Skip to main content

NX Sheet metal: To convert solid to sheet metal bracket in NX

Solid to sheet metal bracket
Procedure to convert sheet metal from Solid
  1. Extract any one side faces of the solid sheet metal part that you have made using NX Modeling Application. You can use "Tangent faces" filter to extract the faces.
  2. Now delete all the bend faces using Delete face option.
  3. Now your model looks with sharp corners without any bending radius.
  4. Now Switch to Sheet metal wizard .It can be done by clicking Application → Sheet metal Option.
  5. Once you entered sheet metal wizard, you can see a set of options related to sheet metal forming.
  6. Click Sheet metal from Solid option. 
  7. A new window opens. Complete the form as said below.
  8. As web faces , select all the faces.
  9. Bend Edge will be selected automatically, if you deleted all the fillets as said in step 2.
  10. Give the desired thickness value. If you still not decided the thickness, keep it as minimum 1 or 2 mm.
  11. Now In Bend Parameters, select enter bending radius same as that of thickness. For example, if the thickness of the bracket is 2 mm, then enter bending radius as 2 mm.
  12. Leave Bend neutral factor as default value that is 0.33
  13. Choose the type of relief whether you need square or circular relief. Depth and width of the bend relief should be minimum the thickness value.
  14. Now preview the result and select OK to complete the process.

Now the sheet metal bracket you have modeled in Modeling application will be completely converted into Sheet metal wizard.
You can use all the operations like Flange, contour flange, dimple, louver, drawn cutout, break corner, closed corner, Normal cutout, Unbend,remember, hem flange, flat pattern etc on your Sheet metal component easily.

The best practice is to model the sheet metal component always in sheet metal wizard so that the final CAD will be feasible for manufacturing without any non-practical features in it.