Top 11 Features in SOLIDWORKS 2020: Flexible Rigid Components

Rigid flexible components are one of the most talked-about additions to SOLIDWORKS 2020. With this feature, you can visualize the movement of your design like never before. Things like springs, living hinges, cables and bellows come to life.
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Flexible Sub-Assemblies

The foundation of this feature is the flexible sub-assemblies which have been around for many, many years. Sub-assemblies are used to represent the multiple mechanisms and they are made flexible so the mechanical motion can be evaluated at the top level.

With SOLIDWORKS 2020, this task is dramatically simplified with the new Make Part Flexible command. The new Make Part Flexible tool remaps the external references of the part with ease.In this case, the 3D path of the bellows will reference the cylindrical face of the pivot ball housing. After making these rigid parts flexible, the geometry updates and continues to update automatically after each assembly movement.

Whether it be living hinges, bellows, springs, cables and beyond, use Make Part Flexible with SOLIDWORKS 2020 to improve how you visualize and validate your next assembly.

Watch our video below to learn more about using this tool!

Do you want to learn more about the SOLIDWORKS 2020 enhancements and updates? See our entire blog series for complete details and videos.