Adding Tab and Slot features
So far in this book, we have only created Sheet Metal parts that contain one single sheet. However, it is also possible to make parts that have multiple sheets.
In SolidWorks Sheet Metal, sheets can be thought of in a similar way to bodies in normal solid modeling. They are separate solids within a model that aren't connected to each other. They may be touching, but they are still separate solids.
An example of a Sheet Metal model with multiple sheets might be an enclosure that is made from two sections—a Body (the first sheet) and a separate Lid (the second sheet). Although both the Lid and the Body are made within one single SolidWorks part document, they are both separate elements within that part.
The Tab and Slot tool is a great way of connecting two of these sheets together. It cuts slots from one sheet and adds corresponding tabs to the other, allowing the two sheets to mesh together and making it easier to create a join like...