What tecknics will you use to model this type of assembly configuration?

Greetings:

If it were you what technics will you use to model this type of
assembly http://home.comcast.net/~wangphk/SolidWorks/Parts/Assembly-Line-Station.jpg
(it is for an assembly line where each station will have a fume
extractor unit above the solder station) configuration, one person
station, 2 person hanging station on the same side (top left picture),
2 person station face to face, 2 person station desktop (middle left
picture) and so forth.

Will you start with one station assemble with one sub-assembly, using
table pattern to increase the length of the desk, using configuration
to mirror one station to make a 2 station face to face etc? I am
having problem to picture how I am going to model the destk and
populate the same sub-assembly (Fume extractor unit in this case) over
and over with a minimal of step. Since this is for a presentation
purpose, the table could be model in any way as long as it offers the
flexibility of showing different configuration to the audiences.

Any suggestion to start this in the right direction would be greatly
appreciated.

 

For me at looking at this it depends on what type of document control
you follow. The easiest way to make this is to first assemble the
configuration that has everything. Then make the other files or
configurations from that either using a Design Table or just
suppressing parts as you need.

Personally I would do seperate files but start making the file with
all the components in it and then do the save as and remove the files
that don't belong in that assemblys layout.

Ken

 

I would definitely create configurations of the components (if needed,
ie: longer tables). Then craete your assy file with the different
configs of the final assemblies. You can then place the different
configs into a drawing doc or whatever other file type you need. If
each assy was its own file you would have to access all of these files
to show the presentation instead of a single file. Just seems more
stable to go with configurations, plus it gives you the ability to
change things on the fly for all configs.

 

Thank you all for your suggestion and help.

Based on your input, I did a table driven for the desk. Where the
length of the table change for 1, 2, 3... person.

Then I create an assembly with the fume extractor for each station for
4 persons. Then create a configuration to suppress the fume extractor
based on the length of the table.

This method while it is working; it's not efficient (I must do
something incorrectly). Since I have:

- to manually suppress or hide the fume extractor for each
configuration
- I am having problem to preserve the mating relation between the desk
and . Effectively, after mirroring these fume extractor, I don't have
any mating relationship for the mirror components. Trying to manually
re-create the mating relation of the mirror component to the desk will
result an over defined mating relationship error. I have no clue why
I am having this problem.

Anyway, that's it for now. I will go back and try to find out the
problem later.