Hem
Updated v2.3.7At a glance
- Fold a sheet edge back on itself for a stiff, safe edge — click the thin edge face, just like a flange
- Four styles: Closed, Open (with a gap), Teardrop, and Rolled (curled into a tube)
- Set width, bend radius, opening, or roll angle — the dialog shows only the fields the style needs
- Reads thickness and K-factor from the base, so the fold is real and unfolds to the right flat blank
- Hem several edges in one feature; Invert flips which side it folds to
- Fully re-editable from the history — change the style or dimensions and it rebuilds in place
A hem folds a sheet-metal edge back over itself to stiffen it and remove the sharp raw edge. Pick it the same way as a flange: click the thin edge face where the hem should attach — only valid faces highlight — and it folds back with a real radiused bend. Click several faces to hem them all in one feature, and click a picked face again to drop it.
Hem styles
- Closed — folded tight against the sheet for a doubled, rigid edge.
- Open — folded back with a chosen opening gap between the two layers.
- Teardrop — curled back to leave a small teardrop-shaped mouth.
- Rolled — rolled up into a tube, either to its natural full curl or to a roll angle you set.
The dialog shows only the inputs the chosen style uses, so there's nothing extra to think about.
Sizing
Set the hem's width (how far it reaches), the bend radius, the layer opening, or the roll angle, depending on the style. Width includes bend measures the full outboard depth of the hem; turn it off to treat the width as just the flat return. Invert flips which side of the sheet the hem folds to, and per-end gaps inset the hem along its edge.
Real bends that unfold
A hem reads the sheet's thickness and K-factor straight from its Sheet Metal Base, so the fold is a true radiused bend — not a cosmetic wrap. Closed, open, and teardrop hems unfold correctly: the flat pattern accounts for the hem's bend allowance so your cut blank comes out the right length. Reopen any hem from the history to change its style or dimensions and it rebuilds in place, staying valid as the underlying part changes.