Sheet Metal Design

Sheet Metal Design
Student Guide
[Date]
MT16020–S — NX 9
Publication Number
mt16020_s – NX 9
Proprietary and restricted rights
notice; Trademarks
Proprietary and restricted rights notice

This software and related documentation are proprietary to Siemens Product
Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
© 2013 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
Trademarks
Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG.
NX is a trademark or registered trademark of Siemens Product Lifecycle
Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in
other countries. All other trademarks, registered trademarks, or service
marks belong to their respective holders.
2 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

Contents
Proprietary and restricted rights notice; Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Course overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Course description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Intended audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Course objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How to use this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Lesson format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Learning tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Common symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
NX 9 Help Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Learning Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Classroom system information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Teamcenter Integration for NX vs. native NX terminology . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Layer standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Implementing a layer standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sheet Metal workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Sheet Metal application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Establish basic part characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Using Sheet Metal preferences and customer defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Part Properties tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Flat Pattern Treatment tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Flat Pattern Display tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Callout Configuration tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Sheet Metal Validation tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Bend Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Bend relief options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Summary: Define basic part characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Define the basic shape of the part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Base features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Using sketches in Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Summary: Base features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Constructing base features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Sheet Metal Design 3

Contents
Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Tab dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Create a primary tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Create a secondary tab across a bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Activity: Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Flange dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Create a flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Create a flange matched to a face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Create a flange on the edge of a deformed face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Editing Flange features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Activity: Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Project: Mirror Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Contour Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Contour Flange dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Create a base contour flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Create a secondary contour flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Create wrapped features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Tips and techniques for Contour Flanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45
Activity: Contour Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47
Project: Secondary Contour Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47
Lofted Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Lofted Flange dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50
Create a Lofted Flange feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Activity: Lofted Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Hem Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56
Hem Flange dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57
Create a hem flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Activity: Create and edit Hem Flanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Jog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63
Jog dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-64
Create a Jog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66
Activity: Jog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69
Bend dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70
Create a bend on a tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-73
Unbend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Unbend dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-78
Unbend a part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-80
Create cuts in bend regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81
Rebend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-84
Rebend dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-86
Rebend a part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-88
Activity: Bending sheet metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90
Sheet Metal from Solid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-91
Sheet Metal from Solid dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-92

Contents
Create a sheet metal part from a solid part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94

Activity: Sheet Metal from Solid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-96
Summary: Constructing base features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-97
Sheet Metal corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Closed Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Closed Corner dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Close a corner across two adjacent bends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Activity: Closed Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Three Bend Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Three Bend Corner dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Close a corner where three adjacent bends meet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Activity: Three Bend Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Break Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Break Corner dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Round a sharp corner on a tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Activity: Break Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Summary: Sheet Metal corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Sheet Metal cutouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Normal Cutout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Normal Cutout dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Create a Normal Cutout using a sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Activity: Sheet Metal cutouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Project: Create cutouts across bend regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Bend Taper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Bend Taper dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Create a symmetric taper on a bend and the web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Activity: Bend Taper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Summary: Sheet Metal cutouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Sheet Metal deform features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Dimple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Dimple dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Create a dimple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Activity: Dimple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Louver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Louver dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Create a Louver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Activity: Louver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Project: Create a pattern of louvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Drawn Cutout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Drawn Cutout dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Create a drawn cutout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Activity: Drawn Cutout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23

Contents
Bead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Bead dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Create a bead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
Activity: Bead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Solid Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Solid Punch dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Create a solid punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Activity: Solid Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
Gusset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
Gusset dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
Create a round Gusset feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Create a round Gusset feature with a user defined profile . . . . . . . . 7-52
Activity: Gusset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
Summary: Sheet Metal deform features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
Flat Solid and Flat Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Flat Solid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Tips for creating Flat Solid features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Flat Solid dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Create a Flat Solid feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Create a flat solid for manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Flat Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Editing a Flat Pattern feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Tips for working with flat patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Flat Pattern preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14
Flat Pattern dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15
Create a Flat Pattern feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
Activity: Flat Solid and Flat Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Project: Create a flat pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Summary: Flat Solid and Flat Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20
Advanced Sheet Metal commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
Bridge Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2

Bridge Bend dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Create a Bridge Bend feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Rules for Bridge Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Activity: Create a Bridge Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Advanced Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Advanced Flange dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Create an Advanced Flange feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Activity: Advanced Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Unform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Unform dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Unform complex flanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29

Contents
Activity: Unform and Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30

MetaForm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
MetaForm dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Unform complex geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Summary: Advanced Sheet Metal commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Analyze Formability – One step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

Analyze Formability – One-step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Analyze Formability – One-step dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Analyze sheet metal forming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Activity: Formability – One step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Summary: Analyze Formability – One step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Aerospace Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Aerospace Sheet Metal application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Activity: Aerospace Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-5
Aerospace Flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Aerospace Flange dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Activity: Aerospace Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Sheet Metal Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Sheet Metal Relief dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11
Unform and Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13
Activity: Aerospace Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15
Aerospace Joggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-16
Aerospace Joggle dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-17
Aerospace Lightening Cutout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-20
Aerospace Lightening Cutout dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-21
Summary: Aerospace Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-24
Working with non-sheet metal data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Tips and techniques: Converting to Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Convert a solid model to a sheet metal part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Clean up a part before converting it to a sheet metal part . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6
Optimize Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8
Optimize Face dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-9
Optimize faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10
Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-12
Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14
Edge Rip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-19
Edge Rip dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-20
Rip along corner edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-21
Rip along a linear sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-22
Resize Bend Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-23

Contents
Resize Bend Radius dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-25

Resize the bend radius of a flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-26
Resize Bend Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-28
Resize Bend Angle dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-29
Resize the bend angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-30
Resize Neutral Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-32
Resize Neutral Factor dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-33
Activities: Working with non-sheet metal data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-34
Summary: Working with non-sheet metal data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-35

Course overview
Course description
This course addresses all the tools available in the Sheet Metal application
for creating machinery, enclosures, brackets, and other parts normally
manufactured with a brake press. It shows how to create base features like
tabs and contour flanges, and build on them with more advanced features
such as gussets and louvers.
It also introduces the Advanced Sheet Metal and Aerospace functionality:
Joggle, and Analyze Formability - One-step.
Intended audience
This course is suited for engineers, designers, and CAD/CAM managers who
will use the Sheet Metal application.
Course objectives
After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:
• Use Design Intent to plan and create Sheet Metal parts.
• Set up default standards and creation preferences.
• Use Sheet Metal tools to create base features and add more advanced
features to them.
• Use the Sketch Task Environment to create and edit profiles for sheet
metal parts.
• Edit parametric features.

Course overview
Prerequisites
• Essentials for NX Designers
• 200 hours of experience with NX Modeling after course prerequisites.
• Working knowledge of:
o Sketch Fundamentals
o Basic sheet metal design
How to use this manual

The following guidelines describe how you can get the most benefit from your
use of the course guide and the accompanying HTML activities.
Lesson format
The general format for lesson content is:
• Instructor presentation
• One or more activities
• Project
Projects allow you to test your new skills without detailed instruction.
Consult your instructor for additional information.
• Summary
Learning tips
• Ask questions.
• Take notes.
• Confirm important facts by restating them in your own words.
Because later lessons often build on functionality taught in earlier

lessons, it is important that you follow the lessons in the sequence in
which they appear in the Student Guide.

Course overview
Common symbols
The student manual uses special symbols as shown below.

Design Intent – Information about the task and what must be
accomplished.
Tip — Useful information or advice.
Note — Contains useful information that supplements or emphasizes

the main points.
Example — Shows a possible way that the current topic of discussion

could be used.
Caution — Contains important reminders or information about a task.
Warning — Contains information essential to your success.

Course overview
NX 9 Help Library
The NX 9 Help Library is available online any time you need more
information about a function. To access the NX 9 Help Library, on the NX
Ribbon bar choose File tab®Help®NX Help .

To access context-sensitive help for specific commands, on the NX Ribbon bar
choose On Context Help , or press the F1 key while using a command to
access the NX 9 Help Library for that command.
The Learning Advantage

Siemens PLM Software Education Services offers a blend of training solutions
for all of our product lifecycle management products. Our online store,
Learning Advantage, was developed to provide our customers with just in
time training for the latest in application developments.
Here are some of the Learning Advantages:
• Direct access to the training material
• Presented in a self-paced learning environment
• Online assessments to measure your success
• Just in time training for the latest software releases
For more information about the Learning Advantage, visit our web site —
http://training.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/ — or email us at
training.plm@siemens.com.

Course overview
Classroom system information

Your instructor will provide the following items for working in the
classroom:
Student login:
User name:
Password:
Work directory:
Parts directory:
Instructor:
Teamcenter Integration for NX vs. native NX terminology

Teamcenter Integration for NX Term Native NX Term
Item Part
Item revision Part revision
Dataset Part file
Item ID Part number
UGMASTER dataset Master part file
UGPART dataset Non-master part file
(specification or manifestation) (for example, a drawing or
manufacturing file)
When you work in NX, you manipulate parts, part revisions, and part files.
These correspond to items, item revisions, and datasets in Teamcenter
Integration for NX and Teamcenter.

Course overview
Layer standards
Parts used in this course were created using layer categories the same as or
very similar to those found in the Model template parts.
Layers provide an advanced alternative to display management (Show and
Hide) to organize data.
Layer categories in the Model template parts

Layers Category Description
1–10 Solids Solid bodies
11–20 Sheets Sheet bodies
21–40 Sketches All external sketches
41–60 Curves Non-sketch curves
61–80 Datums Planes, axes, coordinate systems
81–256 No category assigned
Implementing a layer standard

You may implement or enforce layer standards using any of the methods
below:
• Create NX Open programs to create a standard part organization and
verify it upon release.
• Use a macro to create layer categories: Menu®Tools®Macro®Playback.
• Your administrator can enforce company standards by providing suitable

templates.
In this course you may use a layer organization method you anticipate
using in your work.

1
Lesson
1 Sheet Metal workflow
In a typical Sheet Metal workflow, you:

1. Establish the basic characteristics of the parts you intend to create.
2. Choose the basic shape for a given part and build it.
3. Add sheet metal-specific features, such as flanges, jogs, and bends to

further define the shape and function of the formed sheet metal part.
4. Unbend the part to flatten the bend areas where needed, and place holes,
cutouts, embosses, or louver-type features on the part.
5. Rebend flattened bend areas to complete the part.
6. Flatten the part for drafting and later manufacturing.
Sheet Metal Design 1-1

Sheet Metal workflow
1
Establish the basic characteristics of the part
Depending on the industry and the types of parts to be created, you specify
parameters such material thickness, bend radius, and neutral factor. You do
this through Sheet Metal preferences, Sheet Metal customer defaults, and
options in command dialog boxes.
Choose the basic shape and build it

You decide what basic shape you need and select a base feature most suited
to that shape. For example, the Tab command allows you to construct a flat
feature of any shape using a closed profile.
Add features
After you construct the basic shape, you complete the part by adding flanges,
jogs, bends, cutouts, holes, and so on. You use the commands in the Sheet
Metal application to create these features.
1-2 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

1
Flatten the part
You create a flattened version of the solid body in the part file. You use the
Flat Solid command to do this.
You then create a sheet metal flat pattern for export to a machine tool for
manufacturing, using the Flat Pattern command. In this step, you add
attributes such as bend centerlines and tangent lines to the flat solid body,
in order to provide special machine instructions.
The flattened body and the flat pattern are placed at the end of the timestamp
order, so that NX updates them automatically when changes are made to
the parent body.

1
Sheet Metal application
There are three ways to start the Sheet Metal application:
• Choose File tab®Applications®Sheet Metal.
• Click Sheet Metal on the Application tab.
• Open a new part using the Sheet Metal template.
Once the application starts, the Sheet Metal commands become available
on the Home tab.
The following tables list the standard commands. If you do not see a command
on the tab, use the small down arrow next to a button to view the list.

1
Sheet Metal
Datum/ Point Drop-down
Datum Datum Raster

Datum Axis Point
Plane CSYS Image
Direct Sketch
Sketch
Basic
Convert Drop-down
Convert
to Sheet Convert to Optimize Cleanup
Edge Rip
Metal Sheet Metal Face Utility
Wizard
Sheet
Metal
from Solid
Tab
Bend
Flange
Contour
Flange
Hem Lofted
Jog Bend
Flange Flange
Corner
Closed Three Bend Break

Chamfer Bend Taper
Corner Corner Corner
Punch

Drawn
Dimple Louver Bead Solid Punch Gusset
Cutout
Feature
Normal Pattern
Extrude Hole
Cutout Feature
Pattern Mirror
Mirror Body
Face Feature
Unite
Trim
Body
Form
Resize Resize
Resize Bend
Unbend Rebend Bend Neutral
Radius
Angle Factor
Flat Pattern
Export Flat
Flat Solid Flat Pattern
Pattern

1
Though they appear in the More gallery in the Bend group, the
advanced sheet metal commands require a separate license.
Advanced Sheet Metal Drop-down
Advanced
Bridge Bend Unform Reform MetaForm
Flange

1
Lesson
2 Establish basic part

2
characteristics
Purpose
In NX, to save design time and encourage re-use, companies can set global
parameters based on both industry standards and company best practices.
For example, companies may want global parameters for bend radii and
neutral factor values. These values appear as defaults in command dialog
boxes, and are automatically applied when designers create sheet metal parts.
In Sheet Metal, you can supply these commonly-used values using customer
defaults and preferences.
Objectives
Upon the completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
• Set global parameters for sheet metal features.
• Set Sheet Metal preferences for sheet metal features.
• Understand the relationship between global parameters, preferences, and

dialog box settings.
• Understand how bend parameters work.

Establish basic part characteristics
Using Sheet Metal preferences and customer defaults

Companies set standard values in NX using Sheet Metal customer defaults.
When you work on a special project that requires values different from
the company’s global parameters, you can set the values that you need
2 using Sheet Metal preferences. The preferences that you set override your
company’s global parameters, and your preference values become the new
global values that appear as the defaults in command dialog boxes. To revert
to the company’s global parameters, you must reset the preferences to match
the company’s global parameters.
Global parameters that you set in the Customer Defaults dialog box are
session defaults. Although you can override these parameters in the Sheet
Metal Preferences dialog box, you should use the customer defaults to
establish global parameters that are consistently used in sheet metal design
in your company.
Should you need to change a global value only for the current command, you
can do so in the command dialog box.
Before you begin creating sheet metal parts, it is a good practice to set up and
verify your default preferences. Attempts to change these preferences while
you are working on a part, or after you complete your design, may result in
non-manifold parts or inaccurate flat solid pattern definitions.


Part Properties tab
On the Part Properties tab in the Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box, you
can set preferences to reduce the number of parameters you need to enter
2 during the design process. The values you enter become the default for the
current part.
If you later edit a part and change the value in the Sheet Metal Preferences
dialog box, each feature using that value will be updated with the new value.
The Parameter Entry section determines whether you choose a Bend
Definition Method or use previously supplied files to determine bend
parameters.
Parameter Entry
Value Entry
Material Selection
Tool ID Selection
Material Thickness applies to only to the base features Tab, Contour Flange,
and Lofted Flange.
Bend Radius, Relief Depth and Relief Width set the defaults for bend
parameters that are commonly used when you create sheet metal features.
Top Face Color and Bottom Face Color let you use color to distinguish
between top and bottom faces of the part.
Value Entry lets you specify the method for defining bends in your parts.
• Neutral Factor Value (the default) refers to the neutral axis, the point in a
bend where the tension on the outside of the bend and the compression on
the inside become neutral. This neutral axis is used when figuring the
bend allowance for flat patterns. It depends on the mechanical properties
of the material being bent, and is represented by a percentage of the stock
thickness, measured from the inside bend radius. The default value for
this option is 0.33. You can supply a value between 0 and 1.
• Bend Table points to a table that specifies a neutral factor based on values
from the bend region for angle, radius, and material thickness. You create
this table in a specified format and place it in a default location.
• Bend Allowance Formula lets you supply values for the standard
variables. The default formula is (Radius+(Thickness*0.44))*rad(Angle).

The Global Parameters section is available in many command dialog boxes

as a quick parameter entry option.
Global Parameters
Material Thickness 3.0 mm Relief Depth 3.0 mm 2
Bend Radius 3.0 mm Relief Width 3.0 mm
Top Face Color
Bottom Face Color
If you select the Material Selection option, you must have already supplied a
material table that determines the bend parameters based on the material
selected.
If you select the Tool ID Selection option, you must have already supplied
a tool table that uses the tool you select to provide the parameters for your
bends.

Flat Pattern Treatment tab
On the Flat Pattern Treatment tab in the Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box,
you can set preferences for corner treatment and for simplifying flat patterns.
2 • Corner Treatment: You can specify the treatment for the outside and
inside of sharp corners.
None leaves the corners as sharp corners.
Chamfer adds an angled chamfer to the corner using the specified

value.
Radius rounds or fillets the corner by the specified value.
• Flat pattern simplify: NX creates B-spline curves when you create flat
patterns from a cylindrical face or place a cutout across bend lines. The
Simplify B-splines option converts B-spline curves to simple lines and
arcs. You can specify the minimum arc and deviational tolerance for the
simplified curve.
• Remove system-generated bend reliefs: When you create a closed corner

with no relief, or when you have a bend section that is inset into the base
planar region without a relief, NX creates a very small bend relief or rip
in the 3-D model to separate the sides of the bend section from the inset
area. This option specifies that you want to remove those small bend
reliefs when the flat pattern is created.

• Maintain Circular Shape for Holes in Flat Patterns: Flattening contour

flanges on curved edges stretches the flanges. Holes created across bend
regions in these areas are by default deformed splines. If you want the
holes to be circular, select this option.
2

Flat Pattern Display tab
On the Flat Pattern Display tab in the Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box,
you can specify which objects you want displayed on your flat pattern, on
2 which layer, and how you want those entities represented, in terms of color,
line type, and line width.

Callout Configuration tab
On the Callout Configuration tab in the Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box,
you can specify the callouts that you want to display in the flat pattern view.
• Callout list 2
Specifies the callouts that are saved with the part and available by default.
• Callout list box

Lists the additional callout text that you can append to the selected
callout from the Callout list and create customized callouts.
When you select the text from the Callout list box, and click Add ,
the configuration of the selected callout text is added to the Callout
configuration text box.
• Callout configuration text box

Displays the configuration of the callouts that you select from the Callout
list, or in the Callout list box.
You can edit the configuration of the selected callout text to create
customized callouts.
• Orientation list
Specifies the orientation of the callouts in the flat pattern view.
Leadered
Creates callouts with a leader line.
Aligned
Creates callouts on the bend center lines, without using leader lines.

Sheet Metal Validation tab
On the Sheet Metal Validation tab in the Sheet Metal Preferences dialog
box, you can provide default values for the sheet metal checks available in
2 Check-Mate.
• Minimum Tool Clearance specifies the minimum radius required by
punching tools. If the face of a punch-type feature is closer to a bend
region than this distance, the checker flags this area as a problem.
• Minimum Web Length specifies the minimum length for planar regions on
either side of a bend. If this length is less than the specified minimum
value, the checker reports an error.

Bend Parameters
Although you can set bend parameters on the Part Properties tab in the
Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box, you can override those values in the
Bend Parameters group of many command dialog boxes. 2
You can change the Bend Radius and Neutral Factor values.
Bend Parameters
Bend Radius 3.00 mm
Neutral Factor .033 mm
To change the default values, click Launch the formula editor , and select
Use Local Value.

Bend relief options
Use the Relief group in Sheet Metal command dialog boxes to specify whether
to apply bend relief to the source face from which the feature is constructed.
2 You can use round or square reliefs that define the shape of the relief's
interior corners. You can also specify no relief.
You need to determine the depth and length of the relief and if you want the
feature to extend to the edge of the part.
Bend Radius refers to all inside bend

radii applied to the feature. In the
1
example, the flange feature uses the
default value.
Relief Depth is the distance the relief
moves inboard to accommodate the
2 feature. This measurement is taken
from the edge of the part to the center
of the circular area.
Relief Width refers to the width of
3
the relief.

The Corner Relief option specifies that you want to apply corner relief to
features that are adjacent to the feature you are constructing and include
that feature.
Four corner relief options are available:
2
• Bend Only applies relief only to the bend portion of adjacent features.
• Bend / Face applies relief to both the bend and face portions of the
adjacent features.
• Bend / Face Chain applies relief to the entire chain of bends and
faces of the adjacent features.
• None does not apply any corner relief. This option creates a small
gap that is removed when a flat solid is created.

