COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN UNIT 4 – ASSEMBLY OF PARTS

Assembly modelling - inte

Assem interf
rfe
eren
rence
cess of positio
sitions
ns and mass properties, kinematic and dynamic analysis, and
orientation - tolerance analysis - mass property calculations - finite element analysis.
mec
echanism
hanism si
simula
mulation
tion and interf
interference
erence chec
checki
ki ng  CAD systems establish a link between an assembly and its
individual parts such that designers need only change

Assem
Assembly modelling
 An assembly modeling (assembly) is a collection of
individual parts for design modification, and the system
updates the assembly model automatically.
i ndep
ndepende
endent
nt pa
parr ts.
 In an assembly, the important is to understand the nature
and the structure of dependencies between parts.
parts . Because
it can be able to model the assembly properly.
 In order to determine, for example, whether a part can be
moved and which other parts will move with it.

 The assembly model must include

 the spatial
spatial positi
positions
ons
 hierarchical relationships among the parts,
 the assem
assembly
bly relati
relationshi
onships
ps be
betwe
tween
en parts.
 Assembly modeling raises two modeling issues Assem
Assembly Mo
Mod
deling Ap
App
proa
roacche
hess
1. Hierarchy The following three approaches used in assembly
2. Mating modeling.
 These two issues distinguish assembly modeling from part 1. Bottom-Up approach
modeling. 2. Top-Down approach
 Figure shows how an assembly model can be created using 3. Combination of both
a CAD system.
 Designers first create the individual parts. They can also 1. B otto
ottom-U
m-Upp app
apprr oach
analyze the parts separately. Once the parts design is Bottom-up approach is a logical, traditional and most
complete, designers can proceed to create the assembly common approach. The individual parts are created
and analyze it. independently inserted into the assembly and located and
 Creating the assembly from its parts requires specifying
oriented (using the mating conditions) as required by the
design. The first part inserted is known as base and it is
the spatial and mating relationships between the parts. fixed. The important features of this approach are as follows.
 Assembly analysis may include interference checking,

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COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN UNIT 4 – ASSEMBLY OF PARTS

 It allows the designer to use part drawings that already Mat

Mating
ing
exist (off the shelf)  Mating conditions are used to determine the mating
 It provides the designer with more control over individual (spatial relationships and orientations) between the
parts assembly parts.

 The mMultiple copies (instances) of parts can be inserted  For example, the axes of a shaft and a hole may have to be
into the assembly lined up, in which case a concentric mating condition
 Any changes in the original part are reflected on all is required.
instances in the assembly.  Two faces may have to be planar, in which case a planar
(coplanar) condition is used.
2. Top
op-D
-D ow
own
n ap
appr
proach
In this approach, the assembly file is created first with Mating Cond
Mating Conditio
itions
ns
an assembly layout sketch. The parts are made in the Individual parts of an assembly are usually created
assembly file or the concept drawing of parts are inserted separately using a CAD/CAM system and then merged
and finalized in the assembly file. In other words, the filial (assembled) together, using a merge or insert command, to
geometry of the parts has not been defmed before bringing form the assembly.
them into the assembly file. The important features of this E ach part
part has iits
ts ow
own n da
data
taba
base
se w wii th iits
ts ow
own
n M
MCC S.
approach are as follows. Typically, the user selects one of the parts as a base part
( host) and m
merg
erges
es tthe
he o
other
ther parts iinto
nto it.
 It lends itself well to the conceptual design phase.
Alternatively, the user can begin with a blank part as the
 The approach is ideal for large assemblies consisting of
base part (host).
(host).
thousands of parts.
The MCS of the host becomes the global coordinate
 The approach is used to deal with large designs including
multiple design teams. sy
syst
ste
em, that
hat i s, th
the
eMMCS
CS of th
the
e as
asse
sem
mbly. A part MC S
becomes a local coordinate system for this part.
Hierarchy The final correct position of each part in the assembly is
obtained by locating and orienting its MCS properly with
 Individual parts and subassemblies must be assembled in
° hierarchy (sequence) , which is captured (stored)
respect to the global coordinate system of the assembly.
the right
Figure shows an example. The XYZ is the global
in an assembly tree for each assembly or product. coordinate system of the database of the assembly model.
 The assembly tree may not be unique, as there may be Its origin is the (0, 0, 0) point.
more than one sequence to create the same assembly. The X1Y1Z1, X2Y2Z2, X3Y3Z3 and X4Y4Z4 are local
coordinate systems of four parts that make the assembly.

