SolidWorks 2010 Weldments

Topics Session 2 Based on SolidWorks 2010: 1) Custom Profiles 2) Pierce Points 3) Insert part 4) Example of machine frame config. Vs. As-Welded 5) Relative View 6) Sub-weldments 7) Cut Lists 8) Additional Resources

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Weldments - Creating a Custom Profile
You can create your own weldment profiles to use when creating weldment structural members. You create the profile as a library feature part, then file it in a defined location so it is available for selection. To create a weldment profile: 1. Open a new part. 2. Sketch a profile. Keep 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 (failure to do this step will not add the profile to the folder properly) 5. Click File, Save As. 6. In the dialog box: a. In Save in, browse to <install_dir>\data\weldment profiles and select or create appropriate <standard> and <type> subfolders. See Weldments - File Location for Custom Profiles. b. In Save as type, select Lib Feat Part (*.sldlfp). c. Type a name for Filename. d. Click Save.

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Copying and modifying existing profile: Finding your profile locations 1. Options>System Options>File locations 2. Show folders for: Select Weldment profiles 3. The folder path is displayed: C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp\SolidWorks\data\weldment profiles

1 a 2 a 3 a

1 a
4. Open a profile that is similar and save a copy

angle iron example 5. Open the new copy and modify dimensions or profile 6. Modify the Properties to match your new changes 7. Save the profile

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Weldments - Pierce Points
The pierce point defines the location of the profile, relative to the sketch segment used to create the structural member. The default pierce point is the sketch origin in the profile library feature part. Any vertex or sketch point specified in the profile can also be used as a pierce point. To change a pierce point of existing structural member: Example: Same profile, with three different pierce points selected.

1. Right-click a structural member and 2. In the PropertyManager, under

Settings, click Locate Profile. The display zooms to the profile of the structural member. select Edit Feature.

3. Select any of the vertices or sketch

points on the profile. The profile shifts to align the new pierce point with the structural member sketch segment.

4. Click

To add or modify a pierce point(s) to a profile: 1. Edit the profile sketch 2. Add or modify points (*) fully defining them 3. Click .

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Insert part
To insert a part: 1. With a part document open, click Insert Part 2. Browse to a part document and click Open. The Insert Part PropertyManager appears. 3. Under Transfer, select any combination of the following: Solid bodies. Inserts the solid bodies. Surface bodies. Transfers surfaces. Axes. Transfers the axis information. Planes. Transfers all planes from the original part. Cosmetic threads. Transfers cosmetic threads. Absorbed sketches. Inserts absorbed sketches from the inserted part. Unabsorbed sketches. Inserts unabsorbed sketches from the inserted part. Custom properties. Transfers all custom properties that have been defined for the inserted part. Coordinate systems. Inserts the coordinate system of the inserted part into the derived part. You can use the coordinates of the two parts to create a mate by selecting Locate Part under Launch move dialog and aligning the axis of the coordinate systems. Model dimensions. Imports model dimensions of the inserted part into the derived part. (Features toolbar) or Insert, Part.

All transferred elements of the inserted part are placed in folders under the inserted part in the FeatureManager design tree. 4. Under Locate Part, select Launch move dialog to define a location for the inserted part in the Locate Part PropertyManager. 5. Optionally, if you want to independently edit the features of the inserted part without affecting the original part, under Link, click Break link to original part. You can also break the link to the original part later by listing the mirrored part's external references and selecting Break All. Once you break the link to the original, you cannot restore it. 6. Click .

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AS-WELDED VERSUS AS-MACHINED 1. Show example of as-welded and as-machined

As-Welded configuration - Features suppressed

As-Machined configuration - Features unsuppressed

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Relative View
A Relative to Model View is an orthographic (front, right, left, top, bottom, and back) view defined by two orthogonal faces or planes in the model and the specification of their respective orientations. You can use this view type to set the first orthographic view in a drawing to a view different than the default. You can then create additional orthographic views with the Projected View tool. For standard parts and assemblies, the entire part or assembly is shown in the resulting relative view. For multibody parts, (such as weldments), only the selected body is used. To insert a relative view: 1. Click Relative View on the Drawing toolbar, or click Insert, Drawing View,

. Relative To Model. The pointer changes to 2. Switch to a model that is open in another window, or right-click in the graphics area and select Insert From File to open a model. 3. In the PropertyManager, under Orientation, First, select an orientation (Front, Top, Left, and so on), and select the face or plane for that orientation in the drawing view.

4. Under Orientation, Second, select another orientation, orthogonal to the first, and select another face or plane for that orientation in the drawing view.

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5. If using a multibody part, in the PropertyManager, make selections under Scope.

and return to the drawing document. The pointer changes to . 6. Click OK 7. In the PropertyManager, select properties then click in the graphics area to place the view.

8. Click OK

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Weldment Cut Lists
You can use a weldment cut list table to add a BOM-like table for cut, welded structural shapes. When the first weldment feature is inserted in a part, the Solid Bodies folder is renamed to Cut list to indicate the items to include in the cut list. The icon indicates that the cut list needs to be updated. The icon indicates that the cut list is up-to-date. Items that appear in the cut list must appear in the Cut list level. folder at the part

Although the cut list is generated automatically, you manually specify when to update it in a weldment part document. This enables you to make many changes, then update the cut list once. To update a cut list: In the FeatureManager design tree of a weldment part document, right-click Cut list and select Update. The Cut List icon changes to . Identical items are grouped together in Cut-List-Item subfolders. Weld beads are excluded from the cut list. You can select other features to also be excluded.

