Solidworks tutorial drawing A u t h o r : M. G h a s e m i C o n t a c t u s : i n f o @ s o l i d w o r k s a d v i s o r. c o m
The manufacturing techniques had a vast development during the past decades. An idea becomes a 3d model in CAD software like solidworks and this model is manufactured through CAM process. There is no need for a drawing sheet in such a process but despite all of these developments in manufacturing, a full detailed drawing of a part in a paper sheet still worth a lot. Why?! a detailed drawing is the identity of a part. Drawing is the common language between all the engineers and manufacturers around the world so if you have a detailed drawing of a part you can manufacture it anywhere in the world. We are going to practice such a drawing here. I have designed a gear coupling in my previous works as solidworks assembly tutorial. Here we are going to make a drawing of one part of the coupling which is shown below: Suppose that we want to manufacture this part. We need to give a detailed drawing to the manufacturer and all of his questions must be answered by the drawing so that he can produce the part with no problem. Let s get the job done 1
First of all you need to design the part and have the 3d model ready. I have done it for you and all you need is to download the sample part. Open the part in solidworks. It s easy to start the drawing, just navigate to the file> make drawing from part and click on it: Configure the sheet format/size: 2
And now we are ready to do the drawing. A drawing should define all the aspects of a part and this is what we are going to do. There is a view palette on the right side of your screen. Drag the front view from this palette and release it in the drawing: Projected view window is now open on the property manager. Move your cursor downward and click again for another view and click ok: 3
We are going to set the major dimensions of the part. Navigate to the annotation tab and click on the smart dimension button. Setting the dimensions in the drawing is just like seeting the dimensions in the part (3d-design mode) so if you have ever designed a part then you should know how to deal with it. anyway, reach to the bottom line and click on it and click on the sheet for setting the dimension: Continue to Set the dimensions like what is shown below. Remember when want to set the dimensions between two lines you should select them one after another: These are the major dimensions of our part. Now the manufacturer knows the main size of the product. 4
What about the holes? We will take care of them now. Fisrt of all specify the diameter of the main circles: www.solidworksadvisor.com A pattern of similar holes is a common concept in mechanical parts so we just need to specify diameter and number the holes and we can use datum feature for this purpose. Click on the daum feature button: Datum feature window appears in the property manager. Click on the more button on the text section: 5
Type what you see in the box. Use the symbols section for the symbol of diameter: Click ok. now the text will be inserted beside the datum mark wherever we choose to. Click on one of the holes and place the datum then click the ok button. 6
This is what we have provided so far: Now the manufacturer knows the main dimensions of the part and holes but what about the teeth inside the part. Take another look at the first picture: 7
We must find a way to show him the internal details.first we give him a section cut this way he will understand the part better. So click on the section view button on the view layout toolbar and check the auto start section view button in the section view window: When you move your cursor in the sheet a cutting line will show up: Place this line right in the middle of the front view and click then drag the mouse to the right and click again for creating the section view: now the manufacturer recognises the internal view but he still cant make it because the dimensions are not there. 8
If we look at this part from behind we can see the details of teeth so we are going to insert the back view. click on the view palette on the right of your screen and drag the back view into the sheet: 9
The back view is inserted now. First of all add these two dimensions to the drawing because they are not visible any hwere else: As you can see the teeth are so small in back view and we cant specify the details so we need to magnify them somehow. detail view will do the job for us. Choose it from the view layout tab: Draw the circle on the top tooth of back view. place the detial view under the back view: 10
The detail view is still small so change the scale to 3:1 in the detail view window: Now we should give some information about the tooth details. We use note to give these information.click on it in the view layout toolbar. Then click on the tooth in the detail view and type the information: Now all the detials of the part are clear for the manufacturer. 11
You can add a isometric view too just for beautification.here is our drawing: We have been editing the sheet so far but the title table (lower right corner) needs to be edited too. So navigate to the edit>sheet format and select the menu item. Now you can edit the table: You can add the name of the company, the name of drafter,materials, date,edition version and etc.. here. 12
After that navigate to the edit>sheet and select it again. Now your drawing is ready and you can send it to the manufacturer: www.solidworksadvisor.com M.Ghasemi 13