Measure Twice, Cut Once:

How to Improve Your Industrial

Design Processes Using the Right
SOLIDWORKS Tools

Tips and tricks for large assemblies, weldments, sheet metal,

and more.
Table of Contents

What’s in this e-guide?

Introduction ......................................................................................… 1 How to Manage Large Assemblies & Drawings …...........................… 9

Helpful SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal Capabilities ….......................… 2 Troubleshooting Large Assemblies ….........................................… 9

Automating Thin Components and Bend Creation …..............… 2 Effectively Opening Large Assemblies by Mode …....................… 9

Applying Sheet Metal Properties from Material …...................… 2 Enhanced Graphics Performance …..........................................… 10

Working with Flat Patterns …......................................................… 3 Using SOLIDWORKS Simulation to Analyze Parts & Assemblies..11

Creating Tabs & Slots ……............................................................… 3 What You Need to Succeed ….....................................................… 11

Creating Vents ……........................................................................… 4 Setting Up Your Linear Static Analysis …....................................… 11

Creating Perforated Holes ……....................................................… 4 Analyzing the Results …...............................................................… 12

Helpful SOLIDWORKS Weldment Capabilities …..........................… 5 Optimizing the Model ...............................................................… 12

Creating Layout Sketches ...........................................................… 5 About SolidProfessor …...................................................................… 13

The Structure System …..............................................................… 5

Creating Custom Structural Profiles …......................................… 6
Trimming …...................................................................................… 7
Trimming Options ….....................................................................… 7

www.solidprofessor.com
Introduction

Building Stronger Parts for Now & Later About the Expert
Industrial Equipment comes in all shapes and sizes, but mostly in
circles and rectangles. While many designs can be created in CAD
software effortlessly, some equipment designs are more complex and
require a deeper knowledge of SOLIDWORKS’ best practices.

For example, have you ever created a design with parts that weren’t
the most practical or efficient for making changes later? How about
designing sheet metal components with structural skids? Checking the
design for potential failure and critical areas? Or trying to open large
size equipment/systems with endless components?

There are many ways to make your design stronger and more robust,
but there are also some key elements that prove to be significant time
savers in designing and analyzing your parts and assemblies.
Nikki Stakic
This guide will highlight some SOLIDWORKS tools that can help Sr. Applications Engineer,
troubleshoot or improve processes in sheet metal, weldments, large
ELITEAE, CSWE, E.I.T.
assemblies, and using simulation.

Nikki Stakic is an experienced engineer from Hawk

Ridge Systems with an extensive background in
mechanical engineering. She has dedicated her career
to problem solving and troubleshooting technical
subjects in creative, analytical, and cost-effective ways.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 1
Helpful SOLIDWORKS Sheet Note: The range in this table must be continuous. For example, if
you want to define a range between 1 and 12, all values need a
Metal Capabilities definition. So, for instance, you cannot have a range from 1-6, then
8-12, because you are missing values between 6 and 8.

Automating Thin Components and Bend

Creation Applying Sheet Metal Properties from
Setting up sheet metal parts in SOLIDWORKS is a lot easier when you Material
automate the bend allowance selection by linking materials and sheet
When setting up your sheet metal part, you need to toggle the Use
metal parameters. With the use of custom materials, you can set the
material sheet metal parameters. (Fig. 2)
bend allowances to change based on a range of values. This feature
helps streamline and standardize your sheet metal design process.

But first, you need to set up your custom material. This example uses
the material profile of Aluminum 1060 Alloy.

1 Set up your customer material.

2 Once you set your customer material, you can add sheet metal
properties using Gauge Tables, Bend Tables, or Thickness
Ranges* from the Sheet Metal tab in SOLIDWORKS.
3 Define units, range type, and bend allowance using the
drop-down menus.
*Thickness range is where you define the range by creating a table (Fig. 1).

Fig. 2

You should notice when you define the thickness, the Bend Allowance
now changes with it. Defining bend allowance is a great tool that can
help you select a thickness when creating parts and managing sheet
metal parameters.

