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Solid Edge Assembly. Sean Dalton www.itsligo.ie/staff/sdalton. Assembly Topics. Housekeeping Placing parts Assembly relationships Path Finder Assembly part properties Creating a part in place Part Display Explode Environment. Assembly. Warning on House keeping.
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Solid Edge Assembly Sean Dalton www.itsligo.ie/staff/sdalton
Assembly Topics • Housekeeping • Placing parts • Assembly relationships • Path Finder • Assembly part properties • Creating a part in place • Part Display • Explode Environment
Warning on House keeping • All parts, assemblies and draftsassociated with a given assembly should be kept in the same directory or folder. • Do not attempt to move or rename parts after they have been placed in an assembly. • An assembly file does not contain the actual parts themselves. It is simply a set of links to parts/locations and a definition of how they go together. The advantage of this is that if an individual part is modified, the changes are automatically reflected in the assembly.
Warning on House keeping • Everytime an assembly is opened in Solid Edge. Solid Edge reads the assembly information, gathers together all the parts and reassemblies them. • If a part is renamed or moved solid edge will not be able to find it and it will dissappear from you assembly. • The information defining the locations of the files are contained in the assembly links (next slide)
Assembly Links • To check the locations from which files have been assembled check the file links under Edit Links
The Edge bar • The edge bar serves a number of usefull purposes and can be activated by selecting the edgebar icon on the main toolbar. Two uses are: • To Display Existing parts within an assembly • To display the available the construct an assembly i.e. the parts library.
Assembly Pathfinder • The assembly path finder shows parts and subassemblies already contained within an assembly • The lower section shows the assembly relationships for the selected part.
Parts library • The parts library displays parts available for assembly in a specified directory. • The lower part displays a preview of the selected part. • Assemblies can be created by: • Assembling existing parts • By creating a part in place
Placing parts • Create in place • Place from file Place part tool
Place from file To Create in place • Activate edge bar • Select parts Library tab • Select folder containing parts required. • Drag and drop parts into graphics area.
Assembly Pathfinder Top section Parts subassemblies in assembly Lower section Assembly relationships of selected part
Part status • Activate part • (full part details in mem) • Inactivate part • (min rep to save mem) • Hidden part • Part removed from view • Unloaded part • Part removed from memory
Assembly Relationships Mate Align Insert Connect Angle
Reading the path finder • Interpreting pathfinder icons.
Mate/Align/Insert Relationships Mate Align Insert
Align with Offset • Where two faces are require to face the same direction but to be displaced from one another by a specified amount
Align with Floating offset • Where to faces are required to face the same direction but are diplaced from each other by an unknown amount.
Moving Parts in Assemblies Before all assembly constraints are applied a part can be move using move part: • Linear, Rotate, and Dynamic • Blue axis appear appear to use to translate or rotate part.
*How to use Connect Relationship? • Connect relationship should be used in conjunction with other relationships, meaning they will help define a mate, align or angled relationship better (e.g. a pivot point for an angled relationship) • Connecting parts with opposing draft angles • Consider Connect as a “working” relationship rather than a “stand-alone”
*The Connect Relationship • First get the two parts constrained as best as possible.
*Connect (con’t) • Place your next critical relationship
*Connect (con’t.) • Firm up the design with connects
*The Angle Relationship • After defining the two faces to measure too, the system will generate the pivot point automatically (5th step skipped) • Axial aligns will dictate pivot point (5th step skipped) • Reference planes can be used! • Different result if two model edges are used
*The Angle Relationship- 2 surfaces • The angle is applied to the surfaces according to the X and Y orientation • surfaces may flip (90 may be 270)
*The Angle Relationship - 2 Edges • User must give a pivot axis perpendicular to the selected edges (5th step) • System ignores X and Y orientation and works off a “straight” coordinate system. • An axial align must pre-exist or the system will prompt for this relationship!
*The Angle Relationship - 2 Lines • First element is the measure too • Second element is the origin element • Quadrants: • 1 is cc • 2 is c • 3 is oo / c • 4 is oo / cc
*Exploding your assembly • Automatic Explode • Manual Explode • Editing the Results • Un-exploding
*Automatic/Manual Explode Automatic • Select what you do and don’t want to explode. • Users have no control over explode direction • Unexploded parts and subs stay put. Manual Explode • Users can explode parts in any direction they desire. • User must select every part to explode
*Editing Exploded Assemblies • Moving • Re-positioning • Collapsing • Adding Joggles • Un-Exploding
*Part Display Status • Show Part • Hide part • Show only (hides all others) • Activate part (full part details in mem) • Inactivate part (min rep to save mem)
*Why de-activated? • Saves Memory • Reduces file initialization • No impact on relationship solving • No impact on rendering • New Pathfinder Icons
*Unloading Hidden Parts • Any part that is hidden can be unloaded from memory! • No effect on solving!
*Using Sketches • One sketch can be used on multiple parts • Sketch changes, all related parts change.
*Using Sketches • Be sure to turn on the “link” when including an edge from a sketch. • There are limits for parts linked to an assembly sketch (coping; deleting) • Use the Break Links command to break the associative link to the sketch. • Each part must be edited separately
Assembly Variable Table • What is the real use? • How hard is it?