©2012 Jan-Willem Zuyderduyn LearnSolidWorks.

com 1|Page
 “A Step by Step SolidWorks Tutorial”
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How to model an Oil Tank in SolidWorks?
In this tutorial you will learn the following features:

 Draw a 2d sketch
 Surface Extrude
 Fillet
 Surface Trim
 Surface Knit
 Shell
 Extrude

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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 name of the Front Plane

Double click on the Front Plane in the feature tree.

Change the name into: MIDPLANE OIL TANK

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Create a 2D sketch

Select the Top Plane and create a sketch by clicking on the 2D Sketch icon

Draw the sketch as shown in the picture.

Change the dimensions by clicking at the dimension button

Ensure that the circle is fixed at the Origin

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Create a Surface Extrude

Go to: Insert > Surface > Extrude or click at the Surface Extrude icon

Direction 1 : Mid Plane

Change into: 370 mm

Click OK

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Change the color of the part

Click at the model

Click at the appearances button

Click at the Body option

Change the color into orange

Click OK

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Create a 2D sketch

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

Draw the sketch as shown in the picture

Ensure that the sketch is fixed at the origin.

Change the dimensions by clicking at the dimension button

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Create a Surface Extrude

Go to: Insert > Surface > Extrude or click at the Surface Extrude icon

Direction 1 : Mid Plane

Change into: 210 mm

Click OK

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Trim the faces you don’t need

Go to: Insert > Surface > Trim or click at the Trim icon

Click in the Trim tool box

Select the green Surface-Extrude2 as shown in the picture.

Select the “Remove selections” option.

Select the purple surface of Surface-Extrude1 as shown in the picture.

Surface Split Options: Natural

Click OK

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Repeat this action for Surface-Extrude 2

Go to: Insert > Surface > Trim or click at the Trim icon

Click in the Trim tool box

Select the green Surface-Trim1 as shown in the picture.

Select the “Keep selections” option.

Select the purple surface of Surface-Extrude2-Trim1 as shown

in the picture.

Surface Split Options: Natural

Click OK

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Knit the faces and make the Oil Tank solid

Go to: Insert > Surface > Knit or click at the Knit icon

Selections: Select the green Surface-Trim1

and Surface-Trim2 as shown in the picture.

Select the “Try to form solid” function.

Click OK

Create fillet at all the edges of the Oil Tank

Go to: Insert > Features > Fillet/Round or click at the Fillet icon

Click at the edges as shown in the picture

Change the Radius into 10 mm

Click OK

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Change Face colors

Select the surfaces of the fillet as shown in the picture

Click at the appearances button

Click at the Face option

Change the color into white

Click OK

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Create a Section View

Click at the Section View icon in the View bar

Select the MIDPLANE OIL TANK as Reference Section Plane

Click OK

Make the Oil Tank hollow

Go to: Insert > Features > Shell or click at the Shell icon

Change the Thickness into: 3 mm

Don’t select any faces to remove.

Click OK

See what happened with the shell

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Click again at the Section View icon

to enable the section view

Create a new Plane parallel at the Right Plane

Go to: Insert > Reference Geometry > Plane or click at the Plane icon

Select the Right Plane as shown in the picture.

Change the Offset Distance into 10 mm.

Ensure that the offset is directed outwards.

If not, click “Reverse direction”

Click OK

Save the file with the following name: Oil Tank.SLDPRT

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Insert a graphic on the Oil Tank

Go to: File > Open > Graphic Oil Tank.SLDPRT

(Or use 1 of the 35 decoration graphics)

Right click on Sketch1 in the feature tree and click on the

sketch icon.

Select the sketch and click: Edit > Copy

Go back to File > Open > Oil Tank.SLDPRT

Select Plane 1 and create a new sketch

Draw a vertical construction line starting at the origin as shown in the picture.

Go to: Edit > Paste

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Go to: Edit > Paste

Go to: Tools > Sketch Tools > Move

Select the Imported Sketch

Click and drag over the sketch to select the flames

Start point : Select the yellow top point of the sketch

as shown in the left picture.

End point: Select the top point of the vertical construction

line as shown in the right picture.

Click OK

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Create an Extruded Cut

Go to: Insert > Cut > Extrude or click at the Extruded Cut icon

Direction 1 : Offset From Surface

Change into 0,10 mm

Select the pink surface as shown in the picture.

Select the “Reverse offset” option.

Select the “Translate surface” option.

Click OK

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Change the color of the flames

Select the surfaces of the flames as shown in the picture

Click at the appearances button

Click at the Face option

Change the color into white

Click OK

Hide all planes and sketches except:

- MIDPLANE OIL TANK

Save the file again.

Congratulations, you just finished the Oil Tank!

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