Recognizing Stamping Features

This task shows you how to recognize stamp geometry in order to create a Generative Sheetmetal Design stamping feature.

Consequently, the following types of stamps can be recognized:

  • Circular stamp
  • Curve stamp
  • Surface stamp
  • Bead
  • Bridge
  • Louver
  • Stiffening rib
  • Stamps that impact bends except sharp stamps, opened stamps and stamps on the border.

The recognize feature enables to create a Generative Sheetmetal Design stamping feature from a V4 model or parts created with Sheetmetal Design.
   
The Part Feature Recognition license is required to activate this feature in the Generative Sheetmetal Design Workbench.

Open the NEWRecognize03.CATPart document. This document contains a part created from a V4 model.

  1. Click Recognize in Walls toolbar. The Recognize Definition dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select a reference face. It will be the reference face for unfolding and for the definition of the sheet metal parameters (i.e. all default parameters will be based on this face).

    Note that the Full recognition option is already selected.

     

  3. Click OK.

    The stamps are generated from the geometry.
     

  4. Select the reference face as the face to be recognized as wall.

  5. Click OK to validate.

    The Recognize.1 feature is added to the tree view.
    At the same time, the sheet metal parameters are created, deduced from the Part geometry.

  6. Click Sheet Metal Parameters to display the sheet metal parameters.

    In the Parameters tab:

    • the Thickness is equal to 1.5mm,

    • the Default Bend Radius value amounts to twice that of the thickness.

    In the Bend Extremities tab:

    • the bend extremities are set to Minimum with no relief.

    You can modify a few of these parameters. The Thickness parameter cannot be modified because it is based, like the bend extremities and radius, on the initial solid geometry. However, you can modify other parameters (default bend radius and bend extremities) in order for them to be taken into account for sheet metal features other than the recognized ones.

    The bend allowance, being used to unfold the part, and the bend corner relief affect all features, and therefore can be edited even for recognized features.
     
    You can also define the sheet metal parameters prior to recognizing the part. In this case, you need to make sure that the Thickness parameter value corresponds to the part thickness.

  1. When all parameters have been redefined as needed, click OK in the Sheet Metal Parameters dialog box.

    The solid is now a Generative Sheetmetal Design part. You can now deal with it as with any other Generative Sheetmetal Design part, adding Generative Sheetmetal Design features to complete the design, or unfolding it.
  • Stamps containing inner contours such as flanged hole, flanged cutouts are not recognized.
  • It is not necessary to have a planar and single support to recognize the stamp geometry for creating a Generative Sheetmetal Design stamping feature.
  • All the possible stamps are not automatically recognized because of the confusion they can create with a combination of walls and bends. So you may need to force the faces to be recognized as stamps by selecting them in the Faces to keep field of the Stamps tab.
  • When stamps are recognized on bends, they can be unfolded but no feature is created on them when both views are activated.

To recognize a whole stamp, you just need to select the external faces of the stamp provided the stamp is closed.