Can you find the ʼVolumeʼ of liquid a tank can hold in SolidWorks?
Short Answer
Yes — in SolidWorks, you can find the volume of liquid a tank can hold by calculating the internal cavity volume with mass properties. The most common professional method is to create or isolate the enclosed internal body, then read its volume value. Limitation: this only works correctly if the tank interior is fully sealed.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: If the tank model has even a tiny gap, missing face, or overlapping internal geometry, SolidWorks can return the wrong volume or fail to calculate it entirely. Multi-body tanks, internal baffles, and unmerged weldment features are also common reasons the reported liquid capacity is inaccurate.
How to Find Tank liquid volume in SolidWorks
Command: Mass Properties
Shortcut: None by default
Quick Steps:
- Create the internal fluid space as a closed solid body, usually by using Insert > Features > Intersect or Insert > Features > Cavity, depending on the model.
- In the FeatureManager, select that internal body only, then go to Evaluate tab > Mass Properties.
- Read the Volume value in the Mass Properties dialog, and confirm the correct Units/Precision setting before reporting the tank capacity.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Units/Precision in Mass Properties
Expert Setting: If document units are set incorrectly, the reported volume may be mathematically correct but unusable in practice. Always verify whether you need mm³, cm³, liters, or m³ before issuing a final tank capacity value.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): The internal cavity is not a watertight closed volume, so SolidWorks cannot calculate a true liquid-holding body.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): In assemblies or imported models, hidden or suppressed components can leave the tank interior open or change the cavity shape without being obvious.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Running Mass Properties on the tank solid instead of the internal cavity gives material volume, not liquid capacity.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Use Intersect to generate the enclosed internal volume as a separate solid body, then run Mass Properties on that body only.
- Manager’s Verdict: This is the best professional workflow for design validation and quoting. Use it whenever you need actual fill capacity, but avoid relying on it until the model is fully sealed and simplified.
FAQ
Can SolidWorks show tank volume in liters?
Yes, if you set document units appropriately or convert the reported volume.
Do I need a hollow tank model to calculate liquid volume?
Yes, or you must create the internal cavity as a separate closed body.
Can I calculate volume directly in an assembly?
Yes, but only if the enclosed fluid space can be created cleanly from the assembly geometry.
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