ASSEMBLY DESIGN

Learning Objectives:
• Insert components into an assembly file.
• Create bottom-up assemblies.
• Insert components into a product file.
• Move and rotate components inside an assembly.
• Add constraints to individual components.
• Create top-down assemblies.
• Edit assembly designs.
• Create the exploded state of an assemblies.
 CATIA V5

¾ ASSEMBLY MODELING
• The primary method to start a new product file is by selecting File > New from the menu
bar to open the New dialog box.
• From this dialog box, select Product, as shown in Figure A.

The Product option selected Screen display after starting a new file in the
from the New dialog box Assembly Design workbench
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• Types of Assembly Design Approach

In CATIA V5 you can create assembly models by adopting two types of approaches.
• Bottom-up Assembly
The bottom-up assembly is the most preferred approach for creating assembly models.
• Top-down Assembly
In the top-down assembly design approach, components are created inside the Assembly
Design workbench.
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¾ CREATING BOTTOM-UP ASSEMBLIES

• Inserting Components in a Product file
When you insert additional components, the Part number conflicts dialog box is
displayed, as shown in the figure.

The Part number conflicts dialog box The specification tree showing
four components
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If you choose the Rename button from the Part number conflicts dialog box, the Part
Number dialog box is displayed, as shown in the figure.

The Part Number The specification tree showing

dialog box four components with unique
part numbers
• Moving Individual Components
CATIA allows you to move and rotate the individual unconstrained components inside the
product file without affecting the position and location of the other components.
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• Moving and Rotating by Using the Manipulation Tool

To translate or rotate any component, choose the Manipulation button from the Move
toolbar; the Manipulation Parameter dialog box is displayed, as shown in the figure.

The Manipulation Parameter

dialog box
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• Moving Components by Using the Snap Tool

Geometric elements Position of components Position of components after

selected to be after snapping the snapping direction is
snapped reversed
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• Moving Components by Using the Smart Move Tool

• To invoke this tool, choose the down arrow besides the Snap button to invoke the
Snap toolbar.
• Choose the Smart Move button to invoke the Smart Move dialog box.
• Choose the More button to expand it, as shown in the figure.

The expanded Smart

Move dialog box
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Surfaces to be selected Resulting constraint applied

The partial view of the Smart

Move dialog box with viewer
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• Manipulating Components using the Compass

The orientation of the components can also be manipulated using the compass on the top
right corner of the geometry area.
• Applying Constraints
• Fix Component Constraint
• Coincidence Constraint

Central axis of the first component Central axis of the second

to be selected component to be selected
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Coincidence constraint applied Position of the components

between two components after updating
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• Contact Constraint

Planar faces to be selected Position of components, after a

constraint is applied and updated
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• Offset Constraint
• After invoking the Offset Constraint tool, you are prompted to select the first
geometric element for the Offset constraint.
• Select a planar face, circular face, plane, axis, or a point from the geometry area.
• Select a planar face of another component; the Constraint Properties dialog box
is displayed, as shown in the figure.

The Constraint Properties dialog box

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Faces to be selected Arrows in the same direction

Components after updating

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• Angle Constraint
• To invoke this tool, choose the Angle Constraint button from the constraint toolbar.
• Now, select the two planar faces from the two different components that you need to
place at some angle from each other.
• Once the selection is complete, the Constraint Properties dialog box is displayed,
as shown in the figure.

The Constraint Properties dialog box for the

Angle constraint
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Faces to be selected The orientation of the faces

after applying the Angle
constraint and updating
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• Fix Together
To invoke this tool, choose the Fix Together button from the Constraints toolbar;
the Fix Together dialog box is displayed.

The Fix Together dialog box

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• Quick Constraint
To apply constraints, choose the Quick Constraint button from the Constraints
toolbar.
• Reuse Pattern

The Pin and the Plate having The Pin assembled to one of the
patterned holes instances of the patterned hole
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• After selecting the Coincidence constraint, choose the Reuse Pattern button from the
Constraints toolbar.
• The preview of Pins assembled with all instances of hole is displayed in the geometry
area.
• The Instantiation on a pattern dialog box is displayed, as shown in the the figure.

The Instantiation on
a pattern dialog box
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The assembly after the The Specification tree after

selected component is creating the component
patterned pattern
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• Inserting Existing Components With Positioning

The Existing Component With Positioning tool is used to insert, position, and apply
constraints to a component in a single operation and is an enhanced form of the Insert
Existing Component tool.

¾ CREATING TOP-DOWN ASSEMBLIES

• Creating Base Part in Top-Down Assembly

The fully expanded specification tree

after inserting a part in the product file
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• Creating Subsequent Components in the Top-down Assembly

Two different parts created in Up to surface relation maintained even

a product file and the cylinder after moving the base downward
extruded up to surface
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• Creating Subassemblies in Top-down Assembly

• While creating complicated assemblies, you may need to have subassemblies inside an
assembly.

• In CATIA V5, there are two types subassemblies that can be created in the Assembly
Design workbench: Product and Component.
• Product Subassemblies
• Component Subassemblies

The specification tree having

a product and a component
within an assembly file.
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¾ EDITING ASSEMBLIES
• Deleting Components
While working in the Assembly Design workbench, you may need to delete some of the
constituent parts and subassemblies.

The Delete dialog box

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• Replacing Components
In CATIA V5 you can replace an existing component with another component inside
an assembly.

