Does anyone know how to setup k factor for sheet metal every time i draw a sheet metal component in solidworks the flatdevelopment always come out to big when i form it on a pressbrake. In solidworks the kfactor is just another way to calculate bend allowance. The completion of the certified solidworks professional advanced sheet metal cswpasm exam shows that you have successfully demonstrated your ability to use solidworks sheet metal tools. Does anyone know how to setup kfactor for sheetmetal every time i draw a sheetmetal component in solidworks the flatdevelopment always come out to big when i form it on a pressbrake.
We can also take one sheet metal gauge table and save as to create a new gauge table for a new material. Kfactor is used in other bend calculation formulas, most notably, bend allowance. When metal is bent the top section is going to undergo compression and the bottom section will be stretched. Connecting worldclass software, hardware, systems and people. Tables can be found at program files\solidworks corp\solidworks\lang\english\sheet metal gauge tables folder. Properly setting up k factor in sheet metal solidworks. The location of the neutral axis is not the same in all cases. When you select kfactor as the bend allowance, you can specify a kfactor bend. Sheet metal design is already foreign to me, and trying to do it properly in inventor has been a hassle. In reality, how a real metal part will stretch as it bends depends on a number of physical factors tooling, material homogeneity etc. The kfactor in sheet metal working is the ratio of the neutral axis to the material thickness. Sheet metal bend allowance information for solidworks software. Mathematically k factor value is equal to the ratio of position of neutral axis and sheet thickness.
Sheet metal bend allowance information for solidworks software created by the certified solidworks experts at javelin, the largest solidworks supplier in canada. We also saw the potential for using solidworks sheetmetal capabilities and the solidworks routing package for further automating systems development. Remember that we can always add information to an existing solidworks sheet metal gauge table by editing the excel spreadsheet, including new gauge sizes and new bend radius values. If you design your bent sheet metal parts in cad software that has a special sheet metal environment, use it. Let me make it clear that it is a very important term used in sheet metal design. Sheet metal features are used so that the part can be flattened out to create a flat pattern. The problem with a solidworks sheet metal bend table is that it can only control the bend allowance, bend deduction or kfactor but the thickness and radius is still free to be changed. The fourth part writes the equations for defining the kfactor by ifstatment and adds two equations which links the bend radius and the kfactor from the sheetmetal feature to the thickness and the defined kfactor.
The kfactor for sheet metal is a variable used to define the neutral axis of bent material. Macro to set sheet metal feature to use kfactor solidworks. Design in 3d and then unfold a part or assembly into 2d for production, or work in 2d. Hawk ridge systems is your official provider for solidworks, camworks, 3d printers from hp, markforged, and artec 3d scanners in the united states and canada.
In the base flange section, you seen the very first step to make sheet metal design in solidworks cad. A single table lets you associate a bend allowance, bend radius, or kfactor. It is single value which is used to represent bending or unbending process over bend angle. Sheetmetalworks covers the sheet metal process chain right through to the manufacturing stage. Kfactor is a ratio that represents the location of the neutral sheet with respect to the thickness of the sheet metal part.
The bend allowance ba is the arclength of the neutral axis. Kfactor, bend allowance, calculating manualby table software tutorials engineer. In sheet metal, there is a powerful bend constant known as the kfactor. How to create simple sheet metal bend solidworks tutorials. Of all concepts in sheet metal design, bending and flattening are two of the most fundamental and important to understand. Sheet metal how is it possible to decrease the relief cut on 3mm ss. As far as solidworks goes, it seems i apply one kfactor for all sheet metal pieces when i convert a body into. It focuses on precise processing calculated according to the machinery, tools and processes used. The bend allowancebend deduction of the sheet metal specified in kfactor. No, solidworks is not testing your ability to pitch a softball. Solidworks sheet metal tools are relatively straightforward, but may not be clearly understood. So, basically, over here under the sheet metal folder,at the very top. Solidworks allows several options in making sheet metal parts. Term kfactor is used in cad programmes to calculate sheetmetal blank size.
