CINCINNATI UNFOLDER MODULE

AN OPERATION SUPPLEMENT MANUAL FOR

BEND SIMULATION AND LASER NESTING

OFFLINE SOFTWARE

Edited for Bend Simulation Software Version 5.0.2.3 and

Laser Nesting Software Version 6.3.0.5
Unfolder Module Version 03.27.0001

C I N C I N N AT I I N C O R P O R AT E D
C I N C I N N A T I, OHIO 4 5 2 1 1

EM-547 (R-09-17) COPYRIGHT  2017

CINCINNATI INCORPORATED
 MANUAL GUIDE
To get the maximum benefit of your new CINCINNATI INCORPORATED machine, read this manual thoroughly
and refer to it often for guidance and information.

SIGNAL ICONS

This manual contains important icons that are associated with a signal word like Danger,” or “Warning,” or
“Note”. The icon and/or signal word indicate the severity of the condition or situation. Be sure to read these
statements and take special care to follow the instructions.

SIGNAL WORD DESCRIPTION ICON

Means that there is a condition or situation
DANGER that will cause death or severe injury if you
do not follow the instructions given.
Means that there is a condition or situation
WARNING that will cause moderate injury if you do
not follow the instructions given.
Means that minor injury or machine
damage could occur if you do not follow the
CAUTION instructions given. You may also have to
start a procedure over if you do not follow
the instructions in a caution statement.
Means that the text gives additional
IMPORTANT information that must be followed for
safety of other significant reason.

Means that the text gives additional

NOTE
information, clarification, or helpful hints.

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SECTION X :UNFOLDER
CINCINNATI TITLE CONTENTS

GENERAL
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS......................................................................... 1

INSTALLATION OF THE CINCINNATI UNFOLDER MODULE

INSTALL SOFTWARE........................................................................................ 3
CONFIGURING THE OPTIONS . ...................................................................... 6

IMPORTING A SOLID MODEL INTO BEND SIMULATION

NEW CAD PART................................................................................................ 7
IMPORTING A SOLID MODEL........................................................................... 8
UNFOLDING THE MODEL............................................................................... 10
QUICK UNFOLD.............................................................................................. 12
TRANSFERRING THE FLAT PATTERN TO BEND SIMULATION . ................ 12

IMPORTING A SOLID MODEL INTO LASER NESTING

IMPORT SOLID MODEL.................................................................................. 15

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS USING THE UNFOLDER MODULE

ONLINE HELP.................................................................................................. 16
EDIT BEND RADIUS........................................................................................ 16
K-FACTOR....................................................................................................... 18
MEASURE . ..................................................................................................... 19
UNFOLDING OPTIONS................................................................................... 20

EM-547 (R-09-17)
GENERAL
For a listing of the latest supported 3D CAD files as well as native file translators, please go to:

• http://www.autopol.com/translators/

• In addition to supporting many formats, the Unfolder Module supports active model transfer of Inventor
files and SolidWorks files if those applications are running on the same PC as the Cincinnati software.
Customers desiring to use this feature will need a compatible PC environment (graphics card/driver) that will
equally support the Bend Simulation Module and Inventor or SolidWorks software.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
Running this application offline will require a PC that meets at least the same minimum requirements as the
Bend Simulation and Laser Nesting Software.

The Unfolder Module runs on 64 - bit PCs only.

An additional hardware lock device provided by CINCINNATI for the Unfolder Module must be attached to the
USB port of the PC that will be running the application. For multiple PC’s on a network, a network hardware lock
is available, which only needs to be attached to one of the networked PC’s.