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COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN UNIT 4 – ASSEMBLY OF PARTS

Their origins O1, O2, O3, and O4 are located properly 1. C oinci
oinciddent mat
matii ng co
conditi
ndition
on
relative to the assembly origin 0, and their orientations The coincident mating condition is applied between two
relative to the XYZ coordinate system reflect the proper pla
plana
narr ffa
aces,
ces, o
orr be
betw
twe
een a pla
lana
narr ffa
ace and a cy
cylind
lindri
ri cal
cal
orientations of the parts in their assembly
assembly.. face
face (sha
(shaft).
ft).
 This condition is illustrated in Figure. Part1 and Part2
have the MCSs X1Y1Z1 and X2Y2Z2, respectively. The
hatched faces are the faces to be mated.

Mating cond
Mating condition
itionss spe
specify ththe
e spa
spatia
tiall rela
relatio
tionship
nshipss
among the parts.
I t can b
be
epprr ovided i nter
nteractively
actively wi
with
th ea
ease
se b
beca
ecause
use they  The planar faces of Part1 and Part2 are specified by the
use simple geometric entities such as faces and unit normal n1, n2 and by the point P1, P2 with respect to
centerlines. corresponding
corresponding MCSs.
The most common mating conditions are  The coincident condition is satisfied by forcing n1 and
1. C oincident m mat
atii ng co
condition,
ndition, n2 to be opposite each other, and the two faces touch
2. C onc
onceentri c ma
mating
ting co
cond
ndii tion, each
each othe
otherr such that P1 and P2 are coinci
coincide
dent.
nt.
3. Tangent mating condition,
4. coplanar
cop lanar ma
matiting
ng cond
condii tion 2. C onc
once
entri c mat
matii ng condi
condi tion
 The concentric mating condition holds between two
Some CAD systems may use these names, different
names, and/or additional
addi tional mating conditi
conditions.
ons. CAD users
cylindrical faces: a shaft cylindrical face and a hole
should consult with their respective systems. cal face, as shown in Figure.
cylindri cal
 The concentric mating condition is achieved by forcing the

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COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN UNIT 4 – ASSEMBLY OF PARTS

shaft and hole

hole axes to be ccollinear.
ollinear. 4. coplanar mating condition
 T he cop
coplanar
lanar ma
matiting
ng co
condi
nditition
on holds betwe
between
en two
pla
plana
narr fac
face
es when
hen th
the ey lie in th the
e sam
same pla
lane
ne.. This
condition is illustrated in Figure.

3. Tange
angent
nt mating
mating co
cond
ndii titio
on
 The tangent mating condition is applicable between two
p
pla
lana
nar/c
r/cyl
ylindrica
indricall or cy
cylind
lindri
ri cal/
cal/cy
cylindrica
lindricall fac
face
es.
 Figure shows the tangent mating between cylindrical and
planar faces.
faces.

 It is similar -to the coincident condition ex

except
cept that the
points P1 and P2 are chosen to lie on the two edges to
mate.
 The coplanar condition is the complement (opposite) of

the coindent condition and is satisfied by forcing the two

normals n1 and n2 to be in the same direction

I nfer
nfereence of Position
Posi tion and
and Or
Orii enta
ntation
tion
The inference of the position (location) and orientation
 The tangent mating condition is achieved by forcing a
of a part in an assembly from mating conditions requires
cyli
cylindri
ndri cal face tto
o be
be tangent
tangent to a p
planar
lanar ( flat)
fl at) fface
ace..
computing its 4 x 4 homogeneous transformation matrix
 The difference between the tangent and coincident
from these conditions.
mating conditions is that the former uses at least one
This matrix relates the part's local coordinate system
cylindrical face, while the latter uses two planar (flat)
faces (part MCS) to the assembly's global coordinate system
(assembly MCS).

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COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN UNIT 4 – ASSEMBLY OF PARTS

T he ttrr ansfor
ansforma
mation
tion ma
matr
trii x can be wri tten
tten as

 This matrix has 12 variables (nine rotational and three

translation elements) that must be determined from the
mating conditions.
 For an assembly of N parts, and choosing one of them as a
host, N-1 transformation matrices have to be computed.
 Therefore, the variables to solve for simultaneou
simultaneously
sly are the

12(N-1) elements of these matrices.

WCS Method
 The simplest method for specifying the location and
orientation of each part in an assembly is to provide the
4x4 homogeneous transformation matrix directly.
 This method provides us with a good understanding of the
basics. The matrix transforms the coordina
coordinates
tes of the
geometric entities of the part from its MCS to the
assembly MCS.

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