Are you a SOLIDWORKS enthusiast passionate about shipbuilding or marine engineering? Here's how to model ship structure stiffeners like steel profiles, brackets, and gussets efficiently using the Weldments tool in SOLIDWORKS.
Why SOLIDWORKS Weldments for Shipbuilding?
The Weldments tool is a powerhouse for modeling ship frames, girders, and stiffeners. It allows you to:
✅ Design structural members like T-beams, L-profiles, and custom profiles.
✅ Generate accurate models with trim/extend tools and gussets for realistic connections.
✅ Simplify large assemblies into manageable multi-body Part Files.
Key Features of Weldments for Structural Design
Groups
A group is a collection of related segments in a structural member. Groups ensure a logical organization of segments to simplify your design process.
Profiles and Cut Lists
- Cut Lists: A cut list in the FeatureManager design tree groups identical entities in a part. It’s available for parts with weldment or sheet metal features and is critical for organizing and generating a Bill of Materials (BOM).
Adding Structural Members and Groups
- Adding Groups: You can create new groups of structural members by selecting related segments to ensure continuity in design.
- Transferring Material Properties: Material properties from library profiles can be transferred directly to your structural members.
Weldment Feature
The weldment feature enables a specialized design functionality environment. It designates the part as a weldment and sets up configurations such as:
- Default Configurations: A parent configuration, Default, and a derived configuration, Default. You can also disable the automatic creation of derived configurations if not needed.
Structural Member PropertyManager
Manage and customize structural members, including defining material properties and profile placement.
Custom Profiles
You can create your own weldment profiles as library feature parts. These are filed in defined locations to be available for selection. Use pierce points to define the location of the profile relative to the sketch segment.
Trim and Extend
Segments and solid bodies can be trimmed or extended to ensure accurate connections.
Gussets and End Caps
- Gussets: Reinforce intersections of structural members with planar faces.
- End Caps: Close off open structural members, including options for internal end caps.
Weld Beads
Add weld beads to weldment parts, assemblies, and multibody parts for visual and functional detailing.
Sub-weldments
Segment complex weldment models into manageable entities by creating sub-weldments.
Custom Properties
Custom properties for weldments and cut lists differ from document-level custom properties, offering enhanced organization.
Weldment Drawings and Cut List Tables
Generate cut list tables to add BOM-like tables for cut, welded structural shapes in your drawings.
Key Steps to Model Stiffeners and Structural Members
1️⃣ Create the Framework:
Use 3D Sketches or multiple 2D sketches to design the wireframe layout of ship structures, such as bulkhead stiffeners, girders, and frames.
2️⃣ Add Structural Members:
- Select Standard, Type, and Size in the Structural Member Command to place profiles.
- Use common steel profiles like rectangular tubes, angles, and channels, as shown below:
3️⃣ Trim/Extend for Precision:
Ensure that stiffeners fit seamlessly with ship components like hulls or decks. The Trim/Extend Command allows you to match boundaries to curved or flat surfaces for perfect connections.
4️⃣ Use Gussets for Connections:
- Add gussets as brackets to reinforce stiffener intersections, ensuring structural integrity.
- Access the Gusset Tool from the Weldments tab, selecting two structural members to connect.
Adding Custom Profiles for Marine Applications
For shipbuilding, you may need custom profiles like HP Bulb Flats or marine-specific T-sections. Here’s how to create and use custom profiles in SOLIDWORKS Weldments:
Step-by-Step: Creating a Custom Profile in SOLIDWORKS
1️⃣ Start a New Part File:
- Open a new part file in SOLIDWORKS and create a sketch on the Front Plane.
2️⃣ Draw the Profile:
- Use sketch tools (lines, arcs, dimensions) to create the outline of your profile (e.g., HP Bulb Flat, T-section).
- Ensure the profile is closed for proper use in Weldments.
3️⃣ Add Reference Point for Alignment:
- Place a sketch point where you want the profile to align during placement in the Weldment tool (usually the centroid or a corner).
4️⃣ Save the Sketch as a Library Feature:
- After finishing the sketch, save it as a .sldlfp file:
- File > Save As > Select Library Feature Part (*.sldlfp).
- Save it in the Weldments Profile folder (default location: C:\\Program Files\\SOLIDWORKS Corp\\SOLIDWORKS\\lang\\english\\weldment profiles).
- Organize by creating subfolders for Standard, Type, and Size.
Using the Custom Profile in Weldments
- Open your part file with a wireframe sketch.
- Add a Structural Member in the Weldments tab.
- Select the Custom Standard you created and choose your profile.
- Place the profile along your wireframe, adjusting orientation as needed using the Locate Profile tool.
Pro Tip: Custom Gussets for Connections
- You can create custom gussets to reinforce stiffener connections:
- Sketch a gusset profile directly in your model.
- Use Extrude or Weldments Gusset Tool to add the gusset between structural members.
- Ensure gussets are sized for real-world manufacturing constraints.
Pro Tips for Shipbuilders
🌊 Standard Profiles: Use standard marine steel profiles (e.g., IACS-approved) to match real-world shipyard requirements.
📐 Coordinate with Hull and Bulkheads: Align stiffeners with plate sketches for precise design and analysis.
💻 Simplify Complex Assemblies: Reduce assembly workload by using Weldments to model structures like bulkhead stiffeners directly in Part Files.
💬 Ready to Start Your Shipbuilding Journey?
Mastering SOLIDWORKS Weldments is a game-changer for ship design. Share your thoughts, questions, or projects in the comments!
🔗 Learn More: Explore SOLIDWORKS Weldments tutorials or connect with the community to level up your skills!
