Swept flange

This command creates a flange along a path of edges on a piece of sheet metal

Creation stages / Use:

Click the icon or select Sheet Metal > Swept Flange... from the drop-down menu.

Select the edges of the flange (path), the edges selected must be boundary edges connected to each other.
Enter if needed Radii to ignore. It is possible to enter a radius to define edges to ignore along the path of the swept flange. This value is optional.
Select the mode for defining the generator of the swept flange:

Profile

The bend is defined by a sketch. This sketch is moved along the path, it must be positioned at the start of the path and in the normal plane at the first path director. The sketch must be open and the angle made with the side face connected to the boundary edge must be between 0° and 270°. Inverting the sketch inverts the side of the swept flange.
Select the position in relation to the selected edge.

	Bend upon edge: The flange is offset form the selected edge. The distance is the bend radius.
	Thickness upon edge: The inner face of the flange is coincident with the selected edge.
	Thickness below edge: The outer face of the flange is coincident with the selected edge.

Length + angle

The bend is defined by a length and an angle. The defined line is moved along the path.

	Bend upon edge: The flange is offset form the selected edge. The distance is the bend radius.
	Thickness upon edge: The inner face of the flange is coincident with the selected edge.
	Thickness below edge: The outer face of the flange is coincident with the selected edge.

Enter the length of the flange.
Select the length calculation mode:

	Enter the value of the length of the flange.
	Tangent length: The length is calculated in relation to the tangent to the bend radius.
	External length: The length is calculated in relation to the external face connected to the flange.
	Internal length: The length is calculated in relation to the tangent of the inner bend radius.
	Linear part length: The length is calculated on the plane part of the flange.
	Enter the angle. Enter if needed, the additional height to apply for the generator profile of the flange.

Validate the creation of the swept flange with the button.

Available Options:

Bends:

By checking this option, you can add bends to each used edge. These bends can be defined by different ways:

The indicated radius corresponds to the inner bending radius.

Manual: The radius has to be entered.

Thickness: The radius is synchronised with the thickness of the sheet metal.

Unfolding rules: The radius of bend to use is search in the table defined in the unfolding rules associated to the part. According to the thickness of the sheet metal to consider, TopSolid uses the first favorite bending radius found in the list of available radii.

The Delimit bends option allows to isolate faces of the bend from those of connected faces for example to be able to use the covering.


Without Delimit bends option	With Delimit bends option

This option can be activated by editing the command or by using the Delimiting of Bend command.

Edge Relief:

By checking this option, you can enter the gap and extension values of the edge relief.

Shifting value: This parameter controls the gap between the two faces of the edge relief:

Extension value: This parameter controls the release for the relief tool. When the faces are not perpendicular, without extension, the edge may not be fully broken. In this case, the sheet is not unbendable.

The edge relief can only affect the part created by the swept flange or it can extend along the tangent edges:

Non-extended edge relief	Extended edge relief

Offset:

An offset value can be added at the start and end of the edge path.

This function is not available when the path is closed.

Example of swept edge with offset at the start and end of the path

Notches: