Course Description

In this class students will learn how to design and model components using parametric solid modeling software. SolidWorks is an industry leader in the design of mechanical components and tooling, weldments, electrical circuitry, injection molds and plastics, etc.


Audience

This class is suitable for those individuals that want to begin learning the skills necessary for the design of mechanical components, assemblies, and drawings.
Participants will learn how to apply solid modeling skills to additive and subtractive manufacturing, and the application of mechanical design and assemblies from simple to complex projects.


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course. Student should have basic computer and print reading skills. Some manufacturing knowledge a plus but not a prerequisite.


Topics and Course Content

  • The SolidWorks CAD Environment/Interface
    • Modules Related to Design from Sketching and Solids Creation to Specialty Design Modules
  • Menus, Toolbars, View Palettes, Graphics Area, Feature Manager, and Task Pane
  • Create Design, Assembly, and Drawing Formats
    • Developing file properties for use in assemblies
  • 2-D Sketch Planes and Sketch Tools, Mouse Functions, Sub-Menus, and Customizing Quick Access Sketch Tools
  • Basic Creation of 3-D Solids from 2-D Sketches
    • Options in Solids Creation, End Conditions, and Size
  • Relationship Between Sketch and Solid, Tracking History of Sketches and Solids Creation
    • Checking Parent/Child Relationships in Sketches
  • Sketch Relations: Fully Defined and Constrained Sketches. Repairing Dangling Relations and Missing Geometry. Techniques for Repairing Solids Alarms and Sketches Using SolidWorks Tools
  • Part Materials, Annotations, and Mark-Ups
  • Pattern/Mirror Sketches and Pattern/Mirror Solid Features
  • Multiple Part Configurations: Spreadsheets to Control Design and Develop Multiple Parts from One File
  • Importing CAD Models from Third Party Vendors
    • Utilizing SolidWorks Toolbox
  • Photoview 360 and 3-D Rendering for Peer Review and Presentations
  • Assembly Techniques, Importing and Locating Components, Using Pattern Driven Assembly Techniques
  • Handling/Organizing Links Between Part Files, Assemblies, and Drawings
  • Assembly Configurations
  • Bills of Material on Drawings Linking to part File Properties
    • Configuring Drawing Fonts for Title Blocks, BOM, Annotations, and Dimensions
  • Detail and Assembly Drawings, Orthographic Views in Drawings, Section Views, Detail Views, and Dimensioning Techniques
  • Exporting Part Files, Saving as Different File Types, Using Pack and Go
  • Using Feature Recognition When Importing STEP Files
  • Understanding the Difference Between Parts Designed for Manufacture vs. Parts Designed for Additive Manufacturing

Learning Goals and Results

At the conclusion of the course, the participants will be able to:

  • Successfully complete two assemblies and their components: The Gear Housing and Single-Cylinder Engine.
  • Students will learn about Top-Down and Bottom-Up design methodology.
  • Students will be able to reverse-engineer or design their own component assembly from scratch and print it in 3-D as validation of their design capabilities.

Time Investment

This class is 80 hours of classroom time taken in 4-hour sessions over the course of 20 consecutive weeks (or it can also be offered in 2-hour sessions twice a week for 10 weeks).

Please Note: Course content and time investment can also be customized to an individual company’s needs.


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