These days, a lot of designers are used to building out models as three-dimensional objects, but not so familiar with sheet metal design methods. Because sheet metal parts start out as a flat objects, you need to think of the design process a bit differently to ensure that the model is ready for manufacturing.
Making Sheet Metal-Friendly Designs
Designing for sheet metal is actually quite easy, and the time you take making your model sheet metal friendly will pay off in production time and cost. This brief video explores:
- Converting imported models to sheet metal
- Converting solid body models into a sheet metal friendly format
- How to design for manufacturability
SolidWorks provides even more detail in their blog post, Importing Sheet Metal. For more great sheet metal design tips, download our Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Guide.
