Wall thickness analysis in Solidworks - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Wall thickness analysis

Goal

Understand the distribution of wall thickness in a 3D model to identify thin areas that may cause manufacturing issues.

Sample Data

Section	Wall Thickness (mm)	Area (cm²)
Front	2.5	150
Back	3.0	140
Left Side	1.8	130
Right Side	2.2	135
Top	2.0	120
Bottom	3.5	160

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Average Wall Thickness
  Formula: (2.5 + 3.0 + 1.8 + 2.2 + 2.0 + 3.5) / 6 = 2.5 mm
• KPI Card: Minimum Wall Thickness
  Value: 1.8 mm (Left Side)
• Bar Chart: Wall Thickness by Section
  X-axis: Section
  Y-axis: Wall Thickness (mm)
  Shows thickness values for each section to spot thin areas
• Pie Chart: Area Distribution by Section
  Shows proportion of total area each section covers
• Table: Wall Thickness and Area Details
  Shows all data rows for detailed review

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+----------------------+
| Average Thickness KPI | Minimum Thickness KPI |
+----------------------+----------------------+
|      Bar Chart: Wall Thickness by Section      |
+-----------------------------------------------+
| Pie Chart: Area Distribution | Table: Details  |
+-----------------------------+-----------------+

Interactivity

A filter allows selecting specific sections (e.g., Front, Back). When a section is selected, all components update to show data only for that section. For example, selecting "Left Side" updates KPIs, charts, and table to reflect only that section's thickness and area.

Self Check

If you add a filter to show only sections with wall thickness less than 2.5 mm, which components update and what do they show?

• Average Thickness KPI updates to average of filtered sections (1.8, 2.2, 2.0) = 2.0 mm
• Minimum Thickness KPI updates to 1.8 mm
• Bar Chart shows only Left Side, Right Side, and Top sections
• Pie Chart shows area distribution only for those sections
• Table shows only rows for Left Side, Right Side, and Top

Key Result

Dashboard shows wall thickness and area distribution by section to identify thin areas in a 3D model.

Practice

1.

What is the main purpose of wall thickness analysis in SolidWorks?

easy

A. To simulate the motion of assemblies

B. To find thin and thick areas in 3D parts

C. To create 2D drawings from 3D models

D. To measure the weight of the part

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand wall thickness analysis function

   Wall thickness analysis identifies thin and thick regions in a 3D model to help improve design.

2. Step 2: Compare options with purpose

   Only To find thin and thick areas in 3D parts matches the purpose of finding thin and thick areas; others relate to different functions.

3. Final Answer:

   To find thin and thick areas in 3D parts -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Wall thickness analysis = Find thin/thick areas [OK]

Hint: Wall thickness analysis finds thin/thick spots fast [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing wall thickness analysis with weight measurement
• Thinking it creates 2D drawings
• Assuming it simulates motion

2.

Which of the following is the correct step to start a wall thickness analysis in SolidWorks?

Tools > Evaluate > Wall Thickness

easy

A. Tools > Evaluate > Wall Thickness

B. Insert > Features > Wall Thickness

C. File > New > Wall Thickness

D. View > Toolbars > Wall Thickness

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall menu path for wall thickness analysis

   Wall thickness analysis is accessed via Tools > Evaluate > Wall Thickness in SolidWorks.

2. Step 2: Verify options against correct menu

   Only Tools > Evaluate > Wall Thickness matches the correct menu path; others are incorrect or unrelated.

3. Final Answer:

   Tools > Evaluate > Wall Thickness -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct menu path = Tools > Evaluate > Wall Thickness [OK]

Hint: Wall thickness is under Tools > Evaluate [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Looking under Insert or File menus
• Confusing toolbars with analysis tools
• Trying to find wall thickness in View menu

3.

Given a part with varying thickness, what does the color red typically indicate in the wall thickness analysis color map?

medium

A. Areas with no thickness data

B. Areas that are too thick

C. Areas with average thickness

D. Areas that are too thin

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand color coding in wall thickness analysis

   Red usually highlights thin areas that may cause weakness or manufacturing issues.

2. Step 2: Match color meaning to options

   Red means too thin, not thick or average; no thickness data is usually gray or blank.

3. Final Answer:

   Areas that are too thin -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Red color = Thin areas [OK]

Hint: Red means thin spots to fix [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking red means thick areas
• Confusing red with average thickness
• Assuming red means missing data

4.

In a wall thickness analysis, the color map does not update after changing the minimum thickness value. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The analysis was not rerun after changing the value

B. The part has no thin areas

C. The software crashed and needs reinstalling

D. The color map is locked and cannot change

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify typical workflow for updating analysis

   Changing parameters requires rerunning the analysis to update results and color map.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options for why color map stays same

   Not rerunning analysis is common cause; other options are less likely or incorrect.

3. Final Answer:

   The analysis was not rerun after changing the value -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Rerun analysis after changes = update color map [OK]

Hint: Always rerun analysis after parameter changes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming no thin areas means no update needed
• Thinking software crash causes this issue
• Believing color map can be locked

5.

You want to improve manufacturability by ensuring no wall thickness is below 2 mm. After running wall thickness analysis, you find red areas indicating thickness below 2 mm. What should you do next?

hard

A. Ignore the red areas if the part looks fine visually

B. Decrease the minimum thickness value to hide red areas

C. Modify the design to increase thickness in red areas

D. Export the model without changes

Solution

1. Step 1: Interpret red areas in analysis

   Red areas show thickness below 2 mm, which may cause manufacturing problems.

2. Step 2: Decide corrective action

   To improve manufacturability, increase thickness in those areas rather than ignoring or hiding them.

3. Final Answer:

   Modify the design to increase thickness in red areas -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Fix thin areas by design change [OK]

Hint: Fix red areas by increasing thickness [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring red areas because they look okay
• Changing analysis settings to hide problems
• Exporting without fixing design