Material assignment in Solidworks - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Material assignment

Business Question

Which materials are assigned to each part, and what are their key properties like density and cost?

Sample Data: Parts and Materials

Part ID	Part Name	Material	Density (g/cm³)	Cost per kg ($)
101	Bracket	Aluminum 6061	2.7	3.5
102	Shaft	Steel 1045	7.85	2.0
103	Cover	ABS Plastic	1.04	1.2
104	Gear	Steel 1045	7.85	2.0
105	Handle	Aluminum 6061	2.7	3.5

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Parts
  Shows the total number of parts.
  Formula: COUNT(Part ID) = 5
• KPI Card: Average Material Cost
  Shows average cost per kg of materials assigned.
  Formula: AVERAGE(Cost per kg) = (3.5 + 2.0 + 1.2 + 2.0 + 3.5) / 5 = 2.44
• Bar Chart: Number of Parts per Material
  Shows how many parts use each material.
  Data: Aluminum 6061 = 2, Steel 1045 = 2, ABS Plastic = 1
• Table: Parts with Material Properties
  Shows all parts with their assigned material, density, and cost.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-------------------------+
| Total Parts (KPI)    | Average Material Cost   |
|        [ 5 ]         |        [ $2.44 ]        |
+----------------------+-------------------------+
|                                              |
|      Bar Chart: Number of Parts per Material |
|                                              |
|  Aluminum 6061  ||||||      (2 parts)         |
|  Steel 1045    ||||||      (2 parts)         |
|  ABS Plastic   |||         (1 part)          |
+----------------------------------------------+
|                                              |
|       Table: Parts with Material Properties  |
|                                              |
| Part ID | Part Name | Material      | Density | Cost/kg |
|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 101     | Bracket   | Aluminum 6061| 2.7     | 3.5     |
| 102     | Shaft     | Steel 1045   | 7.85    | 2.0     |
| 103     | Cover     | ABS Plastic  | 1.04    | 1.2     |
| 104     | Gear      | Steel 1045   | 7.85    | 2.0     |
| 105     | Handle    | Aluminum 6061| 2.7     | 3.5     |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
    

Interactivity

A filter dropdown allows selecting a material (e.g., Aluminum 6061). When a material is selected:

• The bar chart highlights the selected material's bar.
• The table updates to show only parts with that material.
• The KPI cards update: Total Parts shows count of filtered parts, Average Material Cost shows cost of selected material.

Self Check

Add a filter for Material = 'Steel 1045'. Which components update and how?

• KPI Cards: Total Parts changes to 2, Average Material Cost changes to 2.0
• Bar Chart: Highlights Steel 1045 bar.
• Table: Shows only parts with Steel 1045 (Shaft and Gear).

Key Result

Dashboard shows parts with their assigned materials, counts per material, and average material cost.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Material Assignment in SolidWorks?

easy

A. To define what the part is made of, affecting weight and strength

B. To change the color of the part only

C. To create a new sketch on the part

D. To export the part to another file format

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand material assignment role

   Material assignment tells SolidWorks what material the part uses, which affects physical properties like weight and strength.

2. Step 2: Identify correct purpose

   Changing color or exporting files are unrelated to material assignment's main function.

3. Final Answer:

   To define what the part is made of, affecting weight and strength -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Material assignment = defines material properties [OK]

Hint: Material assignment sets physical properties, not just appearance [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking material only changes color
• Confusing material assignment with sketching
• Assuming material affects file export

2. Which of the following is the correct way to assign a material to a part in SolidWorks?

easy

A. Go to File > Save As and choose material

B. Double-click the sketch and type the material name

C. Right-click the part in the FeatureManager and select 'Edit Material'

D. Use the Measure tool to assign material

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate material assignment method

   In SolidWorks, you assign material by right-clicking the part in the FeatureManager and choosing 'Edit Material'.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Double-clicking sketches, saving files, or using the Measure tool do not assign materials.

3. Final Answer:

   Right-click the part in the FeatureManager and select 'Edit Material' -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Material assigned via FeatureManager right-click [OK]

Hint: Right-click part in FeatureManager to assign material quickly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to assign material inside sketches
• Looking for material in File menu
• Using unrelated tools like Measure

3. If you assign Aluminum 6061-T6 as the material to a part, what will happen to the part's weight compared to no material assigned?

medium

A. The weight will be calculated based on Aluminum's density

B. The weight will remain zero because material doesn't affect weight

C. The weight will double automatically

D. The weight will be set to a default value of 1 kg

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand effect of material on weight

   Assigning Aluminum 6061-T6 sets the density, so SolidWorks calculates weight using volume x density.

2. Step 2: Compare to no material assigned

   Without material, weight is zero or undefined; assigning material updates weight correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   The weight will be calculated based on Aluminum's density -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Material assignment updates weight using density [OK]

Hint: Material sets density; weight = volume x density [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming weight stays zero without material
• Thinking weight doubles automatically
• Believing weight defaults to 1 kg

4. You assigned a material to a part, but the weight still shows zero. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. You assigned the material to the sketch instead of the part

B. You forgot to save the file

C. The material library is corrupted

D. The part has zero volume or no geometry

Solution

1. Step 1: Check part geometry

   If the part has zero volume (no 3D shape), weight will be zero even if material is assigned.

2. Step 2: Rule out other causes

   Assigning material to sketches is not possible; corrupted library or unsaved file won't cause zero weight directly.

3. Final Answer:

   The part has zero volume or no geometry -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Zero volume means zero weight despite material [OK]

Hint: Check part volume if weight stays zero after material assignment [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to assign material to sketches
• Blaming file save status
• Assuming material library corruption causes zero weight

5. You want to analyze the stress on a part made of Steel AISI 1020. Which step should you do first to get accurate simulation results?

hard

A. Export the part to a different CAD software

B. Assign Steel AISI 1020 as the material before running the simulation

C. Change the part color to gray to represent steel

D. Run the simulation without assigning any material

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand simulation requirements

   Accurate stress analysis needs correct material properties like Young's modulus and yield strength.

2. Step 2: Assign correct material

   Assigning Steel AISI 1020 sets these properties, enabling accurate simulation results.

3. Step 3: Avoid unrelated steps

   Changing color or exporting files does not affect simulation accuracy; running simulation without material gives wrong results.

4. Final Answer:

   Assign Steel AISI 1020 as the material before running the simulation -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Material assignment before simulation ensures accuracy [OK]

Hint: Assign material before simulation for correct physical properties [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Running simulation without material assigned
• Thinking color affects simulation
• Exporting instead of assigning material