Summary: Define basic part characteristics

You can simplify and streamline the process of creating sheet metal parts by
setting Sheet Metal customer defaults and Sheet Metal preferences.
2 In this lesson you reviewed:
• Global parameters.
• Sheet Metal preferences.
• Bend parameters.
• The Sheet Metal and Aerospace Sheet Metal commands.

Lesson
3 Define the basic shape of the part
Purpose 3
Sheet metal base features serve as the foundation for creating more complex
sheet metal parts.
Objectives
Upon completion of the lesson, you will be able to:
• Recognize the three types of base features and the benefits of each type.
• Recognize the common elements shared by Sheet Metal base features.
• Know how and when to use internal and external sketches with sheet
metal parts.

Define the basic shape of the part
Base features
The Sheet Metal environment relies on a set of base features as the starting
point for all sheet metal parts.
There are three base feature commands:
• Tab, which lets you create a flat part of any shape from a sketched
profile.
• Contour Flange, which lets you extrude a sketch along a vector, or

sweep along a chain of edges. You can create a wide range of basic shapes,
including cylindrical parts or parts with multiple bends.
• Lofted Flange, which lets you loft a surface between two profiles.
These profiles can be dissimilar shapes, as for example round and square.
The two most commonly used base features are the Tab and the Contour
Flange. The Lofted Flange is recommended for use in HVAC, as this feature
allows for non-standard shape transitions.

Base features share the following common elements:

• Each feature starts with a planar section string or sketch. You can create
the sketch from within the command dialog box. You can use the sketches
to create and maintain design intent.
• Each feature creates a defined top face and bottom face. You need to keep
this in mind when designing your part, as some features can only be
created on the top or bottom face of the base feature.
• Global parameters define the material thickness and bend allowance 3

formula, unless you override the values in the Sheet Metal Preferences
dialog box.
• When the first feature is created, NX generates named expressions based

on the part properties.
The following image shows the original base feature.

The following image shows features added to complete the part.

Using sketches in Sheet Metal

Many features in Sheet Metal are sketch-based. In most cases, you can either
use a pre-existing sketch or create the sketch within the feature itself.
Sketch buttons in the dialog boxes
In the dialog box for each sketch-based feature, there are two options for
sketch selection:
• Sketch Section lets you create a new sketch as part of the feature. 3
• Curve lets you select a previously-created sketch in the graphics

window to use as the feature contour.
Internal and external sketches
Whether you choose an internal or external sketch for a feature depends on

whether you plan to reuse the sketch for other features.
Sketches that you create from within the feature command dialog box are
internal sketches. Use an internal sketch when you want to associate the
sketch with only the current feature.
An internal sketch is not visible in the graphics window or in the feature
tree in the Part Navigator. In the following figure, the Tab feature is based
on an internal sketch.
Model History
Datum Coordinate System
Tab
To access the sketch, you must edit the feature.

Sketches that you create independently using the Sketch command are
external sketches. If you want to use the same sketch to construct multiple
features, create the sketch using the Sketch command, and then select the
pre-existing sketch when you create your feature.
An external sketch is visible in the graphics window and appears in the
feature tree in the Part Navigator. In the following figure, the Tab feature is
based on an external sketch.
Model History
Datum Coordinate System
Sketch
Tab

To use an internal sketch with a feature other than its parent feature, you
must externalize the sketch. To do this, right-click the parent feature in
the Part Navigator and choose Make Sketch External. If you make a sketch
external, the former parent feature has no control over the sketch.

Summary: Base features

The design of a sheet metal part begins with a base feature such as a Tab, a
Contour Flange, or a Lofted Flange.
In this lesson you were introduced to:
• The three types of Sheet Metal base features.
• The role of internal and external sketches in sheet metal part design.
3

3
Lesson
4 Constructing base features
Purpose
This lesson introduces you to the following:
• Sheet metal base features like tabs, contour flanges, lofted flanges, hem
flanges, and jogs. You will also learn how to create a sheet metal part
from a solid model. 4
• Bending and unbending in Sheet Metal.
• Editing basic flanges.
Objective
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
• Identify key geometric elements necessary to create sheet metal base
features like tab, contour flange, lofted flange, hem flange, jog, and so on.
• Recognize the benefits of different types of base features.
• Identify the key options in the Tab, Contour Flange, Lofted Flange, Hem
Flange, Jog, Sheet Metal from Solid dialog boxes.
• Create and edit sheet metal base features.

Constructing base features
Tab
Use this command to construct a base Tab feature or to add material to
existing faces of a sheet metal part.
The following image shows the key components needed to create a base Tab
feature.
• A planar sketch or section string used for the profile.
• A system-generated vector to determine material thickness and direction.
Secondary Tabs display one vector to indicate the side of the profile where
material will be added.

Tips for creating tabs

• The base Tab feature must be a closed profile.
• You can use an open profile for a secondary Tab. Any open profile must
intersect the base feature at some point.
• It is recommended that you create section curves or sketch curves to

include all required radii for your part.
• Section curves can be either associative or non-associative to existing

geometry.
• You can use the Add Existing Curves sketch option to create your profile,
but you cannot create these curves using the Associative curve option.
4
Where do I find it?
Application Sheet Metal
Command Finder Tab

Tab dialog box
Type Base Creates a base planar feature.

Secondary Creates a planar feature attached to
another sheet metal feature.
Section Sketch Lets you sketch a new profile from

Section within the feature.
Curve Lets you select an existing sketch

from which to create the profile.
Thickness Thickness (Only available when Base is
selected.) Specifies the thickness
of the Tab feature. Secondary Tab
features use the same thickness as
the base feature.
Reverse Reverses the side of the profile on

Direction which the Tab is created. Above the
profile is the default.

The following images show the components of two different construction

options for secondary Tab features.
• A single profile sketch curve was used to add material to the corner.
• An open sketch profile was used to extend the original base Tab feature.

Create a primary tab
1. Choose Home tab®Basic group®Tab .

If there are no other bodies in the part file, NX automatically sets the
Type list to Base Tab.
2. In the Section group, click Sketch Section to create a closed sketch

section for the Tab feature.
To select an existing sketch, click Select Curve .
3. After you have created the sketch, click Finish Sketch to exit the
Sketch task environment.
4. Accept the default side of the sketch section where you want the material
to be.
To reverse the direction in which the material is added, click Reverse
Direction .
5. Accept the default thickness value for the Tab feature.

To specify a value other than the default, clear the Use Global Value
check box, and enter a user-specified value in the Thickness box.
6. Click OK to create the primary Tab feature.

Create a secondary tab across a bend

To create a secondary tab across a bend region, you need to flatten the bend
area, create the tab, then rebend the unbent region. This example uses a part
from a computer video card.
1. Choose Home tab®Form group®Unbend .
2. Select the flat face of the tab as the stationary face, then select the bend.
3. Click OK.

4. Choose Home tab®Basic group®Tab .

In the Type group, Secondary type is selected by default.
5. Click Sketch Section and sketch the profile of the tab you want to add.
6. Select the sketch.
7. Click OK.

8. Use the Rebend command to return the part to its original shape.

Activity: Tab
In the Tab section, do the activity:

• Set global parameters and create a Tab feature

Flange
Use the Flange command to add a flat flange at an angle to a planar face and
add a bend between the two.
A flange consists of a bend region and a web.
= Bend region
= Web
This command lets you:
• Construct simple bent or flanged areas and create an extension of the
base feature to which the flange is attached.
• Create complex flanges. To create these, you must edit the default flange
profile sketch that is used to define the shape of the web portion of the
flange.

• Create sheet metal parts with internal flanges.
• Create flanges on bend regions.

4

• Create a flange on the edge of a deformed face formed by a Dimple feature.

The edge of the deformed face must be linear, and the deformed face must
be parallel to the original planar face on which the Dimple feature was
created.
You can unbend or rebend the flange, or create a Flat Solid feature or a
Flat Pattern feature.
Where do I find it? 4

Command Finder Flange

Flange dialog box
Base Edge Select Edge lets you select a linear edge on which to
place the flange.
Split edges that result from the creation of punch features
cannot be selected as the base edge.

Section Edit Sketch lets you edit the flange profile.

• If you edit the flange profile sketch, the flange is
automatically converted to a custom flange. The
value of the flange length and the flange width
specified in the Flange dialog box no longer
drive the flange.
• The sketch used to create the flange profile

cannot be externalized.
Width
Full Constructs the flange along the full

width of the edge you select. 4

At Center Constructs a flange that is centered

on the edge you select. You can
edit the dimensional value of the
flange width and the flange remains
centered. The default width is one
third the length of the edge you select.
You can set the width of the flange in
the Width box.
At End Constructs the flange starting at the

end you select.
You can set the width of the flange in
the Width box.

From End Constructs the flange using a

dimension from the end of the edge
you select.
You can set the distance of the flange
from the selected edge in the From
End box.
4
From Both Constructs the flange width using
Ends dimensions from both ends of the
edge you select. The default width is
one-third of the edge width.
You can set the distance of the flange
from each end in the Distance 1 and
Distance 2 boxes.

Flange Properties
Match Face Lets you create a flange by matching it to the planar
face of another part.
Length Specifies the length of the flange.
None Constructs a normal flange on the
selected edge.
If you choose this option, you must
specify a length and an angle.
Until Selected Constructs a flange that is limited
by or extended to a face or plane
on another part.
4 If you choose this option, you must

specify a length and select a plane
or face.
Length Reference
Specifies how the web length is measured.
Inside
Measures the distance from the virtual intersection of the tab faces
that are adjacent to the inner bend face to the top of the flange.
Flange length reference – Inside

Outside
Measures the distance from the virtual intersection of the tab faces
that are adjacent to the outer bend face to the top of the flange.
Flange length reference – Outside
Web
Measures the distance from the bend tangent line to the top of
the flange.
Flange length reference – Web

Inset
Specifies how far the flange is inset into the base part.
Material Inside
Insets the flange into the base material such that the outside face
of the web area is flush with the selected edge.
4 Flange inset inside existing material
Material Outside
Insets the flange into the base material such that the inside face of
the web area is flush with the selected edge.
Flange inset outside existing material
Bend Outside
Adds material to the selected edge to form the flange.
Flange bend outside existing material

Offset
Creates an extension of the base feature to which the flange is
attached.
The Reverse Direction option lets you change the direction of the
offset and convert the extension to a reduction.
4
Width Option = At Center,
Width Option = At Center,
Flange Offset direction
Flange Offset = 25 mm
reversed
Bend Parameters and Relief options were covered in the preferences and
defaults section of this course.

Create a flange
This example shows how to create a flange by editing the default flange
profile sketch that is used to define the shape of the web portion of the flange.
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Flange .
2. Select the edge to which you want to add a flange.
4
A preview of the flange appears.
3. In the Width group, from the Width Option list, select Full.
4. In the Flange Properties group, set the flange properties.

For this example:
• Length = 50
• Angle = 90
• Length Reference = Inside
• Inset = Bend Outside
5. Edit the sketch of the flange profile.
a. In the Section group, click Edit Sketch .
b. Edit the sketch as required.

c. Click Finish Sketch to exit the Sketch task environment.
6. In the Bend Parameters group, specify values for the bend radius and
the neutral factor.
7. In the Relief group, select the Extend Relief check box to extend the relief,
and enter the parameters for the bend relief.
For this example:
4
• Bend Relief = Square
• Depth = 3
• Width = 3
• Corner Relief = Bend Only
8. Click OK to create the flange.

Create a flange matched to a face
This example shows how to create a flange by matching it to the planar face
of another part.

For this example:
• Length = 20
• Match Face = Until Selected
• Inset = Material Outside

5. Click on the planar face of the other part.

If the face you select is from another component in an assembly, and you
want the flange to update associatively, on the Top Border bar, toggle on
Create Interpart Link before selecting the face.
The flange is associative to the planar face. If the face changes, the flange
changes with it.

Create a flange on the edge of a deformed face
This example shows how to create a flange on the edge of a deformed face of
a Dimple feature. The Dimple feature is of the closed section type and the
cutout is created on the face parallel to the planar face on which the Dimple
feature is created.

For this example:
• Flange direction = +ZC
• Length = 20
• Match Face = None
• Angle = 90
• Inset = Material Inside

5. In the Offset group, enter an offset value of 10.

4

Editing Flange features
To edit the Flange feature, you double-click the feature either in the Part
Navigator or the graphics window. In the Flange dialog box, you can:
• Edit the profile of the flange using Sketch commands.
• Edit the parameters used to create the feature.
• Override global parameters.
You can relocate the flange from one linear edge to another linear
edge. However, you will need to determine if any additional parametric
relationships need to be recreated or removed in order to complete the edit.
Tips for redefining a Flange profile:
4
• In the Sketch Task Environment, use the Show/Remove Constraints
option to remove any interfering inferred constraints that were created.
• Use the sketch trim commands whenever possible when editing the
original sketch curves. This will help you maintain design intent by
allowing you to keep the original curves and their relationships intact.

Activity: Flange
In the Flange section, do the activities:

• Add flanges to the edges of another flange
• Create additional flanges
• Edit flanges
Project: Mirror Flange
In the Projects section, complete the Mirror Flange exercise.

Contour Flange
Use the Contour Flange command to construct a flange by extruding a sketch
along a vector, or add material by sweeping a sketch along an edge or chain
of edges.
You can:
• Use the Contour Flange as the base feature of a new Sheet Metal part, or
add the feature to existing Sheet Metal features.
• Construct one or more bends at any angle.
• Create a cylindrical contour Flange. This flange can be used to construct

4 features that are wrapped around a cylinder, like parts made by rolling
perforated material.
• Use the Chain option to chain the Contour Flange around multiple
selected edges.
• Miter and close corners between the different Contour Flange sections.
The following example shows a base Contour Flange feature. The bends are
added automatically using the default bend radius value. You do not have
to draw the arcs at each bend location. If you want to use a different bend
radius value, you need to draw arcs in the section, or change the default
bend radius value.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Contour Flange

Contour Flange dialog box

Type Base Creates the Contour Flange feature

as the base feature of a new Sheet
Metal part.
Secondary Adds a Contour Flange feature to

existing Sheet Metal features.
4
You can create secondary contour
flanges around bend edges. If you do
not want to create the contour flange
on the bend region, select only the tab
edges and not the bend edges.
• If there are no Sheet Metal features in the

part, the command creates a base Contour
Flange; otherwise, a secondary Contour Flange
is created.
• If the section for a secondary Contour Flange

starts with an arc, it must be tangent to the face.



When you create a sketch on a path to define the
section geometry, the location of the sketch defines
the start location of the Contour Flange. Be sure to
locate the sketch correctly along the path so that the
Contour Flange is created in the correct location.
Thickness Thickness (Only available when Base is

selected.) Specifies the thickness
of the Contour Flange feature. 4
Secondary Contour Flange features
use the same thickness as the base
feature.
Reverse Reverses the side of the profile on

Direction which the Contour Flange is created.
Above the profile is the default.
The Bend Parameters and Relief options were covered in the preferences and
defaults lesson of this course.

Width options
Finite Projects the profile by a finite width to either side of the

profile plane. You must supply the Width value.
Symmetric Applies half the specified width to each side of the profile.
You must supply the Width value.
4
To End Projects the profile to the end of the selected edge.
Chain Projects the secondary Contour Flange along a chain of

edges that you select.
Reverse Reverses the side of the profile on which the Contour

Direction Flange is created.

Miter options
The Miter group lets you miter (trim diagonally) the start end and the finish
end of the Contour Flange. You can miter them separately or together. You
can also specify the degree of angle for this type of miter.
The example shows a flange mitered at the standard – 45 degree angle.
4
There are two Cutout options available for this type of miter:
Normal to Miters the end of the Contour Flange perpendicular to

Thickness Face the thickness face. It is usually used with a secondary
Contour Flange that is chained around a set of edges on a
base Contour Flange.
Normal to Miters the end of the Contour Flange perpendicular to

Source Face the source face. It is usually used with a Contour Flange
that is chained around a set of edges on a base Tab.
Angle Sets the miter angle for the specified end of the contour
flange. A negative value miters the flange inward and
typically removes material. A positive value miters the
flange outward and typically adds material. With some
complex contour flanges, material can be both added or
removed when an end is mitered.
Miter Using Creates miters perpendicular to the thickness face at
Normal Cutout corners and ensures that you can unbend and rebend
Method the contour flanges in your part. Note that this method
removes more material at the corners, so if you want
water-tight flanges at the corners and are not concerned
about creating a flat pattern of this part, you may prefer
not to use this option.

Miter Interior (Chain width option only) Determines whether a miter

Corners When should be applied, and only does so when the chain
Necessary edges of a Contour Flange span a bend region. In the
following figure, the bend region on the left is too small to
accommodate the flange edges, so they are mitered. The
bend on the right is large enough that it isn't necessary.

Corner options
The Corner group of the dialog box lets you specify whether or not you want
to close interior corners and if so, the type of corner you want to use. If you
select the Close Corner check box, the following Bend Treatment options
will become available:
Close Corner Specifies that you want to close the interior corners. The
bend relief is applied when you close three inside bend
corners.
Open Leaves the corner open but closes the webs of the flanges.
Closed Closes the bent faces of the flange until the edges
intersect. A 45 degree miter is applied to a portion of the
corner with a small gap.
Circular Creates a round cutout.

Cutout
You can specify the diameter of the circular cutout in the
Diameter box.

U Cutout Closes the corner with a U-shaped corner relief.

You can specify the diameter of the U cutout in the
Diameter box.
4 V Cutout Closes the corner with a V-shaped corner relief.

You can specify the diameter and angle of the V cutout in
the Diameter, Angle 1, and Angle 2 boxes.

Create a base contour flange
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Contour Flange .
2. In the Section group, click Sketch Section , and specify the plane on
which you want to sketch the section geometry.
3. Sketch the open section.
4. In the Width group, from the Width Option list, select Symmetric.
5. In the Thickness group, specify the thickness value.

For this example, the default thickness of 3 is used.
You can modify the options available in the Bend Parameters, Relief,
Miter, and Corner groups. For this example, the default values are used.
6. Click OK.

Create a secondary contour flange

In the Type group, Secondary is selected by default because there is
already a sheet metal body in the part.
2. In the Section group, click Sketch Section to create the contour flange
section.
The plane on which you sketch the section must be normal to the edge
on which you are attaching the Contour Flange.
3. Create the open sketch section.

The sketch section must be coincident with an edge on the part.
4. In the Width group, from the Width Option list, select Chain.
5. Select the chain of edges to which you want to attach the Contour Flange
feature.
For this example, the edges are selected by setting the Curve Rule to
Single Curve.
4
6. Click OK.
The following graphic shows the Contour Flange attached to the Tab and
the Flat Pattern view of the part.

Create wrapped features

This procedure shows how to use the Contour Flange command to construct
features that are wrapped around a cylinder. For example, you can use this
procedure to create parts that are made by rolling perforated material.
2. In the Type group, select Base.
3. Sketch an arc that has an included angle of slightly less than 360 degrees.
When you create the arc:
• There must be a slight gap where the ends of the rolled material meet,
else the part will not unbend.
• The material side and the material thickness of the contour flange
must be defined such that it does not close the gap.
4. In the Width group, set the width of the contour flange.

For this example:
• Width Option = Finite
• Width = 60
5. Click OK.

After you have constructed the contour flange, you can unroll it using
the Unbend command.
7. Select an edge of the part, as the stationary edge. 4
8. Select the bend as shown in the following graphic.
If the Preview check box is selected, the unrolled state of the part appears
as shown below.

4
9. Click OK to unbend the part.
You can add features, such as a pattern of holes, to the flattened part,
and then use the Rebend command to re-roll the part. You can fill the
gap by adding an extrude.

Tips and techniques for Contour Flanges
• You can only apply bend reliefs with Contour Flange when the bend
section actually intersects the original edge on which you placed the
flange. In the following graphic, the bend relief of 5 mm wide and 5 mm
deep is selected for both the contour flanges. Note that only the flange
with the bend positioned at the edge has bend relief.
• If the underlying sketch for Contour Flange intersects the part with an
arc section, the arc must be tangent to the top or bottom face of the part
where it intersects the placement edge.
• Any arcs that define the outer face of a bend region must have a radius
greater than the part thickness.

• Certain Contour Flange profiles produce error conditions:

o The following graphic shows an invalid three-point arc for a secondary
Contour Flange. The problem is that the tangent line that is connected
to the edge lies within the plane of the face of that edge.
4
o The following profile, which consists of a combination of lines and
arcs, does not maintain tangent continuity at the intersection of the
arc and line.

