Level up your Solidworks skills by mastering the Sheet Metal module. Solidworks is one of the most popular and powerful 3D CAD programs in the world. Millions of people use it to design everything from 3D-printed toys all the way up to fully-working mechanical vehicles.
However, as well as being used for solid models, Solidworks also has a powerful Sheet Metal module that can be used to virtually make 3D parts from flat sheets.
Now you can join the ranks of Solidworks Sheet Metal users, and learn to create your own Sheet Metal models.
Level up your Solidworks skills by mastering the Sheet Metal module. Solidworks is one of the most popular and powerful 3D CAD programs in the world. Millions of people use it to design everything from 3D-printed toys all the way up to fully-working mechanical vehicles.
However, as well as being used for solid models, Solidworks also has a powerful Sheet Metal module that can be used to virtually make 3D parts from flat sheets.
Now you can join the ranks of Solidworks Sheet Metal users, and learn to create your own Sheet Metal models.
Why this course is differentThere are many Sheet Metal courses online, but none quite like this one:
The course covers every Sheet Metal tool in depth and includes the theory behind Sheet Metal concepts like Bend Allowance.
Taught by a Solidworks professional. The instructor been using Solidworks since 2006 and even taken a range of official Solidworks-certified training courses. The instructor currently works as a Product Design Engineer and uses Solidworks every day to design all sorts of things for real clients - no academic-only experience here.
Built on previous feedback. This course is built upon the instructors other best-selling Solidworks courses, and on the feedback from over 7,000 previous students on Udemy alone.
Understand the wider context of Sheet Metal use. As well as explaining the basic Sheet Metal techniques this course also details real world applications and uses, such as the best material to select for the projects, and manufacturing tips.
About this course
This courses includes:
Over 4 hours of high-quality original video.
Sections contain additional resources such as downloadable models and drawings, made specially for the course.
Prompt support from expert instructor. Have a question? We are always here to support any questions and take a look at your progress.
You will learn
Over the course of eleven detailed sections you'll learn the entire range of Sheet Metal skills, including:
Introduction to the Course - What it covers, how to use the course, and how best to get support
Getting Started with Sheet Metal - Base Flanges, Sheet Metal Properties and Material Selection
Adding Bends - Edge Flanges - one of the most Fundamental Sheet Metal features
Basic Sheet Metal Features - Adding and Removing Material, Miter Flanges, Hems, Jogs and Sketched Bends
Advanced/Specialist Sheet Metal Tools - Crossbreak, Swept Flange, Gusset, Lofted Bend, Tab and Slot, Vent, Unfold and Fold processes
Corner Details - Various Corner Tools available in Solidworks Sheet Metal
Creating Sheet Metal Parts in Other Ways - Insert Bends, Convert to Sheet Metal
Forming Tools - Basic Use, modifying existing Forming Tools, and making and using entirely custom Forming Tools
Practical Example - Making an Enclosure - Many of the previous skills are now combined to create a multi-sheet Enclosure Model
2D Drawings and Exporting Files - 2D Sheet Metal drawings and also how to export Sheet Metal parts into file types that can be widely used by third-party machines.
Conclusion - This final section briefly recaps the entire course.
The course is taught using Solidworks 2019 but the models and resources used will work with any version newer than that. If you have a previous version (2015-2018, or earlier) then users can still follow along and use the course but won't be able to open the optional, example models. There might also be slight differences in interface and terminology between versions.
So sign up today, and begin your first steps in the exciting world of Sheet Metal modelling.
This short video welcomes the students to the course and introduces what Sheet Metal is. It explains what we'll cover in the course and how Sheet Metal parts don't strictly have to be limited to metal items.
This video briefly explains the prerequisites for taking this course - that users should ideally already have basic Solidworks skills (how to use the interface, view controls, starting new files parts, drawing sketches etc.).
It also explains how to get help, how the Exercise Files work and the best way to use the videos.
This video shows how to create Base Flanges - the most basic of all Sheet Metal features, and often the best way to start your part. Before this, it explains the best way to set your Solidworks interface up for working in Sheet Metal.
It also introduces some fundamental Sheet Metal aspects, like the Sheet Metal and Flat Pattern folders.
This video starts to explain the Sheet Metal concepts in more detail and covers Thickness and Bend Radius. Although this theory is fairly dry, a strong foundation now will help use create more effective Sheet Metal parts in the long run.
The concept of gauge (a way of measuring the thickness of sheets) is also introduced.
The Bend Allowance and Autorelief options are explained in more detail in this video. These options, although quite theoretical, are important to the understanding of making good Sheet Metal parts.
As well as using a closed profile to create a Base Flange, users can also create them using open profiles, or closed contained profiles. This video explains what this means and how to create these types of Base Flange.
The Flatten feature is also introduced, allowing 3D parts to be unbent to a flat sheet.
This video gives an overview of common materials used for creating Sheet Metal parts. It discusses the pros and cons of each of these, allowing you to make the best choice for your projects.
This quiz covers details from the first section.
Edge Flanges are one of the most basic and common way to build up Sheet Metal parts. This video introduces this feature and shows the basics of how to add and edit them.
