Craig Ruchti, Solid Edge Field Support Applications Engineer Automate Your Designs 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 Automate Your Designs A Hands-On Experience Who am I? Using Microsoft Excel as a design configurator Libraries of Systems place components and features in one step Sensors Mirror Assembly Sub-Assembly control Replace Part Assembly Copy-Move Family of Assemblies Page 2
About: Craig Ruchti Craig Ruchti Solid Edge Field Support Applications Engineer Craig Ruchti is a member of the Solid Edge Field Support team. This group creates Solid Edge demos, produces and delivers technical Solid Edge update training and supports Solid Edge pre-sales activities globally. Craig is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to working with the Field Support team, he worked designing rehabilitation engineering prototypes for various special projects and testing/altering existing designs to increase use and marketability. Page 3
Getting started Open 019000_A.asm from the Design Automation folder Open _004469_A.asm from the Working folder Page 4
Using Excel as a Design Configurator With 019000_A.asm active, zoom in on the left bracket where the coordinate system is turned on Click on the Measure command under the Inspect tab of the command ribbon Measure the width from the inside edge of the slot to the outside angle bracket Measure the height of the bracket Page 5
Using Excel as a Design Configurator Switch to _004469_A.asm and click on the Binder on the Quick Access Toolbar Within Binder, there will be an Excel file named Bracket_Size.xlsm Open this file and click Enable when it prompts you to enable macros Page 6
Using Excel as a Design Configurator We want to change the sheet metal specifications of the bracket to thicken it, as well as change some of the design specifications to make it fit the snow blower Click the cell containing the 8 for the stock gage and change values Watch as the model automatically updates Change the option to Custom at the top of the list and manually input Material Thickness: 12 Bend Radius: 12 Relief Width: 12 Relief Length: 2 Page 7
Using Excel as a Design Configurator Next, let s input the changes in the height and width of the bracket that we measured previously on the model Change the Bracket_Width to 212 Change the Bracket_Height to 280 Page 8
Using Excel as a Design Configurator Now that we ve got the bracket designed how we want it, let s save and close the excel file, as well as the bracket file Change back over to the Snow Blower assembly (019000_A.asm) On the Home tab, select the Insert Component command This will expand the parts library Click the home button at the top Note: If this does not navigate you to the Design Automation files, manually find them using the drop down menu Under the working folder, click and drag in _004469_A.asm Page 9
Using Excel as a Design Configurator Capture fit (or automatic relationship placement) is set up for the bracket and we re already in the assemble command, so simply click the front face on the blower bracket to place the first mate Next, click on the XY plane of the same blower bracket s origin Finally, click the XZ plane of the same origin to fully constrain the bracket Page 10
Libraries of Systems Placing Components and Mounting Features in One Step 1 Scroll to the part we just placed in the assembly pathfinder (_004469_A.asm) and expand the subassembly Uncheck the coordinate system to turn off Click the button for hiding all PMI dimensions on the Quick Access Toolbar Do not hide all coordinate systems 2 Expand the Parts Library Click and drag in DragWheel_SL.asm DO NOT TOUCH THE CURSOR UNTIL YOU WATCH WHAT I DO Page 11
Libraries of Systems Placing Components and Mounting Features in One Step 1 2 First we need to define the relationships associated to this Library of systems Click the front face of the bracket we just assembled as the first relationship Next, click the XZ plane (parallel to the bottom of the blower) Next, click the XY plane VERY IMPORTANT STEP! To place features on the bracket, select the outside edge of the bracket (this was the face you selected for the first relationship) Page 12
Libraries of Systems Placing Components and Mounting Features in One Step In the Quick Access Toolbar, turn off all coordinate systems Rotate the model to see the inside of the bracket, and turn off the drag wheel that was just brought in (004382_A.asm) Notice the mounting features that carried over with the systems library! Page 13 Open 019000_A_Location1.asm if behind
Sensors Now we need to put a sensor in place to ensure that we have the proper amount of clearance between the drag wheel and the blower frame. In the Edge Bar, expand the Sensors tab Click the option to create a new minimum distance sensor Click the inside face of the wheel Click the cylinder on the bottom edge of the frame directly across from it Page 14
Sensors We re going to get a pop-up of the current distance between the two faces Press X to close the Minimum Distance Dialog and open the Save Sensor dialog Name the sensor Drag Wheel Min Dist Display Type: Horizontal Range Operator: Less than Threshold: 50.00mm Sensor Range: Lower: -100 Upper: 200 Press OK Page 15
Sensors Drag out the sensor Edge Bar and notice that the sensor is running and giving visual feedback of what it is interrogating Page 16
Mirror Assembly Next, we need to mirror our geometry over to the other side of the assembly to maintain the appropriate geometric intent In the pathfinder, select _004469_A.asm and 004382_A.asm (the drag wheel and bracket) Holding control or shift while clicking on these will allow multiple selection On the home tab, under the pattern section, select the Mirror command Right click to accept the selected geometry Page 17
Mirror Assembly Expand the Reference Planes container on the assembly pathfinder and select Blower Center Plane Page 18
Mirror Assembly The mirror command will give you a dialog that contains a readout of all geometry associated to the selected components. Solid Edge interrogates the model to see what needs to be mirrored, or what can simply be rotated. This is very useful when creating a Bill of Material that you don t have redundant parts with different part numbers! Press OK and accept the default values Right click to finish the command Page 19
