SOLIDWORKS Inspection
Streamline and automate your First Article Inspection (FAI) processes to reduce documentation time, eliminate input errors, and improve quality control.
What is SOLIDWORKS Inspection?
SOLIDWORKS Inspection is a comprehensive First Article and in-process inspection solution that automates the creation of inspection documentation by leveraging existing 2D and 3D CAD data. Use Inspection to create First Article Inspection Reports, in-process inspection documentation, ballooned engineering drawings, and industry-standard inspection reports.
The software works with SOLIDWORKS files, PDF, DXF, DWG, PRT, and CATPart files, and will automatically balloon dimensions, compile inspection data, and export reports directly to Microsoft Excel. Companies adopting SOLIDWORKS Inspection report up to 50%-70% time savings in quality reporting with significant reduction in errors from hand-written documents.
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Use Cases
Common use cases and integration points into your engineering workflow include:
First Article Inspection (FAI) Documentation
Automate the creation of comprehensive First Article Inspection Reports that comply with industry standards and customer requirements while eliminating manual data entry errors.
In-Process Quality Control
Streamline ongoing quality control processes by creating standardized inspection documentation that ensures consistent quality throughout production runs.
Legacy Drawing Utilization
Leverage existing engineering drawings and documentation, enabling quality teams to work with historical data and legacy designs.
Quality System Integration
Connect inspection processes with SOLIDWORKS PDM, Net Inspect, and CMM’s for comprehensive quality control and traceability.
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Features & Benefits
SOLIDWORKS Inspection empowers quality professionals to transform manual, error-prone inspection processes into automated, accurate documentation workflows that reduce inspection time. By automatically extracting dimensional information from CAD files and engineering drawings, Inspection eliminates transcription errors while ensuring compliance with industry-standard inspection requirements and customer specifications.
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Key Features
Automatically balloon dimensions and annotations on engineering drawings and 3D models with PMI for consistent inspection documentation.
Work with SOLIDWORKS files, PDF, DXF, DWG, PRT, and CATPart files to leverage existing data regardless of source format.
Automatically extract dimensions and annotations from PDF’s with searchable text as well as 2D CAD files.
Create industry-standard inspection reports with customizable templates that export directly to Microsoft Excel.
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Licensing & Packages
SOLIDWORKS Inspection offers two licensing options to fit your inspection and quality control needs:
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Standard
First Article and in-process inspection solution that streamlines inspection documentation creation. Includes standalone application and embedded SOLIDWORKS add-in, automated ballooning, customizable reports, and multi-format file support. Enables leveraging legacy data.
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Professional
Advanced inspection solution that extends Standard capabilities with direct measured value entry options. Includes all Standard features plus SOLIDWORKS CAD file support, 2D/3D CAD integration, inspection measurements entry (manual, digital caliper, CMM import), and graphical pass/fail status indicators for comprehensive inspection workflows.
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Package Comparison
Quickly compare SOLIDWORKS Inspection packages to find the best fit for your team’s needs:
Features
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Standard
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Professional
Improved and Streamlined Inspection Workflows
PDF/TIFF File Support
DXF/DWG File Support
Optical Character Recognition
Automatic Ballooning
Customize Inspection Reports
Ballooned Drawing Appearance
PDF Drawing Comparison and 2D/3D Revision Management
Quality Sampling Plans
Quality Systems Integration
File Management
Inspection Reports
SOLIDWORKS Drawing File Support
SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly File Support
2D/3D CAD File Support
Inspection Measurements
Graphical Pass/Fail Status
SOLIDWORKS Inspection Frequently Asked Questions
What is SOLIDWORKS Inspection?
SOLIDWORKS Inspection is a quality control tool that automates the creation of inspection drawings and reports directly from 2D and 3D CAD data.
What’s the difference between SOLIDWORKS Inspection Standard and Professional?
The Standard version focuses on ballooned drawings and reports, while the Professional version adds full 3D CAD model support and direct measurement input capabilities.
How much does SOLIDWORKS Inspection cost?
Pricing varies based on license type and package configuration. We’ll help you choose the right SOLIDWORKS Inspection option for your workflow and budget. Contact MLC for a personalized quote.
What is CAD-based inspection?
CAD-based inspection uses 3D model data to automatically identify dimensions and tolerances for more accurate and efficient quality documentation.
What is a First Article Inspection (FAI) report?
An FAI report verifies that manufactured parts meet design requirements. SOLIDWORKS Inspection automates the creation of these reports for faster quality checks.
Related Resources
Webinars & Videos
Automate the extraction of tolerances, balloon critical dimensions, and generate inspection reports in minutes—ensuring every part meets spec and inspection workflows stay efficient.
Boost your quality control and reduce inspection time—activate SOLIDWORKS Inspection today!
Explore 10 lesser-known standalone features of SOLIDWORKS Inspection that streamline ballooning, automate report generation, and simplify non-CAD workflows—helping you reduce inspection time and boost accuracy.
Discover insights and start using Inspection’s full potential today!
Master the key feature of balloon settings to customize numbering, filters, and layouts—streamline your inspection reports with clarity and precision.
Enhance quality documentation—fine-tune your balloon settings today!
Export only the relevant inspection data you need—filtered tables, selected dimensions, or specific parts—so you can generate targeted reports without excess clutter.
Streamline your inspection workflow—publish the data that matters today!