Fig. 1

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 2
Working with Flat Patterns Multibody sheet metal parts: Flat patterns of all bodies appear
at the end of the FeatureManager design tree. When you expand
The Flat-Pattern1 feature is intended to be the last feature in the
the representation of a body in the cut list, the body's flat
folded sheet metal part. All features before Flat-Pattern1 in the
pattern appears at the end of its feature list.
FeatureManager design tree appear in both the folded and flattened
sheet metal part. All features after Flat-Pattern1 appear only in the Self-intersecting parts: If you can’t flatten a part because it has
flattened sheet metal part. self-intersecting geometry, a warning will be displayed, and the
feature causing the problem will be highlighted in the graphics
Using the improved method, you can update existing flat patterns area.
created before SOLIDWORKS 2011. In the FeatureManager design
tree, right-click Flat-Pattern1 and click Edit Feature. Then, in the Note: If you insert a 3D annotation in a sheet metal part, a Flat
Flat-Pattern PropertyManager, under Parameters, select Recreate
pattern annotation view will be automatically created in the Annota-
flat-pattern.
tions folder. When you select the Flat pattern annotation view, the
What you need to know about the flat-pattern feature: Flatten tool will be unavailable.

New features in folded part: When Flat-Pattern1 is

suppressed, all features you add to the part automatically Creating Tabs & Slots
appear before this feature in the FeatureManager design tree.
The Tab and Slot feature creates tabs on one body and slots (I.e.,
New features in flattened part: You flatten the entire sheet
holes) on another body to interlock the two bodies. You can specify
metal part by unsuppressing Flat-Pattern1. To add features to the
how the tabs and slots look and how they are distributed along with
flattened sheet metal part, you must first unsuppress Flat-Pattern1.
the selected entities.
Reorder features: You cannot reorder sheet metal features to
fall below Flat-Pattern1 in the FeatureManager design tree. So, To open:
you cannot order a cut with the Normal cut option underneath 1 In a part, click Tab and Slot (Sheet Metal toolbar) or Insert >
Flat-Pattern1. Sheet Metal > Tab and Slot.
Modify parameters: You can modify the parameters of Flat-Pat- 2 In the PropertyManager, specify options.
tern1 to control how the part bends, to enable or disable corner
3 In the graphics area, select an edge for the tabs and a corre-
options, and to control the visibility of the bend region in the
sponding face for the slots. The faces can be planar or cylindri-
flattened sheet metal part. You can define a grain direction for
cal, but the edges and faces do not have to touch. The edge
use when calculating the bounding box for sheet metal parts.
and face can be on the same body (Fig. 3).
The software determines the smallest rectangle (I.e., bounding
box) that aligns with the grain direction to fit the flat pattern.
Sketches: You can transform sketches and their locating
dimensions from a folded state to a flattened state and back
again. The sketch and locating dimensions are retained.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 3
 Creating Perforated Holes
The cosmetic pattern feature allows you to cosmetically define and
display patterns of holes instead of showing fully tessellated solid
models. You can greatly reduce rebuild time because pattern geome-
try is only cosmetic.

To open:
1 From the Task Pane, select the Appearances, Scenes, and
Decals tab.
2 Under Appearances, click Miscellaneous, RealView Only
Appearances, then double-click cosmetic hole pattern or
drag it into the graphics area.
3 In the PropertyManager, select a face for Fill Boundary.
4 Under Pattern Layout:
a. Select a layout.
b. Set the spacing options.
Fig. 3
c. Select an edge to determine the pattern direction.
5 Under Seed Types:
4 Click
a. Select a seed type.
Tabs and slots make it easier to weld parts together and minimize the b. Set the size options.
requirement to build complicated fixtures because you can interlock 6 Click
several sheet metal parts. This feature is available in all parts, not just
sheet metal parts. You can use it in single bodies, multibody, and
Note: You can apply cosmetic patterns only to planar, parallel faces.
parts in the context of an assembly.
Then, view cosmetic patterns in drawings with shaded views while
Creating Vents RealView is on.

Use the Vent PropertyManager to control options for vent fastening

These capabilities and more allow you to quickly create and manipu-
features. First, you must create a sketch of the vent you want to
late your sheet metal part designs using a simplified process that
create, then set the vent options in the PropertyManager.
saves time and development costs.
To open:
Click Vent (Fastening Features toolbar) or Insert > Fastening Feature
> Vent.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 4
 To create parts from blocks in the PropertyManager:
Helpful SOLIDWORKS In assemblies, you can create parts from blocks in layout sketches.

