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Download fasteners & hardware in SolidWorks format with full history tree

November 14th, 2011
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There are several different places to get hardware and fasteners for your SolidWorks projects. The simplest is SolidWorks Toolbox which comes with SolidWorks Professional or Premium. You can also use www.3dcontentcentral.com however it is painfully slow. I recently needed to be able to download bolts and nuts with the thread fully modelled as it had to be printed in 3d with rapid prototyping. After some searching and reading of the SolidWorks Forums, I came across McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/

I was delighted to find that I could download the SolidWorks format of every fastener I required with the full history tree intact, and also with the full modelled thread. A big kudos to McMaster-Carr. See below a nice screenshot of a bolt, nut and a square flange mounted bearing with the full history tree.

Some Parts downloaded from McMaster-Carr with the complete History Tree and full modelled thread.

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  1. Sean Shermer
    February 27th, 2012 at 22:05 | #1
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    Hello,

    I was wondering if you could share with me how you downloaded the fasteners into Solid Works format? I went to the McMaster-Carr website and did not see any way or option to do this. Could you please help me out as I am in need of downloading the fasteners to Solid Works format for a project I am working on. Thank you so much for your help.

  2. sburke
    February 28th, 2012 at 01:03 | #2
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    Hi Sean,

    See: https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/49938
    There are folks there who are packing up McMaster-Carr fasteners and making them available for quick download.
    Link: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=11326e8e4133554f

    However you should be able to login to the McMaster-Carr, and if you go deep enough into a particular fastener, you should get the option for a CAD Download.
    Here is a direct link to a socket head cap screw: http://www.mcmaster.com/#cadinlnord/92290a414/=gfq5vw

  3. Paul Cullen
    April 16th, 2012 at 23:12 | #3
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    Hi Stephen

    Thanks for sharing McMaster-Carr, I think it is great for fasteners and I use it a lot since I found out about it here, Here are some other sites that you can download various 3D parts from, mostly in native SolidWorks files.

    http://www.kipp.com for work holding clamps and other fixtures
    http://www.fixtureworks.net Work holding and positioning, hand wheels etc.
    http://www.skf.com For bearings and seals
    http://www.misumi-europe.com mechanical components for factory automation
    http://www.protex.com Latches and handles

    You have to register for some of the sites but they have very good models and it is worth registering if you need some of their models.

    Paul

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