Learning Objectives:

• Create assembly using the top-down approach.

• Create assembly using the bottom-up approach.
• Assemble the components of the assembly.
• Understand packaging of components.
• Create the simplified representation for viewing various components of assembly.
• Use View Manager.
• Edit the assembly constraints after assembling.
• Modify the components of the assembly within the assembly.
• Create the exploded state of the assembly.
• Add the offset lines to the exploded components.
• Use the Bill of Material in the assemblies.
 Assembly Modeling
An assembly is defined as a design consisting of more than one component bonded
together at their respective working positions. These assembly designs are created
in the Assembly mode of Pro/ENGINEER.

 Important Terms Related to Assembly Mode

The assembly constraints are available in the Component Placement dialog box
that is discussed later in this chapter.

• Top-down Approach
This is the method of assembling the components in which the components of the
assembly are created in the same assembly file and then assembled using the
assembly constraints.
• Bottom-up Approach
This is the method of assembling the components that are created as separate parts in
the Part mode and are saved as .prt files. Once all the parts of an assembly have been
created, the assembly is created in the Assembly mode.
• Placement Constraints
The placement constraints are the constraints that are used to rigidly bind the
components of the assembly to their respective positions in the assembly. These
constraints are also called the assembly constraints.

• Package
It is the state in which the component that is being assembled is not fully constrained
and thus is not rigidly placed at its actual location.

 Creating Top-Down Assemblies

You know that to create components you need the sketcher environment and to
invoke the sketcher environment you need the Part mode. You can invoke the Part
mode from within the Assembly mode and create components using the tools
available in the Part mode.
• Creating Components in the Assembly Mode
In Pro/ENGINEER, you can create components in the Assembly mode also.
The components that you create in the Assembly mode are saved as separate
.prt files. To create a component in the Assembly mode, choose the Create a
component in assembly mode button. The Component Create dialog box is
displayed.

Component Create dialog box

 Creating Bottom-Up Assemblies

When the first component is inserted in the Assembly mode, its three default datum
planes are placed in the same orientation as that of the default datum planes of the
Assembly mode.
• Adding Components in Assembly
When you choose the Add component to the assembly button, the Open
dialog box is displayed. Select the part that you need to add to the assembly.
After the component is displayed on the graphics window in the Assembly
mode, you need to specify constraints in order to assemble them. Even if you
are placing the first component, you need to constraint it using the assembly
constrains.

 Placement Constraints
The placement constraints are also called assembly constraints and are available in
the Component Placement dialog box that is discussed later in this chapter.

• Automatic
When you choose this constrain, Pro/ENGINEER assumes the constraint and apply it
according to the type of entity selected.
• Mate
The Mate placement constraint allows you to make two selected planes, datum
planes, planar faces, or a combination of datum plane and planar face coplanar with
respect to each other.

• Mate Offset
If you need to keep the two selected surfaces or planes at some distance apart then
you can use the Mate constraint with some offset value. Figure A shows the faces
that are selected to apply the Mate Offset constraint. Figure B shows the component
assembled at an offset distance from the selected surface.

Figure A Components before Figure B Components after

assembling assembling
• Mate Coincident
The Mate Coincident combination of constraints allow you to make two selected
planes or surfaces coplanar to each other. Figure A shows the surfaces that are
selected to mate. Figure B shows the components after assembling.

Figure A Components before Figure B Components after

assembling assembling
• Mate Oriented
The Mate Oriented combination of constraints is used when you want to mate two
surfaces or planes or a combination of two and at the same time you want to orient
some other surfaces or planes of the two components to face in the same direction.
Figure A shows the planar surfaces that are selected to mate and Figure B shows
the components after assembling.

Figure A Components before Figure B Components after assembling

assembling
• Align
The Align constraint is used to assemble two components by making the selected faces
or planes coplanar such that the aligned faces or planes are facing in the same
direction.

• Align Offset
The Align Offset combination of constraints is similar to the Align Coincident
combination of constraints, with the only difference being that you can also specify the
offset distance between the aligning entities. Figure A shows the faces to align offset
and Figure B shows the components after applying the constraints.

Figure A Components before Figure B Components after

applying constraints applying constraints
• Align Coincident
The Align Coincident combination of constraints is used to assemble two
components by making the selected faces or planes coplanar such that the aligned
faces or planes are facing in the same direction. Figure A shows the faces that are
selected to align. Figure B shows the components after assembling.

Figure A Components before applying Figure B Components after applying

constraints constraints
 • Align Oriented
The Align Oriented combination of constraints makes the two selected surfaces or
planes or the combination of both to face in the same direction. Figure A shows the
constraints applied on the two components and Figure B shows the two components
after applying constraint.

Figure A Components before applying Figure B Components after applying

constraints constraints
• Insert
The Insert constraint is used to assemble the revolved components. Applying this
constraint allows the revolved component, holes, or a combination of both to
share the same orientation of the central axis. Figure A shows the faces to insert
and Figure B shows the parts after assembling.

Figure A Components before applying Figure B Components after

constraints applying constraints
• Coord Sys
The Coord Sys constraint aligns the coordinate system of the first component with
the coordinate system of the second component.

