Mate chain 2

[Tmoz]

Hello, I want to make chain. I've made one piece of the chain. And that part must be copied and mate at the back of the previous piece. I've tried a linear pattern, but then are the mates not fixed. Wat is the simplest way to do a thing like that?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Chain Link (interconnected rings) or Drive Chain (bicycle)?

 

[Tmoz]

Bicycle Chain.

 

[Tmoz]

It is possible to make a chain like a bicycle in Solid Works?

 

[Theophilus]

There may be a simpler way than this:
Extrude a surface that represents the path your chain makes. Mate the pieces of your chain such that their centers (holes or pegs) lie on this extruded surface. Create concentric mates among the links. (Only every other link needs to have centers mated to your surface, since the concentric mates will constrain the links to their proper places.)

If you use the Fit Spline tool in your extruded sketch to create your surface, you can also get your links to move around the surface by dragging them (because you will then have a true single surface instead of a surface made up of arcs and flats).



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[Tmoz]

That means that I also have to mate 200 links in the chain?

 

[SBaugh]

Sounds to me if you don't design the chain, why go to the extreme of making this kind of detail, because you are just going to lose performance and have degradation in your system.

Rule 1: Don't design something you don't make at your company. To show for a chain, make an extruded belt like part and use that instead.

Rule 2: Don't over design your parts.

Rule 3: See Rule 1 and 2

However if you want to bad enough, look at using either a sketch driven pattern, or a curve driven pattern.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[Tmoz]

OK You've got a point. The only reason why I wanted to make a Chain is the movabiliy. I want to make it spinning around. Is it possible to make something as a egg-shape (oval) move around? Like a conveyor belt or simplefied chain?

 

[SBaugh]

If you make a part like a belt you won't be able to move it like what you are after. But if you made a chain and made it move like what you want it to do it would be horrendous on your system and memory load.

You can make the sprockets move, but just let the chain/belt just like it is.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[bluesman0007]

Tmoz,

You don't say what version you're running if it's 2007 have you looked at belt and chain in sketching and assembly sections of help?

Dennis

SolidWorks 2007 SP2.0
Windows XP Pro, Pentium4 3.00GHz
1.5 GB RAM, Nvidia FX500
Logitech Marble Mouse, CadMan

 

[Tmoz]

I'm using SW 2007 and I havn't looked in the help selection on that topic. I'm going to look in this right now. I didn't know that there were also topic how to move an egg shape.

 

[SBaugh]

That will allow for the pulleys to move which could be setup with that mate. But it doesn't show the chain/belt moving. If he is using a chain then the proper mate would be a gear mate because of the sprockets that control the chain when it's moving.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[Theophilus]

The pulleys/sprockets/gears will be synchronized, but I don't think you'll see your chain move.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[SBaugh]

That's what I was saying Jeff. Maybe I guess didn't make it clear... But your right it will not rotate along the sprockets, but the sprockets will rotate to each other accordingly or the way the gear mate is designated.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[Theophilus]

That would be a nice addition to have for animations--but I'd bet the data crunching would really be harsh for an animation and rendering of the animation--lots of parts moving like that.

To do so would probably require a special kind of part--or maybe a fake part--that would appear to bend or roll along the path. Maybe it could be done with moving decals? Tough problem to solve.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I agree with Scott's and Jeff's comments above plus, a chain set-up will often flip into itself. The following link should show this if you grab a link and drag it around the surface path.

http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=297705