Boost Your Product Design with ZW3D Sheet Metal

ZW3D CAD/CAM White Paper

November, 2016

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Overview

Sheet metal parts have been widely used in electronic appliance, communication,

automotive industry, medical equipment and other fields. How to manufacture sheet

metal parts with high efficiency & low cost is one of the significant problems that

manufacturing companies are facing.

This white paper descripts how you can leverage ZW3D sheet metal module to

speed up design process, streamline manufacturing procedures, and reduce the

communication cost between design companies and manufacturing companies.

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Table of Contents

1． Challenges for Sheet Metal Design ................................................................ 5

1.1 Specialized Sheet Metal Design ................................................................................ 5

1.2 Quick Model Modification during Collaborations ..................................................... 5

1.3 Easy Conversion of 2D Drawings into 3D Models .................................................. 5

1.4 Reliable Design Simulation and Analysis ................................................................. 5

1.5 Detailed Documentation to Guide Manufacturing ................................................... 5

2． ZW3D Solutions for Sheet Metal Design ......................................................... 6

2.1 Quick and Flexible Sheet Metal Design Process .................................................... 6

2.1.1 Variety of Specialized Sheet Metal Tools ......................................................... 6

2.1.2 Efficient Forming Tools ........................................................................................ 8

2.2 Reasonable Product Manufacturability ..................................................................... 8

2.2.1 Bend Relief ............................................................................................................ 8

2.2.2 Neutral Factor ........................................................................................................ 9

2.2.3 Normal Cut ........................................................................................................... 10

2.3 Streamline Cooperation ............................................................................................ 11

2.3.1 Powerful Translator ............................................................................................ 11

2.3.2 Sheet Metal Coverting Tools ............................................................................. 11

2.3.3 Flexible Modification with Hybrid Modeling Technology ............................... 12

2.3.4 Convenient Flange & Bend Modification Tools .............................................. 12

2.4 Easily Convert 2D Drawings into 3D Models ......................................................... 13

2.4.1 Designing with Intuitive User interface ............................................................ 13

2.4.2 Converting 2D Drawings into 3D Models ........................................................ 14

2.5 Design Simulation and Analysis .............................................................................. 15

2.6 Documentation for Guiding Manufacturing ............................................................ 16

3． Conclusion................................................................................................. 17

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Index of Images

Figure 1 ZW3D Sheet Metal Tools ............................................................... 6

Figure 2 Comparative Sheet Metal Design................................................... 7

Figure 3 Hem Flange .................................................................................. 7

Figure 4 Forming Shape ............................................................................. 8

Figure 5 Bend Relief .................................................................................. 9

Figure 6 Unfold Length ............................................................................ 10

Figure 7 Normal Cut ................................................................................ 10

Figure 8 Translator .................................................................................. 11

Figure 9 Convert to Sheet Metal ............................................................... 12

Figure 10 Flexible Modification ................................................................. 12

Figure 11 Flange Modification .................................................................. 13

Figure 12 Intuitive UI ............................................................................... 14

Figure 13 2D Drawing to 3D Models ......................................................... 15

Figure 14 Forming Analysis ...................................................................... 15

Figure 15 Unfold Analysis ........................................................................ 16

Figure 16 2D Drawing .............................................................................. 16

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1． Challenges for Sheet Metal Design

Facing tons of challenges in daily work, engineers are in bad need of an easy-to-use,

flexible and precisely controlled design tool. Let’s see what challenges the engineer

are struggling with.

1.1 Specialized Sheet Metal Design

• Some engineers still use common modeling tools to design sheet metal parts.

Compared with professional sheet metal tools, it is of quite low efficiency.

• The parts designed by common modeling tools are lack of sheet metal

attributes, such as k-factor, relief & unfold attributes etc. The engineers have

to take much time to confirm the formability and manufacturing techniques.

1.2 Quick Model Modification during Collaborations

• When importing other 3D models without feature history, engineers may take

a long time to modify the part, even a simple change. Plus, it will be more

difficult to adjust the flange, bend radius or bend angle.

• With the imported external 3D models, engineers may often fail to unfold the

part to a flatten pattern or optimize the layout of flanges for less stripes.

1.3 Easy Conversion of 2D Drawings into 3D Models

• Possessing numerous 2D drawings of sheet metal parts, some companies

can be troubled by how to easily and quickly convert them to 3D models for

reuse.

