Mastering Solidworks User Interface

Aim: To model transmission belt, kick stand, rear fender and front fender of an Americsan chopper using Solidworks.

Commands used: Following were the commands used to model the parts,

• 2D sketch
• Offset entities
• Extruded boss base
• Fillet
• Trim
• Spline
• 3-point arc
• Smart Dimensions
• Appearance
• Dome
• Dynamic Mirror Entities
• Split
• Cut Extrude
• Reference Plane
• Shell
• Lofted boss/base, extruded boss/base, revolved boss/base and some shortcut keys of Solidworks.

Transmission belt

Main features: Boss extrude, fillet and offset entities.

Procedure:

• Create a new part using customized template.
• Selecting the front plane, sketching the profile of the transmission belt.
• Draw a line horizontal to the origin and by hovering the mouse over the end point create an arc tangent to that line.
• Draw another line tangent to the arc.
• Create an arc tangent to the line on the other end as well.
• Give tangency relation betweeen the both the arc and the lines.
• Give the appropriate dimensions and relations to fully define it.
• Now using the offset entities tool, offset the profile outwards.
• Exit sketch.
• Using extruded boss/base option, exturde the skecth with required dimensions with blind option.
• Apply fillet on the edges using the face for selection with required radius, which collects all the external edges with tangency.
• Change the appearance of the part to rubber matte from the appearance tab.
• Save the part.

Kick stand

Main features: Reference plane, pierce relation, lofted boss/base, dome, extrude cut and split.

Procedure:

• Create new part using customized template.
• Sketch an ellipse with appropriate dimensions and relations on the front plane.
• In the mid plane, sketch a spline from the origin to the top left corner by giving the required horizontal and vertical dimensions.
• Using spline handle control the direction and the tangency and the give the relation as horizontal.
• By using Features->Reference geometry->plane, create a reference plane selecting the spline and the end point. This creates a plane normal to the spline coincident to the selected point.
• On the created plane, draw a new ellipse with required dimensions and relations.
• Using pierce relation, intersect the spline and the newly created ellipse.
• Exit sketch.
• Using lofted boss/base features, select both the ellipse as the profiles and spline as the centre line parameter for the direction of the loft, creating the solid shape of the kickstand.
• Using the dome tool in the features create an elliptical dome on the either ends.
• In the sketch mode on the mid plane draw a rectangle at the origin with the required dimensions.
• Using the extrude cut option with the rectangle as the profile make an extruded cut with through all condition.
• On the created reference plane, draw a mid-point line at the appropriate distance from the origin
• Using split option cut the base part which is required to be a flat base for the kickstand to stand on the ground.
• Using top plane sketch a circle at the origin with required dimensions.
• Using extruded boss/base with upto next condition create an extrude on both the sides.
• Using the fillet tool create the fillet at the required edges with varying dimensions.
• Change the appearance of the part to chrome metal.
• Save the part.

Front fender

Main features: Revolve and split.

Procedure:

• Create a new part using customized template and the change the names of the planes as required.
• Selecting the vertical plane, using 3 point arc, offset entity, line, trim and extend entities options,create the profile for to revolve the part.
• Draw a construction line on the centre plane as the axis for revolution.
• Using the revolve boss/Base, and the appropriate angles of revolution on the both direction create the basic front fender.
• Now on the centre plane in the sketch mode, draw a construction line at the origin. Using the dynamic mirror option create a spline with required dimensions as profile to use for splitting the end of the front fender.
• Use the same procedure to split rear end as well.
• Apply fillet along the upper surface of the part.
• Chnage the appearance to the painted-car-sienna.
• Save the part.

Rear fender

Main features: Shell and split.

Procedure:

• Create new part using customized template.
• Rename the planes as required.
• On the vertical plane create a sketch profile to revolve using the 3 point arc, lines, offset, trim and extend entities options with appropriate dimensions and relations.
• Revolve the sketch with required angles in both the directions.
• On the centre plane sketch a profile using the 3 point arc to cut the leading edge of the fender using split.
• Now apply fillets on the four corners of the fender and the edges of the top surface as well.
• Selecting the inside surface make a shell with required dimensions.
• Change the appearance to sienna.
• Save the part.