Design Optimization Using SOLIDWORKS Configuration Publisher

Configuration Publisher provide a solution for design optimization. It is used to create
custom Property Manager for selecting configurations of parts and assemblies.
Configuration Publisher is placed in the property manager. Use the Property Manager
when adding a component to an assembly in SOLIDWORKS or when downloading a
model from 3D Content Central. To work with configuration Publisher, Microsoft Excel must
be installed on our system.

Configuration Publisher to control the ranges of features in the part to optimized
automatically in the design table. The Configuration Publisher dialog box, you can able to
create an interface for specifying configurations of parts and assemblies. It will use the
interface of SOLIDWORKS and 3DContentCentral.

1. Right click the top of the feature manager design tree and select the Configuration
Publisher as in Fig 1.

2. If you not create design table,The Configure Publisher to auto-create the design
table.click “Yes” In the confirm auto-create window as in Fig 2.
3. After click the “yes” tab to automatically open the dimension window,select the
dimensions to make the design table.

4. The Configuration Publisher box will then come up showing the different properties
(control box) that can be used to filter through the configurations. You set attributes for
each control in the available options vary depending on the control type and creation of
model variants.

It’s very useful to control over the Dimensions, Materials, Suppression states,etc. You
can drag the list box controls from the left in to middle to use, while the middle section the
edit tab is selected.
5. Selecting control boxes in the middle automatically open the attribute tab in the same
window right side. It allows to editing its properties on the attributes tab.

6. After editing is completed, click Apply for the changes to be reflect on to the model. Also
can share our mofidified model to web with the help of Upload to 3D Content Central.

7. When opening part file in assembly, configure component tab will open automatically
and set your input values.

Benefits:

• The configure Publisher which is used to Controlling part configurations, exploring design tables, creating a design table.
• This improves flexibility and lets you create more configurations.
• Create configurations and share them by automatically uploading your designs to 3D Content Central.
• It is used to reduce the time of the changes in the model designing.

 

SOLIDWORKS Electrical - Renumbering Unused Wires

Now, let’s take a look on Ref [Fig 1] section of wires. If one of these wires is deleted, redrawn and numbered. Previously it would not look for the lowest available mark and automatically take the highest existing mark and increment by one. In this case, that would be 9 Ref [Fig 3.1].

With SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2018, now you can control this default response not just for wires, can also for cables and components as well. In the Wire and component numbering dialog box, for Assign unused mark, select Wires and equipotentials, Cables, or Components Ref [Fig 2]. If you enable any of these options, on renumber the software will use the first available mark from 0. Here it will now use 6 Ref [Fig 3.2], the first unused mark after 0.

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3.1 Before 2018 Enhancement

Fig 3.2 After 2018 Enhancement

 

SOLIDWORKS Design Checker

SOLIDWORKS Design Checker verifies design elements such as dimensioning standards, fonts, materials, and sketches to ensure that SOLIDWORKS documents meet company standards.

With SOLIDWORKS Design Checker you can: 

• Verify designs against company standards  
• Automatically correct nonconforming design and drafting issues
• Build Checks—Set up and save specific design and drafting checks
• Check specifically for fonts, dimensions, arrows, units, and other documentation details
• Compare your drawing to past results from reviews of other drawings

Options available to check: 

Check Active Document—Run the check to validate your document (drawing or model) against the requirement
Check against Existing File—Validate the active document against design checks created from existing files
Learn Checks Wizard—Retrieve design checks based on attributes from an existing SOLIDWORKS part, assembly, or drawing document

To enable Design Checker in SOLIDWORKS Interface:

1. Click Tools > Add-Ins.
2. Select SOLIDWORKS Design Checker, and then click OK.

Checking drawing sheet

To Check the Drawing Sheet using Design Checker
Click TOOLS > Design Checker > Check Active Document

In this example, Design Checker runs the check and Displays the correction in the active drawing sheet with respect to ISO Standard.

Design Checker lists the failed checks in order of the criticality assigned to each check. Expand each individual entry to list the Parameter Name, Actual Value, and Preferred Value(s)

Use Auto Correct All or Correct Selected to correct failed checks

• Click Correct Selected to correct only the selected failed checks from the tree, or click Auto Correct All, to correct all failed checks for which Design Checker supports auto-correction.
• The failed checks are corrected with the values set in each of the preferred auto correction values box.

Likewise you can check against the existing file, Document checks, Annotation checks, Dimension checks, Part document checks and Assembly document checks.

Benefits:

1. Design Checker can analyze and correct the problems automatically
2. The Check wizard can be saved as a report to be shared with others and the report is in HTML doc with colour coded to easily identify the past and present results.
3. It eliminates the manual errors and allows you to ensure the design is complete before releasing.

 

Stack up Analysis

SOLIDWORKS Stack up Analysis is a mathematical calculation used to measure a gap and
interference value between parts in an Assembly due to variation in its form, orientation and location.
Stack up Analysis is an analytical reasoning tool used to decide the allowable value of interference or
gap between parts from the key perspectives of its functional requirements in an assembly and its
manufacturability.

Why stack up is necessary

• To ensure all the part fits together in assembly
• To measure the Allowable value in form due to the variants in manufacturing
• To understand the worst case of the fit and form of all parts in an assembly
• For manufacturing the parts by assuring the allowable variation in size and location

SOLIDWORKS tolerance stack up analysis provides solution for finding the minimum and maximum

deviation and root sum squared (RSS) tolerance analysis.

Benefits:

• Well understanding of the functional requirement of the each part in an assembly
• Prevention of quality defects and improved product quality at its design stage
• Cost reduction due to the optimized tolerance
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Reduction in time to market

 

Comparison of SolidWorks Simulation with Mathematical Calculation

Mathematical Calculation

The below shown in figure 1 which formed by two different materials AISI 1020 and Alloy Steel. The component is fixed at one end and in other side axial load is applied.

Figure 1

The compound beam as two elements and three nodes as shown in figure 2

Figure 2

SolidWorks Simulation

Simulation Procedure

• Cad Geometry
• Type of Analysis
• Type of Materials
• Fixtures
• Loads
• Meshing
• Results

Cad Geometry

Study Results

Stress Results

Displacement Results

 

Flat pattern Drawing views for Multibody Sheetmetal parts

Introduction

Solidworks Multibody Sheet metal parts design allows to create multiple sheet metal
bodies,of potentially different materials,within the same part file. Multibody sheet metal parts can
consist of multiple sheet metal bodies or a combination of sheet metal and other bodies such as
weldment bodies.

Creating Flat pattern Drawing Views for Multiple Sheet Metal Bodies

Drawing views can display entire sheet metal or individual sheet metal multibody parts.
In drawings Model view>Select bodies allows to create Flat pattern drawing view for individual
Sheetmetal parts.
1.Click Model view, Browse the Sheet metal part file & Click Select Bodies

2.Select the individual Sheetmetal body graphically.

3.Click (A) Flat pattern,Click to place on the drawing and Click OK.