Establishing CAD standards
within a SolidWorks environment
Matthew Lorono, owner
SolidWorks Legion
Establishing CAD standards – Presentation description
• This presentation provides road map to establishing company CAD
standards within an engineering environment that utilizes SolidWorks.
• This presentation discusses some specific recommendations;
• However, this presentation will focus on general topics and ideas that you
may wish to cover in your CAD environment.
Establishing CAD standards - Overview
• Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• Preliminary CAD considerations
• SolidWorks templates and sheet formats
• SolidWorks performance
• SolidWorks best practices
• Drafting standards
• Source file and document control
• Revision control
• Handling legacy procedures and systems
• Dissemination of standards and training
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• Composition of a procedure

Purpose – A statement of purpose for the procedure.

Scope – A statement about the extent to which the procedure applies.

Application – This is an optional statement about how to apply the
procedure (including how to handle possible exceptions).

Definitions – This is a glossary of special terms found within the
procedure.

Requirements – A statement that details the skills or training that is
required to use the procedure.

Procedure – This is the organized list of instructions and responsibilities.
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• When writing procedures, state instructions and responsibilities in a clear and
concise manner.
− Actual statement found in a transcript of a doctor’s dictation:
“The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut and handed to the pediatrician, who
breathed and cried immediately”
Source: The Bride of Anguished English by Richard Lederer, p65.
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• Where possible, instructions should be stated as imperatives. (Avoid matter of
fact statements unless stating a condition or fact.)
• Begin individual instructions with action verbs.
• Write in the third-person or even “no-person” perspective.

Examples:
− Recommended: “Fill in all title block fields.”
− Not recommended: “All title block fields will be filled in by you.” (All of them by me? Really?!?)
− Not recommended: “Title block fields are filled in.” (When did that happen?)
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• Reduce unnecessary wordiness.
− Bad example: “I’m jumping off of the road.” The additional “of” is unnecessary.
− Good example: “I’m jumping off the road.”
Source: Do you speak American? by Robert MacNeil and William Cran quoting John Simon, p22.
• Use gender neutral pronouns, when needed.
− It is OK to use “they”, “their” and “them” for both plural and singular form.
• Use the word shall to establish a requirement that is not stated as an
imperative. Use of the word will is only recommended when responsibility and
timeframe are established by the context.
− Recommended: “Each operator shall be capable of lifting 50lbs.”
− Not recommended; “Each operator will be capable of lifting 50lbs.” (When will that be a
requirement?)
• The words may and should generally represent suggestions or preferences.
Do not use these words to signify requirements.
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• Use present tense; avoid mixed tenses (esp. future and past).
− Recommended: “Each part number represents an item.”
− Not recommended: “A part number will represent an item.” (When will that happen?)
• Despite what Microsoft Word says in its grammar check, use of the passive
voice is OK. However, using imperative statements reduces the need for
the passive voice.
− Acceptable: “Grease may be applied to reduce friction.”
− Alternative: “Application of grease is OK to reduce friction.”
− Imperative: “Apply grease as necessary to reduce friction.”
• Avoid legal jargon and colloquial terms
− For example, avoid “he/she”, “and/or”, or “per se”. (“He/she is not here and/or there, per
se.”)
− Other examples, avoid “heaven forbid”, “totally”, or “roundabout”. (These are actual terms
I’ve actually found in technical documents.)
Rules for writing procedures in the 21st Century
• Side note: there is no practical difference in how to apply the terms
Standard Operating Procedures and Work Instructions.
Preliminary CAD considerations
Preliminary CAD considerations
• Determine work environment and types of SolidWorks users.

Contractors

Consultants

Direct hire employees
− new users
− experienced users

Up stream suppliers

Down stream customers
Preliminary CAD considerations
• Determine file management for SolidWorks files.

PDM or PLM controlled files?
− Which system and how will it be used??

Files on a shared network drive?
− What revision management is in place? How are files accessed and updated?

Files stored on a local drive?
− How are files shared?

