Introducing: Approved Sheet Metal’s Proprietary Louver Tool in SOLIDWORKS (Updated for 2025)

Last updated on January 20th, 2025 at 10:11 am

We’re thrilled to share that we created a proprietary tool to help sheet metal fabrication customers design louvers in SOLIDWORKS.

We love louvers. These press-formed features are commonly found in applications that require airflow and light penetration, such as microwaves and ventilation systems.

The most common louvers consist of a single-stroke form created with a turret punch press or press brake. ​​Using standard tooling for louvers is one great way to save time and money on a custom sheet metal fabrication.

You may be thinking: “Louvers seem like simple enough features, so why do I need a unique design tool in SOLIDWORKS to ensure manufacturability? Doesn't SOLIDWORKS already have a tool for designing louvers?”

Applications of Louvers in Sheet Metal Fabrication

Louvers are versatile features found in a wide range of industries and applications. Their primary functions—facilitating airflow, providing ventilation, and allowing light penetration—make them indispensable in many designs. Here are some key applications:

1. HVAC Systems
   Louvers are essential in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, ensuring proper airflow and temperature regulation in commercial and residential spaces.
2. Electronics Enclosures
   In electronics and server cabinets, louvers help maintain optimal temperatures by allowing heat to escape while protecting components from dust and debris.
3. Automotive Components
   Vehicles often use louvers in air intakes and exhaust vents to improve engine cooling and aerodynamics while maintaining structural integrity.
4. Appliances
   Louvers are a common feature in household and industrial appliances, such as microwave ovens, refrigerators, and dryers, where ventilation is critical for performance and safety.
5. Architectural Design
   In building exteriors and interiors, louvers contribute to both functionality and aesthetics, aiding in natural ventilation and reducing energy consumption.
6. Industrial Equipment
   Industrial machines and equipment use louvers to safeguard motors and systems by regulating airflow and preventing overheating.

The Problem with Designing Louvers in SOLIDWORKS

Yes, SOLIDWORKS sheet metal has a louver tool to help streamline the design process. The only problem? The standard, "out-of-the-box" louver SOLIDWORKS provides is not manufacturable!

It has angles and slopes that simply aren't achievable in the real world. If we were to try manufacturing louvers to SOLIDWORKS’ default specifications, we’d end up ripping the material and ruining the part.

Challenges Without the Proprietary Tool

Designing louvers in SOLIDWORKS without a proprietary tool like Approved Sheet Metal’s can present several significant challenges:

1. Non-Manufacturable Designs
   The default SOLIDWORKS louver tool generates features with angles, slopes, and dimensions that are often not achievable in real-world manufacturing. Attempting to fabricate these designs can lead to material tearing, part failure, and wasted production resources.
2. Time-Consuming Adjustments
   Engineers often need to manually modify default louver designs to meet manufacturing requirements. This process can involve extensive trial and error, delaying projects and increasing labor costs.
3. Incompatibility with Standard Tooling
   Standard SOLIDWORKS louvers may not align with the dimensions and capabilities of commonly used tooling, forcing manufacturers to invest in custom tooling or rework designs.
4. Lack of Design Flexibility
   Without a custom tool, designers face limitations in adjusting key parameters such as size, spacing, and material thickness, which can hinder innovation and customization.
5. Increased Risk of Errors
   Manual adjustments and workarounds can lead to errors in design files, which may only be discovered during manufacturing, resulting in costly rework or scrapped parts.

Introducing: Approved Sheet Metal's Proprietary Louver Tool

Luckily, all hope for an easy method of designing manufacturable louvers is not lost!

The SOLIDWORKS experts at Approved Sheet Metal have created our own louver tool that boasts these big benefits:

• Compatible with SOLIDWORKS
• Simplifies louver design without jeopardizing manufacturability
• Works with our standard in-house tooling

And? Our louvers look very similar to the default louvers in SOLIDWORKS.

ASM Provides Two Standard Louver Sizes in SOLIDWORKS

Through our proprietary SOLIDWORKS louver tool, you can make louvers with these measurements:

• Louver #1
  • Length: 2.985"
  • Width: 0.615"
  • Height: 0.210" (measured from the top of the sheet to the top of the form)
  • Suitable for material thickness ranges between 0.047" and 0.080"

• Louver #2 
  • Length: 4.000"
  • Width: 0.750"
  • Height: 0.310" (measured from the top of the sheet to the top of the form)
  • Suitable for material thickness ranges between 0.060" and 0.100"

It's important to note that the distance from the front edge to the formed edge is typically around 0.950", and the distance between the formed louvers themselves is 0.250". The larger the louver, the more these dimensions increase, so please keep that in mind when designing your custom sheet metal fabrication.

Additionally, if you're working with thicker materials than the ranges listed, please ask us about other solutions. We created this tool to streamline the louver design process, but we welcome custom projects that require more complex engineering.

Download Approved Sheet Metal's SOLIDWORKS Tool for Louvers

Are you ready to start using our louver tool for your next custom sheet metal fabrication?

We've made it really easy to add our standard louvers to your SOLIDWORKS platform. Simply download the files here, and upload them into SOLIDWORKS.