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rpettigrew1-Visitor
1-Visitor
March 20, 2017
Question

Sheetmetal multiple planars and simplified reps

  • March 20, 2017
  • 17 replies
  • 6671 views

Working in the sheetmetal tool, I've found that you can have multiple planars, representing multiple piece parts that would be created by manufacturing, assembled into and then delivered as one part having one part number.  These separate templates ( 1 of 3, 2 of 3 and 3 of 3) would all be put on the same sheet of the drawing.  This is how our manufacturing has handled drawings in the past and how they and the installation crew prefer it.

Each planar is defined to its own unique datum plane which is driven off of copy geometry.  I am using a unbend and bendback, one each with each planar (3 planars, 3 unbend/bendback).  When I create each new unbend, it requires me to choose a planar and then select each bend individually, but no issues there - works as expected.  The unbends work automatically.

I am also using a family table with the unbends suppressed/turned off in the only instance, giving me a flat state of the model.  This flat instance is what I'm using to generate my drawing.

I am trying to create some simplified reps in the generic that carry over to the instance and then can be used in the drawing but am running into some issues.  I am able to create a simp rep of the first planar with everything below its unbend excluded.  Works beautifully.  The problem is when I attempt to exclude the first planar and all associated flats and include anything beyond that.  It seems everything is tied to that first set of planar/flats and if it's excluded everything else below it is too, no options.  Therefor, I can't get simp reps of just the second planar/flats or the third, which is what I need for the three separate views that will go on the drawing.

In the past, we've used IDEAS or using Creo, at some point in the modeling process, converted to a sketch to generate the drawing but this breaks the association that I'm trying to keep.

So, bottom line:  how do create simp reps of certain planars and associated flats while having multiple sets of planar/flats in the same sheetmetal.prt?

17 replies

StephenW
StephenW23-Emerald III
23-Emerald III
March 20, 2017

In general, Creo Parametric does not create multi-body parts. Are you saying you are creating multiple parts bent with the same flat pattern?

R
rpettigrew1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
March 20, 2017

I'm using combinations of a unbend and bendback instead of the flat pattern.  The bendbacks are turned off in the flat instance via family table.  I have multiple planars/parts and each has its own unbend and bendback.

go raiders

R
rpettigrew1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
March 20, 2017

Detail on the two references, respectively:

StephenW
StephenW23-Emerald III
23-Emerald III
March 20, 2017

I'm thinking that when you create the first one, that determines the thickness. All the other parts reference the first one's thickness.

R
rpettigrew1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
March 20, 2017

Good point.  Now that you mention it, the consecutive planars did already have their thickness set.  I think there's not even an option to override and specify it.  Interesting, considering there are no relationships listed in the reference viewer b/n the consecutive planars and anything in the first set since that's where the thickness is specified.  The relationships are b/n flats and the first bend and bend back

D
dschenken1-Visitor
1-Visitor
March 20, 2017

Are you creating multiple disjoint solid items within a single sheet metal part? If so, these are not separate parts, just separate geometry, so all the fragments are based on the same sheet metal material and thickness and every other aspect of the part definition. These characteristics are based on the first sheet metal feature, so eliminating that should have odd results.

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