Part design, Mechanism design, Sheet metal and surface modelling using SolidWorks

Published on 18 Apr 2022. Written by Dineshkumar E

Solidworks is a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) software used to perform solid modelling. In this article, you will be introduced to various concepts such as part design, mechanism design, sheet metal and surface modelling.

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SLNOTE


Application of SOLIDWORKS

Using this software you can able to perform real-life images with the help of photorealistic rendering tools.

Tools like Mould splitting, shrinkage compensation, parting surfaces, etc. helps you to accelerate the mould design process.

Solidworks has an advantage that you can easily rebuild or modify the designed objects.

Most of the industries such as Automobile, Aerospace, Product design, etc. rely on this software to develop their products.

Part design

While working on Part design you will be introduced to topics like parametric design and CAD drawings. Part design helps you to create the designs for key and shaft and also allows you to apply constraints and forces on assemblies. You can also perform the simulation for the designed models.

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Sheet metal and Surface modelling

With sheet metal and surface modelling, you can able to design various components of the automobiles. From a simple bottle to an advanced aircraft can be designed using this operation. Initially, you will create a sheet metal and surfaces using Solidworks which can be later applied to develop your favourite aircraft.

To learn this concept you can start by developing small components like mobile case and then you can move on to advance models like a robotic arm, Hitech mouse, etc.

In surface modelling, you will create a 3D model by combining the 2D wireframes and surfaces to create a solid model. Here the 2D wireframe is created using line, arcs, and splines. Solidworks uses Beizer mathematical techniques to create a surface model from a 2D wireframe.

If you want to convert the sharp edges of the designed object to smooth you can do that with the help of surface modelling.

Mechanism design

Mechanisms are the starting point for every product which is the part of product design, from simple toys to space vehicles. You can create and test the model by applying physical forces and constraints via simulation.

Following are some of the design features in SolidWorks that every design engineer should know:

Mostly, the design process in Solidworks will start with a 2D sketch and grows into a 3D object using a tool called “features”. It is a simple tool used to convert 2D outlines to 3D objects.  The most common tool used to perform such things is “extrude”  and ‘revolve”.

Extrusions: Similar to the name this allows you to extrude the model linearly in the Z-axis from a 2D sketch that lies on the X-Y plane. This can be done using extrude feature.

Revolutions: This allows you to create a cylindrical shape easily by using revolve feature from an x-y plane (2D sketch)

These two are the most common features used to design parts in Solidworks. Below are more features which helps you to make the design process more effective.

• Sweep
• Surfaces and Lofts
• Sheet metal

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Kit required to develop Part design, Mechanism design, Sheet metal and surface modelling using SolidWorks:

• Solidworks

Technologies you will learn by working on Part design, Mechanism design, Sheet metal and surface modelling using SolidWorks:

• Solidworks
• CAD
• Mechanical

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