Activity: Contour Flange
In the Contour Flange section, do the activities:

• Create and edit a Contour Flange
• Create a secondary Contour Flange
Project: Secondary Contour Flange
In the Projects section, complete the Secondary Contour Flange exercise.

Lofted Flange
Use this command to create a base or secondary feature between two sections,
where the lofted shape is a linear transition between the sections. The two
sections must be open and on parallel reference planes.
You can:
• Create conical bend regions.
• Add bends at each bend location using the Bend Radius option.
You do not need to draw an arc at each bend location.
4 • Create transition regions between two different sections.

The following example shows the type of round-to-square transition that
is used in HVAC technology.

Tips for creating Lofted Flange features

• Section strings must be on parallel planes and must be open profiles.
• Only lofted flanges that consist of planes, partial cylinders, and partial
cones can be flattened.
• Any lofted flange that contains a ruled B-surface cannot be flattened. A

B-surface face is constructed when:
o The start and end section lines have a different relative angle.
o Two section arcs have different start angles, end angles, or total
angles.
o An arc is mapped to a line. 4

• It is recommended that you create any fillet curve geometry needed. The
inside bend radii must be greater than the material thickness for the
Lofted Flange to be created.
• Once you create an internal sketch for a Lofted Flange feature, you cannot
reverse the creation method and make the sketch external to the feature.
• At this time, it is not recommended that you use the Secondary Lofted
Flange.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Lofted Flange

Lofted Flange dialog box

Start Section Specifies the curve you loft from.
Select Lets you select a start section. You

Curve can use a pre-existing sketch or you
can create one. This is the curve you
loft from.
Specify Lets you select a start point or create

Point one on the curve you just selected.
End Section Specifies the curve you loft to.
Select Lets you select an end section. You

Curve can use a pre-existing sketch or you
can create one. It must lie on a plane
parallel to the plane of the start
4
section.
Specify Lets you select a start point on the

Point end section. The point must be on the
same side as the point on the start
section. If the loft is twisted, it will
either fail, or at best will not flatten.
Bend Segments Specifies whether to divide conical bend regions into
multiple segments.
Use Number of Bend Segments specifies
Multi-segment the number of bend segments in a
bends bend region. You can divide a bend
region into a maximum of 24 equal
segments. Drag the slider to specify
the number of segments you want.
The following graphic shows a bend
region divided into 12 segments.
Index Mark Length sets the length of

short lines connected to the edge of
the part along the bend. These lines
help align the metal with the press

brake, and they only appear on the

flat pattern.
The following graphic shows the
same bend region in flat pattern view,
magnified to make the index marks
clearly visible.
Lofted Flange has the standard bend and corner options.

Create a Lofted Flange feature
The following procedure shows how to create a square-to-round transition by

lofting a flange between two sections.
1. Open the Lofted Flange dialog box in one of these ways:
• Choose Home tab®Bend group®Lofted Flange .
• Choose Menu®Insert®Bend®Lofted Flange.
If there are no sheet metal features in the part, a base lofted flange
is created by default.
2. Select the starting curve of the flange that you want to create.
4
3. In the End Section group, click Select Curve, and then select the ending
curve of the flange that you want to create.
4. In the Thickness group, accept the default thickness value of 1.0000.
5. In the Bend Segments group, select the Use Multi-segment Bends check
box to divide the bend regions into the bend segments and then display
them in the graphics window.
For this example:
Number of Bend Segments = 6

6. In the Bend Parameters group, accept the default values of the Bend
Radius and Neutral Factor.
7. In the Relief group, set the following.

For this example:
Bend Relief = Square
4
Depth = 3.0000
Width = 3.0000
Extend Relief =
Corner Relief = Bend Only
8. Click OK to create the lofted flange feature.

Activity: Lofted Flange
In the Lofted Flange section, do the activities:

• Create a Lofted Flange
• Create a multi-segment Lofted Flange

Hem Flange
Use the Hem Flange command to modify an edge of a sheet metal part by
folding it onto itself for the purpose of safe handling or to increase the edge
stiffness.
The hem flange is always created as a secondary feature on a base part. You
can create hem flanges on linear edges and curved edges.
Where do I find it?

Prerequisite You must have a base part.
Command Finder Hem Flange

Hem Flange dialog box
The Hem Flange dialog box illustrates each type of hem and shows the key
dimensions. For example, this is the picture of the Closed type hem, and
shows how the key dimension, which in this case is flange length, is measured.

The parameters in this dialog box change depending on the Type option
that you select.
Type:
• Closed
• Open
• S-Type
4
• Curl
• Open Loop
• Closed Loop
• Centered Loop
The Edge to Hem group requires you to select a placement edge. You can
select either a linear edge or a circular edge.
The hem flange on the circular edge of the Tab feature was created
with Type set to Centered Loop.

Inset Options specify how far the flange is inset into the base part.
Material Insets the hem flange into the base material such that the
Inside outside face of the web area is flush with the selected edge.
Material Insets the hem flange into the base material such that the
Outside inside face of the web area is flush with the selected edge.
Bend Outside Adds material to the selected edge to form the flange.
Bend Parameters vary depending on the type of hem you select.
Flange Length Measures the length of the flange as shown in the bitmap
for that type of hem. For closed types, you only specify
one length. For loop, curl, and S-type flanges, you specify
two lengths.
4
Equal Radii Available for hems with two bends. Specifies that the
radii for both bends are equal.
Bend Radius Sets the radius of the bend for a given hem. For loop, curl,
and S-type hems, specify two radii.
Sweep Angle Available for Open Loop and Centered Loop hems.
Specifies the extent of the curl. The maximum value is
less than 360. The figures below show two open loop
hem flanges with sweep angles of 145 and 350 degrees,
respectively.
The Relief group lets you specify Square relief, Round relief, or no relief.
The Miter section lets you create a simple miter.

Create a hem flange
This example shows how to create a mitered hem flange that spans the edges
of a cutout.
4 1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Hem Flange .
2. From the Curve Rule list, select Single Curve, then select the four edges
of the cutout one after another.
If the hem can be built, you see a preview like this one.

3. Set the following options and accept the defaults for the others:
• Inset Options: Inset = Material Outside
• Bend Parameters: 2. Flange Length = 10
• Relief: Bend Relief = Round
4. Click OK to complete the feature.

Activity: Create and edit Hem Flanges
In the Hem Flange section, do the activity:

• Create and edit Hem Flanges

Jog
Use the Jog command to create an offset or a step in a tab. You can use small
jogs to provide clearance or rigidity to a part. The section for the jog must
consist of a single line across a planar face.
NX creates the jog by lifting material on one side of a sketch line and adding
a flange between the two sides.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Jog

Jog dialog box
Jog Line Select Curve lets you sketch a new profile from
within the feature or select an existing sketch from which
to create the jog line.
Jog Properties Height Specifies the extent of the jog.
Reverse Changes the direction of the jog from

Direction up to down and vice versa.
Reverse Side Changes the side of the part that

moves to create the jog.
Height Reference • Inside applies the dimension

from the selected face to the near
side of the feature.
• Outside applies the

dimension from the selected face
to the far side of the feature.

Inset • Material Inside positions

the portion of the feature that is
perpendicular to the profile plane
inside of the profile plane.
• Material Outside positions

the portion of the feature that's
outside of the profile plane.
• Bend Outside positions both

the portion of the feature that's
and the bend outside of the profile
plane.
4
Extend Section Extends the linear profile you draw to
the edges of the part.

Create a Jog
To create a Jog feature on a tab, or a planar region of a contour flange or

lofted flange:
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Jog .
2. Draw a profile or pick an existing sketch to serve as the Jog Line.

The profile must be a single linear element.
3. (Optional) Click on the drag handle to define the direction in which you
want to create the jog feature.
The drag handle should point toward the portion of the part you want to
move. (The following figures illustrate the results produced by selecting
different jog directions.)

4. Specify the height of the jog.

4
5. Click OK to finish the feature.

Activity: Jog
In the Jog section, do the activity:

• Create Jog features

Bend
Use the Bend command to modify the model by bending material on one side
of a sketch line, and creating a bend between the two sides.
You can create a bend:
• On a planar area on a sheet metal part.
4
• Across existing Bead, Dimple, or Drawn Cutout features. When you create
such bends, the bend line must pass completely through the deformed
features.
In the example, a bend is created across an existing Bead feature.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Bend

Bend dialog box
Bend Line Select Curve lets you create the profile for the bend line.
Sketch Lets you sketch a profile from within

Section the feature.


Bend Properties Lets you define the shape of the Bend feature.
Angle
Lets you specify the angle of the bend. This value
must be greater than zero and less than 360 degrees.
Reverse Direction
Changes the direction of the bend from up to down
and vice versa.
Reverse Side
Switches the side of the part that moves to create the
bend.
Inset
4
Outer Mold Line Profile
Specifies that the profile represents the line created
by the junction between the planar stationary region
and the cylindrical bend region in the flattened state.
Bend Center Line Profile

Specifies that the profile line represents the center
line of the bend, and that the bend region will be
distributed evenly on either side of the profile in the
flattened state.
Inner Mold Line Profile

Specifies that the profile represents the line created
by the junction of the planar web region and the
cylindrical bend region in the flattened state.

The image below shows the formation for the

first three Inset options. The colored line at the
bottom of the image indicates the plane of the
sketch curve.
1: Outer Mold 2: Bend Center 3: Inner Mold

4 Line Profile Line Profile Line Profile
Material Inside
Positions the portion of the feature that is
perpendicular to the profile plane inside the profile
plane.
Material Outside
Positions the portion of the feature that's
perpendicular to the profile plane outside of the profile
plane.
Extend Section Extends the linear profile you draw to the edges of the
part.

Create a bend on a tab
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Bend .
2. Click Sketch Section to specify the plane on which you want to

sketch the section geometry.
For this example, the planar face of the Tab feature is selected.
3. Create the sketch to define the bend center line.
4. Click Finish Sketch to exit the Sketch task environment.

5. In the Bend Properties group:

a. Angle = 60
4
b. Click Reverse Direction to reverse the bend direction.
c. Click Reverse Side to change the side of the part to move. The
direction arrow points towards the portion that will move.

6. Click OK to create the bend.

Unbend
Use this command to unbend a portion of the part to construct a cutout or
a hole across the bend. You can then apply a rebend on top of the unbend
feature to represent the true formed state of the model.
4
You can:
• Unbend non-uniform thickness bends that are created when you apply
blends or chamfers, or create counterbored holes, countersunk holes, or
tapered holes in the bend region. After the unbend operation, NX retains
the features that you apply or create in the bend region.
The example shows a part modeled in the Sheet Metal application using
features such as Extrude, Revolve, Draft, and Edge Blend in the bend
region. These features are retained when you unbend the Sheet Metal
part.
• Unbend non-uniform thickness bends that are created across conical

bends.

Do not use the Unbend command to create a flat pattern. Use the Flat
Solid command to create a flat representation of the formed sheet
metal part, and then use the Flat Pattern command to create a solid or
wireframe flat representation of a 3D sheet metal part.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Unbend

Unbend dialog box
Stationary Face Select Face or Edge lets you select the edge to
or Edge be retained as the stationary edge during the unbend
operation.
Bend Select Bend lets you select the bend you want to
perform the unbend operation on.
Additional Select Curve or Point lets you select curves or

Curves or Points points to be transformed to their flattened state.
For example, you can flatten a pattern of points on a
lofted flange.

You can use these curves and points later to create holes
and cutouts.
Settings Hide Original Curves lets you choose whether to display
or hide the original curves and points in the output.

Unbend a part
2. Select a planar face that remains stationary during the unbending

operation.
3. Select the bends you want to unbend.
4. Click OK to unbend the part.
If you create a part that intersects itself at any point during its
development, either when creating it or when unbending or rebending,
any further unbend or rebend operations may result in an error. If this
happens, roll the part back to the step before the self-intersection and
try to correct the self-intersecting condition.

Create cuts in bend regions
This example shows the typical workflow for making holes or similar cuts in
Sheet Metal. You unbend any bend regions that the cuts will intersect, make
the cuts, and then rebend the bend areas.
You will use the Unbend, Hole, and Rebend commands.
1. Click Unbend .
2. Select the stationary face. 4
3. Select the bend region that you want to unbend.
4. Click Hole .
NX unbends the bend and opens the Hole dialog box.

5. Select the flattened bend region as the sketch placement plane.
6. In the Sketch task environment, sketch a circle as shown and click Finish
Sketch .
7. In the Hole dialog box, set the following:

• Type = General Hole
• Form and Dimensions group

Form = Simple
Dimensions subgroup
Depth Limit = Through Body

8. Click Rebend .
4
NX creates the hole and opens the Rebend dialog box.
9. Select the bend region that you want to rebend.
10. Click OK to rebend the part and close the Rebend dialog box.

Rebend
Use the Rebend command to reverse an unbend operation so that the feature
that was unbent returns to its previous bent state. Any features added after
the unbend operation are properly repositioned during the rebend operation.
You can:
• Specify a face or an edge that remains stationary during the rebend
operation, to control the positioning of the resultant body. If you do not
specify a stationary face or edge, the selected unbend feature reverts to
its original position after the rebend operation.
• Rebend non-uniform thickness bends that are created when you apply
blends or chamfers, or create counterbored holes, countersunk holes, or
4 tapered holes in the bend region. After the rebend operation, NX retains
the features that you apply or create in the bend region. Conical bends
are also supported.
The example shows a part modeled in the Sheet Metal application using
features such as Extrude, Revolve, Draft, and Edge Blend in the bend
region. These features are retained when you rebend the Sheet Metal part.

The Rebend command lets you rebend individual bend regions that have
previously been modified with the Unbend command.
Original sheet metal part
Part flattened using the Unbend operation

4
Normal Cutout feature added to the sheet

metal part
After the Rebend operation, the Normal

Cutout feature is also repositioned
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Rebend

Rebend dialog box
Stationary Face Select Face or Edge lets you select the edge to
or Edge be retained as the stationary edge during the rebend
operation.
You can control the positioning of the resultant body after
the rebend operation.
Original sheet metal part
Flattened sheet metal part
Rebend generated without specifying a stationary

face. The resulting bend is positioned at its default
location.

Rebend generated using a stationary face for

reference. The positioning of the resulting bend is
changed.
Bend Select Bend lets you select the unbend feature to

rebend.
4

Rebend a part
This example shows how to rebend an unbend feature using a stationary

face for reference.
1. Choose Home tab®Form group®Rebend .
2. In the Rebend dialog box, in the Stationary Face or Edge group, click
Select Face or Edge .
3. In the graphics window, select the face to be retained as the stationary

face during the rebend operation.
4. Select the unbend feature that you want to rebend.

A preview of the rebend operation appears.

5. Click OK to rebend the selected bend.
If you create a part that intersects itself at any point during its
development, either when creating it or when unbending or rebending,
any further unbend or rebend operations may result in an error. If
this happens, use the Edit with Rollback command to roll the part
back to the step before the self-intersection, and try to correct the
self-intersecting condition.

Activity: Bending sheet metal

In the Bending Sheet Metal section, do the activities:
• Add bends to a flat feature
• Unbend and rebend features

Sheet Metal from Solid
Use the Sheet Metal from Solid command to create a sheet metal part using
a solid to model it. The solid represents the inner void of an enclosure. You
select the faces from the solid to be panel (web) faces, and edges between
the faces to be bend regions. You specify bend properties, or use the ones
you established in the Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box. NX creates the
model based on your inputs. You can then treat this part as you would any
other sheet metal part.
Solid Resulting sheet metal part
When you use the Sheet Metal from Solid command, you can directly
perform sheet metal operations on the resulting part without using the
Convert to Sheet Metal command.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Sheet Metal from Solid

Sheet Metal from Solid dialog box
Web Faces Select Web Face lets you select planar faces for your
sheet metal part. The faces do not have to belong to the
same body, but they must touch along linear edges. They
can belong either to sheet bodies or to solid bodies.
Bend Edges Select Bend Edge lets you select edges to be

converted to bend regions. When possible, the software
determines the bend edges automatically. If the location
of bend edges is ambiguous, you must select the desired
edges.
Thickness Thickness specifies the thickness of the sheet metal part.
Reverse Thickens the part in the opposite direction.

Direction

Preview Show Result Shows a preview of the result.

Note that for performance reasons, the preview is an
approximation only and may not exactly match the
resulting part.

Create a sheet metal part from a solid part
1. Create a solid part in Modeling.

Surface features such as holes will be reflected in the sheet metal part.
2. Start the Sheet Metal application.
3. Choose Home tab®Basic group®Sheet Metal from Solid .
4. Select the web faces that you want to include in your sheet metal part.
As long as there is only one logical bend option, you see a preview of the
result. If you select faces where there is more than one choice of bends,
4 you get the following warning: Ambiguous bend edges must be resolved.
Select appropriate bend edges.
In this example, two faces are selected, and only one bend region is shared
between them, so you see a preview.
After the top face is selected, the preview disappears, and the warning
message appears.

5. Select bend edges.

If you select an appropriate combination of faces and edges (creating a
part that can be flattened), the preview reappears.
6. By default, the sheet metal part is thickened on the outside of the solid
model. Reverse the direction to thicken it in the opposite direction. 4
7. Click OK to create the sheet metal part.
Here is the flat solid view of the same part.

Activity: Sheet Metal from Solid
In the Sheet Metal from Solid section, do the activity:

• Convert faces of a solid model to a sheet metal part

Summary: Constructing base features

In this lesson you:
• Learned about key geometric elements necessary to create sheet metal
base features like tabs, contour flanges, lofted flanges, hem flanges, jogs,
and so on.
• Identified the benefits of different types of base features.
• Identified the key options in the Tab, Contour Flange, Lofted Flange,
Hem Flange, Jog, Sheet Metal from Solid dialog boxes.
• Created and edit sheet metal base features.

4
Lesson
5 Sheet Metal corners
Purpose
This lesson introduces you to the different types of corner treatments.
Objectives
• Identify the key elements and conditions required to create closed and
three-bend corners. You will also learn how to round or chamfer sharp
corners.
• Become familiar with the corner relief options available.

5
• Use the different types of corner treatments.

Sheet Metal corners
Closed Corner
Use the Closed Corner command to close the corner where two flanges meet.
During flattening, the corner and relief geometry are made appropriate for a
flat pattern.
5 When you use the Closed Corner command, you can create:
Mitered closed corners on bends that have unequal bend radii or bend
angles.

Sheet Metal corners
Overlapping webs with mitered corners. This is applicable for the Close
and Relief type of Closed Corner feature.
Corners between flanges that bend in opposite directions.
Corners between a wide range of corner angles.

The example shows closed corners where all the corner angles have
different values.

Sheet Metal corners
Mitered closed corners with a smooth transition from the miter to the
cutout edges for the Circular Cutout, U Cutout, V Cutout, or Rectangular
Cutout type of corner treatment options.
This smooth transition ensures that any jerks or jitters while tracing
the tool path are avoided.
Reliefs without creating a corner.
As a best practice, apply bend and corner relief elements before you
create a Closed Corner. This allows you to start with a clean corner.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Closed Corner

Sheet Metal corners
Closed Corner dialog box
Type Close and Relief Closes the corner so that the edges
of the flanges meet or have a narrow
gap.
Relief Trims the adjoining flanges according
to the shape of the relief.
Bends to Close Select Adjacent Bends lets you select the bends that
meet at the corner you want to close. The bends must
share the same edge, but can bend in opposite directions.
The bends can have different angles, or radii.

Sheet Metal corners
Corner Treatment specifies the relief and its shape.

Properties
These illustrations show corner relief with no offset.
Open
Closed
5
Circular Cutout
U Cutout

Sheet Metal corners
V Cutout
Rectangular Cutout
5
Overlap Closed Brings the inside edges of the corner
together.
Overlapping Extends one edge. You can specify

the extent of overlap in the Overlap
Ratio box. The overlap ratio must be
between the range 0<=1.
The following example shows an
overlap ratio of 1 and a gap of 1 mm.
The order in which you pick the

flanges controls their relative
positions. The second bend you
pick will be the one on top.

Sheet Metal corners
Gap Specifies the amount of gap between the edges.

