How To Flatten Sheet Metal In Solidworks Drawing

In the drawing view dialog box select a sheet metal component as file.

How to flatten sheet metal in solidworks drawing. When you create a drawing of your sheet metal part a flat pattern is automatically created. Solidworks sheet metal allows you to quickly and easily design folded or flat parts but what about parts that don t have simple straight bends. In the featuremanager design tree right click flat pattern1 and click edit feature. Drawings of sheet metal parts can also contain views of the bent sheet metal part.

The default configuration of a sheet metal part contains a derived configuration called defaultsm flat pattern. The bend lines are shown by default when you unsuppress flat pattern1. Dxf ready for metal fabricator shop. You can create dxf files of sheet metal flat patterns without creating a drawing.

To create a drawing of a flat pattern. Open the sheet metal part for which you want to add a drawing. From the view palette drag the flat pattern. As designs get more complex and start to violate the conditions and requirements for you to use certain features you may need to switch to a few additional techniques that allow you to create flat.

Select a format or click ok to use the default format. Click make drawing from part assembly standard toolbar and click ok to open the drawing sheet. To flatten the entire part if the flat pattern1 feature is present unsuppress flat pattern1 or click flatten on the sheet metal toolbar. Right click flat pattern and select unsuppress.

Some items to note about the flat pattern feature. Click place views tab create panel base. In a sheet metal part create a new configuration. You can create dxf files of sheet metal flat patterns without flattening the part.

If appropriate select or clear the selection of the recover punch center option. In this configuration the sheet metal option flatten is selected. In the flat pattern propertymanager under parameters select recreate flat pattern. To hide the bend lines expand flat pattern1 right click bend lines and select hide.

In the featuremanager design tree do one of the following. Flatten tool is selected this results in the flat pattern feature being unsupressed and the part will be flattened. In the sheet metal view area select flat pattern view.