Kitchen Sink using Forming Tools
This week I decided to make a kitchen sink. Even though it is a fairly simple model, I decided to create it with a technique that I do not normally use. I made the sink using forming tools. These tools deform and remove material from sheet metal parts. For this model I had to create two forming tools. One what for the sink wells and the other was for the drain.
To create a forming tool, design a part that is in the desired shape of the deformation. Once made, go under insert, sheet metal, than select forming tools. Choose the stopping face which will be flush to the surface of the sheet metal. This is the green face seen below.
Then select any face that you would like to remove from the sheet metal which in the case of the drain are these four bottom faces that are in pink.
Any face that is not select will deform the sheet metal to that shape. Now save the part as a Form Tool in the forming tool folder within the design library.
Go to the sheet metal part and click on the design library tab and navigate to the forming tools folder.
Drag the desired tool onto your part and position the sketch. Once placed, the sheet metal will deform. Feel free to look at my model below, please note that you will not be able to view my forming tools as they are in my design library and do not reside within the part file. I hope this will inspire you to try and use forming tools in your sheet metal models.
Ian Jutras