The original component The replaced component

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• Editing Components Inside an Assembly

You can also edit the features and modify the sketches of the parts of assembly within the
Assembly Design workbench.
• Editing Subassemblies Inside an Assembly
• Editing the Assembly Constraints
• Editing the Constraint Definition

The Constraint Definition dialog box

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The associated and replacing surface The components after editing the
for the Offset constraint offset constraint and updating it
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• Replacing a Constraint

Contact constraint to be replaced The components after applying

by the Offset constraint the Offset constraint
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• Simplifying the Assembly

While working on large assemblies consisting of a large number of parts and subassemblies,
it is recommended to hide some of the parts to improve the visibility of other parts and to
suppress the parts that are not required at that particular stage of design cycle.
• Hiding a Component
The Hide/Show tool is used turn off the display of the selected component of the
assembly.
• Deactivating a Component
Deactivating the component removes it temporarily from the assembly.
 CATIA V5 : Ch - 11

• Interference Detection
The interference is detected using the Clash tool, which is invoked by choosing the
Clash button from the Space Analysis toolbar. The Check Clash dialog box is
displayed, as shown in the figure.

The Check Clash dialog box The Preview window

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• Sectioning an Assembly
To section an assembly model, choose the Sectioning button from the Space
Analysis toolbar; the Sectioning Definition dialog box is displayed, as shown
in the figure.

The Sectioning Definition

dialog box

The 2D section view of The sectioning plane

the complete assembly
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• Exploding an Assembly
To explode an assembly, choose the Explode button from the Move toolbar; the
Explode dialog box will be displayed, as shown in the figure.

The Explode dialog box

The Belt Tightener in Overlapping components in 3D

the assembled state explosion of the assembly
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Front view of the exploded Belt Top view of the exploded Belt
Tightener assembly exploded tightener assembly
using the 2D option

Figure showing the exploded assembly

with Constrained selected as the type
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‰ Tutorial 1
In this tutorial you will create all the components of the Blower assembly and then assemble
them together. The Blower assembly is shown in Figure A. After creating it, you will
generate the exploded view. The exploded view of the Blower assembly is shown in Figure
B. The dimensions of all components are given in Figure C, Figure D, Figure E, Figure F,
Figure G and Figure H. (Expected time: 2.5
hrs)

Figure A The Blower Assembly Figure B Exploded view of the

Blower assembly
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Figure C Views and dimensions of Figure D Views and dimensions of

the Upper Housing the Lower Housing
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Figure E Views and dimensions Figure F Views and dimensions of

of the Blower the Motor
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Figure G Views and dimensions Figure H Views and dimensions of

of the Cover the Motor Shaft
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1. Create all components of the assembly as separate part files in the Part Design workbench.
2. Start a new file in the Assembly Design workbench.
3. Insert the Lower Housing into the assembly as the base component, set its orientation,
and apply the Fix constraint to it at its default location, as shown in Figure I, Figure J
and Figure K.

Figure I First and second

elements to be selected
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Figure J The Lower Housing Figure K Lower Housing after it

after modifying its orientation is fixed at its default location
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4. Insert the Upper Housing into the assembly and place it over the lower housing by applying
proper constraints, as shown in Figure L, Figure M and Figure N.

Figure L The surfaces to be

selected to apply Contact
constraint

Figure M Surfaces on which Figure N The surfaces to be

you need to click to select selected for applying Offset
the central axes constraint
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5. Hide the Upper Housing. Insert and place the blower inside the lower Housing.
6. Now, insert and constrain the Motor, the Motor Shaft, and the Cover refer to Figure O,
Figure P, Figure Q, Figure R, Figure S, Figure T and Figure U.

Figure O Faces to be clicked Figure P Faces to be selected

to select the central axes for applying Offset constraint
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Figure Q Motor Shaft Figure R Faces to be

inserted at its default selected for Offset
location constraint

Figure S Position of the Motor

Shaft with respect to the Blower
shown from back side
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Figure T Elements to be selected Figure U Various faces to be

for applying various constraints selected for applying the
constraints
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7. Turn on the display of the Upper Housing, as shown in Figure V.

Figure V The final Blower assembly

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8. Create the exploded state of the assembly, as shown in Figure W.

Figure W The exploded view of Blower assembly

9. Save the file in \My Documents\CATIA\c11 folder and then close it.
 CATIA V5 : Ch - 11

‰ Tutorial 2
In this tutorial you will create some components of a Press Tool Base assembly using the
top-down assembly approach. The Press Tool Base assembly is shown in Figure A. The
exploded state of this assembly is shown in the Figure B. The dimensions of all
components are shown in Figures C and Figure D. (Expected time: 45 min)

Figure A The Press Tool Figure B The exploded state of

Base assembly the Press Tool Base assembly
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Figure C Views and dimensions Figure D Views and dimensions

of the Top Plate, Guide Pillar, of the Bottom Plate
and Guide Bush
CATIA V5 : Ch - 11

Figure E Drawing views of the

Press Tool Base assembly
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1. Start a new product file.

2. Create a new part inside the assembly. Modify its name and create features of the base
component, as shown in Figure F. In this assembly the Bottom Plate will be the base
component.

Figure F The final model of the

Bottom Plate
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3. Create the Guide Bush and Guide Pillar as subsequent components inside the product file,
as shown in Figure G, Figure H and Figure I.

Figure G The final Guide Pillar

Figure H Sketch of Pad feature Figure I Final Guide Bush

for creating Guide Bush
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4. Guide Pillar and Guide Bush are to be duplicated using the Reuse Pattern tool, as shown
in Figure K.

Figure K The assembly after placing

the second set of Guide Pillar and
Guide Bush
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5. Create the Top Plate, as shown in Figure L.

Figure L Sketch of the Pad feature Figure M The final Press

for creating Top Plate Tool Base assembly

6. Save the file in \My Documents\CATIA\c11 folder and then close it.