Continue creating a drip tray by adding a mitered flange to the bottom tray of an espresso machine. Learn the various steps involved, including modifying the width of the flange, creating the lips on which the drip tray will sit, and setting up the miter corner for welding.
Key Insights
- Learn how to make modifications to the sketch associated with a flange, which is automatically generated each time an edge flange is created. It details how the author modified the width of an edge flange and restored it to its original dimensions.
- The piece provides a step-by-step process for creating a miter flange. It begins with isolating the base flange, then proceeds to create a sketch that represents the profile of the miter flange using the front face of the base flange. The article then explains how to set the height and depth of the line and add the rest of the edges that will take on the miter flange.
- Lastly, learn how to set up the miter corner in a way that is appropriate for a welder to place a weld bead and grind it smooth. It also outlines the process of checking how the miter flange lines up with the rest of the espresso machine and adjusting it as necessary.
This lesson is a preview from our SOLIDWORKS Certification Course Online (includes software & exam). Enroll in this course for detailed lessons, live instructor support, and project-based training.
A drip tray needs more than a flat base. To work in an assembly, it has to sit confidently on its supports, clear tight edges, and slide in and out without binding. A mitered flange solves several of those problems at once by creating a clean, continuous lip that rises up and kicks outward around the perimeter.
This lesson continues the drip tray build by adding that lip using a miter flange in SOLIDWORKS, with a focus on the details that make the feature behave predictably.
A Quick Lesson About Flanges and Sketches
Before jumping into the miter flange, there is an important concept to understand about edge flanges. Every time an edge flange is created, SOLIDWORKS automatically generates a sketch that defines the flange profile. That sketch exists no matter what type of edge flange is used, and it is the cleanest place to make dimension changes.
- Edge flanges are sketch-driven. The sketch defines the flange width and shape.
- Multiple flanges in one feature can generate multiple sketches, one per edge.
- Editing the sketch is the preferred way to change flange width, instead of trimming geometry with Cut-Extrude.
For example, if a flange width needs adjustment, the correct approach is to open the sketch tied to that specific flange edge and modify the dimension there. This keeps the part parametric and avoids creating unnecessary cuts that can complicate corner behavior and flattening.
What the Miter Flange Needs to Do
With the base flange already created for the drip tray, the next goal is to add lips that let the tray rest on surrounding surfaces. The miter flange is designed to come up from the edge and then come out, forming a ledge that can sit on multiple supporting faces.
Clearance has already been accounted for by tucking the base flange inward so the finished drip tray can be removed without getting stuck. The miter flange should reinforce that intent, not undo it by pushing geometry outward too far.
Why It is Called a Miter Flange
The term “miter” refers to how corners are resolved when flange edges meet. Instead of overlapping or colliding, the edges meet at a 45-degree mitered corner, creating a cleaner seam. That seam can also be given a controlled gap so a welder can place a weld bead and grind it smooth for a finished look.
Starting the Miter Flange
The first step is to focus on the base flange and begin the miter flange command.
- Isolate the base flange so the working edges are easy to select.
- Go to Sheet Metal and choose Miter Flange.
- Select a plane or face that corresponds to one of the base flange face edges.
Selecting the face places you into a sketch environment, because the miter flange needs a profile sketch to define its “up and out” shape.
Sketching the Flange Profile
The profile sketch defines the flange’s cross section. The basic move is simple: start at the lower corner of the base flange edge, draw a line upward, then draw a line outward to form the lip.
To set the height and depth accurately, it helps to use surrounding assembly geometry as a reference. Once the profile is aligned visually, the outward extension should stop with a controlled clearance. In this case, the target is a stop point one-sixteenth of an inch from the edge, matching the global variable used for sheet thickness.
- Height: aligned to the surrounding reference surface where the tray needs to sit.
- Outward extension: stopped short by the sheet thickness value (a clean, repeatable reference).
When the sketch is closed, the feature preview should resolve successfully. A successful preview confirms that the initial flange segment is forming correctly.
Wrapping the Flange Around All Edges
After the first flange segment is successful, the remaining edges need to be added so the lip wraps around the tray. The simplest approach is to return to the miter flange feature and select all relevant perimeter edges at once.
- Re-isolate the part if needed for clean edge selection.
- Edit the miter flange feature.
- Select all four bottom edges to apply the miter flange around the perimeter.
Once the edges are selected, the tray should generate with the lip rising and turning outward along each side, with mitered corners where the flange segments meet.
Checking Fit and Corner Behavior
After exiting isolation, it is worth checking how the tray aligns with the surrounding assembly. The flange should land where it needs to rest, and the overall footprint should still respect the clearance strategy established earlier.
If alignment looks correct, the next step is refining the feature settings, especially the offset condition.
Choosing the Correct Offset Setting
Offset behavior controls where the flange sits relative to the base flange edge. This is where a design can accidentally grow outward and create interference.
- Current condition (no offset): keeps the flange positioned where it naturally butts up against the base flange edge, which supports the clearance already built into the base flange.
- Slightly outside: can push the lip outward enough to start creating fit problems.
- Far outside: can delay the bend start until the edge of the base flange, which risks binding and can prevent the tray from sliding into place.
Because the base flange was already designed to support removal and reinstallation, the safest choice here is to keep the miter flange in its default position with no offset.
Lock It in and Save the Part
With the miter flange wrapping all four edges, miter corners forming cleanly, and offset left unchanged, the lip is complete. At this stage, the tray should read as a finished structural form that both fits the assembly and supports welding-friendly seams where needed.
Next Step: Adding the Hole Pattern
The next phase of the drip tray build focuses on the perforation pattern. A hole pattern will be created on the tray surface, then extended onto the top warming surface where espresso cups sit. The most important requirement is alignment, so the pattern reads as one cohesive design across both surfaces.
