Official Guide to Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Exams: CSWA, CSWA-SD, CSWA-S, CSWA-AM (SOLIDWORKS 2020 - 2023)

Book excerpt: This book is written to assist you with passing the SOLIDWORKS associate level exams. It provides you with detailed information and exercises that will aid you in passing the following exams: Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA), Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Sustainable Design (CSWA-SD), Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Simulation (CSWA-S) and the Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Additive Manufacturing (CSWA-AM) exam. There are three goals for this book. The primary goal of this book is not only to help you pass the CSWA, CSWA-SD, CSWA-S and CSWA-AM exams, but also to ensure that you understand and comprehend the concepts and implementation details of the four certification processes. The second goal is to provide the most comprehensive coverage of CSWA, CSWA-SD, CSWA-S and CSWA-AM exam related topics available, without too much coverage of topics not on the exam. The third and ultimate goal is to get you from where you are today to the point that you can confidently pass the CSWA, CSWA-SD, CSWA-S and CSWA-AM exams. CSWA Exam The CSWA certification indicates a foundation in and apprentice knowledge of 3D CAD design and engineering practices and principles. The intended audience for this section of the book is anyone trying to take and pass the CSWA exam with a minimum of 6 - 9 months of SOLIDWORKS experience and basic knowledge of engineering fundamentals and practices. SOLIDWORKS recommends that you review their SOLIDWORKS Tutorials on Parts, Assemblies and Drawings as a prerequisite and have at least 45 hours of classroom time learning SOLIDWORKS or using SOLIDWORKS with basic engineering design principles and practices. CSWA-SD Exam The Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Sustainable Design (CSWA-SD) certification indicates a foundation in and apprentice knowledge of demonstrating an understanding in the principles of environmental assessment and sustainable design. This section of the book is intended for anyone interested in Sustainable design as well as life cycle assessment and trying to take and pass the CSWA-SD exam. Although no hands-on usage of SOLIDWORKS is required for the CSWA-SD certification exam, it is a good idea to review the SOLIDWORKS SustainablityXpress and SOLIDWORKS Sustainability tutorials inside of SOLIDWORKS to better understand the actual workflow. The CSWA-SD is based off the SOLIDWORKS Sustainable Design Guide that incorporates concepts including sustainability, environmental assessment and life cycle impact assessment. CSWA-S Exam The Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Simulation (CSWA-S) certification indicates a foundation in and apprentice knowledge of demonstrating an understanding in the principles of stress analysis and the Finite Element Method (FEM). The CSWA-S section of the book is for anyone trying to take and pass the CSWA-S with a minimum of 6 - 9 months of SOLIDWORKS experience and knowledge in the following areas: Engineering Mechanics - Statics, Strength of Materials, Finite Element Method/Finite Element Analysis Theory, Applied concepts in SOLIDWORKS Simulation: namely Static Analysis, Solid, Shell, and Beam elements, Connections and Applying loads and boundary conditions and interpreting results. The purpose of this section in the book is NOT to educate a new or intermediate user on SOLIDWORKS Simulation, but to cover and to inform you on the types of questions, layout and what to expect when taking the CSWA-S exam. CSWA-AM Exam The Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate Additive Manufacturing (CSWA-AM) certification indicates a foundation in and apprentice knowledge of today’s 3D printing technology and market. The intended audience for this section of the book is anyone trying to take and pass the CSWA-AM exam and an interest in Additive Manufacturing. The CSWA-AM exam is meant to be taken after the completion of the 10-part learning path located on MySOLIDWORKS.com. The CSWA-AM exam fundamentally covers two 3D printing technologies: Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and STereoLithography (SLA). There are a few questions on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology and available software-based printing aids.