1 EM-547 (R-09-17)
EM-547 (R-09-17) 2
INSTALLATION OF THE CINCINNATI UNFOLDER MODULE
INSTALL SOFTWARE
Download the latest Unfolder Module software from the Cincinnati Incorporated website at:

https://www.e-ci.com/unfolder-existing-software-users

Once fully downloaded, run the application by clicking on the “Setupx64.exe” file. The opening screen should
appear as shown:

Allow the extraction to complete. After the installer prepares itself, the following screen will be shown:

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Click the “Next” button. A Software License Agreement will be presented to read and accept. Accept the
agreement by clicking on the radio button. Press the “Next” button to Continue. On the Customer Information
window, fill in the requested information. Press the “Next” button to Continue. The following screen will appear:

The installer will install the software in the specified folder. Do not change the default location unless instructed
to by CINCINNATI. Press the “Next” button. The following screen will appear:

Here again, do not change the default location of the Database Folder unless instructed to do so by CINCIN-
NATI. Press the “Next” button to begin and then press the “Install” button on the next screen. Wait until the
installer completes its task.

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Press the “Finish” button as shown in the screen
below and wait for the installation of the file trans-
lators.

Installation of the File Translators starts auto-

matically after installation of the Unfolder Module.
Wait until the File Translators have completely in-
stalled.

Press the “Finish” button below:

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After you click “Finish” you will see the following:

Finally, you will see the message below. The installation is complete. Click OK.

CONFIGURING THE OPTIONS

If the Bend Simulation Software has not already been installed, do so at this time. Start the Bend Simulation
Software and go to the Machine Configuration and select the Options tab.

Verify that the ‘CAD Design’, ‘Bend Simulation’, and ‘Solid Interface’ check boxes are all selected. Press the
“OK” button to save changes. It is not necessary to configure the option in the Laser Nesting Software.

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IMPORTING A SOLID MODEL INTO BEND SIMULATION
NEW CAD PART
When the New Cad Part function is invoked from the Bend Simulation Software by using the “File” drop-down
menu. The dialog box will now appear as shown:

Note the addition of the “Convert Solid Model” button. Pressing this button invokes a new software module that
now supports importing the additional CAD formats described earlier. The Unfolder Module must be installed
for this function to work. The other button options will continue to function as they always have. The “Convert
Drawing File” button may still be used to import 2D and 3D wireframe parts with or without thickness. There is
some overlap in the functionality of the two methods. The “Convert Solid Model” button is the best choice for 3D
models. After pressing the button, the following screen will be shown after a brief delay while the module loads:

Note the ribbon tool bar located at the top of the screen:

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IMPORT A SOLID MODEL
Click on the “CI” icon to bring up the file management choices. Select “Open” to import a 3D file. From this
same window, you can access the Autodesk Inventor Exchange or the SolidWorks Exchange.

Open: Opens a dialog box which allows the user to browse to a file location and select a file type for the
drawing file to be selected. The list of file types is shown in the drop-down box.

Autodesk Inventor Exchange: Provides the ability to directly transfer the active drawing if the Inventor
application is running and a drawing is active.
Solidworks Exchange: Provides the ability to directly transfer the active drawing if the SolidWorks
application is running and a drawing is active.

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Choose the “Open” selection. The default location for files will be in the Unfoldersamples folder located in C:/
Cincinnati Incorporated\CI Unfolder Documents\Unfoldersamples location. This folder contains some sample
parts to use. For this example, choose the file labeled “sample01...sat”. This is an ACIS file. After opening the
file, the screen will appear as shown:

Note also that the icons on the toolbar have now become active. Using the mouse, the part may be rotated to
get a better view. Now choose the “View” tab as shown in the picture below. “Zoom +/-“, “Zoom Extents”, “Zoom
Window”, and “Pan” choices now appear. From the View tab you can also change the rendering or arrange the
layout of windows when multiple operations are performed.

With the model present in the main window, you can choose shortcuts for its orientation. Simply click on the
small screen icon in the lower left of the main window to make the choices appear. In addition to changing the
orientation, you can show a perspective view.

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UNFOLDING THE MODEL
If the drawing looks correct, the next step is to unfold the model to a flat pattern. To begin, select the “Advanced
Unfold” method from the Unfold drop-down menu (shown below in the Unfold tab—not the View tab).

An icon-based dialog box will be displayed inside the upper right of the model window.

The Advanced Unfold dialog presents a number of options. As shown in the picture below, choose the icon
with the finger pointing to the unfolded blank. As long as the geometry of the model conforms to some uniform
guidelines, none of the other advanced options will be needed. For more information on all options of the
Unfolder Module, the online Help can be accessed from the “Help” drop-down or icon.

