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Lecture on Assemblies-Top Down Design

The document discusses two design methods for creating assemblies: bottom-up and top-down design. Bottom-up design involves creating individual parts first and then assembling them, while top-down design allows for parts to be designed in relation to the assembly, enabling automatic adjustments when changes occur. Top-down design is particularly beneficial for components that need to adapt to the assembly's configuration, reducing rework and enhancing design flexibility.

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SITI NURUL AKMAL BINTI YUSOF
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4 views

Lecture on Assemblies-Top Down Design

The document discusses two design methods for creating assemblies: bottom-up and top-down design. Bottom-up design involves creating individual parts first and then assembling them, while top-down design allows for parts to be designed in relation to the assembly, enabling automatic adjustments when changes occur. Top-down design is particularly beneficial for components that need to adapt to the assembly's configuration, reducing rework and enhancing design flexibility.

Uploaded by

SITI NURUL AKMAL BINTI YUSOF
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TPD 21403

ADVANCED
CAD
ASSEMBLIES
TOP-DOWN DESIGN
Design Methods
(Bottom-up and
Top-down Design)
YOU CAN CREATE ASSEMBLIES USING BOTTOM-UP DESIGN, TOP-
DOWN DESIGN, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH METHODS.
Bottom-up Design

Bottom-up design is the traditional Bottom-up design is the preferred


method. You first design and model technique for previously constructed,
parts, then insert them into an off-the-shelf parts, or standard
assembly and use mates to position components like hardware, pulleys,
the parts. To change the parts, you motors, etc. These parts do not
must edit them individually. These change their shape and size based
changes are then seen in the on your design unless you choose a
assembly. different component.
In Top-down design, parts' shapes, sizes, and locations can be designed in the
assembly. For example:

You can model a motor bracket, so it is always the correct size to hold a motor, even if
you move the motor. SOLIDWORKS automatically resizes the motor bracket. This
capability is particularly helpful for parts like brackets, fixtures, and housings, whose
Top-down purpose is largely to hold other parts in their correct positions. You can also use top-
down design on certain features (such as locating pins) of otherwise bottom-up parts.

Design The design of photocopier can be laid out in a layout sketch, whose elements
represent the pulleys, drums, belts, and other components of the photocopier.
Top-down design is also referred You create the 3D components based on this sketch. As you move or resize
elements in the sketch, SOLIDWORKS automatically moves or resizes the 3D
to as "in-context design" in the components in the assembly. The speed and flexibility of the sketch allows you
SOLIDWORKS Help. to try several versions of the design before building any 3D geometry, and to
make many types of changes in one central location.

The advantage of top-down design is that much less rework is needed when
design changes occur. The parts know how to update themselves based on the
way you created them.

You can use top-down design techniques on certain features of a part,


complete parts, or entire assemblies. In practice, designers typically use top-
down techniques to lay out their assemblies and to capture key aspects of
custom parts specific to their assemblies.
In top-down assembly design, one or more
features of a part are defined by something in
an assembly, such as a layout sketch or the
geometry of another part.

The design intent comes from the top, which is


Top-Down the assembly, and moves down to the parts.

Design Examples of design intent include feature sizes,


component placement in an assembly and
proximity to other parts.

For example, you create a locating pin on a


plastic part using the Extrude command. You
choose the Up to Surface option and select
the bottom of a circuit board, which is a
different part. This selection makes the locating
pin long enough to touch the board, even if the
board moves in a future design change. The
length of the pin is defined in the assembly, not
by a static dimension in the part.
You can use these top-down methods:

•Individual features can be designed top-down by referencing


other parts in the assembly like the example of the locating pin.In
bottom-up design, a part is built in a separate window where only
that part is visible. However, you can edit parts while working in
Methods the assembly window. This makes the other components' geometry
available to reference. Examples of geometry to reference include
copy or dimension to.

•This method is helpful for those parts that are mostly static but
have features that interface with other assembly components.
•Complete parts can be built with top-down methods by creating
components in the context of the assembly. The component that
you build is attached or mated to another existing component in
the assembly. The geometry for the component that you build is
based on the existing component.This method is useful for parts
like brackets and fixtures, which are mostly or completely
dependent on other parts to define their shape and size.

•An entire assembly can be designed from the top-down by first


building a layout sketch that defines component locations, key
dimensions, etc. Then build 3D parts by using one of the methods
above, so the 3D parts follow the sketch for their size and
location.The speed and flexibility of the sketch allows you to try
several versions of the design before building 3D geometry. Even
after you build the 3D geometry, the sketch allows you to make a
large number of changes in one central location.
Top-Down Assembly Modeling

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