Taking the Stress out of Engineering Your Vision!

machine design product development added resource and expertise

SolidWorks Large Assembly Techniques

Using SolidWorks to Design Buses for Designline

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

About Me – Karl Celeste

• Design Engineer for Motovated 1.5 years

• Worked on Designline projects both off-site and in-house

• SolidWorks advocate

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Designline

• Rolleston Company• International Office in

Charlotte NC• Moved to 3D CAD

~2006• Sell their buses

worldwide

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Motovated Design & Analysis

• Christchurch based• Advanced Mechanical

Engineering and Analysis via CAD

• Helped Designline in transition to 3D CAD

• Continued on to US Hybrid Design/Modeling

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Challenges with Large Assemblies

• Load time• File size • Even larger drw

(x 10 not uncommon)• Write Access• Position Accuracy• Safeguarding modification• Robust mates, stability etc. over time

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Client Needs

• Flexibility• Common & differential parts• SW2007 Multi-user environment without PDM• Clear & easy to understand model structure• Drawings mainly for BOM & general location

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly ManagementBase Part (skeleton)• Contains base level geometry

– Good control & access– Quick visual check– Reference the same critical

geometry• Mate planes e.g. axle CL, step heights

– Driven by base sketches– Snap into place– Mates independent of model

geometry– Simplifies mates– Easier to find if it does fall over

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

• Base Part

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

• Base Part

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

Folder Structure• Flat as possible

– Reduce mates– Reduce depth

• Model naming convention– Assembly or part– What area of the bus– Only an indication of which

assemblies its used in– Common or differential part– E.g. 129004 rear chassis

assembly, 128042 seat riser assembly, 129488 part

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

• Actual Build

Full Bus

Interior

Full Frame & Chassis

Roof

Body Stage 1

Side Frames

Chassis

Floor

A lot More!!!

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

• CAD Model

Full Bus

Chassis

Side Frames

Roof

Interior

Floor

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

General• Don’t model in context!• Fully constrain sketches• 1 drawing per model• Display ‘shaded’ not ‘shaded

with edges’ • Use supplier models or model

over them

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

General• Remove all unnecessary info• Macros to speed up tedious

processes e.g. re-use drawing, custom properties, pdf/dxf

• Could use Speed Pak if using SW2009+

• Avoid complexity

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

General• Options

– Large Assembly mode

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Large Assembly Management

General• Options

– Large Assembly mode– External References

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Full Bus Model

Canterbury SolidWorks User GroupCANSWUG

Questions?