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How to Configure this Assembly for Flexible Library Referencing?

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Message 1 of 3
tdswanson
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How to Configure this Assembly for Flexible Library Referencing?

Hey everyone:

 

I'm going through some customer equipment models and setting them up in my library for referencing.  For example, I'll setup a machine that belongs to a customer, then reference it through a library when I design new tooling and/or components to work with existing equipment.

 

One such machine is a simple positioner.  It's got a linear slide for "X" movement that's got an arm on a mounting plate.  The slide has some amount of travel, say 500mm or so.  And the mounting plate has 5 sets of mounting holes.  So the arm can have four bolts removed and be mounted in any (1) of (5) different locations.  This is in addition to the slide's travel.

 

When I design future assemblies and components for this, I'd like to be able to insert the assembly from a library into my "new" assembly in a flexible configuration where I can set it up using any combination of mounting holes AND slide travel.

 

So I can setup (5) different positional reps for the mounting hole configs.  That's easy.  With respect to the slide, I can create a constraint that allows the arm to extend and retract, but how can I get the library assembly to "rest" in multiple locations?  For example, I may work on Design A that needs the extension at 241mm and Design B at 316mm.

 

Would I need to setup a different Pos Rep in the library assembly for the requirements of every new design?

 

I hope this all makes sense.  Unfortunately, the design is proprietary to the customer, so I really can't post anything about it.

 

Thanks!

2 REPLIES 2
Message 2 of 3
SBix26
in reply to: tdswanson

Wasn't sure on this one, so I had to try it myself-- yes, you can do this.  Make your slide with constraint limits, so it can move, and create your five positional representations for the mounting of the arm.  When you place it into a higher level assembly, make it flexible, so it can move in that assembly, and choose which positional rep you want.  If you want my simple example, just ask.

Sam B
Inventor 2012 Certified Professional

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Message 3 of 3
tdswanson
in reply to: SBix26

Thanks for looking into this.  As I've thought through your response, it seems like the right thing to do.

 

Originally, I was thinking along the lines of how you've set this up, but I had set out to try to achieve the next step, which now I'm not sure is really necessary.  I was hoping to be able to set it up just how you laid out, but also be able to REST at a given stroke.  For example, use a Pos Rep to put the arm on the 4th set of holes, and stop the slide travel at 200mm out of the 500mm of travel. 

 

However, now that I really think about it, I don't think I need this "resting" capability.  As long as I know that the stroke range crosses over the required location for processing, I can design both the fixed and flexible portions of the tooling and that's good enough.  I don't think I really NEED to be able to bring the arm to rest in its processing position, and if I do, I'll have to do it by setting the resting point in the slide constraint at the library level.

 

Thanks again for your help!

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