CATIA Sheetmetal Design: Hopper Creation

Hopper Creation

Located on the Generative Sheetmetal Design toolbar.

Use this to ...

Create a planar, conical, or cylindrical hopper using two planar profiles.

Key Points

This command is only available on the toolbar.
The sketched profiles must be on parallel planes.
Corresponding radii must be concentric.
The term "opening line" in CATIA refers to the seam where the sheet metal joins to form the hopper; it is also the line from which the part unfolds.
The vertices selected to define endpoints for the opening line must be located on corresponding edges.
Points created to define the opening line must be coincident to a corresponding edge and in separate sketches. You can create sketch points to define the endpoints of the opening line. They must be coincident to a corresponding edge and in separate sketches from the profiles.

Prerequisites

You must be in the Generative Sheetmetal Design workbench.

Process: Creating a Hopper

1. Within the Generative Sheetmetal Design workbench, create a new part containing two parallel planes for the hopper profiles.

2. Define your sheet metal parameters.

3. Pick a plane and create the first hopper profile using lines, circles, or arcs.

4. Create the second profile on the second plane. Make sure that the corresponding radii between sketches are coincident.

5. Click Hopper on the Generative Sheet Metal toolbar. The Hopper dialog displays.

6. Pick the top profile.

7. Pick the bottom profile.

8. In the top sketch, pick a vertex to define one end of the opening line (or seam). Note: The first vertex/point you pick must be on the first sketch you selected, not the second. CATIA won't recognize the pick if you select them out of order.

9. In the bottom sketch, pick a second vertex to define the opposite end of the opening line. It must be located on the corresponding edge.

10. A preview of the hopper and two arrows originating at the starting point appear. The green arrow indicates the fixed side of the hopper for unfolding; the red arrow shows the direction of thickening.