Is it possible to simulate hexagon shaft rotation in Pro/E?

It can be simulated with Mechanism Design, the current incarnation of the old Mechanica Motion. If you have this option, you can do the following:

• In assembly mode, place your external hub. Fix this in position with a csys to csys alignment.
• Assemble the running shaft, but don't use the standard assembly constraints; select the page that says Connections. (Your hex geometry will have to have an axis through the middle to use this function.)
• In Connections, align the axes of the two parts, then pick on a plane or other limiter of lateral movement. You should be able to drag spin your "shaft" part.
• Now you are ready to go into Mechanism Design. Pick 'Applications>Mechanism'. To make your mechanism move, it needs motive power, something to drive it. Look for an icon that says Motors.
• When you've applied a motor, run an analysis, then do a playback, but with global interference set so that it highlights/stops when the inside point hits the outside flat. This will, of course, be at 30 degrees, half the 60 of the a hex section.

David Janes

David,

Thank you so much for your help.

I follow your instruction up to the Applications > Mechanism. There are 3 icons "Drag an Assembled Component", "Define Servo Motor" and "Define Force Motor". By trial and error, I finally pick the "Define Servo Motor", #Type "Joint Axis", #Select "Connection_1.axis_1, #Motion type is set to Rotation (in degrees) by default, #Profile "Position" "deg", #Magnitude "Ramp", #A = 1, #B=10, #Run the analysis - The inside shaft rotate then stop, #Playback, #Result Set "Default", #Interference, #Global Interference, #Options, #Include Quilts, #Stop Playback, #Play Current Set, #Play - The shaft rotate then stop at interference. Now, how can I get the angle value when the Outside Shaft edge touching the inside Housing flat edge causing the playback to stop? For your information the shaft measures 0.436 across its flat edge and the inside housing measure 0.45 across its flat edges and I am using WF1 build 2003400 with Pro/Mechanica Release level 248 (824) date code

David,

Never mind. I find a very simple way of doing this. Just assemble the two part together using the standard constraint axis align, colinear plane, make a constraint "edge on surface" between the outer edge shaft with the inner flat edge housing. Finally, measure the angle between the mating plane to get the exact value.

Thanks for your time and help.