Saturday, June 26, 2010

Assemblies

You can build complex assemblies consisting of many components, which can be parts or other assemblies, called sub-assemblies. For most operations, the behavior of components is the same for both types. Adding a component to an assembly creates a link between the assembly and the component. When SolidWorks opens the assembly, it finds the component file to show it in the assembly. Changes in the component are automatically reflected in the assembly.

The document name extension for assemblies is .sldasm.

To create an assembly from a part:

  1. Click Make Assembly from Part/Assembly (Standard toolbar) or File, Make Assembly from Part.

An assembly opens with the Insert Component PropertyManager active.

  1. Click in the graphics area to add the part to the assembly.

SolidWorks makes the first component fixed.

The following topics describe the basics of creating an assembly from components you have already built and general information about working with assemblies.

Cosmetic Threads

A cosmetic thread represents the inner diameter of a thread on a boss or the outer diameter of a thread on a hole and can include a hole callout in drawings.

The properties of cosmetic threads include:

  • You can represent threads on a part, assembly, or drawing, and you can attach a thread callout note in drawings. You can add cosmetic threads to conical holes. If the conical thread does not end at a flat face, it is trimmed by the curved face.

  • A cosmetic thread differs from other annotations in that it is an absorbed feature of the item to which it is attached. For example, the cosmetic thread on a hole is in the FeatureManager design tree under the Hole feature, along with the sketches used to create the hole.

  • When the pointer is over a cosmetic thread, the pointer changes to a didifferent pointer.

  • Cosmetic threads in part documents are inserted automatically into drawing views. A thread callout is also inserted if the drawing document is in ANSI standard. (You insert thread callouts in the Cosmetic Thread PropertyManager , but they appear only in drawing documents.) Thread callouts are not used in ISO, JIS, or other standards, but you can show them with Insert Callout on the shortcut menu (see the next paragraph). To insert cosmetic threads from assembly documents into drawings, click Insert, Model Items and click Cosmetic thread .

  • In drawings, Insert Callout appears in the shortcut menu. If a cosmetic thread callout is defined in the part or assembly but is not displayed in the drawing, you can display the callout by selecting this menu item. A leader attaches to the thread by default. The callout is a note. You can edit the callout as you would edit any note.

  • If you add a cosmetic thread while working in a drawing view, the part or assembly is updated to include a Cosmetic Thread feature.

  • You can dimension both the circular cosmetic thread and the linear dimension of the sides in drawings. You cannot dimension cosmetic threads in part or assembly documents.

  • The visibility of cosmetic threads follows the visibility of the parent feature. When you change display mode, add features to the Show Hidden Edges list, or hide a component, the visibility of cosmetic threads changes automatically.

  • You can set High quality cosmetic threads to check all cosmetic threads to determine if they should be visible or hidden.

  • You can reference patterned cosmetic threads.

  • For tap and pipe tap holes, you can add cosmetic threads in the Hole Wizard.

    NOTE: For tapped holes with cosmetic threads created in the Hole Wizard, the hole diameter is the diameter of the tap drill. For tapped holes without cosmetic threads, the hole diameter is the outer diameter of the thread.

  • For shaded display of cosmetic threads, click Options. On the Document Properties tab, select Detailing. Under Display filter, select Shaded cosmetic threads.

To insert cosmetic threads:

  1. On a cylindrical feature (a boss, a cut, or a hole), select the circular edge where the thread begins. If the feature is a conical hole, select the major diameter. If the feature is a conical boss, select the minor diameter.

You can also select the feature after you click the tool.

  1. Click Cosmetic Thread on the Annotation toolbar, or click Insert, Annotations, Cosmetic Thread.

  2. Set the properties in the Cosmetic Thread PropertyManager .

  3. Click OK.

To edit a cosmetic thread:

  1. In a part or assembly document, right-click the Cosmetic Thread feature and select Edit Feature.

  2. Make the necessary changes in the Cosmetic Thread PropertyManager, and click OK.

To specify the line style and weight for cosmetic threads in the active drawing document:

  1. Click Options. On the Document Properties tab, select Line Font.

  2. In the Type of edge section, select Cosmetic Thread.

  3. Choose a Style and Thickness from the lists.

    The Preview box shows the results.

Threading

It is a bit difficult & complex to explain the threads in solidworks............
I prefer to do as cosmetic threading............

Chamfer

  1. Click Chamfer on the Features toolbar, or click Insert, Features, Chamfer.

  2. Under Chamfer Parameters:

  • Select an entity in the graphics area for Edges and Faces or Vertex.

  • Select one of the following:

  • Choose Select through faces to enable selection of edges through faces that hide the edges. 

  • Select Equal Distance to specify a single value for distance or vertex.

  • Select Keep features to retain features such as cuts or extrudes that would otherwise be removed when you apply the chamfer.

Original part

Keep features cleared

Keep features checked

    • Select Tangent propagation to extend the chamfer to faces or edges that are tangent to the selected entity.

    • Select a preview mode: Full preview, Partial preview, or No preview.

  1. Click OK.

Extrude Feature

  1. Create a sketch.

  2. Click one of the extrude tools:

    • Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar, or click Insert, Boss/Base, Extrude

    • Extruded Cut on the Features toolbar, or click Insert, Cut, Extrude

    • Extruded Surface on the Surfaces toolbar, or click Insert, Surface, Extrude

  1. Set the PropertyManager options.  

Screw Jack-Washer

This is a washer on 3D sketch of a screw jack

Screw jack-Tommy bar

This is a 3D sketch of the Tommy bar of a Screw jack