What is SOLIDWORKS? Everything you need to know...

If you work in design, engineering or manufacturing, chances are you’ve heard of SOLIDWORKS.

7.5 million engineers and designers (and counting) worldwide use SOLIDWORKS, meaning you can have the confidence that you’re not just buying a CAD system, you’re buying into the industry standard for mechanical design. SOLIDWORKS has the tools to empower engineers and designers across the world, whether you’re collaborating with clients or hiring new engineers, it’s all made easier when you choose SOLIDWORKS.

There’s a reason the software has grown to become the most used mechanical design software in the world. SOLIDWORKS provides the robust features and an intuitive interface you need to turn your vision into reality, and it has the most comprehensive set of design tools out there. Meaning you can build:

• Complex parametric designs
• Structural & fabricated models
• Fully mechanised assemblies
• Completely detailed drawings
• Complex consumer products
• Run full stress tests with the software

SOLIDWORKS empowers you to bring your ideas to life with unmatched precision and efficiency, meaning engineers can get on and do what they’re passionate about – Designing innovative products.

Features of SOLIDWORKS

Sketching is the foundation for any great design. In SOLIDWORKS we have intuitive sketching tools that allow us to create intelligent sketches quickly and easily. Instant feedback allow us to modify the sketch to perfect the design.

The Hole Wizard provides a comprehensive library standard of hole types with accurate size, type and thread specifications.

Make intelligent, real time modifications to your design using simple drag and drop for a more intuitive experience.

For fabrication, SOLIDWORKS comes equipped with comprehensive sheet metal tools, flanges, hems, jogs and forming tools are all covered. And of course at the click of a button, an up-to-date flat pattern is provided.

For welded structures, intuitive tools allow us to create frameworks using predefined or custom structural member types, complete with gussets welds & additional hardware. A fully detailed cut list, complete with descriptions and lengths for structural members as well as welding data, is automatically captured.

For more organic, intricate shapes, SOLIDWORKS comes complete with comprehensive surfacing tools to make the process a breeze. Accurately create your surfaces, with sketches and end condition to relating geometry.

You can also bring your designs together with SOLIDWORKS Assembly Modelling; build small or complex assembly structures with ease, constraining parts to each other to mimic real life movement.

If your assembly requires nuts, bolts, washers and other fixings then SOLIDWORKS comes complete with a toolbox of tens of thousands of fixings all conforming to a standard. They can automatically resize themselves when the design changes too!

Once your assembly is complete

You can evaluate the movement, check for clashes and even stress test the design to make sure you get the design right first time!

Working with piping and tubing & electrical cable is a breeze – create your pipe & tubing runs complete with elbows directly in the assembly environment. Again, bills of materials complete with cut lengths are automatically generated.

Documenting your designs is easy using SOLIDWORKS Drawings. 2D views can be added and annotated easily, complete with accurate dimension information and tolerances. Additional view types such as section detail views can be added with ease too! For assembly drawings, exploded views can be created automatically, complete with a bill of materials and balloons.

Make yourself stand out from the competition & bring your designs to life with photo realistic renders using SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

Storing your SOLIDWORKS files

With increased efficiency and the significant amount of data your team will now be able to generate, a data management tool is essential to accurately manage and control all the design documentation. SOLIDWORKS has you covered!

SOLIDWORKS PDM is an on-site data management solution that enables you to manage and control data revisions directly from your desktop. Workflows help capture key stages before a design is approved for manufacturing. Integrated seamlessly into Microsoft Edge, it feels instantly familiar to end users.

For those requiring more flexibility, 3DEXPERIENCE cloud services allows you to manage and revision control your documentation in the cloud. It can be easily accessed from any machine anywhere!

Why buy SOLIDWORKS from Visiativ?

With Visiativ by your side you can have the confidence that you’re buying into a relationship with the experts in the field. We have offices and training centres across the UK and Ireland and we’re the largest SOLIDWORKS reseller in Europe. Meaning we can assist you wherever your business wants to go next, whether that’s managing your whole design cycle with our PLM tools, handling your spare parts libraries, or optimising your SOLIDWORKS batch operations. Visiativ has the tools and expertise to deliver full business transformations, ensuring the best implementation of SOLIDWORKS and beyond.

At Visiativ, we pride ourselves on offering unparalleled expertise and support. Whether you’re looking to manage your entire design cycle, optimise your operations, or transform your business, we’re here to help you every step of the way – And Dassault Systèmes, the makers of SOLIDWORKS, agree! They’ve awarded our team with the ‘Platinum-rated Support’ badge every month since its inception, which is proof of our continued commitment to the success and satisfaction of our customers.

Partner with us and experience the confidence of working with the best in the business.

Watch: What is SOLIDWORKS?

If you’d like to learn more about what SOLIDWORKS can do for you, or to book a personalised demonstration, get in contact with us today on 01223 200690, or by sending us a message using the link below.

	About the author: This product guide was written by Elite SOLIDWORKS Applications Engineer and Training Manager, Adam Rose. Adam has been with the Visiativ Technical Support Team since 2010.