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SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD

SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD is the core of a design ecosystem – spanning analysis, data management, technical communication, and CAM – it all begins here.
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Intuitive and Powerful Product Design With SOLIDWORKS

There’s a reason many designers, engineers, students, and hobbyists choose SOLIDWORKS over any other CAD tool in the market. SOLIDWORKS uses underlying intelligence to drive your design and make changes easy.

You can design and document your products in collaborative workflows, create robust parts and assemblies, and use specialized tools for weldments, sheet metal, plastic molded parts, pipe routing, and more.

SOLIDWORKS uses parametric designs, so when you change parts and assemblies, they automatically update in drawings and other places you use your component. It adds time back to your day when you don’t have to spend updating new dimensions.

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  • 3D Modeling for Parts and Assemblies

    You can convert your ideas into 3D models of parts and assemblies in no time. Quickly generate 3D designs using imported graphics, simple sketches, or 3D scan data for simple concept modeling, then add detail as your design concept develops. Direct model editing is available in SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD, allowing you to change and revise your geometry while working directly on your 3D CAD models.

  • Synced 2D Drawings

    Create associative 2D drawings from your 3D models that clearly illustrate how to produce and assemble your design. Associativity in SOLIDWORKS connects your 2D drawing to the 3D model, reflecting changes between drawings and models.

  • Search, Automation, and Configuration Tools

    Using search, automation, and configuration tools, you can easily exploit your existing data to reduce design and development timelines.

  • Share and Collaborate on Designs

    3D Interconnect, Product Data Management (PDM), eDrawings®, and other collaboration tools are available in SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD. These technologies make it easier for your design team to collaborate with all project stakeholders across your organization. Protect confidential information, manage data, and keep track of design revisions.

  • Collision and Interference Detection

    Before sending designs to production, use SOLIDWORKS Interference Check to ensure that the parts and assemblies you design will fit, assemble, and work correctly. This will save you time in the product development process.

  • Part-level Analysis Tool

    SimulationXpress is a simple analysis tool included with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD that lets you perform basic stress analysis on your part designs. Quickly calculate the effects of force and pressure and create detailed reports outlining the outcomes of your experiments.

  • SOLIDWORKS CAM/CAMWorks Tools

    CAMWorks® is used to power SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard. This tool is a 2.5-axis milling programming solution in one package. SOLIDWORKS CAM can improve communication, reduce errors, shorten cycle times, and improve product quality in your design-to-manufacturing process. A current SOLIDWORKS CAD subscription includes SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard for free.

  • 3D Interconnect for CAD File Import and Export

    Most major CAD formats are opened immediately inside SOLIDWORKS without the requirement to convert or save them as SOLIDWORKS files with 3D Interconnect. If you need to convert files, use one of the 30+ translators available to convert imported CAD data to the SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD file format or export SOLIDWORKS files to other formats.

  • SOLIDWORKS Toolbox

    Access a library of standard parts and fasteners that you can customize to your company's standards. Help automate the size and location of fasteners, saving time and streamlining the design process.

  • SOLIDWORKS Costing

    SOLIDWORKS Costing is an integrated, automatic cost estimation tool that instantly lets you compare your designs to cost targets. To minimize costly redesigns and production delays, keep track of your manufacturing expenses while you're designing. SOLIDWORKS Costing can also be used to automate your quoting procedures.

  • ECAD/MCAD Connection

    CircuitWorks allows you to share data between your electrical and mechanical teams. You can use this application to communicate, compare, update, and track your printed circuit board (PCB) information, allowing you to resolve any electrical-mechanical integration or cooperation issues swiftly.

  • Design Checker

    The SOLIDWORKS Design Checker allows you to generate uniform designs, drawings, and documentation by establishing design criteria and checking drawings or models against them.

  • eDrawings® Professional

    eDrawings® Professional enables sharing viewable 3D models in HTML format that you can open without a software install. This tool improves collaboration by quickly and accurately inspecting, measuring, and marking up drawings.

  • Tolerance Analysis

    The TolAnalyst tool in SOLIDWORKS automatically examines the effects of tolerances on your part and assembly designs. Before sending a product into production, these inspections assure a consistent fit of your components and verify tolerancing methods. If/when you make a dimensioning or tolerancing adjustment, rerun the analysis to optimize your tolerancing scheme.

  • Photorealistic Rendering

    Create realistic visual material from your 3D models quickly and effectively for marketing, product pitches, and more. With a valid SOLIDWORKS subscription, SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard is provided for free.

  • Data & File Management

    SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard organizes your users and teams by storing and managing project data, changes, and file access. More advanced data management routines are available with 3DEXPERIENCE Data Management, SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional, or SOLIDWORKS Manage.

  • Reverse Engineering

    SOLIDWORKS ScanTo3D allows you to effortlessly build designs based on existing objects by importing, editing, evaluating, and creating solid geometry from 3D scanning data.

  • Time-Based Motion Analysis

    Examine how your product would move in real life, take measurements of forces and stresses on your design, and use the information to determine the motor size and build the optimum mechanism for performance, quality, and safety.

  • Linear Static Analysis

    Calculate the stresses and deformations of your design geometry with robust linear static analysis on assemblies. Static analysis lessens your reliance on prototypes and development delays during the design process.