• Tangent
The Tangent constraint is used to make the selected circular face tangent to the
other selected face or plane and at the same time make them coplanar.

• Pnt On Line
The Pnt On Line constraint is used to align the selected datum point or the vertex
on the first part with the selected edge, datum axis, or datum curve on the second
part.

• Pnt On Srf
The Pnt On Srf constraint is used to align the selected datum point or vertex on
the first part with the selected surface or datum plane on the second part.
• Edge On Srf
The Edge On Srf constraint is used to align the selected edge of the first part with
the selected surface or datum plane on the second part.

• Default
The Default constraint is used to assemble the component in the assembly by
aligning the default coordinate system of the component with the default
coordinate system of the assembly.
• Fix
The Fix component to current position button pack the two components and
displays that the two components are fully constrained.
 Assembly Datum Planes
The components in the assembly can be placed parametrically or
nonparametrically. If the components are placed using the placement constraints,
it is called parametric assembly and if the components are packaged, it is called
nonparametric assembly.
Generally, it is advised to use the assembly datum planes as the first feature of the
assembly and then assemble the components of the assembly taking the
reference of these assembly datum planes.
 Assembling the Components
To assemble the components parametrically, choose the Add
component to the assembly button. The Open dialog box is
displayed. Once you select the part to assemble from the
Open dialog box, the Component Placement dialog box is
displayed.

• Show component in a separate window

while specifying constraints

• Show component in the assembly window

while specifying constraints

• Place tab

• Constraints area
Component Placement
dialog box
 • Specify a new constraint button

• Remove the selected constraint button

• Change orientation of constraint button

• Component Reference area

• Assembly Reference area

• Placement Status area

• Move tab
The options under the Move tab can be used only if you have
selected the Show component in the assembly window
while specifying constraints button.

• Motion Type area

• Motion Reference area

• Motion Increments area
• Position area

Component Placement
dialog box
 Packaging the Components
There are two methods to package a component in an assembly.
The first method is to use the Insert menu in the menu bar. The
second method to package a component is to assemble the
component using the Component Placement dialog box and then
before fully constraining it exit the dialog box.
To package the component, choose Insert > Component >
Package from the menu bar. When you choose this option, the
PACKAGE menu is displayed.
PACKAGE menu
• Add

• Move
• Fix Location
• Finalize
 Creating Simplified Representations
Simplified representations can be created using the cascaded menu or by using the
View Manager. The only difference is that using the View Manager you can give a
name for the representation. To create a simplified representation using the
cascaded menu, select a component from the Model Tree and then choose View >
Representation from the menu bar. The cascaded menu is displayed as shown.

Cascaded menu

• Using the Cascaded menu

The simplified representation created reduces the regeneration time of the assembly,
thus reducing the system requirements. The options in this menu are discussed next.
• Exclude
When you choose this option, the selected component is removed from the display.
The figure shows a butterfly valve assembly in which the Body is removed from the
current display. This kind of representation helps in assembling the components inside
the body, like the plate and the screw in this case.

Figure A Components
excluded from the assembly
• Master Rep
This option is used to redisplay the component in the assembly that was removed from
the display using the Exclude option. When you choose the Master Rep option from
the cascaded menu, the selected component is redisplayed as shown in the figure.

• Assembly Only
The Assembly Only option is used to remove all the
components from the assembly leaving the The Master Representation of
subassembly. an assembly
• Geometry Only
In this type of simplified representation the complete geometry of the components is
displayed in the current model display style. This type of simplified representation
takes a long time for regeneration. The components that are not selected in this type
of representation cannot be modified. However, these components can be redefined.

• Graphics Only
When you choose the Graphics Only option from the cascaded
menu, all the selected components will be displayed in
wireframe as shown in the figure. This type of representation is
generally used for assembling the components inside some
other component.

The Graphics Representation

of an assembly
• Using the View Manager
The View Manager is used for various requirements of display
of an assembly and its components. The View Manager is used
to create, modify, and switch between simplified representations,
exploded views, and orientation of the assembly. To invoke the
View Manager, choose the Start the view manager button from
the Top Toolchest. The View Manager dialog box is displayed
as shown in the figure.

• Creating simplified representation using the View

Manager
• Creating display style using the View Manager
View Manager dialog box
• Creating the explode states using the View Manager
• Setting the orientation of the assembly using the View Manager
 Redefining the Components of the Assembly
Sometimes, after you have assembled the components of the assembly, you may
need to modify or redefine the location or the placement constraints of the
components. This is done by selecting the component from the Model Tree and right-
clicking to invoke the shortcut menu. Choose the Edit Definition option from the
shortcut menu.

 Reordering the Components

The order of assembling the components can be changed by
choosing Edit > Component Operations from the menu bar. The
COMPONENT menu is displayed as shown in the figure. Choose
the Reorder option from this menu. When you choose this option,
you will be prompted to select the component to be reordered.

COMPONENT menu
 Suppressing/Resuming the Components
If you do not want certain components of the assembly to appear in the current display
as well as in the drawing views then you can suppress them. To suppress the
components choose Edit > Component Operations from the menu bar. The
COMPONENT menu is displayed. Choose the Suppress option from this menu.
Similarly, the suppressed components can be resumed by choosing the Resume
option from the same menu.