1.4 Reliable Design Simulation and Analysis

• Without proper simulation tools to analysis the designed part and check the

formability, the sheet metal parts may not be successfully generated. More

human and material resources will be wasted.

1.5 Detailed Documentation to Guide Manufacturing

• A documentation with clear forming process and necessary information is

very important for a machining engineer. It can guide engineer how to

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manufacture the product efficiently with less misunderstand and ensure

important dimensions.

ZW3D sheet metal design tools, powered by with hybrid modeling OverdriveTM kernel,

delivers a full-featured, flexible and easy-to-use solution to help users resolve these

key issues.

2． ZW3D Solutions for Sheet Metal Design

ZW3D provides easy to use, flexible and full-featured sheet metal design tools to

solve the challenges above, speeding up the design process, reducing the

communication cost and rising manufacturing productivity.

2.1 Quick and Flexible Sheet Metal Design Process

2.1.1 Variety of Specialized Sheet Metal Tools

Using specialized sheet metal tools such as Full/Partial Flange, Hem Flange and Jog,

designers can efficiently create sheet metal parts and assemblies with necessary

sheet metal attributes like bend radius and K-factor. Figure 2 shows a simple

comparative case.

Figure 1 ZW3D Sheet Metal Tools

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Figure 2 Comparative Sheet Metal Design

Let’s take one more example. Only one step to create the bend of hinge with Hem

Flange feature, as shown in figure3, while more than two steps are needed with

common modeling method.

Figure 3 Hem Flange

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2.1.2 Efficient Forming Tools

ZW3D also provides several forming tools to quickly create louver, dimple, bead, etc.

Any 3D model can work as a forming tool, use “punch” feature to get the forming

shape needed, as shown in Figure 4. Customized forming tools greatly accelerate

the sheet metal design.

Figure 4 Forming Shape

2.2 Reasonable Product Manufacturability

Qualified sheet metal parts should be unfolded successfully and manufactured

correctly. Therefore sheet metal parts should have correct material attributes and

conform to manufacturing process. Let’s take a look at several key points.

2.2.1 Bend Relief

Bend relief is a very important feature for a sheet metal part. One reason is that the

bend relief can eliminate some burrs and sharp points. Without a bend relief, the part

may slip unpredictably during tooling as the bend is made.

Another reason is that bend relief can reduce fracture propagation. If the part is

subject to vibration or flexure, existing cracks may grow rapidly. When creating the

flange feature, the bend relief can be automatically generated when it is necessary,

as shown in Figure 5.

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Figure 5 Bend Relief

2.2.2 Neutral Factor

Qualified sheet metal part must have correct neutral factor. Then it can be calculated

to get the flatten pattern from the folded pattern.

• K-factor - The location of the neutral axis in the material, calculated as the

ratio of the distance of the neutral axis (measured from the inside bend

surface) to the material thickness. The K-factor is dependent upon several

factors (material, bending operation, bend angle, etc.)

• Bend allowance - The length of the neutral axis between the bend lines, or in

other words, the arc length of the bend. The bend allowance added to the

flange lengths is equal to the total flat length.

• Bend deduction - Also called the bend compensation, the amount a piece of

material has been stretched by bending. The value equals the difference

between the mold line lengths and the total flat length.

• Custom Equation -

Allows the creation of custom equations for the generation of Bend

allowance.

All these neutral define methods are supported in ZW3D.

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Figure 6 Unfold Length

2.2.3 Normal Cut

When cutouts or holes across a bend or flange, the cutting result with common

modeling tool (such as Extrude cut) is not perpendicular to the flatten face. This kind

of design product does not match the actual product manufacturing.

With ZW3D normal cutout command, you can create reasonable cutting and get the

correct unfold result that can be manufactured. It means that the cut faces are

accurate perpendicular to base faces.

Figure 7 Normal Cut

Common cut

Normal cut

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2.3 Streamline Cooperation

In daily work, engineers always receive a lot of files with different kinds of formats

from cooperative partners. So software with powerful translator and modify tools is

required.

2.3.1 Powerful Translator

ZW3D provides a powerful translator to directly open 3D models from Catia, NX,

Creo, Solidworks, SolidEdge and so on. In this case, ZW3D users don’t have to

worry about CAD data exchange and reuse of the 3D models.

