Designing Sheet Metal Parts in Fusion 360

I've had some requests to show the design process I use in Fusion 360 to make bent sheet metal brackets, so that's what we're doing today.
Stuff used in this video:
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[@burgle66]

Finally, a video that just concisely explains how to use the sheet metal tools. THANK YOU. Very well done and informative video. Adding this to my library.

[@ck2106]

Thank you, this the first video I have found explaining that you need to make the base part a flange prior to moving forward.

[@rickmellor]

Thanks James. I haven't tried sheet metal yet but now I feel like I can just dive right in.

[@bobblaine1437]

I feel the same. I appreciate your knowledge share.

[@orange-micro-fiber9740]

That was great. I'm used to 3d printing so sheet metal and milling are really new ways of thinking.

[@paultrgnp]

Thanks James for another excellent video. Just what I needed to give me confidence to give the Sheetmetal function a try. 👍

[@lsp0107]

Thank you. You are an excellent instructor and I enjoyed your easy to understand complicated program.

[@BrandonBurns1985]

Thank you for this sir. I needed to see it from you.

[@EverettsWorkshop]

This is good to know - I have never used the sheet metal function of Fusion before, thanks for the basic step through

[@dwpetty3723]

Great video, very well explained.

[@karenfisher633]

Thank you for the video! Very informative!

[@AllenCavedo]

Fascinating. I’ve never seen sheet metal CAD before.

[@robevans8555]

Great video, thank you

[@dangodman1313]

Great video as Always!

[@piccilos]

Thank you for this

[@profcor1820]

Thx for the video

[@doulos5322]

Dude I had no idea you could setup to mill bendable parts that is very cool!

[@guntiszarins4439]

When I cut thin parts I start with holes, slots and other part details and outside contour leave as final operation. Than there is larger area that is glued to plate and there is less chance that the part will detach from plate and ruin everything. That's just a suggestion as I do, but good job.

[@Clough42]

Yes. that's typically what I do as well.

[@twobob]

Quality

[@stephenoppl1259]

One of the things that I found to be missing in Fusion 360 sheetmetal is the option to add bend notes to directly to the part that are to be machined. We cut out large amount of parts for a single project, and use the cnc machine with a felt pen to mark all parts with the name of the part as well as bend lines, angle and if the bend is up or down. This is a comon practice in shops working with sheetmetal parts, yet with Fusion bend notes are only available on the 2d shop drawings. Does anybody know of a good work around other than putting them all in manually? It becomes a chore doing it manually when working with hundreds of different parts.

[@Th3_ENGINE3R]

ON a completely unrelated note, I've been wondering while watching each video in which your lathe makes an appearance. When will you be doing a cam lock modification to the tail-stock? That damn wrench. lol Would make a great video tho.

[@wwjjcc418]

It's ironic to see James using a keyless chuck and then having to use a wrench to clamp the tailstock. The second project I did after getting my lathe (Craftex CX708, similar to James's Grizzly) was to replace that bolt and nut with a (shop-made) 3 start 1/2-24 nut and stud with a pinned on handle, which gives an effective pitch of 8tpi and clamps adequately with a quarter turn. First internal thread I ever single pointed, and I'm still mildly amazed that it worked.

[@Michaelhood0]

Thanks. I'm new to f360 im trying to figure out how to develop a part that has 7 flanges all folded in the same direction but 2 of the flanges will will be not equal with one line not parallel to other fold lines. Because the part should taper in one area. I ha e been struggling to model the part

[@nicholascowlan7743]

Excellent video. Please could you tell me how long you have been using this package to get to the standard you are at now ?

[@Clough42]

Hmm...that's a good question. A few years, I guess. But I don't use it every day. I use it intensively for a couple of weeks when I'm working on a specific project, and then don't do much with it for a few weeks.

[@jlebrech]

could you show the supergluing and unsupergluing part?

[@alanwood3597]

Thank you James for the insight into Sheet Metal which I have never used so far. I am currently struggling with the Electrical module. Did you use Fusion Electrical to design the ELS interface board ?

[@Clough42]

I didn't use it for the interface board, but I did use it for the control panel, since I needed to transfer the cutout contours from the button design. I haven't done anything with real schematics or components yet.