It is the distance between the intersection of inner flange
faces and the flange side face. The gap cannot be negative
or greater than the material thickness.
The following figure shows a gap of 1 mm with no overlap.
The gap is the distance from the projected intersection

of the two flanges back to the original flange. In the
following figure, the distance of 0.05, not 0.07, would be
entered to get the displayed gap.
Miter Corner Available when Type is set to Close and Relief and
Treatment is set to Closed, Circular Cutout, U Cutout, V
Cutout, or Rectangular Cutout.
Removes bumps or burrs in corners and creates a gap
so that it is possible to create the cut in the flat state of
the solid.
Blend Miter Available when Type is set to Close and Relief and
Treatment is set to Circular Cutout, U Cutout, V Cutout,
or Rectangular Cutout.
Creates a smooth transition from the miter to the cutout
edges for these types of corner treatment options. This
smooth transition ensures that any jerks or jitters are
avoided while tracing the tool path.

Sheet Metal corners
Overlap Ratio Appears when Overlap is set to Overlapping.

Specifies the amount of overlap, which must be greater
than 0 and no more than 1.
Relief Properties Origin specifies the location of the relief's center point.
Bend Center Locates the center point at the
intersection of the bisection of the
corner angle between the two bends
and the centerline of the first bend
you picked.
Corner Point Locates the center point at the

5
intersection of the inner bend lines.
Diameter Specifies the diameter of the cutout. The Legend

illustrates how the diameter is measured for each relief
type.
Offset Specifies an offset from the origin of the cutout.
No offset

Sheet Metal corners
Offset = 10
Offset = – 5
Angle 1, Angle 2 Appears when Treatment is set to V Cutout.

Specifies the angles of the sides of the V measured from
the bisection of the corner angle between the two bends.
Length, Width Appears when Treatment is set to Rectangular Cutout.
Specifies the length and width of the sides of the rectangle.
5 Legend Illustrates the relief shape and parameters for each type.

Sheet Metal corners
Close a corner across two adjacent bends

This example shows how to close a corner between two bends. The closed
corner has a circular cutout type of corner relief treatment.
1. Choose Home tab®Corner group®Closed Corner .

5
2. From the Type list, select Corner and Relief.
3. Select the bends adjacent to the corner you want to close.
4. In the Corner Properties group, specify the corner parameters.

For this example:
• Treatment = Circular Cutout
• Overlap = Closed
• Gap = 0
• Miter Corner =
• Blend Miter =
5. In the Relief Properties group, specify the relief parameters.

• Origin = Bend Center
• Diameter = 5
• Offset = 2.5
6. Click OK to close the corner.

Sheet Metal corners
Activity: Closed Corner

In the Sheet Metal Corners section, do the activity:
• Create closed corners
• Close uneven corners

Sheet Metal corners
Three Bend Corner

Use the Three Bend Corner command to close corners where three adjacent
bends with equal or unequal bend radii or bend angles meet. The corner is
closed by extending the bends and flanges.
In the example, the three adjacent bends have unequal bend radii and bend
angles.
5
You can:
• Create a mitered three bend corner to avoid intersecting flanges.
• Blend the mitered edges and create a smooth transition from the mitered
edge to the cutout edge to avoid jerks or jitters while tracing the tool path.

Sheet Metal corners
• Add offsets to the cutouts that are created at the corner where three
adjacent bends meet. You can create the offset from the center of the bend
or from the corner point of the bend.
Offset = 0 mm Offset (1) = 6 mm
• Specify the width of the gap between overlapping flanges in the flattened
state by setting a Flange Clearance value.
Flange Clearance = 0 mm Flange Clearance = 3 mm
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Three Bend Corner

Sheet Metal corners
Three Bend Corner dialog box
Bends to Close Select Adjacent Bends lets you select the bend faces
adjacent to the corner.

Sheet Metal corners
Corner Treatment specifies the way the corner is treated.

Properties
Open
Closed
Circular Cutout
You can specify the diameter of the circular cutout

in the Diameter box.
U Cutout
You can specify the diameter of the U cutout in the

Diameter box.
1 Origin
2 Diameter

Sheet Metal corners
V Cutout
You can specify the diameter and angles of the V

cutout in the Diameter, Angle 1, and Angle 2 boxes.
1 Diameter
2 Angle 1
3 Angle 2

Sheet Metal corners
Close a corner where three adjacent bends meet

This example shows how to close a corner where three adjacent bends that
have equal bend radii meet. You will close the corner using the Circular
Cutout corner treatment option.
5
1. Choose Home tab®Corner group®Three Bend Corner .
2. Select the bend faces adjacent to the corner.
3. In the Corner Properties group, from the Treatment list, select Circular
Cutout.
4. In the Relief Properties group, specify the diameter of the circular cutout.
For this example, Diameter = 8.

Sheet Metal corners
5. Click OK to create the Three Bend Corner feature.

Sheet Metal corners
Activity: Three Bend Corner

• Close a corner where three adjacent bends meet

Sheet Metal corners
Break Corner
Use the Break Corner command to round or chamfer sharp corners of a tab
or flange.
When you create blends on thick edges, to save design time, you can filter
out invalid edges.
Where do I find it?
Application Sheet Metal and Flexible Printed Circuit Design
Command Finder Break Corner

Sheet Metal corners
Break Corner dialog box
Edge to Break Select Edge lets you specify the edge whose corners
you want to fillet or chamfer.
5 Break Properties Method

Let you specify the method for the corner and
parameters for the method you select.
Blend Gives you a rounded corner.
Radius (Only available when Blend is

selected.) Lets you specify a
radius for the blended corner.
Chamfer Gives you an angled corner.

Sheet Metal corners
Distance (Only available when Chamfer

is selected.) Lets you specify a
distance from the corner point.

Sheet Metal corners
Round a sharp corner on a tab

This example shows how to round the sharp corners of a tab.
1. Choose Home tab®Corner group®Break Corner .

In the Edge to Break group, the Select Edge option is active.
2. Select the face of the tab.
3. In the Break Properties group, for this example, set the following:
Method = Blend
5 Radius = 10
4. Click OK to round the sharp corners.

Sheet Metal corners
Activity: Break Corner

• Remove sharp corners

Sheet Metal corners
Summary: Sheet Metal corners

Corner treatments help complete your design.
In this lesson you:
• Identified the key elements and conditions required to create two different
types of sheet metal corners.
• Learned how to remove sharp corners from your part.
• Became familiar with the corner dialog boxes.
• Used different types of corner treatments.

Lesson
6 Sheet Metal cutouts
Purpose
Creating different types of sheet metal cutouts is an essential part of
designing usable sheet metal parts.
Objectives
• Identify the key elements and conditions needed to create cutouts using
the Normal Cutout and Extrude commands.
• Explain and use the options available in the Normal Cutout dialog box.
• Create Normal Cutout features.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Normal Cutout
Sheet Metal cutouts let you create unique shapes that define material to be
removed from a formed or flat solid sheet metal part.
Cutout features are generally added to a sheet metal part after all bend
geometry has been created.
There are two methods for creating planar cutouts:
• Use Normal Cutout to create cuts by projecting a sketch onto the model
and then cutting perpendicular to the faces intersected by the projection.
The thickness faces always maintain their perpendicularity to the top
and bottom faces of your part. You can create cutout profiles with planar
sketches or 3D curves.
Normal cutouts are particularly useful when you want to make cuts
across bend regions The feature is also useful when you need to unbend
and rebend sheet metal parts, because non-perpendicular thickness faces
created with Extrude- Subtract may be deformed during Unbend and
Rebend operations.

Sheet Metal cutouts
• Use Extrude to create a cutout that is normal to the plane or surface the
profile section curves were created on.
The extruded body cutout allows you to create the extrusion in two
directions as well as to place draft on the tool solid.
However, you will not be able to maintain a constant sheet metal thickness
if the section curves are not created parallel to the faces you wish the
cutout to go through.
Tips for creating Normal Cutout features 6

• Your section string profile can be either open or closed.
• You can create section curves or sketch on a plane other than the face
that will contain the cutout.

Sheet Metal cutouts
• Overbuild your cutout sections when removing material that extends

beyond the edge of the part. This will ensure that the resulting edge will
be clean.
• Bend Parameter and Relief options are not available, so you should create
sketch curves that include all required radii for your part.
• Linear cutout edges can be used to create additional features such as

Secondary Contour Flanges.
6 • You can use 3D curves and planar curves to create a Normal Cutout
feature.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Normal Cutout

Sheet Metal cutouts
Normal Cutout dialog box
Type Specifies the way the profile is created, using a planar

sketch or 3D curves. 6
Sketch Specifies a sketch that you select or
create on a planar face of the part.
3D Curves Specifies a profile created from three
dimensional curves that lie on a part
face.
Section Select Curve Lets you select a sketch or create one
when you select Sketch from the Type
list. The sketch must lie on a planar
face of the part. If you create an
open profile, you can use the direction
arrow to specify which portion is cut
out, and which is retained.
Lets you select 3D curves when you

select 3D Curves from the Type list.
The profile can be created using a
variety of Modeling tools, such as
Curve on Surface.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Cutout Cut Method

Properties
• Thickness compensates for the material
thickness of the part by projecting the profile onto
both layer faces, inner and outer (top/bottom),
then thickening the resulting surface into a solid
tool, and removing the tool from the base part.
Thickness cut
• Mid-Plane projects the profile onto the

mid-plane of the sheet metal part, then thickens
the resulting surface into a tool body. Usually, the
Thickness option consumes more material than
6 the Mid-Plane option.
Mid-Plane cut
Limits
• Value lets you define the extent of the cutout

manually, either by dragging the depth handle or
by entering the distance in the Depth box.

Sheet Metal cutouts
• Between lets you define the extent of the

cutout by selecting two parallel planes or faces.
• Until Next extends the cutout to the first

edge encountered.
• Through All extends the cutout through the

whole part.
• The Symmetric Depth check box is only available

when you select Value. This option creates a cut
area symmetric in both directions from the sketch
plane.
In the example below, a single internal sketch was created on a

mid-plane and the Normal Cutout was created using the Value option,
with Symmetric Depth selected.
If the walls of the part move, the plane, and therefore the sketch,
adjusts accordingly.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Create a Normal Cutout using a sketch
1. Choose Home tab®Feature group®Normal Cutout .
2. In the Type list, select Sketch.
3. In the Section group, click Sketch Section and create the open section on
the XC-YC plane as shown in the following graphic.

6

Sheet Metal cutouts
5. In the Cutout Properties group, set the following:

• Cut Method = Thickness
• Limits = Through All
6. In the graphics window, double-click the section arrow to reverse the

direction of the cutout.

Sheet Metal cutouts
7. Click OK to create the normal cutout.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Activity: Sheet Metal cutouts
In the Sheet metal cutouts section, do the activities:

• Create cutouts
• Create a Normal Cutout feature on a curved surface
Project: Create cutouts across bend regions
In the Projects section, complete the Create cutouts across bend regions
exercise.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Bend Taper
Use the Bend Taper command to create tapered edges on one or both sides of
the bend or web.
You can create tapers on:
• Flanges, contour flanges, jogs, or any other bend or web.

In the example, a taper is created symmetrically on both sides of the bend.
• Split faces.
6 In the example, a taper is created on both sides of the bend. The taper
angle is 15 degrees for the bend and 10 degrees for the web.
Where do I find it?
Application Sheet Metal and Flexible Printed Circuit Design
Command Finder Bend Taper

Sheet Metal cutouts
Bend Taper dialog box
Bend Face lets you select the bend face that you want to taper.
When you select a bend face, the arrows indicate the direction in which the
edges of the bend and web are tapered.
Taper Properties specifies parameters for the tapers.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Taper Sides Specifies how the tapers will behave.

Both
Tapers both ends of the bend and web, with different
taper values for each end.
Side 1
Tapers only the first side. The sides are identified in
the graphics window.
Side 2
Tapers only the second side.
Symmetric
Tapers both sides equally, so Bend and Web Angle
values are only available for Taper Side 1.
Reverse Direction
Appears when the taper can be created in an alternate
direction.
Reverses the taper direction.
In the examples, the alternate taper directions for the
selected bend are shown.
6
Taper Definition Side 1/ Taper Definition Side 2 specify the Bend and Web
taper parameters for each side.

Sheet Metal cutouts
(Bend) Taper
Linear
Creates a tapered bend using the specified taper angle
or taper distance value. The resulting feature is the
same as the existing Bend Taper feature. All legacy
Bend Taper features will be converted to the Linear
type of Bend Taper feature with the specified taper
angle.
Tangent
Creates a tapered bend that is tangent to the web, at
the specified taper distance. 6
In the flattened view, the edge of the taper is tangent
to the bend and the web.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Square
Removes material from the web at the specified
distance. No taper is applied to the bend.
Infer Radius Appears when Taper is set to Tangent.

Infers the radius value when NX creates a curved edge
that is tangent to the bend and the web.
Start Radius and Appear when the Infer Radius check box is not selected.
End Radius
Set the start and end radius value to create a curved edge
that is tangent to the bend and the web.
Input Method Appears when Taper is set to Linear.
6
Angle
Tapers the bend using the specified value for the taper
angle.
Distance
Tapers the bend using the specified value for the taper
distance.
Taper Angle Appears when Input Method is set to Angle.

Sets the taper angle value for the bend.
Taper Distance Appears when Input Method is set to Distance.
Sets the taper distance value for the bend.

Sheet Metal cutouts
(Web) Taper None

Tapers only the bend.
In the example, a symmetric taper is applied to the
bend. The taper angle for the bend is 45 degrees.
Face
Tapers the bend and the adjacent web. The web taper
6
is terminated at the next bend. You can specify a
different value for the taper angle of the web.
bend and the web. The taper angle is 45 degrees for
the bend and 5 degrees for the web.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Face Chain
Tapers the selected bend and all the webs and bends
in the chain using the specified taper angle value.
You can specify a different value for the taper angle
of the web.
selected bend and all the bends and the webs in the
6 chain. The taper angle is 45 degrees for the bend and
5 degrees for the web.
Taper Angle Appears when Taper is set to Face or Face Chain.

Sets the taper angle value for the web.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Create a symmetric taper on a bend and the web
This example shows how to create a symmetric taper on both sides of a

selected bend and the web.
1. Choose Home tab®Corner group®Bend Taper .
2. Select the bend you want to taper.
The arrows indicate the direction in which the edges of the bend
and web are tapered. To create a taper on the opposite side of the
bend, click Reverse Direction .
3. In the Taper Properties group, from the Taper Sides list, select 6
Symmetric.
4. In the Taper Definition Side 1 group, set the taper parameters for both
sides.
For this example:
• In the Bend subgroup:

Taper = Linear
Input Method = Angle
Taper Angle = 10
• In the Web subgroup:

Taper = Face
Taper Angle = 10

Sheet Metal cutouts
5. Click OK to create the taper.

Sheet Metal cutouts
Activity: Bend Taper
In the Bend Taper section, do the activity:

• Taper the sides of a switch box cover

Sheet Metal cutouts
Summary: Sheet Metal cutouts

Sheet metal cutouts allow you to create unique shapes that you can use to
remove material from a formed or flat solid sheet metal part. The Normal
Cutout feature will remove material normal to the part while maintaining
uniform thickness requirements.
In this lesson, you:
• Identified the key elements and conditions needed to create cutout
features and tapered bends.
• Became familiar with the options available for creating Normal Cutout
and Bend Taper features.
• Created Normal Cutout and Bend Taper features.

Lesson
7 Sheet Metal deform features
Purpose
Punch type features or deform features are commonly used to create
indentation, vents, and cutouts in sheet metal design.
Objectives
• Recognize the types of deform features such as Dimple, Lover, Drawn
Cutout, Bead, Solid Punch, and Gusset.
• Know how and when to create deform features in sheet metal parts.

Sheet Metal deform features
Dimple
Use this command to lift an area of the model inside a sketch that simulates
a stamping tool.
You can create:
• An indentation in a sheet metal part using a sketched section as the
dimple outline.
Like the Drawn Cutout command, the Dimple command makes an
indentation in the sheet metal part, using a sketched section as its
outline. The difference between the two is that a Dimple feature has a
bottom face whereas a Drawn Cutout feature does not.
The examples show open and closed section types of Dimple features.
• A Dimple feature across cylindrical bends in the unbent state. An open

or closed section type of the Dimple feature can be created across a bend
and a planar face, or completely inside the bend.

• To create Dimple features across bends, the Unbend, Dimple, and

Rebend features have to be created in NX 8.5 or later.
• You cannot flatten a Dimple feature.
• A Dimple feature that intersects an inside bend face must have a

depth that is less than the inside bend radius.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Dimple

Dimple dialog box


7
Dimple Depth
Properties Specifies the extent of the dimple.
Reverse Direction
Reverses the direction of the Dimple.

Side Angle
Specifies the taper angle for the dimple. The angle
is measured relative to the default sidewall angle of
90 degrees.
In the following example, the Dimple feature is
created with a side angle of 20 degrees. The original
section sketch is rectangular, but the section corners
are rounded. There is no rounding for the die or the
punch.
Depth Reference
Inside
Measures the dimension from the sketch profile to
the inside face of the dimple.
7
Outside
Measures the dimension from the sketch profile to
the outside face of the dimple.

Sidewalls
Material Outside
Specifies that the sidewalls for the dimple are
constructed so that they lie outside the profile.
Material Inside
Specifies that the sidewalls for the dimple are
constructed so that they lie inside the profile.
Rounding Round Dimple Lets you supply values for the

Edges dimple's punch and die radii.
Punch Radius
and Die Radius The value entered in the Punch
Radius box is used to round the edges
at the bottom of the Dimple feature
(1).
The value entered in the Die Radius
box is used to round the edges at the
base of the Dimple feature (2).
Round Section Specifies that you want to round any
7 Corners sharp corners in the section.
This option allows you to draw the
section without arcs. If you select this
check box, you must supply a Corner
Radius value. You cannot select this
option if you use a circular section.
Validation Lets you establish a Minimum Tool Clearance between
Parameters features that is required by the punching tool.
A Checkmate license is required to run this
validation.

Create a dimple
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Dimple .
2. In the Section group, click Sketch Section to create a sketch that defines
the section geometry.
For this example, the sketch is created on the face of the tab.
7
A closed section must not touch any part edges.
If you want to use an open section, the open ends must intersect the part
edges. If you create an open section where the curves do not intersect
the outer edges of the part, NX extends the ends of the section curves
tangentially until they either intersect one another or intersect the edges
of the part.
3. In the Dimple Properties group, specify the depth parameters for the
Dimple feature.
For this example:
• Depth = 8
• Depth Reference = Inside

• Side Walls = Material Outside
4. In the Rounding group, specify the parameters to round the edges of

the Dimple feature.
For this example:
• Round Dimple Edges =
• Punch Radius = 0.5
• Die Radius = 1
• Round Section Corners =
• Corner Radius = 0.5
5. Click OK to create the Dimple feature.

Activity: Dimple
In the Sheet Metal deform features section, do the activity:

• Create a Dimple feature

Louver
Use this command to create a customized vent by piercing the model along
a single sketch line.
Louver features cannot be flattened.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Louver

Louver dialog box
Louver Depth Specifies the extent of the louver,

Properties measured from the base surface to the
top of the louver. The louver depth 7
(D) must be equal to or less than
the louver width minus the material
thickness.
Reverse Changes the direction of the louver to

Direction the opposite side of the base part.
Width Specifies the width of the louver,
measured from the Cut Line to the
front edge. The width must be less
than half the section length.

Reverse Moves the louver to the other side of

Direction the Cut Line (profile).
Louver Shape • Formed gives you a rounded

shape with closed ends.
• Lanced gives you squared-off

open ends.
Rounding Round Louver Gives you a fillet at the edge where

Edges the louver meets the flat surface.
If you select this option, you must
supply a value for Die Radius.
Validation Lets you establish the Minimum Tool Clearance between
Parameters features that is required by the punching tool.
7 validation.

Create a Louver
In the following example, the part is 3 mm thick. This value, combined with
the length of the section, determines the maximum values for louver depth
and width.
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Louver .
2. Select an existing curve or click Sketch Section to create the profile.

The profile must be a single linear element.
For this example, the profile is 50 mm long.
3. In the Louver dialog box, select louver options.

For this example, the following options were selected:
• Width = 20 mm. (It must be less than the length divided by 2, or 25

mm.) 7
• Depth = 15 mm (It must be less than the width minus material
thickness, or 17 mm.)
• Louver Shape = Formed

4. Click OK to finish the louver.

Activity: Louver

• Create a Louver feature
Project: Create a pattern of louvers
In the Projects section, complete the Create a pattern of louvers exercise.

