CATIA V5

ASSEMBLY MODELLING

Assembly is the Process of creating designs with two or more components assembled
together at their respective work positions. Here by using suitable parametric assembly
constraints components are assembled in the assembly work bench.

Assembly Constraints allow you to restrict the degrees of freedom of the components at
their respective work positions.

Types of Assembly Design Approaches

Bottom up Assembly
In this process components are created in the Part Design Workbench, and inserted in
the Assembly design work bench (Product)by applying the required parametric
constraints.

This approach is preferred for large assemblies especially those having an intricate
individual components.

Top down Assembly

In this process components are created inside the Assembly workbench, therefore there
is no need of part files for the components.

Here you have to start the product file first and thereafter all the components will be
created one by one.

Note even components are created inside the product file; they are saved as part file,
which can be opened separately.

This design approach is highly preferred while working on a conceptual design or a tool
design where a reference of previously created part is required to develop a new part.
 BOTTOM UP ASSEMBLY
Procedure

Insert the First component (Base component) and fix in the 3D space.
Insert the other components and positioned with reference to the first
component.

Inserting Components in a Product File

EXISTING COMPONENT WITH POSITIONING

EXISTING COMPONENT

To insert existing component in the product file, choose the Existing

component from the Product Structure Tools toolbar, you will be prompted to
select a component in to which the existing component needs to be inserted.
Select Product1 from the Specification tree, the file section Dialog box will be
displayed, Browse the part file need to be inserted.

STEP 1
Select the EXISTING PRODUCT tool from
Product Structure Tools
 STEP 2
Select the PRODUCT1 from Specification
Tree, afterselecting, a Dialog box will
appear.

STEP 3
Browsethe Required Part
File

For first part position the component in the fix Constraint and The above
procedure to be repeated for the next component and so on and with
respective constraints.

When you insert a component with same part number then part number
conflicts dialog box window will be displayed as shown in below fig.
 This dialog box will be displayed when
clash between the part numbers of the previously inserted and currently
inserted component. You can change the part numbers by using options
available in the dialog box. When u select automatic rename option, PART1
file number is renamed as PART1.1

When u select automatic rename option,

PART1 file number is renamed as PART1.1

By Using rename option you can rename

as requirement

Moving Individual Components

The manipulation tool is used to move or rotate the component freely by

dragging the cursor. Select Manipulation tool from MOVE Toolbar.

Moving the components by Using Snap Tool

Choose the snap tool from the MOVE toolbar , you will be promoted to select
the first geometric element on a component , which can be an axis system,
point,line or plane.select a suitable geometrical element that will be
projected on the next selection. On selecting the second element to be
snapped, the first selection will be snapped to the second selection and a
green arrow will be displayed at the snapping location to reverse the
snapping direction.

First Selection
Second Selection

In some cases, the arrows

Position of the are not displayed when you
components after
snap the two elements,
Snapping
such as snapping a point to
a point, Point to a surface,
point to a cylindrical surface
or a planer surface.

Moving Components By Using Smart Move Tool

Smart move tool is a multipurpose tool , this tool has the capabilities of
snapping and manipulating components and applying constraints to them, if
required.
Different Types of Constraints

After placing the components in the product file, you need to assemble them.
By assembling the components, you will constrain their degrees of freedom.

Fix Component Constraint

Coincidence Constraint

Contact Constraint

Offset Constraint

Angle Constraint

Fix together Constraint

Quick Constraint

Reuse Pattern