- [Instructor] The swept flange tool
allows you to create very complicated compound bends
inside of the sheet metal package.
But be careful using this tool
because a lot of times the parts you'll create
using this tool will be very difficult to manufacture
and then you have to use some type of stamping
or some custom tooling or hydroform part
to actually produce the parts.
It generally won't be created using traditional press brakes
to create this type of part.
So to get started, let's go ahead and choose an edge.
So what I'd like to do is choose an adjacent edge
to the edge I'm gonna be creating the flange on.
So over here,
I wanna make this flange go down this edge here
and around my part.
So what I want to do is, I wanna draw on this surface here
or that flat face.
So go ahead and highlight the face,
click on Sketch and start a sketch.
Now let's go ahead and draw a line going up.
I'm gonna come over
and then I'm gonna come out like a little bit
of a 45 degree.
We can define that a little bit later.
But you can see right here,
I wanna make that a vertical.
And there's my basic shape, okay?
So now I wanna exit out of that sketch.
And then also go ahead and grab that tool.
So over here in Sheet Metal,
notice I don't actually see that tool.
So sometimes you don't have a tool appear.
You can also go to Insert, Sheet Metal
and right over here is the Swept Flange.
Now of course you can customize your toolbar
and add that swept flange tool in if you'd like to
but right now let's go ahead
and just grab it from here.
It's gonna be using this profile
and then we're gonna go ahead and define a path.
Now this is very similar to a regular sweep.
So, over here I'm gonna choose this line here.
And notice it gives me a nice preview.
And then I'm gonna go ahead and choose the next edge
and notice as soon as I do that it actually
rounds this little corner here, so it's pretty handy.
And then I can continue on around the outside of the part.
So there it is.
Click on OK.
And I've got a very complicated sheet metal part.
Again, which is gonna be very difficult to make
without some type of a custom tooling
or more of like a stamping type part.
But this is gonna be really difficult to make
with a traditional press brake or something like that.
So, keep in mind that
you probably wanna get your manufacturer involved
right from the beginning here.
So, make a part like this
and then go ahead and talk with them and see
what's available and how you can actually create this part.
Sometimes these inside bend regions here
can cause issues and things like that,
so you wanna definitely make sure
your manufacturer is involved right from the beginning
when you're creating this type of part.
Just so you're getting some good input
or feedback on your design.
Again, SolidWorks can create some very complicated shapes
that are gonna be extremely difficult or impossible to make.
So, definitely check in with your manufacturer
on these type of parts.
But anyways, that's the basics for the swept flange.
If you need to go back and modify it,
of course you just go over here
and click on the feature, click on Edit Feature.
You can adjust the bend radius,
you can change the material flange position.
You can make it starting or ending offset and so on.
Whole bunch of things, just like you can do
in pretty much any of the other
sheet metal type flange tools.
Once you have it correct, click on OK.
And if you wanna change the actual shape.
Of course, you click on the tool down here.
Here is the original profile,
edit the sketch,
modify the sketch to however you'd like.
Let's move it up a little bit here,
move this out a little bit.
Click on OK.
And it automatically updates
with the latest profile in your sheet metal part.
Again, couple things here,
probably gonna be issues here
is this little corner over here.
So make sure you're talking with your manufacturer
before you start getting too far down the line in the design
that has a hydroform-style part like this
because it can cause a lotta issues
or you wanna make those adjustments
right from the beginning
before you get too far in the design.