Mechanical Constraints - Screw

[DBC]

Am I correct in assuming that Alibre Expert 2018 does not have any mechanical constraints such as Screw, Gear, Cam, Slot, Rack and Pinion. At this point I am particularly interested in a screw constraint.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Am I correct in assuming that Alibre Expert 2018 does not have any mechanical constraints such as Screw, Gear, Cam, Slot, Rack and Pinion. At this point I am particularly interested in a screw constraint.

DBC -- If you meant that "as a "screw" rotates a "related Part "displaces," then the answer is no Alibre Design lacks such a Constraint (something about which I have been asking for since 2009).

 

[DBC]

Thanks for the confirmation. That is exactly was I was asking.

 

[JST]

Specifically, you COULD do that, except that the program will not accept the flank of the thread as a valid surface to use in an alignment. Otherwise you could potentially use a tangent alignment of the screw flank to some suitable object.

A specific "screw alignment" would not be needed if that contiguous surface was accepted.

Likewise, one cannot make a surface out of several elements, there is no "stitch surface" capability, so for instance, you cannot make a "U" shaped surface out of a half cylinder and two planar parts.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

A screw is just a wedge wrapped around an axis. Perhaps there is something that can be done with that in mind.

 

[idslk]

At this point I am particularly interested in a screw constraint.

What you want to do? Do you want to take your mouse and screw a screw manually into your CAD-model
Or do you want to make an animation with moving bottles?
Regards
Stefan

 

[Lew_Merrick]

A screw is just a wedge wrapped around an axis. Perhaps there is something that can be done with that in mind.

Nate -- Although it requires an Initial Start Condition (call it a Zero Setting) all you should need to define is the Pitch per Revolution and the Pitch Direction per Revolution Direction to make it work. A current problem with this approach is limiting the "Angle of Rotation" to 0°-360° -- but that should be a fairly simple exercise... -- Lew

 

[DBC]

What you want to do? Do you want to take your mouse and screw a screw manually into your CAD-model
Or do you want to make an animation with moving bottles?
Regards
Stefan

Both, but more importantly the first. I am not a programmer so don't know what it would take, but it makes sense for Alibre to have it if they are going after the SW market.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Both, but more importantly the first. I am not a programmer so don't know what it would take, but it makes sense for Alibre to have it if they are going after the SW market.

With a proper "Totate to Pitch" Constraint you should be able to do either.