CSWP - Certified Solidworks Professional Assembly Mass Properties Analysis Questions and Answers

Question 1

An assembly includes a simplified model of a purchased electric motor.
The motor's manufacturer has provided a specification sheet with the precise mass and center of mass location.
To ensure the overall assembly's mass properties are accurate, what is the correct SOLIDWORKS procedure?

Accepted Answer

In the motor's part file, use the 'Override Mass Properties' feature to manually input the mass and center of mass from the specification sheet.

Answer

Create a custom material with a density calculated to make the motor's mass match the specification sheet.

Answer

Add a Point Mass feature to the assembly at the location of the motor's specified center of mass.

Answer

In the main assembly, apply a 'Mass' property in the Custom Properties tab for the motor component.

Question 2

An engineer runs the Mass Properties command on an assembly. The report indicates a Center of Mass at X=150, Y=-50, Z=200. By default, what do these coordinates represent?

Accepted Answer

The location of the assembly's balance point relative to the assembly's origin.

Answer

The geometric center of the assembly's bounding box.

Answer

The average coordinate position of all vertices in the assembly.

Answer

The location of the assembly's origin relative to the global coordinate system.

Question 3

You are asked to determine an assembly's Center of Mass relative to a specific vertex on a component, which is not the assembly origin. What is the most efficient and accurate procedure using the Mass Properties tool?

Accepted Answer

Create a new coordinate system at the desired vertex, then select this coordinate system in the 'Report coordinate values relative to' dropdown within the Mass Properties dialog box.

Answer

Temporarily move the entire assembly so that the desired vertex is coincident with the assembly origin before running the report.

Answer

Manually calculate the difference between the reported Center of Mass and the vertex's coordinates.

Answer

Use the Measure tool to find the distance and angles from the origin to the vertex and apply them to the Center of Mass report.

Question 4

Which of the following is the MOST critical factor for ensuring an accurate mass properties calculation for a newly created assembly of manufactured parts?

Accepted Answer

Assigning the correct material to every component in the assembly.

Answer

Setting the 'Image Quality' in Document Properties to the highest level.

Answer

Ensuring all mates in the assembly are fully defined with no errors.

Answer

Making sure all components are saved as the latest version of SOLIDWORKS.

Question 5

In the Mass Properties report, what is the primary purpose of the values listed under 'Moments of inertia: (Taken at the center of mass and aligned with the output coordinate system.)'?

Accepted Answer

To provide input for advanced engineering analysis, such as dynamic simulation or stress analysis involving rotation.

Answer

To determine the total surface area and volume of the assembly.

Answer

To define the assembly's resistance to acceleration in a linear direction.

Answer

To calculate the manufacturing cost of the assembly based on material complexity.

Question 6

You are working with a very large top-level assembly that contains several instances of a complex sub-assembly. To significantly improve the performance and speed when calculating the mass properties of the top-level assembly, what is the best practice?

Accepted Answer

Open the Component Properties for the sub-assembly and configure it to use its own pre-calculated mass properties.

Answer

Set the sub-assembly to 'Flexible' in its component properties.

Answer

In the System Options, disable 'Update mass properties while saving document'.

Answer

Ensure the sub-assembly is saved in the 'Resolved' state instead of 'Lightweight'.