In this blog post, we'll walk through the step-by-step procedure to model Exercise-01, a simple part that features circular cutouts and through holes. This part is perfect for beginners to get comfortable with basic sketching, extruding, and creating cut features in SOLIDWORKS.
📐 Design Intent
The part is a flat circular plate with:
- Outer Diameter: Ø80 mm
- Inner Cut: U-shaped slot
- Three Through Holes: Ø10 mm
- Thickness: 5 mm
We'll use Extrude Boss/Base, Extruded Cut, and Cut-Extrude features in this design.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Procedure
✅ Step 1: Start a New Part
- Open SOLIDWORKS.
- Click File → New → Part.
- Select the Top Plane to begin your sketch.
✅ Step 2: Sketch the Outer and Inner Circles
- Select Circle Tool from the Sketch tab.
- Draw a circle with a diameter of Ø80 mm centered at the origin.
- Draw another circle inside for the U-cut. Do not close the cut yet — we'll handle that in the next steps.
✅ Step 3: Create the U-Slot
- Draw two horizontal lines from the inner circle quadrants toward the outer circle.
- Trim the overlapping inner arc and extra lines using the Trim Entities tool to form a U-profile.
📝 Make sure the vertical gap between the top and bottom of the slot is 28mm, as per the drawing.
✅ Step 4: Extrude the Sketch
- Finish (Exit) the sketch.
- Go to Features → Extruded Boss/Base.
- Set the thickness to 5 mm and click OK.
✅ Step 5: Add the 3 Through Holes
- Select the top face of the model and start a new 2D sketch.
- Draw three circles with a diameter of Ø10 mm. (Apply Equal relation by selecting 3 circles)
- Position them using the following dimensions:
- Two holes are placed 28 mm above and below the horizontal axis.
- One hole is on the vertical axis.
- The center of all holes is 28 mm from the Centre Origin.
- Use Smart Dimension to set accurate spacing.
- Use Cut-Extrude to drill through all three holes.
✅ Final View 
📸 Reference Image
🎯 Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully modeled the Exercise-01 part in SOLIDWORKS. This exercise helps build foundational skills in:
- Sketching geometry
- Using Cut and Boss features
- Applying proper dimensions and constraints
Stay tuned for more such exercises to improve your SOLIDWORKS skills! 👨💻✨
