Constraining a slot to a hole in a horizontal fashion.

[B_Bevelander]

Im working on some metal frames and I'm trying to constrain the seperate parts via the holes and surfaces they have.

But I stumbled upon a problem: I'm trying to mate a hole to a slot but the offset the mate gives me is vertical and not horizontal. My question is as thus: Is there a way to mate these two in a horizontal fashion and not vertical? Or do i constrain the parts using fasteners as the constraining body?

I've added a screenshot as I can't upload the project itself.

[-niels- · Accepted solution]

Use 2 constraints.
1 like you have now, which does not give a vertical position but actually a 360 degree offset around the axis.
Then add another mate with the correct offset from the flat mid section of your slot.
Be warned that this can solve to either side.

You could also try using a tangent constraint or perhaps a transitional.

**note**

I usually constrain to a single side of a slot, since either the Min or Max position is often relevant for further assembly.

[B_Bevelander]

@-niels-

Tangent Constraints and Transitional Constraint aren't applicable here, since both 'faces' face the same direction, while those constraint require oposing faces.

The Mate constraint with selecting one face and the other center and then apply an offset seems to be the best solution i can find as of now, though this doesn't allow me to constrain the center of the hole to stay inside of the slot as I previously wanted.

I'll see what i can do later down the road, thanks for the help.

[MikeKovacik4928]

Bart

when it comes to slots, I always create planes at the beginning, middle and end of the slot

and a plane in the centre of the hole and constrain these planes together.

I can thus constrain the 2 plate together without the fastener, and then constrain the fastener

afterwards to the plate with the hole.

That also  allows you to play around with positional representatios for movement of the fastener within the slot

See attached

Michael Kovacik
2d & 3d Autocad and Inventor designer/draughtsman
.
Draughting/Designing (Manufacturing) (31 yrs)
-Drawing Board (3 yrs)
--Cad (28 yrs)
---Cadkey (4 yrs)
---AutoCAD 2d & 3d (16 yrs)
---Inventor (4 yrs)
---Autocad and Inventor Simultaneously (4 years)
---(and recently Autocad/Inventor Customisation)
.
Higher Diploma Mech Eng
Member SAIMechE
Technician Member ECSA
Collaborator (Rank 9) on Autocad & Inventor Forum
Certified Autocad 2013 & Inventor 2013 Professional
Authorised Autodesk Trainer
.
Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2018
Autocad 2018, Inventor Pro 2018
(personal licensed copy)
.
Johannesburg, South Africa
.
(Impossible only means you haven't
found the solution yet)

[B_Bevelander]

@MikeKovacik4928

That does seem like an interesting approach, but doesnt give the freedom of movement as i would like.

Furthermore this seem to be an awefull lot of work to do for just 1 slot, I got about 8-10 different slots im using and to do this to each and every slot just seems excessive.