Basic%20Assembly%20Constraints%20

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Forging new generations of engineers
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Basic Assembly Constraints Concepts
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Assembly constraints are parameters that define
the geometric relationships between components in
a CAD assembly. These constraints include
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A component floating in space has six degrees of
freedom

• 3 rotations around the X, Y, and Z axes.
• 3 translations along the X, Y, and Z axes.

Degrees of freedom are systematically removed in
an assembly until only the desired components are
allowed to move.
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Mate Constraint

• Constrains two faces, edges, points, or axis
  together.
• The red arrows represent normal vectors and point
  towards each other.

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Flush Constraint

• Constrains two faces or work features together.
• Normal vectors will point in the same direction.

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Angle Constraint

• Constrains two faces or edges at an angle to one
  another.
• Normal vectors parallel to each other equal 0
  angle.

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Insert Constraint

• Constrains a cylinder flush into a hole.

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Tangent Constraint

• Constrains a curved surface to a plane or another
  curved surface.

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Base Component

• The first component placed in an assembly should
  be a fundamental part or sub-assembly, such as a
  frame or base plate, on which the rest of the
  assembly is built.
• The first component in an assembly file sets the
  orientation of all subsequent parts and
  subassemblies.

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Grounded Component

• When the first component is placed in the
  assembly, its origin is coincident and aligned
  with the assembly coordinate origin.
• All degrees of freedom are removed from the first
  component.
• The base component will be grounded and should be
  left that way.

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Patterning Component

• This function duplicates one or more components
  and arranges the resulting occurrences in a
  circular or rectangular pattern.

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Replace Component

• In the design process, one often needs to replace
  one or more components in an assembly.
• The new component is placed in the same location
  as the original component, but assembly
  constraints may be deleted in the process.

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Editing Components

• When you double click on a component, you will
  exit the assembly environment and enter the part
  environment. The other components in the assembly
  will become translucent.
• When you are finished editing the part, you will
  exit the part environment and return to the
  assembly environment.

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Subassemblies

• A group of components that are constrained to act
  as one component in a larger assembly.