Managing CAD files for deformable parts in assemblies?

[McLeod]

For those readers who use associative part, assembly, draft, etc. CAD files which include deformable parts (i.e. parts which have a free state geometry, and a different assembled geometry): how do you manage those parts with respect to their two states?

We use Solid Edge, which is easy for assemblies of rigid elements. However, for deformable parts, we have to create one free state part file to generate the detail drawing of the part, and a separate deformed part file to create the assembly model and its associated drawing. This causes a loss of associativity within the model system, since a change to the free state part is not automatically reflected in the assembly model or drawing.

The situation becomes even more complicated for assemblies which have separate views for different deformed states of a part. Each additional deformed state means a new part file which has to be manually updated without introducing any discrepancies between the files.

Is there a better way?

 

[3DDon]

(this is a duplicate post copies from the Solid Edge forum)

McLeod,

SolidWorks uses configurations. Each variation of a part would have a different configuration. This is very similar to Solid Edge's Family Of Parts master part file. In each different configuration, various features (holes, bosses, revolves, threads, sheet metal tabs and flanges, etc.) can be suppressed (or unsuppressed).

The top level assembly can also have a configuration to control configurations in parts or sub-assemblies as well. By doing it this way (for example) piping and plumbing components that have mounting flanges can be changed in not only size and diameter, but the number and size of mount holes in the bolt flange can also be controled by different configurations.
Don Shoebridge
Sr. Product Developement Engineer

http://www.geocities.com/donshoebridge

 

[PhilGooch]

This is a problem we have recently come up against with O rings and such like in Pro/ENGINEER 2001 so any ideas relating to that package would be welcome