Engineering Design and Technology Series

F1 in SchoolsTM Design Project with SolidWorks Software

For Type-R Cars

Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corp. 300 Baker Avenue Concord, MA 01742 USA Phone: 1 800 693 9000

Outside the US: 1 978 371 5011 Fax: 1 978 371 7303 [email protected]

 1995-2009, Dassault Systmes Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systmes S.A. company. 300 Baker Avenue Concord, Mass. 01742 USA All Rights Reserved U.S. Patents 5,815,154; 6,219,049; 6,219,055; 6,603,486; 6,611,725; 6,844,877; 6,898,560; 6,906,712; 7,079,990; 7,184,044; and foreign patents, (e.g., EP 1,116,190 and JP 3,517,643). U.S. and foreign patents pending. The information and the software discussed in this document are subject to change without notice and are not commitments by Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corporation (DS SolidWorks). No material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose other than normal educational instructional purposes (and excluding any commercial, competitive, or research use), without the express written permission of DS SolidWorks. The software discussed in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of this license. All warranties given by DS SolidWorks as to the software and documentation are set forth in the SolidWorks Corporation License and Subscription Service Agreement, and nothing stated in, or implied by, this document or its contents shall be considered or deemed a modification or amendment of such warranties. SolidWorks, 3D PartStream.NET, 3D ContentCentral, DWGeditor, PDMWorks, eDrawings, and the eDrawings logo are registered trademarks and FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered trademark of DS SolidWorks. Enterprise PDM and SolidWorks 2009 are product names of DS SolidWorks. FloXpress, DWGseries, DWGgateway, Feature Palette, PhotoWorks, TolAnalyst, and XchangeWorks are trademarks of DS SolidWorks. FeatureWorks is a registered trademark of Geometric Software Solutions Co. Ltd. Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

COMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE - PROPRIETARY U.S. Government Restricted Rights. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the government is subject to restrictions as set forth in FAR 52.227-19 (Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights), DFARS 227.7202 (Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software Documentation), and in the license agreement, as applicable. Contractor/Manufacturer: Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corporation, 300 Baker Avenue, Concord, Massachusetts 01742 USA Portions of this software 1990-2009 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software III (GB) Ltd. 1998-2009 Geometric Software Solutions Co. Ltd., 1986-2009 mental images GmbH & Co. KG, 1996-2009 Microsoft Corporation Outside In Viewer Technology, 1992-2009 Stellent Chicago Sales, Inc. 2000-2009 Tech Soft 3D 1998-2009 3Dconnexion, IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, Independent JPEG Group. All Rights Reserved. Portions of this software incorporate PhysX by NVIDIA 2006 - 2009. Portions of this software are copyrighted by and are the property of UGS Corp. 2009. Portions of this software 2001 - 2009 Luxology, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Patents Pending. Copyright 1984-2009 Adobe Systems Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Protected by U.S. Patents 5,929,866; 5,943,063; 6,289,364; 6,563,502; 6,639,593; 6,754,382; Patents Pending. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, the Adobe PDF logo, Distiller and Reader are registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. For more copyright information, in SolidWorks see Help, About. Other portions of SolidWorks 2009 are licensed from DS SolidWorks licensors. All Rights Reserved.

Document number: PME1017-ENG

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................1 Using This Book ........................................................................................................... 2 What is SolidWorks Software?..................................................................................... 2 Prerequisites.................................................................................................................. 2 Conventions Used in This Book ................................................................................... 3 Before You Begin ......................................................................................................... 3 Add the Folder to the Design Library Path................................................................... 6 Designing the Race Car ......................................................................................7 Important Design Considerations ................................................................................. 8 About Balsa .................................................................................................................. 9 Start SolidWorks and open an existing part ................................................................. 9 Extruded Cut Feature.................................................................................................. 13 Create the Front Wing ............................................................................................... 20 Create the Rear Wing.................................................................................................. 22 Insert Fillets ................................................................................................................ 27 Create an Assembly .................................................................................................... 32 Insert Mates ................................................................................................................ 36 Calculate the Weight of the Race Car......................................................................... 44 Calculate the Overall Length of the Race Car ............................................................ 45 Create an Exploded view ............................................................................................ 48 Race Car Dimensional Requirements......................................................................... 57 Create an Assembly Drawing ...........................................................................61 Create an Assembly Drawing ..................................................................................... 62 Open a Part from the Assembly.................................................................................. 72 Create an Exploded Assembly view ........................................................................... 73

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

PhotoWorks ....................................................................................................75 Activate PhotoWorks.................................................................................................. 76 Create a Configuration for Rendering ........................................................................ 78 Appearance ................................................................................................................. 80 Rendering.................................................................................................................... 85 Modify the Appearance .............................................................................................. 86 Scenes ......................................................................................................................... 87 Decals ......................................................................................................................... 89 Edit the Decal ............................................................................................................. 93 Output Options............................................................................................................ 95 Analysis ............................................................................................................101 Modify the Rear Wing .............................................................................................. 102 Calculate the new Mass ............................................................................................ 104 Apply the Measure tool ............................................................................................ 105 Stress Analysis of the Axle....................................................................................... 107 Design Analysis ........................................................................................................ 107 Stress Analysis.......................................................................................................... 107 User Interface............................................................................................................ 108 Analyze the Axle-A Part........................................................................................... 109 SolidWorks SimulationXpress.................................................................................. 112 Assigning Material.................................................................................................... 114 Applying Restraints .................................................................................................. 115 Applying a Load ....................................................................................................... 117 Running the Analysis................................................................................................ 119 Viewing Results........................................................................................................ 121 Optimizing the model ............................................................................................... 123 Stresses ..................................................................................................................... 124 Stress Distribution .................................................................................................... 124 Save the Analysis Data and Close SimulationXpress............................................... 125 Modify the Axle-A Material..................................................................................... 126 Run the Optimization process................................................................................... 127 SolidWorks Flow Simulation ................................................................................... 129 Viewing the Results.................................................................................................. 147 Changing the Design................................................................................................. 162 Examine the Results ................................................................................................. 164 More to Explore........................................................................................................ 170

ii

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 1 Introduction

When you complete this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand how to use this book for the F1 in Schools Design Project for R-Type cars Start a SolidWorks session Download the required files, folders, and models for this project Add the folder Race Car Design Project files to the SolidWorks Design Library in the Task Pane

Lesson 1: Introduction

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Using This Book

The F1 in Schools Design Project helps you learn how to apply 2D and 3D SolidWorks modeling principles and techniques to create a Race Car assembly and drawing and apply the SolidWorks SimulationXpress and SolidWorks Flow Simulation analysis tools. You will be learning by doing as you complete the lessons in this book:

Ability to create a SolidWorks session Understanding of the SolidWorks user interface and toolbars Aptitude to open parts and create a 3D Race Car assembly Create a detailed multi-sheet, multi-view drawing of the Race Car assembly Apply the Measure and Mass tool Apply PhotoWorks Apply Analysis tools: SolidWorks SimulationXpress and SolidWorks Flow Simulation

What is SolidWorks Software?

SolidWorks is design automation software. In SolidWorks, you sketch ideas and experiment with different designs to create 2D and 3D sketches, 3D models, 3D assemblies, and 2D drawings using the easy to learn Windows graphical user interface. SolidWorks is used by students, designers, engineers and other professionals around the world to produce simple and complex parts, assemblies, and drawings.

Prerequisites
Before you begin the F1 in Schools Design Project you should review and complete the following SolidWorks tutorials that are integrated in the SolidWorks software:

Lesson 1 - Parts Lesson 2 - Assemblies Lesson 3 - Drawings

Click Help, Student Curriculum to access the Race Car Design Project folder. Click Help, Instructors Curriculum to access the Educator Resources.

Using This Book

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 1: Introduction

As an alternative, you can complete the following lessons from An Introduction to Engineering Design With SolidWorks:

Lesson 1: Using the Interface Lesson 2: Basic Functionality Lesson 3: The 40-Minute Running Start Lesson 4: Assembly Basics Lesson 5: Drawing Basics

Conventions Used in This Book

This manual uses the following typographical conventions: Convention
Bold Sans Serif

Meaning SolidWorks commands and options that you select, appear in this style. Example 1: Extruded Boss/Base means click the Extruded Boss/Base tool from the Features toolbar. Example 2: View, Origins means click View, Origns from the Menu bar menu. Files and Folder names appear in this style. Example 1: Race Car Design Project. Example 2: Sketch1. The steps in the lessons are numbered in sans serif bold.

Typewriter
17 Do this step.

Before You Begin

Copy the Race Car Design Project folder from the SolidWorks website onto your computer before you start this project.
1 Start a SolidWorks session. Click All Programs, SolidWorks, SolidWorks from the Windows Start menu.

The SolidWorks application is displayed.

Note:

If you created the SolidWorks icon on your desktop, click the icon to start a SolidWorks session.

Conventions Used in This Book

Lesson 1: Introduction

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Copy the Race Car Design Project folder. Click the SolidWorks Resources tab from the Task

Pane. Click the Student Curriculum folder as illustrated.

Double-click the Race Car Design Project folder.

Ctrl-click the Race Car Design Project folder. A dialog box is displayed.

Before You Begin

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 1: Introduction

Download the zip file. Press the Ctrl key.

Click the icon. You will be prompted for a folder in which to save the Zip file.
Tip:

Ask your teacher where you should save the zip file. Remember where you saved the downloaded zip file.
Open the zip file. Browse to the folder where you saved the

zip file. Double-click the Race Car Design Project files.zip file.

Extract all files. Browse to the location where you want to save the files. The system

will automatically create a folder named Race Car Design Project files in whatever location you specify.
Note:

For example, you might want to save it in the My Documents folder. You now have a folder named Race Car Design Project files on your hard drive. The data in this folder is used in this book.

Before You Begin

Lesson 1: Introduction

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Add the Folder to the Design Library Path

The SolidWorks Design Library is a convenient way to access the parts used in the exercises. It is more efficient than clicking File, Open from the Menu bar menu and browsing for a file. Add the Race Car Design Project files folder to the search path of the Design Library. The Race Car Design Project files folder contains two sub-folders:

Lang Race Car Design Project SolidWorks files tab. tab from

1 2

Open the Task Pane. Click the Design Library Add folder. Click the Add File Location

the Design Library.

Browse to where you extracted the project

files in step 4 page 5. Click the Race Car Design Project files folder. Click the Race Car Design Project SolidWorks files folder. Click OK.
3 Results.

The contents of the Race Car Design Project SolidWorks files folder is now accessible through the SolidWorks Design Library.
Note:

Visit www.f1inschools.co.uk for updated design requirements and specifications along with free SolidWorks software.

Add the Folder to the Design Library Path

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2 Designing the Race Car

When you complete this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe important factors to the performance of a CO2-powered Race Car Create the Race Car assembly from an existing model using the following Feature and Sketch tools: Extruded Boss/Base, Extruded Cut, Fillet, Line, Sketch Fillet, Smart Dimension, Mate, Explode, and Rotate Component Insert components into a new assembly Apply Standard mates between components in the Race Car assembly Create an Exploded configuration of the Race Car assembly Apply the Mass Properties tool Apply the Measure tool Open Parts from the Race Car assembly Confirm the required Race Car dimensions for Type-R with the Rules and Regulations of the F1 in Schools Design Project contest

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Important Design Considerations

Within the framework of the F1 in Schools Design Project contest specifications, there are a few factors to keep in mind when it comes to building a winning car. These are:

Friction

Energy used to overcome friction is energy that isnt being used to accelerate your Race Car. Sources of friction include: Wheels and axles: if the wheels do not spin freely, the Race Car will be slow. Misaligned axles: if the axle holes are not drilled perpendicular to the centerline of the car, the car will have a tendency to turn to the left or right. This will cost you speed and the contest! Misaligned screw eyes: if the screw eyes are not positioned and aligned properly, the guideline can drag on them, the car body, or the wheels. This can slow the car dramatically. Bumps or imperfections in the rolling surface of the wheel. The more perfectly round and smooth the wheels are, the better they will roll.

Mass

There is a finite amount of thrust produced by a CO2 cartridge. It stands to reason that a car with less mass will accelerate quicker and travel down the track faster. Reducing the mass of your car is one way to build a faster car. Keep in mind that the contest specifications stipulates a minimum mass of 55grams for the vehicle.

Aerodynamics

The air exerts a resistance, or drag, as the car tries to move through it. To minimize drag, your car should have a smooth, streamlined shape.
Note:

Check in the back of this lesson for a summary of the required design requirements for your Race Car assembly. Visit www.f1inschools.co.uk for updated design requirements and specifications.

Important Design Considerations

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

About Balsa
Balsa trees grow naturally in the humid rain forests of Central and South America. Its natural range extends south from Guatemala, through Central America, to the north and west coast of South America as far as Bolivia. However, the small country of Ecuador on the western coast of South America, is the worlds primary source of balsa for model building. Balsa needs a warm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage. For that reason, the best stands of balsa usually appear on the high ground between tropical rivers. Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate for growing balsa trees. Balsa wood imported into North America is plantation grown. Dont worry about destroying the rain forests by using balsa it grows incredibly fast. In 6 to 10 years the tree is ready for harvesting, having reached a height of 18 to 28 meters (60 to 90 feet) and a diameter of about 115 centimeters (45 inches). If left to continue growing, the new wood on the outside layers becomes very hard and the tree begins to rot in the center. Unharvested, a balsa tree may grow to a diameter of 180 centimeters (6 feet) or more, but very little usable lumber can be obtained from a tree of this size. Use balsa wood with a clear conscience. The rain forests arent being destroyed to harvest it.

