SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible - Matt Lombard [121]
10. Click OK to accept the type, size, and placement of the hole. Figure 14.13 shows the Hole Wizard PropertyManager interface.
FIGURE 14.13
The Hole Wizard PropertyManager interface
Exploring the Hole Series interface
The Hole Series enables you to make a series of in-context hole features in individual parts that are connected by a Hole Series assembly-level feature. It is intended for a stack of parts where, for example, the top part has a counterbored hole, the middle part has a clearance through hole, and the final part has a blind threaded hole.
The Hole Series used to be part of the Hole Wizard but has been exported as a separate tool. It is now a five-step, wizard-based feature that ends by populating the new hole with a fastener using Smart Fasteners functionality. The Toolbox add-in is required to use Smart Fasteners. Figure 14.14 shows the interface for the various steps.
FIGURE 14.14
The Hole Series interface
When using the Hole Series feature, you must follow these basic steps:
1. Have an assembly open with two or more parts in it that need to be fastened together.
2. Initiate the Hole Series tool by choosing Insert⇒Assembly Features⇒Hole⇒Hole Series. It is also available as a toolbar button, but it is not on the toolbar by default.
3. If the Hole Series is to be started from an existing hole, then select it in the Hole Position panel. If not, then use sketch points, construction geometry, dimensions, and sketch relations to locate the hole centerpoints.
4. Use the tabs at the top of the PropertyManager to advance from one panel to the next.
• The Start Hole Specification refers to the part where the series of holes starts.
• The Middle Hole Specification is for all parts between the first part and the last part.
• The End Hole Specification refers to the last part and is either a through clearance hole or a threaded hole.
The finished feature leaves an in-context feature in each part, with the Hole Series part in the assembly, as shown in Figure 14.15.
FIGURE 14.15
The finished Hole Series
Looking at Hole Series quirks
The Hole Series feature also has some quirks that you should know about so you don't spend too much time trying to determine why things are not working as you would expect. The first quirk is that if you start the Hole Series without pre-selection, the cursor that comes up initially is a 3D sketch cursor, but once you click the cursor to place a point on a face, the Hole Series tool creates a 2D sketch feature.
The second quirk occurs where the Hole Series drills multiple holes and the holes do not all go through the same parts. This is like the example shown in Figure 14.16, where a hole drilled down from the top of plate 1 might drill into plate 5 or plate 6. In this case, you would have to create holes that drill into different parts separately.
FIGURE 14.16
Create holes that drill into different parts separately.
In addition, you may find that the Hole Series does not retain the information you give it for “End Part,” or the depth of the tapped hole at the end of the series. Behavior like this makes the Hole Series difficult to use reliably, so make sure to double-check any data created with the Hole Series feature. It is a highly convenient feature but should be used carefully.
Tutorial: Gaining Experience with the Hole Wizard and Toolbox
Figure 14.17 shows a section view of the assembly used for this tutorial. Notice that there is a gasket under the Sensor part.
FIGURE 14.17
A section view of the tutorial assembly
This tutorial assumes that you have a working copy of Toolbox running on your computer. If you do not have Toolbox, then you can skip this tutorial. It also assumes that your Toolbox is using the default Create Configurations setting, although it can also work with the Create Parts setting. To get some experience using this tool, follow these steps:
1. Open the assembly from the DVD called Chapter 14 Tutorialstart.sldasm.
2.