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To continue unfolding the part, use the mouse to click on any given face of the model. This establishes the base
of the model for orientation of the unfolded blank. At this point the model will change colors indicating that all
flanges and bends in the model have been identified.

Click the green checkmark to unfold the model. The flat blank will be substituted for the folded model in the
main window.

If you wish to see the model again, you can click on the “Switch” icon in the ribbon tool bar. This will cycle
through your preference of views: flat blank, the solid model or the flat blank superimposed on the solid model.

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QUICK UNFOLD
The Quick Unfold feature provides a streamlined method for transforming a solid model into an unfolded flat
pattern. By clicking the “Quick Unfold” icon on the tool bar, the solid is immediately unfolded, without further
edits, into the desired flat pattern.

In addition to the “Quick Unfold” choice in the ribbon tool bar above, there is a corresponding “Quick Unfold”
convenience icon in the lower right of the main window when the solid is present.

TRANSFERRING THE FLAT PATTERN TO BEND SIMULATION

Clicking on the “Export to CINCINNATI” icon, shown below in the lower right of the main window, will close the
Unfolder Module and return back to the Bend Simulation Software.

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The following screen will be shown:

Note this is the same screen as shown when using the Convert Drawing file function. However at this point
all bend lines have already been identified and there should be no additional user input required other than
possibly changing the Drawing Units if needed. Press the “Next” button to continue.

If for some reason it is required to edit any bend information, clicking on a bend line will allow the bend angle
and radius to be changed, or a bend line may be deleted if desired. If no further changes are needed, click on
the “Finish” button.

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As shown, the Material thickness and K-Factor have been calculated from the model and settings defined in
the Unfolder Module. The Material Type defaults to “Mild Steel” and can be changed at this point. If any of
these need to be changed, do so at this time, otherwise press “OK” to continue. The following screen will now
be shown:

The model has been successfully brought into the Bend Simulation Software and is ready to be simulated using
the normal method. Continue on by selecting tools, generating simulations, and creating the desired Bend
Program. Newer versions of the Bend Simulation Software offer an express method to launch the Unfolder
Module and an express method to return the 3D part data from the Unfolder Module immediately back to the
bend Simulation Software. For more information, please consult your Bend Simulation Software manual. This
completes the process of using the Unfolder Module.

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IMPORTING A SOLID MODEL INTO LASER NESTING
No configuration of the Laser Nesting Software is necessary to use the Unfolder Module. If the Laser Nesting
Software detects that the Unfolder Module is installed on the same computer, a new item will be added to the
File menu called ‘Import Solid Model’.

Selecting the ‘Import Solid Model’ item will start the Unfolder Module. Select a solid model file and unfold it using
the procedure previously described in the IMPORTING A FILE and UNFOLDING THE MODEL sections. When
the “Export to Cincinnati” button is pressed, the flat pattern file will be transferred to the Laser Nesting Software.

Note that the material thickness is displayed below the drawing units.

From this point on, conversion to a Nesting part file is the same as any normal DXF or DWG file.

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ADDITIONAL OPTIONS USING THE UNFOLDER MODULE
ONLINE HELP
While the Unfolder Module is active there is an extensive online help feature available. It is accessed by the
“Help” icon above the upper right of the main Unfolder Module window. The F1 key may also be pressed to
invoke the online Help. For more information on any command or feature in the Unfolder Module select the
Command Reference folder and locate the Help topic required. The Tutorial folder offers step by step examples
of using the Unfold feature.

EDIT BEND RADIUS

Edit Bend Radius allows a new value to be given to the inner bend radius of any selected bend or all bends on
the part model. The value is stored as an attribute and will be used by the unfolding function. Real geometrical
changes are not made in the 3D model. The Edit Bend function is used to ensure the correct length of the
unfolding, in relationship to the press brake tools that are anticipated for subsequent manufacturing. The Edit
Bend function allows the programmer to enter either the exact numerical edit of the bend radius; or it allows the
programmer to select the anticipated upper and lower tool. If the tool choice method is employed, the revised
calculation of correct blank length is based on the tool geometry and the material table in the Material function.
For complete instructions to utilize the tool choice method, please refer to the Help Center mentioned above.
The unfolder blank size is also affected by the material type. Default values for Mild Steel, Stainless Steel and
Aluminum are provided. Fine-tuning this table by performing test bends is recommended. To invoke the ‘Edit
Bend’ dialog, use the Apply Tools option from the “Bends” drop-down or the icon shown.

