In this sheet metal design and DFM study, YantriX engineered a modular industrial inverter cabinet in SolidWorks—focusing on K-factor bend compensation, laser cutting tooling reliefs, structural gusseting, and production flat-pattern DXF generation.
Overview
Engineering CAD study detailing the sheet metal architecture of a 45 kg industrial power inverter cabinet with calculated K-factor bend tables, PEM hardware, and flat patterns.
Discipline: Mechanical & CAD
Project Type: Mechanical Engineering (Sheet Metal CAD + Fabrication DFM Study)
Application: Industrial Electronics & Power Inverters
YantriX Scope Ownership
Key specifications
Objectives
Challenge
Industrial power inverter enclosures must house heavy magnetic components (transformers, chokes) while dissipating internal heat and preventing water ingress in outdoor installations. Designing for sheet metal fabrication requires accounting for press brake punch tool clearances, sheet thickness tolerances, and bend relief tearing. This study evaluated how to design a modular, self-squaring chassis that minimizes welding operations and simplifies final assembly.
Approach
Constructed a multi-body parametric sheet metal model in SolidWorks with global thickness and radius variables.
Configured tear-drop bend reliefs at all intersecting bend corners to eliminate tearing during press brake operations.
Arranged internal mounting rails with tab-and-slot interlocking features to self-align during spot-welding.
Calculated center-of-gravity and static deflections under transformer loading using SolidWorks Simulation.
Exported verified 1:1 DXF flat patterns with bend annotations and compiled 2D drawings using ASME Y14.5 practices.
Outcomes
Deliverables
Tools used
Impact
Conclusion
Sheet metal CAD only delivers high fabrication quality when tooling bend radii, K-factor deductions, and press brake punch clearances are calculated directly into the solid model before cutting laser sheet.
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