Drawn Cutout
Use this command to cut an area of the model inside a sketch that simulates
a stamping tool.
Similar to the Dimple command, the Drawn Cutout command makes an
indentation in the sheet metal part, using a sketched section as its outline.
The difference between the two is that a Dimple feature has a bottom face
whereas the Drawn Cutout feature does not.
You can also create a Drawn Cutout feature across cylindrical bends in the
unbent state. The Drawn Cutout feature can have an open or a closed section.
• To create Drawn Cutout features across bends, the Unbend, Drawn

Cutout, and Rebend features have to be created in NX 8.5 or later.
7 Features such as Unbend, Rebend, Flat Solid, Resize Bend Angle,
and Flat Pattern will work with such Drawn Cutout features only if
created in NX 8.5 or later.
• You cannot flatten a Drawn Cutout feature.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Drawn Cutout

Drawn Cutout dialog box
Section Specifies the extent of the cutout.

7
Select Lets you sketch a curve or select an
Curve existing one.
A closed section must not touch any
part edges. If you want to use an open
section, the open ends must intersect
the part edges.

Cutout Depth Lets you specify the depth of the

Properties cutout.
Reverse Reverses the direction of the cutout to

Direction the opposite side of the base part.
Side Angle Lets you specify the taper angle for

the cutout.
In the following example, the Drawn
Cutout feature is created with a side
angle of 10 degrees. The cutout edges
are rounded with a die radius of 2
degrees. There is no rounding for the
section corners.
7
Sidewalls Material Outside
Specifies that the sidewalls for
the cutout are constructed so that
they lie outside the section.
Material Inside
Specifies that the sidewalls for
the cutout are constructed so that
they lie inside the section.

Rounding Round Cutout Lets you supply values for the cutout’s
Edges die radius.
Round Cutout Edges
Round Cutout Edges
Round Section Specifies that you want to round any

Corners sharp corners in the section.
This option allows you to draw the
section without arcs. If you select this
check box, you must supply a Corner
Radius value. You cannot use this
option if you have a circular section.
Round Section Corners

Round Section Corners
The Validation Parameters section of the dialog box lets you establish a
Minimum Tool Clearance between features that is required by the punching
tool.
A Checkmate license is required to run this validation.

Create a drawn cutout
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Drawn Cutout .
2. In the Section group, click Sketch Section to create a sketch that defines
the section geometry.
For this example, the sketch is created on the face of the tab.
A closed section must not touch any part edges.

If you want to use an open section, the open ends of the section must
intersect the part edges.
3. In the Cutout Properties group, specify the following parameters:

• Depth = 10
• Side Walls = Material Outside
4. In the Rounding group:

7
• Round Cutout Edges =
• Die Radius = 2
• Round Section Corners =
• Corner Radius = 2

5. Click OK to finish the feature.

Activity: Drawn Cutout

• Create a Drawn Cutout

Bead
Use this command to lift material along the contour of a sketch that simulates
a stamping tool. Beads can also be created to stiffen sheet metal parts.
You can:
• Specify the shape of the bead cross section and the type of end condition
treatment you want.
The following example shows a Bead feature with a V-shaped cross section
and tapered end condition.
• Create a Bead feature across cylindrical bends in the unbent state. You
can rebend the part after you create the Bead feature.
• To create Bead features across bends, the Unbend, Bead, and

Rebend features have to be created in NX 8.5 or later.
• If the depth direction of the Bead feature is same as the bend

direction, the depth of the Bead feature must be smaller than the
bend radius.
• You cannot flatten a Bead feature.

Where do I find it?
Command Finder Bead

Bead dialog box
7
Section Select Curve lets you sketch a new profile from
within the feature or select an existing curve.

Bead Properties
Cross Section Specifies the type of bead feature you

want to create.
Circular
Creates a bead in a half-circle
shape.
The Circular Bead feature has

restrictions on height in relation
to radius. To maintain a circular
section, the height of the feature
must not exceed the radius.
Otherwise, new faces would have
to be added, and the feature would
then become a U-Shaped Bead
instead of a Circular Bead.
U-Shaped
Creates a bead with a flat bottom
and angled sides.
The U-Shaped Bead feature has

restrictions on the rounding you
can apply to it. It is possible to
supply values that prevent the
rounding from being applied. It
is a little harder to create this
error condition than the previous
example, but certain combinations
of Side Angle, Width, Part
Thickness, and Depth may result
in a condition where rounding
fails.

V-Shaped
Creates an arc-shaped bead with
an inside radius that you can
modify.
The V-Shaped Bead feature has

restrictions on the radius of the
Bead in relation to part thickness.
The radius value must be greater
than the part thickness.
Depth The depth of the Bead feature,

measured from the section string to
the center of the indentation.
Reverse Changes the direction of the bead in

Direction relation to the base part.
Radius Sets the radius of the curve on the
inside of the bead.
Width Appears when Cross Section is set
to U-Shaped.
Sets the bottom width inside of the
7 bead.
Angle Appears when Cross Section is set to
U-Shaped or V-Shaped.
Specifies the taper angle for the bead.
The angle is measured relative to the
default sidewall angle of 90 degrees.

End Condition Controls the shape of the ends of the

bead.
Formed
Creates ends that are rounded.
Lanced
Creates ends that are cut.
Punched
Creates ends that are cut with a
relief. Enter a width value in the
Punch Width box.
Tapered
Creates a Bead feature with
a V-shaped cross section and
tapered end condition. Enter the
Taper Distance value (D) in the
box.

Rounding Round Bead Lets you supply values for the bead's
Edges die and punch radii. This option is not
recommended when you use the bead
to construct a pattern feature that
contains a large number of beads.
Die Radius Appears when the Round Bead
Edges check box is selected.
Sets the radius value at the top of the
bead.
Punch Radius Appears when the Round Bead
Edges check box is selected.
Sets the radius value at the bottom
of the bead.
Validation Let you establish a Minimum Tool Clearance required
Parameters by the punching tool.
validation.

Create a bead
This example shows how to create a Bead feature on a Sheet Metal part. The
Bead feature is created from a sketch. You can either create the sketch first
and then select the Bead command, or you can select the Bead command and
then create the Bead feature.
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Bead .
2. In the Section group, click Sketch Section .
3. Select a planar face.
7
4. Sketch the contour of the bead.
5. Specify the bead parameters.

For this example, the following parameters are used.

In the Bead Properties group:
• Cross Section = Circular
• Depth = 3
• Radius = 3
• End Condition = Formed
In the Rounding group:
• Round Bead Edges =
• Die Radius = 2
6. Click OK to create the bead.

Activity: Bead
In the Sheet Metal deform features section, do the activities:

• Create a circular Bead
• Create a U-Shaped Bead
• Add beads to bend regions

Solid Punch
Use the Solid Punch command to add a sheet metal feature that inherits the
shape from the punch type tool body.
You can:
• Create a negative (void) shape using the tool body as a die.
• Create a positive shape using the tool body as a punch.
Tool body used as a die Tool body used as a punch
• Selecting tool bodies that have holes or void faces will result in
multiple Solid Punch features.
7 • The Solid Punch feature is a legacy Sheet Metal Design feature

that does not have Sheet Metal attributes. To perform sheet metal
operations on the Solid Punch feature, convert it to a sheet metal
part using the Convert to Sheet Metal command.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Solid Punch

Solid Punch dialog box
Type Specifies the type of solid punch you want to create. 7

Punch Creates a positive shape using the
tool body as a punch.

Die Creates a void shape using the tool

body as a die.
Selections
Target Face Lets you specify the face that is

touched by the Tool body first.
Tool Body Lets you specify a separate feature

that defines the overall shape.
Selecting tool bodies that have
holes or void faces will result in
multiple Solid Punch features.
7 From Lets you select a CSYS to define the

CSYS location of the tool body.
To CSYS Lets you select a CSYS to define the

location of the target body. These
options let you rotate and align the
tool to create the desired punch.

Pierce Faces Lets you specify the faces you want

to pierce.
If the Target and Tool bodies
intersect, you need only indicate
the faces you wish to pierce. If
the two bodies do not intersect,
you need to define the from and
to locations.
Solid Punch Thickness Available when the Infer Thickness

Properties check box is not selected.
Specifies the thickness of the solid
punch.
Infer Thickness Infers the solid punch thickness from
the target solid.
Auto Centroid Creates a point at the centroid of the
solid punch intersection curves. You
can use this point for manufacturing
purposes.
Hide the tool Hides the tool body once the punch is
body created.

Rounding Round Solid Applies die blends to the non-G1

Punch Edges edges between the solid punch and
the target body.
Die Radius Available when the Round Solid
Punch Edges check box is selected.
Sets the radius of the inside rounded
edge where the punch meets the
target body.
In general, Punch Radius equals
the value of the Die Radius plus the
thickness of the punch.
D= Die Radius, P= Punch Radius

Constant Blends sharp edges with constant
Thickness thickness on the tool body.
If you create user-defined radii, two Edge Blend features will appear in the
Part Navigator Model History so you can edit them without opening the Solid
Punch dialog box.

In the following example, the Punch feature has an inferred thickness (1) for
the wall and a constant thickness (2) for the radii, which use the following
formula:
die radius (3) + material thickness = punch radius (4)
In the following example, the user specified thickness for the wall (1) and the
constant thickness for the radii (2) are turned off. The die radius (3) and the
punch radius (4) are user specified.

Create a solid punch
Tool body
Target body
Resulting Solid Punch feature
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Solid Punch .
2. In the Solid Punch dialog box, in the Type group, from the Type list,
select Die.
3. In the graphics window, select the target face you want to punch.
4. In the graphics window, specify the tool body.
7 5. Specify the faces you want to pierce to create the solid punch.
6. In the Solid Punch Properties group, set the following options:

• Infer Thickness =
• Auto Centroid =
• Hide the tool body =
7. In the Rounding group, set the following options:.

• Round Solid Punch Edges =
• Constant Thickness =
8. Click OK to create the Solid Punch feature.

Activity: Solid Punch

• Create a Solid Punch feature

Gusset
Use the Gusset command to create a stiffening feature on a part.
You can:
• Create strengthening features where extra strength is required in the
bend region.
• Create punched or embossed shapes in bend regions of sheet metal parts.
• Specify default dimensions for the Gusset feature using customer defaults.
Gusset features are represented as centerline curves in the Flat Pattern view.
Round gusset
7
Flat Pattern view

You can use the Unbend command to flatten Gusset features by specifying
the boundary edges of the gussets as additional curves. The boundary edges
of the gusset are displayed as curves in the flattened state.
The example shows the boundary edges of a gusset displayed as curves in
the unbent state.
The Gusset geometry will be removed during an unbend operation. To

prevent this, you can create, or re-order the gusset after the rebend
operation. The Flat Solid feature will also remove Gusset geometry.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Gusset

Gusset dialog box
Type
Specifies the type of profile you want to use to create the Gusset feature.
Creates the gusset using the default round or square

Automatic Profile profile.

Creates the gusset using a specified user defined

User Defined profile.
Profile
Section
Available when Type is set to User Defined Profile.
Select Curve lets you specify curves that define the profile of the gusset.
Width Side
Specifies the side of the profile curve that is used to define the width of
the gusset.
Gusset Placement
Available when Type is set to Automatic Profile.
Lets you specify the bend face on which to create the

Select Bend Face gusset.
7
Lets you specify the starting edge for the placement of
Select Start Edge the gusset.
Placement Type
Specifies the gusset placement.
Single
Creates a single gusset.
The Distance option is available to specify the distance of the gusset
from the edge of the bend face.
Fit
Creates the specified number of Gusset features that fit in the bend
face region.

The Count option is available to specify the number of gusset features

that you want to create. The spacing between the gussets is adjusted
automatically.
3 Gusset features created to fit the bend face region

Fill
Creates multiple gusset features that have a fixed distance between
them.
The Spacing option is available to specify the distance between the
gusset features. The number of gussets is automatically adjusted such
that the spacing between the gusset features is maintained.
Fixed
Creates a specified number of gussets that have a specified distance
between them.
The Count and Spacing options are available to specify the number of
gussets and their spacing.
7 Parameters
Available when Type is set to Automatic Profile.
Depth specifies the depth of the gusset.

Shape specifies the shape of the gusset.

Round
Creates a round gusset using the specified Width (W) and Side Angle
(A) values.
Width (W)
Side Angle (A)
Square
Creates a square gusset using the specified Width (W), Side Angle
(A), and Corner Radius (R) values.
Width (W)
Side Angle (A)
Corner Radius (R)

Rounding
Punch Radius specifies the radius of the blended area on the underside of
the Gusset feature.
Die Radius specifies the radius of the blended area on the top side of
the Gusset feature.
The figure shows a section view of a Gusset feature with punch and die
radii of 2 mm.
Punch Radius
Die Radius

Create a round Gusset feature
This example shows how to create a round Gusset feature using the automatic
profile.
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Gusset .
2. In the Gusset dialog box, from the Type list, select Automatic Profile.
3. Select the bend face on which you want to create the Gusset feature.
The start edge for the Gusset is automatically inferred and a preview of
the gusset feature with default dimensions is displayed in the graphics
window.

4. Click Select Start Edge and specify the alternative starting edge.
5. From the Placement Type list, select Single.
6. Specify the distance of the gusset from the starting edge of the bend.
7. In the Parameters group, specify the depth, shape, width, and side angle
of the gusset.
For this example:
• Depth = 15 mm
• Shape = Round
• Width = 8 mm
• Side Angle = 5 mm

8. In the Rounding group, specify the punch radius and the die radius.
For this example, punch and die radii were set to 1 mm.
9. Click OK to create the Gusset feature.

Create a round Gusset feature with a user defined profile
1. Choose Home tab®Punch group®Gusset .
2. In the Gusset dialog box, from the Type list, select User Defined Profile.
3. Specify the section you want to use as the profile to create the Gusset
feature.
For this example, click Sketch Section to define the section curves.
4. In the Create Sketch dialog box, specify the tangent path along which you
want to define the section curves.
5. Sketch the profile along which you want to create the Gusset feature.
7

A preview of the Gusset feature is displayed in the graphics window.
7. In the Parameters group, specify the shape, width, and side angle of the
gusset.
For this example:
• Shape = Round
• Width = 15
• Side Angle = 0
If the user defined profile has more than one curve, the side angle
must be 0.

8. Click OK to create the Gusset feature.

Activity: Gusset

• Create a gusset feature

Summary: Sheet Metal deform features

Use deform features to create indentations, vents, and cutouts in sheet metal
parts. You can also use the stiffening features like gusset and bead to add
strength to sheet metal parts.
• Identified the key elements and conditions needed to create a deform
features.
• Created sheet metal deform features.

Lesson
8 Flat Solid and Flat Pattern
Purpose
Creating a flat solid version of a sheet metal part is an interim step
between the formed part and the flat pattern used for drawings and later
manufacturing. It is a good practice to create Flat Solid features of your part
at regular intervals to ensure that the part can be flattened and is therefore
manufacturable.
Creating a flat pattern of a formed sheet metal part is essential for creating
drawings for manufacturing. The Flat Pattern command in Sheet Metal
provides many options for displaying sheet metal features.
Objectives
• Create a Flat Solid and a Flat Pattern of the sheet metal part.
• Become familiar with the sheet metal preferences available for displaying
and modifying the flat pattern view.

Flat Solid and Flat Pattern
Flat Solid
Use the Flat Solid command to create a flat representation of the formed
sheet metal part. The flattened version of the part is associative to the
formed version.
When you flatten a sheet metal part, the Flat Solid feature is added at
the end of the model history in the Part Navigator. If the part contains
deformation features, they are retained in their formed condition. If you
change the sheet metal model, the flat pattern automatically updates to
include the new feature.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Flat Solid

8

Tips for creating Flat Solid features
Associativity In the Part Navigator, Flat Solid features come after all
other sheet metal features in timestamp order. You
cannot reorder the Flat Solid feature before any other
sheet metal feature.
Flat solids are updated to include additional Sheet Metal

features that are added to the formed component.
However, added deformation features retain their
formed shape.
Changes made to the Flat Solid feature are not updated

on the formed body.
Modeling Not all NX modeling commands are available in the

commands Sheet Metal application. If you create a feature with
commands not available in the application, you may
have difficulty using the Flat Solid command.
It is a good idea to generate a Flat Solid feature

periodically during the design process. This is
especially true when the product is a complex shape.
Lofted flanges Because the Lofted Flange command allows you to

transition between dissimilar shapes, the complexity
of the input geometry determines whether you can
use the Flat Solid command.
When you create lofted flanges, try to match the input

geometry’s curve segments, angle, and, if possible,
curve type. This improves your chances of creating a
Flat Solid feature from the lofted flanges.
Prototypes When a prototype of a sheet metal part is manufactured

by stamping or bending, the final dimensions may differ 8
from the intended design. The sheet metal K factor may
change due to variations in the material properties in
different directions, or friction in the stamping process. If
exact dimensions are required, the flat stock dimensions
may require experimentation with prototypes. The Flat
Solid feature can be modified to accommodate these
dimensional changes without modifying the definition
of the original part.

Flat Solid dialog box
8
Stationary Face Select Face lets you select a face on the part. The
normal direction associated with this face is used to
specify the upward direction for bend regions. It also
defines top and bottom faces for Additional Curves.
Orientation Select Edge lets you select an edge to define the

X-axis for the orientation.
This option is available when you select Move to Absolute
CSYS.

Move to Modifies the orientation to match the orientation of the

Absolute CSYS absolute CSYS.
Additional Select Curve or Point lets you select additional

Curves curves to display on the Flat Pattern feature. Use this
option to display features such as part numbers or
company logos. It is also useful for representing other
manufacturing instructions such as weld points. Edges
of solids cannot be included. You can choose different
display options for curves on the top and bottom faces of
the part (Added Top and Added Bottom on Sheet Metal
Preferences® Flat Pattern Display).
Outer Corner Use Global
Properties Uses the values you set for the Outside corner
control the shape treatments and Outside value options in the Sheet
of outer corners of Metal Preferences dialog box.
the part.
Corner Treatment
Treatment:
• None leaves the corners as specified in the part.
• Chamfer trims the outer corner edges a specified

distance in from the corner.
• Radius rounds the outer corners with a radius of

the value specified.
Value specifies the chamfer or radius of outer corners.
Inner Corner Use Global

Properties Use Global uses the values you set for the Inside
control the shape corner treatments and Inside value options in the
of interior corners Sheet Metal Preferences dialog box.
of the part.
Corner Treatment 8
Treatment:



Create a Flat Solid feature
This example shows how to flatten a contour flange.

1. Open the Flat Solid dialog box in one of these ways:
• Choose Home tab®Flat Pattern gallery®Flat Solid .
• Menu®Insert®Flat Pattern®Flat Solid.
2. Select the face along which you want to flatten the contour flange.
3. Click OK to flatten the contour flange.
Although you can select nonlinear reference geometry to create a Flat

Solid feature, the resulting feature will not create a reference plane
8 tangent to the nonlinear face or edge you selected.

Create a flat solid for manufacturing
This example shows how to create a solid representation of the flat stock to
which you can make dimensional changes without changing the definition of
the original sheet metal part.
This example supposes that during prototyping, you find that the indicated
tab is 1 mm too short after forming.
1. Open the Flat Solid dialog box in one of these ways:
• Choose Home tab®Flat Pattern gallery®Flat Solid .
• Menu®Insert®Flat Pattern®Flat Solid.
2. Select the base tab as the stationary face.

3. Click OK.
NX creates a flattened solid body.
4. Right-click the formed solid body and choose Hide.
5. Switch to the Modeling application and use the Synchronous Modeling

command Offset Region to offset the tab by 1 mm.

In the Part Navigator, notice that the Flat Solid feature follows all the
sheet metal definition features, and is followed by the Offset Region
feature. This means that if there is a change to the original sheet metal
definition, NX will update the Flat Solid feature and then update the
Offset Region feature.

Flat Pattern
Use the Flat Pattern command to create a 2D representation of a 3D sheet
metal part.
You can:
• Include annotations for bending, punching, or cutting manufacturing
instructions.
• Export the flat pattern data to a cutting tool for the manufacturing of
the part.
o You can use the Export Flat Pattern command to export flat
pattern curve data to a DXF file or a Trumpf GEO file. The
exported flat pattern curve data is non-associative.
o If you export a drafting flat pattern view using the File

tab®Export®Part command, the exported drafting flat pattern
view is non-associative.

