SolidWorks

September 10, 2008

Image courtesy of Innovation Engineering Inc.

SolidWorks Everywhere in Consumer Products

CLIPPERS
Sweden

STAIRLIFT
UK

PERFUME
France

FAX & COPIER

Korea

SHOWER
UK

BATHROOM
Spain

STAIRS
Italy

COMPUTER
USA

FURNITURE
Spain

AIR CONDITIONING
Japan

TELEPHONE
Germany

VACUUM CLEANER
Italy

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

TELEPHONE
South Korea

KITCHEN
USA

HANDLES
USA

LOCK
USA

Industry Example: Trek Bikes

Company:
Designs, manufactures, and
markets bicycles and bike
accessories.

By providing integrated design, analysis, manufacturing, and

communication tools, SolidWorks software has enabled Trek
Bicycles to double its design throughput while improving quality
and increasing innovation.

Challenge:
Heightened expectation for
quality (Lance Armstrong)
Integrate Design and
Manufacturing
Increased market demand
SolidWorks Benefits:
Shortened design cycle by 50%
Improved product quality
Doubled throughput of new
products (100% increase)

"SolidWorks has the most solid business experience in actual

production settings. Because we wanted to use 3D data at
more points in our development process, we chose the system
with the most momentum, knowing that it would produce
additional opportunities for integration."
Steve Baumann, Industrial Design Manager

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Industry Example: Kneissl

Company:
Located in Switzerland, Kneissl
manufactures skis and tennis
rackets
Challenge:
Replace 2D AutoCad with 3D
capabilities
transform an idea from design to
production quickly
Affortability
SolidWorks Benefits:
Can quickly conceptualize
Makes production of final
product much easier
Low cost

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"In SolidWorks, we can give free rein to our creativity."

Richard Holzner, Director of R&D Ski

Using the Interface

The interface is how you interact with the computer in the
following ways:
Use windows to view files.
Use the mouse to select buttons, menus, and model elements.
Run programs like SolidWorks mechanical design software.
Find, open, and work with files.
Create, save, and copy files.

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Microsoft Windows
SolidWorks runs on
the Microsoft
Windows graphical
user interface.
Windows let you see
the work of an
application program.
Panels are sub sections of windows.
Illustration shows one window with two panels.

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Using the SolidWorks Interface

SolidWorks windows
display graphic and nongraphic model data.
Toolbars display
frequently used
commands.

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Left Side of SolidWorks Window

FeatureManager
design tree

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Property
Manager

Configuration
Manager

Toolbars
Buttons for frequently used commands.

You can select the toolbars to display.

View / Toolbars

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Getting Help
To view comprehensive online help:
Click

Select Help,
SolidWorks Help
Topics.
Help displays in a
separate window.

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What is SolidWorks?
SolidWorks is design automation software.
In SolidWorks, you sketch ideas and experiment with
different designs to create 3D models.
SolidWorks is used by students, designers, engineers,
and other professionals to produce simple and complex
parts, assemblies, and drawings.

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The SolidWorks Model

The SolidWorks model is made up of:

Parts

Assemblies

Drawings

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The SolidWorks Model

Part

Part

Drawing

Drawing
Assembly

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Features
Features are
the building
blocks of the
part.
Features are
the shapes
and operations
that construct
the part.

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Examples of Shape Features

Base Feature
First feature
in part.
Created from
a 2D sketch.
Forms the
work piece to
which other
features are
added.

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Examples of Shape Features

Boss feature
Adds material
to part.
Created from
2D sketch.

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Examples of Shape Features

Cut feature
Removes
material from
part.
Created from
2D sketch.

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Examples of Shape Features

Hole feature
Removes
material.
Works like
more
intelligent
cut feature.
Corresponds
to process
such as
counter-sink,
thread, counterbore.

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Examples of Shape Features

Fillet feature
Used to
round off
sharp edges.
Can remove
or add
material.

Outside edge
(convex fillet)
removes
material.
Inside edge
(concave fillet)
adds material.
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Examples of Shape Features

Chamfer
feature
Similar to a
fillet.
Bevels an
edge rather
than rounding
it.
Can remove or
add material.

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Sketched Features & Operation Features

Sketched Features
Shape features have sketches.
Sketched features are built from 2D profiles.

Operation Features
Operation features do not have sketches.
Applied directly to the work piece by selecting edges or faces.

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To Create an Extruded Base Feature:

1. Select a sketch plane.

2. Sketch a 2D profile.
Select the sketch plane

Sketch the 2D profile

3. Extrude the sketch

perpendicular to
sketch plane.

Extrude the sketch

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Resulting base feature

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To Create a Revolved Base Feature:

1.

Select a sketch plane.

2.

Sketch a 2D profile.

3.

