Mates with weldment frame

[Mostlyskint]

Hi All

Wonder if you can help a new solidworks user 2007 version

 

I have constructed a 3d sketch and created a custom weldment profile and produced a frame.

The profile is 40 x 40 aluminium with slots on all 4 faces to accept a T nut.

 

When I come to make my assembly I need to insert the T nuts in the slot, these will fasten the hinges.

I can mate the face of the nut to the inside of the slot and concentric but .. finally heres the question..

 

How do I position the nut a certain distance down from the top of the slot?

 

Thanks Dave

[Maximusmountain]

How do I position the nut a certain distance down from the top of the slot?

 

in solidworks on the mates section you can actually go into advanced mates (works with 2009 not sure about 2007 though!) and select "distance mates" which has the icon of two plates being pushed apart with a double ended arrow inbertween. this is like a coincident with a distance put on it, should work

[shift1313]

When you are placing coincident constraints to place the T-nut make sure you select a face and not an edge. The selection(edge,point,face) have an impact on what each mate will do.

[Maximusmountain]

but if he is selecting the edge of the face it shouldn't have any effect in an offset coincident? when i have done coincidents selecting the edge or the face is no different, may be a slight differance in motionworks or the flowworks analysis.

[Mostlyskint]

Gents thanks for the quick replies. Ive just tried it and it works a treat.

I must say Ive bitten of a bit more than I have the knowledge for at the moment.

But one of our customers needed a 3d model and like a fool I said I would have a go. Still the best way to learn is when the pressures on.

 

Thanks Again

[shift1313]

Depends on the part and other mates. If you select two planes, they remain planar. If you select two edges, you now have the ability to rotate (potentially). Its good practice when you are creating an offset mate to use faces when possible. It will also give you a little bit of freedom with your other mates. Lets say there wasnt a distance and it was only a coincident mate. If you selected two edges, the parts can both translate and rotate in multiple planes. If you selected two faces they could only translate and rotate in one. If you had no other mates besides the offset using edges, the model would be unstable.

 

Make a simple model and play around with it.

 

Mostly, here is a similar example showing you the highlighted selection.

 

edit: i see you got it worked out.

[Maximusmountain]

Gents thanks for the quick replies. Ive just tried it and it works a treat.

I must say Ive bitten of a bit more than I have the knowledge for at the moment.

But one of our customers needed a 3d model and like a fool I said I would have a go. Still the best way to learn is when the pressures on.

 

Thanks Again

 

Feel sorry for me then, im doing 3 weeks work experiance doing CAD on solidworks in holland for a ford fiesta. Bad times >.

[Mostlyskint]

Shift, Im sure with time I will come to understand your answer .

 

Mates are a bit of a bafflement to me right now.. I think Id better go look for a tutorial. Thanks for all the effort though..

 

Max - point taken Ill get me coat

[shift1313]

Shift, Im sure with time I will come to understand your answer .

 

Mates are a bit of a bafflement to me right now.. I think Id better go look for a tutorial. Thanks for all the effort though..

 

Max - point taken Ill get me coat

 

 

Think of mates as how you hold parts together. Since we are talking about Tslots, say you were going to bolt a vice down to the table on a mill. First thing you do is set the vice down on the table. This would essentially be a coincident mate between the top face of the table and the bottom face on the vice. With that mate in place you can still move the vice around on the table so you need to locate it. In this case you would add Tnuts(as in your assembly) and locate them in the slots and a distance from the end. Once your Tnuts are in place you can add bolt(coincident constraint). Then you can have the bolts locate the vice.

 

it can be overwhelming at first but its best to start with simple parts. make a bunch of cubes in an assembly, add some holes to them and start locating them. And remember that each selection can lead to a different "answer".

 

One other trick is to grab the parts in the assembly and move them around. this will let you see how things are held in place. And when in doubt, ask lots of questions:D