Start SolidWorks and open an existing part

1 Start the SolidWorks application. Click All Programs, SolidWorks, SolidWorks

from the Start menu. The SolidWorks graphics area is displayed.

2 Open the Design Library. Click the Design Library

tab from the Task

Pane.

About Balsa

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Open the Race Car Block. Click the Race Car Design Project SolidWorks Files folder located in the Design Library.

The contents of the folder is displayed in the lower portion of the Design Library window. Drag and drop the part named Race Car Block into the SolidWorks graphics area. View the model and the FeatureManager design tree.
Note:

This may take 1-5 seconds. The FeatureManager design tree located on the left side of the SolidWorks window provides an outline view of the active model. This makes it easy to see how the model was constructed. The FeatureManager design tree and the graphics area are dynamically linked. You can select features, sketches, drawing views, and construction geometry in either pane.

10

Start SolidWorks and open an existing part

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Review the created features and sketches in the model. Drag the rollback bar upwards to a

position before the Balsa Block feature. The Balsa Block feature is displayed. Double-click the Balsa Block feature in the FeatureManager. The feature is displayed in blue in the graphics area and Sketch1 is displayed. View the dimensions. If needed, press the z key to fit the model to the graphics area.
Note:

The Balsa Block is 223mm x 50mm x 65mm. If you plan to use a fixture to machine your car, you must make sure that your design is no longer that 210mm. Most fixtures have a nose plate that holds the front of the balsa block and if your design is too long, it can/will end up breaking the endmill or possible damaging the fixture. Drag the rollback bar downwards to a position before the Screw Eye Slot feature. View the features in the graphics area. Double-click the Screw Eye Slot feature in the FeatureManager. The feature is displayed in blue and Sketch2 is displayed. Drag the rollback bar downwards to a position before the CO2 Cartidge Hole feature. View the features in the graphics area. Double-click the CO2 Cartidge Hole feature in the FeatureManager. The feature is displayed in blue and Sketch3 is displayed. Drag the rollback bar downwards to a position before the Axle Hole Cut Out feature. View the features in the graphics area.

Start SolidWorks and open an existing part

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Double-click the Axle Hole Cut Out feature in the FeatureManager. The feature is displayed in blue and Sketch4 is displayed. Drag the rollback bar downwards to a position before (-)Sketch5. Click (-)Sketch5 from the FeatureManager. View (-)Sketch5 in the graphics area. (-)Sketch5 is the sketch of a Spline. Splines are used to sketch curves that have continuously changing shape. Splines are defined by a series of points between which the SolidWorks software uses equations to interpolate the curve geometry. Splines are very useful for modeling free-form shapes, body of the Race Car that are smooth.
Note:

(-)Sketch5 is not fully defined, because a spline is free-form and will vary by the designer.

12

Start SolidWorks and open an existing part

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Drag the rollback bar downwards to a position below Sketch8. Click Sketch8 from the FeatureManager. View Sketch8 in the graphics area. Click inside the graphics area.

Extruded Cut Feature

An Extruded cut feature removes material from a part or an assembly. Remove material for the Race Car Body.
1 Create the first Extruded Cut Feature.

Right-click (-)Sketch5 from the FeatureManager. Click Edit Sketch from the Context toolbar. The Sketch toolbar is displayed in the CommandManager. Click the Features tab from the CommandManager. The Features toolbar is displayed. tool from Click the Extruded Cut the Features toolbar. The Extrude PropertyManager is displayed. Select Through All for the End Condition in Direction 1.

Extruded Cut Feature

13

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the two surfaces as illustrated in the graphic area. Sketch5Region<1> and Sketch5-Region<2> are displayed in the Selected Contours dialog box. Click OK from the Extrude PropertyManager.

Extrude1 is displayed in the FeatureManager. Click inside the graphics area. View the results.

Note:

Pin

the Menu bar toolbar and the Menu bar menu to obtain access to both menus in this book.

14

Extruded Cut Feature

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Save the model.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Create the second Extruded Cut Feature.

Right-click (-)Sketch6 from the FeatureManager. Click Edit Sketch from the Context toolbar. The Sketch toolbar is displayed in the CommandManager. Click Right view from the Heads-up View toolbar. The Right view is displayed.

Extruded Cut Feature

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Press the z key to Zoom out. Press the Z key to Zoom in. Press the f key to fit the model to Graphics area. Click the Features tab from the CommandManager. The Features toolbar is displayed. tool. The Click the Extruded Cut Extrude PropertyManager is displayed.
Note:

Through All is selected for End Condition in Direction 1 and Direction 2. Check the Flip side to cut box. View the direction of the extrude. Click OK from the Extrude PropertyManager. Extrude2 is displayed. Click Save toolbar. from the Menu bar

16

Extruded Cut Feature

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Create the third Extruded Cut Feature.

Create the hole for the CO2 cartridge. Right-click Sketch7 from the FeatureManager. Click Edit Sketch from the Context toolbar. The Sketch toolbar is displayed in the CommandManager. view from the Heads-up Click Back View toolbar. Click Hidden Lines Visible Heads-up View toolbar. from the

View the dimensions of the sketch.

Note:

Sketch7 is the sketch for the CO2 cartridge hole.

Extruded Cut Feature

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the Features tab from the CommandManager. The Features toolbar is displayed. Click the Extruded Cut tool. The Extrude PropertyManager is displayed. Click Through All for End Condition in Direction 1 and Direction 2. Check the Flip side to cut box.
Note:

View the direction of the Extrude feature arrows.

18

Extruded Cut Feature

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Click Isometric view from the Heads-up View toolbar. View the Extruded Cut feature. from the Click OK Extrude PropertyManager. Extrude3 is displayed. Click Shaded With
Edges 5

from the Heads-up View toolbar. .

Save the model.

Click Save

Extruded Cut Feature

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create the Front Wing

1 Create a MidPlane Extruded Boss Feature.

Right-click Sketch8 from the FeatureManager. Sketch8 is the Sketch for the front wing of the car. from the Context toolbar. The Click Edit Sketch Sketch toolbar is displayed in the CommandManager. Click Right View toolbar. view from the Heads-up

Click the z key to fit the model in the graphics area. View the sketch dimensions.
2 Create an Extruded Boss Feature.

An Extruded Boss feature adds material to the model. Click the Features tab from the CommandManager. The Features toolbar is displayed. Click Extruded Boss/Base from the Features toolbar. The Extrude PropertyManager is displayed. Select Mid Plane for End Condition in Direction 1. Enter 50.00mm for Depth.

20

Create the Front Wing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Click Isometric view from the Heads-up View toolbar. View the Extruded Boss feature. from the Click OK Extrude PropertyManager. Extrude4 is displayed. Click inside the graphics area.
Note:

Use your middle mouse button to rotate the model in the graphics area. View the created features.

Create the Front Wing

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Save the model.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Create the Rear Wing

1 Create a Sketch.

Click Hidden Lines Removed Heads-up View toolbar. Right-click Right Plane from the FeatureManager.

from the

Click Sketch from the Context toolbar. The Sketch toolbar is displayed. Right Plane is your Sketch plane. Click Right View toolbar. view from the Heads-up

Press the z key to fit the model to the graphics area. Click the Zoom to Area Heads-up View toolbar. tool from the

Zoom in on the back of the car as illustrated.

tool from the Click the Zoom to Area Heads-up View toolbar to deactivate. Click the Line tool from the Sketch toolbar. The Insert Line PropertyManager is displayed. Sketch four lines as illustrated. The first point is Coincident with the top horizontal edge of the car.
2 Deselect the Line Sketch tool. Right-click Select in the graphics area.

Coincident

22

Create the Rear Wing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Apply the Sketch Fillet tool.

Click the Sketch Fillet tool from the Sketch toolbar. The Sketch Fillet PropertyManager is displayed. Enter 2mm for Radius.

Click the left endpoint of the horizontal line. Click the right endpoint of the horizontal line. Click OK from the Sketch Fillet PropertyManager.
4 Dimension the Rear Wing.

Click the Smart Dimension tool from the Sketch toolbar. The Smart Dimension icon is displayed on the mouse pointer. Click the two illustrated edges. Click a position to the right. Enter the 3mm dimension.

Create the Rear Wing

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the illustrated edge and point. Click a position to the right. Enter the 8mm dimension.

Click the illustrated two points. Click a position above the model. Enter the 18mm dimension.

24

Create the Rear Wing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Click the illustrated two edges. Enter the 6mm dimension. Click a position above and to the right. Sketch9 is fully defined and is displayed in black.
Note:

If needed, click the Reverse the sense of dimension icon in the Modify dialog box.

Click OK from the Dimension PropertyManager.

5 Create an Extruded Boss Feature. Click the Features tab from the CommandManager. The

Features toolbar is displayed. Click the Extruded Boss/Base PropertyManager is displayed. Click Isometric toolbar. tool. The Extrude

view from the Heads-up View

Select Mid Plane for the End Condition from the drop-down menu. Enter 50mm for Depth. from the Extrude PropertyManager. Click OK Extrude5 is displayed. Click Shaded With Edges toolbar. from the Heads-up View

Click inside the graphics area. View the results.

Create the Rear Wing

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Save the model.

Click Save
Note: Note:

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Press the s key to view the previous commands in the graphics area. Press the g key to activate the Magnifying glass tool. Use the Magnifying glass tool to inspect a model and make selections without changing the overall view of the model.

26

Create the Rear Wing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Insert Fillets
1 Insert a Fillet Feature.

Fillets creates a rounded internal or external face on the part. You can fillet all edges of a face, selected sets of faces, selected edges, or edge loops. Click Hidden Lines Removed View toolbar. from the Heads-up

Click the Fillet tool from the Features toolbar. The Fillet PropertyManager is displayed. Click the Manual tab in the Fillet PropertyManager. Check the Constant radius Fillet Type box. Enter 3mm for Radius. Click the 8 edges on the top right of the car. The selected edges are displayed in the Items To Fillet box.
Rotate the car with the middle mouse button to view the left side of the car.

Click the 8 edges on the top left of the car. Click the top front edge of the car. The selected edges are displayed in the Items To Fillet box.

Insert Fillets

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Rotate the car to view the bottom with the middle mouse button.

Click the bottom edges of the car. Do not select the two back curved edges or the two back straight edges as illustrated. The selected edges are displayed in the Items To Fillet box.

Do not select the two back curved edges or the two back straight edges.

Click OK from the Fillet PropertyManager. View the Fillet1 feature in the FeatureManager. Click Isometric
2

view from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Insert a second Fillet Feature. Fillet the Cockpit Area.

Click the Fillet tool from the Features toolbar. The Fillet PropertyManager is displayed. Click the Manual tab in the Fillet PropertyManager. Constant radius Fillet type is selected by default. Enter 12mm for Radius.

28

Insert Fillets

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Click the illustrated back edge. Edge1 is displayed in the Items To Fillet box. Click OK from the Fillet PropertyManager. View the Fillet2 feature in the FeatureManager.

3 4

Save the model.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Create a Variable Fillet. Rotate the model using the middle mouse button to

view the back curved edges with the middle mouse button. tool from the Features toolbar. The Click the Fillet Fillet PropertyManager is displayed. Click the Manual tab in the Fillet PropertyManager. Constant radius Fillet Type is selected by default. Check the Variable radius box for Fillet Type.

Insert Fillets

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the two curved

edges.

Click and drag the

Variable radius boxes

off the model.

Click inside the top left Unassigned box. Enter 15mm. Click inside the top right Unassigned box. Enter 15mm. Click inside the bottom left Unassigned box. Enter 5mm. Click inside the bottom right Unassigned box. Enter 5mm.

30

Insert Fillets

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Click OK from the Fillet PropertyManager. View the VarFillet1 feature in the FeatureManager. Click Isometric Click Shaded
5 Save the model.

view from the Heads-up View toolbar. from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

View the model.

Insert Fillets

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create an Assembly
Create an assembly with the Race Car Block. Insert the Wheels and Axles.
1 Create an assembly. Click the Make Assembly from Part/Assembly

tool from the Menu bar toolbar. Click OK to accept the default Assembly template. The Begin Assembly PropertyManager is displayed. The Race Car Block part file is listed in the Open documents box.
2 Locate the Component. Click OK from the Begin Assembly

PropertyManager. The (f) Race Car Block is displayed in the assembly FeatureManager design tree as fixed.
3 Deactivate the Planes. If needed, click View, un-check Planes from the

Menu bar menu.

Note:

The initial component added to the assembly is fixed by default. A fixed component cannot be moved unless you float it.
Set Isometric view with Hidden Lines Removed. Click Isometric from the Heads-up View

toolbar. Click Hidden Lines Removed Heads-up View toolbar.

5 Save the assembly.

from the

Click Save

from the Menu bar menu.

Save the assembly under the name Race Car in the downloaded folder.
Note:

If needed, click View, un-check All Annotations.

32

Create an Assembly

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Insert the Axles.

