Sheet Metal Woes

Hello all,

I've recently come across a problem with the sheet metal stuff in SWX2006
SP4.1.

We often do a range of sheet metal bits in SWX and produce layflats/DXF
files from them. Most of them are stainless steel items with seam-selded
corners to create watertight enclosures.

Now, all of our parts in the past have been created with the "tear" relief
geometry in the corners (as opposed to rectangular etc.) as this gives an
easier product to seal-weld afterwards. Lately though, SWX has been
unfolding these incorrectly, not including the tear geometry and not
producing the right dimensions in a DXF for cutting (the edges are in the
wrong place).

Even when doing a simple open-topped box, it's easy to see that the corner
geometry goes awry when trying to unfold. Interestingly enough if you use a
rectangular auto-relief in the corners, it works fine. This started being
noticed a couple of months ago and it seems to be doing it on all of our SWX
seats.

This could be a major problem for us if we don't find a solution to this bug
fast.

Anyone out there experienced or can replicate this issue? ANy known fixes?
I've just spent an afternoon tearing my hair out

George.

 

I have not seen it here on my sm parts. How about sending me one and I will
see if it's correct or not here.

WT

 

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for that, I've sent you an e-mail at the address you submit to the
news group from, Please let me know how you get on.

Many thanks,

George Maddever.

 

It hasn't shown up yet - did you note that you have to remove the junk from
the address?

WT

 

Having said that... your e-mail didn't work

I've uploaded it to my FTP, you should be able to download the file from:

http://www.jsr.com/~dinks/Misc/George/30-4010 Waste Water Tank.SLDPRT

Now if you zoom in on a corner from top-down and flick between the
flat-pattern and the folded configuration, if you see what I see you'll
clearly see how the geometry isn't folding/unfolding properly. If you change
the auto-relief type to "rectangular" though, it seems to fold/undold
normally.

Let me know how you get on.

Many thanks for your troubles,

George.

 

Oops.... silly me

you should have the file now

Thanks,

George.

 

Do a right-click on Flat-Pattern1 and uncheck corner treatment. It's a
feature that allows you to put something in the flat that SW is not able to
do in the formed view.

WT

 

Problem solved!

Thanks Wayne.

I'm guessing that when we hopped up to SP4.1 the default vaule changed, and
it's just one of those settings that you never really needed.

Thanks again

George.