5. Examine the path preview. Click Move Up PM_move_up.gif or Move Down PM_move_down.gif to adjust the order of the profiles, or re-select the sketches to connect different points on the profiles.
    lofted_bend_preview01.gif
  6. Set a value for Thickness.
  7. Click Reverse Direction PM_REVERSE_DIRECTION.GIF, if necessary.
  8. Under Bend Line Control, select:
    • Number of bend lines and set a value for Setting to control coarseness of the flat pattern bend lines.
    • Maximum deviation and set a value.
    lofted_bend_applied01.gif
    Decreasing the value of Maximum deviation increases the number of bend lines.
    lofted_bend_lines_preview01.gif
    lofted_bend_lines_preview02.gif
  9. Click .

Bend Line Control

Bend lines are displayed only if the lofted bend area is well-defined, and can be created using brake press manufacturing methods.

To create well defined lofted bend areas, make each face separate. For example, make the number of straight and curved elements in each profile equal.
lofted_bend_preview02.gif lofted_bend_preview03.gif
Each profile includes corresponding curved and straight elements Faces are separate from each other