SolidWorks: Path Mate
Mates between parts are a vital part of any SolidWorks Assembly since without mates the assembly is not an assembly. A lot of times, a coincident or concentric mate will get the job done. Other times, an advanced mate may be needed. One example of an advanced mate is a Path Mate. Path mates are used when some freedom of movement is needed. In a Path Mate, a point on one assembly will stay on a path, which is part of a different component. This means that one of the components will move along the other. When creating an assembly of a window that needs to open or a telescopic arm, path mates can be incredibly helpful.
The Path Mate can be found in the Advanced Mates dropdown menu in the Mate section, as shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Path mate location
Once Path Mate is selected, the Mate Selections menu will appear as shown below in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Component selection
The Component Vertex is the point that will be locked onto the path. Once the Component Vertex is selected, the Path will need to be chosen. The Path will be a line or arc on a component that does not have the Component Vertex on it.
Next, there are three options in the Path Mate Menu: Path Constraint, Pitch/Yaw Control, and Roll Control. These options define how the Component will move along the path and are shown below in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Path mate options
The Path Constraint has three options: Free, Distance Along Path, and Percent Along Path, which are shown below in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Path constraint options
Free allows for full motion through the selected path. Distance Along Path and Percent Along Path restrict the motion along the path, either by setting the total distance that can be moved along or setting the percent of the total path length that can be moved along, respectively.
The next option is Pitch/Yaw Control which is shown below in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Pitch/Yaw control menu
The first option, Free, allows for free rotation about the path, while Follow Path locks rotation about the X, Y, or Z-axis.
The final option, Roll Control, sets a vector to always point up. The selected vector must be a line or plane. This line or plane will never rotate.
Once all the options are chosen, the green checkmark can be clicked, and the Path Mate is complete. Path Mates can be helpful when a range of motion is required, like in a window assembly or a telescopic arm.
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