How Do You Find Mass and Volume in SolidWorks?

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In SolidWorks, finding the mass and volume of a part or assembly is essential for various engineering calculations and analysis. Fortunately, SolidWorks provides several straightforward methods to determine these properties accurately. In this tutorial, we will explore three different approaches to finding mass and volume in SolidWorks.

Method 1: Using the Mass Properties Tool

The Mass Properties tool in SolidWorks provides a quick and convenient way to obtain mass and volume information for a part or assembly. To access this tool:

  1. Step 1: Open your desired part or assembly in SolidWorks.
  2. Step 2: Go to the Evaluate tab in the Command Manager.
  3. Step 3: Click on the Mass Properties icon.

The Mass Properties dialog box will appear, displaying various properties of your part or assembly, including mass, volume, density, center of mass, and more. You can also choose to display additional information by clicking on the options available within the dialog box.

Note:

If you have an assembly open in SolidWorks and want to find the mass and volume of a specific component within it, select that component before accessing the Mass Properties tool. This allows you to obtain properties for individual parts within an assembly.

Method 2: Using Custom Cut Lists

If you are working with sheet metal parts or weldments in SolidWorks, you can utilize custom cut lists to find mass and volume information for individual components automatically. Follow these steps:

  1. Step 1: Ensure you have created a cut list for your sheet metal part or weldment. To do this, right-click on the cut list folder in the FeatureManager Design Tree and select Update.
  2. Step 2: Once the cut list is updated, expand the cut list folder in the FeatureManager Design Tree to display individual components.
  3. Step 3: Right-click on any component and select Properties.

A Custom Properties dialog box will appear, showing various properties of your component, including mass and volume. This method allows you to find mass and volume information for each individual part within a sheet metal or weldment assembly automatically.

Method 3: Using the Mass and Volume Calculations

If you prefer a more manual approach, SolidWorks provides built-in functions that allow you to calculate mass and volume based on material density. Follow these steps:

  1. Step 1: Open your desired part or assembly in SolidWorks.
  2. Step 3: Click on the Mass Properties icon to open the Mass Properties dialog box.
  3. Step 4: Note down the displayed mass value.
  4. Step 5: If you haven’t assigned a material to your part or assembly, do so by right-clicking on it in the FeatureManager Design Tree, selecting Edit Material, and choosing an appropriate material from the Material Library.
  5. Step 6: Once the material is assigned, right-click on the part or assembly again, select Properties, and go to the Custom tab.
  6. Step 7: Click on Add.. and enter a name for your custom property (e.g., Volume) and an equation to calculate it (e., “Mass/Density”).
  7. Step 8: Click OK, and the calculated volume will be displayed in the Custom tab.

This method allows you to calculate volume based on mass and material density manually. It is particularly useful when working with materials that have non-standard densities or when you want more control over your calculations.

Conclusion

In SolidWorks, finding mass and volume is crucial for many engineering tasks. By utilizing the Mass Properties tool, custom cut lists, or manual calculations, you can easily obtain these properties accurately. Whether you prefer a quick automated approach or a more hands-on method, SolidWorks offers multiple options to suit your needs.

Note: Remember to save your work regularly and verify that your units of measurement are correct before relying on any mass or volume values obtained from SolidWorks.