Click and drag the Axle part from the Design Library window. Click a position near the rear of the car. The Insert Components PropertyManager is displayed. A second Axle is displayed on the mouse pointer. Drag the second Axle to the front of the car. Click a position. Click Cancel from the Insert Components PropertyManager. View the FeatureManager. Axle <1> and Axle <2> are displayed.

Insert the first Wheel. Click and drag the Wheel part from the Design Library window.

Click a position near the right rear of the car. The Insert Components PropertyManager is displayed. A second Wheel is displayed on the mouse pointer.
8 Insert the other three Wheels. Insert the second Wheel near the right front of the car; Wheel<2>.

Insert the third Wheel near the left rear of the car; Wheel<3>. Insert the fourth Wheel near the left front of the car; Wheel<4>.

Create an Assembly

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click Cancel from the Insert Components PropertyManager. View the updated FeatureManager.

Deactivate the Origins. Click View, un-check Origins from the Menu bar menu.

10 Save the model.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Click Yes to rebuild the model.

11 Apply the Rotate Component tool.

Rotate the two Wheels located on the left side of the model. Click the Assembly tab from the CommandManager. Click Wheel<3> from the FeatureManager. This is the rear left wheel. Click the Rotate Component tool from the Assembly toolbar. The Rotate Component PropertyManager is displayed.

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Create an Assembly

SolidWorks
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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Rotate Wheel<3> as illustrated. Click Wheel<4> from the fly-out FeatureManager. This is the front left wheel. Rotate Wheel<4> as illustrated. Click OK from the Rotate Component PropertyManager.
12 Rebuild the model.

Click Rebuild

from the Menu bar.

Create an Assembly

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Insert Mates
An assembly is a document in which two or more parts and other assemblies (subassemblies) are mated together. Parts and sub-assemblies are called components in an assembly. Mates are used to create relationships between components. Faces are the most commonly used geometry in mates. In this case the existing subassemblies are mated to build an assembly based on the car part you created. There are three types of mates; Standard Mates, Advanced Mates and Mechanical Mates.
Standard Mates

Coincident Parallel Perpendicular Tangent Concentric Lock Distance Angle Symmetric Width Path Mate Linear/Linear Coupler Distance/Angle Limit

Advanced Mates

You can select many different types of geometry to create a mate:

Faces Planes Edges Vertices Sketch lines and points Axes and Origins

Note:

In this section, position the model to view the correct tool in the sketch entity. Apply the Zoom to Area Heads-up View toolbar, the middle mouse button, and the f and z keys.

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Insert Mates

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Mate the Axles to the body.

Create a Coincident mate between the rear axle and the body. Click the Mate tool from the Assembly toolbar. The Mate PropertyManager is displayed.
Tip:

Zoom and/or rotate the view to make it easier to select the faces or edges you want to mate. Expand the fly-out Race Car FeatureManager in the graphics area. Click the Race Car Block/ Right Plane in the fly-out FeatureManager. Click the Race Car Axle<1>/ Right Plane in the fly-out FeatureManager. Coincident mate is selected by default. The selected planes are displayed in the Mate Selections box. Click Add/Finish Mate to accept the mate.

Insert Mates

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Insert a Concentric mate.

Create a Concentric mate between the rear axle and the body. Drag Axle<1> as illustrated. Click the inside cylindrical face of the rear hole. Click the cylindrical outside face of Axle<1>. Concentric mate is selected by default. Click Add/Finish Mate to accept the mate.
Note:

In this section, position the model to view the correct sketch entity. Apply the
Zoom to Area tool, the middle mouse button, and the f and z keys.

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Insert Mates

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Insert a Coincident Mate.

Create a Coincident mate between the front axle and the body. Click the Race Car Block/ Right Plane in the fly-out FeatureManager. Click the Race Car Axle<2>/Right Plane in the fly-out FeatureManager. Coincident mate is selected by default. Click Add/Finish Mate accept the mate. to

Insert Mates

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Insert a Concentric Mate.

Create a Concentric mate between the front axle and the body. Drag Axle<2> as illustrated. Click the inside cylindrical face of the front hole. Click the cylindrical outside face of Axle<2>. Concentric mate is selected by default. Click Add/Finish Mate accept the mate. In the next section mate the Wheels with the Axles. to

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Insert Mates

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Mate the Wheels to the Axles.

Create a Concentric mate between the front axle and the front right wheel. Click the cylindrical outside face of Axle<2>. Click the cylindrical inside face of the front right Wheel<2>. Concentric is selected by default. Click Add/Finish Mate the mate.
Note:

to accept

Position the model to view the correct sketch entity.

Insert Mates

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create A Distance Mate.

Create a Distance mate between the outside end face of the front right Axle<2> and the outside face of the front right Wheel<2>. Click the outside end face of the front right Axle<2>. Click Shaded toolbar. from the Heads-up View

Click the outside face of the right front Wheel<2> as illustrated. Click the Distance Mate Enter 7mm. Click Add/Finish Mate
3

tool.

to accept the mate.

Mate the three remaining Wheels to the Front and Rear Axles. Repeat the above procedures to create

Concentric mates between the Axles and the Wheels. Create Distance mates between the outside end face of the Axles and the outside face of the Wheels. Click OK
4

from the Mate PropertyManager.

View the Created Mates.

Expand the Mates folder from the FeatureManager. View the created mates.

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Insert Mates

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Save the model.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Insert Mates

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Calculate the Weight of the Race Car

When you are finished and ready to race, your car has to weigh no less than 55 grams. This does not include the CO2 cartridge. Check the weight of the model. Apply the Mass Properties tool. 1 Click the Evaluate tab from the CommandManager. from the Click Mass Properties Evaluate toolbar. The Mass Properties dialog box is displayed. Click the Options button. Check the Use custom setting box. Select 4 for Decimal place. Click OK. The Mass = 54.9839 grams.
Note:

The mass can be different if you did not fillet all of the edges or too many. There will be eye hooks, paint, decals, and sanding. Use this mass as an estimate and make sure to weigh the completed car before racing. A list of critical dimensional rule requirements are provided at the end of this lesson.

Note:

The mass of the Axle part using 2024 Alloy is .9896 grams. If the Axle part was changed to AISI 304, the total mass increase of the Race Car would be approximately 3.67 grams. This is explored in the Analysis section of the book.
Close the Mass Properties dialog box. Save the model.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

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Calculate the Weight of the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Calculate the Overall Length of the Race Car

When you are finished and ready to race, your car cant exceed 210mm in length and the Wheels have a minimum of 26mm and a maximum of 34mm. Apply the Measure tool to obtain these measurements of the Race Car assembly.
1 Measure the Overall Length of the Car.

Click Right view

from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Click the Measure tool from the Evaluate toolbar. The Measure - Race Car dialog box is displayed. Click the front edge of the Race Car. Zoom in if needed to select the edge. Click the back edge of the Race Car. Note: Select an edge, not a point or face. View the results.

Note:

The Balsa Block is 223mm x 50mm x 65mm. If you plan to use a fixture to machine your car, you must make sure that your design is no longer that 210mm. Most fixtures have a nose plate that holds the front of the Balsa Block and if your design is too long, it can/will end up breaking the endmill or possible damaging the fixture.

Calculate the Overall Length of the Race Car

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Measure the Wheel<2> diameter. Right-click inside of the Selection box.

Click Clear Selections. Click the diameter of the front Wheel<2>. The diameter of Wheel<2> is 32mm.
Note:

Remember your wheels need to be between 26mm and 34mm in diameter.

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Calculate the Overall Length of the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Measure the center distance between the two Wheel hubs. Right-click inside of the Selection box.

Click Clear Selections. Click the front hub face of front Wheel<1>. Click the front hub face of back Wheel<2>. The center distance between the two Wheel hubs is 135mm.
Close the Measure - Race Car dialog box.

Calculate the Overall Length of the Race Car

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create an Exploded view

For manufacturing purposes, it is often useful to separate the components of an assembly to visually analyze their relationships. Exploding the view of an assembly allows you to look at it with the components separated. An exploded view consists of one or more explode steps. An exploded view is stored with the assembly configuration with which it is created. Each configuration can have one exploded view. The Explode PropertyManager is displayed when you create or edit an exploded view of an assembly.
Note:

While an assembly is exploded, you cannot add mates to the assembly.

Create an Exploded view Configuration. Click Isometric from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Click the ConfigurationManager

tab.

Right-click Default from the ConfigurationManager. Click the New Exploded View tool. The Explode PropertyManager is displayed. Click the right front Wheel<2> of the model in the graphics area. A Triad is displayed. Click and drag the red/yellow Triad arrow to the right.
Note:

Drag the wheel far enough to the right to leave room for Axle<2>. Click the Done button from the Settings box.

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Create an Exploded view

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Create Explode Step2. Click the left front Wheel<4> of the model. A Triad is displayed.

Click and drag the red/yellow Triad arrow to the left. Click the Done button from the Settings box.

Create Explode Step3. Click the right back Wheel<1> of the model. A Triad is displayed.

Click and drag the red/yellow Triad arrow to the right. Drag the wheel far enough to the right to leave room for Axle<1>. Click the Done button from the Settings box.

Create an Exploded view

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create Explode Step4. Click the left back Wheel<3> of the model. A Triad is displayed.

Click and drag the red/yellow Triad arrow to the left. Click the Done button from the Settings box. View the results.

Create Explode Step5. Click the front Axle<2> of the model. A Triad is

displayed. Click and drag the red/yellow Triad arrow to the right. Click the Done button from the Settings box.
6 Create Explode Step6. Click the right back Axle<1> of the model. A Triad is

displayed. Click and drag the red/yellow Triad arrow to the right. Click the Done button from the Settings box. View the model. Expand each Explode Step in the Explode Steps box. View the results.

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Create an Exploded view

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Return to the ConfigurationManager.

Click OK from the Explode PropertyManager.

8 Animate the assembly. Expand the Default configuration. ExpView1

is displayed. Right-click ExplView1. Click Animate collapse. View the results.

Create an Exploded view

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the Play button from the Animation Controller dialog box. View the Animation of the Race Car.
Close the

Animation Controller dialog box.

Return to the FeatureManager.

Click the FeatureManager

10 Save the model. Click Isometric

tab.

from the Heads-up

View toolbar. Click Save from Menu bar.

You are finished with the assembly. In the next section, open individual parts from the assembly and apply the Measure tool.

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Create an Exploded view

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Open the Race Car Block Part from the Assembly.

Right-click (f) Race Car Block<1> from the FeatureManager. Click Open Part from the Context toolbar. The Race Car Block FeatureManager is displayed.

Create an Exploded view

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Return to the Race Car Assembly.

Click Window, Race Car from the Menu bar menu. The Race Car assembly is displayed.
3 Open the Axle Part from the Assembly.

Right-click Axle<1> from the FeatureManager. Click Open Part from the Context toolbar. The Axle FeatureManager is displayed.
4 Apply the Measure tool to the Axle.

Measure the overall length. Click Front view from Heads-up View toolbar.

Press the f key to fit the model to the graphics area.

Click the Measure tool from the Evaluate toolbar. The Measure - Axle dialog box is displayed. Click the left edge of Axle<1>.
Zoom in if needed to

select the edge. Click the right edge of Axle<1>. View the results.
5 Measure the diameter of the Axle. Right-click inside of the Selection box as

illustrated. Click Clear Selections. Click Right toolbar. view from the Heads-up View

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Create an Exploded view

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Click the circumference of the Axle<1>. The diameter is 3mm.

Close the Measure - Axle

dialog box. Click Isometric view from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Return to the Race Car assembly.

Click Window, Race Car from the Menu bar menu. The Race Car assembly is displayed.

Explore various Scenes and View Settings. Click the drop-down arrow from the Apply scene tool in the Heads-up View toolbar.

View your options. Click Backdrop - Studio Room. View the results in the graphics area. Click Plain White. View the results in the graphics area. Click Warm Kitchen.

Create an Exploded view

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the drop-down arrow from the View settings tool in the Heads-up View toolbar. Click the Shadows In Shaded Mode View the results.
2 Save the model. Click Isometric

icon.

Rotate the model with your middle mouse button.

from the Heads-up View toolbar. from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Click Shaded

from the Menu bar. You are finished with the assembly. Review Click Save below for some of the dimensional rule requirements for the CO2 Cartridge Race Car assembly. In the next lesson, you will create an Race Car assembly drawing with dimensions.

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Create an Exploded view

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Race Car Dimensional Requirements

Below are some of the dimensional requirements (Type-R) for the Race Car Block and the CO2 cartridge hole. Review the dimensional requirements. Apply the Measure tool to confirm that you meet the design requirements!

Body dimensions copied from the 2008 - 2009 Rules and Regulations folder from the F1inschools.co.uk site.

Race Car Dimensional Requirements

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Wheel dimensions copied from the 2008 - 2009 Rules and Regulations folder from the F1inschools.co.uk site.

Wheel to Body dimensional design requirements copied from the 2008 - 2009 Rules and Regulations folder from the F1inschools.co.uk site.

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Race Car Dimensional Requirements

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

Power Plant dimensional design requirements copied from the 2008 - 2009 Rules and Regulations folder from the F1inschools.co.uk site.

