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"Flexible" sub-assemblies

It's probably best to explain this request with a hypothetical case:-

I model a pneumatic cylinder as 3 parts (piston, cylinder, clevis each end) and make an assembly out of them with mates that allow the piston to move in the cyliinder and the clevises to pivot.

I model a door assembly comprising a frame, door and hinges.

I create a top-level assembly and add the 2 subassys. I want to add an angular mate to define the position of the door, and I want the pneumatic cylinder (which opens/closes the door) to adjust to the correct length with the clevises at the correct angles, corresponding to the defined door angle.

Is this possible without dissolving the sub-assys into the top level assy? I'm on SW2004.

TIA, John Harland

Reply to
John H
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I am quite sure you can in 2004. Try this: Make sure that the assemblies in your top-level assembly are set as "Flexible". Right click the assembly in the tree, select Component Properties and mark the radio tab for Solve As ( if it isn't already) as "Flexible". The alternate is "Rigid".

Add your mates and the angle of the door will determine the position of the cylinder and piston based on the mates definied in your subassys.

Bull

Reply to
Bullman

Thanks Bull, I'll give that a try. I'd tried right-clicking on the sub-assy, but hadn't thought to look in Component Properties.

Cheers, John Harland

Reply to
John H

One thing to keep in mind, If both cylinders open and close the same, this will work just fine. But if you want each cylinder to operate differently, (i.e. one open and the other closed) you will have to create identical configurations, each subassembly will have to be a different config.

Mike

Reply to
SW-Mike

I just had this situation with some swivel casters I needed to rotate. I brought in the casters, mated them and then changed them to flexible so they would swivel. After changing them to flexible some of the mates changed to a suppressed state and the caster mounts moved on the panel. I double checked the status of the mates, and some were suppressed. You may want to check this when they are resolved or suppressed in each configuration.

For your situation, you might also try an advanced angle mate, with a range of motion for the door hinges, and drive the door with the cylinder, as this would be what it seems you are simulating.

peace, Diego

Reply to
Diego

In many situations that is what I would do, but there are times when a piece of machinery is set to rotate to a number of specific angular positions, and the position of the actuator is immaterial.

Cheers, John Harland

Reply to
John H

Does that mean that if you change the piston position from the top level assembly, and then open the sub-assembly on its own, the position of the piston will have changed?

John

Reply to
John H

Yes, depentant on which config is active. Being the subassemblies in an assembly are no more than a reference, you are in fact changing the the subassembly, for a specific config, in the context of the main assembly. This also holds true for parts. Based on the example, one config would be 'open' and the other 'closed'.

Mike

Reply to
SW-Mike

Mike,

Thanks for making me aware of that, as the equivalent function to "flexible sub-assy" in I-DEAS which I'm more familiar with ("unuse sub-assy config") did not cause the sub-assy config to be altered.

John H

Reply to
John

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