How to Calculate Mass of Parts From CAD

A measurement of the amount of inertia in a body or object, mass is a useful piece of information for many engineering and architectural calculations, and it's vital for many structural integrity diagnostics. As a result, mass calculation is also a standard feature in the computer-aided design -- or CAD -- programs used to design and test structures. Such programs make calculating mass as simple as selecting an object, or group of objects, and choosing an option in a toolbar. Users can also have these calculations exported to a text document for easy reference.

Things You'll Need

  • CAD software
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select the 3-D objects or regions for which you wish to perform mass calculations. Hold down the "Control" key and click on multiple objects, if you wish to calculate the mass of multiple object or regions on the same plane.

    • 2

      Click on the "Tools" menu, and under the "Inquiry" item, select "Region/mass properties." Alternatively, if you use the command line, simply enter the word "massprop."

    • 3

      Read through the mass properties generated in the new dialog box. The mass calculations will include numbers like "area" and "perimeter" for all regions, as well as more precise numbers like "mass," "volume" and "moments of inertia" for solid objects.

    • 4

      Click on "Yes" or type "y" when the program asks you if you want to export the calculation values to a text document. Enter a name for the document, select a saving location and click on "Save." All the numbers can later be retrieved from this location.

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