Autodesk Inventor 2025

Chapter 10
Sheetmetal Design

Introduction

The major topics covered in this chapter are:

1. Starting A New File
2. Sheet Metal Defaults Setting
3. Sheet Metal Design Terms
4. Face Tool
5. Flange Tool
6. Contour Flange
7. Lofted Flange Tool
8. Hem Tool
9. Bend Tool
10. Fold Tool
11. Derive Tool
12. Cut Tool
13. Corner Seam Tool
14. Punch Tool
15. Rip Tool
16. Unfold Tool
17. Refold Tool
18. Flat Pattern
19. Practical 1
20. Practical 2
21. Practice
22. Self Assessment

Sheet metal work is an important aspect of Mechanical engineering. Many parts around us are manufactured via sheetmetal processes. For example, car body, vents in houses, Air-conditioner ducts, spoon, metal bowls, and so on. The sheetmetal parts generally have thickness ranging from fraction of millimeter to 12.5 millimeters i.e. up to half inch. Like welding and machining, sheetmetal also has its own processes like, bending, punching, stamping, spinning, rolling, and so on. In this chapter, we will discuss about the tools available in Autodesk Inventor related to sheetmetal designing.

Starting Sheetmetal Environment

In Autodesk Inventor, there are two ways to start sheetmetal environment:

            1.Make a part in the Standard Part environment and then convert it to Sheetmetal.

            2.Start a new file in the Sheetmetal environment by using Sheetmetal template.

You will learn about converting the part in to sheetmetal later in this chapter. We will now start a new file in sheetmetal environment.