SolidWorks Application Programming Interface Research Articles

Using Solidworks Simulation tool for automated design of drying chambers and study of their operation parameters

The paper proposes a modern approach to the automated design of three-dimensional models of wood drying chambers and the study of their operation parameters using the SolidWorks Simulation tool, which makes it possible to create various information models using computer tools. Therefore, in this paper, a three-dimensional model of a wood drying chamber was developed and presented, which includes its main components: walls, ceilings, door, stacks of lumber to be dried, a fresh air supply system, a system for its circulation through fans and heating through heaters. For the automated design of three-dimensional models of all these components, the corresponding algorithms were also developed and programmatically implemented using a specialized SolidWorks application programming interface. At the same time, the developed software application takes into account the parameters entered by the user, including the size, quantity, and type of lumber to be dried. In addition, several thermal calculations were performed across the stack, including with different air velocities. This allows us to analyze the effect of this speed on the distribution of heat transfer across the stack. In general, the obtained results are automatically displayed in one of the windows of the software application. This approach makes it possible to obtain results in the background of SolidWorks with minimal user intervention. Despite the fact that such studies are carried out in SolidWorks Simulation, the graphical results, including the temperature distribution across the stack, are fully automated without user intervention. The software application also makes it possible to automatically change the geometry of a three-dimensional model of a wood drying chamber or stacks within specified limits. In turn, the use of the developed software application in combination with SolidWorks Simulation can effectively speed up the process of creating three-dimensional models of wood drying chambers and studying their operation parameters. In general, this work reflects the trend towards digital transformation in industry, opening up new opportunities for woodworking enterprises and contributing to their market competitiveness and production efficiency.

Computer aided fixture design - A case based approach

Automated fixture design plays important role in process planning and integration of CAD and CAM. An automated fixture setup design system is developed where when fixturing surfaces and points are described allowing modular fixture components to get automatically select for generating fixture units and placed into position with satisfying assembled conditions. In past, various knowledge based system have been developed to implement CAFD in practice. In this paper, to obtain an acceptable automated machining fixture design, a case-based reasoning method with developed retrieval system is proposed. Visual Basic (VB) programming language is used in integrating with SolidWorks API (Application programming interface) module for better retrieval procedure reducing computational time. These properties are incorporated in numerical simulation to determine the best fit for practical use.

Indexing and retrieval using case-based reasoning in special purpose machine designs

Research on computer-aided design for machine tools has been in the interest of many researchers for a long time and generated several new methods for different engineering applications. This paper introduces a case-based reasoning (CBR) method combined with SolidWorks application programming interface (API) for special purpose machines (SPMs). It presents an integrated system with focusing on the indexing and retrieval process for the design cases. An indexing mechanism was developed for SPMs, and two retrieval stages were applied to retrieve the optimum case. An illustrative example is included to demonstrate the proposed method and how this method combined with SolidWorks API will accelerate the design process for SPMs.

IRoSim: Industrial Robotics Simulation Design Planning and Optimization platform based on CAD and knowledgeware technologies

This paper presents Industrial Robotics Simulation Design Planning and Optimization platform named IRoSim, which is based on SolidWorks Application Programming Interface (API) to offer an intuitive and convertible environment for designing and simulating robotized tasks. The core idea is to integrate features of mechanical CAD and robotics CAD into the same platform to facilitate the development process through the designed Graphical User Interface (GUI) which permits user friendly interaction. The platform includes various 3D models that are essential for developing any robotized task and offers possibility to integrate new models in simulation. Robotic manipulator library is one such example which contains several types of serial arms with different combinations of revolute and prismatic joints. The platform provides most important steps such as defining the task, CAD learning of the end-effector's trajectory, checking the manipulator's reachability to perform a task, simulating the motion and finally validating the manipulator's trajectory to avoid possible collisions. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach, two frequent and important tasks (spot welding and painting) using a 6-Degree Of Freedom (DOF) industrial robotic manipulator have been considered. The output of the proposed strategy provides collision-free trajectory of the manipulator's motion which can be directly mapped to a real site. Moreover, the approach permits addressing the problems related with the real implementation of robotized tasks.

Graph Based Method and Tool for Complete and Selective Disassembly Time Estimation in Early Design

The goal of this research is to develop a method and tool (a) to estimate disassembly time automatically from early embodiment design based CAD model and (b) to provide design suggestions to improve product disassemblability. Disassembly is a critical process in the end-of-life (EOL) stage of a product. It is usually followed by sorting and then by material recovery for recycling or part recovery for reuse or remanufacturing. Manual estimation of disassembly time, through physical prototype disassembly or through Boothroyd and Dewhurst system, is time consuming and is not applicable in the early design stage. In this research, graph based data structures and related metrics are utilized to estimate complete and selective disassembly time at embodiment design stage. Selective disassembly is important when a single part of subassembly is to be recovered while the rest of the product is to be discarded. Selective disassembly time is estimated by merging particular nodes in assembly and bipartite graph and then recomputing the graph metrics. The method and algorithm presented in this paper is implemented using SolidWorks application programming interface (API) in Visual C#. Results are compared with the results obtained by Boothroyd and Dewhurst method, the error range is reasonable.

Form Grinding Simulation and Tool Abrasion Estimation for Twin Screw Compressor Rotors Based on Solidworks API

This paper presents a form grinding simulation of twin-screw compressor rotors with high precision. The simulation interface has been developed using VB.NET programming language based on SWAPI (SolidWorks Application Programming Interface), and the mathematical model of rotor form grinding has been established for generating the tool-feeding path. Based on the proposed procedure, the machined rotor model can be rapidly obtained with the required precision. Furthermore, the grinding area and tool abrasion on the grinding wheel can be both estimated and displayed through the use of existing SW tools for longevity assessment.