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part Mirroring assembly components is a great way to maintain geometry and update it according to input preferences. We need to replace the turn handle on the drag wheel so let s see how that s done. On the original drag wheel subassembly, select the yellow turn wheel at the top Select the Replace Part command from the modify section of the home tab Right click to accept geometry Page 20
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part The replace part dialog appears and gives you available part options from your local folder. Ensure that you re looking in the Working folder for Design Automation Select 015001_A.par Click Open Page 21
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part Upon pressing open, you will see a message come up informing you that Solid Edge could not resolve all of the assembly relationships based on changes in geometry, and that you need to go through and fully constrain this turn wheel. Click Suppress Turn wheel part is brought into place and associated in both the original and mirrored subassembly Note: for our purposes, we aren t going to reassign assembly relationships Page 22
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part In addition to being able to associate geometry to a mirrored subassembly, Solid Edge can also associate a positional reference. Highlight the tilt wheel in the pathfinder (004382_A.asm) In the lower area of the pathfinder, you ll see the assembly relationship container Hold shift and select the two planar alignments and delete them Page 23
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part Click the dropdown for Cam relationship in the Assemble section on the home tab Select Path For the follower, select the axis on the tilt wheel mounting plate For the path, select the centerline of the slot in the background Page 24
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part Now click the Drag Component command in the modify section of the home tab Select OK for default values on the pop-up Ensure Freeform Move option is set Grab the back plate of the drag wheel and rotate in the direction of the slot Notice the motion will be limited by the extents of the slot path Page 25
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part Note that an alert is triggered in the upper right hand corner of the design area Click on the alert A dialog appears informing you that your minimum distance sensor has been violated Click the link for Drag Wheel Min Dist to go directly to the sensor tab and see what is violated Page 26
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part We need to make a few changes to ensure that our clearance requirement is maintained. Press Ctrl+Spacebar to switch from part priority to face priority (allows you to select features) Select the slot feature Click to do a edit the slot s profile Page 27
Sub-Assembly Control Replace Part Select the 40 degree angle Change it to 35 degrees Watch as the sketch updates Close Sketch Close and return to top level assembly The model automatically updates to the new slot length and the tilt wheel updates accordingly. Note the Sensor is no longer being violated! Page 28
Assembly Copy-Move We also need to complete the design for stabilization on this blower frame. Let s take a look at how some great assembly tools can handle this! Select the stabilizer arm in the pathfinder (004625_StabArm_F.asm! this is a Family of assembly member) Relocate the steering wheel to the frame tab on the top of the stabilizer arm Page 29
Assembly Copy-Move Hold the control key (or you can select the copy option on the command bar) and select the arrow pointing to the opposite side of the blower Click and drag to the other side and snap to the center point of the hole seen below Page 30
Assembly Copy-Move A dialog box for Assembly Relationship Options will appear Select the final option to Remove all external relationships and add new relationships to other components Page 31
Assembly Copy-Move Select the front tab and the bottom inside tab for new geometry to associate relationships to Right click to accept Select the new occurrence of the stabilizer arm and view the relationships associated to it Page 32
Family of Assemblies The final portion of this workflow is to utilize multiple configurations of a common part to increase productivity in our everyday workflows. Family of assemblies allows us to have multiple members and parts associated to a single assembly. Click on the Parts Library on the Edge Bar Click and drag in 0060010-HydrCly.asm Page 33
Family of Assemblies Look at the members available. Based on the naming conventions, we re not 100% sure if our configuration has already been created. On the dropdown list, select Dynamic Configuration Click OK The Dynamic Configuration Dialog appears Page 34
Family of Assemblies Select 007002-1000HDCyl_a.par as the first member to use Notice that Solid Edge gives you a readout of all previously created members that match this configuration Populate the remainder of the fields as shown: Page 35
Family of Assemblies In the Create new member box, input 1000HD-002 Click OK The member is created and placed in the design area and we re automatically placed in the assemble command Select the outside face of the bottom of the cylinder and mate it to the inside face of the frame bracket Page 36
Family of Assemblies Next, select the hole in the bottom of the Hydraulic Cylinder part and axially align it with the hole in the bracket you just selected Select the hole on the clevis end (top part of the hydraulic cylinder) and axially align it to the blower chute pivot frame Page 37
Family of Assemblies Click hide all coordinate systems on the Quick Access Toolbar This assembly is also a Dynamic assembly, so it has the ability to move based on it s allowable degrees of freedom Enter the Drag Component command and click and hold on the clevis of the Hydraulic Cylinder we just assembled Tilt the blower chute to represent the realistic motion of the working model! Page 38
Family of Assemblies Page 39
Thank you! Craig Ruchti Solid Edge Field Support Applications Engineer Siemens PLM 675 Discovery Dr NW #100 Huntsville, AL 35806 Phone: +1 (256) 705-2626 Mobile: +1 (813) 810-0578 E-mail: craig.ruchti@siemens.com Page 40