Thin Part Detection

This guide explains how to use CADshift’s thin part detection feature to export solid bodies that are suitable for laser cutting, even when they’re not sheet metal features.

What is Thin Part Detection?

Not all parts suitable for laser cutting are modeled as SOLIDWORKS sheet metal. Many flat parts are created as:

• Extruded solid bodies
• Imported geometry (STEP, IGES)
• Legacy parts without sheet metal features
• Machined plates or brackets

Thin part detection automatically identifies these flat solid bodies based on a thickness threshold and exports them as DXF files, selecting the widest face for the cutting profile.

When to Use Thin Part Detection

Enabling Thin Part Detection

1. Open the DXF Export PropertyManager
2. Click the Settings tab
3. Scroll to the Thin Parts section
4. Check Export thin parts
5. Set the Maximum thickness value

Configuration

Maximum Thickness

This setting defines the threshold for what CADshift considers a “thin” part:

How It Works

Step 1: Body Analysis

CADshift examines each solid body in the part to determine if it’s “thin”:

• Calculates the bounding box dimensions
• Identifies the smallest dimension as the thickness
• Compares against your threshold

Step 2: Face Selection

For qualifying thin bodies, CADshift automatically:

• Identifies all planar faces
• Selects the widest face (largest area)
• This becomes the cutting profile

Step 3: Export

The selected face is exported as a 2D DXF profile, ready for laser cutting.

Example Workflow

Scenario: Extruded Bracket

You have a 4mm thick bracket modeled as an extruded solid (not sheet metal).

1. Open the part in SOLIDWORKS
2. Start DXF Export from CADshift tab
3. Enable thin part detection with 6mm threshold
4. Export - CADshift detects the 4mm body and exports the widest face

Result

A clean DXF profile of the bracket’s outline, ready for laser cutting.

Selection Modes

Automatic (Recommended)

Enable thin part detection and let CADshift find all qualifying bodies automatically.

Manual Override

You can also manually select specific faces or bodies:

1. In the selection panel, choose Faces mode
2. Click on the specific face you want to export
3. CADshift exports only your selection

Multi-Body Parts

For parts with multiple solid bodies, thin part detection processes each body independently:

Part with 3 bodies:
├── Body 1: 3mm thick → Exported (under threshold)
├── Body 2: 15mm thick → Skipped (over threshold)
└── Body 3: 5mm thick → Exported (under threshold)

Each qualifying body gets its own DXF file with appropriate naming.

Combining with Sheet Metal

Thin part detection works alongside sheet metal export:

This allows mixed parts (sheet metal + solid bodies) to be fully exported.

Best Practices

1. Set Appropriate Thresholds

Match your threshold to your manufacturing capabilities:

• Laser cutting: typically up to 25mm (material dependent)
• Waterjet: up to 150mm+
• Plasma: up to 50mm

2. Review Multi-Body Parts

Check that all intended bodies are being exported, especially in complex weldments.

3. Verify Face Selection

For asymmetric parts, confirm the correct face was selected as the cutting profile.

4. Use with File Naming Tokens

Include <BODY_NAME> in your file naming pattern to distinguish between bodies:

<MODEL_TITLE>-<BODY_NAME>-<THICKNESS>mm

Troubleshooting

Comparison: Sheet Metal vs Thin Part

Next Steps

• Learn about Bounding Box Export for material estimation
• Configure Custom File Names with body and thickness tokens
• Set up Layer Configuration for your cutter