How do you create and manage assemblies and subassemblies in SolidWorks?

1 What are assemblies and subassemblies?

An assembly is a collection of parts that are connected by mates, which define their relative positions and orientations. An assembly can also contain other assemblies, which are called subassemblies. Subassemblies are useful for grouping parts that belong to a common function or module, such as a gear box or a piston. You can create assemblies and subassemblies from scratch, or from existing parts or drawings.

2 How to create an assembly?

To create an assembly, you need to open a new assembly document in SolidWorks, and then insert the parts or subassemblies that you want to include. You can insert them from the Design Library, the File Explorer, or the Open dialog box. You can also drag and drop them from other open documents. Once you insert the components, you need to mate them to define their relationships. You can use standard mates, such as coincident, parallel, or tangent, or advanced mates, such as symmetric, width, or limit. You can also use smart mates, which are automatically applied when you drag a component onto another one.

3 How to create a subassembly?

To create a subassembly, you have two options. One is to start a new assembly document and insert the parts or subassemblies that you want to group. The other is to select the components that you want to make a subassembly from an existing assembly, and then right-click and choose Form New Subassembly Here. This will create a new subassembly document and move the selected components to it. You can then edit the subassembly as a separate entity, or open it in the context of the parent assembly.

4 How to manage assemblies and subassemblies?

Managing assemblies and subassemblies can be difficult, particularly if they have many components or complex mates. To simplify your work, SolidWorks provides a range of tools and features, such as the FeatureManager Design Tree which lets you rename, reorder, hide, show, suppress or unsuppress components and mates. The Configuration Manager allows you to create and manage different versions of your assembly or subassembly with different component states, dimensions, or properties. Assembly Visualization enables you to analyze and compare your assembly or subassembly based on criteria such as mass, volume, material or custom properties. Finally, the AssemblyXpert helps you optimize your assembly or subassembly performance by identifying and resolving issues like circular references, overdefined mates or missing files.

5 How to use assemblies and subassemblies?

Assemblies and subassemblies can be used to organize components, as well as to improve design capabilities and outcomes. With them, you can test and verify your design's functionality and motion with Move Component, Collision Detection, or Dynamic Clearance tools. Additionally, you can create exploded views and animations of your assembly or subassembly to show how it is assembled or disassembled. Generating bills of materials (BOMs) and cut lists of your assembly or subassembly can document its components and quantities, while creating drawings and annotations of your assembly or subassembly can communicate design specifications and dimensions. Finally, you can export your assembly or subassembly to other formats or applications such as STL, STEP, or eDrawings.