CATIA V5
Process Workbook
Basic Sheet
Metal Design
Copyright 2003
CAD Training and Support
CATIA Hotline: 831-2842
CATIA V5 Basic Sheet Metal Design CATIAV5R10
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 2
CATIA Version 5 Basic Sheet Metal Design................................................................ 2
Prerequisites .................................................................................................................. 3
Workbook Format ......................................................................................................... 4
Location of Exercise Files............................................................................................. 4
Basic Sheet Metal Design ......................................................................................................... 5
Sketcher Review............................................................................................................ 5
Creating a Basic Sheet Metal Part using Shell .............................................................. 6
Pitfalls of Using the Shell Method ................................................................................ 8
Creating a Sheet Metal Part Using a Surface Offset ................................................... 11
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CATIA V5 Basic Sheet Metal Design CATIAV5R10
Introduction
CATIA Version 5 Basic Sheet Metal Design
This workbook will guide you through the basic sheet metal design techniques of the shell
method and the offset method. You will also analyze the results to see the pros and cons of
each.
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Prerequisites
In order to follow this process workbook, you need to be familiar with CATIA V5 Part Design
and Sketcher as well as Wireframe and Surfaces.
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Workbook Format
It is important to understand the format of the manual in order to use it most effectively. The
exercises in this book will list steps for you to complete, along with explanations that try to
inform you what you have just done and what you are getting ready to do. The actual steps are
in bold type and the information that follows the steps is for your benefit. Bold type is also
used to call your attention to key terms you may not yet be familiar with. Anything that
appears in italics refers to a message that CATIA provides or an option in a pull down menu or
pop-up window.
An example of a step and its explanation is shown below (note: normally the lines will not be
there):
Select a location to the right of the origin. This specifies the other end point of the line. You
will continue specifying locations in order to complete your profile. It should appear similar to
the diagram shown below.
As you can see, the desired action blends in with the text except that it appears in bold. The
information following the step explains what that step accomplished and where you are going
next. It is important for you to read this information to help in your understanding of CATIA
Version 5.
Location of Exercise Files
RS /apps/v5_trng/Process_Workbook_Exercises/Basic_Sheet_Metal_Design
PC \\smbcat5\v5_trng\Process_Workbook_Exercises\Basic_Sheet_Metal_Design
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CATIA V5 Basic Sheet Metal Design CATIAV5R10
Basic Sheet Metal Design
Sketcher Review
The Part Design and Sketcher course is a prerequisite for this course, but you can also use a
sketch to define the web for your sheet metal part. Therefore, you are asked to create the
following sketch as a review. You will continue to use this sketch in the following exercise.
Start a New Part document and build the following sketch on the XY plane. After
starting the New Part you will be in the Part Design workbench from which you will go to
Sketcher.
Position the lower leftmost corner to the sketcher axis with a Coincident constraint.
When complete, the sketch elements should all be bright green.
Save this document because you will use it in the following exercise.
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Creating a Basic Sheet Metal Part using Shell
Continue with the Sketcher Review document or you can use the Shell.1 document.
Exit the sketch. This should return you to the Part Design workbench.
Select the Pad icon. If the profile was not already selected, you will need to select it.
Set the First Limit to Dimension and the Length to 0.75 and select OK. The pad is created
and should look similar to the picture below.
Fillet the edges pointed to below with 0.17 radius edge fillets.
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Select the Shell icon. The Shell Definition window appears.
Select the top face on the part. The top face highlights purple and is the first selection for
Faces to remove:
Select the faces pointed to in the picture below as additional faces to remove. These also
highlight purple and become faces to remove.
Change the Default inside thickness to 0.05 and the Default outside thickness to 0.00.
Select OK. The part should appear similar to the one below.
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CATIA V5 Basic Sheet Metal Design CATIAV5R10
Pitfalls of Using the Shell Method
In this exercise, you will create a part that will not be an acceptable design for manufacturing.
The exercise will explain what is wrong with the part and you will build the same part
correctly in the next exercise.
Open the Shell.2 document and build the following sketch on the XY plane. After
starting the New Part you will be in the Part Design workbench from which you will go to
Sketcher. The sketch should be fully constrained when complete.
Exit the sketch and create a 1.0 inch pad in the positive Z direction. The result should
look similar to the picture below.