    Add-on analysis tools are available for more advanced functionality. You can find tools for advanced finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and electromagnetic simulation with SOLIDWORKS, SIMULIA, and 3DEXPERIENCE SIMULIA.

  • Routing: Pipes, Tubes, Electrical Cables, Wiring Harnesses

    SOLIDWORKS makes designing and documenting pipe and tubing much easier. Routing is constructing a channel of pipes, tubes, or electrical cables between components using a particular subassembly. By mapping connections between components in the system, SOLIDWORKS Routing can streamline the creation of 3D models of your piping, tubing, or electrical systems.

  • Surface Flattening Functionality

    The surface flattening functionality can help create flat patterns for various shapes, including those that don’t fit traditional bent sheet metal.

  • CATIA V5 Import

    Using 3D Interconnect and SOLIDWORKS Premium, you can open CATIA V5 CATPart and CATProduct files up to V5R27, including custom properties, material properties, and PMI (additional license required). Using 3D Interconnect and SOLIDWORKS Premium, you can open CATIA V5 CATPart and CATProduct files up to V5R27, including custom properties, material properties, and PMI (additional license required).

 

Switching to SOLIDWORKS: Khapheide Customer Story

Over a decade ago, Knapheide made the strategic decision to transition from AutoCAD to SOLIDWORKS, a move that has proven to be immensely beneficial. Since then, Knapheide has embraced SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS PDM, DriveWorks, and Composer to revolutionize its design processes.

By leveraging these powerful tools, Knapheide has successfully automated mundane design tasks, resulting in increased throughput and accelerated development speed. This innovative approach has not only enhanced efficiency but also allowed Knapheide to stay ahead in an ever-evolving industry landscape.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What version of SOLIDWORKS do I need?

There are three levels of SOLIDWORKS available – Standard, Professional, and Premium. Check out the feature matrix on this page for more information on what is available at each level. Our team is also happy to review your design needs and help guide you to the best version for your business.

How do I buy SOLIDWORKS?

SOLIDWORKS has a wide range of purchase options that should meet all needs. It is available as a perpetual license with an annual subscription cost and a term license with one-year or one-quarter terms. We’re always happy to help you evaluate the best purchase solution for your business.

How is SOLIDWORKS licensed?

SOLIDWORKS is available as standalone licenses, which are activated on a specific computer and can be moved by the user. Alternatively, a shared network license can be purchased at a small additional cost, allowing licenses to be shared among team members on a network. A shared network license is often the ideal solution for larger teams.

How difficult is it to learn SOLIDWORKS?

SOLIDWORKS is designed to be the most intuitive 3D CAD package on the market. While it is a very powerful tool, most users pick up the software quickly, and you can learn it even quicker with training. Hawk Ridge Systems offer instructor-led courses and on-demand training with SolidProfessor.

As a manager, will I be able to find employees who know SOLIDWORKS?

SOLIDWORKS is the most popular professional 3D CAD software in the market, and most universities and vocational training schools worldwide teach students how to use SOLIDWORKS. With an enormous community of users, you should be able to find skilled employees with experience using the software.

What file types can SOLIDWORKS read in, and what file types can it produce?

SOLIDWORKS reads in all major neutral 3D file formats, such as STEP, IGES, Parasolid, and ACIS. It will read 2D and 3D files from AutoCAD (DWG, DXF) and native files from most other 3D CAD systems (Creo, Inventor, NX, SolidEdge, Rhino).

SOLIDWORKS Premium can open CATIA V5 files. For output, SOLIDWORKS can save PDF and DWG/DXF 2D files and all major neutral formats (STEP, IGES, Parasolid, ACIS) of 3D outputs.

Many other options and file types are always being added to this list. Contact us if there’s a specific file type you’re interested in.

Does SOLIDWORKS include FEA or CFD simulation?

Every license of SOLIDWORKS includes simple finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to provide basic information about the performance and strength of your design. For robust simulations, SOLIDWORKS Simulation for static analysis is part of SOLIDWORKS Premium, and more advanced FEA simulation or CFD analysis tools are available as additional simulation modules.

Do I need to think about data management?

CAD systems create many interconnected files that are constantly changing as your designs evolve. Most engineering design organizations manage this challenge with a data management system.


We can help you evaluate the best fit for your organization. That might be the PDM Standard functionality included with SOLIDWORKS Professional and Premium, more robust workflows in PDM Professional, or cloud-hosted data management with 3DEXPERIENCE Data Management.

What is 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS?

3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is a newer variant of the traditional desktop SOLIDWORKS solution. It contains the same functionality as the desktop SOLIDWORKS and still installs on your system, but there are three significant differences:

  1. Installs and updates are automatically deployed over the internet, meaning your SOLIDWORKS will always be at the latest version. You cannot run older versions of the software.
  2. Some add-in functionality, like SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation or Inspection, may not be supported.
  3. It automatically contains cloud data management routines for safely storing and managing your files in a secure cloud environment.

We’d be happy to discuss the pros and cons of these solutions to help you pick the right tool for your situation.

What is 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers?

3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers is a software offer available for non-commercial applications. It provides a license of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS functionality, but all files and documents are watermarked with a “not for commercial use” message and cannot be opened in a commercial license of SOLIDWORKS. It is only available for direct purchase from the SOLIDWORKS website.

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