Spring is one of the most commonly used components in our daily design. However, the spring is not relatively stationary after being installed like the bolt. The spring needs to move after being assembled. In the SolidWorks assembly, the spring can follow other objects. Movement and operation are divided into three major steps:
1. Create a spring (only the spring created by this method can move with the ligand)
The specific method is as follows (taking SolidWorks 2015 as an example):
1. Create a spring
1. Determine the size parameters of the spring, including the number of turns, outer diameter, wire diameter, and stroke.
Here, the editor takes 8 turns, 35 outer diameters, 5 wire diameters, and 40-100 strokes as examples to share, unit: mm.
2. Open SolidWorks, create a new part, click to draw a sketch, draw a straight line, set the length to the maximum stroke of the spring, and then exit the sketch.
3. Create a new sketch, draw the profile of the spring section at the starting point of the spring, the specific dimensions are as follows, and then exit the sketch.
4. Click "Scan" in the "Feature" toolbar, select the second sketch in "Contour", select the first sketch in "Path", click "Options", and change the "Direction/Torsion Control" in its drop-down box. Set it to "Twist along the path", set "Definition method" to "Degrees", then fill in the degree, the value of the degree is "Number of turns × 360°", then click "√" to generate a spring and save the file.
2. Modify the assembly
1. Assemble the spring into the corresponding assembly, and add the matching relationship of the non-spring movement direction, so that the spring can only move in its movement direction.
2. Show the first sketch of the spring.
3. Make one end of this sketch coincident with one of the contact faces of the spring in the assembly.
4. Save the assembly file, then right-click the spring, and click "Edit" in the pop-up menu bar to enter the edit component mode.
5. Right-click the first sketch of the spring, and click "Edit Sketch" in the pop-up menu bar to enter the edit sketch mode.
6. Delete the length definition in the sketch, and then face the view.
7. From this perspective, align the other end of the first sketch of the spring with the edge of the other contact surface of the spring, then exit the sketch.
Note: Do not directly touch the surface to operate, otherwise there will be no overlapping commands, as shown in the figure:
8. Then click "Exit editing components".
9. At this time, drag the assembly part, and then click "Rebuild Assembly", the spring will move with the position of the part.
3. Restrict travel
1. Select the two surfaces in contact with the spring at the same time, click "Fit", click "Advanced Fit" in the left dialog box, then click "Distance", enter the spring in the "Maximum Distance" and "Minimum Distance" input boxes. The maximum stroke and minimum stroke are enough, and then click "√". At this time, the parts in the assembly can move within the stroke of the spring.
