Doing assembly in SolidWorks primarily involves combining individual part files (.SLDPRT) into an assembly file (.SLDASM) and then using mates to define the relationships and positions between these components.
Here are the fundamental steps to create an assembly in SolidWorks:
Getting Started with SolidWorks Assembly
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Create a New Assembly Document:
- Go to File > New.
- Select Assembly from the templates and click OK. This opens a new, empty assembly environment.
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Insert Components:
- When the new assembly opens, the Insert Component PropertyManager usually appears automatically.
- Browse to the location of your part files (
.SLDPRT). - Select the first part you want to insert. Typically, the first component placed is fixed by default (meaning it cannot move unless un-fixed).
- Click in the graphics area to place the component.
- You can repeat this process to insert additional parts as needed. Use the Insert Components command from the Assembly tab if the PropertyManager doesn't appear initially.
Mating Components
Mates are the core of assembly in SolidWorks. They define how parts fit and move relative to one another. They add degrees of freedom constraints between components.
The Mating Process
- Access the Mate Tool: Go to the Assembly tab in the CommandManager and click the Mate tool.
- Select Entities: In the Mate PropertyManager, you need to select the geometry you want to mate. This can be faces, edges, vertices, planes, axes, etc., from the different components you have inserted.
- Choose Mate Type: SolidWorks automatically suggests a mate type based on your selections (e.g., concentric, coincident, parallel, perpendicular). You can accept the suggestion or choose a different standard mate type from the list. Advanced and Mechanical mates are also available for more complex relationships.
- Apply and Continue: Click the green checkmark in the PropertyManager to apply the current mate. The Mate tool remains active, allowing you to add more mates.
- Finish Mating: When you are done adding mates, click the red 'X' or the checkmark outside the PropertyManager to exit the Mate tool.
Practical Example (Based on Reference)
As shown in the reference, a common mating task is aligning cylindrical features:
- Action: Select the outside cylindrical face of the pin and the outside cylindrical face of the plate.
- SolidWorks Response: SolidWorks will typically suggest a Concentric mate, aligning the axes of the two cylinders.
- Result: As observed in the reference, "the pin moves to the correct position," constrained to be centered within the hole of the plate. This reduces the pin's degrees of freedom, allowing it to potentially rotate and move along the shared axis, but preventing it from moving side-to-side relative to the plate.
Types of Mates
While the reference highlights selecting faces for positioning, SolidWorks offers various mate types, including:
- Standard Mates:
- Concentric: Aligns axes of cylindrical/conical faces or centers of arcs/circles.
- Coincident: Makes two entities share the same location (e.g., making two faces touch or an edge lie on a face).
- Parallel: Makes two lines, edges, faces, or planes parallel.
- Perpendicular: Makes two lines, edges, faces, or planes perpendicular.
- Tangent: Makes a curve or circle tangent to another curve or surface.
- Distance: Specifies a distance between two entities.
- Angle: Specifies an angle between two entities.
- Advanced Mates: Provide more complex control (e.g., Limit, Width, Path, Linear/Linear Coupler).
- Mechanical Mates: Simulate mechanical relationships (e.g., Cam-Follower, Gear, Rack Pinion, Screw, Universal Joint).
By strategically adding mates between components, you define their precise positions and simulate how they will move or fit together in the real world.
