toolbox screw question

[aroundhere]

Im using the toolbox and I have 30 pan head 4-40 x 1/8" long in a assembly. I want to change all of these to 4-40 x 3/16 long, so basically just the length. I cannot find a way to change all screws at the same time. I click on the screw and select "edit toolbox component" to pull up the menu to change the length. Is this the way to do this, and can I change more than one at a time?

 

[Jboggs]

Are you familiar with the REPLACE command (on the FILE pulldown menu)? I have used it for exactly this purpose several times.
If your toolbox is set up to save all fasteners as individual part files in a folder (usually called CopiedParts) then you can use the REPLACE command to replace one fastener with another.
Navigate to that folder and determine if the fastener you need is in there. If not, then just go back and insert it somewhere using the toolbox. That process will create the part file you need in the CopiedParts folder.

You could try the "edit toolbox definition" option, but I think you would have to have ALL the fasteners to be replaced already selected before you did that. And then I'm still not sure it would work. I think all that command does is to change the information and attributes stored with that individual fastener part file in the CopiedParts folder.

 

[Updraft]

Another thing to make your life easier is to insert one screw and then use Feature Driven Component Pattern to quickly insert the others to fill the series of holes in common. When you change the Toolbox Definition of the first screw to whatever new length/size you want the patterned screws change as well. Do this for every time you have a hole series, even if it is only two holes in that series. This makes changing the screws in that series a simple task of changing only the seed occurrence.

You can only select one fastener at a time to Edit Toolbox Definition to change its size.

- - -Updraft

 

[mikestl]

If you're just changing the LENGTH of a toolbox fastener, you can highlight the fasteners, then click COMPONENT PROPERTIES. There should be a list of configurations (lenghts) to choose from. Pick the new length and you're done. I don't remember if this is necessary or would happen, but if the length you want is not there, you might need to change one fastener manually, then when you select the rest, the new length will be in the list.

Changing the TYPE of fastener (M2 -> M4, hex to SHCS, etc.) it's a pain. You have to do the replace command.

 

[Updraft]

Mike,

If the fastener is a ToolBox component and you are staying within the same style, i.e., you are changing from one metric, socket head cap screw (SHCS) to another, but you are changing the size (M4 to M6) or length the Edit ToolBox Definition (ETD) is the way to go. If, however, you are changing from a SHCS to a hex head or pan head or even from metric to inch THEN you cannot use ETD. I personally like the ease of use of finding what I want quickly with ToolBox so I will insert the replacement fastener first from ToolBox. The replace command can be used easily enough from that point.

- - -Updraft

 

[aroundhere]

So, I currently do not have the "save all fasteners as individual part files" enabled. I have been applying our part numbers to screws as we use them. Should I have it to where it saves individual files, and where does it save them? We have just recently installed the the toolbox on the server and are going to really try to apply part numbers as we go to ultimately have a PN for every screw that we use on a regular basis. Thanks for the recommendations above guys. I will try to get there using some of these.

 

[Updraft]

ToolBox is wonderful, ESPECIALLY when you customize it. Read up on the TB Help, it does a pretty good job.

We have mostly metric, but a few inch fasteners. We followed the instructions to make a copy of the ANSI metric and inch standards for our company (Company, and Company-inch respectively). We then went into these company standards and DEselected the sizes, lengths, head types, etc. that we did not use. Here was the beautiful part; we then exported this list to a spreadsheet then added our part numbers and descriptions from an existing spreadsheet generated from our ERP system. Then we imported this spreadsheet back into TB and shazam!! we have now loaded TB with a selection of ONLY our existing fasteners AND they carry our part numbers and ERP descriptions! VERY NICE AND EASY. Now when we insert a fastener we are only selecting from the company standard, which is much smaller than the whole of the industry standard. This is much faster since we have a smaller pile to choose from, but the real benefits are that we don't have to match up the generic fastener with the one in our ERP, plus the engineers are not tempted to use something we don't carry. When we do need to add a new size/length that is very easy to do a well.

It really does not matter whether you select to have each fastener of a specific type be generated as a separate file or as a configuration. There are pros/cons to either method, but they both work as they should.

I wish I had set up TB like this at the previous companies I worked for. The benefits have been dramatic.

- - -Updraft

 

[mikestl]

Updraft - I re-read your first post before mine. I definately lack in taking advantage of using patterns to place fasteners. I'm slowly getting better at that.