[@alanwood3597]

@@Clough42 I have just started to use it and find it difficult to work with but the mists are slowly clearing. I have done my first board but it took some time. The workflow and naming convention seems strange and the library management something else. It does not feel as swish as Fusion mechanical. Almost like a half finished bolt on that they rushed to get integrated. Hopefully it will improve. It is nice to get a 3D image of your board to manipulate into a custom enclosure.

[@sm6fie]

Hi James! A short question; I noted (in one of you recent videos) that you still have the temporary setup of your Electronic Feed Screw. Is this due to any unexpected problems or just because of time constraints and prioritizing other projects? Regards Bo, SM6FIE

[@Clough42]

Just time constraints. I got it to the point that it works and I can use it, so there's no particular pressure on me to finish it. Same as lots of other things in my shop. :)

[@joell439]

👍👍😎👍👍

[@almostanengineer]

My only issue with sheet metal in Fusion 360 is the lack of some features like seams, luckily I have an education license so I can just use inventor instead.

[@larrybud]

What if you had a flange that you pull which wasn't square, say a triangle, and then you wanted to pull another flange off of one of those sides? Doesn't seem like Fusion can do that.

[@VorpalGun]

I'm way less interested in Fusion 360 after the recent license changes. As a hobbyist I can not justify the cost, and while the features that are still in the free version would be enough for me, I'm not keen on being locked into the software after they removed STEP export. And I don't know what they will remove next time from the free version.

[@martinmarriott3607]

VorpalGun they have not removed STEP export (see here knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-360-Free-License-Changes.html). So given that you have said that the free version gives you everything else you need, you are good to go.

[@mass1s]

You can still export your models as STEP files, Autodesk gave in to the backlash. That said, I'm still going to migrate to something else; it is abundantly clear that Autodesk is very likely to alter the deal in the future, and not in a way that is beneficial to the average hobbyist. The bean counters have already decided to switch from baiting to milking.

[@VorpalGun]

@@mass1s I have been looking into FreeCAD recently, but man is it cumbersome and unintuitive in comparison. Seems quite powerful though. SolveSpace also looks neat and is easy to use but is quite limited in features.

[@mass1s]

@@VorpalGun I agree. Even Fusion often feels like a toy... lacks features, has imperfectly implemented features, slows down or crashes when editing a non trivial model, throws dozens of errors after tweaking parameters or editing timelines. FreeCAD is even more janky than fusion, even if not accounting for the horrible UI.

[@vincei4252]

I've been an Autodesk "customer" (or was) for over 25 years. Embrace and extinguish, bait and switch and every other possible vile tactic is the watch word of this company. I wouldn't trust this company as far as I can throw them regardless of them "caving in" to backlash. Reprehensible scumbags.

[@theessexhunter1305]

Nice, but far to complicated for a piece of tin...don't make it hard when you can make it easy. Stay safe

[@paultrgnp]

But a task simple enough to use as an introduction to utilizing the sheetmetal function of Fusion 360, so as to not scare newbies like me away.

[@theessexhunter1305]

@@paultrgnp Apprentice's start off with a sheet of steel, scriber, ruler (scale in us speak lol) square, angle square, centre punch, hammer etc...that way you get to feel and understand metal.. The US spent 1 million dollars on a pen to write upside down.. the Russians used a pencil lol

[@paultrgnp]

@@theessexhunter1305 Mate, as a 65 year old "newbie" I've done the manual processes that you list above. More important to me these days is to find things to challenge my ageing brain. I have chosen the various aspects of CNC as the vehicle to achieve this goal. From little things, big things grow. (to quote a couple of Ozzie philosophers). I think James' choices for subject matter to explain Fusion 360 tools are generally spot-on. Not sure what your point is!?!?

[@azyfloof]

@@theessexhunter1305 The Russians also quickly switched to the expensive pen. Pencils kick off graphite dust which is hazardous to the delicate electronics of a space craft in microgravity, which is why the pen was important. Don't downplay the importance of knowing the physics and underlying principles behind bending pieces of metal just because you don't understand it. technological progress is important x

[@theessexhunter1305]

@@paultrgnp When you said " newbie " that's what it reads.....nothing wrong in taking on new tasks, however C42 offers people to leave comments. Being a toolmaker and making stuff/repairs for a living...my view is that job could have been made on the bench with the tools you and I both have... I get a number of milling jobs for 1 off work as often the quote of writing the program time is the reason I get the jobs..... Good luck