Structural members, cut lists, weld beads, designing a steel frame the workshop can actually fabricate, not a sketch the foreman has to interpret on the shop floor.
Sketch 3D paths, SolidWorks runs a structural profile (RHS, angle, channel) along them. Re-cut the profile and the whole frame updates automatically.
Square mitre, butt, end-trim, all from the trim tool. Manually modelling each joint is where part-time SolidWorks users drown in errors.
Each member gets a length, qty, profile, and weight. Export to BOM and hand the workshop a one-page cut list. No drawing dimensions to chase.
Beads in the model show the welder where, not how strong. AWS or EN 1090 weld symbols on the drawing are the spec, the 3D bead is documentation.
Profiles to keep in the SolidWorks library for fast frame design.
| Profile | Typical use | Min wall |
|---|---|---|
| RHS 40×40×2 | Light enclosure frames | 1.6 mm |
| RHS 50×50×3 | Cabinet bases, light skids | 2.0 mm |
| RHS 80×80×4 | Equipment skids, panel stands | 3.0 mm |
| L-angle 50×50×5 | Stiffeners, brackets | 4.0 mm |
| C-channel 100×50×3 | Long-span frames | 2.5 mm |
| UB / IPE beams | Heavy support, lifting | per design |
| T-section 50×50×3 | Trim, ribs, tie-ins | 2.5 mm |
Weldments save days vs surface modelling, only if the profile library is right.
Stock RHS, SHS, L, C, UB and UC profiles in the weldment library before starting. Every project pulls from the same library, joints align, BOMs aggregate, cut lists generate clean.
The weldment cut-list pulls description, material, length and quantity automatically, but only if profile metadata is right. Mis-named Square Tube 50 and RHS 50×50×2 appear as two items and the buyer orders both.
Butt, mitre, cope, trimmed-to-end, trim-and-extend, weld-prep. Get this wrong and the workshop can't make the weld in one orientation. Cope cuts add fab time but produce stronger joints than butts on round profiles.
Members trim against trim, lengthen against extend. The cut list reads the final trimmed length, not the model length. Always double-check the cut list against a physical takeoff for the first run.
The weld feature creates a graphical bead and a callout, useful for shop drawings. Structural strength of welds is calculated outside SolidWorks (Simulation, or by hand to AISC / EN 1993). Don't confuse the visual bead with the spec.
Switchgear lifting frames, generator skids, transformer plinths, all designed in SolidWorks weldments and welded in our Dammam facility. SBC-compliant, AWS D1.1 procedures.
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