SolidWorks

SolidWorks is one of the most widely used 3D CAD programs for mechanical engineering, developed by Dassault Systèmes. It is used mainly in mechanical and industrial design, especially at small and mid-sized companies. The vendor itself styles the name as SOLIDWORKS.

SolidWorks includes tools for parametric 3D modeling of parts and assemblies, production drawings with dimensions and tolerances, simulation (structural analysis using the finite element method, fluid flow, heat transfer), CAM modules for programming CNC machines, data management (SolidWorks PDM) and collaboration.

Engineers like SolidWorks for its intuitive user interface, large user community and libraries of standard parts (fasteners, bearings, structural profiles). Models and drawings can be exported to STEP, IGES, DXF, PDF and other formats for manufacturing or collaboration.

Alternatives include Autodesk Inventor, PTC Creo, Siemens NX (common in large corporations) and the cloud-based Autodesk Fusion, formerly Fusion 360 (popular with startups and smaller development teams). Each system has its strengths. However, an engineer's experience largely transfers between systems and usually matters more than knowledge of a particular program.

SolidWorks is a good choice for designing machine parts, assemblies, jigs and fixtures, sheet metal parts and welded frames (weldments), in other words the typical work of a mechanical design team at a small or mid-sized company. Its wide adoption makes it easier to exchange data with suppliers and to hire design engineers.

If your supplier or customer works in SolidWorks, exchanging native files preserves the full model history as well as the drawings, which makes later changes easier. For strength checks of ordinary parts, the built-in simulation modules can be used without switching to another program.

Native SolidWorks files are not backward compatible: a model saved in a newer version cannot be opened in an older one. When handing over data, agree on the version or include a STEP file as well. Large assemblies with thousands of parts can be slow and require discipline in working with configurations, simplified representations and external references.

The choice of CAD system should depend on who you work with and what kind of tasks you solve. For demanding surface modeling of car bodies and for very large assemblies in the automotive and aerospace industries, CATIA or NX are more common. When working with a design supplier, ask in which format and version you will receive the source data.