Docking Station Exercise 4

Introduction to Sheet Metal
Docking Station
Docking Station Exercise 4.
Prerequisite Previous knowledge of the following commands is required to complete

Knowledge this lesson; Sketch (Line, Centerline, Circle, Add Relations, Smart Dimension,
Mirror Entities), Sheet Metal tools and Edit Materials.
Focus of lesson This lesson focuses on designing a sheet metal part from the flattened state. In
this case, you create a sheet metal part and then insert bend lines on which to
fold the part.
Commands Used This lesson includes Sketch commands (including Convert Entities), Base
Flange, Extruded Cut, and Sketched Bend.
New File Create a new part file.
Save File Save the file as ‘Docking Station’ to a folder called ‘Docking Station’
(Continue to save periodically throughout the exercise)
Leaving Certificate Technology 1

Docking Station
Getting Started Activate Sketch and Sheet Metal tabs on the

command manager as outlined in earlier exercises
Creating a sketch We begin by creating a sketch to generate the piece of acrylic required to
manufacture the object.
Choosing a plane Choose the Top plane from the Design Tree and select
the sketch icon from the pop up toolbar
Creating a sketch Select the Line command and create

a sketch as shown
Add relations Add an ‘Equal’ relation between the five horizontal lines

Docking Station
Add a ‘Collinear’ relation between the two horizontal lines shown.
Add another ‘Collinear’ relation between the two horizontal lines shown.
Smart Dimension Smart Dimension the sketch as shown below.
Exit the sketch.

Docking Station
Creating the Sheet

Metal Feature Select Base Flange from the
Sheet Metal toolbar
Select the sketch
Apply a thickness of 3mm
Select Ok
Rename Base
Flange1 Rename this feature as ‘Acrylic’
Sketch for bends We will now create a sketch to include all the bending lines. We will
subsequently use ‘Convert Entities’ from the sketch toolbar when creating the
various bends. In this way, we can edit the position of all the bends from one
sketch.
Right click the top face as indicated.

Select the sketch icon from the
pop up toolbar
Select ‘Normal to’
Using the ‘Centreline’ command, create the sketch shown below

Docking Station
Exit the sketch and rename as ‘Sketch to locate bends’
This sketch should be left visible
Circular Holes Right click the top face as indicated.

Select the sketch icon from the
pop up toolbar
Select ‘Normal to’
Use a diagonal centreline to help locate the centre of the circles. Sketch the
circles with the centre on the diagonals as shown.
Add an ‘Equal’ relation between the two circles and dimension as indicated
below.
Exit the sketch

Docking Station
Extruded Cut Select Extruded Cut from the Sheet Metal toolbar.
Select the previous sketch

created
Choose ‘Through All’ as the

end condition of ‘Direction 1’
Select Ok
Rename feature Rename feature as ‘Circular holes’.
Sketched Bends We will need to create five sketched bends in total – 3 for the centre piece and
two for the side pieces.
Sketched Bend 1 Create a sketch on the bottom face of the acrylic.
Select the first centreline on the centre

piece in the graphics area (this line is
located in the ‘Sketch to locate bends’)
Choose ‘Convert Entities’ from the Sketch toolbar
This creates a line in the existing sketch which will be used to form a bend.
Exit the sketch.
Select ‘Sketched Bend’ from the Sheet Metal

toolbar.

Docking Station
Select the following options in the property manager:

 The face that that you wish to remain horizontal after the bending process
 ‘Bend Centerline’ as the Bend Position
 60° as the bending angle
 Default radius as the bending radius
Select Ok
Sketched Bend 2 Create a sketch on the top face of the acrylic.
Select the second centreline on the centre piece
This creates a line in the existing sketch

which will be used to form a bend.
Exit the sketch.

Docking Station
Select ‘Sketched Bend’ from the Sheet Metal toolbar.

Choose the following options in the property manager:
Select Ok
Select the third centreline on the centre piece
This creates a line in the existing sketch

which will be used to form the third bend.
Exit the sketch.

Docking Station

Select Ok
Select the two centrelines on the side pieces
This creates two lines in the existing sketch

which will be used to form the fourth bend.
Exit the sketch.

Docking Station

Select Ok
Select the remaining two centrelines on the side pieces
This creates two lines in the existing sketch

which will be used to form the fifth bend.
Exit the sketch.

Docking Station

 ‘Bend Outside’ as the Bend Position
Select Ok
Hide Sketch Hide the ‘Sketch to locate bends’ so that the

Centrelines will be no longer visible

Docking Station
Edit Material Apply ‘Acrylic (Medium-high impact)’ as in previous exercises
Apply Colour Right click on any face of the docking station and apply a clour
Save Save the ‘Docking Station’ part file.

Docking Station

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Introduction to Sheet Metal

Docking Station Exercise 4.

Prerequisite Previous knowledge of the following commands is required to complete

New File Create a new part file.

(Continue to save periodically throughout the exercise)

Leaving Certificate Technology 1

Getting Started Activate Sketch and Sheet Metal tabs on the

Creating a sketch Select the Line command and create

Leaving Certificate Technology 2

Add a ‘Collinear’ relation between the two horizontal lines shown.

Smart Dimension Smart Dimension the sketch as shown below.

Exit the sketch.

Leaving Certificate Technology 3

Creating the Sheet

Select the sketch

Apply a thickness of 3mm

Right click the top face as indicated.

Select ‘Normal to’

Using the ‘Centreline’ command, create the sketch shown below

Leaving Certificate Technology 4

Exit the sketch and rename as ‘Sketch to locate bends’

This sketch should be left visible

Circular Holes Right click the top face as indicated.

Select ‘Normal to’

Exit the sketch

Leaving Certificate Technology 5

Select the previous sketch

Choose ‘Through All’ as the

Rename feature Rename feature as ‘Circular holes’.

Sketched Bend 1 Create a sketch on the bottom face of the acrylic.

Select the first centreline on the centre

Choose ‘Convert Entities’ from the Sketch toolbar

Exit the sketch.

Select ‘Sketched Bend’ from the Sheet Metal

Leaving Certificate Technology 6

Select the following options in the property manager:

Sketched Bend 2 Create a sketch on the top face of the acrylic.

Select the second centreline on the centre piece

Choose ‘Convert Entities’ from the Sketch toolbar

This creates a line in the existing sketch

Exit the sketch.

Leaving Certificate Technology 7

Select ‘Sketched Bend’ from the Sheet Metal toolbar.

Sketched Bend 3 Create a sketch on the top face of the acrylic.

Select the third centreline on the centre piece

Choose ‘Convert Entities’ from the Sketch toolbar

This creates a line in the existing sketch

Exit the sketch.

Leaving Certificate Technology 8

Select ‘Sketched Bend’ from the Sheet Metal toolbar.

Sketched Bend 4 Create a sketch on the top face of the acrylic.

Select the two centrelines on the side pieces

Choose ‘Convert Entities’ from the Sketch toolbar

This creates two lines in the existing sketch

Exit the sketch.

Select ‘Sketched Bend’ from the Sheet Metal toolbar.

Leaving Certificate Technology 9

Choose the following options in the property manager:

Sketched Bend 5 Create a sketch on the top face of the acrylic.

Select the remaining two centrelines on the side pieces