Weldments Capabilities 1 Click Make Part from Block (Layout Tools toolbar).
2 Select one or more blocks from a layout sketch.
3 Make selections in the PropertyManager.
Add the SOLIDWORKS Weldment Tab to
4 Click
CommandManager
A part containing the selected block appears in the FeatureManager
Adding the Weldment tab to the CommandManager provides faster
design tree for each block. The part name is the same as the block
access to create 3D sketches, add and trim weldment members, and
name. Square brackets around the part name indicate that it is a
add gussets and weld beads. To do this, right-click on the Tabs area
virtual component. Virtual components are saved within the assembly
in the CommandManager and select Weldments.
file, not in external files.

Creating Layout Sketches Note: You can open the part to add features by right-clicking the
In layout-based assembly design, you can switch back and forth part and selecting Open Part in the context toolbar.
between top-down and bottom-up design methods. As a result, you
can create, edit, and delete parts and blocks at any point in the design
The Structure System
cycle without any history-based restrictions. This is particularly useful
The structure system feature is an advanced weldments environment
during the conceptual design process when you frequently experi-
that lets you create and modify structural members of different
ment and make changes to the assembly structure and components.
profiles in one feature. The workflow makes it easier to create complex
To create a layout: structure systems with flexible corner management and trimming.
1 Open a new assembly.
To enter Structure System mode:
2 In the Begin Assembly PropertyManager, click Create Layout.
1 Open system_dir:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLID-
A 3D sketch opens, and Layout appears in the WORKS\SOLIDWORKS 2019\samples\whatsnew\parts\struc-
FeatureManager design tree. ture_system.sldprt
3 Create sketch entities and group related entities into blocks. 2 Click Insert > Structure System > Structure System
4 Close the blocks and the sketch
To add Structural Members:
Note: You can create a layout in an existing assembly by clicking 1 Create a sketch (Fig. 4).
Create Layout in the Layout Tools toolbar.
Note: Using linear or curved sketch entities, you can create multiple
2D sketches with planes, create a 3D sketch, or combine 2D and 3D
sketches.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 5
 To create a weldment profile:
1 Open a new part.
2 Sketch a profile, keeping in mind that when you create a weldment
structural member using the profile:
The origin of the sketch becomes the default pierce point.
You can select any vertex or sketch point in the sketch as an
alternate pierce point.
3 Close the sketch.
4 In the FeatureManager design tree, select Sketch1.
Fig. 4 5 Click File > Save As.
6 In the dialog box:
2 Click Structural Member in the Weldments toolbar or Insert > In Save in, browse to install_dir\lang\language\weldment
Weldments > Structural Member. profiles and select or create appropriate <standard> and
3 Make selections in the PropertyManager to define the profile <type> subfolders. See Weldments - File Location for Custom
for the structural member. Profiles.
4 In the graphics area, select sketch segments to define the path In Save as type, select Lib Feat Part (*.sldlfp).
for the structural member. Type a name for Filename.

Note: If the profile you specify has a material assigned, the option
Note: The name that you give to the library feature part appears in
to Transfer Material from Profile is available.
the Size list in the Structural Member PropertyManager when you
create a weldment structural member. For example, if you name
5 Optionally, select Transfer Material from the Profile to transfer
the profile 1x1x.125.sldlfp, then 1x1x.125 appears in Size. If you
the material from the profile to the weldment you’re creating.
name the part big.sldlfp, then big appears in Size.
6 Click

