Seven ways to improve your sheet metal design

When you are working in sheet metal design, you face a series of unique challenges. Although parts are typically designed in their formed state, they begin as a flat plate or sheet. As a result, manufacturability becomes a critical aspect of every feature making up the finished part. Add to this the need to account for material thickness, along with bend and corner relief, miter deformation features and critical dimensions (inside or outside), and it’s easy to see where challenges can arise.

This white paper describes seven tips to improve your design techniques, increase productivity, and get your sheet metal designs done accurately, quickly, and easily. Get the most out of your CAD solution when working with sheet metal, with techniques to help you:

- Save time and avoid redundancy in sheet metal design

- Properly calculate bends

- Create manufacturing-ready sheet metal flat patterns

- Reduce your number of features

- Improve your speed and flexibility