Convert to Sheet Metal Tool

You can create a sheet metal part by converting a solid or surface body using the Convert to Sheet Metal tool.

After you create the sheet metal part, you can apply all sheet metal features to it.

Use the Convert to Sheet Metal tool with:

  • Solid or surface bodies that have:
    • No shells or fillets
    • Either a shell or fillets
    • Both a shell and fillets
  • Imported parts that are already in the form of a sheet metal part
    The imported part must be a constant thickness. This means that sheet metal parts with Forming Tools may not import correctly.

In the Convert to Sheet Metal PropertyManager, you specify the fixed face and thickness of the sheet metal part, the default bend radius, and the edges or fillet faces on which to create bends. If an edge already has a fillet applied, the radius of the fillet is used as the bend radius for the new sheet metal part.

The software automatically selects the edges on which rips are applied. However, you can also manually select rip edges using rip sketches.

  • For sheet metal parts created in SOLIDWORKS® 2020 and later, you can:
    • Convert multiple disjoint tabs that share a common bend face.
    • Use relief cuts that:
      • Use improved logic to determine where to include relief cuts.
      • Behave similarly to relief cuts created with the Edge Flange tool.
      • Reflect the selected auto relief, type, and gap values more accurately.

For more information, see Importing Sheet Metal - Using Convert to Sheet Metal (external link to MySolidWorks.com).