When one designs products with sheet metal, the industry uses the thickness values from a gauge table. For example, an 18 gauge is equivalent to a thickness of 0.0359 for a steel part. It is possible to use this kind of table in the sheet-metal function of Solidworks.
Continue reading “How to add the Thickness of Sheet-metal as gauge in a Layout”
By Sakineh Orangi – Simulation Application Engineer at SolidXperts
In SOLIDWORKS 2019, the Remote Load/Mass PropertyManager was redesigned to improve the user experience and it introduced distributed coupling. The Remote Loads/Mass PropertyManager allows us to apply remote loads, remote masses, and remote displacements for static, topology, and nonlinear studies. One of the ways to access the Remote Loads/Mass PropertyManager is to right-click on External Loads in the simulation tree of linear static, nonlinear static, or topology.
We select the faces to apply remote loads, remote masses, or remote translations and/or rotations.
We define the coordinate system used for the interpretation of the location and directions of the remote features.
After this step, we enter the coordinates of the reference node location in a local or global coordinate system.
In the case of the definition of remote force or remote distance, we check the Translational Components and enter the values of remote loads or remote translation in the three directions X, Y, and Z.
If there are any remote moments or remote rotations, we check Rotational Components and then enter the data.
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SOLIDWORKS provides you with a new tool: SOLIDWORKS Electrical integration for Professional SOLIDWORKS PDM 2018. SOLIDWORKS Electrical Integration for SOLIDWORKS PDM is a new SOLIDWORKS Electrical component that implements a better integration with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.
SOLIDWORKS Electrical Integration for SOLIDWORKS PDM is a free product that will be available to customers using SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2D and SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.
SOLIDWORKS Electrical Integration for SOLIDWORKS PDM is being released with SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2018
The most important functionalities of this tool are:
• SOLIDWORKS Electrical users will obviously be able to store their projects in SOLIDWORKS PDM from within SOLIDWORKS Electrical.
• Allow the work-sharing between users.
• Variable mapping between both products so that key electrical metadata can be made available in SOLIDWORKS PDM.
• Electrical components libraries will be pushed and synchronized to SOLIDWORKS PDM
• “Where Used” information will be available.
• This product will also manage electrical deliverable files, such as PDF and DWG.
• It will also publish an advanced electrical Bill of Material (BOM) to SOLIDWORKS PDM.
Installation, administration and users guide will be installed in the installation folder of SOLIDWORKS Electrical integration for Professional SOLIDWORKS PDM 2018.
Once SOLIDWORKS Electrical integration for Professional SOLIDWORKS PDM 2018 was installed in SW Electrical, you must define some parameters in the administration of the tool.
You will beforehand have created a folder structure in your PDM vault to host your 2D SW Electrical projects, and logs, as well as a Library folder for synchronization of SW Electrical.
In the tab General Settings:
Choose your Vault and the library folder in your vault.
In the tab Log Settings:
Define the folder of logs inside the vault, as well as its options.
In the tab File Structure:
According to SOLIDWORKS Electrical document types, you can make some Mapping.
To start the collaboration of SOLIDWORKS Electrical integration and SWPDM.
Since you are Project Manager:
Unarchive and open your SW Electrical project
(Files *.tewzip)
Work on your project as usual, when ended.
Make a synchronization of your library towards PDM,
by using Synchronize Libraries.
And make Check-in:
As asked, select the parent file of your project.
A table showing all the files which will be archived will appear, click Add.
Let the process make the creation of all the objects of your project (it can take some time).
Once the process is completed; you will notice that the structure of your project SOLIDWORKS Electrical was duplicated in PDM. by adding a folder BOMS.
and creating a .pdf file of your complete drawing package.
SOLIDWORKS Electrical
Local PDM view
SOLIDWORKS Electrical
Local PDM view
You will also notice the creation of all your drawings in .dwg format.
All the PDM tabs will be accessible. You can even design a specific card for your SOLIDWORKS Electrical projects.