Occasionally, the curves representing the exterior boundary, or interior

cutouts in the Flat Pattern view are incorrectly classified if the sheet
metal model has a deform feature such as a dimple or a bead on the
model boundaries, cutouts across deform features, or cutouts that have
chamfered edges.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Flat Pattern

Editing a Flat Pattern feature
The Flat Pattern feature is a grouped set of curves and associated

annotations. You can add, remove, or edit curves in this group. However,
when you update the model, the curves associated with the Flat Pattern
feature are regenerated and will overwrite any changes.
You can delete the default flat pattern annotations on imported flat pattern
views in a drawing.
You must not use the flat pattern keywords as general annotations. If
you inappropriately modify the keywords used to define the flat pattern
annotations, the annotations may become invalid.
• If you want to make permanent changes to a Flat Pattern feature, it
is recommended that you first make a non-associative copy of the
flat pattern curves and then edit the set of curves.
• To edit the orientation or placement of the Flat Pattern feature, you

must edit the orientation of the Flat Solid feature that it references.
This is applicable for both flat patterns created from flat solids, and
those created from a formed sheet metal body.

Tips for working with flat patterns
• You can view the Flat Pattern features that you create in one of these
ways:
o In the Part Navigator, expand the Model Views node. If you delete the
feature, the Flat Pattern view is also deleted.
o In the View→Layout→Replace View dialog box, select the Flat

Pattern view.
• You do not need to create a Flat Solid feature first. The Flat Pattern
command will automatically create the Flat Solid and make it internal
to the Flat Pattern feature. To make the Flat Solid feature external, in
the Part Navigator, right-click the feature, and choose Make Flat Solid
External.
• You can add the drawing view onto a drawing sheet for drafting. You
can use the Bend Table command to insert a bend table in a drawing
that you create using the flat pattern view of the Sheet Metal part. The
tabular format makes the bend information easy to read in downstream
applications.

Flat Pattern preferences
Sheet Metal preferences for Flat Pattern

You can specify the flat pattern treatments and the default display of curves
and callouts in the flat pattern view for each part individually in the Sheet
Metal Preferences dialog box.
You can set Sheet Metal preferences to:
• Control corner treatment options and display options for flat patterns.
On the Flat Pattern Treatments tab, you can set additional options for
inside and outside corner treatments. You can also set preferences to
convert B-spline curves to simple lines and arcs. Select the Simplify
B-splines check box.
• Specify line color, layer, width and fonts for the various line types such
as outline, bend centerline, bend tangents, and so on. To do this, use the
options on the Flat Pattern Display tab.
• Edit the orientation of the leader lines that are created for annotating flat
pattern views. To do this, use the options on the Callout Configuration
tab.
You can specify the flat pattern treatments and the display of curves and
callouts in all flat pattern views using Flat Pattern customer defaults.
To find a customer default, choose File tab→Utilities→Customer
Defaults, and click Find Default .
Flat Pattern additional curves

In the Flat Pattern dialog box, you have options to:
• Include a 3D curve in the Flat Pattern feature. Use the option in the
Additional Curves group.
8
• Show features such as Dimples and Louvers. Select the Show Interior
Feature Curves check box in the Settings group.

Flat Pattern dialog box
Upward Face Select Face lets you select a face on the part. The
normal direction associated with this face is used to
specify the upward direction for bend regions. It also
defines top and bottom faces for Additional Curves.

Orientation Select Edge lets you select an edge to define the

X-axis for the orientation.
This option is available when you select Move to Absolute
CSYS.
Move to Modifies the orientation to match the orientation of the
Absolute CSYS absolute CSYS.
Additional Select Curve or Point lets you select additional

Curves curves to display on the Flat Pattern feature. Use this
option to display features such as part numbers or
company logos.
Outer Corner Use Global

Properties Uses the values you set for the Outside corner
control the shape treatments and Outside value options in the Sheet
of outer corners of Metal Preferences dialog box.
the part.
Corner Treatment
Treatment:


Settings Show Interior Feature Curves displays the curves

that define interior features such as dimples, punches,
or cutouts.
8

Create a Flat Pattern feature
1. Choose Home tab®Flat Pattern gallery®Flat Pattern .
2. Select a planar face as the upward face.

This selection establishes the plane on which the remaining features will
lie after they are flattened.
For this example, the upper tab face was selected.
3. To position the feature relative to the absolute coordinate system, in the

Orientation group, select the Move to Absolute CSYS check box.
4. Select an edge on the reference face.

This selection establishes your horizontal reference direction. You can
only select a reference edge when you are positioning the feature relative
to the absolute coordinate system.
5. To include additional curves such as company logos, or manufacturing

information such as weld points, select the curves using the Select Curve
or Point option in the Additional Curves group.
6. To create chamfered or rounded inner and outer corners on the Flat

Pattern feature, select options in the Outer Corner Properties and Inner 8
Corner Properties groups.
7. Click OK.
8. In the Part Navigator, expand the Model Views node.

9. Double-click the Flat-Pattern_# view to make it the work view.

Activity: Flat Solid and Flat Pattern
In the Flat Solid and Flat Pattern section, do the activity:

• Flatten a solid part and create a flat pattern view
Project: Create a flat pattern
In the Projects section, complete the Create a flat pattern exercise.

Summary: Flat Solid and Flat Pattern

The Flat Solid command physically alters your part in shape and material
attributes. You can use this command to prepare your part for manufacturing.
The Flat Pattern command lets you incorporate system and user-defined
elements into a model view and a drawing sheet for use in the manufacturing
process.
In this lesson you:
• Identified the key elements necessary to create Flat Solid and Flat
Pattern features.
• Created Flat Solid and Flat Pattern features.

Lesson
9 Advanced Sheet Metal commands
Purpose
Use the Bridge Bend command to create a Z-shaped, U-shaped, or fold-type
transition between two unconnected sheet metal bodies.
Use the Advanced Flange feature to create a flange on a non-linear edge.
Use the Unform and Reform commands to flatten an Advanced Flange to
check if the part can be manufactured or to add features to the part in the flat
state. You use the Unform and Reform commands to first flatten and then
to reform your part.
Use MetaForm to unform complex geometry into an alternate shape. It allows
you to flatten parts that are too complex for the Flat Solid and Flat Pattern
commands.
Objective
• Identify the geometric elements necessary to create Bridge Bend and
Advanced Flange features.
• Review the workflows for creating these features.
• Know why you would want to unform and reform an Advanced Flange
feature.
• Create a Bridge Bend feature.
• Create an Advanced Flange feature.
• Unform and reform an Advanced Flange feature.

9
• Unform complex geometry.

Advanced Sheet Metal commands
Bridge Bend
Use the Bridge Bend command to create transition geometry by joining two
edges on different bodies and then uniting the bodies.
You can:
• Create a Z-shaped, U-shaped, or Fold type transition between two
unconnected sheet metal bodies.
U-shaped
Z-shaped

Folded
1 Planar face
2 Folded transition
• Build the transition between sheet metal parts to provide support

between two bodies.
When you unform the Bridge Bend feature, the unformed feature is integrated
with the feature created by the Sheet Metal Flat Pattern command.
This command works in the same way as the Bridge Transition command in
the Flexible Printed Circuit Design application.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Bridge Bend

Bridge Bend dialog box
Type Z or U Transition
Creates a Z-shaped or U-shaped Bridge Bend feature.
For a Z transition, the axes of the bend regions are on
opposite sides of the planar region.
For a U transition, the axes of the bend regions are on
the same side of the planar region.
9 Fold Transition
Creates a folded type of Bridge Bend feature.
The axes of the bend regions are on the same side of
the planar region. The edges you select must meet
specific requirements.

Transition Edges Start Edge and End Edge let you specify the
start and end edges for the bend.
Reference Specify Plane lets you specify a reference plane to

Geometry which the transition should be tangent.

Inset Available after you specify the reference plane.
Material Inside
Specifies that the transition body and the start edge
are on the same side of the tangential plane that you
select.
Material Outside
Specifies that the transition body and the start edge
are on opposite sides of the tangential plane that you
select.
Material Inside Material Outside

Start edge
Reference plane

Width
Specifies the width of the transition body.
Finite
Creates a transition body using the width you specify
and starting from the point you select on the start
edge.
Specify Point options are available.
Symmetric
Creates a transition body by distributing your
specified width value equally on either side of the
point you select on the start edge.
Specify Point options are available.

Full Start Edge

Creates a transition body that spans the width of the
start edge.
Full End Edge

Creates a transition body that spans the width of the
end edge.
Full Both Ends

Creates a transition body that spans the full width of
both edges. If the edges are not of the same length,
the resulting transition body does not have a constant
width.

Bend Parameters Start and End Specifies that the start and end radius
Radii Equal values are equal. You need to enter
only the Start Radius value.
Start Radius and Sets values for the start and end bend
End Radius radius.
Length Available when Type is set to Fold
Transition.
Sets the length of the planar region
adjacent to the start edge.

Create a Bridge Bend feature
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Advanced gallery®Bridge Bend .
2. In the Bridge Bend dialog box, from the Type list, select Z or U Transition.
3. Specify the start edge for the transition bend.
4. Specify the end edge for the transition bend.
5. Specify a point on the start edge.

6. In the Width group, from the Width Options list, select Full Start Edge.
A preview of the bridge bend appears.
7. In the Bend Parameters group, do the following:

a. Select the Start and End Equal Radii check box.
b. In the Start Radius box, type a radius value.

For this example, Start Radius = 20.
8. Click OK to create the Bridge Bend feature.

Rules for Bridge Transitions
The regions you connect with the Bridge Transition must meet the following
criteria:
Requirements Correct Incorrect
The Start and

End Edges of
the two part
bodies to be
joined must be
linear.
The Start and

End Edges
must be on
separate part
bodies.
The two
bodies to be
connected
must be of
the same
thickness.
A tangential
plane used
to shape the
9 transition
must be
parallel to the
Start Edge.

The top and

bottom faces
of the two
bodies to be
connected
cannot be
on the same
plane.
U-type and
Fold-type
transitions:
Start and End
Edges must
both be either
inside edges or
outside edges
OR
of the two
bodies. You
cannot select
an outside
Start Edge
and an inside
End Edge or
vice versa.
Z-type
transitions:
Start and End
Edges must
both be either
top edges (red)
or bottom
edges (blue)
of the two
bodies. You
cannot select
a bottom Start
Edge and a
top End Edge
or vice versa
(far right).
9

Activity: Create a Bridge Bend
In the Advanced Sheet Metal commands section, do the activity:

• Create a Bridge Bend

Advanced Flange
Use this command to add a flange along an edge using a bend angle or a
reference face. The edge and reference face can be curved.
This command is useful when you want to create non-linear flanges, or when
you work with sheet metal support structures in complex assemblies. You can
use existing geometry as reference to define the flange dimensions.
When you unform an Advanced Flange feature, the unformed feature is
integrated with the feature created by the Sheet Metal Flat Pattern command.
This command works in the same way as the Aerospace Flange command in
the Aerospace Sheet Metal application.
Advanced Flange and the associated Flat Pattern feature

You cannot add Flange, Bend, Jog, and Contour Flange features to
the end of an Advanced Flange feature. The Advanced Flange feature
always produces b-surfaces which are not acceptable geometry for 9
straight-brake features.

Where do I find it?
Command Finder Advanced Flange

Advanced Flange dialog box
Type
Specifies the type of flange you want to create:
By Value
Creates the flange using the specified flange
parameter values.
Base Edge
Resulting Advanced Flange feature created by

specifying flange properties. 9

To Reference
Creates a flange using a specified face or datum plane
as reference.
Base edge
Reference sheet
Resulting Advanced Flange feature created using
the sheet as a reference.
Base Edge Select Edge lets you select the base edge for the
flange.
Reference Available when Type is set to To Reference.
Geometry
Select Faces lets you select surfaces or datum
planes, to define the angle of the flange and the shape of
the web of the flange. You can either enter a value for the
flange length, or NX can infer the length from the shape
of the selected surface.
Flange End Available after you specify the base edge or the reference
Limits geometry.
Specify Start Plane and Specify End Plane lets

you select planes or a face to specify the start and end
limits for the flange.
Flange
Properties
Length
Available when Type is set to By Value.
Sets the length of the flange.
Infer Length
Available when Type is set to To Reference.
9
Infers the length of the flange by extending it to the
referenced object.
Reverse Direction
Reverses the direction of the flange.

Reverse Trim Side

Available when Type is set to To Reference
Reverses the flange trimming side.
Inset
Material Inside
Insets the flange into the base material so that the
flange body is to the inside of the bend.
The Length option defines the normal distance
between the outside edge of the flange and the
intersection between the outside faces of the base
and the flange. Use this option to build a part
inside of another part.
Material Inside — Material Inside —

bend down bend up

Material Outside
Insets the flange into the base material so that the
flange body is to the outside of the bend.
intersection between the inside faces of the base
and flange. Use this option to build a part on the
outside of another part.
Material Outside — Material Outside —

bend down bend up
Bend Outside
Available when Type is set to By Value.
Attaches the flange to the existing part without
removing any material.
edge on the base part on the inside of the bend
angle.
9
Bend Outside — bend Bend Outside — bend
down up

Create Contour Curve

Creates a curve through the contour points along the
length of the flange. For any given flange cross section,
the contour point is a point where the outside face of
the flange would intersect the outside face of the body.
Advanced Flange with contour curve

Create an Advanced Flange feature

This example shows how to create an Advanced Flange feature along a
non-linear edge. The direction of the flange is along the -ZC axis.
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Advanced gallery®Advanced
Flange .
2. In the Advanced Flange dialog box, from the Type list, select By Value.
3. In the graphics window, select the base edge for the flange.
A preview of the flange is displayed.
4. In the Flange End Limits group, do the following:
a. Click Specify Start Plane and select a plane to specify the start
limit of the flange.
b. Click Specify End Plane and select a plane to define the end limit
of the flange.
9
1 Start plane
2 End plane

5. In the Relief group, specify the bend relief parameters.

For this example:
• Bend Relief = Square
• Depth = 3
• Width = 3
• Corner Relief = None
6. In the Flange Properties group, do the following:
a. Click Reverse Direction to specify the flange direction along the

-ZC axis.
b. Select the Create Contour Curve check box.
c. Specify the flange properties.

For this example:
• Length = 20
• Angle = 90
• Inset = Material Inside

7. Click OK or Apply to create the Advanced Flange feature.

Activity: Advanced Flange

• Create an Advanced Flange

Unform
Use the Unform command to unform an Advanced Flange feature.
You can unform flange features, including joggles, before you shape the flange,
or add a corner relief or flange relief.
For example, if a cutout needs to cross a bend region, you can unform the
flange before adding the cutout and then use the Reform command to return
the flange to its original state.
This command works in the same way as the Aerospace Unform command in
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Unform

Unform dialog box
Stationary Face Select Face lets you select a planar face that you
want to keep in a fixed position during the unforming
operation.
Bend Select Bend lets you select the bend region of the
flange you want to unform. You can unform more than
one flange in one operation by selecting multiple bends.

Unform complex flanges
This example shows how to unform an Advanced Flange feature using the
Unform command.
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Advanced gallery®Unform .
2. Select the stationary face for the unforming operation.
3. In the Bend group, click Select Bend and select the bend faces that
you want to unform.
4. Click OK to unform the selected bends.

Reform
Use the Reform command to re-form an Unform feature to its previous bend
state, along with any features added after the Unform feature.
This command works in the same way as the Aerospace Reform command in
Original Sheet Metal part
Unform feature
Extrude feature added to

the sheet metal part
Unform feature re-formed
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Reform

Activity: Unform and Reform

• Unform and reform an Advanced Flange feature

MetaForm
Use this command to unform complex geometry into an alternate shape.
This command also works with non-Sheet Metal features and takes material
characteristics into account.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder MetaForm

MetaForm dialog box

Start Region Select Face lets you select faces or sheet bodies to
define the region to unform.
End Region Select Face lets you select faces to define the target
region faces. The start region faces are mapped to this
set of faces.
Transform Select Objects

Geometry Lets you select the objects you want to unform.
Layer
Specifies the layer where you want to place the
unformed feature.
Start Region Entities

Includes start region entities for unforming.
Boundary Constraint Type

Conditions
Specifies how the start region finite element mesh is
formed to the end region boundary.
You must specify at least one boundary condition to
perform metaform analysis.
Point-to-Point
Select Start Region Point and Select End
Region Point options are available to select

points on the surface of the start and end regions.
Point-along-Curve
Select Start Region Point and Select End
Region Curve options are available to select a

point on the start region and a curve on the end region.
Curve-to-Curve 9
Select Start Region Curve and Select End
Region Curve options are available to select

curves on the surface of the start and end regions.

Curve-along-Curve
Select Start Region Curve and Select End
Region Curve options are available to select

curves on the surface of the start and end regions.
Constraint Name
Specifies the constraint name. Specify a new
constraint name or accept the default.
Add Boundary Condition

Adds new boundary constraints.
The list box lists the applied constraints.
Thickness Infer Thickness infers the thickness of the part to unform.

Thickness sets the value for the thickness of the part.
Settings: Yield Stress
Material Sets the value for the yield stress.
Properties
Yield Stress, also called Elastic Limit, is the stress
at which the material transitions from the elastic
behavior of a material to plastic behavior. Typically,
the elastic strength of a material is significantly
larger than the plastic behavior. However, the
behavior of some materials (for example, composites
or rubber) may behave in a manner that contradicts
this assumption. You should determine the most
appropriate strength values MetaForm should use
during the forming analysis. Use units of psi (English)
or KPa (Metric).
Elastic Modulus
Sets the elastic modulus value.
Elastic modulus, is also known as, Modulus of
Elasticity and Young's Modulus. This value represents
the linear relationship between stress and strain,
such that:
9 s = E, where E = Elastic Modulus, s = Stress, =
Strain.
This condition is valid for values of stress that remain
below the yield stress of the materials. Use units of
psi (English) or KPa (Metric).

Tangent Modulus
Sets the tangent modulus value.
This value represents a linear relationship between
the stress and strain that is valid for values of stress
that exceed the yield stress of the material. Use units
of psi (English) or KPa (Metric).
Poisson's Ratio
Sets the value for the Poisson's ratio, which is defined
as the ratio of lateral strain to longitudinal strain.
r- Value
Sets the r-value, which is a material property that
represents resistance to thinning. Higher r-values
represent higher resistance to thinning when the
material is being stretched, or resistance to thickening
when the material is being compressed. The default
value of 1.0 corresponds to a homogeneous material.
Settings: Removes holes by attempting to traverse a mesh across

Remove Holes the boundary edges of holes and cutouts in the region
boundary. The value specified for Minimum Modulus is
used for element definitions that span a hole or cutout.
Settings: Sets the Chordal, Angular, and Linear tolerance values
Tolerances that are used to generate the finite element mesh on the
region boundary.

Unform complex geometry
1. Choose Home tab®Bend group®Advanced gallery® MetaForm .
2. In the graphics window, select the region to unform.
3. In the End Region group, click Select Face and select the target
faces to unform.
4. In the Transform Geometry group, select the edges from the unform
region.

5. Specify the layer where you want to place the resulting MetaForm feature.
For this example, Layer = 161.
6. Specify the boundary conditions.
a. In the Boundary Conditions group, from the Constraint Type list,

select Curve-to-Curve.
b. In the graphics window, select a curve in the target region to specify

the start region curves to be used for mapping.
c. In the dialog box, click Add Boundary Condition .
d. From the Constraint Type list, select Curve-along-Curve.
e. Select a curve in the target region to specify the start region curves to
be used for mapping.
9
7. In the Thickness group, select the Infer Thickness check box.
8. In the Settings group, accept the default values for the Material
Properties, Remove Holes, and Tolerances options.

9. Click OK or Apply to create the MetaForm feature.

Summary: Advanced Sheet Metal commands

• Became familiar with the Bridge Bend and Advanced Flange features.
• Identified the key geometric elements necessary to create Bridge Bends

and Advanced Flanges.
• Created a Bridge Bend and an Advanced Flange.
• Learned when to use the Unform and Reform commands.
• Learned how to unform and reform an Advanced Flange feature.

