Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

1. Use advanced modeling commands in Solidworks.

2. Employ professional methods for part and assembly construction.

3. Create increasingly complex 3D solid models and 2D drawings from technical data.

4. Evaluate part and assembly characteristics with analysis tools.

5. Apply industry standards in the preparation of technical mechanical drawings.

Course consists of lectures, demonstrations and laboratory projects. Individualized instruction provided during open lab or office hours. 

• Create increasingly complex 3D solid models and 2D drawings.

• Use technical data such as mechanical drawings and sketches to inform model construction.

• Use surface tools and other advanced commands to develop complex shapes.

• Employ analysis tools to evaluate geometry.

• Work within assemblies to develop and modify parts.

• Use integrated tools to create sheet metal parts and weldments.

• Participate and contribute to class discussions, activities and objective assignments.

• Complete assigned exams and quizzes

Student assessment measurements are derived from business and industry expectations and standards, especially performance competencies (skills) and fluency in industry specific vernacular. The primary assessment tool is labwork. Labwork consists of assigned CAD projects in which students apply the studied concepts.

The following additional measures may also be used:

• Take-home examinations

• Graded homework

• Quizzes

• Term project

• In-class activities

• Portfolios

• 3D Solid modeling

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Mechanical drafting and design

• Modeling Using Expert Methods

  • Explore various modeling techniques, with attention to how methods may affect the ability to modify a part

  • Use equations and global variables to drive design

  • Diagnose problems in a part and repair them

  • Employ interference detection to check for design problems in an assembly

• Complex Shapes

  • Create 3D sketches

  • Create 3D curves by projecting onto a surface and/or creating a curve through data points.

  • Create 3D geometry using surface tools.

  • Knit surfaces together to make a solid

  • Model complex shapes using lofts, sweeps, and/or boundary surfaces.

• Sheet Metal

  • Explore how design intent impacts the approach to sheet metal parts

  • Define K-factor in terms of a Bend Allowance and Bend Deduction.

  • Use sheet metal commands such as flange, hem, jog, etc.

  • Insert bends and edit bend parameters

  • Add features to part in its flattened state using the unfold command

  • Link features to the part's metal thickness

  • Show the flattened pattern in a drawing

•  Configurations

  • Create part configurations

  • Alternate configuration state of component parts within an assembly

  • Build configurations within assembly

  • Use configurations in conjunction with drawings

• Top-Down Assembly Modeling

  • Compare top-down assembly design to bottom-up assembly design    

  • Use save bodies to create an assembly from a multi-body part

  • Build a new part and/or add features in the context of an assembly

• Drawings

  • Display a dimension’s tolerance on a drawing.

  • Apply annotations such as center marks, counterbores, welding symbols, GD&T symbols, etc.

  • Add an exploded view to a drawing with a Bill of Materials or Parts List table

  • Create special detail views such as broken-out sections, offset sections, half sections, auxiliary views, etc.