Editing Bolted Connections

[Cadmanto]

We have a lot of instances where we use the bolted connections.

The problem arises that the hole location in the beam needs to be adjusted or moved causing the

connections in the model tree to show a lightening bolt symbol infront of each connection.

First question is what does this symbol mean?

Second question is we have to open each connection, edit it (even if there are no changes) and close it then the bolt goes away.  I thought the rebuild all command would have cleared this out, but it didn't.  Is there a global command, setting or way to clear and reset these connections without having to do each one individually?

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi Cadmanto, 

All Design Accelerators, such as the Bolted Connection tool, have a Manual Solve (lightening bolt) and an Automatic Solve mode (red and white circle and arrows). You can toggle between Manual and Automatic by right-clicking on the design accelerator component in the browser and selecting Component and then the solve mode you want to use.You can also turn the solver off.

Automatic solve mode might impact the performance of your assemblies if used indiscriminately.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Cadmanto]

Curtis,

Thanks for responding.

In what way will it impact the assembly negatively?

Will it slow it down?

Is this setting global to resolve all of the bolted connections?  I ask because your response

almost makes it sound like it is something you have to to to each connection.

Scott

[DVDM]

Yes it is a setting you need to apply to each bolted connection.

I thought the automatic solve was a great idea at first, until I discovered that in a Vaulted workflow, you will perpetually be checking out/in bolted connections because the automatic solve dirties the bolted connection and wants to save changes that never occured.