Is a full curl possible in sheet metal?

[gotchy]

Is is possible to make a full curl in sheet metal from a piece of sheet metal 1/2" wide by 2" long?

[shift1313]

yes, but you will need a small gap(1degree) or overlap. Since Solidworks 2014 you could also add weld to a single sheet metal piece so you could weld the lip too.

 

You have some options but in general you need to use "Lofted-bend" to make this part. You can chose to "Bend" or "Form". Form will give you more of a tube that you would create in a set of rollers. Bent will let you specify chord tolerance, number of bends, segment length or angle. For instance if you sayd "Number of Bends" is 8, you get an Octagon. If you specify angle you can say you want 5degree bends and it will fill out the facets based on that.

 

Note that lofted bend functionality has been around for awhile but the option to do a Bent tube like this has only been in a few versions. 2014 saw some big updates but some of the functionality was there in 13 as well. Before that you could do a lofted bend but i don't know if it could still be flattened.

[gotchy]

Sir,

Thank you kindly for your response to my question.

I am aware of the Lofted Bend feature, for creating a new sheet metal part from two sketches, however

I am looking to roll a piece of sheet metal that already exists. Maybe it can be done by folding it with a large radius?

I suppose I should say with large radii, as it would have to be folded more than once.

Gotchy

Edited May 26, 2016 by gotchy

[shift1313]

Im not at a computer but you can try to use "sketched bend". Draw a line really close to one end and enter a large radius. That is really more of a rolled or formed part and not bent so it has to be tricked. The solidworks flex tool could also do this.

 

What do you nees from it once its round? Part of an assembly, documentation?

[gotchy]

No, That's it, it is a finished product. I don't know what it is used for, but that's it, just like the model I sent you originally, only with the two slots pierced out.

If I were proficient at tilting planes, I would have just did what I sent you then pierced it out after it was formed round.

[shift1313]

If you just need it for visuals then use the Solidworks Flex feature. You can take it(regardless of the edge chamfers etc) and wrap it around. It will actually let you wrap it 360 degree and it will(if it touches and flexes right it will merge the edges.