By Gaurav Arya

About book

I am feeling glad to writing these books for those engineers who want to clear all
doubts in NX sheet metal and easily can be learn about NX sheet metal.
1.1 About sheet metal.
Sheet metal is metal formed by an industrial process into thin, flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental
forms used in metalworking and it can be cut and bent into a Varity of shapes.

1.2 How to start Sheet metal in NX

Go to Start >Sheet-Metal or press Ctrl+Alt+N

1.3 Sheet Metal Preferences.

What is bend radius?

In the below figure R13 (R=13) is outer bend radius and R10 (R=10) is inner bend radius.
 Bend radius is that of radius which is obtain after the bending machining process.

What is K Factor?

K Factor is nothing it is just L/l

K=T/t where T is large thickness and t=T/2

It will be come 0.5

Basically for special thickness k factor can be varying.

Neutral Factor?

It is just a neutral axis of Thickness it is T/2

Where T is large thickness.

Bend allowance formula > (Radius+ (Thickness*0.44))*rad (Angle).

1. TAB

This command is useful to tab any sketch or extrude, only limit upto fix thickness

Example-

Click on tab>

\
And then select plane

And start to sketch any figure which wants to tab.

When sketch is finish then solid tab will be generated.

2. Flange

Flange is used to add any extra bend plate or flange with any edge of plate.

Example.

We have 250x250mm2 plate and we want to add a flange about 250 mm also.

Click on
Flange>

Select any edge of plate and enter the length of flange

In example we have entered 250 then we get.

We can change the values of Bend radius and other relief values by manual means without
using the Preferences Manager.

The bend radius can be change by clicking on the f(x) function

Like as
By clicking on the Use Global Value. We can remove constant of f(x), and easily can be change
value.

3. Contour Flange

In this flange select the edge & create the sketch or profile
In the above image I have created a line at angle 152 degree and its length is 110 mm

And then finish the sketch

In the contour flange we can change the value of the bend parameters and other values such as
the parameters, and relief and corners.

Lofted flange is just same as above but in this flange two lofted sketch are required.
4. Hem flange

Hem flange is very closest form near the flange

Hem flange having different types given in above image.

Closed Hem flange:-

To use it click on any edge and give the values of the flange length.
In the above image I gave 20.0 mm

A get result shown above image.

We can change the position material inside and outside by Insert tab.

Open Hem Flange:-

When change the bend radius then bend radius will be change.
In the below image I have changed the bend radius is 20 mm
S type Hem flange:
 In the s type hem flange we can change the input by as above image.

Curl type Hem flange:-

Closed Type Hem flange:

In the closed type hem flange we can change the values of bend radius and flange length and
neutral factor as by above images.
Centered loop hem Flange:

5. Bend

Bend is the most important command to use it click on any plane which you want to bend and,
create a line sketch according to your bend.

Ex.
I have create a line about 86 mm at the center of plane and then click to finish

In the above image we can see that part is banded at 90 degree angle as a center line which we
have created already in the sketch.
In the Bend we can change the values of bend parameters and also can change insert type
6. Jog:

Jog is used to double bend

Select jog and create a sketch where we need double bend

In the Jog we can also change the values of bend parameters and other relief
7. Sheet Metal from Solid

This is used for convert solid into sheet metal .

I have selected any two faces for example top and side face and then it is converted into the
solid.
8. Closed Corner

Closed corner is used for closed nearest corners. Such as

In the above there is an open corner so we can close it by using the closed corners command.

In the above we can select the two nearest edges and after we get
But in the above image some portion is open to closed it we will used the many options as given
below.
When I will select the closed open then I will get.

9. Three Bend Corner

In the three bend corner, procedure is same but in it three edged are need to select.

To use three edges should be equal in all parameters.

10. Break Corner

There are two types of Break corners

1. Blend, 2. Chamfers.

To use it select the edge line and apply it.

11. Chamfer

In the chamfer we can chamfer any edges.

Dimple is used to dimple and sheet metal such as.

Go >Dimple

Select any face and create sketch such as .

When we finish the sketch then we will get a like a shape given below.
We can change the value or deepness of dimple by increasing the Depth or by manual move.

13. Louver

Louver is used to cut a particular portion in different type of shapes.

1. Lanced 2. Formed
Go to command and Select any plane and create sketch in line and then finish the sketch we
will get the Louver.

In the above image we can see the use of Formed Louver.

Drawn cut is used for cut a particular portion.

Go to Drawn and select any plane and sketch a profile like that above image and we will get.

We can change the values of Depth.

Bead is the Circular type dimple and goes to the Bead and sketch line

When sketch is finish then we will get.

We can change the Depth values.

Gusset is most important command to give a support between the two flanges.

How to use Go to Gusset> and select any bend and gusset will be created.

In the above image I we select bend radius and gusset is automatically generated but we can
change the values of gusset by using the Distance and Depth

In the Gusset we have two types such as the Round and the Square. In the above image we
have selected the Square and in the below image we have selected square.
17. Extrude (X).

Extrude tab is just like as a Modeling extrude.

How to use Go to Extrude>Select any plane or face>and create any sketch.

18. Normal Cut out

Normal cutout is simple like as a Extrude cut.

Goto>Create any sketch>and cut the Sketch.

Bend taper is used to Give a taper form of a bend.

To apply bend taper Select bend radius between flanges.

In the above we can see the difference.

We can increase the value of bend taper by taper angle 1st and taper angle 2nd
20. Resize Bend Radius.

How to apply select any bend radius which you want to resize.

Select bend radius and input the value

When I have applied 100mm then we get.

Bend angle is same like as Resize bend radius.

22. Resize Neutral Factor.

We can change the Neutral Factor.

By selecting the bend radius.

Unbend is used to Unbend a bend radius. By selecting the Bend radius& Face to be Unbend

24. Rebend

Rebend is just opposite the Unbend.

Convert to Sheet Metal is used to convert a modeling model in to the sheet metal form.
To use it select any regular shape and click to Apply.

26. Edge Rip.

Edge rip is most important command to unfold a solid body into the sheet metal form.

Like as

In the below image I have created a solid box and then apply a shell command to remove inside
material.

And goes to the sheet metal mode. Or press (Ctrl+shift+N)

And apply Edge Rip at all corner Edges

After the Applying edge rip all edges will be rip and now we can apply the flat Solid.

And after the operation of Edge rib use the previous command convert to sheet metal
command.

And after that apply Flat Solid command then we will get.

Note- Flat solid command can be find in the side tab of convert to sheet metal.
After the hiding the upper portion.

Some Important.

When we will take flange length it will be count as a formula

Bend Deduction per Bend = (Sheet Thickness*1.6) (flange length)

And this value minus into the flange length.

Ex if we need flange length 10 mm for thickness 3 mm then we will take value.

1.6*3=4.8 and then our flange length is 5.2