Belts and chains are a common part of machine design in the engineering world. SOLIDWORKS enables you to easily create these in the assembly environment with the use of an Assembly Feature. Watch our Video Tech Tip to learn how!
The Belt/Chain Assembly Feature in SOLIDWORKS acts like a Mate to engage pulleys and sprockets, allowing them to rotate with the correct ratio in respect to each other. This feature is also useful for creating a path to make a belt from (as shown in the video), or for using a path to generate pattern features like the Chain Component Pattern introduced in 2015.
SOLIDWORKS will also display the belt length which can be useful for deciding which belt or chain to select from your supplier. Selecting the Create Belt Part checkbox creates a virtual component that will be added to your BOM. As an added bonus, if any of the pulley or sprocket diameters change, the belt will update and show the new length.
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