Learn the fundamental process of creating assemblies in SolidWorks. This guide will walk you through combining individual part files into a functional assembly, defining their relationships using mates.
Go to the menu bar and click File > New. In the dialog box, select Assembly and click OK. This will open a new assembly environment.
The Insert Components PropertyManager will appear automatically. Click Browse to locate your first part file. Select it and click in the graphics area to place it. The first component you place is automatically fixed in space, serving as the foundation of your assembly.
To add more parts, go to the Assembly tab and click Insert Components. Browse for your other part files and place them in the graphics area. You can insert multiple copies of the same part.
Click the Mate tool on the Assembly tab. Select faces, edges, or vertices on two different components to define their spatial relationship. Common mates include Coincident (faces touching), Concentric (cylinders aligned), and Parallel.
Continue adding mates until all components are positioned correctly and have the intended degrees of freedom. A fully defined component cannot be moved by dragging it. A minus sign (-) next to a component's name in the FeatureManager Design Tree indicates it is under-defined.
Tips for Efficient Assembly Modeling
The first component is fixed by default. If you need to move it, right-click the part in the FeatureManager Design Tree and select Float.
For large or complex models, group related components into their own sub-assembly. You can then insert this sub-assembly into your main assembly, keeping your project organized.
To create a copy of a component already in the assembly, hold down the Ctrl key, then click and drag the component into a new position.
Hold the Alt key while dragging a component to automatically create SmartMates. Drag a circular edge to another circular edge to quickly create a concentric mate.
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