This video looks at Edge Flanges in a little more detail, showing how to edit Flange Profiles, add multiple edges and other options.
Tabs can be used to add material to flanges and have a number of advantages over normal Extruded Bosses. This video shows how to use this tool.
The video also shows how to use Mouse Gestures to speed up workflow, and hows how Mirroring and Patterning can be used in Sheet Metal parts.
This video shows the multiple ways that material can be removed in Sheet Metal, including Extruded Cut, Simple Hole and Hole Wizard. Depending on what you are modelling different cutting techniques will give different results.
The Miter Flange can be used to create simple or complex edge flanges with mitered corners. This means that corner details are automatically trimmed away.
This video explains the Hem feature, which can be used to create folded over edges. This can strengthen edges and improve them from an ergonomic and aesthetic point of view.
Jogs are a pair off offset bends that can be used to offset a face. This allows them to be strengthened, to fit inside corresponding parts, or facilitates easier joining of sheets. This video shows how to use the basic features of this tool.
This video demonstrates a common use for the Jogs feature - offsetting a a face to help the joining of two adjacent flanges.
Sketched Bends can be used to create bent flanges where no existing edges already exist. This video introduces this very useful feature.
A Crossbreak is a feature used to add rigidity to flat Sheet Metal faces, such as ducting. In Solidworks this feature is purely visual and this short video demonstrates how to use it.
Swept Flanges are fairly similar to Miter Flanges but instead of mitering (cutting) corners they produce rounded corners that are connected to each other.
The Unfold and Fold features are both closely related and let users flatten certain bends before the end of modelling. This can be useful when cutting across bends, and in other situations.
Gussets are ridges that are pressed into Sheet Metal parts to add strength across bent edges. This video shows how to add, use and adjust them.
The Vent feature can be used to create Sheet Metal vent cuts, that can easily be modified, from a base Sketch.
Lofted Bends can be used to join two dissimilar Sheet Metal profiles. There are two main methods for creating these bends - Formed and Bent. This video introduces the feature and gives more detail on the Formed method.
Lofted Bends can be used to join two dissimilar Sheet Metal profiles. There are two main methods for creating these bends - Formed and Bent. This video gives more detail on the Bent method.
The Tab and Slot features allows multiple sheets to be joined via the cutting of tab and slot features. This can help with welding and other joining methods.
Solidworks Sheet Metal has a number of corner tools that are grouped together. The first is Closed Corner which allows corner gaps between adjacent Edge Flanges to be reduced.
Solidworks Sheet Metal has a number of corner tools that are grouped together. The second is Welded Corner which allows adjacent Edge Flanges to be welded together.
Solidworks Sheet Metal has a number of corner tools that are grouped together. Corner Trim removes sharp edges from internal and/or external corners by adding fillets and chamfers. The Corner Trim tool has a number of advantages in Sheet Metal over the more traditional Fillet and Chamfer tools.
Solidworks Sheet Metal has a number of corner tools that are grouped together. Corner Relief lets users cut away sections in corners where one or more flanges join.
As well as starting a Sheet Metal using a Base Flange it is also possible to convert existing Solid models to Sheet Metal.
If the part has a constant wall thickness, such as a Shelled or Thin Feature model, then the Insert Bends feature can be used to make it into a Sheet Metal model.
The Convert to Sheet Metal feature can be used with Solid models that don't have a constant wall thickness. This video introduces the tool and explains the general operation.
The Convert to Sheet Metal feature can be used with Solid models that don't have a constant wall thickness. This video explains some more advanced features of the tool and some important limitations.
The Solidworks Design Library includes a range of Forming Tools that can be used to press 3D relief details into flat Sheet Metal faces. This video introduces these tools and shows how to use them.
Although the Design Library does contain quite a wide variety of types of Forming Tools, they are limited in usefulness due to their fixed sizes and shapes. This video shows how to adjust existing Forming Tools in order to create tools more suited to your modelling needs.
This video shows how to create entirely new Custom Forming Tools, enabling you to model exactly the type of forms you require.
In this section we will combine a number of the skills we have learned, in order to create a Sheet Metal Enclosure. This video covers creating the initial enclosure base.
In this video will we continue to develop the Sheet Metal Enclosure by adding more details such as front cut-outs.
In this video we develop the Sheet Metal Enclosure further and make it into a multi-sheet part by adding a Lid.
This video shows how to finish the Sheet Metal Enclosure by adding some final details in the form of Vents and formed Handles.
Sheet Metal 2D Drawings are broadly similar to standard Solidworks Drawings. This video shows this basic process, as well as briefly showing how to make exploded Sheet Metal drawings and Cut Lists.
2D Flat Patterns are essential for accurately and clearly displaying information for manufacturing Sheet Metal parts. This video shows how to insert and detail Flat Patterns, including the use of Ordinate Dimensions.
Creating real, manufactured parts from your Solidworks designs is a vital aspect of the design process. This video explains how to Export Sheet Metal parts in a range of different formats and discusses different types of 2D files.
The final video of the course briefly runs back through all that was covered in the course.
That's it. Well done for completing the course!
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