I would like to automate an assembly process using a sketch and providing iMates at different points on sketch
Hello Everyone,
In one of my project, I have a sketch profile whose full perimeter is around 31000mm, I have to arrange the track-plates using this guid profile as skeleton with the pitch of 550mm following the sketch. I have started this process by first creating the work-points and work-axes but through my code I am not able to place those axes at the pitch of 550mm. I will be thankful for the feedback!
Accepted answer
Using iMates and planes as you describe would probably involve way too much work. The key to something like this is to create a part with a feature, such as a hole, patterned along a path but make sure the feature is oriented in the direction of the path. Then use that part in an assembly as a base to pattern the track plates.
In my attached example I use your sketch as a path for a simple sweep. I then place a single hole through that sweep and pattern that hole, 56 instances, 550mm spacing, along the same path in the direction of the path. Although it isn’t apparent, the hole is oriented (rotated) along the direction of the path as it is instanced. You could use a square hole to help visualize the process but it doesn’t change the results. It is important to place the hole centered at the start point of path.
I created a separate simple track plate part for this example.
I then placed the swept path part and one track plate in an assembly. I assembled the track plate to the swept path on the single original hole using standard assembly constraints. I then patterned the track plate using the "feature pattern select" dialog and then selected one of the patterned holes. It will automatically place and orient an instance of the track plate on each of the patterned holes.
Note the distance between the first and last track plate in my example is a little more than 550 mm but you can easily adjust your center distances in the original sketch to get that right.
I often place a gap between the end and start of the path to make sure the direction of the pattern goes in the right direction. If there isn’t a gap sometimes things don’t seem to work correctly. I also place the beginning of the path in a place that I can easily adjust so that I can adjust the location of the first pattern instance. I override the color of the original hole to make it easier to find in the assembly. If you constrain the part to the wrong hole, the resulting pattern will definitely not be correct.
The quantity, position, and orientation of the track plates in the assembly is completely linked to the path part. Any and all changes to the original sketch and the patterned hole associated with the original sketch will automatically update the patterned track plate in the assembly. Change the path, spacing, quantity, etc. and the assembly will update accordingly. You have already completed the hard part. The rest of the process that I have described is actually very simple and automatic.
