How to Create a Subassembly in SolidWorks: Step-by-Step Guide

To create a subassembly in SolidWorks, open your main assembly and select the parts you want to group. Right-click and choose Form New Subassembly, then save it as a separate assembly file. This helps organize complex models by breaking them into smaller, manageable units.

Syntax

Creating a subassembly in SolidWorks involves these key steps:

• Select parts: Choose the components in your main assembly to group.
• Form new subassembly: Right-click and pick Form New Subassembly from the menu.
• Save subassembly: Save the new subassembly as its own file for reuse and better organization.

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1. Open main assembly
2. Select parts to group
3. Right-click > Form New Subassembly
4. Save subassembly file

Example

This example shows how to create a subassembly from three parts in a main assembly:

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1. Open your main assembly file in SolidWorks.
2. Hold Ctrl and click the three parts you want to group.
3. Right-click on one of the selected parts.
4. Choose 'Form New Subassembly' from the context menu.
5. In the dialog, name and save the new subassembly file.
6. The selected parts are now grouped as a subassembly inside the main assembly.

Output

A new subassembly file is created and appears as a single component in the main assembly.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when creating subassemblies include:

• Not selecting all desired parts before forming the subassembly, resulting in incomplete grouping.
• Forgetting to save the new subassembly file, which can cause loss of work.
• Creating subassemblies with loosely connected parts, which may cause instability in the main assembly.

Always double-check your selection and save promptly.

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Wrong way:
1. Select only one part
2. Right-click > Form New Subassembly
3. Result: Subassembly with only one part

Right way:
1. Select all related parts
2. Right-click > Form New Subassembly
3. Save the new subassembly file

Quick Reference

Step	Action	Description
1	Select parts	Choose parts in main assembly to group
2	Form New Subassembly	Right-click and select this option
3	Save subassembly	Name and save the new assembly file
4	Use subassembly	Insert subassembly into main assembly as one unit

Key Takeaways

Select all parts you want to group before forming a subassembly.

Always save the new subassembly file to avoid losing work.

Subassemblies help organize complex models into manageable units.

Check connections inside subassemblies to ensure assembly stability.