Thickness of the piloted sheet metal

3D Design Volume Model
1

Gentlemen, Good morning;

 

I would like to control the thickness of a sheet metal, by habit I go through an equation of the type  Epaisseur@Tolerie1="Epaisseur@RefExternes" or by a global variable, or directly by constraints following another sketch but here I can't do it.

To be seen on the PJ.

 

If you have an idea, I don't see why it can't be done!

 

Thanks in advance


epaisseurtolepilotee.jpg
2

A trick I use: at the first function drawing the thickness of the sheet, I right-click "link values" on the thickness dimension, and I enter the name "Thickness" (nothing else).

 

And suddenly, with each subsequent thin extrusion, I can check "link to thickness" in the extrusion function. Very practical.

 

When it's a simple extrusion, right-click on the dimension that gives the thickness, "Link Values " and I select "Thickness" again.

 

See image.


screenshot067.jpg
3

So the problem is that basically, my "External Ref" sketch, at the beginning of my piece, is driven in an assembly. So the thickness dimension that I take out of this sketch is controlled (and I want it to stay that way!). However, it is impossible to "link" the values of a controlled dimension.

 

I wonder if I'm not going to go for classic volume (not sheet metal) and do the folding afterwards. But that's not a very academic solution!

4

Hello 


Which version of SolidWorks are you on because there have been a lot of changes since 2012?

 

Can you specify what you can't do precisely?

 

@+

 

5

Hello

Maybe try starting from a volume that has the shape of the profile of your bent sheet (or not) while having the sheet thickness linked to the segment of the RefExternes. Then convert the whole thing into sheet metal.

1 Like
6

A small question out of curiosity: what is the use of the reference to an assembly to control the thickness of a bent sheet?

 

I'm going a bit in the direction of @coyote, until the 2011 version you could only have a bent body. Since 2012 we can have several and use the method I mentioned in the first post.

7

Thank you, gentlemen;

For the moment I'm on SOLID2012 but that will have to change soon.

I used Tomalam's solution!

My thickness was guided by a general sketch that guides a set of sheet metal parts and solid parts. Converting volume parts to sheet metal after the "reference plug" allowed me to solve many problems!

Thank you!

8

For me it is better to make the parts in volume and then convert to sheet metal

@+ -)

 

1 Like