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To exclude a feature from the cut list: 1. Right-click the feature. 2. Select Make Weld Bead. The next time you update the cut list, the feature is excluded. To include a feature that was previously excluded, right-click and select Make Non Weld Bead. To insert a weldment cut list into a drawing: 1. In a drawing, click Weldment Cut List Tables, Weldment Cut List. 2. Select a drawing view. (Table toolbar) or Insert,

3. Specify properties in the Weldment Cut List PropertyManager, then click . 4. If you did not select Attach to anchor point in the PropertyManager, click in the graphics area to place the cut list.

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To sort a column in a weldment cut list: Right-click in a column and select Sort, Ascending or Descending. Configurations Weldments have two default configurations: Default <As Machined> and Default <As Welded>. Different states of the same weldment are handled by configurations. The top level is an <As Machined> configuration, and includes machined features such as holes. Underneath the top level is a derived state that is an <As Welded> configuration. Weldment cut lists are always based on the <As Welded> configuration. Materials Weldment cut lists recognize materials when determining whether bodies are identical. If two bodies are geometrically identical but have different materials applied to them, they are placed in separate folders in the cut list. You can apply a material to bodies within the weldment cut list. When you apply a material to a body, the cut list automatically updates by placing the body in the appropriate folder.

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To apply a material to a body: 1. In the part document, right-click a structural member and click Material. 2. Click Edit Material or select a material in the menu. 3. If your multi body is all the same material you can add material to the top level material in the feature tree

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Custom Properties Weldment cut lists include the item number (ITEM NO.) and quantity (QTY.) and cut list custom properties. Custom properties for cut lists are different from custom properties at the document level. In weldment parts, properties are included with cut list items created from structural members with library feature part profiles:

DESCRIPTION LENGTH Angle1 Angle2

You can add properties to the cut list items. To add custom properties to cut list items: 1. In the part document, right-click a Cut-List-Item and select Properties. 2. In the dialog box, on the Cut List Summary tab: a. b. c. d. Type or select a Property Name. Select a data Type. Type text or a value in Value / Text Expression. Press Enter.

3. Repeat step 2 as necessary, then click OK.

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Using Dimension Names to drive custom properties that will display in the cut list: 1. In the part document, right-click a Cut-List-Item and select Properties. 2. In the dialog box, on the Cut List Summary tab: a. Type or select a Property Name. b. Select a data Type. c. Move the Cut-List-Item dialog box off to the side so you can see your model

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3. In the feature tree, left click on the feature you want to get a dimension name from. 4. In the display window, dimensions and dimension names will display. NOTE: If dimension names do not display click View > Dimension Names or, from the Heads-up View toolbar, click Hide/Show Items > View Dimension Names. 5. Right click on the dimension and the Dimension Value Property Manager will display.

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6. In the Dimension Value Property Manager dialog box, highlight the Dimension text from the Primary Value section (example shown below D12@Gusset1) right click and copy the text to the clipboard.

7. Navigate back to the Cut-List-Item dialog box 8. In the dialog box, on the Cut List Summary tab: a. Type dimension name or Control V (paste) the Dimension Name in the Value / Text Expression cell, and quotes before and after the text (D12@Gusset1). b. Press Enter. 9. Repeat steps 1-8 coping/pasting or adding text to create a dimension driven cut list item.

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Dimension Names
1. To show dimension names, click View > Dimension Names or, from the Heads-up View toolbar, click Hide/Show Items > View Dimension Names. D12 example of Dimension Name shown below

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Creating Sub-Weldments
You create sub-weldments to segment complex weldment models into more manageable entities. Sub-weldments can include any entity listed in the Cut list folder , including structural members, end caps, gussets, weld fillet beads, and structural members trimmed with the Trim/Extend To create a sub-weldment: 1. In the FeatureManager design tree of the weldment model, expand the Cut list folder . 2. Select the entities to include in the sub-weldment, using Shift or Ctrl to group-select. The selected entities highlight in the graphics area. 3. Right-click and select Create sub-weldment. A sub-weldment folder Cut list folder . containing the selected entities appears under the tool.

4. Right-click the sub-weldment folder

and select Insert into New Part.

The sub-weldment model opens in a new SolidWorks window, and the Save As dialog box appears. 5. Accept or edit the name for File name, and click Save. Changes made in the weldment model propagate to the sub-weldment model.

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Additional Resources
Weldments http://www.rickyjordan.com/2008/08/solidworks-2009-weldments.html Adding weldment profiles http://gupta9665.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/add-more-weldment-profiles/ Placing gaps at corners http://www.3dengr.com/2010/03/placing-gaps-at-corners-and-segment.html 3D sketch http://www.3dengr.com/2010/03/3d-sketch-creation-cswp-weldments.html Internet Search for Weldments www.YouTube.com - Search for SolidWorks Weldments November 15, 2005 Weldment Cut List Properties Data Bob Braun May 01, 2007 Weldments Paul Niedfeldt (Graphics Systems) November 18, 2008 Weldments Jim Krivoshein - CATI

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