Today we show you how to make a drawing for each weldment part.
And even how to add a sheet with views and dimensions automatically.
For each body.
SOLIDWORKS weldments let you build welded assemblies out of standard profiles like square and round pipe.
It uses profile sketches (*.SLDLFP files) for the cross-section of the profile.
Then you project this profile along another sketch. This sketch can be a 2D sketch or a 3D sketch.
This lets you quickly sketch, build up and redesign complex frames made from standard pipes and beams. And it only takes a single drawing to fully define a weldment.
Here’s a good video by GoEngineer on the weldment basics.
Suppose you have a few strangely shaped weldment members in your design.
I just designed a frame for a side table to show you how it works.
The standard way of creating the first sheet of a weldment drawing is something like this:
This method creates a new part that is linked to the original weldment. So the part updates when the weldment sketch updates.
I don’t like this option. It creates too many part files and nullifies the advantages of weldments.
Just click Model view > double click your weldment part > Select Bodies > select one body.
This inserts a new view that is not linked to existing views on your sheet. Now just add a projected view and a few dimensions:
We found creating weldment drawings pretty boring.
So we created Drew, a drawing automation add-in for SOLIDWORKS.
With one click, you create a sheet for each unique body. And each sheet can contain:
Drew also finds the best sheet scale and fits all the views on the sheet.
Drew even rotates straight bodies so they lay flat on the sheet:
There is a one-day official training that your VAR should be able to help you with.
You can even get certified for weldments by passing the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional Advanced Weldments (CSWPA-WD) exam.
Did you know you can do two free exams per year if your company has a subscription?
Good luck!
Photo in header originally by Dino Dalle Carbonare
Create, edit and review drawings 100% faster with Drew.
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