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      <title>Profile Flange tips and techniques</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Profile Flange tips and techniques</div>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/profile_flng.html');return(false);">Profile Flange Overview</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/prof_parameters.html');return(false);">Options</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Related Topics</p>
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      </table><br><div class="title_division">Creating profile flanges</div>
      <p class="para_division">Make sure that the <b class="uiTerm">Section Profile</b> starts at the <b class="uiTerm">Start Point</b>. It is advisable to add proper constraints or RPO between sketch curves and the selected body to ensure that any transformation of the parent does not leave the profile flange hanging in mid air.
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      <p class="para_division">If the <b class="uiTerm">Section Profile</b> does not start out normal to the attachment face, an automatic inset will be added. The inset distance will be inferred from the <b class="uiTerm">Bend Radius</b>. This inset can be added during the feature creation and the <b class="uiTerm">Section Profile</b> can be edited so that this inset is not required anymore. However, it will not be possible to edit the <b class="uiTerm">Section Profile</b> such that it started out normal to face and was changed to be at angle during <b class="uiTerm">Edit</b>.
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      <p class="para_division">Make sure that the <b class="uiTerm">Automatic Radius</b> does not result in bends that can remove some faces completely. This is verified by adding fillets to the section profile. If there is such a case, you will get an error.
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      <p class="para_division">When in the <b class="uiTerm">Edit Bends</b> dialog box (<b class="uiTerm">Multibend Bracket</b> dialog box), you will not be able to modify the bend parameters of the bends that are controlled by the <b class="uiTerm">Section Profile</b>. However, you will be able to add more reference geometry for these bends. You will also be allowed to add more bends to these bends. You will have full control to edit or delete these additional bends.
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      <p class="para_division">Editing a profile flange is very similar to creating a profile flange. Upon entering the dialog box, you can change bend parameters, add or delete bends, and edit the sketch.</p>
      <p class="para_division">If you add a new bend, the model will update when you enter the <b class="uiTerm">sketcher</b>. 
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      <p class="para_division">As with all features, if you delete faces and edges (due to deleting a bend or editing the sketch) downstream features could be affected.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Unforming profile flange</div>
      <p class="para_division">There are two methods to form/unform the profile flange. If done through the <b class="uiTerm">Form/Unform</b> dialog box, the profile flange unforms/forms as a single unit. All bends are either formed or unformed.
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      <p class="para_division">If the  <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/unbend.html');return(false);">Unbend/Rebend</a> feature is used, it will operate on individual bends.
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      <div class="title_division">Updating profile flange</div>
      <p class="para_division">As with any other feature, a profile flange will update if any of its parents (features, expressions, geometry) change. If the profile flange appears to have updated incorrectly, try unforming then forming the profile flange. This usually causes the feature to be rebuilt correctly.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Multibend bracket</div>
      <p class="para_division"><b class="uiTerm">Profile Flange</b> uses<b class="uiTerm"> Multibend Bracket</b> as one of its components for feature creation. Hence we need to follow all the rules for <b class="uiTerm">Multibend Bracket</b>, specifically for editing the <b class="uiTerm">Web Profile</b>. Refer to  <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/smfea_multibend_brack.html');return(false);">Multibend Bracket</a> for details.
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      <div class="title_division">Section profile sketch</div>
      <p class="para_division">The <b class="uiTerm">Sketcher</b> allows you to create or edit the <b class="uiTerm">Section Profile</b> of the <b class="uiTerm">Profile Flange</b> feature. Since the sketch will be extruded, it is important to make sure there are no gaps in this perimeter. When you leave the <b class="uiTerm">Sketch Tools</b> dialog box, the system will extrude the sketch. If the extrusion failed, you will be shown the location of possible gaps in the outline. Reenter the <b class="uiTerm">Sketch</b> tools to correct these gaps. Gaps that are smaller than the <b class="uiTerm">Chaining Tolerance</b> will be ignored. You may set the <b class="uiTerm">Chaining Tolerance</b> under <b class="uiTerm">Preferences&rarr;Selection</b>. 
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      <p class="para_division">Make sure that the section profile does not have disjoint curves or closed curves. Points in the sketch will be ignored.</p>
      <p class="para_division">You must have at least one bend defined for the profile flange. For example, if you define only one curve for the profile flange and that curve is a line normal to the attachment face, then you would get an error. If this line was however at an angle to the face, it is acceptable because a bend can be defined.</p>
      <p class="para_division">When you are taken to the <b class="uiTerm">Sketcher</b>, it is possible that the view is oriented to be normal to the <b class="uiTerm">Datum Plane</b>. You can control this with a preference under <b class="uiTerm">Preferences&rarr;Sketch&rarr;Change View Orientation</b>. There are also buttons while in Sketcher to control the orientation.
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      <p class="para_division">The section <b class="uiTerm">Profile Sketch</b> must consist of a combination of lines and arcs only.
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      <div class="title_division">Deleting sketch curves</div>
      <p class="para_division">Use the <b class="uiTerm">Sketcher</b> to edit the sketch of a profile flange feature. While editing, note that you cannot delete active sketch curves that are part of the extrusion. To delete these curves, first change them to reference geometry using the <b class="uiTerm">Convert To/From Reference</b> function. Then exit the <b class="uiTerm">Sketcher</b> to cause the profile flange to update. You may then reenter the <b class="uiTerm">Sketcher</b> to delete the unused sketch curves.
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      <div class="title_division">Self&ndash;forming features</div>
      <p class="para_division">There are two unforming methods available for Sheet Metal Features. If you have <b class="uiTerm">Preferences&rarr;Sheet Metal&rarr;Use Self&ndash;Forming Features</b> enabled, then all profile flanges will have the ability to unform themselves using the <b class="uiTerm">Form/Unform</b> dialog box. When <b class="uiTerm">Preferences&rarr;Sheet Metal&rarr;Use Forming Operations</b> is enabled, you must unform using the <b class="uiTerm">Unbend</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Rebend</b> features. You may apply the <b class="uiTerm">Unbend/Rebend</b> feature to a self&ndash;forming profile flange however, it will loose its ability to form and unform. You can revert the profile flange back into a self&ndash;forming feature if you delete the Unbend feature and use the <b class="uiTerm">Model Navigator</b> menu&rarr;<b class="uiTerm">Make Self&ndash;Forming Feature</b>.
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      <p class="para_division">For more information on <b class="uiTerm">Profile Flange</b> usage see :<a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/appendix_build_profile.html');return(false);">Profile Flange</a>, topic in the Appendix.
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