Mark Thompson Sr. Application Engineer Assembly Design: A Hands-On Experience Solid Edge University 2014 May 12-14, Atlanta, GA, USA SOLID EDGE UNIVERSITY 2014 Re-imagine What s Possible #SEU14
Agenda for Assembly Design: A hands-on Experience Who am I? What you will learn Hands-On learning Page 2
About: Mark Thompson Mark Thompson Solid Edge Field Support Mark has been in the Mechanical CAD industry for 26 years. Mark spent his first year in the CAD/CAM support group and then moved to the technical marketing group where he has been ever since. Mark has been promoting Solid Edge since its first release in 1996. Mark s responsibilities include the creation of demonstration material for internal application engineers and channel partners, customer presentations, update training material, and support for the field personnel. Prior to coming to work in the mechanical CAD industry Mark spent 14 years as a machinist/tool maker. Page 3
What you will learn In this hands-on session, you will experience exciting new Solid Edge ST7 assembly enhancements that will make you much more productive with your assembly design workflows. You will use a new method to duplicate components across your assembly as well and get a better understanding of how you can incorporate components from anywhere in the assembly into your design. You will work with many more enhancements to make your design experience in Solid Edge Assembly a great one! Page 4
Before you open the engine assembly, a few things need to be setup. Copy Custom.xml from the reset files/filestocopy folder to the Solid Edge ST7/Preferences folder. Open a blank Solid Edge assembly. Open the Solid Edge Options dialog. Click on Assembly tab and turn on the shown options. Navigate to the Assembly Open As tab and change Assembly open as: Last saved. Page 5
Go to the Tools tab on the Command Ribbon, then select Limited Update to turn it on. After setting up all the options, close the blank assembly. We are ready to begin the assembly hands-on session. Use the Open command and browse to the Assembly Modeling/Engine folder and select BD-00001_A.asm. Make sure Last Saved is set and select 1-Motor Assembly for the configuration to open with and then Click Open. Activate the 3 hidden parts at the bottom of PathFinder Page 6
Rotate the view as shown here as we will be placing a component in this area. Select the Insert Component command from the Home tab which automatically bring up the Parts Library. Navigate to the Engine/Major Components folder. From the Parts Library notice that components are shown in a default is light blue, so they are more visible than in the past (color can be changed from the colors tab in SE Options). To show this, select BD-00100_A.par. The selected part is just above the assembly you will drag into the assembly in the next step. Page 7
Select BD-00104_A.asm found under the Major Components folder. Drag and drop this small mounting assembly into the graphics widow. Because capture fit was used, you only need to select where to place it, so select the face as shown on the back housing. For alignment, select the first middle hole. Then select the hole on the opposite side. Page 8
The part almost looks symmetric, so it is important to select the correct holes. Click on the sub-assembly just placed in PathFinder, then select one of the alignment relationships and notice what occurs in the graphics window. All parts are dimmed except the 2 with the selected relationship. RMB click on that same relationship in PathFinder. Notice the new options available on the top of the menu? Select the Zoom To just to show how it works. Page 9
Fit the view, then rotate so you are looking at the engine from the back so you can see all 4 motor mounts. To do this quickly you can use the Back option on the view cube. Several components were placed on the upper left mount, but you need to duplicate those components to the other 3 mounts in the assembly. The new Duplicate Component command allows you to easily do this with a few simple steps. Rotate and zoom into the mount with the components already added. Select the top bolt and washer. Page 10
Once selected, select the Select All identical Parts command to quickly select the rest of the bolts and washers. Once selected, they will highlight in blue in PathFinder. Directly above them you need to select the BD-00080_A.asm sub-assembly (which is highlighted in yellow) to add to the select set. Now that all the components are selected, you are ready to run the new Duplicate Component command. It is found on the Home tab in the Pattern group. Page 11
Rotate the view back so that you can see all 4 of the mounts again. Use the view cube The first step in the command is to select the From component, so select the middle section of the mount highlighted in yellow. The next step is to select the To component, so go to the opposite side and select the same part as was selected in the previous step. Notice the preview! Page 12
Now select All Matching components option and let the command do the work for you very quickly. Notice that the front 2 mounts are at a different angle, but duplicate component looks at the from/to coordinate systems for placement. RMB click to accept and again to finish. Window Area on the intake as shown, then select the 2-Manifold configuration from the configurations group on the Home tab of the main ribbon bar. Page 13
