trouble understanding closed corners?

Hi,

I'm wondering what I'm missing re: the closed corner command on the sheet
metal toolbar. As far as I can tell it works only at random.

What I mean is; sometimes it creates a nice extension of a flange to
'close' the corner. Othertimes it shows the preview of the nice extension
but then creates only a tiny infintessimal extension.

It seems to be influenced by flange order and the trim side bends option.

Any ideas?

Zander

 

this command has confused me as well (since '01 plus, i believe). i don't
bother using it. imho, it's more efficient (accurate) to close the corners
manually. sure it's a little more work (additional features) but i'm after
reality not science fiction.

 

Good point Kenneth, I guess I maintain this fundamental hope that tools
will perform as advertised. My resistance to cynicism I guess....

 

I don't claim to understand it completely either, but I agree that it works
better when used with the trim side bends. One way I have used it is when
I get an ugly corner, I might go back and use the trim side bends and then
close the corner.

If we could get Sean Adams to comment here, he probably has a better grasp
of this.... Sean?

matt

 

Hey Zander,

Closed corner will behave differently with different bend reliefs. It
is also dependant upon the edge flange type(inside, outside,
intersecting). I find it easier to modify the sketch of an edge
flange. THis allows for dialing in the bend relief some and adjusting
the corner lap. Closed corners does not allow for an offset value.
This renders it useless to me in most cases where welding will be used
on the corners. We use a 1/2 material set-back in material thicker
than 18GA.



Dave

 

Hi Zander,

Personally, I find most of the problems with these types of features
is SolidWork's ghastly and underpowered treatment of "perfectly"
co-planar features when using sheet metal.

I find that if you add a very small offset to the edge flange (like
..001), you will attain more success with a closed corner. Equally
nice is building the overlap for the closed corner right into the
sketch of the second flange, but also requiring a micro-offset down at
the corner form radius (i.e. for a .031 radius, the corner clearance
must be .032 high).

Personally, I am very weary of working around the problems that
SolidWorks has with "pure" planar "interferences" in sheet metal. One
has to cheat far too often to keep the planes from touching. I find
the whole solution to be dismaying as the sheet metal features are
logically distinguished from each other in the feature tree, yet,
planarity of features causes features to fail across the board, hence
the micro-gap, micro-offset, micro-cut, micro-whatever.

I personally am hoping as well, but cynicism has had it's way with me.
I can only classify many of these "helpful" sheet metal functions as
adequate, and not yet exceptional. Personal I don't believe that
these functions will ever be improved because they are simply adequate
.. . . and people can play around and usually get them to work as
expected.

Regards,

SMA

 

Hi There Matt!

Yes indeed! I too think it was time to put something together on this
closed corner:

http://www.sheetmetaldesign.com/WhitePapers/SolidWorks/ClosedCorner/Index.htm

I have found a plethora of conditions that one must meet before this
closed corner will work. Much like being appointed to the supreme
court - you must have a clean driving record, never missed filing your
taxes, passed the bar at least twice, have 8 years of schooling, 30
years of experience, be married to a lawyer, have clean fingernails,
star-spangled underwear and executive styled hair . . .

It's good when it's good, but when it's bad . . . look out!

Later

SMA

Cyrano Devoid O'Funk <---- "I Will Never Dance", so he said . . .

 

I haven't been able to connect to your site. I get "The page cannot be
displayed", 10060 - Connection timeout.

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems

 

Never mind!

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems

 

http://www.sheetmetaldesign.com/WhitePapers/SolidWorks/ClosedCorner/Index.htm


Nice work. Thanks for this and all of the other good stuff on your site.
Definitely deserves a bookmark!

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems

 

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