Costing tool for estimation in Solidworks - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Costing tool for estimation

Business Question

How can we estimate the total manufacturing cost of a part based on material, machining time, and overhead?

Sample Data

Part ID	Material	Material Cost ($/kg)	Weight (kg)	Machining Time (hours)	Machining Cost ($/hour)	Overhead Rate (%)
P001	Aluminum	5	2	3	50	20
P002	Steel	8	3	4	60	25
P003	Plastic	2	1.5	2	40	15
P004	Aluminum	5	2.5	3.5	50	20
P005	Steel	8	4	5	60	25

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Material Cost
  Formula: Material Cost = Material Cost ($/kg) * Weight (kg)
  Example for P001: 5 * 2 = $10
• KPI Card: Total Machining Cost
  Formula: Machining Cost = Machining Time (hours) * Machining Cost ($/hour)
  Example for P001: 3 * 50 = $150
• KPI Card: Overhead Cost
  Formula: Overhead Cost = (Material Cost + Machining Cost) * Overhead Rate (%) / 100
  Example for P001: (10 + 150) * 20 / 100 = $32
• KPI Card: Total Estimated Cost
  Formula: Total Cost = Material Cost + Machining Cost + Overhead Cost
  Example for P001: 10 + 150 + 32 = $192
• Bar Chart: Total Estimated Cost by Part ID
  X-axis: Part ID
  Y-axis: Total Estimated Cost ($)
  Shows cost comparison for all parts
• Table: Detailed Cost Breakdown
  Columns: Part ID, Material Cost, Machining Cost, Overhead Cost, Total Estimated Cost
  Shows all calculated costs per part

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-------------------------+
| Total Material Cost   | Total Machining Cost    |
|       [KPI]          |         [KPI]           |
+----------------------+-------------------------+
| Overhead Cost        | Total Estimated Cost     |
|       [KPI]          |         [KPI]           |
+-----------------------------------------------+
|           Bar Chart: Total Estimated Cost by Part ID          |
|                          [Bar Chart]                          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|                  Table: Detailed Cost Breakdown                |
|                          [Table]                              |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
    

Interactivity

Users can filter the dashboard by Material type (e.g., Aluminum, Steel, Plastic). When a material filter is applied:

• All KPI cards update to show totals only for selected material parts.
• The bar chart updates to show total estimated costs for parts of the selected material.
• The detailed cost breakdown table filters to show only parts with the selected material.

This helps users quickly estimate costs for specific materials.

Self Check

If you add a filter for Material = Steel, which components update and what changes occur?

• All KPI cards recalculate totals only for Steel parts (P002 and P005).
• The bar chart shows bars only for P002 and P005 with their total estimated costs.
• The detailed table lists only P002 and P005 with their cost breakdown.

Key Result

Dashboard estimates total manufacturing cost per part by material, machining, and overhead costs with filtering by material.

Practice

1.

What is the main purpose of the SolidWorks costing tool?

easy

A. To create 3D animations of the design

B. To simulate the physical behavior of parts

C. To estimate manufacturing costs from a CAD model

D. To generate marketing materials automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the costing tool function

   The costing tool analyzes the CAD model to estimate how much it will cost to make the part.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   Other options like animation or simulation are not related to cost estimation.

3. Final Answer:

   To estimate manufacturing costs from a CAD model -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Costing tool = cost estimation [OK]

Hint: Costing tool = cost estimation from model [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing costing with simulation
• Thinking it creates animations
• Assuming it generates marketing content

2.

Which of the following is the correct way to start a costing analysis in SolidWorks?

CostingTool.StartAnalysis()

easy

A. CostingTool.RunEstimate()

B. CostingTool.BeginCosting()

C. CostingTool.InitCost()

D. CostingTool.StartAnalysis()

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the correct method name

   The method StartAnalysis() is the correct syntax to begin costing analysis in SolidWorks API.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   Other method names like BeginCosting(), InitCost(), and RunEstimate() are incorrect or do not exist.

3. Final Answer:

   CostingTool.StartAnalysis() -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Correct method = StartAnalysis() [OK]

Hint: Look for method with 'Start' and 'Analysis' words [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using incorrect method names
• Confusing initialization with analysis start
• Assuming similar sounding methods exist

3.

Given the following costing parameters:
MaterialCost = 10
LaborCost = 5
MachineCost = 3
What is the total estimated cost calculated by TotalCost = MaterialCost + LaborCost + MachineCost?

medium

A. 18

B. 15

C. 10

D. 8

Solution

1. Step 1: Add material, labor, and machine costs

   MaterialCost (10) + LaborCost (5) + MachineCost (3) = 10 + 5 + 3 = 18

2. Step 2: Confirm total cost calculation

   The formula sums all costs correctly to get total cost.

3. Final Answer:

   18 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Sum costs = 18 [OK]

Hint: Add all cost components for total [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding only two costs
• Mixing up cost values
• Forgetting to sum machine cost

4.

Identify the error in this costing calculation snippet:

MaterialCost = 12
LaborCost = '5'
TotalCost = MaterialCost + LaborCost

medium

A. TotalCost calculation is correct

B. LaborCost is a string, causing a type error

C. MaterialCost should be a string

D. Missing semicolon after LaborCost

Solution

1. Step 1: Check variable types

   MaterialCost is a number (12), but LaborCost is a string ('5'), which cannot be added directly.

2. Step 2: Identify error in addition

   Adding number and string causes a type error in most languages.

3. Final Answer:

   LaborCost is a string, causing a type error -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Type mismatch = error [OK]

Hint: Ensure all costs are numbers before adding [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring data types
• Assuming implicit conversion
• Thinking semicolon is required

5.

You want to estimate the cost of a part with variable material thickness. The costing tool allows you to set a parameter Thickness that affects material cost. If material cost per unit thickness is $4, and thickness is 2.5 units, what is the material cost?

hard

A. $10

B. $6.5

C. $8

D. $12

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand cost calculation

   Material cost = cost per unit thickness * thickness = 4 * 2.5

2. Step 2: Calculate total material cost

   4 * 2.5 = 10

3. Final Answer:

   $10 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   4 x 2.5 = 10 [OK]

Hint: Multiply unit cost by thickness [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding instead of multiplying
• Using wrong thickness value
• Confusing units and cost