Rotate the view as shown for easy selection in the next step of the demo. Toward the bottom of PathFinder select BD-00072_A.asm. Select Edit in Place. If background parts are turned off, use the keys CTRL Q to toggle them on. One of the new enhancements in ST7 is to be able to select Peer Components (components above or beside the current sub-assembly) for use in sub-assemblies, such as this one. Here we are in place activated into a sub assembly, but will use components at the top level to create the tubing path. Page 14
Go into XpresRoute Select the Line Segment from the Tools tab. command. We need to create a path between the 2 ports. Hold down the SHIFT key and then select the first port. Create a single line straight up and out of the port, then RMB click to reset. Hold down the SHIFT key and select the second port as shown. Page 15
Draw a line straight out of the port and click to place the line, then connect the 2 lines to create the tube path. Once the path has been created you are ready to create a tube. First, just set your cursor on the Tube command icon and notice the tooltip feedback. Now select the command and the Tube Options dialog will appear. Page 16
Another great new enhancement in ST7 is that you now have the ability to save settings, so you can create the different sizes your company uses and save them for quick selection. Select Manifold-8mm Copper from the list, then key in Manifold Tube for the filename. Click OK on the dialog and select the path, but do not create yet! Go to the End Treatment select end 1 options step, then Notice we also have the Save options here. Page 17
Set both end treatment options to Flanged for Manifold and then create the tube. Exit XpresRoute, then close and return (also new in ST7) to top level assembly. Change display configurations to 3-Waste Gate. This is actually the turbo assembly, but you will show a couple of new enhancements within this assembly. Click on any of the graphic parts and PathFinder will show the part and its assembly. Use a RMB click to Edit/Open to open the sub-assembly (BD-00234_A.asm). Page 18
Select KeyShot Render from the Tools tab on the command ribbon bar. When the KeyShot window appears, enlarge the window for better viewing. Select Library at the bottom of the window. Select the Materials tab. At this point you can drag and drop any of these materials onto the components. First, drag Paint Matte Blue to the bottom blue part. Second, drag Chrome Black to the top horn shape part. Third, drag Stainless Steel Brushed to the middle section. The path to each color is shown on the bottom of each color box. Page 19
Let s go back to Solid Edge, but do not close KeyShot. Click on the Solid Edge window to bring it to the top. Rotate the view so you are looking at the waste gate hose. Press CTRL + Spacebar to get into Face select mode. Fence select the port coming off the waste gate including the clamp where the hose is connected. Move the steering wheel to the center of the waste gate. Click on the torus to prepare a rotate. Page 20
Rotate the port left and right to show that the hose will change in length. Go to XpresRoute. Select the key point curve, and then edit definition. On the command bar, select Curve Length Step. Click on Fixed Length and set value to the nearest whole number. Select Constrain Direction option. Page 21
Now select the X axis as the Constrain Direction. RMB click twice to preview and accept. Exit XpresRoute. Fence select the port and clamp again and move the steering wheel to the center of the waste gate. Select the torus and rotate to show how the fixed length curve maintains the length during rotation. Finish rotation, then set the view back to where we began. Page 22
Select Tools, then select Keyshot Update. This will bring the Keyshot window back to the top and update the changes that we have made. Close and discard the window. Close and save the sub-assembly, collapse the sub-assemblies in PathFinder. Change display configuration to 4-Support Structure. We will use the solids to create a support test frame to hold the motor during testing. Page 23
Change the display configuration now to 5-Motor Support Only. Make sure the 3 solids are activated in PathFinder. Click on the Tools tab, then click on Frame to go into the Frame environment. Start the Frame command. Notice we have a new interface for frame creation, giving the user much more control as to the orientation of the frame before it gets created. Change from the XY plane to the YZ plane. Page 24
When you do, the dialog images update and show you a different orientation. Select OK and a dialog will appear: Navigate to DIN/Square Tubing and select the 50x50x4 part Set the Select option on the command bar to Body. Also set the frame to Square Tubing 50x50x4. Now select the larger back solid, then RMB click to accept and create the frames. Notice the frame orientation, meaning the continuous frame pieces are on the sides instead of the top. Page 25
While you are still in the command, select Select Path Step. Change the Select option to Single. Hold the SHIFT key down and deselect the top front section to remove it from the frame. RMB click to accept, and it will be removed. RMB click to create the next frame, and the frame options dialog will appear again. Uncheck the option to show dialog and dismiss dialog. Change to Face select. Page 26