9
Lesson
10 Analyze Formability – One step
Purpose
Use the Analyze Formability – One-step command to flatten all or some
faces of a sheet metal part.
Objective
• Perform complete or intermediate unforming, or flatten a sheet metal part.
• Output the flattened profile or springback faceted bodies for both

intermediate unforming or complete part unforming.
• Define different constraint types to control unforming.
10
Analyze Formability – One step
Analyze Formability – One-step

Use the Analyze Formability – One-step command to flatten all or some faces
of a sheet metal part using FEM analysis and calculate the thinning, stress,
strain, and springback to predict the risk of forming.
You can:
• Perform complete or intermediate unforming, or flatten a sheet metal part.
• Output the flattened profile or springback faceted bodies for both

intermediate unforming or complete part unforming. You can also specify
the target region and the unform region from a different sheet body.
• Define different constraint types, both geometry and process, to control

unforming.
The flattened profiles are produced as spline curves and the analysis results
are post-processed and displayed in a color-coded plot mode. The analysis
report is generated based on the subsequent results.
Thickness results Stress results
10 Strain results Flattened shape

The Onestep Unform feature which saves your inputs and settings, is listed
in the Part Navigator, and can be edited if required. The data is retrieved
when you reopen the part file and run the Analyze Formability – One-step
command.
Where do I find it?
Application Aerospace Sheet Metal

Command Finder
Analyze Formability – One-step
10
Analyze Formability – One-step dialog box

Type
Type list Specifies the type of unform feature you want to create.
Entire Unform
Performs complete unforming of the part.
Entire Unform — Thickness analysis results
Intermediate Unform
Performs intermediate unforming of the part.
Intermediate Unform results
Advanced Unform
Performs advanced unforming. Additional advanced
constraints and options are available to specify
springback match points, or draw bead constraints with
or without addendum, and create the springback faceted
body.
10
Advanced Unform — Thickness analysis results

with Draw Bead constraints
Unform Region
Lets you define the surfaces to be unformed and calculated.
If you select the entire surface of a body, a complete unform
Select Faces is performed. If you select a partial surface, an intermediate
unform is performed.
Target Region
Available when Type is set to Intermediate Unform.
Lets you define the target surfaces to which the unform
Select Faces region is mapped.
If the target region and unform region faces are from the
same body, they must have a common edge which is defined
as the Curve to Curve boundary condition constraint type
for intermediate unform.
Boundary Conditions
Constraint Specifies the boundary constraints depending on the region
Type list selected to unform, and the unform type.
Curve to Curve
Lets you specify the curves that define the boundary
for the unform region.
For an intermediate unform, select common edges
between the unform region and the target region.
For an entire unform, select curves from the boundary
of the unform region.
10
The Select Curve from Unform Region option is

available.
Point to Point
Lets you specify the points on the surface of the unform
region to lock the position.
The Specify Point from Unform Region options

are available.
Curve along Curve
Lets you specify the curves that define the region for an
entire unform. The Select Curve from Unform Region
option is available.
Constraint List
Lists the constraints you applied. Click Add New Set to specify
additional constraints.
Springback Match Points
Available when Type is set to Advanced Unform.
Lets you specify three points to define the springback
constraints.
Match Point For example, the following graphic shows how the three
One springback match points are fully constrained within six
degrees of freedom.
Match Point
Two
Match Point
Three
10
First springback match point with zero displacement

in the X, Y, and Z direction
Second springback match point with zero displacement

in the X and Y direction
Third springback match point with zero displacement
in the X direction
Constraint curves
Advanced Constraints
Part Type list Specifies the part type:
With Addendum
For a part with addendum, you can specify the binder
region and the draw beads.
Without Addendum
For a part without addendum, you can specify the
equivalent binder region.
Blank Holder
These options are available when Part Type is set to With Addendum.
Lets you specify the binder region.
Binder
Region
Force (kN) Sets the blank holding force.
During stamping of sheet metal parts, appropriate control of
the blank holding force minimizes the wrinkling tendency,
material discontinuity, and non homogeneous stress or
strain distribution. Generally, a lower blank holding
force must be applied on the thicker blank side to allow
more metal to flow in for obtaining a more uniform strain
distribution.
These options are available when Part Type is set to Without Addendum.
Lets you specify the equivalent binder region.
Equivalent
Binder
10
Tension Sets the value for the tension applied to the binder region.
(kN/mm)
Force Sets the value for the force applied to the binder region.
Strength
Draw Beads
Available when Part Type is set to With Addendum.
Lets you specify the location of the draw bead.
Specify Draw
Bead
Tangential Sets the value for the tension applied in a direction that
Tension is tangent to the draw bead.
(kN/mm)
Normal Sets the value for the tension applied in a direction normal
Tension to the draw bead.
(kN/mm)
Force Sets the value for the force applied to the draw bead.
Strength
List Lists the specified draw beads.
Material
Material list Lists the materials available in the standard NX Material
Library.
If you customize the properties in the standard NX Material
Library, the changes are reflected in the Material list and
the analysis results.
Location
Local Material Specifies that a local material is used.
NX Material Specifies that materials from the standard NX Material
Library Library are used.
Site MatML Lets you specify the location of an alternate material from
Library the MATML Library.
User Mat ML Lets you specify a user defined material library.
Library
Materials
List Displays the list of materials available from the specified
material library.
10
Available when you select a material from the list.

Opens the Isotropic Material dialog box in which you can
Inspect inspect the material properties.
material
Available when you select a material from the list.
Displays the material properties in the Information window.
Information
Draw Direction
Available when Type is set to Entire Unform or Advanced Unform.
Lets you define the normal of the unform plane.
The unform region is flattened normal to the plane in the
Specify specified draw direction.
Vector
Thickness
Surface Type Specifies the surface from which the unforming region is
extracted. The solver automatically offsets the surface in
the right direction.
Inner Surface
Creates an unform region with an offset, where the
result is an unform profile larger than the original.
Middle Surface
Creates an unform region with no offset.
Outer Surface
Creates an unform region with the specified offset,
where the result is an unform profile smaller than the
original.
Infer Available only for solid bodies.
Thickness
Infers the thickness automatically if the unform region
surfaces are from a solid body.
Calculation
Creates the mesh in an interim FEM part and gets mesh
elements data back to modeling for the Onestep solver to
calculate.
Mesh
10
Examines the mesh quality in term of mesh shape, and

mesh element node overlapping.
Mesh Quality
Check
Launches the solver to start calculating the unforming
results.
Calculation
Results Display
Displays the thinning simulation results in a color-coded
plot.
Display
Thickness
Displays the stress simulation results in a color-coded plot.
Display
Stress
Displays the strain simulation results in a color-coded plot.
Display Strain
Displays the springback simulation results with before and
after images of the model.
Display
Springback
Outputs the springback facet body and creates a .spb file
which includes node coordinate and element information.
Output
Springback
Facet Body
Displays the results for the flattened model with mesh
elements.
Display
Flatten Shape
Creates an unform profile of the flattened sheet body.
Create Profile
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Captures static images of the analysis results and

represents them in an analysis report in the XML format.
The XML file is generated using an XSL template.
Report
Show Model Hides or displays boundary edges of the model while
Boundary displaying the results.
Settings
Lets you modify the material, mesh, solver, and report parameters.
Material
Lets you modify the listed material properties.
Mesh
Element Type Specifies the element type to be used for performing the
surface meshing.
Triangle
Specifies the triangle element type for surface meshing.
Quad4
Specifies the quadrilateral element type for surface
meshing.
Triangle mesh Quad4 mesh

Infer Element Infers the overall element size automatically.
Size
Split Quad Available when Element Type is set to Quad4.
Sets the surface meshing method to split quad.
Attempt Performs the mapping.
Free Mapped
Meshing
Mesh Size Sets the value (as a percentage) for the tolerable variation
Variation (%) between the largest and smallest elements of the mesh.
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Small Feature Sets the percentage of the element size for surface meshing
(% of Element of small features.
Size)
Solver
Lets you modify the solver settings.
Convergency Specifies the level of convergence (low, medium, or high) of
Level the iterative process.
An iterative solution is considered to be sufficiently
converged (or attained a particular level of accuracy) when
any additional iterations produce negligible changes in the
variable values.
Maximum Specifies the maximum number of steps to be performed by
Iteration the solver to reach the specified convergency level.
Steps
Friction Specifies the coefficient of friction.
Coefficient
During sheet metal forming processes, the coefficient of
friction, if controlled properly, can generate the required
stresses to deform the metal to the required shape and
predict the fretting fatigue damage.
Save Analysis Saves the specified formability analysis results into the
Results into One-Step feature.
Feature
Join Output Joins the resulting output curves.
Curves
Calculate Calculates springback, which predicts the springback
Springback results. Select this check box to create spring back faceted
bodies.
Display Springback mode
Lets you specify the springback display options.
Displacement
Displays the springback in 3D displacement.
Along X
Displays the springback displacement in the X direction.
Along Y
Displays the springback displacement in the Y direction.
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Along Z
Displays the springback displacement in the Z direction.
Report
Display Lets you specify the analysis result images you want to
Thickness include in the XML report.
Display
Stress
Display Strain
Display
Springback
Display
Flatten Shape
Allow View Lets you change the view orientation before you export the
Change analysis results.
10
Analyze sheet metal forming

1. Choose Analysis tab®More gallery®Part gallery®Analyze Formability –
One-step .
2. In the Analyze Formability – One-step dialog box, from the Type list,
select Entire Unform.
3. In the Object Type group, from the Object Type list, select Face.
4. In the graphics window, select the faces to unform.
5. In the Boundary Conditions group, from the Constraint Type list, select
the boundary condition.
For this example, select Point to Point.
6. In the Constraint List sub group, click Specify Unform Point and select
the constraint point as shown in the following figure.
7. In the Material group, do the following:

a. Set the Material List to specify the location of the material library
from which you want to use a specific material.
10 For this example, select Library Materials.

b. In the Libraries subgroup, make sure that the NX Material Library

check box is selected
c. In the Materials (Filtered) sub group, select the required material

from the list.
For this example, select Steel.
All the available materials in the standard NX Material Library

are listed in the Materials list. Click Display material properties
for selected material(s) , or Inspect Material to view

information about the selected material. You can also modify the
material properties in the Settings group.
8. Specify the draw direction.

For this example, the draw direction is specified along the +ZC axis.
9. In the Thickness group, from the Surface Type list, select Outer Surface.
10. In the Calculation group, do the following:
a. Click Mesh to perform the surface meshing.
10
b. Click Mesh Quality Check to examine the mesh quality.
c. In the message box that appears indicating the status of the mesh
quality check, click OK if the mesh passed the quality check.
If the mesh quality is poor, you can change the surface meshing
options in the Settings group, under Mesh, and then re-calculate the
surface meshing results.
d. Click Calculation to calculate the unforming results using the

solver.
11. In the Results Display group, click Display Thickness and Display
Flatten shape .
The thickness and flattened shape unforming results are displayed in a
color-coded plot.
10
Display Thickness results Display Flatten Shape results
12. Click Report .

An external XML file with the XSL template is generated. The analysis
results are automatically saved in the XML file.
13. In the Settings group, under Solver, select the Save Analysis Results
into Feature check box.
This ensures that the formability analysis results are saved with the
Onestep Unform feature.
14. Click OK or Apply to finish the analysis and save the analysis results
with the Onestep Unform feature.
10
Activity: Formability – One step

In the Analyze Formability– One-step section, do the activity:
• Analyze Formability – One-step
10
Summary: Analyze Formability – One step

Use Analyze Formability – One step command to flatten all or some faces
of a sheet metal part using FEM analysis. Use it to calculate the thinning,
stress, strain, and springback.
In this lesson you:
• Identified the key preferences and environment settings.
• Analyzed and flattened a complex sheet metal part.
10
10
11
Lesson
11 Aerospace Sheet Metal
Purpose
Aerospace Sheet Metal accelerates the design of the most common sheet
metal parts found in airframes. The features provided by Aerospace Sheet
Metal let you define flanges that are associated with mold line surfaces and
are joggled around other supporting structures.
Objectives
• Identify the key preferences and environment settings for Aerospace
Sheet Metal.
• Create Aerospace Flange features.
• Create Aerospace Joggle features.
• Create Lightening Cutout features.
• Add reliefs and cutouts.
• Unform and reform Aerospace Sheet Metal parts.

Aerospace Sheet Metal
11
Aerospace Sheet Metal application
The features provided by Aerospace Sheet Metal let you define flanges
that are associated with mold line surfaces and are joggled around other
supporting structures.
There are three ways to start the Aerospace Sheet Metal application:
• Choose File tab®All Applications®Sheet Metal®Aerospace Sheet Metal.
• Click Aerospace Sheet Metal on the Application tab.
• Open a new part using the Aero Sheet Metal template.

11
Basic
Datum
Datum Axis Datum CSYS Point
Plane
Sketch
in Task
Environment
Tab
Bend
Aerospace Aerospace
Flange Joggle
Corner
Break
Chamfer
Corner
Punch
Aerospace
Lightening Dimple Louver Bead Solid Punch
Cutout
Feature
Normal
Extrude Hole
Cutout
Instance Mirror
Mirror Body
Feature Feature
Trim Body
Form

11
Sheet Metal
Unform Reform
Relief
Flat Pattern
Analyze
Export Flat
Flat Solid Formability Flat Pattern
Pattern
– One–step

11
Activity: Aerospace Sheet Metal
In the Aerospace Sheet Metal section, do the activity:
• Review the Preferences and start the support assembly

11
Aerospace Flange
The Aerospace Flange command lets you quickly construct complex flanges
along non-linear edges. The flange may also be associated with, and be
formed to align with, non-planar surfaces. A flange consists of a region known
as the bend region and a flange body known as the web. The bend region
attaches the flange to the body of a selected base edge.
Where do I find it?

Command Finder
Aerospace Flange

11
Aerospace Flange dialog box
Type By Value lets you define the flange by entering parameter

values.
To Reference lets you define the flange by selecting a
reference face or datum plane.
Flange Length
Properties Defines the normal distance between the outside edge
of the flange and either the inside or outside edge of
the base part, depending on the Bend Location option.
Angle
(Available when the type is set to By Value)
Specifies the angle of the flange. The angle for To
Reference flanges is determined by the intersection
between the base body and the reference surface.
Create Contour Curve

Generates a curve at the position of the contour points
along the length of the flange. For any given flange
cross section, the contour point is a point where the
outside face of the flange would intersect the outside
face of the body.

11
Flange with blue contour curve
Bend Parameters, Relief, and Inset options are the same as those for the
Sheet Metal flange.

11
• Create Aerospace Flange features

11
Sheet Metal Relief
Use the Sheet Metal Relief command to create a fully associative Circular, U,
V, or Routed Relief feature between bend areas. This feature is designed to
work with flanges, bends, profile flanges, general flanges, and corners. It can
also be applied to planar geometry.
Internally, the Sheet Metal Relief feature is composed of several hidden
cutout features.
Where do I find it?

Command Finder
Sheet Metal Relief

11
Sheet Metal Relief dialog box
Center Radius The radius of the center circle that defines the relief
between two adjacent bend areas.
Center Offset The distance between the intersection of the bend lines
and the center point of the center circle.
Tangent Offset The distance between the intersection of the bend lines
and the closest point on the center circle.
Radius 1 The radius used to blend the first corner.
Radius 2 The radius used to blend the second corner.
Offset 1 The distance from the first bend tangent line for V relief
construction.
Offset 2 The distance from the second bend tangent line for V
relief construction.
Relief Line The bisector line of the angle between the bend lines.
Angle 1 and Two positive values that define the angle of the first or
Angle 2 the second leg of V relief, measured from the relief line.

11
Cycle Lets you change the bisecting quadrant of the Offset
Direction Vector. There are four options for the four quadrants.

11
Unform and Reform
Unform
Use this command to unform aerospace flanges, including flanges containing
joggles. Flanges can be unformed before adding a corner relief, flange relief,
or flange shaping. For instance, if a cutout needs to cross a bend region, it
may be necessary to unform the flange before adding the cutout.
The Unform feature is intended for use during the construction process.
When a part is ready for flat pattern generation, the Flat Solid feature
should be used to produce a version of the part in its unformed state.

11
Reform
Use the Reform command to return a flange to the formed state after it has
been unformed. You generally unform a flange in order to add a feature in
the flat state.
For instance, to add a Sheet Metal Relief feature, first unform the flanges.
Then add the relief and use the Reform command to return the flanges
to their formed state.
Where do I find it?

Command Finder
Unform
Reform

11
• Unform the support and create relief for the support

11
Aerospace Joggle
Use the Aerospace Joggle command to quickly construct the geometry that
is required to offset a portion of a flange so it can be matched to other parts
in the assembly.
A minimum set of inputs results in a flange that is divided into three regions:
1. A region that does not change (stationary region)
2. A joggled region
3. A transition region between the stationary and joggled regions
Two types of joggles can be created: a Single Joggle and a Twin Joggle. A
Twin Joggle contains two transition and two stationary regions, both on
each side of a single joggled region.
Where do I find it?

Command Finder
Aerospace Joggle

11
Aerospace Joggle dialog box
Type Single creates a joggle defined by a single joggled region,

transition region, and stationary region.
Twin creates a joggle defined by a single joggled region
and two transition and two stationary regions.
Selections Select flange bend faces
Identifies the flange to joggle by selecting a bend face
of the flange.
Select Start Plane
Lets you select or define a datum plane. The datum
plane is used to define the location of the joggle on
the selected flange.

11
Select End Plane
(For twin joggles only) Lets you select or define a
second datum plane. The datum planes define the
limits of the joggled region.
Joggle Depth
Properties Defines the distance and direction that the joggled
faces of the flange are offset along the Side 1 datum
plane.
Symmetric Sides
Specifies that both sides of the joggle have the same
properties.
If this check box is cleared, separate options are
available for Side 1 and Side 2.
Apply Compensation
Applies flat pattern compensations to joggles when
they are unformed by the Flat Solid feature.
Side 1 and Side 2 Runout (R)

Defines the normal distance and direction between the
start and the end of the transition region. For single
joggles, it also defines the direction of the transition
region relative to the datum plane.
Clearance (C)
Defines the normal distance between the datum plane
and the start of the transition region.
Stationary Radius (R1)
Specifies the radius of the blend between the
stationary region and the transition region.
Offset Radius (R2)
Specifies the radius of the blend between the
transition region and the joggled region.
Parameter Provides a bitmap image that identifies and illustrates

Definitions the key parameters.

11
• Create an Aerospace Joggle feature

11
Aerospace Lightening Cutout
The Aerospace Lightening Cutout command allows you to quickly construct
flanged cutouts on Aerospace Sheet Metal parts.
You can define the cutout by:
• Sketching the outline.
• Specifying the length of the flange.
• Rounding the sketch vertices.
• Defining the draft angle.
Aerospace Lightening Cutout is similar to Drawn Cutout in Sheet Metal;

however, the Aerospace Lightening Cutout feature can be unformed while
the Drawn Cutout feature cannot.
Where do I find it?

Command Finder
Aerospace Lightening Cutout

11
Aerospace Lightening Cutout dialog box
Type By Section lets you select an existing sketch or a

placement face on which to sketch the cutout shape.
Hole creates a hole with a center point and diameter that
you specify.
Section or Center
Location
Select curve
(Appears when type is set to By Section)
Lets you select an existing curve or sketch one.
Select Planar Face

(Appears when type is set to Hole)
Lets you select a planar face on which to create the
hole.

11
Specify Point
(Appears when type is set to Hole)
Lets you select or create a center point to define the
center of the circular cutout.
Cutout Diameter
Properties (Appears when type is set to Hole)
Sets the diameter of the circular cutout.
The diameter defines the size of the cut, and the
flanged region is then added to the inside of this cut
hole.
Length
Specifies the length of the flanged region. This
distance is measured from the relative intersection of
the flange to the end of the web.
Angle
Sets the draft angle for the flanged region.
Check Clearance
Specifies that NX checks the minimum distance
between the cutout feature and the part edges or bend
regions. You supply the Clearance value.
Rounding Die Radius sets the radius for the inside of the bend on
the flanged region.
Corner Radius (Appears when type is set to By Section)
Sets the value for the rounding of the sharp edges of the
sketch profile.

11
In the Aerospace Sheet Metal section, do the activities:
• Add Lightening Cutout features
• Create a Flat Pattern feature

11
Summary: Aerospace Sheet Metal
Use Aerospace Sheet Metal for designing structural support ribs and various
other types of brackets that typically mate with the mold line of an aircraft
body.
In this lesson you:
• Identified the key preferences and environment settings for Aerospace
Sheet Metal.
• Created Aerospace Flange, Aerospace Joggle, and Lightening Cutout

features.
• Added relief and cutout features.
• Unformed and reformed Aerospace Sheet Metal parts.

