Creating clear visual work instructions can make or break production efficiency, whether it is in construction, manufacturing, or simply assembling a product. In this blog, we are going to walk through the process of creating a set of work instructions in SOLIDWORKS, using a real-world example. I’m designing a split-face block pier system for my home, and by drawing it up in SOLIDWORKS, I can visualize the layout, calculate exactly how many blocks I need, and easily collaborate on the plan with my team. Another benefit is that as I am designing and building the form for my own cap, (the large concrete unit on top of the block pier) I can use the information from the CAD file to create and design my own form for pouring it out of concrete. Below is an image of the existing piers, that are much in need of replacement!
Work instructions are step-by-step visual guides that communicate how to assemble, build, or manufacture a component. In SOLIDWORKS, they often take the form of:
Exploded views
Annotations
Detailed drawings
Custom property tables
Screenshots or PDF exports
Start by building the necessary part or assembly. In this case, we’ll use an assembly of split-faced block. Since a pier is composed of multiple blocks, including corner pieces and straight pieces, I added both and orientated them them into the pattern to keep them staggered through the different levels.
In your assembly, make sure to add all necessary components. This is critical for your work instructions, as well as your Bill of Materials. Communicating all the needed components ensures that anyone new to the project will be able to understand the scope of the project. Include things like fasteners to show how the assembly will be fastened together. You can even use configurations to show different versions of the project. Configurations of parts and assemblies can be used to organize different versions, all inside a single part or assembly file. They can also be called out in the final drawing or set of work instructions.
An exploded view in SOLIDWORKS shows how all of the components in your assembly go together, by spreading them out and positioning them to show how the components fit together when assembled.
In exploded views you can:
For my pier assembly, I used the exploded view to show how every other level of block, the orientation of the corner blocks were rotated. This created the staggered effect of the block, so that the edges of the block do not line up. As someone who is new to masonry, it was a great way for me to plan ahead the layout, as it is much easier to move things around in SOLIDWORKS and test different options than to do it with the physical blocks.
Exploded Views can also be used to create static images of steps in a process. For instance, maybe you have an assembly where you need to show the end user, or workers the order of operations necessary to put something together in the correct order. Each exploded view can be used as a step. Once you create a drawing, you can insert drawing views and reference the different exploded views.
Another benefit of creating exploded views is the ability to create an animation of the assembly exploding/imploding. To create a basic video, you can do so by right-clicking on the exploded view (on the configuration tab, under the configuration that you created the exploded view within) and select "Create Animation." This animation can then be saved out as an AVI file type and included to show the order in which the components get put together.
If there are other important views that you want to call out in the work instructions, maybe certain views of sub-assemblies or views at very specific angles, you can create these with ease directly from the assembly. To do this- orientate the component or assembly to the view you require, and go to Orientation on your heads-up view toolbar. You can also hit the space bar on your keyboard to bring this up. On the orientation window that appears, select the icon called "New View." This will allow you to give it a name and save this view for later use. You can quickly snap back to this view when working on the part/assembly, as well as recall this view for use in the drawing package or work instructions.
Create a drawing file from the assembly to start building the work instructions. You can create or modify a template to set up the correct sheet format, or even forgo it all together for a simpler, cleaner aesthetic. Once in a drawing file, you can add the views that you saved previously by using the View Palette on the task pane on the righthand side, or use Model Views to bring in the drawing views of your choice. Any additional views you created manually will be available here as well. Multiple sheets can be used for longer instruction sets, so don't worry about trying to fit everything on a single page.
Once you have added all needed views, notes, and annotations, you have a few different options of how to share and collaborate your new work instructions. You can export to PDF for printed instructions, or export to eDrawings for interactive digital use. If using SolidWorks Composer, you can make even more advanced instruction sets with animations and clickable parts.
Creating visual work instructions directly from your SolidWorks model doesn’t just save time - it improves clarity, reduces errors, and ensures that everyone from the foreman to the fabricator is on the same page.
If you’re building something like a split face block pier, the process outlined above is both repeatable and scalable. Once your template is set, updating for new projects takes just minutes.