SolidWorks: Mate References
SolidWorks has many tools that can be used to increase efficiency while creating parts and assemblies. Mate References is one such tool. Mate References are added to parts and can allow for quicker mates when creating assemblies, which saves time in the long run.
The Mate References tool can be found in the Reference Geometry dropdown menu in the Features section, as shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Mate References Location
Once Mate References is selected, the menu will appear as shown below in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Mate References Menu
The first option is the reference name, which is a field to enter a name for the reference. This can be useful when multiple references need to be created.
The next section is for the Primary Reference. First, select the feature of the part that will be used to mate, such as a face or an edge. This will appear in the top box, as shown below in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Selecting a Reference Entity
Once the feature is selected, the next choice is Mate Reference Type. This is set to Default, which will set the mate to the most common mate for that type of feature. The type can be changed by selecting the dropdown arrow, with the menu shown below when a face is selected.
Figure 4: Reference Type Selection
The next option is the alignment of the mate. The alignment menu can be accessed by clicking the dropdown arrow, with the menu shown below in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Alignment Type Selection
Once the Primary Reference Entity is selected, the Secondary and Tertiary references can be configured. Next, when inserting the component into an assembly, the Mate References will try to create mates starting with the Primary Reference. If the location that the part is being inserted into does not allow for the Primary Mate, SolidWorks will move to the Secondary and Tertiary references.
Mate References in parts can help speed up the creation of assembly mates, which can be extremely helpful when time is of the essence, as it usually is.
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