Split a Large Sheet Surface to Sheet Blanks

Sheet-Metal Design

General

  • The split line feature can be used to create sheet splitting for a sheet metal part.
  • For example, a tank built from several sheet blanks is modeled as a single model. The sheet seams are displayed for positioning through holes.
  • The advantage of this method compared to creating actual welding grooves, for example by a cutout extrusion, is that the model can still be bent and flattened even after the faces have been divided, both during modeling and for the model drawing.

Starting point

  • The part is a large cylindrical sheet metal part.
  • The part is 3D-flattened.

Create sheet splitting during modeling when the model is flattened as follows:

  1. Add a new sketch to the face of the part.
  2. Sketch split lines on the surface of the sheet
    • Sketch the lines at the points where there will be welding seams between the bent steel sheets.
  3. Stop sketching and select an operation.
    • Select the ribbon bar function Sketch | Return | OK or
    • Select the context-sensitive function OK.
  4. Select Split Line as the operation.
  5. Select the surfaces that you want to split with the line in the Selected Elements 1 section.
    • By default, the sketch surface is split.
    • You can select all surfaces by selecting the context-sensitive function All in the list.
  6. Select OK.
  7. Rebend the model back into a 3D model.

Example, a large tank

  • The height of the tank is 7m and the diameter is 4.6m.
  • The shell of the tank has been cut.
  • The shell has been flattened.

  • The size of the steel sheets (1250*2500mm) has been sketched on the surface of the sheet.
  • The Split Line has been used as the operation.
  • The sheet has been rebent.

  • The lines can be used to outline the placement of the sheet blanks.
  • By modifying the sketch of the Split Line, possible tank through-holes can be adjusted to the desired points.