Deform (3-D)

3-D-Standard > Process with sketch > Deform

Use this function to deform parts by bending them along a defined sketch. The following types of deformation are available:

Bend
Twist
Taper
Stretch

The sketch plane determines the neutral axis for the bending process. This means that the part area to be deformed is determined by the planes (2) and (3) that are vertical to the start point and end point of the sketch (1):

Proceed as follows:

Create a sketch for the deformation.
Select the part you want to deform.
Activate the Deform function.

The Deform dialogue window will be displayed. In the drawing, the selected part will be highlighted in green colour.

If mandatory specifications are still missing, the symbol will be displayed at the bottom of the window. If you move the cursor on the symbol, a message informing you which steps are still necessary before the function can be executed.

Deformation

In this area you define the type of deformation by activating the corresponding checkbox. Depending on the selected type, the input fields and available options in the Sketch and Invert area of the dialogue window will change.

Sketch

Click the icon and identify the sketch for the wrapping in the drawing. The sketch needs to fulfil the following criteria:

The sketch must be planar.
The sketch may only consist of one straight line and an auxiliary geometry.

If a correct sketch has been identified, the Identify sketch prompt will be replaced by the entry Sketch.

Mode

In this area you specify a mode for the selected type of deformation. In the Deformation area of the dialogue window, you can choose between the following options:

Deformation	Available modes
Bend	The bending can be performed by specifying the Bend angle or Bend radius
Twist	Angle
Taper	Factor
Stretch	The stretching can be performed by specifying either the Factor or Distance. If you specify the Distance, the area to be deformed will be stretched/compressed in such a way that it will have the width you specified for Distance.

When you move the cursor over the different options in the dialogue window, preview images will be displayed:


Bend	Twist	Taper	Stretch

Invert

By default, the part area that lies before the start point of the sketch will remain fixed during deforming. The Fixing checkbox enables you to switch the fixing to the exact opposite of the part.

By default, the part will be bent in Z-direction of the sketch in the deforming process. You can use the Direction checkbox to invert the bending direction. This can be applied in a similar way to deformations of the type Twist. Here, the rotation is performed about the X-axis of the sketch. Here, too, you can use the Direction checkbox to invert the rotation direction.

The following options are available:

Bend	Twist	Taper	Stretch
Direction	Direction
Fixing	Fixing	Fixing	Fixing

Click Preview to display a preview of the processed part in the drawing. If desired, you can now change the bending direction by activating the Direction checkbox, switch the side to be bent by activating the Fixing checkbox, or make other changes to the settings in the window. If the operation cannot be performed due to missing mandatory specifications, the symbol will be displayed at the bottom of the window.

The actual operation will be performed when you click the Deform button.

Please note:

The deformation will be recorded in the feature log and can be modified via the feature log subsequently.
The deformed area must not contain any thread cylinders or standard processings. Crosshairs located in this area will also be affected by the deformation.
Please also make sure that no self-intersections are created during the deformation process. If required, select Information > 3-D, Further > Rebuild > 3-D Geometry to check the part.