How To Change The Material In SolidWorks: A Complete Engineering Guide
Changing the material in SolidWorks applies physical, mechanical, and thermal properties to your 3D CAD model, which is essential for accurate mass calculations, FEA simulation, and rendering. By default, parts are assigned an undefined plain carbon steel or generic alloy until you explicitly select an engineering standard from the built-in materials database.
Pre-Operation & Engineering Prerequisites
Before assigning a material in SolidWorks, you must ensure your part geometry is fully closed, manifold, and correctly modeled to prevent mass property calculation errors. Assigning materials too early in the conceptual design phase can lead to constant rework if the design parameters or manufacturing processes change, though applying a baseline material early helps track component weight limits in assembly contexts.
- Essential Software & Tools: SolidWorks Desktop (Standard, Professional, or Premium editions) or SolidWorks 3DEXPERIENCE platform; active part file (.sldprt).
- Prerequisite Knowledge & Standards: Familiarity with ISO, ANSI, or DIN material designations; basic understanding of mechanical properties such as Yield Strength, Tensile Strength, Elastic Modulus, and Poisson's Ratio.
- Estimated Duration: Under 2 minutes per part file; budget additional time if creating custom user-defined materials.
Step-by-Step Material Assignment Workflow
Step 1: Access the Material Tree Node
Open your target part file in SolidWorks and look at the top of the FeatureManager Design Tree located on the left side of your screen. Locate the node labeled Material
Pro-Tip: If you frequently use specific alloys like Aluminum 6061-T6 or AISI 1020 Steel, SolidWorks populates the top five recently used materials directly in this right-click context menu, allowing you to bypass the full material database entirely.
Step 2: Open the Material Database Dialog
Select Edit Material from the right-click menu to launch the comprehensive SolidWorks Materials dialog box. This window is divided into two primary panes: the left pane displays a tree structure of all available standards and custom material libraries, while the right pane displays the mechanical, physical, and custom properties of the currently highlighted material.
Step 3: Select the Appropriate Standard and Material Grade
Navigate the left pane by expanding the categorized folders such as SOLIDWORKS Materials, DIN Materials, or AISI Steels. Click through the subcategories to locate your exact grade—for instance, expanding Aluminum Alloys and selecting 6061-T6. Review the mechanical properties displayed on the right-hand tabs to ensure the density, yield strength, and thermal conductivity match your design requirements.
Warning: Selecting a generic material like "Alloy Steel" without specifying a heat treatment or specific grade will result in inaccurate Finite Element Analysis (FEA) safety factor calculations because generic entries often lack complete elastic and thermal property data.
Step 4: Apply and Verify the Material Properties
Click the Apply button at the bottom right of the Materials dialog box to assign the selected material to your active part. The FeatureManager Design Tree will immediately update to display your chosen material in parentheses next to the part icon. Click Close to exit the dialog, and verify the mass properties by navigating to the Evaluate tab on the CommandManager and selecting Mass Properties.
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Common Engineering Materials and Mechanical Properties
| Material Classification | Common SolidWorks Designation | Density (g/cm³) | Elastic Modulus (GPa) | Yield Strength (MPa) | Primary Engineering Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum Alloy | 6061-T6 | 2.70 | 68.9 | 276 | Structural frames, aerospace brackets, general machining |
| Carbon Steel | AISI 1020 (Cold Drawn) | 7.90 | 205 | 350 | Shafts, machine components, welded assemblies |
| Austenitic Stainless Steel | AISI 304 | 8.00 | 193 | 207 | Food processing equipment, marine environments, piping |
| Engineering Plastic | ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) | 1.04 | 2.0 | 30 | Enclosures, rapid prototyping, consumer goods |
| Titanium Alloy | Ti-6Al-4V | 4.43 | 113.8 | 880 | High-stress aerospace parts, biomedical implants |
Troubleshooting Material Assignment Issues
- Root Cause: Mass properties return zero or infinite values after material assignment.
- Actionable Fix: Verify that your part geometry has a valid, non-zero volume and that the body is not configured as a surface body or construction geometry. Convert surface bodies into a solid body using the Knit Surface or Thicken commands before assigning volumetric materials.
- Root Cause: Custom material properties disappear when sharing files with external vendors.
- Actionable Fix: SolidWorks stores custom materials in a localized database file (custom.sldmat). When sharing part files across different workstations, ensure you export the custom material library or embed the material definition directly into the file metadata using Pack and Go.
- Root Cause: Simulation results show extreme failure immediately upon running linear static analysis.
- Actionable Fix: Check the material properties tab in the SolidWorks Materials dialog to ensure units are configured correctly (e.g., verifying that Elastic Modulus is entered in Pascals or Psi rather than conflicting metric/imperial units).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a custom material with unique mechanical properties in SolidWorks?
Right-click the Material node in the FeatureManager, select Edit Material, and right-click on a blank area or a custom folder in the left pane to select New Library or New Material. Enter your proprietary values for density, yield strength, and Poisson's ratio in the corresponding property fields, then click Save.
Why is the material option greyed out in my SolidWorks assembly file?
Materials cannot be directly edited at the top-level assembly node if the component is locked, read-only, or controlled by an external assembly context. Open the individual part file in its own window to change its material, or edit the part in context from within the assembly tree.
Can I assign different materials to individual bodies within a multi-body part?
Yes. Expand the Solid Bodies folder in the FeatureManager Design Tree, right-click the specific body you want to modify, and select Material > Edit Material. This allows you to model complex multi-material assemblies, such as overmolded plastics or welded structural assemblies, within a single part file.
How does changing the material affect SolidWorks Simulation results?
SolidWorks Simulation relies directly on the assigned material's elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and yield strength to calculate stress distribution, displacement, and safety factors under load. If an incorrect material is assigned, your stress concentrations and safety factor calculations will be completely invalid.
Mastering material assignment ensures your digital prototypes accurately reflect real-world physics, saving time and reducing costly manufacturing errors. Streamline your CAD workflow today by maintaining an organized, standardized company material library across all engineering workstations.