When you finish defining the structural members, the software opens The default location for weldment profiles is install_dir\lang\lan-
the Corner Management PropertyManager so you can fine-tune the guage\weldment profiles.
corner treatments. Corners update automatically when you make You can file your custom profile in the folder structure that SOLID-
changes to the structure system or member profiles. WORKS provides or create a separate folder structure. If you want to
store your profiles in a separate location, you can create a separate
Creating Custom Structural Profiles folder structure and specify it as a weldment profile file location.
You can create your own weldment profiles for use when creating
weldment structural members. Create the profile as a library feature
part, then file it in a defined location to be available for selection later.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 6
To store custom profiles: Trimming
1 In File Explorer, create a custom folder structure for your Use the Trim PropertyManager to select a trim type and control other
weldment profiles. Create a home folder, one or more stan- trimming options. All trim types are available with 2D sketches and 2D
dard folders, and one or more type folders, as described in sketches on 3D planes.
Weldments - File Location for Custom Profiles.
To open:
1 Right-click a sketch and select Edit Sketch.
Note: You can create the home folder anywhere you want. For
example, you can create it in install_dir\data (where the default 2 Click Trim Entities in the Sketch toolbar or Tools > Sketch
weldment profiles folder is located), in other locations on your hard Tools > Trim.
drive, on different disk drives on your system, or on different To trim a 3D sketch:
computers on a network.
1 Start the 3D sketch on a 2D plane.
2 Then do either of the following:
2 In SOLIDWORKS, click Tools > Options > System Options >
File Locations. Select Weldment Profiles in Show folders for. Right-click and select 3D sketch on a plane.
The current directory path for weldment profiles appears Double-click a plane or sketch entity.
under Folders.
3 Click Add and browse to the home folder you just created. Trimming Options
4 Click OK. Power Trim
The directory path to home is added to the Folders list. Power trim helps save time by trimming multiple adjacent sketch
5 Do one of the following with the previous directory path, which entities by dragging the pointer across each sketch entity.
is still listed in Folders:
1 Right-click the sketch and select Edit Sketch.
Leave the previous directory path as is and click OK.
2 Click Trim Entities in the Sketch toolbar or Tools > Sketch
Files from both the previous directory path and the new
Tools > Trim.
directory path appear as selections in the PropertyManager.
3 In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Power trim.
Click the previous directory path, click Delete, then click OK.
The previous directory path is deleted from the Folders box, 4 Click next to the first entity in the graphics area and drag across
and files from the previous directory path do not appear as the sketch entity to trim.
selections in the PropertyManager. 5 The pointer changes to have a small red square on the pointer,
as it crosses and trims the sketch entity. A trail is created along
The next time you create a weldment structural member, your the trim path.
custom profiles appear as selections in the Structural Member
6 Continue to hold down the pointer and drag across each sketch
PropertyManager.
entity you want to trim.
7 Release the pointer when finished trimming the sketch, then
click

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 7
Corner Trim Trim Away Inside
Corner Trim modifies two selected entities until they intersect at a Trims open sketch entities that lie inside two bounding entities.
virtual corner (Fig. 5). To trim:
1 Right-click the sketch and select Edit Sketch.
2 Click Trim Entities in the Sketch toolbar or Tools > Sketch
Tools > Trim.
3 In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Trim away
inside.
4 Select two bounding sketch entities.
5 Select the sketch entities to trim.

Note: The sketch entities you select to trim must either intersect
each bounding entity once, or not intersect the two bounding
entities at all.

6 Click

Trim Away Outside

Fig. 5 Trims open sketch entities outside of two bounding entities.
To trim:

To trim: 1 Right-click the sketch and select Edit Sketch.

1 Right-click the sketch and select Edit Sketch. 2 Click Trim Entities in the Sketch toolbar or Tools > Sketch
Tools > Trim.
2 Click Trim Entities in the Sketch toolbar or Tools > Sketch
Tools > Trim. 3 In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Trim away
outside.
3 In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Corner.
4 Select two bounding sketch entities.
4 Select the two sketch entities you want to join.
5 Select the sketch entities to trim.
Note: Depending on the sketch entities and their relative position 6 Click
to each other, the software extends or trims each entity to join
them. A message appears when you can’t complete the operation. Note: The same rules that govern the Trim away inside option
govern the Trim away outside option.
5 Click

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 8
Trim to Closest Effectively Opening Large Assemblies
1 Right-click the sketch and select Edit Sketch. by Mode
2 Click Trim Entities in the Sketch toolbar or Tools > Sketch There are four modes available to open assembly files within
Tools > Trim. SOLIDWORKS:
3 In the PropertyManager, under Options, click Trim to closest. Resolved
The pointer changes to include a pair of scissors. Lightweight
4 Select each sketch entity you want trimmed or extended to the Large Assembly Mode
closest intersection: Large Assembly Design Review
To extend, select the entity and drag to the intersection.
To trim, select the sketch entity. Note: All modes allow you to switch to Resolved. Simply select the
components you wish to manipulate, right-click, and select Resolved.
5 Click

Using tools like trimming options and custom structural profiles are a When opening a large assembly, use the Do not load hidden compo-
huge time saver in creating and using weldment profiles. nents option.