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Split the part using the Split icon and the surface given, keeping the larger portion
of the solid.
Hide the surface.
Fillet the edges pointed to in the picture below left with 0.3 inch radius edge fillets. The
part should then appear similar to the one pictured below right.
Shell the solid using 0.063 inches as the inside thickness and removing the faces pointed
to in the picture below left. The result should appear similar to the one pictured below right.
At first glance, this solid probably looks like a feasible sheet metal part. Next we are going to
look at why it would not be acceptable for manufacturing.
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CATIA V5 Basic Sheet Metal Design CATIAV5R10
Zoom in and look very closely at the portion of the part circled in the picture below left.
The picture below right is a zoomed in view of that corner.
Select the Measure Between icon from the bottom toolbar and select the two edges
pointed to in the picture below left. The Measure Between window appears. The analysis
will show on the part similar to the picture below right.
The angle is approximately 103.886 degrees. The material thickness should always be 90
degrees off of the outside of the part. This is commonly referred to as a “knife edge”. You
can find the same problem on the other side of the flange.
You will run into this problem when using the shell technique with the flange ends are not
perpendicular to the web and when the flange angle is not equal to 90 degrees.
In the next exercise, you will use a method that creates an acceptable part.
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Creating a Sheet Metal Part Using a Surface Offset
Using this method, you will create the outside of the part and offset it the material thickness.
Open the OffsetMethod part. This document contains the curves you will use to create the
surface for the contoured flange.
Access the Generative Shape Design workbench.
Select the Sweep icon. A Swept Surface Definition window appears.
Select Line as the Profile Type and change the Subtype to Two Limits. Options change.
Select Sketch.1 for Guide curve 1. This also
becomes the default spine for the surface.
Select Sketch.2 for Guide curve 2.
Change Length 1 and Length 2 to 1 inch each.
This adds excess on either side of the surface
Select OK. Surface is created.
Create the sketch pictured below on the xy plane.
The line is the only geometry in the sketch.
Exit the sketch.
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Select the Extrude icon. An Extrude Surface Definition window appears.
Select the sketch you just created. This defines the profile and a default direction.
Hold the third mouse button on the Direction field and select Y Axis from the menu. This
defines a new direction.
Set Limit1 to 5 and Limit2 to 0 and select OK. Surface is created and should appear similar
to below.
Select the Extrude icon again. An Extrude Surface Definition window appears.
Select the surface boundary pointed to in the picture above. This defined the profile.
Hold the third mouse button on the Direction field and select the Z Axis from the menu.
Set Limit1 to 1 and Limit2 to 0 and select OK. Surface is created.
Create planes at X = 5 and X = -5. Use the Offset from plane or the Equation method.
Split the sweep surface with the two new planes and with Plane.1, keeping the bottom
center portion of the surface. The result should look similar to the picture below.
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Hide all of the elements except for the two Extrude surfaces and the Split surface.
Select the Shape Fillet icon. A Fillet Definition window appears.
Select the Split surface and Support 1 and the large Extrude surface as Support 2.
Make sure that their arrows both point in positive directions and that the Trim options
are both turned on.
Change the Radius to 0.3 and select OK. New fillet surface is created and the sweep and
extrude are now in Hide.
Create the same radius on the other corner between the two extrude surfaces. The result
should look like the picture below.
This is one complete surface. If you were to have a result with more that one surface you
would need to join them into one surface before making a sheet metal part from them.
Switch to the Part Design workbench
using the Start pull down menu.
Select the Thick Surface icon from the
Surface Based Featured toolbar. The
prompts read “Select the object to thicken.”.
Select the surface. Arrows appear.
Make sure the arrows point to the inside
of the part.
Change the First Offset to 0.063 and the
Second Offset to 0.00 and select OK.
Solid is created. And should appear similar
to the picture on the right.
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Zoom in and look very closely at the portion of the part circled in the picture below left.
The picture below right is a zoomed in view of that corner.
Select the Measure Between icon from the bottom toolbar and select the two edges
pointed to in the picture below left. The Measure Between window appears. The analysis
will show on the part similar to the picture below right.
You might also
notice that this
surface is not planar.
It twists as the metal
transitions from the
web to the flange. The angle is exactly 90 degrees.
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