Exact flat patterns for cones, transitions, elbows and branches
Pick a shape, enter its sizes and the sheet thickness, and download the flat pattern with numbered press lines as DXF for laser, plasma or waterjet cutting. A STEP of the part comes with it.
Unfoldo lays out the flat pattern (development) of common sheet metal and plate parts: cylinders, cones, transitions, segmented elbows, branches, breeches and flights. Enter the sizes, say whether they are inside, mean or outside sizes, and download the exact pattern with numbered press lines as DXF, with a STEP of the part for your CAD.
Most used shapes
- Square to round: Rectangle to round transition
- Truncated cone: Concentric reducer, frustum
- Lobster back elbow: Segmented, mitred or gored bend
- Pipe tee: Saddle cut and hole, 90° and lateral
- Y-branch: Breeches, wye, pair of pants
- Screw flight: Auger flight, helical ramp
- Rectangle to rectangle: Duct reducer, hopper
- Pipe to cone branch: A branch on a reducer or cone
All shapes
Cylinders & pipe cuts
- Cylinder: Square ends, Angled top, Cut at both ends
Cones & reducers
- Cone: Truncated, Full cone, By apex height, By cone angle, In levels
- Cone cut by a plane: Top cut at an angle, Top and base cut at angles, Top cut by two planes, Base cut by two planes, Base cut at an angle
- Rain head
Transitions
- Rectangle to round: Centred, Square base, Offset, Angled top, Angled base, One angled side, Two angled sides, In levels
- Rectangle to rectangle: Centred, Offset, Angled top, Angled top and base
- Round to round: Angled top, Axis angled, Top at 90°
- Oval to round: Centred, Offset
- Oval to oval: Centred, Offset
- Oval to rectangle: Centred, Offset
- Ellipse to round: Centred, Offset, Angled top
- Ellipse to ellipse: Centred, Offset, Angled top
- Ellipse to rectangle: Centred, Offset, Angled top
- Hexagon to round: Centred, Offset
- Octagon to round: Centred, Offset
Segmented bends
- Segmented bend, round: 90°, Any angle, Extended
- Segmented bend, oval: 90°, Any angle, Extended
- Segmented bend, oval on its side: 90°, Any angle, Extended
- Segmented bend, tapered: 90°, Any angle
Elbows
- Mitred elbow, pipe to pipe: 90°, Angled, Radius and angle, Double (offset), Double (offset), outside sizes, Double, offset two ways
- Mitred elbow, pipe to cone: 90°, Angled
- Mitred elbow, cone to cone: 90°, Angled
- Mitred elbow, cone to pipe: 90°, Angled
Branches & tees
- Pipe to pipe: 90°, branch, 90°, trunk, Angled, branch, Angled, trunk, Two branches, Two angled branches, Two branches along the trunk, Four branches
- Pipe to cone: Level branch, cone, Level branch, branch, Upright branch, cone, Upright branch, branch, Angled branch, cone, Angled branch, branch
- Pipe to oblique cone: Level branch, cone, Level branch, branch, Upright branch, cone, Upright branch, branch, Angled branch, cone, Angled branch, branch
- Cone to cone: Level branch, trunk, Level branch, branch, Upright branch, trunk, Upright branch, branch, Angled branch, trunk, Angled branch, branch
- Cone to oblique cone: Level branch, cone, Level branch, branch, Upright branch, cone, Upright branch, branch, Angled branch, cone, Angled branch, branch
- Cone to pipe: 90°, branch, 90°, trunk, Angled, branch, Angled, trunk
- Rectangle to pipe: 90°, branch, 90°, trunk, Angled, branch, Angled, trunk, Tangent, 90°, branch, Tangent, 90°, trunk, Tangent, angled, branch, Tangent, angled, trunk
- Rectangle to cone: Level branch, cone, Level branch, branch, Upright branch, cone, Upright branch, branch, Angled branch, cone, Angled branch, branch
- Rectangle to oblique cone: Level branch, cone, Level branch, branch, Upright branch, cone, Upright branch, branch, Angled branch, cone, Angled branch, branch
- Pipe to bend: On centre, Offset, Angled
Breeches & Y-pieces
- Round breeches: 3 pipes, 4 pipes, 5 pipes
- Reducing breech: Angled tops, Level tops, With body, symmetrical, With body, equal ends, With body, unequal ends
Rectangular ducting
- Straight duct
- Duct reducer: Centred, One side straight, Offset, changing height
- Duct offset: Same size, Same size, radiused
- Duct branch: 90°, 90°, rounded corners, Angled, Angled, rounded corner
- Duct Y: Symmetrical, 180°, Asymmetrical
- Duct splitter
- Duct elbow: Radiused, any angle, Mitred, any angle
Helicals & augers
- Helical ramp: Triangulated, Angled flight, Tapered
- Auger flight
How it works
- Pick the shape: Search by the name your shop uses: square to round, reducer, lobster back, saddle, wye. Every shape shows its part in 3D.
- Enter sizes and sheet: Type the sizes on the drawing, then set the thickness, whether sizes are inside, mean or outside, where the seams go and how many press lines.
- Cut and form: Download the DXF for laser, plasma or waterjet, with numbered press lines, the weight and the cutting length. STEP too.
Why the patterns fit
Inside, mean or outside sizes
Sizes on the inside, the mean or the outside: the pattern is worked out on the mean surface, so the formed part meets its sizes.
Checked against reference parts
Every shape is compared point by point with reference parts before it opens, and each sheet is bent back onto its 3D model in our tests.
True curves
Arcs stay true arcs in the DXF and curves follow the part within 0.005 mm, so the cutting machine gets clean outlines.
Ready for the brake
Numbered press lines, the seam where you want it, the part in one, two or four pieces, and true lengths when you need them.
Questions
What is a flat pattern (development)?
The shape of the flat sheet that, rolled or pressed, becomes the part: a cone's pattern is a ring sector, a square to round's is a set of flat triangles and curved cone pieces. Unfoldo works it out from the sizes you enter.
Which files do I get?
A DXF of the pattern with the cut outline, press lines and labels on their own layers and a STEP of the part for your CAD.
How is the sheet thickness taken into account?
You say whether your sizes are inside, mean or outside sizes; the pattern is developed on the sheet's mean surface from them.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Unfoldo runs in the browser on any computer; your parts are saved to your account.