assemblies

Working Directory: assemblies

Figure 1

1. Change your Working Directory to assemblies using the Navigator, and add it to your list of favorites.

Navigate to the assemblies folder, and select it using the left mouse button

Note that your training files may not be in the exact location shown below.

Use the RMB pop-up and choose Make Working Directory

Figure 2

Choose the Favorites tab at the top of the Navigator

Choose the Add Favorite icon

Type Assemblies in the Name field in the Add Favorite dialog

Figure 3

Choose the OK button

Double click Personal Favorites in the Navigator to see the Assemblies folder listed

2. Create a new assembly.

Choose the Create a New Object icon ( )

Choose the Assembly option in the New dialog

Type coupler_your initials for the name of the assembly

Leave the Common Name field blank

Select Use default template if there is no check mark present

Figure 4


The Template part contains among other items, Default Datums and a Default Coordinate System, as shown below.

Figure 5

Set the display to No Hidden Line

3. Add the first component to the assembly, using the Coord Sys placement constraint.

Figure 6

First, make sure the comp_assemble_start option in config.pro is set to constrain_in_window.

Choose Tools

Choose Options

Choose Current Session from the Showing: drop down list

Choose the Find button in the Options dialog

Type comp_ in the Type keyword text area

Choose the Find Now button

Select comp_assemble_start in the Choose option list

Choose constrain_in_window from the Set value drop down list

Choose the Add / Change button

Choose the Close button

The option is now in the Options list. If the list is sorted Alphabetically, it will appear near the top of the list.

Choose the Apply button


Now, assemble the component.

Choose Insert

Choose Component

Choose Assemble Type coupler_bot and hit

The Component Placement dialog displays as shown below and, since the comp_assemble_start config parameter is set to constrain_in_window, the component you are assembling is displayed in a separate window rather than in the assembly window.

Figure 7

You will notice that the selection icons under Component Reference and Assembly Reference are both depressed. This means that either reference can be selected as the first reference - order does not matter.

Figure 8

Choose Coord Sys from the Type drop down list by selecting the down arrow on the right side of the Automatic constraint

Figure 9

If it is not already selected, choose the selection arrow in the Assembly Reference area

Select the Coordinate System named ASM_DEF_CSYS in the Assembly Window.

The Assembly Reference box reflects that a selection has been made.

Figure 10

Since there is no Coordinate System displayed in the Component Window, you must use the Search Tool dialog.

Choose the Selection arrow in the Component Reference area

Choose Edit in the COUPLER_BOT window

Choose Find

Choose the Find Now button in the Search Tool dialog

Notice that the system, knowing you were looking for Coordinate Systems, automatically changed the Look For: search criteria to Coordinate System. Also, the Coordinate System named DEFAULT:F1(CSYS) is automatically selected in the items found: list

Choose the button to add the Coordinate System to the Items selected list


The Placement Status area in the Component Placement dialog will indicate that the component is Fully Constrained.

Figure 11


The bottom coupler component will now appear in the Assembly Window in the correct location and orientation.

Figure 1

The placement constraints are as follows: Mate the flange of the top coupler to the flange of the bottom coupler, Align the corresponding center Datum Axes in both parts, and Align two corresponding hole axes to orient the parts radially. You will use the Add

component icon ( ) as a short cut to assemble the component.

1. Define the first placement constraint for the top coupler component. Make sure that Preselection highlighting has been turned on.

Choose Edit from the Menu bar

Choose Select

Choose Preferences

Make sure Preselection highlighting is checked in the Selection Preferences dialog


Choose from the right hand toolbar

In the Open dialog, type coupler_top as the name of the component to assemble and hit

The top coupler appears in the Component Window.

Figure 2

Choose Mate from the Constraints Type list

Select the black arrow in the Assembly Reference box

Select the top face of the part, as shown below

Figure 3

Move your cursor over the flange in the Component window, but do not select the surface

When the top surface of the flange highlights, press and hold the RMB

Release the RMB over Next in the pop up menu

Press the LMB to select the bottom surface, as shown below

Figure 4

The first Placement Constraint is now displayed in the Constraints area of the Component Placement dialog. Notice that the status line in the Placement Status area indicates Partially Constrained .

Figure 5

2. Define the second placement constraint for the top coupler component.

Choose Align from the Constraints Type list

Select the Datum Axis A_1 at the center of the bottom coupler

Figure 6

Select the Datum Axis A_1 at the center of the top coupler in the Component Window

Figure 7

The second Placement Constraint is now displayed in the Constraints area.

Figure 8

Notice the Placement Status area reads Fully Constrained , with the additional option of Allow Assumptions . If you didn't want to align the bolt hole patterns of the parts, you could place the component now. To ensure that the bolt patterns match, you can Align the corresponding Datum Axes of one of the holes in each part.