Car Body and Wings dimensional design requirements copied from the 2008 - 2009 Rules and Regulations folder from the F1inschools.co.uk site

Race Car Dimensional Requirements

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Lesson 2: Designing the Race Car

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

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Race Car Dimensional Requirements

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3 Create an Assembly Drawing

When you complete this lesson, you will be able to:

Create a B-size Sheet drawing of the Race Car assembly Apply the View Palette in the Task Pane Insert an Isometric view with a Bill of Materials Modify the View scale Modify the Sheet scale Add a drawing Sheet Edit the drawing Title block Insert a Front, Top and Right view Insert Dimensions into drawing views Create an Exploded Isometric view

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Drawings
SolidWorks enables you to easily create drawings of parts and assemblies. These drawings are fully associative with the parts and assemblies they reference. If you change a dimension on the finished drawing, that change propagates back to the model. Likewise, if you change the model, the drawing updates automatically. Drawings communicate three things about the objects they represent:

Shape Views communicate the shape of an object. Size Dimensions communicate the size of an object. Other information Notes communicate nongraphic information about manufacturing processes such as drill, ream, bore, paint, plate, grind, heat treat, remove burrs and so forth.

Create an Assembly Drawing

1 Open the Race Car Assembly. Click File, Open, or click Open

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Browse to the Race Car

assembly folder.
Open the Race Car assembly.

The Race Car assembly FeatureManager is displayed.

2 Create an Assembly Drawing. Click the Make Drawing from Part/Assembly tool from the

Menu bar toolbar. Accept the standard Drawing Template. Click OK from the New SolidWorks Documents dialog box. Click OK from the Sheet Format/Size dialog box.

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Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

Right-click inside the drawing sheet.

Click Properties. The Sheet Properties dialog box is displayed.

Select the sheet size. Click B - Landscape for

Sheet Format/Size. The default name of the Sheet is Sheet1. The Type of projection is Third angle. The Sheet Scale size is 1:5. Check the Display sheet format box. Click OK from the Sheet Properties dialog box. The drawing sheet is displayed.

Create an Assembly Drawing

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Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Set Document Properties. Click Tools, Options, or click Options from

the Menu bar toolbar. Click the

Document Properties tab.

Select ANSI for Overall drafting standard.

5 Set Annotations Font. Click the Annotations folder.

Click the Font button. The Choose Font dialog box is displayed. Select the drawing font. Select Century Gothic from the Font box. Select Regular from the Font Style box. Check the Points box from the Height area. Select 16.
6 Close the Choose Font dialog box. Click OK. Return to the graphics area. Click OK.

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Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

Insert an Isometric view.

Use the View Palette to insert drawing views. The View Palette contains images of standard views, annotation views, section views, and flat patterns (sheet metal parts) of the selected model. You can drag views into an active drawing sheet to create a drawing view. If needed click the View Palette Pane. tab from the Task

Drag the *Isometric icon into Sheet1. The Isometric view is displayed. The Drawing View1 PropertyManager is displayed.

Create an Assembly Drawing

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Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Modify the Sheet Scale and Display mode. Check the Use custom scale box.

Select 1:1 from the drop-down menu. Click Shaded from the Display Style box. from the Drawing View1 Click OK PropertyManager.
10 Deactivate the Origins. If needed, click View, un-check Origins from the Menu

bar menu.

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Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

11 Edit the Title block.

The title of the drawing sheet is automatically filled in with information that is in the file properties of the assembly. Right-click inside Sheet1. Do not click inside the Isometric view. Click Edit Sheet Format.
Zoom in on the Title

block. Double-click Race Car in the Title box. Select 22 from the drop-down menu. Click OK from the Note PropertyManager.

12 Return to the drawing. Right-click Edit Sheet.

View the results.

13 Fit the drawing to the Sheet. Press the f key. 14 Save the Drawing. Click Save . Accept the default name.

Click Save. Create a Bill of Materials. Insert a Bill of Materials (BOM) into the drawing of the Race Car assembly. If you add or delete components in the assembly, the Bill of Materials automatically updates to reflect the changes if you select the Automatic update of BOM option under Tools, Options, Document Properties, Detailing. Such changes include adding, deleting, or replacing components, changing component names or custom properties, and so on.

Create an Assembly Drawing

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Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create a Bill of Materials. Click inside the Isometric view. The Drawing View1

PropertyManager is displayed. Click the Annotation tab from the CommandManager. Click Tables, Bill of Materials. The Bill of Material PropertyManager is displayed. Accept the default settings. Top level only is selected by default. bom-standard is selected in the Table Template box. Click OK from the Bill of Material PropertyManager. Click a position in the top right corner of Sheet1. View the results.
Note:

You select a Sheet format when you open a new drawing. The standard Sheet formats include links to System properties and Custom properties.
Save the drawing. Click Save .

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Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

Add a Sheet to the drawing. 1 Add a Sheet in the drawing. Right-click Add Sheet. Do not click inside the

Isometric view. Sheet2 is displayed.

Insert a Front, Top, and Right view using the View Palette. 1 Insert a Front view. Click the View Palette

tab from the Task Pane.

Drag the *Front icon into Sheet2 on the bottom left corner. The Front view is displayed. The Projected View PropertyManager is displayed.
2 Insert a Top view. Click a position directly above the Front view. The

Top view is displayed.

3 Insert a Right view. Click a position directly to the left of the Front view.

The Right view is displayed. Click OK from the Projected View PropertyManager. View the three views.

Modify the Sheet Scale. Right-click inside Sheet2. Do not click

inside a drawing view. Click Properties. Enter 1:2 for Scale. Click OK from the Sheet Properties dialog box. Click and drag each view into position.
5 Rebuild the drawing. Click Rebuild from the Menu bar

toolbar.
6 Save the drawing. Click Save .

Create an Assembly Drawing

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Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Insert a Right Drawing View Dimension. 1 Insert a Dimension into the Right view on Sheet2. Zoom in on the Right View.

Click Smart Dimension

Note:

from the Sketch toolbar.

Click the left edge of the Race Car in the Right view. Select an edge. View the icon feedback symbol. Click the right edge of the Race Car in the Right view. Click a position below the car to place the dimension. The overall dimension of the car is 210mm.

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Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

Insert two Dimensions into the Front view. Press the f key to fit the model to the Sheet. Zoom in on the Front View.

Click the left front edge of the Wheel. Click the right front edge of the Wheel. Click a position below the car to place the dimension. Click the bottom of the left front Wheel. Click the top of the Top Wing. Click a position to the left to place the dimension. Click OK from the Dimension PropertyManager.

Press the f key to fit the model to the Sheet. View the results.

Create an Assembly Drawing

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Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Note:

The objective of this lesson is not to produce a completely dimensioned engineering drawing. Rather it is to introduce some of the basic steps engineers go through when producing documentation for a product. Add additional dimensions and information on the drawing if needed for the contest.
Edit the Title block on Sheet2.

The title of the drawing sheet is automatically filled in with information that is in the file properties of the assembly. Right-click inside Sheet2. Do not click inside the views. Click Edit Sheet Format.
Zoom in on the Title

block. Double-click on Race

Car.

Select 22 from the drop-down menu. Click OK from the Note PropertyManager.

Right-click Edit Sheet.

Rebuild 4 5

the drawing.

Fit the model to the Sheet. Press the f key. Save the drawing. Click Save .

Open a Part from the Assembly

1 Open the Race Car Assembly from Sheet2. Right-click inside the Front view.

Click Open race car.sldasm. The Race Car assembly is displayed.

2 Return to the Race Car assembly drawing.

Click File, Close from the Menu bar menu. The Race Car drawing is displayed. In the next section, return to Sheet1 and create an Exploded Isometric view.

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Open a Part from the Assembly

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

Create an Exploded Assembly view

1 Return to Sheet1. Click the Sheet1 tab at

the bottom of the graphics area to return to Sheet1.

2 Create an Exploded State.

Right-click inside the Isometric view. Click Properties. The Drawing View Properties dialog box is displayed. Check the Show in exploded state box.

Create an Exploded Assembly view

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Lesson 3: Create an Assembly Drawing

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click OK from the Drawing View Properties dialog box.

3 Modify the View Scale. Click inside the Isometric view in Sheet1. The Drawing

View1 PropertyManager is displayed. Check the Use custom scale box. Select User Defined. Enter 1:1.5. Click OK
Rebuild 4

from the Drawing View1 PropertyManager. the drawing.

Save the drawing. Click Save . View the results. You are finished with the drawing section of this

Project. You created an Exploded Isometric View with a Top level Bill of Materials on Sheet1, and created three views with inserted dimensions on Sheet2.

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Create an Exploded Assembly view

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 4 PhotoWorks

When you complete this lesson, you will be able to:

Load the PhotoWorks Add-in Create a PhotoWorks assembly configuration Apply the Appearance tool to the Race Car assembly Apply the Scene tool Render the Race Car assembly Apply and edit the Decal tool on the Race Car assembly. Understand what makes an image look realistic and make changes to improve the realism of the rendering Save the PhotoWorks image

Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

PhotoWorks
PhotoWorks is a best-in-class rendering solution for creating photorealistic images from 3D CAD models. Utilize PhotoWorks to help your colleagues visualize your designs more easily. PhotoWorks contains advanced visualization effects such as user-defined lighting, and an extensive library of appearances and textures as well as background scenery. PhotoWorks allows you to render a model in an existing scene with lights. You select one of the studios and the scene and lights are automatically added and scaled to the size of the model. By default, images are rendered to the graphics area. You can also save images to a file in a variety of formats for printed materials and web pages. With PhotoWorks you can define and modify the following elements of a rendering:

Scene Appearances Decals Lighting Image output formats

Activate PhotoWorks
Rendering is the process of applying the appearances, scene, lighting, and decal information to the model.
1 Open the Race Car Assembly.

Click Open bar toolbar.

from the Menu

Browse to the location of the

Race Car assembly.

Open the Race Car assembly.

The Race Car assembly is displayed in the graphics area.

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Activate PhotoWorks

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

Load the PhotoWorks Add-in. Click the Options , Add-ins from the Menu bar

toolbar. The Add-ins dialog box is displayed. Check the PhotoWorks box. Click OK from the Add-Ins dialog box. The Render Manager tab is displayed in the FeatureManager and is updated in the Appearances/PhotoWorks tab in the Task Pane. Click Shaded With Edges from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Display the PhotoWorks toolbar. Click View, Toolbars from the

Menu bar menu. Check the PhotoWorks box. The PhotoWorks toolbar is displayed. View the available tools and options.

Activate PhotoWorks

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Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Create a Configuration for Rendering

It is good practice to make a configuration of the assembly specifically for the purposes of rendering. This way you can make changes to the assembly without effecting things like the drawing.
1 Create a new configuration. Click the ConfigurationManager

tab.

Right-click Race Car. Click Add Configuration. The Add Configuration PropertyManager is displayed.
Note:

The new configuration will be a copy of the active one. Enter PhotoWorks in the Configuration name box. Enter PhotoWorks in the Description box. Click OK from the Add Configuration PropertyManager. View the new configuration.

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Create a Configuration for Rendering

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

View the new PhotoWorks Configuration. Click the PhotoWorks Configuration in the

ConfigurationManager. Click the Render Manager View the details.

3 Note: Return to the FeatureManager. Click the FeatureManager tab.

tab.

Expand Scene, Appearances, and Lighting.

The present configuration is PhotoWorks.

Create a Configuration for Rendering

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Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Appearance
PhotoWorks can use the appearance you applied when modeling the Race Car for the rendering. However, that isnt always whats best for a rendering. For example, when you modeled the Race Car Block, balsa material was used so we could calculate the mass. And to do that, you needed the correct material properties such as density. In the case of a rendering, you are more interested in what the car looks like, not what it is made of. So even though PhotoWorks can render engineering materials such as steel, copper, aluminum, and plastic, you can also apply and render materials such as rubber, leather, fabric, paint, etc.

Apply Appearance to the Tires.

Click the Appearance tool from the PhotoWorks toolbar. The Appearances PropertyManager is displayed. Click the Basic tab from the Appearances PropertyManager.

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Appearance

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

Apply changes at the part level.

You can apply changes at the part, feature, or assembly level. Click the Apply at part document level box.
6 Apply changes to the PhotoWorks configuration.

The PhotoWorks configuration is the active configuration. Check the This configuration box. Click the Select Faces in the Selected Geometry box.

Click the top face of a tire in the graphics area. The selected face is displayed in the Selected Geometry box.

Appearance

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Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Click the Appearances/PhotoWorks the Task Pane as illustrated. Expand the Appearances folder. Expand the Rubber folder. Click the Texture folder.

tab from

Click tire tread. The tire tread appearance is applied to the four tires in the graphics area. Click OK from the Appearances PropertyManager. View the results in the graphics area.

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Appearance

SolidWorks
Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

Apply Appearance to the Front and Rear Wing.

Click the Edit Appearance tool from the Head-up View toolbar. The Appearances PropertyManager is displayed.
8 Apply changes at the part level.

You can apply changes at the part, feature, or assembly level. Click the Apply at part document level box.
9 Apply changes to the PhotoWorks Configuration. Check the This configuration box.

Click the Select Features box. Expand Race Car from the fly-out FeatureManager. Expand Race Car Block. Click Extrude4. Extrude4 is the front wing. Extrude4 is displayed in the Selected Geometry dialog box. Click Extrude5. Extrude5 is the rear wing. Extrude5 is displayed in the Selected Geometry dialog box. Select a color.
Note:

A custom color can be selected and created by using the color palette in the Color dialog box.

