In CAD, you can tell the software what exact type(s) of material(s) a component is made of

• This is beneficial for many reasons, and allows the CAD software to represent the objects being modeled in the most accurate way possible

To assign material properties to components in Fusion 360, click Modify → Physical Material

• From here, you can scroll through Fusion 360's different Material Libraries, and click-drag-drop material types onto components

Once you have assigned a specific material type to a component, you can then analyze the component's material properties to find out key information about the component, including:

• Mass - the quantity of matter in an object

• Volume - the amount of space an object takes up

• Density - the amount of mass per volume

• Area - the combined surface area of all the component's faces

• Center of Mass - the "balance" point of the object

To find this information, right-click on the component in the Tree then click "Properties"

Many pieces of CAD software have material libraries by default, but there can be many instances where custom materials need to be defined to accurately assign & analyze material properties and appearances of components and assemblies

• Examples might include:

  • Custom Composite Materials

  • Materials not listed in default material libraries

  • 3D-Printed materials that are not fully dense/solid

Additionally, by specifying the properties of the custom materials in the CAD model, it is possible to simulate the behavior of the material during the manufacturing process and optimize the design to take into account the specific properties of the material.