Section 3 : Creating Part(s)

Section 3 : Creating Part(s)

In this section you will learn how to build a part after creating a sketch of it.
For educational purposes this will be shown following a step-by-step approach, during which a
number of the SolidWorks functions will be illustrated.
SolidWorks has many features that will allow to build different components with different shapes.
The principal features are:
• Extruded Boss/Base
• Revolved Boss/Base
• Extruded Cut
• Hole Wizard
• Revolved Cut
• Fillet
• Rib
• Draft
• Shell

After creating a new file, select “Part”.

You are now ready to draw a sketch (see section 2 for more details on sketches) .
The following sections will cover some of the features/functions available in SolidWorks.

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3.1 Extruded
In this part you will learn how extrude a sketch, and create a part starting from the 2D sketch of it.
Draw a rectangle in the front plane, then click on “CommandManager tabs” “Features”.

Features

Figure 3.1 Draw a rectangle

In the CommandManager of Features, you can choose different functions, as show in figure 3.2.

Features

Figure 3.2 CommandManager, Features

In this case click on Extruded Boss/Base, and the software will show a temporary extrusion of your
sketch, as shown in figure 3.3.

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Figure 3.3 Extruded

In the left side of the window, SolidWorks will show some properties of the Boss-Extrude feature.
Here you can set the source of your extrusion, e.g. sketch plane; its direction; the thin feature.

From where you can Extrude

Direction, and the dimension

Thin Feature

Figure 3.4 Boss-Extrude

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The feature Extrude by default will extrude from sketch plane, as shown in figure 3.3, but if you
want you can change this setting.
For example you may want to apply an offset of 10 mm to your extrusion, as shown in figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5 Extrude with Offset

You can specify the amount of your extrusion by either moving the arrow that appears as you
perform the operation (see Fig.3.5), or by specifying the desired length in the left window under
direction 1.
Also you can extrude in two directions as show in figure 3.6-3.7.

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Click in arrow ,move and can establish the dimension

Figure 3.6 Change the Dimension

Direction 2

Length of the extrude

Direction 1

Figure 3.7 Extrude in two direction

To accept the extrusion either hit return on your keyboard, or click the green tick in the left
window, as shown in figure 3.8.

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Green button

Figure 3.8 Boss-Extrude

After clicking the green tick button your 3D part will be visualised, as shown in figure 3.9.

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Figure 3.9 The 3D Part

The function Extrude, “Thin Feature” can be used to extrude outward with respect to the sketch,
as shown in Figure 3.10.

Select Thin Feature

Figure 3.10 Thin Feature

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Figure 3.11, shows the part extruded after clicking the green tick button.

Figure 3.11 The part extruded

SolidWorks allows you to extrude any sketch, although an important requirement is that the 2D
sketch is closed, e.g. a closed line.
In a similar fashion you can extrude a circle (see figure 3.12-13) or any other sketch (see figure
3.14).

Figure 3.12 Extrude a circle

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Figure 3.13 Part

Figure 3.14 Sketch extrude

If you draw two or plus more sketches, the feature “Extrude” will extrude all of them.

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3.2 Revolved Boss/Base

In this part you will learn another way to extrude a 2D sketch.
For example you can create a cylinder starting from a rectangle.
For this, draw a rectangle, then click in the feature “Revolved Boss/Base” (Figure 3.15).

Revolved Boss/Base

Figure 3.15 CommandManager

Select the axis of Revolution by clicking directly on the line (line 2 in figure 3.16) and SolidWorks
will show you a preview of the result, as shown in figure 3.16.

Axis of Revolution

Angle of revolution

Figure 3.16 Extrude with revolved

You can choose the angle of Revolution, for example 280°, by typing the desired value on the left
side of the interface.

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As usual, click the green tick button, to confirm. The result of this operation is shown in figure
3.17.

Figure 3.17 Extrude with a specific angle of revolution

You may want to create a sphere starting from a semi-circle.

For this, you draw a circle first, then the axis of revolution, click “line”, and draw a line as axis of
revolution, as shown in figure 3.18.

Figure 3.18 Circle with axis of revolution

Then click on “Trim Entities” and choose “Trim to closest” (this function was explained in section
2), and cut half of the circle, as shown in figure 3.19.