Figure 8 Translator

2.3.2 Sheet Metal Coverting Tools

Since sheet metal parts are designed in “fold” state, while manufacturing begins from

a flatten plate. So unfolding a sheet metal part to a flatten pattern is a necessary step

to check the interference and manufacturability. Both internal & external models can

be quickly converted to ZW3D sheet metal parts with detailed sheet metal attributes.

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Figure 9 Convert to Sheet Metal

2.3.3 Flexible Modification with Hybrid Modeling Technology

, Sometimes it may not be a perfect solid model when importing other format files.

Generally, the first step is to repair the model to get a solid part which may take much

time. Otherwise the open shape can’t be unfolded.

Powered by Solid-surface Hybrid Modeling technology, ZW3D can directly modify the

imperfect models, such as adding a hole, changing the flange length or combining

with other shapes. And the open shape can be directly unfolded. Thanks to its

flexibility, the design cycles can be shortened.

Figure 10 Flexible Modification

2.3.4 Convenient Flange & Bend Modification Tools

Lack of some faces

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ZW3D also provides specialized tools to easily modify the Flange or Bend feature.

Some modifications may seem very simple, but you may not find out a method to

modify it with common modeling tools, or the result doesn’t meet the manufacturing

rules.

Figure 11 Flange Modification

2.4 Easily Convert 2D Drawings into 3D Models

For 2D CAD users, if there are easy-to-use tools to convert 2D drawings into 3D

models, they can quickly learn 3D CAD software and rebuild 3D models by

leveraging existing 2D drawings.

2.4.1 Designing with Intuitive User interface

ZW3D provides engineers with intuitive UI and simple operations. All sheet metal

tools are listed in ribbon tab and grouped clearly. In addition, there are graphics for

relevant commandsshowing you how to use them. So, anyone can start the design

even without training.

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Figure 12 Intuitive UI

2.4.2 Converting 2D Drawings into 3D Models

3D models are being used more and more in sheet metal design. So many

companies want to transfer to 3D CAD system from 2D CAD. ZW3D has a good

capability to reuse 2D drawings. Engineers can choose 2D drawing views and easily

orientate them in ZW3D to start modeling. 2D data can be maximize used to shorten

design process.

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Figure 13 2D Drawing to 3D Models

2.5 Design Simulation and Analysis

Without simulation function, the engineer may need 1 or 2days to unfold a complicate

sheet metal shape manually, or get an imprecise calculation result. Even the

designer needs to go back and forth between proofing and modification. With the

simulation functions, a precise unfold result can be got within 3 minutes. Smartly

simulating forming results like thickness, thickness strain, and safe zone in early

design phase enables designers to save the time of sample verification, and reduce

the cost of production.

Figure 14 Forming Analysis

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Besides, with “Linear unfold” and “Advance unfold”, engineers can unfold the part

step by step, which also is the inevitable step for examining the manufacturing

process.

Figure 15 Unfold Analysis

2.6 Documentation for Guiding Manufacturing

Beside visualized 3D models, 2D drawing is still an important document mainly used

for guiding manufacturing. ZW3D provides a full set of drawing tool to create 2D

drawing quickly with different standards (ISO, DIN, JIS, GB, and ANSI). You can

create different kinds of views to make your 2D drawing easier to be understood and

full of information. Moreover, bothflatten views and folded views can be generated in

the same sheet.

With PMI functions, you can efficiently add dimensions in 3D model which can be

inherited into 2D drawing. Since these views and information are associated with 3D

model, any change in 3D model would be automatically reflected in 2D drawing.

Figure 16 2D Drawing

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3． Conclusion

Facing more and more fierce competition in sheet metal industry, enterprises are in

bad need of an easy to use, flexible, full-featured sheet metal solution to accelerate

the design cycle, improve product quality and reduce costs. Powered by hybrid

modeling technology, ZW3D sheet metal design module can deliver you all the

above benefits

ZW3D HQ

Address: 4F, No. 886, Tianhe North Rd.,

Guangzhou,510635, P.R.China

Tel: +86-20-38259726 Fax: +86-20-38288676

Email: sales@zwsoft.com

Website: http://www.zwsoft.com/ZW3D/

USA Subsidiary

Address: 907 E Strawbridge Ave., Suite 200 Melbourne, FL 32901 USA

Tel: +1-(321) 676-3222

Fax: +1-(321) 676-2181