adding offset to parts without messing up assembly

[Syllogism]

Hi All, Thanks for taking the time to read my question.

I'm currently working on a project that has a lot of interlocking steel parts. These parts need to have an offset of 0.1mm added to the joining / interlocking parts so that when they get laser-cut they will fit into each other. My first approach to do this was to offset particular faces inside of individual parts. However this soon caused severe problems for me since whole assembly would then break because subtracting 0.1mm from a face in an assembly would lead to a number of relationships breaking.

I can't be the first person who's needed to do this, I was wonder what the best approach would be to this. Perhaps there's some way to freeze or lock the assembly so that they don't automatically re-calibrate every time I change a part file?

 

[KENAT]

Sure, suppres the relationships and ground the parts.

However, kind of makes a mockery of parametric design if you don't then go back and fix it.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[Syllogism]

Thanks! I'll try that. I just don't want the parts of re-adjust while I'm adding the offsets.

 

[kjoiner]

Hello,

Is there any way to create sketches or reference within the parts? You could use these as the assembly constraints and maintain the nominal position of the parts to keep the assembly constraints intact regardless of the offset?

Kyle

 

[Syllogism]

Kjoiner... I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Do you mean in the draft environment to draw the offset there?

 

[kjoiner]

Hello,

I was thinking of adding sketches in the parts or add reference planes in the parts to be used when assembling them. The sketches or planes can remain independent of the faces you are offsetting. In the simplest situation, if you have to assemble two parts and you use their reference planes when constraining them rather than faces, you can offset the faces and the parts will not move around on you.

Kyle

 

[KENAT]

Or you could use an assembly constraint that alignes mid points of the length or similar as appropriate but at this stage that probably adds effort, and isn't very parametric.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[ct27gt]

I'm with kjoiner. Mate to reference planes or a sketch within the part. That way you can adjust the face offset without affecting the relationships.