What is the number of contributor sites?
− One site is far easier than multiple sites.
Preliminary CAD considerations
• Determine the best methods of modelling and assembly structure in
SolidWorks for your company. Several practices exist as general guides:
− Top-Down assemblies (many similar products with well understood assembly structure)
− Horizontal Modelling (extremely complex models)
− Skeleton (product assembly lines, large equipment)
− Bottom-Up assemblies (small equipment, modelling environments with many diverse
disciplines, high staff turnover)
− Configurations (many similar products with leveraged components and geometry)

There is no one-size-fits-all modelling and assembly method for all
companies. Research each and make the determination based on
business needs.
Preliminary CAD considerations
• Determine the form of released documentation.

Plotted full size drawings

Drawings printed on letter size paper

Drawings in the electronic form only (PDF, eDrawings,
or native SolidWorks)

Model Based Definition (use of the solid models to define the product)

Mix of the above
Preliminary CAD considerations
• Determine how SolidWorks files will relate to product life.

Product life is the timeframe that starts with the initial product design
and ends with the conclusion of support after the product is withdrawn
from the marketplace.

Release phases within the product life may impact how SolidWorks files
are controlled.
SolidWorks templates and sheet formats
SolidWorks templates and sheet formats
• Create a basic solid model template.
− This will be the most used document template.
− The setup within this template will become the backbone of everything within
SolidWorks.
− It may be used to create other templates.
• Create a solid model assembly template.
− Many settings within this template should duplicate the settings in the solid model
template.
− Setup the assembly template to support the chosen modelling method. However, do not
become overly reliant on any particular methodology since situations may require
flexibility.
SolidWorks templates and sheet formats
• Create drawing templates and decide how they will interact with solid
models.
− Determine basic drawing elements (title block,
border and sheet sizes, revision block, general
note location).
− Determine how custom properties or other
properties values will be used in the title block.
− Will annotation notes within the title
block pull their values from the drawing
itself or from the solid model? See
SolidWorks Help search for “Link to
Property”.
− Determine pre-defined views, if desired.
− Will dimensions import from the model or be
created in the drawing, or both?
− Create drawing templates and sheet formats for
each drawing size.
SolidWorks templates and sheet formats
• In network environments, place the templates and sheet formats within a
network folder where all SolidWorks users will have access.
− Point all SolidWorks installs to this location. This can be done within pulldown menu
Tools>Options>File Location>Document Templates and Sheet Formats.
− See SolidWorks Help search for Copy Settings Wizard for information on how to backup
or copy settings between computers.
− Also see Admin Image for instructions on automate setting updates across a network.
SolidWorks performance
SolidWorks performance
• Create a procedure or internal guide that establishes requirements for
SolidWorks performance, including:

computer system requirements (hardware and software)

Windows settings (configuration of the Windows OS)

SolidWorks installation (installation guidelines or methods)

working folders (whether working with or without PDM software)

standardized configuration files and locations (custom materials, custom
hole wizard, sheet material gage tables, Toolbox, etc).
• This information should be updated frequently as computers, processes and
SolidWorks are updated.
SolidWorks best practices
SolidWorks best practices
• Create a procedure that establishes SolidWorks best practices based on
business needs.
• It is not necessary to specify instructions for every scenario. Use best
practices as a guide.
• Instructions within the procedure should coincide with the chosen modelling
methodologies.
• Best practices should also be closely tied with SolidWorks templates and
sheet formats.
SolidWorks best practices
• For solid models, discuss preferred methods

preferences for creating features

use of reference geometry

organization of FeatureManager design tree

how to create models to capture function and design intent

how to apply model dimensions that will appear on the drawing
• For assemblies, cover assembly methodologies

state when to use a methodology, such as top-down or bottom-up

discuss which component within an assembly should be the primary
component (and whether is should be fixed or mated)

discuss mating rules

cover how to avoid circular mating
SolidWorks best practices
• For drawings, detail how to use company standards

list drawing templates and sheet formats and any special instructions
related to their use

list custom keyboard shortcuts, common macros, etc.