Appearance

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Click OK from the Appearances PropertyManager. View the results.

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Rendering
Rendering is the process of applying the appearance, scene, lighting, and decal information to the model. Full rendering applies all options set within PhotoWorks.
Note:

Performing any operation that changes the view (zoom, pan or rotate) will remove the rendering.
Render the model.

Click the Render

tool from the PhotoWorks toolbar.

View the model in the graphics area.

Rendering

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Modify the Appearance

1 Modify the Appearance to the Race Car Block. Press the z key to exit the render mode.

tool. The Appearances Click the Appearance PropertyManager is displayed. Race Car is displayed in the Selected Geometry box. Click the Apply at part document level box. Click This Configuration in the Configurations dialog box.

Click Race Car Block from the Race Car fly-out FeatureManager. Expand the Appearances folder. Expand the Metal folder. Click Silver. Click matte silver. Click OK from the Appearances PropertyManager.
2 Render the model.

Click the Render View the results.

tool from the PhotoWorks toolbar.

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Save the model. Press the z key to exit the render mode.

Click Save

Scenes
PhotoWorks scenes are made up of the things we see in the rendering that are not the model. They can be thought of as a virtual box or sphere around the model. Scenes are composed of backgrounds, foreground effects, and scenery. PhotoWorks has a number of predefined scenes to make initial renderings quick and easy.

Scenes

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Apply the Scene tool.

Click the Scene tool from the PhotoWorks toolbar. The Scene Editor dialog box is displayed. Click the Manager tab. Click Studio Scenes. Click Reflective Floor Checkered. Click Apply. Click Close.
2 Render the model.

Click the Render tool from the PhotoWorks toolbar. View the model. Press the z key to exit the render mode

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Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

Decals
Decals are artwork that are applied to the model. They are in some ways like textures in that they are applied to the surface of the part, feature, or face. Decals can have parts of the image masked out. Masking enables the material of the underlying part to show through the decal image. Decals can be made from a variety of image files including but not limited to:

Windows bitmap (*.bmp) Tagged Image File (*.tif) Joint Photographic Expert Group (*.jpg)

Apply a decal.

Click the New Decal tool from the PhotoWorks toolbar. The Decals PropertyManager is displayed. If required, click the
Appearances/PhotoWorks

tab in the Task Pane. Click a position on the right

side of the Race Car

Block as illustrated.

Decals

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Click the Decals folder. Click the SolidWorks decal. The decal is displayed on the Race Car Block.

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Check the This configuration box.

Position the Decal. Click the Mapping tab from the Decals PropertyManager. The decal is not positioned or scaled very well for the model. Select Projection from the dropdown menu in the Mapping box. Select ZX from the drop-down menu for Axis direction. Enter 20.00mm for Horizontal location. Enter -12.50mm for Vertical location. Enter 180.00deg for Rotation. Click inside the graphics area. View the results. Click OK
Tip:

from the Decal PropertyManager.

View the results. Create a decal from an existing file. Select the Image tab. Click the Browse button under the Image file path.

Decals

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Render the model.

Click the Render tool

from the PhotoWorks toolbar.

View the model in the graphics area.

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Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

Save the model.

Click Shaded

from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Press the z key to exit the Render mode. Click Save

4

. tab.

Review the Render Manager.

Click the Render Manager

Expand each folder. View the results.

Edit the Decal

Right-click logo <1>. Click Edit. The Decals PropertyManager is displayed.

Edit the Decal

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Click the Mapping tab. Use the graphics view decal frame to move, resize and rotate the decal. View the finished position of the decal from the PropertyManager.
Note:

Dragging edges or anywhere inside the frame moves the image, dragging corners resizes, and dragging the center ball rotates the decal.

Click OK
5

from the Decals PropertyManager. tab.

Return to the FeatureManager.

Click the FeatureManager

6 Save the model.

Click Save . You are finished with this section. Have fun. Explore with decals, appearances, lighting, scenes, etc.

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Output Options
Rendering to the computer screen is generally done for two basic reasons:

To visualize the effects of appearances and scenes. This is generally an intermediate step en route to the final output. To capture the image with screen capture software for use in other programs. The images for this manual were made as screen captures.

This is rarely the final output though. Render to a Printer Rendering directly to a printer is useful for creating a hard copy image of a project. This is a limited option because you cannot add captions, put multiple images on a page, or manipulate the image. Rendering to a printer is not useful for illustrations in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint because the hardcopy would have to be converted into a graphics file. Some common uses of printer renderings might be for:

Lobby displays of products before production begins; Display boards at conferences; Project reports.
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To obtain rendered output from a printer, you must use the PhotoWorks print command, not the SolidWorks print command. Rendering to a File The most useful output method is to render the image to a file. Image files can be used for many purposes, including web pages, training manuals, sales brochures, and PowerPoint presentations. Rendered image files can be further manipulated with other software to add lettering, effects or make adjustments beyond the capabilities of the PhotoWorks software. This is known as the post-production phase.
File Types

Images can be rendered to the following file types:

Windows Bitmap (*.bmp) TIFF (*.tif) TARGA (*.tga) Mental Ray Scene file (*.mi) JPEG (*.jpg) PostScript (*.ps) Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps) Silicon Graphics 8-bit RGBA (*.rgb) Portable pixmap (*.ppm) Utah/Wavefront color, type A (*.rla) Utah/Wavefront color, type B(*.rlb) Softimage color (*.pic) Alias color (*.alias) Abekas/Quantel, PAL (720x576) (*.qntpal) Abekas/Quantel, NTSC (720x486) (*.qntntsc) Mental images, 8-bit color (*.ct)

Methods to Increase Rendering Quality

The quality of the image file can vary depending on the options chosen in both SolidWorks and PhotoWorks. Generally speaking, rendering quality and rendering time are directly proportional. Some choices to improve image quality are listed below.
Note:

Not all of these options were covered during this introduction to PhotoWorks. For additional information about PhotoWorks, ask your teacher about getting a copy of PhotoWorks Step-By-Step: A Self-Study Guide to Photorealistic Rendering. It is available from your schools value-added SolidWorks reseller.

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Lesson 4: PhotoWorks

Increase SolidWorks image quality. PhotoWorks uses the tessellated data of the shaded SolidWorks models when importing those models for rendering. Increasing shaded image quality reduces jagged edges on curved surfaces. Increase the number of pixels rendered. Use a high dot per inch setting to render more pixels. Enable ray tracing. Ray tracing allows light to reflect from, and refract through, solids. Use a higher anti-aliasing setting. Higher settings for anti-aliasing reduce the jagged appearance of edges that are not vertical or horizontal. Increase shadow quality. Increasing shadow quality improves the edges of shadows. Enable indirect lighting. Indirect lighting adds light to surfaces that has been reflected by other surfaces. Enable caustics. Caustics add realism by adding the highlights caused by light refracting through transparent materials. Enable global illumination. Global illumination adds all forms of indirect illumination other than caustic effects. This includes color information and strength.

How Many Pixels to Render

For the highest quality output with the most efficient file size, we need to determine the correct size to render the image. As a general rule, do not scale up bitmap images. This causes loss of definition. Images may be scaled down, but the original file will be larger than necessary.
Dpi Versus Ppi

Dots per inch (dpi) and pixels per inch (ppi) are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are actually different. Dots per inch are the number of dots printed per linear inch. Pixels per inch measures the resolution of an image projected on a display.
Calculating Correct Number of Pixels

Question: How do you calculate the number of pixels to render for the final output? Answer: Work backwards from the output. For general reference, web images use a resolution of 72 dpi. Newspapers use resolutions from 125 dpi to 170 dpi. High-quality brochures and magazines use
Output Options

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resolutions from 200 dpi to 400 dpi. For books, the range is generally from 175 dpi to 350 dpi. PowerPoint presentations are normally 96 ppi. If the output will be to a printer, and you want to make the image look like a photograph, you may need 300, 600 or 1200 dots per inch. Multiply the printer resolution in dots per inch (dpi) times the desired size in inches. The correct number of pixels can be calculated and entered directly, or you can specify the size of the image in inches or centimeters and the dots per inch and let PhotoWorks calculate the result.
Example #1

Suppose we want to include a rendering of the Race Car in a Microsoft Word report which we are going to print on a 300 dpi printer. We want the image to be 5 inches wide and 3.75 inches high. Multiplying the size of the desired image times the printers dpi gives 1500 by 1125 pixels.
1 Render to file.

For good print quality, render this image as a TIFF file. This will result in a large file but with excellent definition. Click Render to File from the PhotoWorks toolbar. Set the Look in directory to the Race Car folder. Select 8-bit RGBA TIFF for the Format. Name the file Race Car.tif. Select Fixed aspect ratio. Select Inches for Image size. Enter 5.00 for Width. Enter 3.75 for Height.

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Example #2

Suppose we want to incorporate our rendering into a PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint presentations generally use images that are 96 dip. We want the image to be 5.5 inches wide.
5 - = ----------------------------5.5 To maintain the same aspect ratio, calculate the correct height: --------3.75 NewHeight

Solving, we get 3.75 5.5 = 5 NewHeight or 20.625 = 5 NewHeight = 4.125 Multiplying the size of the desired image times 96 dpi gives 528 by 396 pixels. This yields a file size of about 816 KB.
2 Save and close. Save and Close all open files.

Output Options

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Lesson 5 Analysis

When you complete this lesson, you will be able to:

Modify the Rear Wing of the Race Car Block to increase the mass Apply the Measure tool Apply the Mass Properties tool Apply SolidWorks SimulationXpress to the Axle-A part Modify the material on the Axle-A part and re-run SimulationXpress Save the SolidWorks SimulationXpress analysis Apply SolidWorks Flow Simulation to the initial Race Car Block assembly Apply SolidWorks Flow Simulation to the final Race Car assembly Compare the results Save the SolidWorks Flow Simulation analysis

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Modify the Rear Wing

In Lesson 2, you created the Race Car assembly. You applied the Mass Properties tool and calculated the mass of the Race Car without paint, decals, sanding, etc. as 54.98grams. Increase the size of the rear wing to increase the total mass of the Race Car assembly.
1 Open the Race Car Assembly.

Click Open

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Browse to the location of the Race Car assembly. Open the Race Car assembly.

The Race Car assembly is displayed.

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Open the Race Car Block Part.

Right-click Race Car Block from the FeatureManager. Click Open Part from the Context toolbar. The Race Car Block FeatureManager is displayed.
3 Display the Rear Wind.

Click Hidden Lines Removed from the Heads-up View toolbar. view from the HeadsClick Right up View toolbar. Press the f key to fit the model to the graphics area. Drag the Rollback bar below Extrude5. Expand Extrude5. Right-click Sketch9. Click Exit Sketch Context toolbar. from the

Modify the Rear Wing

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Zoom in on the rear wing. 4 Modify the Height of the Rear Wing. Double-click the 8 text dimension.

Enter 10 in the Modify dialog box. Click the Rebuild tool. in

Click the Green check mark the Modify dialog box.

5

Modify the Width of the Rear Wing. Double-click the 18 text dimension.

Enter 22 in the Modify dialog box. Click the Rebuild tool. in

Click the Green check mark the Modify dialog box.

Click OK from the Dimension PropertyManager. View the modified rear wing dimensions. Click the Rebuild tool.

Drag the Rollback bar below VarFillet1 in the FeatureManager as illustrated. Click Shaded
6 Save the model.

from the Heads-up View toolbar. view from the Heads-up View toolbar.

Click Isometric Click Save

7

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Return to the Race Car Assembly.

Click File, Close from the Menu bar menu. The Race Car assembly is displayed. Click Yes to rebuild.

Calculate the new Mass

You modified the height and width of the rear wing. Compare the original design to the modified design. Apply the Mass Properties tool. Measure the overall mass of the Race Car assembly.

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Apply the Mass Properties tool. Click the Evaluate tab.

Click the Mass Properties tool from the Evaluate toolbar. The Mass Properties dialog box is displayed. Click the Options button. Check the Use custom settings box. Select 4 for Decimal place.

Click OK from the Mass/ Section Property Options box. View the new mass of the Race Car assembly. The new mass is approximately 55.31grams vs. 54.98. Click Close from the Mass Properties dialog box. Explore design changes to your Race Car assembly. Make sure that your final configuration meets the race contest requirements.

Apply the Measure tool

Apply the Measure tool to measure your modifications to the rear wing. You modified the rear wing in the Race Car Block. Confirm your modified dimensions.

Apply the Measure tool

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Apply the Measure tool.

Click the Measure tool from the Evaluate toolbar. The Measure - Race Car dialog box is displayed. Right-click Clear Selections in the Selections box. Click Top toolbar.
2

view from the Heads-up View

Measure the width of the rear wing. Click the front edge of the rear

wing. Click the back edge of the rear wing. 22mm is displayed.
3 Measure the height of the rear wing. Right-click Clear Selections in

the Selections box. Click Right view.

Click Hidden Lines Removed from the Heads-up View toolbar. Click the bottom edge of the rear wing. Click the top point of the rear wing. View the dimensions.
Close the Measure - Race

Car dialog box. Click Shaded With Edges from the Heads-up View toolbar. Click Isometric
4 Save the model.

view.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Click Window, Close All from the Menu bar menu. All models are closed.

