SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part IV: Creating and Using Libraries

FIGURE 19.7

An electrical connector part

There is nothing special about this part. I modeled it in SolidWorks using standard features, and

there are no configurations or special features. It could have been downloaded from 3D Content

Central. It represents an electrical connector that may be mounted in a sheet metal electrical

enclosure.

The first step in setting it up is to create a mock assembly with a dummy part representing the

sheet metal box. The part does not need to be complex or even sheet metal for that matter; it just

needs to be close to the thickness that you would expect the Smart Component to be mounted to.

The assembly is called a training assembly, not because you are learning how to make a Smart

Component, but because you are training the Smart Component to be smart.

1. Make a simple rectangular part, approximately 4 inches square and about .06
   inches thick. Save the part to your hard drive. Give a name to the part so that it is clear
   that it belongs to this training assembly.


2. Place the rectangular dummy part into a new assembly, with a name that is both
   unique and identifiable.


3. Put the connector into the assembly. Mate the part so that the flange is flush with the
   rectangular piece. Also use distance mates to locate the connector planes from the edges
   of the part, similar to Figure 19.8 in the image to the left.


4. Edit the dummy part in context (right-click the dummy part in the assembly and
   select Edit Part), and offset edges of the connector part to extrude a cut, as shown
   in the image to the right in Figure 19.8. Offset the two mounting holes and the area
   around where the connector will stick through the sheet metal by about .02 inches.