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Figure 3.19 Half Circle with axis of revolution

Click on “Revolved Boss/Base” feature, then select the axis of revolution, and finally hit enter to
confirm and draw the sphere (figure 3.20).

Axis of revolution

Figure 3.20 Revolution

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Figure 3.21 Sphere

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3.3 Extruded Cut

In this part you will learn how to extrude while cutting the part.
Starting from the part shown in figure 3.9, click on one of the surfaces of the part, as shown in
figure 3.22.

Click on this surface

Figure 3.22 Part

Click on “CommandManager tab” in Sketch, to start drawing on this surface, figure 3.23.

Sketch

Figure 3.23 Click on Sketch

Draw a closed line, for example a rectangle.

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Figure 3.24 Sketch of rectangle on surface

Then after selecting the tab “Features”, click “Extruded cut”.

Extruded Cut

Figure 3.25 Extruded Cut

As usual SolidWorks will show you a preview, as shown in figure 3.26.

Change the dimension

Figure 3.26 Extruded Cut

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You can change dimensions by using the arrow or by directly setting the dimension in the left side
window, under “direction 1”, as shown in figure 3.26.
Sub-functions such as Thin Feature are available for this feature too.
Once you set the dimension, hit return or click on the green tick button, and the extruded part will
be subtracted from the part, as shown in figure 3.27.

Figure 3.27 Extruded Cut

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3.4 Fillet
In this sub-section you will learn how to create 3D fillets.
For example to create a fillet in a parallelepiped/prism, sketch the rectangle first, then extrude,
and click “Fillet”.

Fillet-Chamfer
Figure 3.28 Click Fillet

You can choose to do a Fillet or Chamfer.

Click Fillet, this will open a window with its properties.

Radius of fillet

Full preview

Figure 3.29 Fillet Properties

The first step, is to select an edge over which you want to create a fillet, if you select this in the
window SolidWorks will show you a preview of the result.

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Figure 3.30 Fillet

Hit return on your keyboard to confirm. You can define more filets at the same time, by selecting
more than one edge.

Figure 3.31 Fillet

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3.5 Insert a new plane

In this part you will learn how to create a new plane, with and without inclination.
The part that will be created is shown in figure 3.32.

Figure 3.32 Part

The first step, is to sketch a rectangle, for example using the frontal plane, then use the feature
“Extrude Boss/Base”, to create a parallelepiped, as shown in figure 3.33.

Figure 3.33 Rectangle

Then to insert a new plane, you need to select a plane off reference, in this case, the “Right
Plane”, as shown in figure 3.34.

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Figure 3.34 Select the reference plane

Click on Features in “Command Tabs”, then click on the arrow in “Reference geometry”, as shown
in figure 3.35.

Features Figure 3.35 Insert a plane Reference geometry

Click on the arrow in “Reference geometry” then click on plane, as shown in figure 3.36.

Plane

Figure 3.36 Plane

This will open a properties window of the plane, as shown in figure 3.37.

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Reference Plane

At angle
Angle inclination

Distance from the reference plane

Preview new plane

Figure 3.37 Insert a new Plane

You can insert the distance of the new plane from the reference plane, the angle of inclination,
and establish the relation between the two planes, for example parallel or perpendicular.
If hit return or click on the green button, the new plane will be created.
In this example we want to create a plane with a certain inclination, so set the distance between
the two planes as zero, then click on the icon “At angle”, then select a line, as shown in figure 3.38.

At angle

Distance insert zero

Select this line

Figure 3.38 Insert a new Plane with inclination

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In figure 3.39 is show the preview of the inclination plane.

Green button

The inclination angle

Preview of the plane

Figure 3.39 Preview plane

The angle in measured clock-wise, so if you want inclination 30°rispect the rectangle extruded, you
input in this case 240°, then click on the green button.
The plane created is shown in figure 3.40.

Figure 3.40 Inclination plane

Select this plane and sketch a rectangle, as shown in figure 3.41.

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Coincident with the edge

Rectangle
Figure 3.41 Sketch rectangle

Then click on “Extrude Boss/Base”, and extrude the rectangle, by the same width of other
rectangle.
You may need to change the extrusion direction, by using the arrow, as shown in figure 3.42.

Click on this arrow and the mouse

for change direction

Figure 3.42 Extrude preview

A preview of the final result will be automatically, as shown in figure 3.43.

