In the Sheetmetal industry, the parts and components are been created from metal sheets. These sheets are been laser cut, bent, or hydraulicly pressed to get the desired shape. In a vehicle body, 60 percent of parts are been manufactured by the Sheetmetal designing and manufacturing process. Sheetmetal parts are lighter and produced at a faster rate.

Flanges are termed as a collar or a rib on an object which serves as a strengthening or attachment for maintaining the position on the rail. Miter means a joint made between two pieces at an angle. Combining the two works justifies the need for this option.

Creating Miter Flange in SolidWorks

To create the sheet metal part first we will select the FILE option > NEW > PART

We will enter in the SolidWorks interface. Select the plane on which we will create the base flange. Then draw the flange shape and press the Esc button or exit the sketch.

Click on the sheet metal Tab. Then click on the Base Flange/Tab command feature from the command manager. Select the sketch we have created for the base flange and in the property manager give the thickness. In bend allowance, you can select the applicable option according to the parameters given to us then Click on OK.

Now it’s time to create a miter flange. Click on the Miter Flange option from the command manager. It will ask you to select face, plane, or edge.

Select the face on which we will draw the profile for the miter flange.

Select line, circle, or any command you feel like using for your profile. Give relations and dimensions to the profile. Exit from the sketch.

Note: – Radius should not be less than thickness.

After Exiting it will automatically open the miter flange property manager. In parameters, you have to select the edge on which you have to create the flange. Give radius to the bend and flange position. You can also define the start and end position of the flange on the edge selected.

There is one option available to the property manager of the miter flange which is Gap. This option helps to maintain distance or gap between two flanges at bends or two edges. At any step, if you want to make any changes you can do that. By going to the design tree and right-clicking on the feature you want to edit. Save the file in the required file format.

 Flattening the Sheetmetal part

After creating a miter flange if you want to create a flat design for manufacturing. Select the base flange and click on the Flatten option from the command manager. The design will automatically be got flatten with the bends highlighting with braking line.

Miter flange gives more flexibility to the flange creation as compared to the Edge flange option. For example, creating U shaped flange from a simple flange option will need three flange creations. Whereas In miter flange you just need to create the profile and then select the edge on with the flange has to be created.

In complex Sheetmetal designing professionals usually take the help of the miter flange option as compared to the Edge flange. You also see the various types of bending option available in both flange options.