Lesson goal
Get a reliable flat pattern, align it with the shop's settings and pass on the right information for cutting and bending.
4 videos
1 exercise
Intermediate
Prerequisite: Lesson 2
1. Watch the videos
Dassault Systèmes videos hosted on MySolidWorks: they open in a new tab and a free account is enough. Watch them in order.
Flat Patterns in Sheet MetalDisplay the flat pattern, understand the Flat-Pattern feature at the bottom of the tree and set its options.↗ Sheet Metal Gauge and Bend TablesDrive thicknesses, radii and K-Factors by material with shared tables.↗ Cut List PropertiesRetrieve blank size, thickness and number of bends for drawings and BOMs.↗ Exporting Sheet Metal BodiesExport the flat pattern to DXF or DWG for cutting, with or without bend lines.↗
2. Key takeaways
The Flat-Pattern feature sits at the bottom of the tree: unsuppressing it shows the part flat, suppressing it folds the part back.
Gauge tables link material, thickness, radii and K-Factor: the whole team works with the same values as the shop.
Cut list properties (blank size, thickness, bends) automatically feed drawings and BOMs.
The DXF/DWG export of the flat pattern goes straight to cutting: choose what you export (outline, bend lines, etched markings).
Tip
In the drawing, a flat pattern view with bend notes (direction, angle, radius) answers most of the shop's questions before they ask them.
3. Do the exercise
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