SolidWorks Best Practices

SolidWorks Best Practices have been customised and developed by Solid Innovations over many years.  Created from over 15 years of using SolidWorks Software and combined with sourced recommendations from SolidWorks corporation and  independent SolidWorks literature.  From this a code of Best Practice was developed and encompasses some of the following criteria:

• Design Intent – where we look at all of your products and how they need to interact with each other. Careful considerations are given to the geometric constraints that affect these parts and assemblies and we apply basic design principles and rules to these variables.
• Component relationships – established as a result that follow assembly and manufacturing processes and ensure design output matches the input required by production.
• Top down design techniques – where skeletal sketches play a key in driving top down design to relevant assemblies. This approach has been developed over many years and is well tested and proven.
• File structure – including data entry is incorporated into the management of all designs, along with the establishment of file manipulation and renaming conventions. This will guarantee the effectiveness of designs to be reused and copied ensuring optimum performance.
• Product Data Management (PDM) -  also assessed and set-up, usually introduced on a pilot project, so results and output may be tested within company specific MRP systems and manufacturing processes. Staff training is also provided on the utilisation and management of these systems.
• Optimising SolidWorks – file management and naming conventions to ensure optimum efficiency and productivity between all company systems.
• File locations – templates, libraries and properties will be assessed in conjunction with IT requirements and MRP systems and optimised to best suit maximum efficiency within all processes considering uniformity between all users.
• Title blocks - assessed to ensure the best company image is portrayed and ensures properties associated within the parts and assemblies are propagated on to the drawings, to ensure consistency between users.