In this tutorial, we will sweep a circular profile along a helical path using the helix creation tool to create CAE1008, an open-ground compression spring. Video tutorials are also available to accompany this written tutorial.

• Open SolidWorks, start a sketch on the front plane, and sketch a .3875 inch circle at the origin.
• Activate the Helix and Spiral command from the drop down of Curves from the CommandManager.
• Change the “Defined By” section to “Height and Revolutions”, set the height to .35”, the revolutions to 7.7, and the start angle to 0 degrees. Also, make sure that the rotation is set to Clockwise.
• Confirm the Helix/Spiral and go straight to the Swept Boss/Base tool on the Features tab of the CommandManager. Set the sweep to circular profile and click on the helix for the path. Change the diameter of the profile to .025 inches.