Mate question

[Sripri]

How do I use a mate, which is equivalent to "cam mate", but on an open contour ? I have a surface with several contours and I want a follower to go through these contours, but the countor is not closed. In the same subject, I see a SW example in which they use a cam and circular body which are mated tangent and when I rotate the cam it is tangent with the whole cam. But, when I created a cam and a circular object and used "tangent mate", it is tangent to just one arc of the cam and not with other arcs and eventually pierces through the cam. How do I get what I see in the example? Can I make an object tangent to several arcs ? What mistake I am doing here ? Please let me know. fyi : I do all these in 3-D.

 

[SBaugh]

Use fit spline to create a continous surface. You can select to close the fit spline or not. It will create a surface that has no breaks in it. Then you can make the cam mate to that surface and another object.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The Slot Car example at

http://www.mikejwilson.com/solidworks/solidworks_files-06.htm

illustrates what Scott is suggesting.

 

[Sripri]

Thank you both. I will try this and get back. Is there a way to convert an already available surface with "fit Spline". I am trying to use an already made 3-D part with multiple contours to work as a cam surface.

 

[Sripri]

Scott, Corblimeylimey,
Yes, it works, thanks. Examples were excellent. Thanks.
But, I have not understood how to keep the fit split open for cam mate. It wants to close to be able to use in cam mate (As I see so far). Also, when I make straight lines into splies, I loose the option of using parallel mate, for example, for the cam with other parts in the assembly. Any work around ? Thanks.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Yes, you should be able to use the edges of an existing part to create the Fit Spline.

You should see a Closed spline option in the Fit Spline manager. De-select it create an open Fit Spline.

Whatever geometry or feature you used to create the Fit Spline from, should still be available for use with other features or sketches.