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What is a PSM file?

Solid Edge provides a dedicated environment for sheet metal design, sometimes called the Sheet Metal Workbench. Parts created there are saved with the .psm extension instead of the .par extension used for regular parts. A PSM file contains the 3D solid of the formed part together with sheet metal information such as material thickness, flanges, bends and the data needed to produce a flat pattern.

Like other Solid Edge files, a PSM file is proprietary and its specification is not published. Its geometry is Parasolid B-rep data, and the file is usually referenced from Solid Edge assemblies along with other parts.


PSM vs. PAR

FeaturePAR (.par)PSM (.psm)
Design environmentPart environmentSheet metal environment
Typical geometryMachined, molded or cast parts of any shapeParts formed from sheet of constant thickness
Specific dataFeatures, sketches, materials, propertiesSame, plus sheet metal features such as flanges and bends
Downstream processesMachining, molding, simulationCutting, punching, bending, welding
Used in assembliesYes, referenced from .asm filesYes, referenced from .asm files

What Is PSM Used For? Applications and Industry Use Cases

PSM files are used wherever Solid Edge models sheet metal parts: enclosures, brackets, panels, cabinets and frames for machinery, electrical equipment and industrial products. They travel from design teams to fabrication shops, where parts are nested, cut, punched, bent and welded.

For software developers, reading PSM files lets CAM, fabrication, simulation and inspection applications work directly with the parts their customers design in Solid Edge, without asking them to export neutral files or to own a Solid Edge license.


Challenges or Common Pitfalls

A sheet metal part carries information that goes beyond its 3D shape, such as thickness, bend parameters and flat pattern data. Neutral formats and generic translators typically keep only the formed geometry, so fabrication applications often need to recognize thickness and bends from the B-rep themselves.

The format is also proprietary and evolves with each Solid Edge release. Applications that read PSM files directly need a reader that keeps pace with new versions, and should check how colors, names and properties are carried over when parts are used inside assemblies.


How Spatial Helps

Our 3D InterOp SDK imports Solid Edge sheet metal (.psm), part (.par) and assembly (.asm) files and delivers exact B-rep geometry to CGM Modeler, 3D ACIS Modeler or Parasolid. You can use your own Parasolid installation or our Solid Edge Direct importer, which requires no Parasolid setup.

Along with the geometry, 3D InterOp reads free curves and points, body names, persistent names on faces and laminar edges, body and face colors, workplanes with their names and visibility, and user-defined attributes. When a PSM file is part of an assembly, the product structure importer extracts the assembly tree with instance color and transparency.

Solid Edge files are imported only; writing them is not supported. See our CAD import page for more on bringing native CAD data into your application.

Dassault Systèmes

Siemens

Autodesk

Standards

Other

  • Pro/E / Creo
  • Rhino
  • MicroStation DGN
  • AVEVA
  • Smart3D

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