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100+ comp asm but only 4 unique parts

Andrman

New member
What is the best way to make an assembly of over 100 components where
there are only 4 unique parts? One part is the bed that will have the
other pieces stuck all over it. The other 3 parts are a base, a top
plate, and a retainer between the two. That's it.



I am making this assembly with intentions of creating a dimensional
drawing showing the spacing between the plates. That's all that needs
to be accomplished. Can I use simplified representations?
 
I would duplicate the base assembly, assign a new part number to it. Then use the replace command to switch out the pieces that are changing. Youwill want to use the fix command in the placement menu on the major clusters of compentents prior to doing this. This shouldkeep thing from blowing up.





smiley4.gif
good luck John.
 
FishNut said:
Can the pieces stuck all over it be patterned? Thats what I would do.
My
predecessor patterned them. My computer can barely handle it. Granted I
am not on a brand new machine, but it's got 2 gigs of RAM. I spoke with
our support specialist and I thought he said that patterns make it
worse?


Edited by: Andrman
 
JohnMilem said:
I would duplicate the base assembly, assign a new
part number to it. Then use the replace command to switch out the
pieces that are changing. Youwill want to use the fix command in
the placement menu on the major clusters of compentents prior to doing
this. This shouldkeep thing from blowing up.





smiley4.gif
good luck John.
Could
you elaborate on this a little? Do you mean duplicate the base part,
the truck bed? Then place all the bases and fix them. Then place the
top plates and fix those?



I was really wondering if any simplified representations would be
appropriate for this. I've heard about them and accelerator files but
never used them so I don't know if they would be useful or not.
 
Patterning the parts IS the way to go. The choice of pattern type is
dictated by the assembly requirements even if you need more than one
pattern or type of pattern.





An assembly of "over 100" components is not big. Unless your parts are VERY complicated it should not slow down that much.




If the parts are VERY complicated you could try suppressing most of the
features but leaving enough in to place them in the assembly reliably.
Then when you have finished placing the parts, resume the suppressed
features





A development of the method is to have the complicated part in a family
table. One instance has many features suppressed so it is fast to work
with. Another instance is fully featured.





The simple instances are patterned in the assembly. Then an instance of
the assembly is created with the simple instances swapped for the full
instances. This method should give you the best of both worlds.



A further refinement if to place simple block parts. Then create a
Simplify Interchange Assembly (this requires needs AAX) to define
common placement features between the simple and complicated part. Then
the simple part can be swapped for the complicated part in a top level
assembly family table.








DB

Edited by: Dell_Boy
 
I agree that leveraging the power of patterns is the way to go. Pattern the holes that the parts attach to, assemble to the seed feature of the hole pattern, then ref pattern the rest of the parts. Patterns can be forced using pattern tables, so try this, too.


If patterning is impossible, I find that repeating the parts is a fast option.


Highlight the part, EDIT > REPEAT.


If the repeated part is a bolt in a hole, you would have assembled aligning axes and mating surfaces. If all of the mated surfaces are the same, you only have to repeat the axis. If not, choose both constrints.


Now, you can quickly pick axes or axis/surface pairs without recalling the bolt 99 more times and selecting the same features on the bolt.


Caveat: repeated components can not be ref patterened. They behave exactly as if you placed them one by one.


I suppose you could try interfaces, but that is functionality I have not explored to date.
 
Dear Amitesh,


You could do any of three things :


1. Go to Insert>Component>Create a component in Assembly Mode.


2. Go to help and learn from there.


3. Go to an Institute which teaches Pro E in a structured way.


bye.
 

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