Deformable Part or Extracted Bodies and Reference Sets or ???

[BOPdesigner]

NX6. I am trying to make a part that will be overmolded with a TPE. In this TPE I want to build in some "cap plugs" that get inserted into the products circular connectors to protect them. My question is, how do I make these cap plug features as part of the TPE so that I can show them both in the shelf state (flat as molded) and also in the deformed stage (plugging a connector end)? I need to show both product states in drawings and visual presentations. Attached is a screen capture for clairification. The TPE overmolding is the part I am struggling with. Would it be best to create all the solids in one part file, molded state and deformed state, and then through different reference sets switch between the two in the assembly? Or perhaps put a guide string in the assembly for the deformed path and setup a deformable part. I am picturing a lot of problems getting NX to do the deformable part method. It is not as straight forward as a spring or simple sweep along guide feature. The attached picture has one cap plug. My part will have multiple plugs in a row that need to be capped. Any suggestions on the best approach to accomplish this are appreciated.

 

[JohnRBaker]

If these are the only two 'states' that the part will be in, it's probably easiest to just build two models inside the same part file, one 'as molded' and one 'as assembled', assigning each to a different Reference Set and then just call for the appropriate one for the task at hand.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.