Sheet Prototyping
Cutting and folding sheets may be the fastest way to put precision features on multiple planes. A sheet fabricated prototype can go from design to part in minutes and scale to massive production volumes.
Materials
- Cardboard
- Paper
- Polypropylene
- Dibond
- Steel
- Stainless Steel
- Aluminum: Must be a formable series, like 1100 or 3003
Cutting Tools
Creasing Methods
- Press Brake
- Finger Brake
- Vice Bending
- Perforating
- Half-cutting
- Bevel routing
Design Factors
- Thickness
- K-Factor
- Relief
Design tools
- Fusion 360 sheet metal:
- Rhinoceros 'UnrollSrf' Command
- Solidworks sheet metal
- 123D Make
- ExactFlat