STEP Weld Length Automation in SOLIDWORKS

A SOLIDWORKS add-in that identifies weldable edges in imported STEP assemblies, measures their lengths, and presents the results visually for fast engineering review.

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ClientConfidential

EngagementCustom add-in development

PlatformSOLIDWORKS

Input dataImported STEP assemblies

The challenge

Manually assessing weld feasibility across large assemblies doesn't scale

Manual review of large STEP assemblies to determine where welds are feasible, and how long those welds should be, is labor-intensive. The client needed a way to identify valid weld edges across component pairs, including cases where only part of an edge qualified for welding, and to make the results clear and verifiable directly in the model.

The solution

A rule-based add-in that reads, evaluates and visualizes weld geometry

The SOLIDWORKS add-in imports the STEP file and identifies its components, then applies a rule-based algorithm to evaluate candidate edges for welding. It lists feasible weld edges for each component pair and displays weld-length information directly in the graphics area, with callouts and color-coded components that make the results easy to inspect at a glance. The initial workflow handled STEP files with up to 50 components; the algorithm was later optimized to scale to files containing hundreds of components.

Capabilities

What the add-in does

Imports STEP assemblies and identifies their components
Evaluates candidate edges using a rule-based algorithm
Supports partial edge selection when only part of a complete edge qualifies for welding
Lists feasible welding edges by component pair
Displays weld length in the graphics area with callouts for length, start point and end point
Color-codes components so pairs are easy to distinguish
Scales from files of up to 50 components to assemblies with hundreds

Technical highlights

How it was built

SOLIDWORKS add-in workflow operating on imported STEP geometry
Rule-based edge qualification, including partial-edge handling
Graphics-area visualization of measured lengths and endpoints
Algorithm optimization to support assemblies with hundreds of components

Results

Faster, more consistent weld assessment

< 7 minProcessing time for the final optimized module, on the client's machine

99.99%Accuracy reported for the final optimized module

3 monthsTime to reported return on investment

Results as reported by the client for the final optimized module, measured on the client's own machine. Figures are client-reported and specific to this engagement; they are not independently validated or a guarantee of performance on other data sets.

Skills and technologies

Relevant to this engagement

SOLIDWORKS Add-In Development STEP Import & Assembly Analysis Geometric Edge Evaluation Weld-Length Measurement Rule-Based Automation Graphics-Area Annotations Performance Optimization

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