Resolved Mode
By default, assemblies open in the Resolved mode. This automatically
Managing Large Assemblies loads the assembly and all the associated file information. A resolved
component is fully functional, loaded into memory, and accessible for
& Drawings editing.

Lightweight Mode
Troubleshooting Large Assemblies Lightweight opens the assembly file but doesn’t load the associated
files. Instead, an icon appears next to the components within the
1 Use the Assembly Expert/Performance Evaluation tool.
assembly in the design tree to indicate it’s in Lightweight mode. All the
2 Look at the number of mates. If your assembly is entering the
graphic and geometry data is loaded but not the actual features.
150-200 mates realm, consider how to reorganize the file
structure to create more sub-assemblies. Sub-assemblies don’t You can perform the following assembly operations on lightweight
have to rebuild their components and mates. components without resolving or fully loading them:
3 Check if you have any older (i.e., non-updated files) loaded in Add and remove mates Check for interference
the assembly. Select edge or face Collision detection
Measure Add dimensions
Mass properties Create section views
Create exploded views

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 9
Large Assembly Mode This option is selectable in the SOLIDWORKS System Options under
Large Assembly mode is similar to Lightweight mode but restricts the Performance dialog (Fig. 6).
additional processes. You can control which options are available in
Large Assembly mode by going to Tools > Options > Assemblies. If the
number of components exceeds the number specified in Options, the
mode is automatically set to Large Assembly mode.

Large Assembly Design Review Mode

Large Assembly Design Review mode is the best option for viewing
the assembly and checking distances. This is a good choice when
doing a design review with a colleague or a client as the assembly
loads very quickly. Plus, you can zoom in and out, rotate the model,
and take measurements in real-time.

In Large Design Review mode, you can:

Navigate the design tree
Measure distances
Create cross sections
Hide or show components
Create screenshots

In Large Design Review mode, you can’t:

Make file changes
Save Fig. 6
Make a drawing from a model

Note: Not all graphics issues in an installation can be attributed to

Enhanced Graphics Performance
this option. However, using the certified graphics card driver is very
The Enhanced Graphics Performance option in SOLIDWORKS became a
important for proper functioning of this enhancement.
mainstream system option in 2021. It improves graphical performance
and affects rotate, pan, and zoom for parts and assemblies, as well as
These are just some of the best practices for enhancing your large
the display of drawings that have shaded or drafted quality views.
assembly performance. These settings may not be appropriate for all
Sometimes the new graphics pipeline option can interfere with the your applications but incorporating some of them should allow your
graphics display of an existing installation. In these cases, the option assembly to be loaded and manipulated much faster.
should be unchecked. This is enabled by default in SOLIDWORKS
2021, otherwise, changing the option requires a SOLIDWORKS restart.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 10
Using SOLIDWORKS Simulation Also, compressive, tensile, and yield strength are used by failure
criteria to assess failure. They are not used in calculating stress.
to Analyze Parts & Assemblies Fixtures – Adequate restraints to prevent the body from rigid
body motion. If your model isn’t adequately constrained, check
SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods Use soft springs to stabilize the model option in the Static
to identify the behavior of parts or assemblies when a load is applied. dialog box. When importing loads from SOLIDWORKS Motion,
A linear static analysis calculates displacements, strains, stresses, make sure that the Use inertial relief option is checked. These
and reaction forces under the effect of applied loads. The load can be options are available for the Direct Sparse and FFEPlus solvers.
pressure, force, temperature, gravity, centrifugal or loads imported
Load(s) – At least one of the following:
from previous simulation studies.
Concentrated forces
What You Need to Succeed Pressure
Performing a linear static analysis requires the following: Prescribed nonzero displacements
Meshed model – You must mesh the model before running Body forces (gravitational and/or centrifugal)
the analysis. You must define contact conditions before mesh- Thermal (define temperatures or get the temperature profile
ing. Any change in geometry, contact conditions, or mesh from thermal analysis)
options requires remeshing.
Imported loads from SOLIDWORKS Motion for mechanical
Material properties – You must define the Young’s Modulus system simulation.
EX (also called the Modulus of Elasticity). Poisson’s Ratio (NUXY) Imported temperature and pressure from SOLIDWORKS
is assumed to be zero if not defined. In addition, you need to Flow Simulation.
define the density (DENS) when considering the effect of gravity
and/or centrifugal loading and the coefficient of thermal
Setting Up Your Linear Static Analysis
expansion (ALPX) when considering thermal loading. When you
select a material from a default material library, these proper- 1 Create a static study. To access the Study PropertyManager,
ties are assigned automatically. The default value for the Shear right-click the Simulation study tab and select Create New
modulus (GXY) is calculated from: GXY = EX/2(1+NUXY). Simulation Study. Define the properties of the study. Click the
Adaptive tab to activate the h- or p-adaptive method to
Note: The above description applies to isotropic materials. For improve results automatically.
orthotropic materials, you can define different Moduli of Elasticity,
2 Define material for each solid, shell, and beam. To define a
Shear Moduli, Poisson Ratios, and/or Coefficients of Thermal
material for a solid, shell, or beam, right-click its icon in the
Expansion in different directions.
Simulation study tree and select Apply/Edit Material.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 11
 3 Define restraints. Right-click the Fixtures icon in the Simula- Optimizing the Model
tion study tree and select it from the list. Apply adequate Running multiple SOLIDWORKS Simulation studies on a model almost
restraints to stabilize each body, shell, and component on its always involves a lot of the same features. To make this easier, you
own or through contact conditions and connectors linking it can duplicate a study to create a new copy and then make your
with other objects or to the ground. modifications by right-clicking on the existing study tab and selecting
4 Define external loads. Copy Study. The new copy will be identical.

