How to perform a Draft Analysis with 3DEXPERIENCE xApps

The 3DEXPERIENCE Draft Analysis xApp available with SOLIDWORKS 3D Creator role can be very helpful in molding.  It tells a designer if a part is ready for molding rather than going along with part creation and hoping for the best. It can be both time saving and cost beneficial to designers in the molding industry.

What is Draft Analysis?

A draft analysis is used to see if the draft of a part is sufficient for the molding process and if the part will separate correctly from the mold. The draft refers to the angle between the face of a part and the direction of pull (refers to direction of the selected plane/face of a part) of each mold side.  The draft analysis will result in numerical results and a visual color-coded representation of the analysis showing which faces are of concern.

Positive Draft

A positive draft represents a draft with the same direction as a pull direction and is sufficient for molding.  A positive draft is an angle of a face less than ninety degrees and is found by using pull direction minus specified angle (between face of a part and the direction of pull). A negative draft represents a draft with a direction of pull opposite of draft direction and is still sufficient for drafting.

Negative Draft

A negative draft is an angle of a face greater than ninety degrees and is found by using pull direction plus specified angle. Needs drafting indicates a face is not sufficient for molding.  Needs drafting is an angle of a face that is ninety degrees and is found using pull direction plus or minus specified angle.

In the visual representation by default,

• Green indicates positive draft
• Red indicates negative draft
• Yellow indicates needs draft

Draft Analysis with 3DEXPERIENCE

A draft analysis can also be edited by choosing the drop-down box under draft analysis in the tools section.  Below we will go over how to perform a draft analysis in the 3DEXPERIENCE xApps.

Draft Analysis in 3DEXPERIENCE xApps / SOLIDWORKS xDesign

Performing a Draft Analysis:

1. Under the tools tab, select Draft Analysis
2. Select a plane to indicate pull direction
3. A parting line can be indicated using an angle (zero to ninety degrees), choosing part line analysis indicates zero degrees
4. The visual colors can be edited in the dialog box.
5. Click the green check mark when done

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