The Hidden Treasures of SOLIDWORKS Toolbox – Part 3

Grooves

In this issue we will be exploring the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Grooves capabilities.
How do you create these features now? – If you are unaware that Toolbox has this capability, you probably do it the manual way that most of us do…Create a sketch profile, then create a circular cut feature. This works well, however why don't we let Toolbox do that for us.

Let's start with a simple Groove. To access the feature, click Grooves on the Toolbox toolbar or select Tools/Toolbox/Grooves

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You will see the Groove options containing O-Ring or Retaining Ring Grooves. Both of these will give you the various standards (Ansi/Iso/Etc.).

Starting with O-Rings, we see various O-Ring types. Select the desired typ

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This will give you all the pre-defined sizes. At this point all you need to do is select a cylindrical face. By preselecting a cylindrical face, Toolbox determines the diameter for the groove and suggests appropriate groove sizes.

Click Create.

The groove is cut into the model. A feature appears in the FeatureManager design tree with a name that matches the Description.

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Now you will see you groove created, however there was no option to locate the groove, it is created at the location that you selected the face. In order to place it, you will need to edit the sketch and add some locating dimensions.

To precisely locate the groove on the face:

In the FeatureManager design tree, expand the groove feature.

Right-click the sketch under the feature and select Edit Sketch.

The sketch opens for editing.

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Experiment with the various Groove types. O-Rings can also be created on circular end faces (Face Static Grooves)

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Retaining Rings work the same as O-Rings. Both have External & Internal ring options.

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The Grooves feature is a pretty straight forward feature to use, type/size/location. This saves a lot to time than manually creating these features, so take advantage!

We hope this series gives you an insight to the additional design tools available in the SOLIDWORKS toolbox. Please check back to the CATI Blog as the Dedicated Support Team will continue posting new series of articles every month that go further into the details of many of the SOLIDWORKS tools. All of these articles will be stored in the category of Daily Dose…..of SOLIDWORKS Support and links to each article with their release date are listed below:

•    The Hidden Treasures of SOLIDWORKS Toolbox – Part 1 (Bryan Pawlak 3/31/15)

•    The Hidden Treasures of SOLIDWORKS Toolbox – Part 2 (John Van Engen 4/1/15)

•    The Hidden Treasures of SOLIDWORKS Toolbox – Part 3 (Blake Cokinis 4/2/15)

•    The Hidden Treasures of SOLIDWORKS Toolbox – Part 4 (Neil Bucalo 4/6/15)

Blake Cokinis

Sr. Support Product Specialist

Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

 

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