3. Define the third placement constraint for the top coupler component.

Choose the Add Constraint button ( ) in the Constraints area Choose Align from the Constraints Type list Select Datum Axis A_2 in the Assembly Window

Hint: You may wish to Zoom In to facilitate selecting the desired Datum Axis.

Select Datum Axis A_2 in the Component Window

The third Component Constraint is now displayed. The component now has three constraints so that it is Fully Constrained without any assumptions.

Figure 9


The top coupler component will now appear in the Assembly Window.

Figure 10

4. Use the Datum Display icons located in the top toolbar to turn off the display of all Datum entities except for Datum Axes.

The icons should appear as shown below.

Figure 11

The model should appear as shown below.

Figure 12

5. Assemble a bolt (cap head screw) into the hole with the Datum Axis named A_2. Use the Navigator to drag the component into the assembly, then apply the constraints.

The placement constraints are as follows: Insert the bolt into the leader hole, and Mate the underside of the bolt head to the top face of the flange.

Figure 13

Expand the browser portion of the Navigator

Select 10x23_chs.prt and drag it into the working window

Compress the browser portion of the Navigator as shown below

Figure 14

The bolt appears in the Component Window.

Figure 15

Choose Insert from the Constraints Type list Select the outer cylindrical surface of the bolt

Figure 16

The system now prompts you to select another revolved surface - a straight hole is also a revolved surface, thus it may be selected for an Insert constraint.

Select the inner cylindrical face of the hole with the Datum Axis named A_2 in the coupler top part

Figure 17

Now, specify how far the bolt should be inserted in the hole.

Choose Mate from the Constraints Type list Select the top face of the flange on the top coupler

Figure 18

Select the underside face on the bolt head

Figure 19

Unless you are concerned about the rotational orientation of the bolt, you do not need any more placement constraints.


The bolt component now appears in the assembly.


1. Rotate the assembly so that you can more easily see the bolt on the other side of the flange.

Figure 1

2. Assemble the nut to the bolt and the flange.

Turn off the display of Datum Axes

Set the display to No Hidden

The placement constraints are as follows: Insert the bolt onto the nut, and Mate the bottom of the nut to the bottom flange face.

Expand the browser portion of the Navigator

Select 10x23_nut.prt and drag it into the working window

Compress the browser portion of the Navigator

The nut appears in the Component Window.

Figure 2

Select the inside face of the nut

Figure 3

Select the outside face of the bolt in the Assembly Window

Figure 4

Notice that the system changed the Automatic constraint Type to Insert , which is what you wanted.

Figure 5

Select the bottom face of the nut

Figure 6

Select the top face of the flange in the Assembly Window

Figure 7

Notice that the system now changed the next Automatic constraint Type to Mate , which is again what you wanted. The Placement Status is now also set to Fully Constrained , and you can finalize the assembly of this component.

Figure 8


Figure 9

3. Close and Erase all files.


1. Open the file coupler_pattern.asm.

Figure 1

2. Pattern the bolt.

Select the bolt in the Assembly Window

Choose Pattern from the RMB pop up menu

Figure 2

Note that the Pattern Type in the Dashboard is automatically set to Reference, because the bolt is assembled to the Leader (first instance) of a pattern of holes.

Choose to complete the pattern

The bolt will automatically follow the pattern of holes.

Figure 3

3. Pattern the nut.

Select the nut in the Assembly Window

Choose Pattern form the RMB pop up menu

Choose to complete the pattern

The nut will automatically follow the pattern of the bolt.

Figure 4

Now you understand why the Pattern option should be used to create fastener mounting holes. The work of adding hardware to the assembly is greatly simplified as a result!

4. Change the number of holes in the coupler top component and see how it affects the assembly.

Select the flange on the coupler top component, as shown below

Figure 5

Choose Activate from the RMB pop up menu

Note that the system now shows ACTIVE PART: COUPLER_TOP in the lower right hand corner of the graphics window. This means that any actions you perform will apply only to this particular component.

Move your cursor over the model until the hole shown below highlights

Select the hole

Choose Edit from the RMB pop up menu, as shown below

Figure 6

The dimensions used to pattern the hole appear.

Double click on 8 HOLES and change it to 6

Choose

Notice that not only did the number of hole change to 6, but the nuts and bolts followed as well.

Figure 7

Note also that the number of holes in the COUPLER_BOTTOM part has not changed, as it is not tied to the number of holes in the COUPLER_TOP part. You will learn techniques to control this type of behavior in the Top Down Design lesson.

5. Close and Erase all files.

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