Using Thickness Analysis in SOLIDWORKS - Thickness Analysis Reports

The Thickness Analysis utility to determine different thicknesses of a part. This utility is especially helpful when using thin-walled plastic parts.

Use Thickness Analysis to:

Identify thick and thin regions of a part (especially for plastic parts and castings)
Determine portions of a part that are equal to a specified target thickness
Assess potential failure regions or design flaws
Aid in the design of casting and injection moldings and machine fixtures

Thickness Analysis Reports

A report generated by the Thickness Analysis utility contains the following information:

Options Used

Lists the options you selected for analysis.

Summary

Displays an abridged version of the Analysis Details. If a model contains a critical face, all features that share the face are classified as critical features.

Analysis Details

Thickness range

Lists four ranges of critical thickness, with the number of faces and surface area of the model that falls into each category. Each range is color coded to the Thickness scale in the PropertyManager. (The color range is also shown in the Model View(s) section of the report.) The % of analyzed area is the total area analyzed that falls into the associated Thickness range. If a face falls into more than one Thickness range, the face is classified in the more critical of ranges.

Critical features

Lists all features that violate the Target thickness. Features are listed in the order of criticality, which is directly proportional to the maximum deviation of the feature.

Mass Properties

Lists the Surface Area, Volume, and Mass of the part.

Model View(s)

Displays the Thickness scale and any views you selected in the Thickness Analysis: Report Options dialog box.

Guide

Using Thickness Analysis in SOLIDWORKS – Thickness Analysis Reports

Related Articles