As well as file cards which will inherit some properties of their folder card.
In the folder BOMS; you will find all the bills of material for your project. It will be possible for you to open and export your BOM throw Excel such as any other BOM in PDM.
By choosing a file of a BOM (Click + right button of the mouse) to obtain the options such as: Browse to, allowing to go to the localization of the library parts.
This new tool will allow better collaboration between your electric and mechanical engineering departments. If you have any questions just contact one of our Xperts.
On the same subject, take a look at the video produced by SOLIDWORKS:
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By Gregory Bejtlich – Application Specialist at SolidXperts
Following the release of SOLIDWORKS, users can now import third-party files as graphical 3D meshes rather than solid or surface bodies. Previous releases were limited to the mesh file types *.stl, *.obj, *.off, *.ply, *.ply2. Changes for 2019 also include the addition of a ‘Graphical Body’ check box from the ‘Open’ dialog.
Importing as a graphics body can be very useful for manual remodeling or taking specific measurements. Additionally, importing as a graphics body utilizes significantly fewer resources when opening large or complex files.
To access this feature, follow the steps below.
Import as a Graphical Body can be accessed with File > Open (Ctrl + O) or Insert > Component > Existing Part/Assembly within an assembly.
Using the file format drop list, select any third-party format such as Autodesk Inventor (*.ipt) or ProE/Creo (*.prt)
Unlike importing mesh files, users are no longer required to enable the Graphics Body through the options menu. SOLIDWORKS now includes an “as Graphical Body” check box below the file explorer. Select the check box and click ‘Open’.
The Inventor Part (*.ipt) is now imported as a Graphical Body. Notice the feature tree displays the part not as a surface body or solid body – but as a Graphic Body.
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By Ghyslain Lacombe – Application Specialist at SolidXperts
When creating a toolpath, the result can sometimes not be the one you want. In the following example shown in video and screen captures, there is a steel island in the center of a cutting.
How to correct the default toolpath in order to remove the steel island left by the initial toolpath?
1- Region to be machined:
As you can see, the customer wants to machine this region:
2- Result of the initial toolpath:
The result of the toolpath leaves an undesirable steel island: How to correct this?
3- Edit the function: Z Level:
The operation parameters are as follows:
4- In this case, you must change the method from constant to scallop to be able to eliminate material that cannot be machined with the other process.
5- The result still leaves an unmachined region because it is necessary to increase the precision:
6- It is then necessary to reduce the scallop and the minimum cut amount to be able to remove all the material.
7- The result shows that the machining is now complete:
Therefore, depending on the kind of workpiece, you must determine the machining method to use and adjust the number of passes and the scallop for machining to be complete.
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By Elene Teolis – PDM Application Specialist
The following steps will guide you through the installation of SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and its basic minimal operational configuration settings.
This document will cover the following points:
1.1. Ensure the server meets the computer requirements. See Hardware and System Requirements – PDM STD.
1.2. Have your PDM Standard License Number on hand.
SOLIDWORKS PDM licenses must be released by SOLIDWORKS in order to be activated on a server.
Contact SolidXperts Technical Support to have your PDM Standard license released.
-Telephone: 1-877-824-3379 or 1-877-876-5434, ext. 150
-Email: support@solidxperts.com
The installation files for PDM Standard can be found on the DVD or in the SOLIDWORKS Portal.
2.1. Run ‘Setup.exe’ as an Administrator
2.2. Choose which Server Products to install
2.3. SNL Server Options
SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard licenses are floating. The available number(s) must be entered in this field, separated by a comma.
2.4. Component Installation Summary
2.5. Validate the information – Install now
Once the server component installation is complete, the Archive Server Configuration tool starts automatically to continue configuration.
3.1. You must change the location of the archive server files so that they are located on the disk intended for the data (as prepared in the first section “Server Preparation”).
3.2. Choose a password for the default Admin user
3.3. Choose a password the SA user will need to connect to SQL.
3.4. Keep administrators only for “Administrative access” and keep the default options for “Attach access”.
The Archive Server configuration is complete.
