SOLIDWORKS 2025 introduces powerful improvements for sheet metal and weldments, providing users with greater design flexibility, improved accuracy, and streamlined fabrication workflows. These enhancements reduce manual work, enhance precision, and improve manufacturability, making sheet metal and weldment design more efficient than ever.

In this document, we’ll cover:

• New sheet metal bend features for better manufacturability.
• Expanded weldment profile support for faster structural design.
• Enhanced cut list organisation and improved BOM workflows.
• How these updates will save time and improve accuracy in fabrication.

1. Sheet Metal Enhancements for Easier Manufacturing

1.1. New Bend Notches for Improved Accuracy

SOLIDWORKS 2025 improves bend accuracy with the introduction of Bend Notches, ensuring that sheet metal parts unfold correctly and fit perfectly in real-world applications.
What’s New?

• Bend Notches automatically prevent tearing and distortion during bending.
• More control over notch placement, improving part integrity.
• Better compatibility with manufacturing standards, reducing post-processing errors.

Why It Matters: This update eliminates the guesswork in bend design, ensuring accurate bends that align with production requirements.

1.2. Enhanced Control with Multi Length Edge Flanges

Multi Length Edge Flanges in SOLIDWORKS 2025 provide greater flexibility and precision when creating complex transitions in sheet metal designs.
Key Enhancements:

• Smoother transitions between flange profiles, reducing material distortion.
• Expanded material thickness compatibility, improving manufacturability.
• Improved preview and visualisation tools, so designers can spot issues before production.

Who Benefits? Fabricators and manufacturers working with custom enclosures, ductwork, and automotive parts will experience better results and fewer design iterations.

2. Weldment Enhancements for Stronger, Faster Structural Design

2.1. Expanded Standard Weldment Profiles

SOLIDWORKS 2025 now includes an even larger library of industry-standard weldment profiles, making structural design faster and more efficient.
What’s New?

• New international weldment profiles added to the built-in library.
• Improved profile management tools, allowing easier customisation.
• Faster selection of structural members, reducing design time.

Why It Matters: These updates simplify structural design workflows, ensuring fabricators can quickly apply the right profiles without manual setup.

2.2. Smarter Cut List & BOM Organisation

Managing weldment cut lists and bills of materials (BOMs) has been refined for better clarity and accuracy.
Key Enhancements:

• Automatic cut list updates when weldment designs change.
• Better grouping of similar members, making BOMs easier to read.
• New export options for seamless integration with manufacturing software.

How This Helps You: These changes reduce errors in fabrication planning and improve collaboration with manufacturing teams.

3. Workflow & Productivity Improvements

3.1. Enhanced Unfolding & Flattening Algorithms

SOLIDWORKS 2025 introduces better flattening algorithms, making unfolded views more accurate for production.

What’s New:

• More precise bend compensation, improving final part accuracy.
• Better handling of complex geometries, minimising distortion.
• Expanded material-specific unfolding rules, ensuring real-world fitment.

Who Benefits? Sheet metal designers creating precision parts for aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications.

3.2. Additional Sheet Metal and Weldment Features

SOLIDWORKS 2025 brings powerful tools to further enhance sheet metal and weldment workflows, making design and fabrication more intuitive.
New Features:

• Tab and Slot: Simplifies the assembly of sheet metal parts by automatically creating tabs and slots for precise alignment.
• Complex Corner PropertyManager and Structure System: Improves weldment design by offering more control over corner treatments in structural frames.
• Groove Beads: Adds detailed groove weld beads to weldment designs, enhancing realism and manufacturing accuracy.

How This Helps You: These tools expand your design capabilities, making it easier to create precise, manufacturable parts and structures.

4. The Bottom Line

The new sheet metal and weldment enhancements in SOLIDWORKS 2025 streamline fabrication, reduce manual adjustments, and improve part accuracy.

These updates save time, improve manufacturability, and enhance structural design workflows. Upgrade to SOLIDWORKS 2025 and take advantage of these game-changing improvements!