EM-547 (R-09-17) 16
Use the mouse to select the radius icon shown above. When the interactive dialog box appears as shown
below, enter the inner radius value desired for all radii, then click the green checkmark. The unfolded flat will
reflect the change and resize the unfolded blank accordingly. If unique inner radii are desired, click on an
individual pointing finger to activate the bend line. When activated, the inner radius input will reflect only the
unique change made to the bend. This process can be repeated for all bends in the model. Note that it is not
possible to edit the bend angle.

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K-FACTOR
The K-Factor used in unfolding the model can be calculated in a number of different methods. To change the
setting for the K-Factor, click on the CI icon in the upper left of the main Unfolder Module screen, then click on
the Options button in the lower right of the file management window as shown below.

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Once in the Options dialog, go to the Compensation tab. Note that the K-Factor values are entered as percentages
from 0 to 100. When the K-factor is referred to in the Bend Simulation Software, the value will appear as half of the
entered percentage. So when using the Constant or K-factor File methods, use percentages instead. For more
information on Bend Compensation, view the Help topic: Technical Information/Unfolder/Bend Compensation.

Unfold Compen- Sets the method used by the unfolding function when calculating the flat pattern.
sation Method:
None (Template): No compensation. The actual surface is unfolded. Normally used to generate a flat
pattern which will be used as a template.
DIN 6935: Calculates the K-factor according to DIN 6935 standard.
Constant: Same K-factor is used regardless of bend angle, inner radius, and sheet thickness.
K-factor File: K-factors are calculated from the values in the current K-factor file selected. K-factor is
dependent on bend angle, inner radius, and sheet thickness.
Projected The unfolding is created with same dimensions as the outside dimensions of the
outside: flanges. Bend radii are insignificant when this method is used.
Projected inside: The unfolding is created with same dimensions as the inside dimensions of the flanges.
Bend radii are insignificant when this method is used.
Acc. to Material: Calculates the compensation based on what material is selected.

MEASURE
Measures the distance between two points. Cursor snaps to end-, mid- or center points. Entity information, such
as length of lines and radius of arcs, is shown in the dialog box and on the tool tip when the cursor is dragged
over entities. Select Select this feature from the Review tab on the ribbon tool bar.

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UNFOLDING OPTIONS
Automatic Unfolding attempts to collect and find the structure for all cylindrical (bends) and planar faces. The
criteria for this are:

• All planar faces are followed by bends and vice versa.

• All plane faces have a corresponding plane face on the other side of the sheet thickness.

• All inner radii have a corresponding concentric outer radius on the other side of the sheet thickness.

• Outer radius = ( Inner radius + sheet thickness).

• For each bend, inner and outer radii have to be concentric.

All faces that are automatically found on the chosen reference side change to the color that is currently set for
the Reference side. The faces on the other side of the sheet thickness change to the color that is currently set
for the Opposite side. (These settings are changed in ‘Options’ dialog box Unfolder tab.)

The manual selection of faces is very useful when:

• The 3D model has some errors, which makes it impossible to unfold automatically. The errors can be:

a. Inner and outer radii are not exactly concentric.

b. Plane/plane surface connections without any bends between.

• The 3D model has Plane/NURBS or NURBS/NURBS surface connections.

• Partial unfolding. (Create unfolded parts from only some surfaces of the 3D model.)

For more information on all of the Unfold options, view the Unfold Command Reference in the online Help

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21 EM-547 (R-09-17)
 CINCINNATI INCORPORATED
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HARRISON, OHIO 45030-8915
PHONE: 513-367-7100
FAX: 513-367-7399
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