Lesson
12 Working with non-sheet

12
metal data
Purpose
In this lesson you will learn how to:
• Use parts created in the Modeling application or import them from other
CAD systems. You can then use the set of commands available in Sheet
Metal to make them into valid sheet metal parts.
• Rip edges when converting a solid model to a sheet metal part.
• Change the parameters of individual bend regions. This change

can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as illustrating interim
manufacturing stages, changing individual bends in a multi-bend part,
or ensuring that bend regions in solid models converted to sheet metal
parts are appropriate for the part. This lesson introduces you to the resize
commands in Sheet Metal.
Objectives
• Understand and use the workflow for converting a non-sheet metal part
to a sheet metal part.
• Know what selections are most likely to produce a successful conversion

of a solid model into a sheet metal part.
• Know the benefits and drawbacks of using the Cleanup Utility when a part
does not convert properly.
• Become familiar with the benefits of using the Convert to Sheet Metal
Wizard.
• Resize bend radii and bend angles on a converted sheet metal part.
• Become familiar with the options available with the Edge Rip command
and create an Edge Rip feature.

Working with non-sheet metal data
• Identify the key elements of the resize sheet metal commands.
• Understand when you would use the resize sheet metal commands.
12

Tips and techniques: Converting to Sheet Metal

Key points You can convert only a solid body that has some thickness.
for successful You cannot convert a sheet body.
conversion
The part you convert must have constant thickness. 12
Successful conversion of a model into sheet metal depends
on the topology of the part and the base face you select. A
face that has tangent continuity with other faces in the
model gives better results after conversion.
Ripping edges of A rip shears or tears your sheet metal along seams, or
the part along profiles that you create. If your part is a continuous
piece of material, it cannot be unbent without ripping
the sheet metal. Ripping edges lets you achieve tangent
continuous faces in your part.
Cleanup Utility While the Cleanup Utility can resolve many problems
with the part, it can change the part significantly and
it creates a new, non-associative body. For this reason,
we recommended that you cleanup the part only if the
conversion is not satisfactory.
Convert to Sheet The Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard streamlines the
Metal Wizard workflow by letting you perform the cleanup and
conversion tasks in the correct sequence and ensures a
workable sheet metal model.
Sheet Metal from When you use the Sheet Metal from Solid command to
Solid convert selected faces of a solid body to a sheet metal
part, we recommended that you select an appropriate
combination of faces and edges that will create a valid
sheet metal part which can be flattened.

Convert a solid model to a sheet metal part

This example shows how to convert a simple solid model created in the
Modeling application to a valid sheet metal model. The basic shape was
extruded, then shelled.
12
1. Open the Convert to Sheet Metal dialog box in one of these ways:
• Choose Home tab®Basic group®Convert to Sheet Metal .
• Choose Menu®Insert®Convert®Convert to Sheet Metal.
2. Select a planar base face.

For best results, select a face that has tangent continuity with the other
faces in the model, or that will have tangent continuity after you rip edges.

3. Select the edges that you want to rip.

For this example, all four vertical edges were selected.
12
4. In the Bend Relief group, specify a Shape.

For this example, None was selected.
5. Click OK to complete the conversion.
The Convert to Sheet Metal feature now appears in the feature tree in the
Part Navigator.

Clean up a part before converting it to a sheet metal part
12
This example shows how to clean up a non-sheet metal part before converting
it to a sheet metal part.
1. Open the Cleanup Utility dialog box in one of the following ways:
• Choose Home tab®Basic group®Cleanup Utility .
• Choose Menu®Insert®Convert®Cleanup Utility.
2. Select the base face of the part.

12
3. In the Thickness group, specify the thickness of the sheet metal part.
For this example, Thickness = 1.2.
4. In the Sliver group, specify the tolerance value identifying sliver faces.
For this example, Sliver Tolerance = 0.01.
5. In the Settings group, select the Hide Original check box, to hide the
original body after the cleanup.
6. Click OK to clean up the part.

The part is now ready to be converted to a sheet metal part.

Optimize Face
Use the Optimize Face command to simplify surface types, merge faces,
improve edge accuracy, and recognize blends.
12
Use this command on models imported into NX to convert B-surface faces

to analytic faces.
Where do I find it?
Modeling, Shape Studio, Advanced Simulation, Sheet

Application Metal, and Manufacturing
Prerequisite You must be in History-free mode
Command Finder Optimize Face

Optimize Face dialog box
12
Face Select Face lets you select the faces that you want
to optimize.
Settings Emphasize Faces and Edges
Highlights high and medium interest objects before
any faces are selected.
Clean Body before Optimize
Attempts to make it a valid body by removing invalid
geometry and bad topology.
Report
Displays the optimize face report.

Optimize faces
12
This example shows how to convert
spline and tolerant edges to more
accurate geometric edges and convert
B-surfaces with analytic surfaces of
an imported solid.
1. Choose Home tab®Synchronous Modeling group®Optimize Face .
2. Select the faces you want to optimize.

For this example, all faces are selected.
3. In the Settings group, select the options that you want.

In this example, Clean Body before Optimize and Report are selected.

12
4. Click OK.
The Information window displays the optimize face report.

Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard

Use the Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard command to convert a non-sheet metal
part to a valid sheet metal part by ripping edges and cleaning up geometry.
12
The wizard streamlines the workflow by letting you perform the cleanup
and conversion tasks in the correct sequence and ensures a workable sheet
metal model.
The example shows the recommended workflow for converting a non-sheet
metal part to a sheet metal part.
Rip along the corner edges. This step is optional, but if you do not rip
edges that need to be ripped, they are defined as non-sheet metal areas
that cannot be bent or unbent.
Convert the non-sheet metal part to a valid sheet metal part on which you
can perform operations like bending, unbending, flattening, and so on.
Clean up imported parts so that the cleaned up part meets the

requirements of the convert to sheet metal step. This is an optional step.

• The Edge Rip and Cleanup Utility steps in the wizard are optional,
but to create the convert to sheet metal feature you must perform
the Convert to Sheet Metal step.
• While the wizard guides you through the workflow, separate dialog 12
boxes for Edge Rip, Cleanup Utility, and Convert to Sheet Metal
commands are also available.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard

Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard dialog box
12
The Edge Rip step lets you rip along the corner edges prior to converting a
non-sheet metal part to a valid sheet metal part.
Edge to Rip Select Edge

Lets you select the corner edges that you want to rip.
Select Section
Lets you select an existing section or sketch one on
the face of a part.
You can use this option to rip the solid body along
linear sections other than corners.
You can also rip along a linear sketch.

In the following example, the flange is ripped along a linear sketch to create
separate independent edges, and a bend is created along one edge of the
original flange.

12
The Cleanup Utility step lets you create a new body that meets the
requirements of the Convert to Sheet Metal step.
The Cleanup Utility command can automatically correct the following:
• Non-uniform thickness regions which fall within approximately a 10
percent variation of the thickness of a selected face.
• Non-concentric bend regions.
• Sliver faces in the part.

Slivers are long and narrow faces that have a very high length (L) to
width (W) aspect ratio.
• Spike faces in the part.
• G1 continuity between faces. Non-G1 continuity between a planar face

and the bend face is corrected.
• B-spline faces in a model. These are converted to a simpler form, such as

planar or cylindrical.
• Bends that have a zero bend radius, that is, the outside bend radius is
equal to the thickness of the part and the inside bend radius is zero.
• Sharp edges in a model. These are converted to bend regions without

splitting the thickness face.
The sharp edges are cleaned up using a bend radius value of 0.02 mm.
The model can have an inner sharp edge with an outer bend face, an outer
sharp edge with an inner bend face, or both sharp edges.
For example, if a model has an inner sharp edge, the inner sharp edge is
replaced with a bend face of radius 0.02 mm. The corresponding outer
bend radius is equal to the sum of the inner bend radius and the input
thickness.

12
You can also use the Optimize Face command for additional cleanup
if necessary.
Base Face Select Face lets you specify a base face from which
NX will infer the thickness of the cleaned up part.
Because NX uses the thickness of the base face to infer
the thickness of the resulting cleaned up part, select a
base face that has uniform thickness.
Thickness Infer Thickness infers the thickness of the resulting
sheet metal part after you select the non-sheet metal part
for cleanup.
If you do not select the Infer Thickness check box, NX
uses the value that you enter in the Thickness box.
Areas of non-uniform thickness are automatically
corrected to match the thickness value you specify.
Sliver Sliver Tolerance lets you specify the sliver tolerance
value.
Slivers are long and narrow faces that have a very high
length (L) to width (W) aspect ratio. If the width (W) of
the sliver is less than the specified sliver tolerance value,
the slivers are removed.
Settings Hide Original hides the original non-sheet metal part

after you click OK in the Cleanup Utility dialog box.
NX performs the cleanup operation using a copy of
the original solid body. The result of the cleanup is
not associative to the original body.
Convert to Sheet Metal converts the part to a sheet metal part and creates
the Convert to Sheet Metal feature.

Base Face Select Face lets you select a base face to anchor
the part during conversion. If you do not select a base
face, NX uses the base face selected during the cleanup
operation. 12
For best results, select a face that has tangent continuity
with the other faces in the model, or one that will be
tangent continuous after you rip the edges.
Bend Relief Shape lets you specify the type of relief you want to apply
to bend regions.
None
Square
Round

Settings Maintain Zero Bend Radius converts a non-sheet metal

part that has one or more sharp edges on one side and one
or more bend faces on the other side.
12
If you do not select this check box, NX uses the default

value for the bend radius specified in the Sheet Metal
Preferences dialog box, and creates a bend of consistent
thickness.

Edge Rip
Use this command to rip edges when converting a solid model to a sheet
metal part.
12
You can:
• Rip along corner edges.
• Rip along a linear sketch.
In the following example, the flange is ripped along a linear sketch to create
separate independent edges, and a bend is created along one of the separated
flanges.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Edge Rip

Edge Rip dialog box
12
Edge to Rip Lets you select the type of geometry to rip.
Select Edge Lets you select the edges to rip.
Select Lets you select the section to rip

Section along. You can select an existing
section, or create a linear sketch.
In the image below, an open profile sketch was used to rip the existing
flange. A bend feature was then added.

Rip along corner edges
This example shows how to rip edges on a part.
1. Choose Home tab®Basic group®Convert gallery®Edge Rip . 12

2. Select the edges you want to rip.
3. Click OK to rip the part along the selected edges.

Rip along a linear sketch
This example shows how to rip edges on a part using a linear sketch as
a reference.
12
1. Choose Home tab®Basic group®Convert gallery®Edge Rip .
2. Select an existing section, or create a sketch on the face of a part.
3. For the Section, select the line you sketched, as shown.
4. Click OK to rip along the sketch.

Resize Bend Radius

Use the Resize Bend Radius command to change the radius of a bend by
overriding the feature that created the bend.
12
You can:
• Change the radius of individual bend regions and illustrate over-bending
and springback effects.
• Change individual bends in features such as contour flanges and jogs

that create multiple bend regions.
• Modify individual bend regions to suit the demands of the part, when you
use the Convert to Sheet Metal command to convert solid parts to sheet
metal parts.
The modifications appear as a separate Resize Bend Radius feature in the

Main panel of the Part Navigator.
Model History
Datum Coordinate System (0)
SB Tab (1)
SB Flange (2)
SB Resize Bend Radius (3)
As these features are in timestamp order, you can hide, show, or edit them
to display the model in various states of forming.
The Part Navigator shows a combination of modeling and pre-NX 4
sheet metal features. The Convert to Sheet Metal feature should be the
last feature listed in your Part Navigator before you use the Resize
Bend Radius command.
Model History
Block
SM Flange
SM Cutout
Bead
SB Convert to Sheet Metal
Resize Bend Radius

Where do I find it?
12 Command Finder Resize Bend Radius

Resize Bend Radius dialog box
12
Type Fixed Tab/ Resizes the radius of the selected

Flange Position bend while keeping the folded length
fixed.
Fixed Resizes the radius of the selected

Unfolded Length bend while keeping the unfolded
length fixed.
Stationary Face/ Select Face/ Available when Type is set to Fixed

Edge Edge Unfolded Length.
Lets you specify the stationary face
or edge.
Bend to Resize Select Bend Lets you select the bend whose radius
you want to resize.
Bend Parameters Bend Radius Sets the new radius for the bend.

Resize the bend radius of a flange
This example shows how to change the size of the bend radius of a flange
while keeping the overall length of the unfolded part unchanged.
12
1. Choose Home tab®Form group®Resize Bend Radius .
2. In the Resize Bend Radius dialog box, from the Type list, select Fixed
Unfolded Length.
3. In the graphics window, select the stationary face.
4. Select the bend whose radius you want to modify.

5. In the Bend Parameters group, specify the value for the bend radius in
the Bend Radius box.
For this example, Bend Radius = 5.
12
6. Click OK to resize the radius of the selected bend.

Dimensions of the formed part change but the dimensions of the unfolded
part remain unchanged.

Resize Bend Angle

Use this command to change the angle of a bend by overriding the feature
that created the bend.
12
You can do the following:
• Depict a bend in various intermediate stages.
• Study over-bending and springback effects of selected bends.
• Do forming studies on an already-designed sheet metal part.
For manufacturing, you can visualize parts with bends in interim states.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Resize Bend Angle

Resize Bend Angle dialog box
12
Stationary Face Select Face lets you specify the face that will not
or Edge move.
Bend to Resize Select Bend lets you select the bend whose bend
angle you want to resize.
Bend Parameters Angle Lets you specify the bend angle.
Keep Radius Keeps the bend radius unchanged

Fixed when the bend angle is changed.

Resize the bend angle

This example shows how to modify the bend angle of a selected bend while
keeping the bend radius fixed. NX modifies the overall length of the flange to
accommodate the resized bend.
12
1. Choose Home tab®Form group® Resize Bend Angle , or choose

Menu®Insert®Resize®Resize Bend Angle.
2. In the graphics window, specify the stationary face.
3. Select the bend whose angle you want to resize.
4. In the Bend Parameters dialog box, specify the value for the bend angle
in the Angle box.
For this example, a value of 120 was entered.
5. Ensure that the Keep Radius Fixed check box is not selected.

6. Click OK to modify the angle of the selected bend.
12

Resize Neutral Factor

Use this command to change the Neutral Factor value, overriding the feature
that added the bend. You can change the neutral factor value and control the
12 geometry of individual bend regions without re-creating the part.
Compression
Tension
Neutral axis — point in a bend
where the tension on the outside of
the bend and the compression on the
inside become neutral.
The default Neutral Factor value refers to the neutral axis. This neutral axis
is used when figuring the bend allowance for flat patterns. It depends on the
mechanical properties of the material being bent, and is represented by a
percentage of the stock thickness, measured from the inside bend radius. The
default value is 0.33. You can supply a value between 0 and 1.
Where do I find it?
Command Finder Resize Neutral Factor

Resize Neutral Factor dialog box
12
Bend to Resize Select Bend lets you select the bend whose neutral
factor value you want to change.
Bend Parameters Neutral Factor lets you specify the neutral factor value.

Activities: Working with non-sheet metal data

In the Working with non-sheet metal data section, do the activities:
• Create non-uniform bends
12
• Resize a bend radius
• Resize a bend angle

Summary: Working with non-sheet metal data

Using the Edge Rip command lets you define non-uniform bends and gives
you more flexibility when converting models to sheet metal parts.
In this lesson you: 12
• Identified the key elements and conditions required to create an Edge
Rip feature.
• Ripped corner edges on a part and created an edge to rip with a sketch.
• Learned how and when to use Convert to Sheet Metal Wizard.
• Learned what techniques to use to make successful conversion more likely.
• Reviewed when you would use the Resize Bend Radius, Resize Bend
Angle, and Resize Neutral Factor commands.
• Resized bend radii and bend angles on a converted sheet metal part.

12
Reference tear-out pages
These reference tear-out pages are provided for your convenience. The
following pages are included:
• An overview of Siemens Learning Advantage
• A Student Profile sheet that your instructor may have you complete at
the beginning of the course
• The course agenda
• Evaluation sheets for the course delivery and the course materials. You
may also be given information about filling these out online.
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PLM Software
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Student Profile
To stay in touch with our customers, we are asking for some background information. We will keep this information confidential and
will not share this with anyone outside Education Services. Please print your information.
Your name _____________________________________________________________________________________ U.S. citizen? Yes No
Course title: Sheet Metal Design Dates: _____________ thru _____________
Hotel/motel while training: __________________________________________________ Planned departure time after class: ________________
Employer _____________________________________________________________ Location ______________________________________________
Supervisor/manager: _______________________________________________ Emergency contact phone: _________________________________
Your job title and responsibilities ______________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Industry: Automotive Aerospace Consumer products Machining Tooling Medical Other
Types of products/parts/data that you work with: ________________________________________________________________________________
Platform (operating system): ______________________________________________
Reason for training: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
List any training you have had for Siemens PLM Software products, such as NX, I-deas, Imageware, Teamcenter Manufacturing,
Teamcenter Engineering, Teamcenter Enterprise, Tecnomatix, or Dimensional Management/Visualization.
Instructor-led
Software Training provided by: When Course name
or self-paced?
Other CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM software you have used: ____________________________________________________________________________
Please indicate your experience with the following:
Thank you for your participation. We hope our training meets your expectations.
Course agenda — Sheet Metal Design
Day 1 Morning
• Introduction & course overview

• Lesson 1 – Sheet Metal workflow
• Lesson 2 – Establish basic part characteristics
• Lesson 3 – Define the basic shape of the part
• Lesson 4 – Constructing base features
Afternoon
• Lesson 5 – Sheet Metal corners

• Lesson 6 – Sheet Metal cutouts
• Lesson 7 – Sheet Metal deform features
Day 2 Morning
• Lesson 8 – Flat Solid and Flat Pattern

• Lesson 9 – Advanced Sheet Metal commands
Afternoon
• Lesson 10 – Analyze sheet metal forming

• Lesson 11 – Aerospace Sheet Metal
• Lesson 12 – Working with non-sheet metal data
Siemens PLM Software – Delivery Evaluation
Your name: ____________________________________________________________
Course title: Sheet Metal Design
Course #: mt16020 Dates: _____________________________
Instructor: _____________________________________________________________
Siemens PLM Software – Courseware Evaluation
Your name: ____________________________________________________________
Course title: Sheet Metal Design
Course #: mt16020 Dates: _____________________________
Name (optional): _____________________________________ Location/room ________________
If you would prefer to fill out an evaluation online, please go to the following URL:
http://training.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/eval/
Session ID: ______________________ (provided by instructor). Must be completed within two weeks.
Thank you for your business. We hope you will consider us for your future training and
professional development.

Sheet Metal Design

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Proprietary and restricted rights notice

2 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

Proprietary and restricted rights notice; Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Sheet Metal workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Establish basic part characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Define the basic shape of the part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Constructing base features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Sheet Metal Design 3

4 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

Create a sheet metal part from a solid part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94

Sheet Metal corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Sheet Metal cutouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Sheet Metal deform features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Sheet Metal Design 5

Flat Solid and Flat Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

Flat Solid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Advanced Sheet Metal commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

Bridge Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2

6 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

Activity: Unform and Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30

Analyze Formability – One step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

Aerospace Sheet Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Working with non-sheet metal data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Sheet Metal Design 7

Resize Bend Radius dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-25

8 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

• Set up default standards and creation preferences.

• Edit parametric features.

Sheet Metal Design 9

• 200 hours of experience with NX Modeling after course prerequisites.

• Working knowledge of:

o Basic sheet metal design

How to use this manual

The general format for lesson content is:

• One or more activities

• Confirm important facts by restating them in your own words.

Because later lessons often build on functionality taught in earlier

10 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

The student manual uses special symbols as shown below.

Tip — Useful information or advice.

Note — Contains useful information that supplements or emphasizes

Example — Shows a possible way that the current topic of discussion

Caution — Contains important reminders or information about a task.

Warning — Contains information essential to your success.

Sheet Metal Design 11

Ribbon bar choose File tab®Help®NX Help .

The Learning Advantage

• Presented in a self-paced learning environment

• Online assessments to measure your success

• Just in time training for the latest software releases

12 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

Classroom system information

Teamcenter Integration for NX vs. native NX terminology

Sheet Metal Design 13

Layer categories in the Model template parts

Implementing a layer standard

• Use a macro to create layer categories: Menu®Tools®Macro®Playback.

• Your administrator can enforce company standards by providing suitable

14 Sheet Metal Design mt16020_s – NX 9

1 Sheet Metal workflow

In a typical Sheet Metal workflow, you:

3. Add sheet metal-specific features, such as flanges, jogs, and bends to

5. Rebend flattened bend areas to complete the part.