What is the best way to create complex assemblies in SolidWorks?

As we begin to work with increasingly large & complex assemblies, it’s essential to completely understand assembly structure, subassemblies, & assembly configurations. Using subassemblies, we’ll gain more control over the Feature Manager Design Tree, making it possible for multi users to collaborate on a single design, & control how the Bill of Materials appears in our drawings Assembly features let us modify components, typically by removing material, after they have been assembled. It’s easy to use a single feature to modify multiple components at once, such as adding a hole through multi components using the hole wizard or a hole series. Assembly features give us the ability to accurately represent how components will be manufactured.

By starting start with a skeleton or sketch of parts to define the basic structure and relationships between components. This helps in managing the assembly's overall dimensions and constraints.

I use the bottom up approach as I would like to design each part individually and ensure that it is manufacturable and does the function I want it to perform. Functions like Interference detection in SolidWorks helps ensure that parts do not interference with one another in the overall assembly. The only care to be taken is to ensure that fasteners are also added and to check if they interfere in any area.

#Breakdown Components #Establish Design Intent #Utilize Standard Parts #Create Reference Geometry #Use Mate References #Organize Feature Tree #Utilize Sub-Assemblies #Use Configurations #Employ Top-Down Design #Check Interference and Clearance #Document Assembly Instructions #Collaborate with Others

Choose between a top-down or bottom-up approach based on the complexity and requirements of your project. Top-down allows you to design parts within the context of the assembly, ensuring a perfect fit, while bottom-up is great for simpler assemblies where components are designed independently and then brought together.

Organize complex assemblies into subassemblies and folders. This method simplifies the management of parts, making the assembly process more manageable. It also improves performance by allowing you to work on a small section of the assembly without loading the entire model.

Mettre les sous assemblages dans un dossier permet de mieux structurer son montage final. Ensuite lors du montage il suffira simplement de lier ensemble d’abord les sous assemblages ensemble faire un montage final.

The way I model an assembly is the way one would assemble the parts in real life. I would start with the making smaller sub assemblies and then putting them all together to create the final assembly. Lego instructions works a lot like this and 3d modelling in SolidWorks using Lego as a reference has worked well for me.

The approach of using subassemblies and folders in SolidWorks is an efficient practice for simplifying and organizing complex assemblies. By grouping related parts into subassemblies, there's a reduction in mates, enhancing overall performance and easing the editing process. Additionally, utilizing folders in the feature manager tree provides an effective way to categorize and manage elements, promoting a more organized and productive experience during project development.

One way to simplify and organize your complex assemblies in SolidWorks is to use subassemblies and folders. Subassemblies are smaller assemblies that contain a group of related parts or components. You create subassemblies within the main assembly or separate files and then insert them into the main assembly. Subassemblies help you reduce the number of mates, improve the performance, and facilitate the editing and testing of your assembly. Folders are another way to group and manage your parts, subassemblies, mates, features, and configurations in the feature manager tree. You can create folders by dragging and dropping items into them, or by selecting them and clicking on the folder icon. Folders can help you sort and filter your items.

Implement smart mates and mate references to speed up the assembly process. Smart mates can be applied by dragging components close to their intended location, and SolidWorks will automatically suggest the most logical mate. Mate references preset mating properties to commonly used features, streamlining the mating process for repetitive tasks.

When there are multiple variants for a product, using configurations can help greatly reduce the number of files one has to create by having 1 assembly with multiple configurations for each of the parts. It's as easy as right clicking on the part and choosing the configuration you want to visualise and all the mates are transferred and the assembly can be visualised. In the past, we would have to replace the component and recreate mates, but with configurations, the entire process is a lot faater, more accurate and takes up a lot less memory.

Configurations are a great way to quickly evaluate multiple geometry configurations of a part in an assembly, an entire assembly, and eliminate redundant part files. I often use configurations when I have several ideas for a new design. I will use configurations so I can quickly toggle between them and compare their strengths and weaknesses. They're also great for families of parts. This way you don't need to make a new part file for each variation. Furthermore, they come in handy when doing FEA analysis. It allows you to compare the effects of the outside influences on multiple part geometries so you can see which is the most durable solution.

where our assembly is more then one please check and confirm space, source of material, manpower ability and time. In multiple assemblies try to complete more then 3 to 5 assembly complete on floor and then direct assemble on site.

Utilize configurations and design tables for assemblies that have variations of parts or subassemblies. Configurations allow you to create multiple versions of a part or assembly within a single file, while design tables offer a spreadsheet-like interface for managing these configurations, making it easier to handle variations.

Exploring configurations in SolidWorks was a true game-changer for me. I remember a situation where I had to deal with different versions of parts and assemblies, and this functionality proved to be a lifesaver. The ability to create design alternatives without the clutter of multiple files significantly eased my workflow. The use of design tables, then, was a game-changer. Being able to manage parameters through a simple Excel spreadsheet streamlined things significantly. I recall how it saved me time and provided a more flexible approach to handle project nuances. Formulas and external sources allowed me to update configurations more intuitively, learning and adapting as needed.

Analizar las porciones para sub ensamblajes, para dividir en sólidos independientes, las relaciones de posición preferentemente realizarlas por los planos de referencia o por solidos que sus dimensiones no van a variar Esto para evitar doble trabajo a la hora de sufrir variaciones que pueden ocurrir en grandes proyectos

Virtual components are useful for creating and managing parts that are unique to the assembly without saving them as separate files. Envelopes provide a way to reference components that are not physically part of the assembly but are essential for context, such as a machine that your design must fit within.

Use component patterns and mirror components as much as possible. Performance has been corrected over the years so that patterns are faster than multiple mates on individual component instances.

Install Solidworks and all of your project files on an SSD. Use Display States to hide things that you're not currently working on. This will speed up performance at the assembly level.

Pay attention to the performance of your SolidWorks session when working with complex assemblies. Utilize performance-enhancing features such as "Large Assembly Mode" and "SpeedPak" to improve the responsiveness of your work environment. Additionally, regularly saving your work and creating backups can prevent data loss. Collaboration with team members can also benefit from using SolidWorks PDM (Product Data Management) to manage file versions and share components efficiently.

For complex assemblies in SolidWorks, strategically use subassemblies and folders. By breaking down the assembly, you reduce complexity, improve performance, and simplify editing. Organize using folders in the feature manager tree to categorize parts clearly. Embrace this approach and utilize configurations to create different versions, saving time and space. Design tables are helpful for managing configurations efficiently. Maintain consistent naming and documentation for smooth collaboration in the project.