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Stress Analysis of the Axle

In this section, you will use SolidWorks SimulationXpress to quickly analyze the Axle-A part which is used in the Race Car assembly. Performing an analysis is very quick and easy to do. There are only five steps required: 1. Define material on the part. 2. Apply restraints. 3. Apply loads. 4. Analyze the part. 5. Optimize the part, (Optional). 6. View the results. After performing a first-pass analysis on the Axle-A part and assessing its safety, you will change the material and rerun the analysis.

Design Analysis
After building your design in SolidWorks, you may need to answer questions like: Will the part break? How will it deform? Can I use less material without affecting performance? In the absence of analysis tools, expensive prototype-test design cycles take place to ensure that the products performance meets customer expectations. Design analysis makes it possible to perform design cycles quickly and inexpensively on computer models instead of testing costly physical prototypes. Even when manufacturing costs are not important considerations, design analysis provides significant product quality benefits, enabling engineers to detect design problems far sooner than the time it takes to build a prototype. Design analysis also facilitates studies of many design options and aids in developing optimized designs.

Stress Analysis
Stress analysis or static analysis is the most common design analysis test. It predicts how the model deforms under loading. It calculates displacements, strains, and stresses throughout the part based on material, restraints, and loads. A material fails when the stress reaches a certain level. Different materials fail at different stress levels. SolidWorks SimulationXpress uses linear static analysis, based on the Finite Element Method (FEM), to calculate stresses.

Stress Analysis of the Axle

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Linear static analysis makes the following assumptions to calculate stresses in the part:

Linearity Assumption. Means that the induced response is directly proportional to the applied loads. Elasticity Assumption. Indicates that the part returns to its original shape if the loads are removed. Static Assumption. Implies that loads are applied slowly and gradually until they reach their full magnitudes.

User Interface
SolidWorks SimulationXpress guides you through six steps to define material properties, restraints, loads; to analyze the part; optimize the part; and to view your results. The SolidWorks SimulationXpress interface consists of the following components:
Welcome tab: Allows you to set the default units and to specify a folder for saving the analysis results. Material tab: Applies material properties to the part. The material can be assigned from the material library or you can input the material properties. Restraint tab: Apply restraints to faces of the part. Load tab: Apply forces and pressures to faces of the part. Analyze tab: You can select to analyze with the default settings or change the

settings.
Optimize tab: Optimize a model dimension based on a specified criterion. Results tab: View analysis results in the following ways:

Show critical areas where the factor of safety is less than a specified value. Display the stress distribution in the model with or without annotation for the maximum and minimum stress values. Display resultant displacement distribution in the model with or without annotation for the maximum and minimum displacement values. Show deformed shape of the model. Generate an HTML report. Generate eDrawings files for the analysis results. Start Over button: Click this button to delete existing analysis data and results and start a new analysis session.

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Update button: Runs SolidWorks SimulationXpress analysis if the restraints and

loads are resolved. Otherwise, it gives a message and you need to resolve the invalid restraints or loads. The Update button appears if you change geometry after applying loads or restraints. It also appears if you change material properties, restraints, loads, or geometry after completing the analysis. Once any of these is changed, exclamation marks appear on the Analyze and Results tabs. An exclamation mark on the Restraint or Load tab indicates that a restraint or load became invalid after a change in geometry.

Analyze the Axle-A Part

Browse to the downloaded Analysis folder and open the Axle-A part in this section. Perform a stress analysis on the Axle-A part. The Axle-A part is a renamed part of Axle that is used in the Race Car assembly.

Analyze the Axle-A Part

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Open the Axle-A Part

1 Open the Axle-A part.

Click Open from the Menu Bar toolbar. Select the folder in which you downloaded the Analysis folder. Set Files of type: Part. Double-click Axle-A. The Axle-A part is displayed in the graphics area.
2 Change the view orientation.

If the part is not displayed in an Isometric view, click Isometric View toolbar.
3

view from the Heads-up

Review the material. Right-click 2024 Alloy in the FeatureManager.

Click Edit Material. The physical material properties are displayed in the Materials dialog box.

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Note: 4

The 2024 Alloy material properties are used in SimulationXpress.

Return to the FeatureManager. Click Close from the Materials dialog box.

Analyze the Axle-A Part

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SolidWorks SimulationXpress
Once the part is open in SolidWorks, you can launch the SolidWorks SimulationXpress application and start your analysis right away. On the Options dialog box, you can set the default system of units and the destination folder for the analysis results.
Systems of Units

The following table lists the quantities used by SimulationXpress and their units in different systems of units: SI Loads Force Pressure Material Properties Ex: Elastic modulus NUXY: Poissons ratio SIGYLD: Yield Strength DENS: Mass density Results Equivalent Stress N (Newton) N/m2 N/m2 No units English (IPS) lb (pound) psi (lb/in2) psi (lb/in2) No units Metric Kgf Kgf/cm2 Kgf/cm2 No units

N/m2

psi (lb/in2)

Kgf/cm2

Kg/m3 N/m2

lb/in3 psi (lb/in2)

Kg/cm3 Kgf/cm2

Table 1: Systems of units used in SimulationXpress

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Running SimulationXpress and Setting Analysis Options

1 Run SolidWorks SimulationXpress. Click Tools, SimulationXpress

from the Menu Bar menu. The SolidWorks SimulationXpress application starts with the Welcome tab selected.
Tip:

You can quickly run SimulationXpress by clicking SimulationXpress Analysis Wizard from the Evaluate tab in the CommandManager.
Set System units. Click the Options button from

the Welcome screen. Set System of units to SI,

(MMGS).

Set the Results location to the Analysis folder. Click Next>.

SolidWorks SimulationXpress

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Assigning Material
The response of the part depends on the material it is made of. SimulationXpress must know the elastic properties of the material of your part. You can pick a material from the SolidWorks material library or define your own material properties. SimulationXpress uses the following material properties to perform stress analysis.
Elastic Modulus (EX). For a linear

elastic material, the elastic modulus is the stress required to cause a unit strain in the material. In other words, stress divided by the associated strain. The modulus of elasticity was first introduced by Young and is often called the Youngs Modulus.
Poissons Ratio (NUXY). Extension of the material in the longitudinal direction

is accompanied by shrinking in the lateral directions. For example, if a body is subjected to a tensile stress in the X-direction, then Poissons Ratio NUXY is defined as the ratio of lateral strain in the Y-direction divided by the longitudinal strain in the X-direction. Poissons ratios are dimensionless quantities. If not defined, the program assumes a default value of 0.
Yield Strength (SIGYLD). SimulationXpress uses this material property to calculate the factor of safety distribution. SimulationXpress assumes that the material starts yielding when the equivalent (von Mises) stress reaches this value. Mass Density (DENS). The density is mass per unit volume. Density units are lb/

in3 in the English system, and kg/m3 in the SI system. SimulationXpress uses the mass density to include mass properties of the part in the report file.

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Assigning Material
1 Assign Material. Click 2024 Alloy as illustrated.

Click Apply. Click Next>.

Applying Restraints
A part that is not restrained will travel indefinitely in the direction of the applied load as a rigid body. In the Restraint section, you define how the Axle-A part is fastened in the analysis. The restrained faces are fixed in space. You must restrain one face of the part to prevent the analysis program from stopping, due to instability caused by rigid body motion.

Applying Restraints

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Applying a Restraint
1 Apply a restraint.

The Restraint tab is activated. The Restraint section collects information on where the Axle-A part is fixed. You can specify multiple sets of restraints. Each set can have multiple faces.

Name the restraint. Click Next>.

Delete the Restraint1 text. Enter Fix Axle-A at the ends.

Note:

It is recommended that you use meaningful names for the restraints.

Select the restrained faces. Click the outside right face of the

Axle-A part. Click the outside left face of the AxleA part as illustrated. Face <1> and Face<2> are displayed in the Selection box. Click Next>.
Note:

To add a new restraint set, click Add. To edit or delete an existing set, perform the proper functions in the box.

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Applying a Load
Using the Load tab, you can specify the loads acting on the part. A load can either be a force or a pressure. You can apply multiple loads to a single face or to multiple faces. The direction of a force can be specified with respect to planes or normal to selected faces. The pressure is always applied normal to selected faces.

Applying a Load

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Applying a Load
1 Apply a load. Click Next>. Collect information on loads

acting on the Axle-A part. You can specify multiple sets of forces or pressures. Each set can have multiple faces. Click Next>.
2 Select a load type. Select Force.

Click Next>.
3 Enter a name for the force. Delete the Load1 text.

Enter 1N for load text.

4 Select the face to which the force is applied. Click the cylindrical face of the Axle-A part.

Face <1> is displayed in the selection box. Click Next>.

Specify the direction and magnitude of the force. Check the Normal to a reference plane box.

Click Top Plane from the FeatureManager. Check the flip direction box. The force arrows point downwards. Click Next>.
6 Analyze the results. Click Next>.

The Analyze tab opens.

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Running the Analysis

The Analyze tab allows you to run the analysis. SimulationXpress prepares the model for analysis and then calculates displacements, strains, and stresses. The first phase in the analysis is meshing. Meshing is basically splitting the geometry into small, simple-shaped pieces called finite elements. Design analysis uses finite elements to calculate the models response to the applied loads and restraints. SimulationXpress estimates a default element size for the model based on its volume, surface area, and other geometric details. You can instruct SimulationXpress to use the default element size or you can use a different element size. After meshing the model successfully, the second phase starts automatically. SimulationXpress formulates the equations governing the behavior of each element taking into consideration its connectivity to other elements. These equations relate the displacements to known material properties, restraints, and loads. The program then organizes the equations into a large set of simultaneous algebraic equations. The solver finds the displacements in the X, Y, and Z directions at each node. Using the displacements, the program calculates the strains in various directions. Finally, the program uses mathematical expressions to calculate stresses.

Running the Analysis

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Running the Analysis

1 Use the default settings. Check Yes (recommended).

Click Next>.
2 Run the analysis. Click Run.

The analysis starts. When the analysis is complete, a check mark is displayed on the Analyze tab and the Results tab.

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Viewing Results
Viewing results is an essential step in the analysis process. This is the step in which you evaluate how good your design is at withstanding the specified working conditions. This step should lead you to make important decisions about whether to accept the design and move to prototyping, make further improvements on the design, or try additional sets of loads and restraints. The first screen of the Results tab lists the lowest factor of safety (FOS) of the model under the specified load and restraint. SimulationXpress uses the maximum von Mises stress criterion to calculate the factors of safety. This criterion states that a ductile material starts to yield when the equivalent stress (von Mises stress) reaches the yield strength of the material. The yield strength (SIGYLD) is defined as a material property. SimulationXpress calculates the factor of safety (FOS) at a point by dividing the yield strength by the equivalent stress at that point.
Interpretation of factor of safety values:

A factor of safety less than 1.0 at a location indicates that the material at that location has yielded and that the design is not safe. A factor of safety of 1.0 at a location indicates that the material at that location has just started to yield. A factor of safety greater than 1.0 at a location indicates that the material at that location has not yielded. The material at a location will start to yield if you apply new loads equal to the current loads multiplied by the resulting factor of safety.

Viewing Results

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Viewing the Results

1 View the results.

The factor of safety of the Axle-A part is approximately 68.92. This indicated that the current design is safe or over-designed.
2 Modify the factor of safety. Enter 10 in the Show me critical

areas of the model where FOS is below box. Click the Show me button. The following plot is displayed. Regions in blue have factors of safety greater than 10 (over-designed regions). Regions in red have factors of safety less than 10. All areas are displayed in blue.

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Lesson 5: Analysis

Optimizing the model

The Optimize tab allows you to perform an optimization analysis after completing the stress analysis on the Analyze tab. The software tries to find the optimal value for one model dimension while satisfying a specified criterion:

Factor of Safety Maximum Stress Maximum displacement

You can either input your desired Factor of Safety or allow SimulationXpress to calculate factor of Safety based on the upper and lower limits. Do not perform the Optimization process at this time.

Optimizing the model

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Stresses
When loads are applied to a body, the body tries to absorb its effects by developing internal forces that, in general, vary from one point to another. The intensity of these internal forces is called stress. The unit of stress is force per unit area. In SimulationXpress you can view a stress quantity called the equivalent (or von Mises) stress. While the equivalent stress at a point does not uniquely define the state of stress at that point, it provides adequate information to assess the safety of the design for many ductile materials. The equivalent stress has no direction. It is fully defined by magnitude with stress units (i.e., force/area). SimulationXpress uses the von Mises Yield Criterion to calculate the factors of safety at different points of the model.

Stress Distribution
1 View the Stress distribution of the part. Click Next>.

Click the No box. Do not perform the optimization process at this time. Click Next>. Check the Show me the stress distribution in the model box. Click Next>.

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View the stresses.

The stress plot is displayed in the graphics area.

Animating the Stress Plot

Start the animation. Click Play. Stop the animation. Click Stop. Save the animation. Click Save. The Save As dialog box opens. Click Save from the Save As dialog box to accept the file type and name for the animation file.
Note:

SimulationXpress saves the animation file in the folder specified in the Options dialog box unless you change this folder when you save the animation in the previous step.

