Changes based on SolidWorks design patterns

The continuous advancement of technology and product upgrades within an enterprise inevitably lead to the refinement of design plans and modifications in product structures. These changes often result in updates to the corresponding patterns. Maintaining traceability of product drawings is crucial for corporate sustainability and after-sales service, which means that all modified drawings and change records must be properly retained. While modifying paper-based documents and traditional design drawings is relatively straightforward—just requiring clear markings—modifying electronic documents depends heavily on the software used. AutoCAD 2D drawing software allows for easy modification by using a new layer or copying the original pattern for annotations. However, SolidWorks operates differently. Unlike AutoCAD, where drawings are directly created in the current template, SolidWorks first builds a 3D model before generating the 2D engineering drawing. Since SolidWorks uses parametric modeling, any changes to the 3D model automatically update the associated 2D drawings. This creates a challenge: once a 3D model is modified, the original 2D drawing cannot be preserved. As a result, future technical management may face difficulties in locating past versions of drawings and their change records. To address this issue, companies have started saving changed SolidWorks files by retaining the original 3D model, 2D drawings, and assembly files. When a change occurs, the 3D model is saved as a new version with a change notice number added to its name. The corresponding 2D drawing is then updated with the same name, and the assembly file is also saved accordingly. This ensures synchronization and consistency across all related files. However, this method has introduced new challenges, such as the need to create multiple new files for each change, which increases the overall workload and complicates file management. To optimize this process, further exploration into SolidWorks revealed the power of its configuration feature. This tool allows multiple design variations of a part or assembly to be stored within a single file. Configurations make it easier to manage different sizes, components, or parameters without creating separate files. You can manually define configurations or use design tables to generate multiple configurations at once. To implement this, navigate to the Configuration Manager, click "Add Configuration," and fill in the name, description, and comments. The configuration name should include the change notice number, while the description outlines the nature of the change. Once activated, you can modify specific features of the part by editing the design tree or sketches. After making changes, update the corresponding drawing by copying the original and renaming it with the change notice number. In the drawing view, select the appropriate configuration to ensure accuracy. For assemblies, the process is similar: modify the assembly first, then update the drawing. A practical example involves adding a cotter pin hole to a pin-shaped part. Initially, the part lacks the hole, as shown in Figure 1. Then, a new configuration is created (Figure 2) before making the necessary changes. Once the cotter pin feature is added (Figure 3), the drawing is updated to reflect the new configuration (Figure 4). By using configurations, the original file remains intact, and only the configuration database is updated. This approach simplifies storage and management, while detailed descriptions help designers track changes over time. It also supports team collaboration by ensuring everyone works with the correct version of the design.

Utv Winch

UTV Winch, Off-Road Winches, Heavy-Duty Winches

JINHUA RUNYE TECH. CO.,LTD , https://www.irunwinch.com