Confusion with Managing Hole Pattern Ownership Between Components and Assemblies

[simspacetn]

Before getting into my specific problem, I want to confirm that my understanding of components versus assemblies is sound.

In my mental model, all geometry lives in components, and feature ownership also lives in components. Any feature that removes material is owned by the component that defines that material. The component that defines geometry is also responsible for defining the feature logic, including patterns. This applies especially to holes—both threaded and clearance. Components own holes, threads, and all manufacturing features. Put simply, if a feature removes material, it must exist in a component and not in the assembly.

Assemblies exist only to provide context. They handle positioning, alignment, and relationships between components, but they never own geometry and never perform material removal. As a result, assemblies cannot create holes, threads, chamfers, fillets, or any other cutting features.

With that understanding, here’s the situation I’m trying to solve in Autodesk Fusion.

I have a bushing component design that includes six clearance mounting holes around a flange. Separately, I have a panel design that contains a bore for a light press-fit of that bushing. The panel needs threaded holes for the bolts that secure the bushing, and those threaded holes must correspond exactly to the mounting hole pattern on the bushing flange.

I have a panel assembly containing a derived panel component, a derived bushing component, and several additional derived components, all parameter-driven and interrelated.

Conceptually, the bushing is the source of truth for the mounting hole pattern, while the panel is the source of truth for the bushing bore location. At some point, I will need to fine-tune the bore location in the panel component in both X and Y. When that happens, both the bushing component and the bushing mounting holes in the panel assembly must move with the bore.

The hole pattern is defined in the bushing component, and the bushing itself is brought into the panel assembly as a derived component. What I’m trying to determine is the correct way to define the threaded mounting holes in the panel so that they always stay aligned with the bushing’s flange pattern.

Do I need to define the hole pattern twice? In other words, do I need to expose parameters in the bushing component that define the hole pattern and then duplicate or reference those parameters in the panel component?

I understand that I can use a construction axis in the panel and join the bushing’s axis to the panel’s bore axis in the assembly. That part works as expected—if I move the bore in the panel component, the bushing follows because it is joined to that axis. What I can’t cleanly solve is how to make the threaded mounting holes in the panel follow along with that same movement while still respecting proper feature ownership.

I’m structuring this as an assembly with derived components because there are additional components involved. For example, there is also a Hirth-style coupling with countersunk clearance holes that will be derived into the same panel assembly. That coupling will also require a corresponding threaded hole pattern in the panel, and those holes must likewise follow the same bore location.

Given all of this, what is the correct, idiomatic way to handle this in Fusion without breaking feature ownership or duplicating fragile logic?

[TrippyLighting]

Please share you model.

It just makes it much easier to answer these questions.

[simspacetn]

Here  are the 3 models used in the final assembly.

[simspacetn]

Here is the assembly

[TrippyLighting]

My Fusion installations are up-to-date, yet I cannot open your design. I assume you are working with the insider version.

What is the reason you use derived instead of linked components?

Is the bushing a purchased component, so is it a static component with a static hole pattern, or is the hole pattern variable, perhaps driven by user-defined parameters?

[simspacetn]

Shoot, you're right, I am using the insider version.

I designed all the components, and all the sketches and features are driven by user-defined parameters.

The bushing hole pattern should be static, but it's driven by params in case I need to move the holes due of potential interference with a bolt pattern on the other side of the panel.

I attached a quick video showing the different components and how they go together. Not sure if that'll help, but maybe it will. Let me know if you need any other information.

For now I went ahead and duplicated the bushing and enclosure parametric hole patterns in the panel component so that I can move forward. Hopefully I won't need to change things. If I do, it's copying parameter values from one component to another since everything is located from the panel's bore center point, and the components and the related hole patterns are joined on the construction axes so they can all move together.

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

First, you should only use derived components for this, unless you want to modify the geometry of the components with features in the assembly file. Based on your description, I don;t think that is what you intend to do, so a better workflow is to use linked components.

One way to address this is working with assembly contexts. I don't know if that is possible with the free version of Fusion as it requires edit-in-pace functionality.

The workflow is as follows.

1. Create the assembly file, insert the PANEL into it and ground-to-parent it.

2. Insert the BUSING into the assembly using joint.

3. Edit-in-place the PANEL.  Make sure "Associative" is enabled. This can be set as a default in the preferences. I usually have it turned off by default and only enable it when needed.

4. Create a sketch and project the necessary edges from the BUSHING into the sketch.

5. Create the center hole with an extrusion and the threaded holes with the hole tool, referencing the points in the sketch.

6. Finish edit-in-place. Save! Done.

If you know move the BUSHING to a different assembly location on the PANEL the assembly will go out-of-date and you need to press the usual yellow notification  :

Clicking on it, will update the PANEL to reflect the new position of the  BUSHING.

This workflow will respond to location changes of the BUSHING in the assembly and to dimensional changes in the hole pattern in the BUSHING.

If you change the number of holes in the busing pattern, you'll need to update the assembly context manually and add the new hole projection to the sketch manually and also update the hole feature in the PANNEL by selecting the new location point for the added hole.

[simspacetn]

@TrippyLighting I appreciate your responses! 

Thankfully I have a paid license. I will give this a try tonight.

Thanks again!