Reverse Engineering a Garbage Truck
Project Overview
Used SolidWorks to create a 1:1 model of a Toy garbage truck with engineering drawings and assembly drawings. Created an engineering drawing and an exploded view assembly.
Design Process
Carefully disassembled the toy, sketched each part, and recorded dimensions to understand its structure.
Began with the largest foundational component as the base for the rest of the assembly, and modeled the parts in hierarchical order
Modeled components to fit and move together, focusing on external features for a 1:1 scaled, realistic representation.
Included realistic coloring and intricate details to replicate the movement and appearance of the device
Project Outcome
Skills Gained
Advanced sketch techniques: loft sketches, guided lines, and wrapping features.
Efficient assembly modeling: created parts directly within assemblies.
Visualization & detailing: added stickers, part appearances, and exploded view assemblies.
Modeling efficiency: shelling, mirroring, and linear pattern creation.
Final Outcome
Accurate part mating and motion.
Near 1:1 representations of complex components.
A detailed and visually appealing model, complete with stickers and coloring
Challenges
Complex Mating: With over 11 parts, ensuring proper dimensional and functional alignment was challenging.
Solution: Precision dimensioning and iterative adjustments were applied. For example, I created many unique parts within the assembly or learned new Solidworks tools like 3D sketch, mechanical mates, lofted base, shell, etc.