Select the bottom face of the front solid and accept to generate frame. RMB click to Finish, then select the front face, but DO NOT accept. Change Select option to Single. Select the 2 front vertical sketches and deselect the 3 middle edges by holding down the shift key. RMB click to accept and create frames. Page 27
While you are still in single select mode, select the 2 back vertical sketches and the edges to connect the front and back sketches. RMB click to accept and again to Finish. Turn off the first 2 solids from PathFinder by unchecking them. Change back to Face select. Select the bottom face of the middle solid to create the frames that connect the front and back. Page 28
Before creating the frame, click on the Frame Options button to bring up the Frame Options dialog, then select the Options button to expand and show all the frame options. Notice toward the bottom the new option to Ignore entity if frame already exists. Keep it checked and click OK. Page 29
Then RMB click to create the frame on the bottom of the middle solid. Once created, turn off the middle solid and notice the frame that gets created. We no longer create extra frames that overlap frames that already exist. Close the Frame environment and RMB click on top level assembly and select Show All to turn all parts on. Window Area on front of motor where the mount and frame meet. You need to correct the frame position to the bottom of the mount. Page 30
Use the CTRL + Spacebar keys to get into Face select mode. Select the top angled face as shown. Hold the SHIFT key down and select the steering wheel axis, then move it upward and key in 25 mm. Then LMB click to reposition, which puts the steering wheel at the top of the frame. Now select the same axis and position your cursor up to the bottom round edge of the mount and click to place. Page 31
The frame should now be positioned against the bottom of the mount as shown. Page 32
The final step in the process is to make sure our assembly is up to date using Component Tracker which is found under the Tools tab. For Component Tracker to show out of date components, Limited Update would have needed to be turned on before opening the assembly (which we did in the setup). With Limited Update on, the assembly will not respond to any changes made out of context to assembly components. Open Component Tracker to view what may be out of date. Notice that the Manifold base has a red asterisk and shows its parent assembly out of date. Page 33
Click on the Manifold Base to highlight it and then zoom to this component to see what is out off date (just to show it is out of date). Notice that the filter unit is not in alignment with the top part of the assembly and needs to be updated. In Component Tracker, click on the Update All button to get things up to date and watch the parts reposition themselves. This is a great to tool that gives you full control of what gets updated or saved in the entire assembly before taking it into Draft. Great Job!!!! Page 34
Close BD-00001_A.asm, no need to save anything. Open Pattern along Curve\1-Tracks.asm. From the Pattern group on the main ribbon, select the Pattern Along Curve command. Select both entries from PathFinder. RMB click to accept. Next, select the tracks curve, then RMB click to accept. Page 35
Next, you need to select the anchor point. Select the end point to the left of the gap and make sure the arrow is pointing to the left as shown (you can change direction from the command bar). The end does not highlight until you click on it. RMB click to accept the anchor point. When you accept, it will use the default Fit with a count of 4. Change the Fit to Fill and set the spacing to 203. Click Next Make sure you RMB click to Preview Page 36
While you are still in the command, click on the 2 nd curve step from the command bar. This allows you to define a curve path in which the pattern can repeat along. Before selecting the path, change to Fit with a count of 2. Then select the straight line as the 2 nd curve. RMB click to accept. For the anchor point, select the lower left end of the straight line. RMB click to accept when the direction is pointing inward as shown. Page 37
Click on Preview to see the finished pattern of tracks along a curve. Then click on Finish Click on the straight line, then select the Edit Profile command. Page 38
Once in the sketch, select the 3000 dimension value and change it to 2000, then select Enter on the keyboard to accept new value. Select the green checkmark to close the assembly sketch and the tracks should move closer together. Page 39
Rotate view if you need to so that you can select the Right view from the view cube. Under the Tools tab on the main ribbon bar, select Variables. When the variables dialog appears, scroll to the bottom. You should see a variable called ExtendLinkCount which is currently set to 1. Change this value to any of the values and watch the tracks update. Great Job! Page 40
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING! Mark Thompson Sr. Application Engineer Field Support/Mainstream Engineering Siemens Industry Sector Siemens product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. 675 Discovery Drive, Suite 100 Huntsville, Alabama 35806 Phone: 256-705-2625 E-mail: mark.d.thompson@siemens.com Page 41