SolidWorks 2010 Bible

CHAPTER

Getting More from

Mates

IN THIS CHAPTER

Learning efficient mating

strategies

Performing degrees-of-

freedom analysis

Using Advanced and

Mechanical mate types

Editing and troubleshooting

assembly mates

Choosing mate options

Examining mate best practices

Mating for success tutorial

I

n SolidWorks assemblies, mates are the basic units that either make
everything work together and function properly, or fill the tree with
errors and warning symbols. When properly handled, mates enable your
assembly to react predictably to changes in parts exactly the same way that
sketch relations drive changes in part features. As a result, mates and sketch
relations often have the same function and even the same weaknesses to
watch out for.

This chapter goes one step further with mates, by not just simply putting
parts together with Coincident and Concentric mates, but also mating parts
when tolerances, gaps, and symmetry become issues. You will also learn
about the more advanced mate types that may be useful for special situations.

One of the assumptions that I make in this chapter is that assembly mates
are not just used for positioning parts, but also for motion. Making motion
work takes a little more than just establishing the right spatial relationship
between parts; it usually also involves analyzing the open degrees of freedom.

From time to time, I have met users who take a static approach to putting
parts together into assemblies, by simply placing parts at the correct X- and
Y- coordinates without assigning any relationships to the parts around them.
This defeats most of the purpose of creating parametric, associative assemblies
in the first place. Assembly mates are an extremely powerful tool for enabling
your assemblies to react predictably to change.