ISS UE

15
JAN UA RY 2010

SolidWorks esprit

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In This Issue
SolidWorks RoutingElectrical routing Tips and Tricks

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Electrical Routing part 1

SolidWorks Routing

software simplifies the design of all types of piping, tubing, and electrical cabling systems. With this powerful software, you can save significant time designing machinery and equipment that contains pneumatic, hydraulic, or electrical subsystems. SolidWorks Routing includes a library of ready-made fittings that further reduces design time, as well as a component selection filter that eases compliance with industry standards.

Routing involves the creation of electrical wiring and

cabling, electrical conduit, tubing and piping routes as solid parts in assembly. In this issue of espirit electrical routing is covered

1. Click Tools, Add-Ins. 2. Select SolidWorks Routing. 3. Click OK.

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In this issue we have covered the Electrical Harness tools from the ROUTING module. The rest of the tools in routing will be covered in the upcoming issues. The below illustrates ELECTRICAL HARNESS in solidworks with an example. Electrical tools

OR

Electrical tools
Start by From-To Start by Drag/ Drop Start at Point component. Start an electrical route by importing a From-to list. Start an electrical route by drag/drop of a connector Start an electrical route by adding a connection point to a non-routing

Add Point Add a connection point to a non-routing component so you can add the component to an existing route. Edit Wires Edit Route Flatten Route Add or edit wire information in an electrical route Edit an existing electrical route. Prepare the route for a flattened drawing.

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For creating a route with from to list you need to have following requirements
1. A cable library /wire library: A cable/wire library is an .xml file that defines the attributes of the cables and wires, such as specification number, size, color, description, and so on. You need a cable/wire library if you want to assign electrical attributes to the route. A wire has a single conductor. A cable has two or more conductors, called cores, bundled together. 2. A component library: A component library is an .xml file that cross-references the components in the From-to list to the SolidWorks part documents for those components. If you are importing data with a From-to list, you need a component library. 3. A From-to list: The From-To List is an Excel spreadsheet that defines, Electrical connection data for each wire in a routed cable assembly. Components, such as connectors, terminal blocks, and ring terminals, to which the wires connect.

COMPONENT LIBRARY: STEPS TO GENERATE THE COMPONENT LIBRARY: 1. Design the component or the end connector 2. Go to Routing Routing tools Routing component wizard 3. Use the wizard tool to generate the route component with c-point or the route point

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Create the connection point as electrical by selecting the category as Electrical and sub type as Harness

In the same wizard tool you can add the component in to the default component library list

Save the part in the design library location

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How to create a cable library

A cable has two or more conductors, called cores, bundled together. To create a cable/wire library,

Uses Routing Electrical Cable /wire library wizard

It is a wizard tool use next

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Define the cables and wires, such as specification number, size, color, description, and so on.

A wire has a single conductor. A cable has two or more conductors, called cores, bundled together. [Following is a cable which has 2 wires bundled together]

Save the file as .xml file in the routing library folder

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Next is to create the From-to list

From-To List is an Excel spreadsheet that defines:

Electrical connection data for each wire in a routed cable assembly. Components, such as connectors, terminal blocks, and ring terminals, to which the wires connect.

Open an assembly document use routing electrical From-to list Select create a new library

It is a wizard tool use next Select the component library and the cable library the file which you generated in their respective field

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Define the wire name, from reference, from pin, part no, to reference, to pin part no, cable name, core name and wire specification

Save the file as .xml file.

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After saving the file automatically the insert component option opens, place the component using smart mates OR Use routing start by From-to, and select the From to list file,

A message command shows all components placed start routing now, say yes to continue. Specify the route properties

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Automatically route start from the c point with auto route properties, use guidelines to merge the route.

Route will be generated as shown below

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Use edit route to modify the route path.

You can also generate the flatten route for this assembly. Along with this you can able to generate the connector list, electrical BOM and circuit summary. NOTE: the flatten route topic will be discussed in the upcoming issue.

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Tips and tricks

You can drag a specific configuration of a part into an assembly by selecting the configuration from the FeatureManager design tree.

You can display view arrow and labels on drawing views. Select a drawing view, and in the property manager, select display view arrow, and optionally, specify a label (one or two characters).

To change the crosshatch pattern in a drawing section view, select the crosshatch region and specify the pattern in the Area Hatchfill PropertyManager.

You can Ctrl-drag a reference plane to make a quick offset copy. Double-click the new plane to specify the offset dimension exactly.

You can create patterns of features, and patterns of patterns in parts. In assemblies, you can create patterns of components and patterns of components and patterns of assembly level features.

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