4.1. Start SolidNetWork License Manager
4.2. In the “Server Administrator” tab, choose “Edit”
4.3. Choose “Select All”
4.4. Choose “Activate/Reactivate” your product licenses
4.5. Validate the information of your License Server
5.1. Start the PDM Administration tool
5.2. Right click on the server name – Create a new safe
5.3. Enter a name for the safe
5.4. Keep the default values for the location of the archive files.
5.5. Select the SQL instance created for PDM Standard installation, leave the suggested name for the database.
5.6. Add the License Server: Enter Port 25734@”name of your server”
5.7. Choose a default language
5.8. Check the default password (the password used will be the one set when installing the PDM Archive Server).
(Uncheck the option and choose a new password if you do not want to use the default password)
5.9. Choose Quick Start for SOLIDWORKS
5.10. Leave all the options checked by default
5.11. Click on “Finish” to create the safe.
The creation of the safe is finished.
5.12. The name of the vault now appears in the PDM Administration Tool. Right-click on the server name and refresh if the name does not appear.
For a standard PDM vault, the vault symbol appears in grey.
You are now ready to create a local view on the client workstation and start working with your new PDM Standard vault.
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By Elene Teolis – PDM Application Specialist at SolidXperts
How to Install SQL Express in Preparation for Installing SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard
*Your windows and menus may vary slightly depending on the server operating system.
1. Server Preparation
1.1. Make sure the server meets the technical requirements: View SOLIDWORKS and SW PDM System Requirements
Make sure that .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.0 are installed, if necessary, configure the “Application Server” role on the server:
1.2. Prepare file structure
– If possible, create 2 partitions. Reserve the C: drive for applications and another for the data.
– Create a folder structure in the disk to receive the data as specified below:
Suggested file structure
*SQL cannot save its data to an external disk or hard disk storage (NAS or SAN).
2. SQL Server Express Installation
The installation of SQL Server Express is done by following the instructions in the PDM installation guide. Here are the steps followed for a typical SolidXperts installation.
– SQL Express can be found on the DVD or in SOLIDWORKS downloaded files.
2.1. Start the installation as an administrator.
\SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP0\PreReqs\SQLServer\sqlexpr_x64_enu.exe
2.2. Choose a new installation.
2.3. Accept the license terms.
3. Option Selection: Choose Database Engine Services.
4. Instance Configuration
– If it is a new installation, choose Default instance.
– If SQL is already installed, choose Named Instance and enter a name.
4.1. Server Configuration: Leave default values for service account names.
4.2. Database Engine Configuration
– Select Mixed Mode.
– Create a password for the SQL System Administrator.
– Specify the SQL Administrator à Click Add Current User and add the Domain Administrators group (domain admin) and/or the local Administrators group.
– Change the following directories to conform to the file structure created in the server preparation step.
– Start the installation by clicking on Next.
Installation complete
5. SQL Express Configuration
5.1. Launch ‘SQL Express Configuration Manager’
– In IPAll, clear the value in Dynamic TCP Ports.
– Set the TCP Port to the static port number that you want the SQL Server Express instance to follow:
– Restart the SQL Server Service for the new instance.
The server is ready to install SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard.
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SolidXperts team is always there for you!
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The sheet-metal module included in SolidWorks allows us to create different types of consumer products that are part of our daily lives.
Continue reading “How to create a multi-body sheet metal part from a solid geometry”
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Option 2: Upgrade to SOLIDWORKS TERM w/Cloud Services
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Promotion Perks:
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Get back on track with SOLIDWORKS CAD w/Cloud Services. By paying upfront for the next two years, you not only regain access to the powerful features of SOLIDWORKS but also enjoy cloud services to boost collaboration and efficiency.
Promotion Perks:
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If your license has been expired for over a year, we understand the urgency to get back in the game. With this option, you can secure SOLIDWORKS CAD ALC w/Cloud Services.
Promotion Perks:
