Chapter 7: Selecting Features
FIGURE 7.60
A rubber grommet in various flex states
Natural position
Twisting Bending
Notice bodies have been split
Stretching
Using the triad can be very tricky. Moving the triad in the bending option moves the axis of the
bend, and so it determines whether the bend will compress or stretch the material. The position of
the triad also determines which side of the bent body will move or stay stationary, or if both sides
will move. Placing the triad directly on a trim plane causes the material outside the bend on that
side of the trim plane to remain stationary.
I highly recommend taking a look at the models that are provided with this chapter to examine the
various functions of the Flex feature more carefully. The model uses configurations, which are cov-
ered in Chapter 10.