Using A Build Assembly

I design press tools using Solidworks. I often build assemblies with over 100 unique parts. Most parts are designed in context

To improve the performance and make the tool easier to view I build the tool design in Sub Assmblies, Usually 4 major sub assemblies and 1 main assembly (I have designed one multi stage tool that had over 15 sub assemblies).

To maintain sizes across the 4 assemblies I use a BUILD assembly. The BUILD assembly usually contains the component I am designing my tool around and a series of planes. I insert the BUILD assembly onto the origin of each of the the sub assemblies. All parts are then built on the planes of the BUILD assembly and extruded up to other planes in the BUILD assembly.

By designing the tool around a BUILD assembly any changes to the BUILD assembly planes will change all the sub assemblies.

Also by placing the build on the origin of the sub assembly it becomes a lot easier to assemble the whole tool all you have to do is place each sub assmbly onto the origin of the main assembly.

It also provides an easier method for viewing one section of the tool. To view only the bottom tool all I have to do is ask SW to hide the components in the Top Tool sub assembly. One action to hide a large number of parts

I also use planes as well for all my mating and in-contexting. I also build my assembly as one complete assembly. No sub-assemblies!!! I tons of problems maintaining those. Good job finding a way to control that part.

But I took it a step farther. I automated my design using VBA and a Design Table or DT. My latest DT goes all the way out to the "IN" colmun and I'm not done yet. I found building the entire assembly as a single assembly makes automating this very easy.

I'm currently writing an article for Solid Solutions Magazine on how I accomplished this and how I made the VBA programming work so well. I didn't think about writing an article till Solidworks tech support and my VAR asked me too.

I Automate Large Finishing Equipment such as Cure ovens, Washer Tanks, Spray booths and many other things we make here.

Cheers, Scott Baugh, CSWP
George Koch Sons,LLC
Evansville, IN 47714
sjb@kochllc.com

I'm not understanding this. Are you saying that you don't use any of your part Faces to use while constructing your Assemblies? If you only use Planes, do you only use the 3 Default Planes, or are you creating a bunch of extra Planes? What about fasteners and hardware?

My company designs wheelchair lifts for trains, vans, buses, etc. We have a split "school of thought" when it comes to making our Assys. Some feel that the Assys should be comprised of Sub-Assys as they are handled on the production floor, while others feel we should have 1 giant Assy. I'm interested in hearing more thoughts about this. "Happy the Hare at morning for she is ignorant to the Hunter's waking thoughts."

I do create extra planes in my Build assembly, approximatly 10 planes which are typically offset planes from a major plane.

I do create some parts on faces of other parts, but do use the Build assembly to tie up parts across different sub assemblies.

To give you a bigger picture the build for a full tool is

Full Tool
|
-------------------------------
| |
Bottom Tool Top Tool
| |
------------ --------------
| | | |
Bottom Sub 1 Bottom Sub 2 Top Sub 1 Top Sub 2
| | | |
Build Build Build Build


In each of the assemblies you can insert an in context feature between two sub-assemblies.

All that you need to do to update the whole assembly is open the top assembly.

I hope this gives you a better picture.

The use of sub assembly can be very powerfull - give it a try


Kevin Batty
Kevin@ketd.co.uk

MadMango & Kevin,

I don't use sub-assembly I had a hard time tying them together when I would in-context them. So I build one large assembly. This way each part isn't refernced back to another sub-assembly. It all stays between each part and the single assembly that they referenced to. It has less points of reference this away.

When I went to the SW Conference this past Feb.. I was in a seminar that Stan Sweet presented. His presentation was the best for me. He showed how he built his assemblies. In those assemblies, and before each part was put in, he would offset all the possible planes that he or any of his peers could think of that they might need. Then as the parts were built whether it be sub-assemblies or just parts. He used those planes to mate with.

If you use faces to mate with you will find sometimes that it was a bad idea. If you have to make revisions later and things change it may affect that face and that will cause errors in both the asseembly and what is in-contexted. If you were to use a plane instead, no matter what you change it won't affect the way it is assembled. Remember though when offseting planes "Always" use the 3 reference planes to offset with. If you use a face to offset a plane, you will run into the same problem as I first mentioned.

I offset as many planes as I need to, to make the parts & the assembly work for me. After I have the assembly made and mated the way I want it. Then I proceed to in-context those features. Then comes the fun part adding a DT (Design Table) and Automate the assembly. But since I use planes to mate and in-context with. It is easier to move the assembly by changing the offset distance in the DT of the Planes. You can't do that with faces or in-contexted faces.

I hope that gives you two a better understanding of what I do. But everybody designs differently than everybody else.

Hope that helps, Scott Baugh, CSWP
George Koch Sons,LLC
Evansville, IN 47714
sjb@kochllc.com