Objective:

This tutorial teaches the basic process of how to create a simple assembly of exsiting parts inside of Pro/ENGINEER.  Although Pro/ENGINEER
provides a variety of "top down" design tools, this tutorial focuses on "bottom up" design of collecting individual parts and adding constraints.
This approach is the quickest way to build an assembly.  Although this assembly shows parts that are fully constrained in their placement, Pro/E also allows
parts to be underconstrained as well.  The tutorial will be focused on parts from the transmission of the sport bike model shown below.

IMAGE 1




Step 1: Create the Assembly


Select File, New from the pull down menu.
Select the radio button to create an assembly and give the assembly a name.
Select OK from the dialog box

IMAGE 2

The new assembly will show three default planes to work from, a default coordinate system showing the assemblies 0,0,0 location, and a spin center for the model.

IMAGE 3



Step 2:  Assemble the first component.



The first component in this model will be the transmission case.

Select Insert, Component, Assemble.
Select the transmission_case.prt from the open dialog box and select OPEN.

Note: The preview button in the file open dialog box will show a graphic of the model.

The new component will appear in yellow on the screen as shown below.

IMAGE 4

The assembly dashboard will appear at the bottom of the screen to help locate the model in the assembly.
Since this is the fist component, it will be assembled by default.
Select the down arrow next to the word "automatic" and select default to locate the component to the default coordinate system as shown below.
The component should move slightly to matching the components 0,0,0 to the assembly 0,0,0.

IMAGE 5

Select the green check mark to complete the assembly of the frame.




Step 3:  Assemble the belt drive pulley.



Next, the belt drive pulley for the output of the transmission will be assembled.

Select Insert, Component, Assemble.
Select belt_drive.prt as the part to assemble from the Open dialog box.

The belt drive model will appear in the graphics window in yellow to represent the part being assembled.
The part will be assembled by aligning the drive pulley shaft to the output shaft of the transmission and mating two surfaces.

First, select the outside surface of the output shaft of the transmission as shown below.  
Notice the surface selected is in red with the "automatic" note pointing to the surface.

IMAGE 6

Note: To select a surface, move the cursor over the surface until it turns blue.  Then select the surface using the left mouse button.


Press and hold the middle mouse button down to spin the model to an orientation similar to the picture below.
Select the mating surface on the blet drive part as shown.

IMAGE 7

Notice that the belt drive part is now lined up with the output shaft of the transmission.

Now that one constraint is placed, another will be used to align the shafts of the parts.
Reorient the model to the default orientation by selecting the "default Orientation" view name from the pull down list.

IMAGE 8

Select the cylindrical surface on the drive pulley as shown.

IMAGE 9

Next, select the cylinderical surface of the output shaft from the transmission case as shown.

IMAGE 10

Notice how the two shafts are now aligned.

Finish the placement of the component by selecting the green check box in the dashboard.

Note:  If a mistake has been made placing the component, select the placement tab in the dashboard to review and/or fix the constraints used to place the componet.

Select the repaint icon.

Reorient the model to the default orientation.




Step 4:  Assemble the transmission cover.



Select Insert, Component, Assemble.
Select the transmission_cover.prt and select Open.

This component will be assembled using three constraints.
For the first constraint, the component will be positioned vertically.
Select the BASE datum plane for a reference on the cover as shown below.

IMAGE 11

Select the top of the transmission case to align to as shown below.
Notice how the part has now moved to align the selected surfaces.

IMAGE 12

Next, the part will be aligned "side to side"

Select the right datum plane on the cover as shown below.

IMAGE 13

Select the ASM_RIGHT datum plane to as shown below.  NOtice how the cover now snaps over into alignment.

IMAGE 14

To finish the placement, the holes will be aligned.

Press and hold the middle mouse button down to spin the model close to the picture shown below.

Zoom in on the holes in the upper left portion of the model by using the zoom window icon.
When the cursor changes, draw a window around the upper left holes.
Cancel the zoom process by pressing the middle mouse button.

Select the hole on the transmission cover as shown.

IMAGE 15

The surface should turn red after selection.

Select the corresponding hole in the transmission case as shown.

IMAGE 16

Notice how the cover now snaps into place.

Select the green check mark to finsih the placement of the cover.

Select the repaint icon.

Reorient to the default orientation by selecting the default saved view as done before.




Step 5:  Assemble a washer.



To help in this step, start by cleaning up the display of the model.

Turn off the datum plane display by selecting the ... icon.
Turn off the display of coordinate systems by selecting the .... icon.


Select Insert, Component, Assemble.
Select the washer.prt from the list and select open.

The part being assembled can be moved independently of the assembly.

Press and hold both the ctrl and the alt keys on the kepboard.
While holding these keys press and hold the right mouse button down.
Drag the washer over near the lower left hole of the transmission cover as shown below.

IMAGE 17

Release the mouse and keyboad buttons.

Zoom in on the lower left hole in the cover and the washer using the zoom window icon.
Complete the zoom process by selecting the middle mouse button.

Select the inside cyclinderical surface of the washer as shown below.

IMAGE 18

Select the cylinderical surface of the hole in the transmission case as shown below.

IMAGE 19

The washer should now be in line with the hole.

Next, the washer will be located vertically along the axis.
Select the top surface of the washer as shown below.

IMAGE 20

Select the top surface of the hole on the transmission cover as shown below.

IMAGE 21

Notice how the washer has been placed inside the cover due to the top of the washer being aligned to the top of the cover.
This can be easily fixed by reorienting the constraint.
Select the "FIP ARROW" icon from the dashboard to change the constraints orientation.

IMAGE 22

Notice how the washer has now been flipped over and is in the correct orientation.

Finish the assembly of the washer by selecting the green check mark from the dashboard.

Select the repaint icon to clearly see the washer.

Reorient the model to the default orientation.



Step 6:  Pattern the washer.


This washer needs to be placed at all 4 hole locations on the transmission cover.
This can be done by patterning the washer.

Select the washer part from the model tree as shown.

IMAGE 23

The washer should highlite in red in the graphics window.

Select Edit, Pattern from the pull down menus.

This will bring the pattern dash board up.  Notice that black dots have been created where the washer will be patterned.
Select the green check mark from the dashboard to accept the default pattern.

Notice that four washers now exist in the assembly as shown below.

IMAGE 24


Step 7:  Assemble bolt with interfaces stored.


Pro/ENGINEER has the ability to store common assembly references into existing parts to ease in the assembly process.
This functionality is very useful for library components like nuts, bolts, and washers.
In this step, a bolt with interface information stored with the part will be assembled.

Select Insert, Component, Assemble.
Select the hex_bolt.prt and select Open.

Notice that when the bolt appears in the assembly, there are already assembly reference tags on the bolt (insert, mate).

Zoom in on the lower left hole of the cover as shown below.

IMAGE 25

Select the cylinderical surface of the bolt hole as shown below.

IMAGE 26

Next, select the top surface of the washer as shown below.

IMAGE 27

Notice how the bolt snaps into place without selecting any references on the bolt.
Finish the assembly process by selecting the green check mark on the dash board.



Step 8:  Pattern the bolt.


Select the HEX_BOLT.PRT from the model tree as shown.

IMAGE 28

Select Edit, Pattern from the pull down menus.
Select the green check mark from the pattern dashboard to accept the default pattern.
Notice there are now four bolts in the assembly.

IMAGE 29

CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE FINISHED THE ASSEMBLY TUTORIAL!!



















