There are a couple ways to convert a sketch or body to sheet metal in Fusion 360. The most common methods are the Flange tool and Extrude, then Convert Body to Sheet Metal. Learn how to use them!
If you start your design by drawing a solid rather than a sketch, then the shape will already be a Body by default and you won’t need to extrude it. Please note, Bodies must have a uniform thickness to be converted to sheet metal, so rounded objects won’t work.
Convert a sketch to sheet metal using the Flange tool
The Flange tool saves time by automatically converting a sketch to sheet metal using a selected sheet metal rule and setting the material thickness correctly in one step. We recommend using this method even if you don’t need flanges or bending services since it results in a better STEP/STP file.
1. From the Sheet Metal tab, click the CREATE dropdown menu and then select Flange.
2. Select the Profile, choose the desired Sheet Metal Rule from the dropdown menu, and click OK.
This will create a Sheet Metal Body and automatically hide your Sketch.
Extrude sketch, then convert body to sheet metal
This method extrudes your sketch to a specified thickness and creates a Body that you can then convert to sheet metal. Please note: if you will be uploading a STEP/STP file to our website, it’s important that your part is a sheet metal body set up with a thickness offered by SendCutSend.
1. First, extrude the face of your sketch to create a Body.
To do this, you can either right-click on the face of your sketch and choose Extrude from the menu, or simply press E.
This will open the Extrude window where you can adjust settings as needed.
Specify a distance to extrude and click OK.
This will create a Body.
2. Now that you have a Body, navigate to the Sheet Metal tab.
Then click the CREATE dropdown menu and choose Convert to Sheet Metal.
This will open the Convert to Sheet Metal window.
Fusion will have Show Matching Rules ticked by default and show sheet metal rules that match the thickness you extruded to.
If desired, you can uncheck the Show Matching Rules box and choose any sheet metal rule in your library.
Once you choose a rule and click OK, the rule will show in your Document Settings on the left.
Start bending with the Bend or Flange tools!
Now that your sketch has been converted to sheet metal, you can start bending with the Bend or Flange tools! Learn about differences between the tools here.
Export a STEP/STP file (3D) or a DXF file (2D)
When your design is ready, you can either export a 3D .step format file or a 2D .dxf format vector file.
To export a .step file, follow our guidance here: How to export a STEP file from Fusion 360?
To export a .dxf file via flat pattern mode, follow the steps in our guide here: How To Export a DXF from Fusion 360 – SendCutSend
For more Fusion 360 tips, explore our Fusion tutorials!