Save the Analysis Data and Close SimulationXpress

1 Close SimulationXpress. Click Close.

Save the Analysis Data and Close SimulationXpress

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Save the analysis data. Click Yes to the message window.

Modify the Axle-A Material

SimulationXpress provides the ability to ask the question, can you reduce the Axle-A material thickness without affecting performance or even modify the material? Modify the material from 2014 Alloy to AISI 304. Rerun the analysis and compare the results.
1 Modify the material in the FeatureManager. Right-click 2024 Alloy in the FeatureManager.

Click Edit Material. The Materials dialog box is displayed. Expand Steel. Click AISI 304. Click Apply. Click Close.
2 Run Simulationpress. Click Tools, SimulationXpress

from the Menu Bar menu. Exclamation marks are displayed on the Analyze and Results tabs to indicate that you need to reanalyze the model and that existing results do not belong to the current model geometry. An Update button is displayed at the lower left corner of the SimulationXpress window.

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Update the analysis. Click the Update button.

The analysis starts. When the analysis is complete, the Results tab opens and the Factor of Safety for the modified model is now approximately 146.65. Click Next>.

Run the Optimization process

1 Run Optimization. Check the Yes box.

Click Next>. Enter 52 as illustrated.

Note:

Remember, approximately 68.92 was calculated using 2014 Alloy. Click Next>. Click Extrude1 in the FeatureManager. View the dimensions in the graphics area.

Run the Optimization process

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Click the 3 diameter in the graphics area. D1@Sketch1@Axle-A Part is displayed. Click Next>. Click the Optimize button. This may take a few minutes.
Note:

In Lesson 2 the mass of the Axle with 2014 Alloy was .9898 grams. The diameter was 3.00mm. The Optimized design with the Axle using AISI 304 material has a 2.46mm diameter or 32.87% less material with a Safety Factor of 52. Click Close. Click No.

View the new diameter of the model.

Double-click Extrude1 from the FeatureManager to view the new diameter.

3 Close all models.

Click Window, Close All from the Menu bar menu. You are finished with this section.

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SolidWorks Flow Simulation

During this lesson, you will use SolidWorks Flow Simulation to analyze the aerodynamics of the initial Race Car Block assembly and the final Race Car assembly. Think of SolidWorks Flow Simulation as a virtual wind tunnel in this section.
Note:

The initial Race Car Block assembly configuration was created for you to save time and is located in the Flow Simulation folder which you downloaded.

What is SolidWorks Flow Simulation? SolidWorks Flow Simulation is the only fluid flow analysis tool for designers that is fully embedded inside SolidWorks. With this software you can analyze the solid model directly. You can also easily set up units, fluid type and fluid substances and more by using the wizard. There are several steps to the analysis: 1. Create a design in SolidWorks. SolidWorks Flow Simulation can analyze parts, assemblies, sub-assemblies and multi-bodies. 2. Create a project file in SolidWorks Flow Simulation. SolidWorks Flow Simulation projects will contain all the settings and results of a problem and each project that is associated with a SolidWorks configuration. 3. Run the analysis. This is sometimes called solving. 4. View the SolidWorks Flow Simulation results which include: Results Plots: - Vectors, Contours, and Isolines - Cut Plots, Surface, Flow Trajectories, and Isosurfaces Processed Results: - XY Plots (Microsoft Excel) - Goals (Microsoft Excel) - Surface Parameters - Point Parameters - Reports (Microsoft Word) - Reference Fluid Temperatures
Fluid Flow Analysis

Fluid flow analysis is used to dynamically study the action of liquids such as water and oil, or gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, air, etc. The simulation of a weather report, tsunami information or auto traffic are phenomena of fluid flow analysis.

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The benefits of fluid flow analysis are energy conservation and heat transfer. Energy Conservation: The overall stress load of an engine can be lessened by analyzing its structure and weight, while a fluid flow analysis can gather combustion efficiency data to improve the power output. Heat Transfer: Refers to the physics of the exchange of energy in the form of temperature. For example, in a nuclear reactor, the radioactive degradation does not directly produce electrical energy. It is the heat energy which is transmitted into water to produce steam which drives the turbines to produce electricity. Fluid flow analysis is used in many fields of the manufacturing industry:

Aerodynamic design and machine

Fans and power generating windmills

Cooling and heating

Predicting the potency of a temperature transfer

Fluid centered machines

Pumps, compressors, and valves

Electrical devices

Personal computers and exothermic measurements of precise electrical devices

Transport machinery

Cars, ships, and airplanes (engines are another)

Why Do Design Analysis?

After building your design in SolidWorks, you may need to answer questions like:

Will the part run quickly? How will it handle air resistance? Can I use less material without affecting performance?

In the absence of analysis tools, expensive prototype-test design cycles take place to ensure that the products performance meets customer expectations. Design analysis makes it possible to perform design cycles quickly and inexpensively on computer models instead. Even when manufacturing costs are not important considerations, design analysis provides significant product quality benefits, enabling engineers to detect design problems far sooner than the time it takes to build a prototype. Design analysis also facilitates the study of many design options and aids in developing optimized designs. Quick and inexpensive analysis often reveals non-intuitive solutions and benefits engineers by allowing them to better understand the products behavior.

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Check Before Using SolidWorks Simulation Flow

Make sure SolidWorks Flow Simulation software is installed. Click Tools, Add-ins from the Menu bar menu. Check the SolidWorks Flow Simulation
2009 box.

Click OK from the Add-Ins dialog box.

Note: Tip:

The Flow Simulation tab is display in the CommandManager with an active document. Select tools from the Flow Simulation CommandManager.

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Lets Analyze the Initial Race Car Block

1 Open the Race Car assembly from the Flow Simulation folder. Click Open from the Menu bar toolbar. Browse to the Flow Simulation

folder.
2

Double-click Race Car. The Race Car assembly (Initial Block) configuration is displayed in the graphics area. The Race Car (Initial Block) assembly configuration was created for you to save time.

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Create a Simulation Flow Project 3 Click the Flow Simulation tab from the CommandManager. from the Flow Simulation Click Wizard CommandManager. The Wizard dialog box is displayed. View your options.
Configuration a project name. Click the Create new box.

Accept the Configuration name:

Initial Block (1).

Click Next>.

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Note:

All required analysis data for this project is saved in this SolidWorks model configuration.
Set the Unit System. Click SI(m-kg-s) in the Unit

system box. Click inside the Velocity/

Units box.

Select Mile/hour.

Scroll down to view the

Loads&Motion option.

Expand the Loads&Motion folder. Click inside the Force/Units box. Select Grams force. Click Next>.
Gram-force

Gram-force is a unit of force, approximately equal to the weight of 1-gram mass on earth. However, the local gravitational acceleration g varies with latitude, altitude, and location on the planet. So to be precise, one gram-force is the force that a 1-gram mass exerts at a place where the acceleration due to gravity is 9.80665 meters per second per second.
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Set Analysis Type and Physical Features. Click External as the Analysis type.

Check the Exclude cavities without flow conditions box. Check the Exclude internal space box. Select Z for Reference axis.
Note:

The Reference axis is chosen so that an angular velocity vector can be aligned with the Reference axis.

Note:

An internal analysis examines enclosed flow pathways while an external analysis examines open flow paths. You would use an internal analysis for something like an exhaust manifold for an automobile engine. Click Next>.

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Set Default Fluid. Expand the Gases folder.

Click Air. Click the Add button.

Tip:

You can also double-click Air, or drag and drop it from one list to the other.

Note:

SolidWorks Flow Simulation has a database library of several liquids and gases which is called the Engineering Database. With this database you can create your own materials. SolidWorks Flow Simulation can analyze either incompressible liquids or compressible gases but not both during the same run. You can also specify other advanced physical features which the program should take into account. Click Next>.

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Set Wall Conditions.

Accept the default values: Adiabatic wall and

Roughness = 0 micrometer.

Click Next>.
9 Set Initial and Ambient Conditions.

Double-click inside the

Velocity in Z direction Value

box.

Enter -55 mile/h. Approximately -24.58 m/s.

Note:

The minus sign is important! It indicates that the air is flowing towards the car. In the real world, the car would be moving through stationary air. In a wind tunnel, the car is stationary and the air is moving. You can think of this Flow Simulation example as a virtual wind tunnel. The car is stationary and the air is moving. Click Next>.

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10 Set Results and Geometry Resolution. Set the Result resolution to 4. This will yield acceptably accurate results in a

reasonable amount of time.

Click the Finish button.

11 View the model in the Graphics area. Zoom out to view the

Computational Domain in the graphics area.

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Computational Domain SolidWorks Flow Simulation calculations are performed inside a volume called the Computational Domain. The boundaries of this volume are parallel to the global coordinate system planes. For external flows, the size of the Computational Domain is automatically calculated based on the size of the model. In the illustration at the right, the black box represents the Computational Domain.
Modifying the Computational Domain

Why modify the Computational Domain:

Size

We are going to reduce the size of the Computational Domain in order to reduce solving time, at the expense of accuracy. A smaller domain means there are fewer fluid cells to calculate. Using the default sizes for the domain could result in solving times in excess of 1.5 hours even on a moderately fast computer. Such solving times are not practical in a school environment.
1 Display the Flow Simulation analysis tree. Click the Flow Simulation analysis tree tab.

Expand the Input Data folder.

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Set the Computational Domain size.

Right-click the
Computational Domain

folder. Click Edit Definition. Input the following values on the Size tab:

X min X max Y min Y max Z min Z max

= - 0.16 m = 0.16 m = - 0.15 m = 0.15 m = - 0.21 m = 0.31 m

Click OK.
3 Results.

The resulting Computational Domain is displayed in the graphics area. Setting Goals You can specify the following four engineering goals:

Global Goal

A physical parameter calculated within the entire Computational Domain.

Surface Goal

A physical parameter calculated on a user-specified face of the model.

Volume Goal

A physical parameter calculated within a user-specified space inside the Computational Domain, either in the fluid or solid.

Equation Goal

A goal defined by an equation with the specified goals or parameters of the specified projects input data features as variables.

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Insert Global Goals. Right-click the Goals folder.

Click Insert Global Goals. The Global Goals PropertyManager is displayed.

Tip:

Drag the boundary of the PropertyManager window to the right to make it wider. This makes it easier to read the parameter names.
Set the goal for drag. Scroll down to view Z - Component of Force under the Parameters

column. Check the Max (Maximum) box. Click OK from the Global Goals PropertyManager. View the update in the FeatureManager.
6 Insert a second Global Goal. Right-click the Goals folder.

Click Insert Global Goals in the Flow Simulation analysis tree.

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Set the Goal for lift. Scroll down to view Y - Component of Force under the Parameters

column. Check the Max (Maximum) box. Click OK from the Global Goals PropertyManager. View the update in the FeatureManager.

Rename the goals.

Two goal icons are displayed in the Flow Simulation analysis tree. Rename the GGZ - Component of Force 1 to Drag. Rename the GGY - Component of Force 1 to Lift.

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Running the Analysis

1 Run the analysis. Click Run from the Flow

Simulation CommandManager. The Run dialog box is displayed. View the options. Click the Run button.
2 Solver information.

The Solver dialog box is displayed. On the left of the window is a log of each step taken in the solution process. On the right is an information window with mesh information and any warnings concerning the analysis.
Note: 3

The analysis can take up to 25 minutes.

Pause the calculation.

After about 60 interrelations, button click the Suspend on the Solver toolbar. This suspends the calculations so you can explore some of the different types of previews.
4 Preview the Velocity. Click the Insert Preview

tool on the Solver toolbar. The Preview Settings dialog box is displayed. Select Right Plane for Plane name. Select Contours for Mode.

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Click the Settings tab from the Preview Settings dialog box. Select Velocity for Parameter. View your options. Click OK.

View the Preview box.

The Plot preview is displayed in its own window. View the results.
Close the Preview

window.

Preview the Pressure. Click the Insert Preview

tool on the Solver toolbar. The Preview Settings dialog box is displayed.

Select Right Plane for Plane name. Select Contours for Mode. Click the Settings tab. Select Pressure for Parameter. Click OK. View the results.

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Resume the Calculation. Close the

Preview window. Click the

Suspend

button on the Solver toolbar.

8 Completion.

The status bar at the bottom of the window indicates when the Solver is finished.

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Close the Solver vindow. Click File, Close from the

Solver dialog box.

10 Hide the Computational Domain. Right-click the Computational Domain folder.

Click Hide.
11 Save the document.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

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Viewing the Results

Once the calculation finishes, you can view the saved calculation results through numerous Flow Simulation options in a customized manner directly within the graphics area. The results options are:

Cut Plots (section view of parameter distribution) Section Plots (generates contours of the results on the specified sections) Flow Trajectories (streamlines and particle trajectories) Goal Plot (behavior of the specified goals during the calculation) XY Plots (parameter change along a curve, sketch) Surface Parameters (getting parameters at specified surfaces) Point Parameters (getting parameters at specified points) Report (project report output into Microsoft Word) Animation of results

We will view Section plots, Surface plots and Flow trajectories next.

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Accessing the Results

1 If needed, load the results. Right-click the Results folder in the

Flow Simulation analysis tree. Click Load Results. The Load Results dialog box is displayed.
Note:

If Unload Results is displayed, the results have already been loaded. Double-click 1.fld.

Change the View settings.

