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Create a 2D sketch for sheet metal design and set sheet metal defaults.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
4 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
In Inventor, a sheet metal part starts out as a flat piece of metal with a consistent thickness.
00:10
In this tutorial, you set sheet metal defaults and create a 2D sketch for sheet metal design.
00:16
On the Home tab, open the Projects menu and click Settings.
00:20
In the Projects dialog, click Browse, and then navigate to where you saved the project files for this tutorial.
00:28
Select Assembly, Cartridge Body.ipj, and then click Open.
00:33
In the Projects dialog, click Done.
00:36
Click New.
00:39
In the Create New File dialog, expand the Templates folder and select Metric.
00:45
Under Part—Create 2D and 3D objects, select the template Sheet Metal (mm).ipt.
00:53
This template creates a 3D object fabricated from sheet materialmetal.
00:58
Click Create.
01:00
The Sheet Metal environment opens.
01:03
First, configure the Sheet Metal Rule and any options or parameters for the active model state.
01:10
From the ribbon, Sheet Metal tab, Setup panel, select Sheet Metal Defaults.
01:16
The Sheet Metal Defaults dialog displays.
01:19
Here, you can choose which sheet metal rule to apply, the material for the part, the unfold rule, and the thickness of the material.
01:27
Edit the thickness of the sheet metal you will be working with.
01:31
First, ensure that the Use Thickness from Rule option is deselected.
01:36
Then, in the Thickness field, enter a value such as 1.17 mm.
01:43
Expand the Material drop-down.
01:45
Here, all materials in the active library display.
01:49
If the desired material is in another library, you can browse to that library and select the material.
01:56
If the necessary material library is not in the project file, it is recommended that you add it to the project, so it is readily accessible.
02:06
For this example, from the list, choose Stainless Steel.
02:10
Click OK.
02:12
Now, use sketch commands to create a profile for a base face.
02:17
From the ribbon, Sheet Metal tab, Sketch panel, select Start 2D Sketch.
02:23
In the graphics window, pick the XY plane.
02:27
Then, right-click to open the marking menu.
02:30
Select the Create Line command.
02:34
Start the line at the origin, and enter a length of 62.5 mm.
02:40
Pick an endpoint for the line to the right of the origin, making the line horizontal.
02:45
Continue the line straight upward, setting the length to 18.5 mm and clicking at a point perpendicular to the first line.
02:54
Add another endpoint to the left of the last point, then add a point up, perpendicular to the last point.
03:01
Moving to the left, add another point in line with the origin, and then a final point back at the origin.
03:07
To ensure that the dimensions are precise, from the ribbon, Constrain panel, select Dimension.
03:14
Then, in the graphics window, select the line representing the height.
03:18
A dimension displays.
03:21
Pick to place the dimension.
03:23
An Edit Dimension field opens.
03:26
Here, enter a value of 32.5 mm.
03:31
Next, select the top line segment, place the dimension, and enter a value of 46.5 mm.
03:39
To complete the profile outline, from the Sketch tab, Exit panel, click Finish.
03:45
When working with sheet metal parts in Inventor, you can configure rules and begin a part using sketch commands.
Video transcript
00:03
In Inventor, a sheet metal part starts out as a flat piece of metal with a consistent thickness.
00:10
In this tutorial, you set sheet metal defaults and create a 2D sketch for sheet metal design.
00:16
On the Home tab, open the Projects menu and click Settings.
00:20
In the Projects dialog, click Browse, and then navigate to where you saved the project files for this tutorial.
00:28
Select Assembly, Cartridge Body.ipj, and then click Open.
00:33
In the Projects dialog, click Done.
00:36
Click New.
00:39
In the Create New File dialog, expand the Templates folder and select Metric.
00:45
Under Part—Create 2D and 3D objects, select the template Sheet Metal (mm).ipt.
00:53
This template creates a 3D object fabricated from sheet materialmetal.
00:58
Click Create.
01:00
The Sheet Metal environment opens.
01:03
First, configure the Sheet Metal Rule and any options or parameters for the active model state.
01:10
From the ribbon, Sheet Metal tab, Setup panel, select Sheet Metal Defaults.
01:16
The Sheet Metal Defaults dialog displays.
01:19
Here, you can choose which sheet metal rule to apply, the material for the part, the unfold rule, and the thickness of the material.
01:27
Edit the thickness of the sheet metal you will be working with.
01:31
First, ensure that the Use Thickness from Rule option is deselected.
01:36
Then, in the Thickness field, enter a value such as 1.17 mm.
01:43
Expand the Material drop-down.
01:45
Here, all materials in the active library display.
01:49
If the desired material is in another library, you can browse to that library and select the material.
01:56
If the necessary material library is not in the project file, it is recommended that you add it to the project, so it is readily accessible.
02:06
For this example, from the list, choose Stainless Steel.
02:10
Click OK.
02:12
Now, use sketch commands to create a profile for a base face.
02:17
From the ribbon, Sheet Metal tab, Sketch panel, select Start 2D Sketch.
02:23
In the graphics window, pick the XY plane.
02:27
Then, right-click to open the marking menu.
02:30
Select the Create Line command.
02:34
Start the line at the origin, and enter a length of 62.5 mm.
02:40
Pick an endpoint for the line to the right of the origin, making the line horizontal.
02:45
Continue the line straight upward, setting the length to 18.5 mm and clicking at a point perpendicular to the first line.
02:54
Add another endpoint to the left of the last point, then add a point up, perpendicular to the last point.
03:01
Moving to the left, add another point in line with the origin, and then a final point back at the origin.
03:07
To ensure that the dimensions are precise, from the ribbon, Constrain panel, select Dimension.
03:14
Then, in the graphics window, select the line representing the height.
03:18
A dimension displays.
03:21
Pick to place the dimension.
03:23
An Edit Dimension field opens.
03:26
Here, enter a value of 32.5 mm.
03:31
Next, select the top line segment, place the dimension, and enter a value of 46.5 mm.
03:39
To complete the profile outline, from the Sketch tab, Exit panel, click Finish.
03:45
When working with sheet metal parts in Inventor, you can configure rules and begin a part using sketch commands.
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