Sketch a centerline (optional).

4.

Revolve the sketch around

a sketch line or centerline.

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Centerline (optional)

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Terminology: Document Window

Divided into two panels:
Left panel contains
the FeatureManager
design tree.

Lists the structure of

the part, assembly or
drawing.
Right panel contains
the Graphics Area.

Location to display,
create, and modify
a part, assembly or
drawing.

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

FeatureManager
design tree

Graphics Area

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Terminology: User Interface

Menu
Bar

Command
Manager

Toolbar
Task pane

Drawing
document
window
Part
document
window
Status bar
Toolbar

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Terminology: PropertyManager

Preview
Confirmation
corner

Property
Manager

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Handle

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Terminology: Basic Geometry

Axis - An implied centerline that
runs through every cylindrical
feature.
Plane - A flat 2D surface.
Origin - The point where the
three default reference planes
intersect. The coordinates of the
origin are:
(x = 0, y = 0, z = 0).

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Plane

Axis

Origin

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Terminology: Basic Geometry

Face

The surface or skin

of a part. Faces can
be flat or curved.

Vertex

Edge

Edge

The boundary of
a face. Edges can
be straight or curved.
Vertex

The corner where

edges meet.

Edge
Faces

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Features and Commands

Base feature
The Base feature is the first feature that is created.
The Base feature is the foundation of the part.
The Base feature geometry for the box is an extrusion.
The extrusion is named Extrude1.

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Features and Commands

Features used to
build the box are:
Extruded Base feature
Fillet feature
Shell feature

[Link] Feature

[Link] Feature

Extruded Cut feature

[Link] Feature
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[Link] Feature
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Features and Commands

To create the extruded base feature
for the box:
Sketch a rectangular profile on a
2D plane.
Extrude the sketch.
By default extrusions are
perpendicular to the sketch plane.

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Features and Commands

Fillet feature
The fillet feature rounds the
edges or faces of a part.
Select the edges to be rounded.
Selecting a face rounds all the
edges of that face.
Specify the fillet radius.

Fillet

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Features and Commands

Shell feature
The shell feature removes material
from the selected face.

Wall Thickness

Using the shell feature creates a

hollow box from
a solid box.
Specify the wall thickness
for the shell feature.

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Features and Commands

To create the extruded cut
feature for the box:
Sketch the 2D circular profile.
Extrude the 2D Sketch profile
perpendicular to the sketch
plane.
Enter Through All for the end
condition.
The cut penetrates through
the entire part.

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Dimensions and Geometric Relationships

Specify dimensions and geometric relationships
between features and sketches.
Dimensions change the size and shape of the part.
Mathematical relationships between dimensions can be
controlled by equations.
Geometric relationships are the rules that
control the behavior of sketch geometry.
Geometric relationships help capture design
intent.

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Dimensions
Dimensions
Base depth = 50 mm
Boss depth = 25 mm

Mathematical relationship
Boss depth = Base depth 2

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Document Properties
Accessed through
the Tools, Options
menu.
Control settings like:
Units: English (inches)
or Metric (millimeters)
Grid/Snap Settings
Colors, Material
Properties and Image
Quality

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System Options
Accessed through
the Tools, Options
menu.
Allow you to
customize your work
environment.
System options
control:
File locations
Performance
Spin box increments

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View Control
Magnify or reduce the view of a model in the graphics area.

Zoom to Fit displays the part so that it fills the current window.

Zoom to Area zooms in on a portion of the view that you select

by dragging a bounding box.

Zoom In/Out drag the pointer upward to zoom in. Drag the
pointer downward to zoom out.

Zoom to Selection the view zooms so that the selected object

fills the window.

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Display Modes
Illustrate the part in various display modes.

Wireframe

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Hidden lines
Visible

Hidden Lines
Removed

Shaded

Shaded With
Edges

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Standard Views
Isometric
View

Top View

Back View

2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.

Left View

Front View

Bottom View

Right View

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View Orientation
Changes the view display to correspond to one of the
standard view orientations.

Front

Top

Right

Left

Back

Normal To
(selected plane
or planar face)

Bottom
Isometric

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Isometric View
Displays the part with height, width, and depth equally
foreshortened.
Pictorial rather than orthographic.
Shows all three dimensions
height, width, and depth.
Easier to visualize than
orthographic views.

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The Status of a Sketch

Under defined
Additional dimensions or relations
are required.
Under defined sketch entities are
blue (by default).

Fully defined
No additional dimensions or relationships
are required.
Fully defined sketch entities are
black (by default).

Over defined
Contains conflicting dimensions or
relations, or both.
Over defined sketch entities are
red (by default).

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Class and Homework

Work through Chapters 4&5 and complete the exercises at
the end of each chapter. These are due Tuesday of next
week.

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