Right-click the Results folder. Click View Settings. Click Pressure from the drop-down menu for Parameter Setting. Enter 100900 for Min. Enter 101700 for Max. Click the Apply button. Click OK from the View Settings dialog box.
Note:

The reason we do not use the default values is because if we make a design change to the car and re-run the analysis, the minimum and maximum pressure values will be different. That means red would represent one pressure on one plot and a different pressure on a different plot. Using the same minimum and maximum settings for each analysis allows for meaningful comparisons between different iterations of the design.

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Create a Section Plot. Right-click the Cut Plots folder.

Click Insert. The Cut Plot PropertyManager is displayed. Front Plane is selected by default. Expand Race Car from the fly-out FeatureManager. View the features. Click Right Plane from the fly-out FeatureManager. Right Plane is displayed in the Selection Plane or Planer Face box. Click the View Settings button in the Cut Plot PropertyManager. The View Settings dialog box is displayed.

Click the Contours tab. Click Velocity from the dropdown menu for the Parameter Setting. Click the Apply button. Click OK from the View Settings dialog box.
4 View the Section Plot.

Click OK from the Cut Plot PropertyManager. View the plot in the graphics area.
Note:

You may need to click the

Hide FeatureManager Tree Area tab to view the total plot.

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View the results.

Click Right view from the Heads-up View toolbar. View the results.
Note:

Click the FeatureManager tree tab if needed to view the Velocity scale in the graphics area.

Note:

View the high velocity areas around the model in red and orange.

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Create a second Cut Plot. Right-click the Cut Plots folder.

Click Insert. Front Plane is selected by default.

Change the Selected Plane.

Expand the Race Car assembly from the fly-out FeatureManager. Click Right Plane from the fly-out FeatureManager. Right Plane is displayed in the Selection Plane or Planer Face box. Click the View Settings button.

Click the Contours tab.

8 View the Settings. Click Pressure from

the drop-down menu for Parameter Setting. View the Min 100900 value. View the Max 101700 value. Click the Apply button.

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Click OK from the View Settings dialog box. Click OK from the Cut Plot PropertyManager. Cut Plot 2 is displayed in the Flow Simulation analysis tree.
Note: 9

If needed, click the FeatureManager tree tab as illustrated to view the full Graphics area.
View the second Plot.

Click Right View the plot.

view from the Heads-up View toolbar.

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10 Hide the Section Plots.

Right-click the Cut Plots folder. Click Hide All. View the model in the graphics area.
11 Display an Isometric view.

Click Isometric toolbar.

from the Hands-on View

12 Save the document. Click Save from the Menu bar toolbar.

13 Insert a Surface Plot.

Right-click Surface Plots in the Flow Simulation analysis tree. Click Insert. Un-check the Use all faces box. Click Race Car from the fly-out FeatureManager. View the selected surfaces. Note: This may take 1 - 2 minutes. Click the Contours box. Click OK from the Surface Plot PropertyManager. A status box is displayed.

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14 Surface plot results. The Surface Plot displays the pressure distribution on the selected model faces or

SolidWorks surfaces. Rotate the model in the graphics area to view the surfaces and their color.
Note:

The drag force is equal to the pressure multiplied by the area. You can see in the Surface Plot that rounding off the nose of the body results in a much smaller area of high pressure. This means we have reduced the drag force on the body of the Race Car. Adding a front wing would reduce the high pressure in front of the Wheels and provides a down force for the Race Car.

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Interpreting the Results Red indicates areas of high pressure. Blue indicates areas of low pressure. By looking at the Surface plot we can see that the pressure is highest on the front of the Initial Car Block and the front surface of the front wheels.
15 Hide the Surface plot.

Right-click Surface Plot 1. Click Hide. This hides the Surface plot so we can more easily see the flow trajectories.
Note:

Click Show to display the Surface plot.

Flow Trajectories Flow trajectories are displayed as flow streamlines. Flow streamlines are curves where the flow velocity vector is tangent to that curve at any point on the curve.
Tip: 1

They are analogous to the streamers of smoke in a wind tunnel.

Inserting a flow trajectory.

Right-click Flow Trajectories in the Flow Simulation analysis tree. Click Insert. The Reference options is active. Right-click Clear Selections in the Selection box. Click the ten flat surfaces of the Race Car Block. Click the face of the four Wheels. Enter 50 for the Number of trajectories.

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Select Line with Arrow from the Draw trajectories drop-down menu. from the Flow Trajectories Click OK PropertyManager.
2 View the flow trajectory.

This type of display helps visualize how the air flows around the car. Rotate the model in the graphics area to view the turbulence around the front wheels and behind the block.
Note: 3

Click the Flow Trajectories tool in the Simulation toolbar to insert a new trajectory.
Save the document. Click Save from the Menu bar toolbar.

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Experiment With Other Flow Trajectories

There are two ways to experiment with flow trajectories:

Edit the definition of the existing plot Insert a new plot

If you create multiple flow trajectories, you can display them one at a time or you can display several at the same time. We will create some other flow trajectories.
4 Hide the flow trajectory.

Right-click Flow Trajectories 1. Click Hide.

5 Insert a new Flow Trajectory plot.

Right-click the Flow Trajectories folder. Click Insert. Right-click Clear Selections. Click Right Plane from the fly-out FeatureManager. Enter 200 for the Number of trajectories. Select Lines from the Draw trajectories drop-down menu. Click OK from the Flow Trajectories PropertyManager.
6 Display the Right view.

Click Right

view from the Heads-up View toolbar.

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Note: 1

Notice the turbulence in front and behind the body of the block.
Insert another new Flow Trajectory plot. Right-click Flow Trajectories 2.

Click Hide. Right-click the Flow Trajectories folder. Click Insert. Right-click Clear Selections. Click Isometric View toolbar. view from the Heads-up

Click the front face of the Race Car.

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Enter 50 for the Number of trajectories. Select Lines from the Draw trajectories drop-down menu. from the Flow Trajectories Click OK PropertyManager.
Tip:

The lower number of trajectory lines makes it easier to see if there is significant turbulence surrounding the model.

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The flow trajectories reveal several conditions:

The red color of the trajectories on the front body of the Race Car assembly indicates an area of high pressure. This pressure will effect the speed of the Race Car. The flow trajectories behind the wheels are fairly smooth indicating a lack of turbulence.

Hide all Flow Trajectories.

Right-click the Flow Trajectories folder. Click Hide All.

3 Save the document.

Click Save

from the Menu bar toolbar.

Quantitative Results The preceding examples of Surface plots and Flow trajectories are excellent tools for visualizing how air flows around a body. However, they are more qualitative than quantitative. Lets move on to a more quantitative interpretation of results.
Note: 1

Microsoft Excel is needed for the next section.

Create a Goals plot.

Click the Goals tool from the Flow Simulation tab. The Goals dialog box is displayed. Click the Add All button. Click OK.
2 Excel spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel is launched and a spreadsheet opens. Pay particular attention to the first three columns. They show the name of the goal, the units (gram-force, in this case) and the value.

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Note: 3

Numbers may vary slightly.

Save and close the assembly. Click File, Save. Accept the default name.

Click Save. Close the Excel spreadsheet. Units, Values, and Interpreting the Results As we discussed, gram-force is a unit of force approximately equal to the weight of a 1-gram mass on Earth. The drag on the car is a force. Grams are a unit of mass. So it is not accurate to say the drag is approximately -150.34 grams. The correct way to state the results is to say we have a drag force of approximately 150.34 grams-force and a downward lift force of approximately 10.01 gramsforce.

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Changing the Design

Based on the analysis of the Race Car (Initial Block) assembly configuration using SolidWorks Flow Simulation, we conclude that the shape of the body can be greatly improved. The easiest way to redo an analysis is to clone the SolidWorks Flow Simulation project we created for the Initial Block design. This way we dont have to repeat the work of adding the goals and defining the Computational Domain, but we can not reuse plots were new features were created on the final Default Race Car configuration. To save time, the Final Default configuration for this section is provided. Configurations allow you to represent more than one version of the part within a single SolidWorks file. For example, by suppressing the features and changing the dimension values of the model, the design can be altered easily without creating another new model.
Tip: Note:

An configuration may be changed to dimension of the different value. Both parts and assemblies can support configuration adjustments. Some of the Referenced faces of the car body dont exist in the Final Default configuration. They were eliminated when the cut features and fillets were applied to the body. Therefore, we must redefine the reference before we can display any plots. The Axle part was also modified in the Initial Block configuration to fix the assembly.
Clone the Project.

Right-click the Initial Block (1) configuration in the Flow Simulation analysis tree. Click Clone Project. Click Add to existing. Select Default for Existing configuration. Check the Copy results box. Click OK. The system will ask you if you want to reset the Computational Domain. Click No.

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Note:

To make it easier to do meaningful comparisons between the two sets of results, we want to use the same size Computational Domain. Also, resetting the domain would require us to redefine the symmetry conditions. That would be extra work.
Reset Mesh settings.

5 6

Do you want to reset mesh settings? Click Yes.

Run the solver. Click Run from the Flow Simulation

CommandManager toolbar. Click Run from the Run dialog box. This can take 10 - 15 minutes.
7 Completion.

The status bar at the bottom of the window indicates when the Solver is finished. Close the Solver dialog box.

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Examine the Results

1 Load the results. Click the Flow Simulation analysis tree

tab. Examine the results for the Default configuration. The Default configuration is the final configuration of the Race Car assembly.

Create a Flow Trajectory plot.

Right-click the Flow Trajectories folder. Click Insert. Click Isometric toolbar. view from the Heads-up View

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Click the front face of the Race Car.

Enter 50 for the Number of trajectories. Select Lines from the Draw trajectories drop-down menu. Click OK from the Flow Trajectories PropertyManager. Below are the two Flow Trajectory plots Race Car (Initial Block) vs. the final Default Race Car configuration. View the pressure areas.

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Modify the Flow Trajectory Plot.

Place your mouse pointer over Pressure (Pa) in the Graphics area as illustrated. Click Pressure (Pa). View the drop-down menu. Click Velocity. Click the green check mark. View the new Flow Trajectory Plot.

Hide all Flow Trajectories.

Right-click the Flow Trajectories folder. Click Hide All.

4 Save the document. Click Save from the Menu bar toolbar.

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Quantitative Results
Note: 1

Microsoft Excel is needed for the next section.

Create a Goals plot.

Click the Goals tool from the Flow Simulation tab. The Goals dialog box is displayed. Click the Add All button. Click OK.
2 Excel spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel is launched and a spreadsheet opens. Pay particular attention to the first three columns. They show the name of the goal, the units (gram-force, in this case) and the value.

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The drag value for the new design is 61.77 grams-force. The drag value of the original block was 150.32 grams-force.
Percentage Improvement

To find the percentage of improvement use this formula:

FinalValue InitialValue ------------------------------------------------------------------- 100 = PercentageChange InitialValue

For simplicity we will round to 2 decimal places. Substituting we get: The changes yielded about a 58.91% improvement in drag!
What About Lift?

It is interesting to note that the Initial Block design had a upward lift force of approximately 10.01 grams-force. The modified design has an downward lift force of about 26.62 grams-force. This is the effects of the Front Wing to keep the font end of the car down at high speeds.
3 Save and close Excel. Click Save. Close the Excel spreadsheet.

Examine the Results

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Engineering Design and Technology Series

4 5

Save the document. Click Save from the Menu bar toolbar. Close all models and dialog boxes. Click File, Close.

More to Explore
Using what you have learned, explore some additional design modifications. Or, better yet, start developing your own car body design. Using SolidWorks Flow Simulation as a virtual wind tunnel, you can experiment with many different ideas and approaches before you ever commit to cutting wood. Browse the Internet for ideas about designing your car. One excellent source is: http://www.science-of-speed.com Click on Showroom. With SolidWorks and SolidWorks Flow Simulation together you can easily explore many design variations. Have fun!

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Engineering Design and Technology Series

Lesson 5: Analysis

SolidWorks Flow Simulation

During this short session on using SolidWorks Flow Simulation, you have had a brief exposure to the main concepts of fluid-flow simulation. SolidWorks Flow Simulation gives you insight into parts and assemblies related to fluid flow, heat transfer, and forces on immersed or surrounded solids. The only fluid-flow simulation product fully integrated with SolidWorks, SolidWorks Flow Simulation is incredibly easy to use; you simply tell the software what youre interested in instead of having to translate analysis design goals into numerical criteria and iteration numbers.
Access physical fluid models for engineering applications. SolidWorks Flow

Simulation can analyze a wide range of real fluids such as air, water, juice, ice cream, honey, plastic melts, toothpaste, and blood, which makes it ideal for engineers in nearly every industry.
Simulate real-world operating conditions. SolidWorks Flow Simulation

includes several types of boundary conditions to represent real-life situations.

Automate fluid-flow tasks. SolidWorks Flow Simulation utilizes a number of

automation tools to simplify the analysis process and help you to work more efficiently.
Interpret results with powerful and intuitive visualization tools. Once you

have completed your analysis, SolidWorks Flow Simulation offers a variety of results visualization tools that allow you to gain valuable insight into the performance of your model.
Collaborate and share analysis results. SolidWorks Flow Simulation makes it easy to collaborate and share analysis results effectively with everyone involved in the product development process.

More to Explore

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