Work flow suggestion

[Anonymous]

I have a question on what kind of work flow I can use to make an assembly adaptive as possible

I need to make a machine fixture that requires cut outs for three parts. The fixture is made from a 8" x 5" x 0.19" thk piece of UHMW. I've made the "blank" and it features the work planes I need to place the three parts that the cut outs are derived from.

At first I just started the assembly and placed the parts where they should be and then used sketched outlines to define the cuts. However, since the parts are there they get "cut" as well.

I was wondering if I could make adaptive sketches linked to these parts and then import THEM into the correct plane. I could then use them to define the cuts.

Am I thinking along the correct lines?

[Anonymous]

We use a similar process designing our fixtures.  I would stay away from using assembly features, you can keep the features in the blank it is better, assembly features have limitations.  If you do use assembly features you can right click on the parts in the browser and check remove participant, then they won't get cut.

[SBix26]

Place the parts on your blank in the assembly as you suggested.  But then edit the blank in the assembly context, and use the Copy Object tool to copy in the surfaces that you need for defining your cutout.  Make your cutouts in the blank, not in the assembly, but do it while editing the blank within the assembly so you have the other parts available for reference.

On the other hand, it is possible to do what you described also-- you can remove components from an assembly feature so it would cut only the blank and not the other parts.