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How to Nest Sheet Metals – Design Tips

Sheet metal components undergo a manufacturing process involving cutting flat shapes from materials, typically through methods like laser cutting, followed by bending along specific lines. Unlike conventional machined parts, this process demands specialized design expertise. In this article, we’ll explore the various forms of sheet metal components and discuss techniques for nesting them efficiently using 3D CAD software.

Two Forms of Sheet Metal Components

Typically, sheet metal components are utilized as mechanical parts through bending processes. However, during the manufacturing process, there are two forms to consider: the unfolded shape and the product shape.

Unfolded Shape

The unfolded shape of a sheet metal refers to the flat pattern or layout of the metal piece before it undergoes bending or forming processes. It represents the 2D representation of the component, allowing engineers to visualize how the sheet metal will look when laid flat before any bends or folds are made.

Product Shape

As the design team works on arranging designs and drawings for this product, it’s important to think about the flat shape so that sheet metal parts can be easily unfolded. With 3D CAD software, designers can switch between the product’s shape and its flat form during component design.

What is Nesting?

Nesting of sheet metals is the process of arranging flat shapes, cut from sheet metal materials, in a way that maximizes material usage and minimizes waste. The goal is to fit as many parts as possible onto a single sheet of metal to optimize production efficiency and reduce costs. This involves arranging the shapes closely together, taking into account factors such as material size, part geometry, and cutting constraints. While traditional 3D CAD software may lack nesting features, nesting can be explored using assembly functions. By arranging component shapes within an assembly, manufacturers can assess how many parts can be obtained from standard-sized sheet metal materials. For instance, this method may reveal that 10 components can be obtained in a given scenario.

Design Changes and Nesting

Before considering any design changes to sheet metal components, savvy designers obtain nesting diagrams from the manufacturing department. This is because alterations in the shape of sheet metal components can reduce the number of parts obtained through nesting, leading to increased part costs.

Design enhancements for efficient nesting can include incorporating bends, as illustrated in the left image. Despite its apparent simplicity, such alterations can significantly influence nesting outcomes.

Utilizing the assembly feature in 3D CAD allows for the creation of nesting layouts, ensuring immediate reflection of part design modifications. In this case, the addition of bends confirms that obtaining 10 parts from standard-sized sheet metal materials is not feasible. Designers can thus evaluate the repercussions of their design adjustments and explore alternative approaches.

Opting for design modifications, such as those applied for cutting, as depicted in the above image, does not affect nesting outcomes in any way.

Conclusion

By leveraging the sheet metal capabilities of 3D CAD software, designers can efficiently create designs for sheet metal components, considering both the folded and unfolded shapes. Moreover, utilizing the assembly functionality enables simultaneous consideration of nesting layouts, facilitating cost-conscious design decisions.

In conclusion, integrating these design tips into the sheet metal design process can significantly enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness. By utilizing 3D CAD software to its fullest extent, designers can optimize both the individual part designs and the overall nesting layout, resulting in minimized material waste and increased productivity. With careful consideration of design changes and nesting strategies, manufacturers can achieve optimal results in sheet metal fabrication.