©2012 Jan-Willem Zuyderduyn LearnSolidWorks.

com 1|Page
 “A Step by Step SolidWorks Tutorial”
©2012 Jan-Willem Zuyderduyn LearnSolidWorks.com 2|Page
How to model a Chain in SolidWorks?
In this tutorial you will learn the following features:

 Draw a 2d sketch
 Extrude
 Mirror
 Fillet
 Curve Drive Pattern

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Create a new part

Open a new part with model units set to

millimeters.

Go to: File > New > Part

Select the three planes in the feature tree and

make them visible by clicking on the glasses.

Change the names of the planes

Double click on the Front Plane in the feature tree.

Change the name into: MIDPLANE CHAIN

Double click on the Top Plane in the feature tree.

Change the name into: CENTERPLANE CHAIN

Double click on the Right Plane in the feature tree.

Change the name into: FRONTPLANE CHAIN

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Create a 2D sketch

Select the MIDPLANE CHAIN and create a sketch by clicking on the 2D Sketch icon

Draw the sketch as shown in the picture

(in the same way as the sketch of the Transmission Belt)

The origin should be in the middle of the biggest circle.

Rename the sketch

Double click on Sketch1 in the feature tree and change the name into: Path Chain

Close the sketch

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Create another 2D sketch

Select the MIDPLANE CHAIN and create a sketch by clicking on the 2D Sketch icon

Draw the two circles as shown in the picture.

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > Circle or click at the Circle icon

Change the dimensions by clicking at the dimension button

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Extrude the sketch

Go to: Insert > Boss/Base > Extrude or click at the Extrude icon

Direction : Midplane

Change : into 19 mm

Click OK

Create a sketch on surface

Select the blue surface of Extrude1 as shown in the picture.

Create a new sketch by clicking on the 2D Sketch icon

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Create the second part of the chain

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > Straight Slot or click at the

Straight Slot icon

Select the first option in the Slot menu as shown in the picture

Click at the center of one of the circles to define the first point of the
straight slot

Click at the center of the second circle to define the second point of
the straight slot

Click for the third time to define the width of the straight slot

Change the size and position of the slot by clicking at the

dimension button

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Draw a 3 Point Arc

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > 3 Point Arc or click at the 3 Point Arc icon

Select the third option in the Arc Type menu as shown in the picture

Click at the left endpoint of the horizontal line to create the first endpoint

Click at the right endpoint of the horizontal line to create the second endpoint

Click for the third time to create the radius of the arc

Change the size of the arc by clicking at the dimension button

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Create a Horizontal centerline

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > Centerline or click at the Centerline icon

Create a horizontal centerline from the left to the right arc as shown in the picture.

Mirror the Arc

Go to Tools > Sketch Tools > Mirror or click at the Mirror icon

Select the Arc as Entities to mirror

Select the new centerline as Mirror about

Click OK

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Trim the horizontal lines

Go to Tools > Sketch Tools > Trim or click at the Trim icon

Select Powertrim and delete all the lines you don’t need by dragging the cursor over the
lines you want to delete. Delete the inside of the circles as well as shown in the picture.

You will get this Warning:

Select the two points of the right arc and click at the Fix icon to define the sketch

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Create two Sketch Offsets

Go to Tools > Sketch Tools > Offset Entities or click at the

Offset Entities button

Select one of the two circles and change D into 1 mm

Change the direction of the offset with the Reverse option

in the Offset Entities menu

Click OK

Offset the second circle as well

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Create an Extruded Boss/Base

Go to: Insert > Boss/Base > Extrude or click at the Extrude icon

Direction 1 : Blind

Change into 2 mm

Ensure that the offset is directed

outwards as shown in the picture.

If not, click “Reverse direction”

Click OK

Select the blue surface of Extrude2 as shown in the picture.

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Draw a Straight Slot on the blue surface

Create a new sketch by clicking on the 2D Sketch icon

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > Straight Slot or click at

the Straight Slot icon

Select the first option in the Slot menu as shown in the picture

Click at the center of the right circle to define the first point of the
straight slot

Click right to this point to create the second point of

the straight slot

Click for the third time to define the width of the straight slot

Change the size and position of the slot by clicking at the

dimension button

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Draw two Circles

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > Circle or click at the Circle icon

Draw the two circles as shown in the picture

Change the dimensions of the circle as shown in the picture by clicking at the dimension
button

Create an Extruded Boss/Base

Go to: Insert > Boss/Base > Extrude or click at the Extrude icon

Direction 1 : Blind

Change into 2 mm

Ensure that the offset is directed

outwards as shown in the picture.

If not, click “Reverse direction”

Click OK

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Create a Fillet

Go to: Insert > Features > Fillet/Round > 0.2 mm

Select the blue edges and surfaces as shown in the picture.

SolidWorks automatically selects the other edges of these corners.

Those are marked in yellow.

Click OK

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Mirror Extrude2, Extrude3 and Fillet1

Go to: Insert > Pattern/Mirror > Mirror

Mirror Face/Plane : MIDPLANE CHAIN

Features to Mirror : Extrude2, Fillet1 , Extrude3

Click OK

The first link of the chain is finished now.

Now we’re going to create the entire chain.

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Create a Curve Driven Pattern

Go to: Insert > Pattern/Mirror > Curve Driven Pattern

or click at the Curve Drive Pattern icon

Pattern Direction : Select the ”Path Chain” sketch in the Feature Tree

Number of instances : 64

Change : 30,26 mm

Curve method: Offset curve

Alignment method: Tangent to curve

Bodies to Pattern : Mirror1

Click OK

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The chain is almost ready now. But there is one switch missing.

Create the last Switch

Select the MIDPLANE CHAIN and create a new sketch.

Select the inner circle of the open switch as shown in the picture.

Go to: Tools > Sketch Tools > Convert Entities

The inner circle is copied and fixed now.

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Create an Extruded Boss/Base

Go to: Insert > Boss/Base > Extrude or click at the Extrude icon

Direction 1 : Midplane

Change into 22 mm

Click OK

Create the last part of the link

Select the blue surface of the switch as shown in the picture.

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Draw a Straight Slot on the blue surface

Create a new sketch by clicking on the 2D Sketch icon

Go to Tools > Sketch Entities > Straight Slot or click at

the Straight Slot icon

Select the first option in the Slot menu as shown in the picture

Click at the center of the right circle to define the first point of the
straight slot

Click at the center of the left circle to define the second point of
the straight slot

Click for the third time to define the width of the straight slot

Change the size and position of the slot by clicking at the

dimension button

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Create an Extruded Boss/Base

Go to: Insert > Boss/Base > Extrude or click at the Extrude icon

Direction 1 : Blind

Change into 2 mm

Ensure that the offset is directed

outwards as shown in the picture.

If not, click “Reverse direction”

Click OK

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Mirror Extrude5

Go to: Insert > Pattern/Mirror > Mirror

Mirror Face/Plane : MIDPLANE CHAIN

Features to Mirror : Extrude5

Click OK

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Change the color of the part

Click at the Chain model

Click at the appearances button

Click at the Body option

Change the color into light grey

Click OK

Save the Chain.SLDPRT file

Congratulations, you just finished the Chain!

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