5 For assemblies and multibody parts, use component contact Other options include:

and contact sets to simulate the behavior of the model. Copying features by dragging them from an existing study to
another simulation study tab.
6 Mesh the model and run the study.
Copying a folder of features – such as all the connectors —
by holding shift and selecting multiple features/folders to
Note: If you run a study before meshing it, the program meshes the
copy and move simultaneously.
study automatically before running it. You can also request to run
Copying an entire Mesh folder to bring over all mesh controls
the study by checking run analysis after meshing in the Mesh
and settings.
PropertyManager.

Note: If the new study has the same geometry (i.e., same configura-
Analyzing the Results tion, excluded components, element types) it can also copy the
mesh results.
Double-click an icon in a results folder to display the associated
plot.
Copying the Parts folder by dragging it over to apply the
To define a new plot, right-click the Results folder, and select assigned materials as well as any defined shells, beam
the desired option. You can plot displacements, stresses, elements, excluded components, etc.
strains, and deformation.
To assess failure based on a yield criterion, right-click the These options are great shortcuts for applying new dimensions and
Results folder, and select Define Factor of Safety Plot. materials before running another test.

If you specified an adaptive method, you can graph results. There are a lot of SOLIDWORKS tools that can help you design and
To list results, right-click the Results folder, and select the analyze your industrial equipment parts and assemblies faster. But
desired option. You can list stress, displacement, strain, and remember, it’s just as important to understand how to best use these
various types of forces. features so you can be confident your methods are the most practical
and efficient – both now and later. So, keep this e-book handy for
Note: When you run a study without any Results folders, the future reference, just in case.
software creates folders and plots specified in the Result Options
for the study type. If Results folders are present, the software
updates the existing plots.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 12
About SolidProfessor
Our company was founded on the idea that training isn’t a one-time Ready to put these methods into practice?
event; it’s building a culture of continuous learning opportunities accessi-
Download this workbook to start improving your SOLIDWORKS large
ble to all. At SolidProfessor, we aim to empower engineers and designers
assembly performance by correcting errors and updating system settings
to take full control of honing their knowledge and skills with on-demand
and configurations.
online training courses and instructor-led training (ILT) sessions in
partnership with Hawk Ridge Systems.

Browse our library of 7,500+ lessons on CAD, CAM, BIM, engineering Connect with us!
design theory, and more. If you’re joining as a team, we’ll work with you www.solidprofessor.com
to build a customized learning plan and give you access to insights on (619) 269-8684
learning progress so you can use data to encourage and implement a
Facebook
continuous learning culture for your engineering team.
Twitter
LinkedIn
Explore SOLIDWORKS Tutorials »

Become a Member »

Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Improve Your Industrial Design Processes Using the Right SOLIDWORKS Tools www.solidprofessor.com 13