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Figure 3.43 Extrude preview

Hit return to complete the part, as shown in figure 3.44.

Figure 3.44 Part

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3.6 Save a 3D model

In this part will you learn how to save a 3D model.
Click on arrow beside the save icon in the title bar, as shown in figure 3.45.

Save icon Figure 3.45 Save

Then choose “Save As”. This will open a new window, as shown in figure 3.46.

Insert the name

Format

Figure 3.46 Save

You can input the name of the file, then choose the format of the file. A 3D model will be saved in
save in “Part (.prt)” format.
If you want you can save an image of the model, by selecting the “.tif” format.
Figure 3.47 shows a list of the different formats that you can use.

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Part

Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf)

Tif

Figure 3.47 Different formats

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3.7 Example 1
Create the part shown in figure 3.48.

Figure 3.48 Part

Click on blank-sheet, then select 3D Part.

Click on the command sketch, choose the front plane, then click on the tool rectangle, draw a
rectangle with dimensions: 50 x 30 mm .
To define dimensions use the tool “Smart Dimension”. Click on this tool, then click on both sides of
the rectangle and specify their dimensions. Hit return or click the green button, as in Figure 3.49.

Menu for define the dimension

Figure 3.49 Change the dimension

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Define the distance between the axes origin and the short side of the rectangle, i.e. 25, as shown
in figure 3.50.

Origin

Figure 3.50 Dimension of rectangle

Click on tab “Feature”, then click “Extruded Boss/Base”, Figure 3.51.

2 “Extruded Boss/Base”

1“Features”

Figure 3.51 Command Extruded

This will automatically generate a preview of the extruded rectangle, figure 3.52.

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Dimension under Direction1

Figure 3.52 Preview Extrude

In the box under “Direction1” write the dimension of the extrusion, in this case 30 mm, and hit
return or the green button, figure 3.53.

Figure 3.53 Extruded

Click on one of the surfaces of the part, as in figure 3.54.

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Click in this surface

Figure 3.54 Click on surface

Click on “CommandManager Tabs”, then “Sketch”, then select rectangle.

Rectangle

Sketch

Figure 3.55 Command Manager

For a better visualization, click on the icon in the top of the screen, and choose the icon normal at
surface, as show in figure 3.56.

Normal at surface
Visualization Icon

Figure 3.56 Visualization

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The part will rotate and the perspective will become normal with respect to the selected surface,
figure 3.57.

Figure 3.57 Part rotate

Draw a rectangle with dimensions 40 x 20 mm, as shown in figure 3.58.

Figure 3.58 Sketch in part

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Now to centre it with the respect to the part, use the tool “Smart dimension”, to visualise the
distance between the sketch and one side of the part, as shown in figure 3.59. Click on “Smart
dimension”, click on one side of sketch, move the cursor and click on sides of the part, and thus
establish the distance between the two sides.

Distance between the

side

Distance between the

side

Figure 3.59 Position of the sketch

Now click on “Extruded Cut” in “Features”, and preview the cut. To return to isometric view, you
can click on the visualization icon and choose a different view.

Length of cut

Figure 3.60 Preview Extrude cut

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In the window “Cut-Extrude”, under “Dimension 1” establish the length of cut, in this case 20 mm,
then hit return or click the green button.

Figure 3.61 Part

If you click on the part with the centre button of the mouse you can rotate the part, as show in
figure 3.62.

Figure 3.62 Part

Click in “Fillet”, and click all edges, then set in the “items to fillet” 3mm.

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Click edges

Items to fillet

Figure 3.63 Fillet

Click on the remaining edges.

Figure 3.64 Preview fillet

Then hit return or click the green button. Figure 3.65 shows with the fillets.

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Figure 3.65 Part with fillet

Now click on the surface with the arrow, as shown in figure 3.66.

Figure 3.66 Click in surface

Click on the visualization icon and choose normal to surface, then click in sketch, in circle, and
draw a circle with the centre in the origin of the Cartesian system, with 15 mm diameter.

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Figure 3.67 Sketch

Click in the feature “Extrude Boss/Base”, and set extrusion length to 20 mm. Figure 3.68 shows a
preview of this.

Figure 3.68 Preview of extrude

Hit return to complete the part.

Figure 3.69 Part

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