part config help

I've been using solidworks (2005) for a while, and have gotten sorta decent
with it. I started to toy around with building things using extruded
material, like from 80/20 and bosch - but I'm feeling like I'm wasting alot
of time managing a boat load of configs...

I have a part, say a basic 30x30mm t-slot extrustion, and then I'll have a
few configs - where 1 length is 30" and another 20".. Perhaps 1 config has a
12" piece with 45* chamfer ends. I have hte base stock, and then a drawing
where I perform the cut.... In the sketch I set my dimension, and store that
dimension in whichever config I want. But the problem with this, is as I
build my model, if I decide to resize something a little bit, I have to go
back to the part and modify the configuration.. This just seems very time
consuming. Of course, it's not always just length - like I said, some
pieces might have 1 or 2 beveled ends, at various angles.

Help get pointed in the right direction.

Thanks

 

Dear Tom,

Try making your configs using design tables, i'm not sure that if it
can a be a solution for your problem but it can be bit easy to do the
modifications.


Regards

Deepak Gupta

 

another way to handle the various lengths of the stock is to have a "stock"
piece of the material that you copy to the
working directory. In the assembly, edit the extrude feature of your stock
component to what you need for that assembly (like to another part face or a
plane). There is usually no reason to save this particular length anywhere
but in the current project folder.
hth
Bill