 Replacing Components
The existing components of the assembly that are assembled
using the assembly constraints can be replaced with some
other component if necessary. To replace the component,
choose Edit > Replace from the menu bar. The Replace
dialog box is displayed as shown in the figure.

Replace dialog box

 Assembling Repeated Copies of a Component
Sometimes, the assembly design demands for the
assembling of a particular component more than once.
One option is that every time you should assemble the
component and add the placement constraints all over
again. However, this is a very tedious and time
consuming process especially in the assemblies that
have a large number of similar components. Therefore,
to solve this problem, Pro/ENGINEER provides you with
an option of assembling the multiple copies of the
components. To repeat a component in an assembly,
select the component to repeat from the Model Tree or
from the graphics window and then choose Edit >
Repeat from the menu bar. When you choose this
option, the Repeat Component dialog box will be
displayed as shown in the figure.

Repeat Component dialog box

 Modifying the Components of the Assembly
Sometimes, during or after the assembly of the components, you may need to
modify the dimensions of the components. The modification in the dimensions of
the components can be directly made in the Assembly mode and you do not need
to open the part file to make the modifications.

• Modifying the Dimensions of a Feature of a Component

The dimensions of a selected feature of the component can be modified by
selecting the component from the Model Tree or from the graphics window. When
the feature turns red or orange in color, right-click to invoke the shortcut menu.
Choose the Activate option. The name of the component appears on the graphics
window. This indicates that only the component whose name appears on the
graphics window can be selected. Now, when you move the cursor on the
assembly only the activated component is highlighted in cyan. Select the feature of
the component to highlight it red in color and then hold down the right mouse
button to invoke the shortcut menu. Choose the Edit option from the shortcut
menu. The dimensions of the selected feature of the component are displayed on
the graphics window.
• Redefining a Feature of a Component
The option to redefine the features in the Assembly mode is available. This saves
time in opening the part in the Part mode and then redefining the features. To
redefine the feature of a component, you need to select the component from the
Model Tree and make it active. After the component is activated, select the feature
that you need to redefine from the graphics window. Hold down the right mouse
button to invoke the shortcut menu. Choose the Edit Definition option. After
choosing the option, the feature creation tool is activated and now you can redefine
the feature.
 Creating the Exploded State
The exploded state can be created by choosing View >
Explode > Edit Position from the menu bar. The Explode
Position dialog box is displayed as shown in the figure.
This dialog box provides you the following options to move
the components from their actual location.

The exploded state of an

assembly Explode Position dialog box
 Offset Lines
The offset lines are the lines that are used to display the actual path and direction of
the mating components. These lines are generally used for easy visualization of the
exploded components of the assemblies. The exploded state of an assembly using
the offset lines is shown in the figure.

The exploded state of an

assembly with offset lines
 Bill of Material
The Bill Of Material or the BOM is the tabular representation of all the
components of the assembly along with the information associated with them.
The BOM can be viewed using the BOM dialog box that is displayed by choosing
Bill of Materials from the Info menu in the menu bar.

BOM dialog box

 Tutorial 1
In this tutorial you will create all the components of the Shock assembly and then
assemble them as shown in Figure A. Also create an exploded state of the assembly
displaying the offset lines as shown in Figure B. The BOM is shown in Figure C. The
dimensions of the components are shown in Figure D through Figure K.
(Estimated time: 2 hrs)

Figure A The Shock assembly Figure B The exploded state of

the Shock assembly
Figure C The Bill of Material for the Shock Figure D Dimensions for Bracket
Assembly
Figure E Dimensions for Pivot Figure F Dimensions for U-Support
Figure G Dimensions for Bushing Figure H Dimensions for Self-locking nut
Figure I Dimensions for Figure J Dimensions for Figure K Dimensions for
Washer Hexagonal bolt Castle nut
a. Create all the components of the assembly as separate part files and save them
in the current working directory.

b. Assemble the U-Support with the default datum planes.

c. Assemble the Bushing with the U-Support by applying the assembly constraints
shown in Figure L. Assembly is shown in Figure M.

Figure L Constraints and the Figure M U-Support assembled

location to apply them with Bushing
 d. Assemble the next instance of the Bushing as shown in Figure N by using the
Repeat option.

e. Assemble the Pivot with the Bushing. The constraints are shown in Figure O.
The assembly is shown in Figure P.

Figure N Assembled Figure O Constraints and the Figure P Assembled view

Bushings and the U-Support location to apply them of the Pivot, U-Support,
and the Bushing
f. Suppress both Bushings and the Pivot.

g. Use the constraints shown in Figure Q and assemble the Bracket with the
assembly as shown in Figure R.

Figure Q Constraints and the Figure R Assembled

location to apply them view of the Bracket with
the U-Support
h. Assemble the Washer with the assembly as shown in Figure S.

i. Insert the Hexagonal bolt in the assembly as shown in Figure T.

Figure S Assembled view of the Figure T Assembly after assembling the

Washer with the Bracket hexagonal bolt
j. