Still grappling with the helix

Hello folks,

a few days ago I asked about how to make a helix and got quite a
few helpful comments (sadly I couldn't look at some of the
examples as they were made with a "future version" -- I have
"Academic year 2005-2006".

Anyway, I got my spring made but it somehow fell apart again
because of some reason or another. The composite path wasn't
composite any more, and sure enough, with enough zooming in I
found that the ends of the helix had for some reason become
disjoint from the ends of the connecting 3D sketches.

So I opened one of the 3D sketches and tried to add a
"coincident" relationship between the helix endpoint and the
spline in the sketch. But SW doesn't let me. I can make the
spline tangent to the helix; I can make the spline's endpoint
coincident with the helix itself, but not with the helix's
endpoint.

Why is that? I'm sure it worked when I first made the spring
because otherwise I doubt SW could have joined the splines and
the helix to a composite path.

Thanks,

--Daniel

 

I encountered similar cases in my work with solidworks 2006. Sadly I'm in
the same boat as you, and don't know why it is so.

Sorry that I can't help.....maybe someone of the gurus here will enlighten
us...

Gil

 

I suspect connecting a spline is the issue, though I don't quite know
what you are doing exactly.

Put the end of the helix on a plane on a known point.

Put an end of a small line in the 3D sketch on that known point.

That is the best I can suggest.

Bo

 

SW has different levels of usability, and curve entities seem to be on
the bottom of the list. What I do is use Convert Entities on the spline
in the 3D sketch, and then as a sketch entity the endpoint is more
accessible. Plus, if you want to do a tangent spline connection between
the helix and the "composite" part of the curve, you can get a smooth
transition.

 

Another cool way of making a helix is to make a surface sweep of a
straight line (representing the radius of the spring from centre to
circumference) profile along a line trajectory using the twist option
(degrees or by number of turns) - then use the edge of the surface to
make the helix.

SWX Guru UK >>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Another cool way of making a helix is to make a surface sweep of a
straight line (representing the radius of the spring from centre to
circumference) profile along a line trajectory using the twist option
(degrees or by number of turns) - then use the edge of the surface to
make the helix.

SWX Guru UK >>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Why not post your part file at
http://www.mcadforums
or
http://forum.solidworks.com/swforum/
so someone can take a look.