Establish courtesy rules
− Example: Save drawings with the view at Zoom to Fit.
− Example: Do not modify title blocks directly.
Drafting standards
Drafting standards
• Create a company drafting standard.
• Invoke an existing international engineering drawing standard within your
company drafting standard.
• Rely on the international standard for bulk of drawing requirements.
(Leveraging existing standards allows the company drafting standard to be
short.)

ASME Y14.100 (umbrella engineering drawing standard)

ASME Y14.5-2009 (GD&T drafting standard)

If using Model Based Define, consider ASME Y14.41 (3D model
drafting standard)
• List exceptions to the international standards within the company drafting
standard.
• Also, make sure legal copies of the international standards are on hand.
Source file and document control
Source file and document control
• Create a procedure that covers how to handle file management of
SolidWorks files and other engineering documents.
• It should include processes for control of SolidWorks files for the following:
− Files in folders on the local drive
− Files in folders on a network drive
− Files stored within the vault that is controlled by a PDM or PLM application
− Files to be shared with suppliers and customers
• Discuss release status for files.
• Establish workflows that govern the
release and change of files.
• Explicitly state the responsibilities of each role within
those workflows.
• Where possible, keep user input requirements to a minimum.
Revision control
Revision control
• Any change that affects interchangeability, form, fit or function should
require a revision.
− Scenario: The tolerance of a mating feature is reduced. Should the assembly of the two
mating components revised along with the changing component?
− Scenario: A drawing title block is updated to reference a the new ASME Y14.5-2009
standard. Should this change require a new revision the part?
• Business needs should be considered when determining how to
management revisions.
=
Revision control
• Create a procedure that covers how to revise SolidWorks files and other
engineering documents.
− Revision schemes (alphabetic, numeric or both)
− Version handling (changing documents between revisions or in pre-release activities)
• State when a change requires a revision, and when a new part number is
necessary instead (see next slide for concept definitions).
− Primary consideration is interchangeability. Is the change interchangeable with the
previous revision and vice versa? If not, a new part number should be used instead of a
revision.
− Secondary consideration is the function. Does the part have the same function after the
change? For example, a part’s function may be different if the part is used on a new
product as a result of the change.
− Form and fit are tertiary considerations. Is the material changing? Or, is the fit affected
(even if interchangeability is not). If so, then a new part number is required.
− Otherwise, just revise the existing part.
• This procedure can rely on ASME Y14.35.
• If the company uses a ERP or PLM, this procedure may be supplemental to
those processes.
Revision control definitions
•
Content change – Any change that affects interchangeability, form, fit or
function.
•
Non-content change – Very minor document corrections to obvious errors,
such as typos, transcription errors, grammar, or text formatting where the
content of the document is not affected.
•
Form, Fit, or Function – Characteristics of physical items.
•

Form – Item material, composition, general shape, or other physical
parameters which uniquely characterize the part.

Fit – Item size, mating, mounting, attachment, or connection.

Function – Item purpose, operation or performance (such as: method
of use, operating range, safety, compatibility, reliability, accuracy, etc).
Interchangeability – Ability of an item to replace and be replaced.
Handling legacy procedures and systems
Handling legacy procedures and systems
• Create a Process Flow chart of the legacy processes (e.g., AutoCAD files).
− A graphical layout of the processes may reveal unexpected links and dependencies
between events.
− It may also help stakeholders to discuss improvements.
• Analyze how to integrate legacy processes with SolidWorks related
processes, including migration paths. Update the Process Flow chart
accordingly, along with affected procedures.
• Use of legacy processes should diminish with the implementation of new
processes.
• As a function of the migration, have a long term plan for retirement of legacy
processes.
Dissemination of standards and training
Dissemination of standards via training
• Train staff as they are hired.
• Revise procedures about once a year (or more if process changes are
required).
• Retrain staff after each revision.
• Stagger the revision of procedures throughout the year to minimize impact
of individual process changes.
Questions?
My website: http://fcsuper.com/swblog