The Selected Faces Do Not Form a Closed and Continuous Cam Extruded From a Single Profile
"Can I just mate this follower along with this cam?"
"How does this chain drive move the product carriers?"
I'll show you how: using a sketch path and a cam mate. Hint:
Table of contents
- Model moving parts with cam mates
- Sketch paths in SOLIDWORKS
- How to create a sketch path
- Use Select Other to select a single line in a path
- Paths as blocks
- How to add a path dimension
- Path equations
- How to create a cam mate
- Conclusion
1. Model moving parts with cam mates
Solving engineering problems is pretty damn hard.
Because usually, finding out which problem you need to solve is the hardest problem of them all.
So you want your models to move like they would in reality. From the very first mock-up.
2. Sketch paths in SOLIDWORKS
A sketch path is a combination of sketch elements.
This allows you to model real-world items like ropes, chains and cams.
You just need to create a sketch, turn it into a path and then you can drag the endpoint, like this:
Pretty neat, right? You probably already remember a project where you needed this.
In the image below I have used the tangent relation to bond the two 'cams' together.
You could also link one end of a line to the path with a coincident relation.
3. How to create a sketch path
To create a path, you first need at least two connected sketch elements. They can form a closed shape or they can be open-ended.
The elements don't even have to be tangent!You can create any weird shape of connected elements and turn that into a path.
Al you need to do then is select the sketch items, right-click and select Sketch Tools > Make Path.
In older versions, the Make Path button was located directly in the right mouse click menu. You can also click Tools > Sketch Tools > Make Path.
As always, you can use the search bar to find the button that is hidden somewhere is the button jungle called the UI. This video by Innova Systems shows the process nicely:
Now the sketch elements behave like a single unit.
That also means you can't select the individual lines without the next trick…
4. Use Select Other to select a single line in a path
The Select Other feature is so useful that SOLIDWORKS decided it deserved one of the best spots in the right-click shortcut menu.
It lets you select something behind or within the object that you are clicking.
In parts and assemblies, you can select faces behind the current face. Just try it and see what happens.
In sketches, you can select items that belong to a path:
Paths as blocks
You may have noticed that I have added dimensions to my sketch to fully define the sketch, except for the orientation of the path.
When you don't need the exact dimension or if the dimensions get it the way when you rotate the cam (they do), you can turn the path into a block.
We don't even need to make a path actually. Just draw a bunch of sketch items, select Tools > Blocks > Make and select the elements.
The whole thing now behaves like a single object and you don't need the dimensions. You can fix a point to make a cam rotate. This allowed me to create the same cam with less effort:
6. How to add a path dimension
To create a virtual piece of rope is one thing, to make sure the length remains constant is another.
Once you have grouped a set of sketch items together in a path, you can select the Path Length Dimension from the sketch toolbar.
I keep my toolbar tucked away nicely on the left of my monitor, where it takes up the minimal amount of screen real estate.
When you have created this constant path length, you can finally model ropes and chains nicely.
This once really helped us to find out how a complex design was going to move. We also found out our design was not going to work…
7. Path equations
The path dimension behaves like any other dimension.
That means you can use them in equations and you can vary its value per configuration. You can even use them in design tables and custom properties if you'd like.
8. How to create a cam mate
Now that we created fancy sketches of cams and decided on a design, it's time to create two parts and an assembly. Let's say we have the following cam and follower:
The process of mating these parts couldn't be simpler, but you just have to know where to look.
Look in the Mates dialog and go to the Mechanical Mates section. The first one is the Cam mate.
Now select a surface that belongs to the cam surface, plus a surface on the follower.
SOLIDWORKS does the rest and makes sure the cam surface is a set of tangent, closed-loop surfaces.
Sketch paths don't need to be tangent, but cam paths need to be tangent.
9. Conclusion
Another blog post, another tool in the belt. Fortunately, a real craftsman can never have too many tools, no matter what his wife tells him.
What were you able to model using the sketch paths? We'd love to hear from you, just drop us an email or a message on LinkedIn.
You can also check out our other blog posts, for example How to use equations. Or you can learn how to use Envelopes to easily divide and dedicate space within assemblies.
Until next time.
Source: https://cadbooster.com/cam-mate-for-solidworks-6-tips-to-get-started-sketch-paths/
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