How can I use a parameter to have a constant wall thickness parallel to the top plane in my model?

[AB_10071442]

I have a profile which I created by doing an outside blend and an inside blend, where the sketches for the inside blend reference the sketches of the outside blend. The sketches represent a rectangle which is dimensioned towards the outward blend in the x- and y-direction. I want to be able to change the wall thickness without having to go into each sketch and changing the wall thickness in both directions.

Is there maybe a way to create a parameter with which I can control the wall thickness and how can I access it? Is the way I created the way in which you would do it to create a cylinder with constant wall thickness? I tried the thicken command, but when I use it, I get surfaces which are not parallel to the top plane any more.

Thanks for a reply!

[tbraxton · Accepted solution]

The shell command (engineering feature in the ribbon) works well for maintaining wall thickness in many scenarios. I would use it for your example shown above. I have enclosed a Creo 7 sample model for review.

If shell is not suitable for your case, then provide more detail about the design intent required.

[KenFarley]

Sure, you can use a parameter for this type of thing.

You first have to define a parameter with your thickness, maybe something like "thkWall".

Then you use relations to set the dimensions of the sections in your blends, using the thkWall parameter.

If I were doing this type of thing I would rename all the dimensions of interest to something meaningful, like "widthInSec1", then the relations would be a bunch of lines with things like "widthInSec1 = widthOutSec1 - 2 * thkWall".

When all the relations have been worked out, you'll then only have to change the thkWall parameter, then regenerate.

Thicken builds solid geometry offset from the original, so the ends won't be what you want.

An alternative method would be to use the Shell command. It will let you use a constant wall thickness. If you tell it to omit the end "cap" surfaces, it might also do exactly what you want.

[kdirth]

If you sweep a thin extrude, the thickness is controlled perpendicular to the trajectory curve.