In this blog article, we will look at the basic theory behind. The kfactor in sheet metal bending is the ratio of the position of neutral axis to the material thickness. The yfactor is used, as far as i know, solely by ptcs proengineer, now known as creo elementspro. This article sheds light on the engineering aspect of sheet metal and bend allowance methods in. Kfactor, bend allowance, calculating kfactor manuallyby table software. Teaches you about the k factor, a principle fundamental to bending your sheet metal parts.
The location of this neutral line is referred to as the kfactor. Solidworks sheet metal design 3d cad design software. Hence, the k factor is different for different cases. Bending calculations using kfactor, bend deduction, and. The kfactor is nothing more than a multiplier that can give you an accurate value for the relocated neutral axis. And if you know the bend allowance, you can extract the kfactor from it. I am certain it has to do with the way i am using the sheet metal defaults. This is one of the lessons of my course about solidworks solid, sheet metal. The solidworks application also comes with a kfactor bend table in microsoft excel format. It is used to calculate sheet metal flat length flatpattern. This is a sheet metal part symmetric vertically with respect to the right plane. As long as you put the right bend deduction,bend allowance, or kfactor in to solidworks.
In this tech tip post learn how to create your own solidworks sheet metal bend table for bend allowance, bend deduction and kfactor. Solidworks neswuc 2012 intro dedicated to quick turn prototype sheet metal parts 15 seats of solidworks 20 cad quotes in under 8 hours unfinished parts in 7 days plated parts in 9 days. In sheet metal design, the kfactor is used to calculate how much sheet metal one needs to leave for the bend in order to achieve particular final dimensions, especially for between the straight sides next the. When working in solidworks to create sheet metal designs, we will often.
Here i show the principle of the k factor in sheet metal design. Bend radii and k factors for 304 stainless steel sheet. How to set up sheet metal gauge tables engineers rule. When you select kfactor as the bend allowance, you can specify a kfactor bend table. How do i download the solidworks software for free. In cases like this, i tend to have the software use the kfactor. It is used to calculate bend allowance and bend deduction which are further used to calculate the flat pattern. This course gets you up to speed with the sheet metal tools in solidworks, and takes you on a trip to the. When working in solidworks to create sheet metal designs, we will often need to know three important values. How to calculate the kfactor in solidworks for perfect practical. How can we develop sheet metal 3d cad model in solidworks. Ask and answer engineering questions join the community.
The line where the transition from compression to stretching occurs is called the neutral axis. How does this work if i have a piece with multiple bends at different angles. Sheet metal software ironcad cad software solutions. How to create a custom solidworks sheet metal bend table. It ultimately allows you to estimate the amount of stretch without knowing what type of material you are bending. Sheet metal k factor what is it and how to measure it. I hope this will help you, if you need more information, let me know. I personally use the kfactor version, but many may prefer bend allowance or go. Kfactor is a ratio that represents the location of the neutral sheet with respect to the. For instance right now in solidworks for say 11 ga sheet metal i use a bend. For more tutorials on cad software, audio engineering software and programming software. I am assuming the bend radii and k factor would be different for a ss since it is harder than regular sheet metal. All features after flatpattern1 appear only in the flattened sheet metal part. Cad software like solidworks makes sheet metal design quick and cost effective.
Common solidworks sheet metal issues computer aided. Properly setting up kfactor in sheetmetal solidworks. Kfactor, bend allowance, calculating kfactor manuallyby table software the solidworks sheet metal. This table instead of having the radius label has a radiusthickness ratio lastly with solidworks 2011 we introduced the bend. Hence all of the sheet metal designing software use k factor, in order to provide an accurate design of the flat pattern of the sheet metal component. A cad program equipped with a suite of sheet metalspecific tools, ironcad acts as a powerful sheet metal software. Many cad programs also work out bend allowances automatically by using kfactor calculations. The kfactor in sheet metal working is the ratio of the neutral axis to the material.
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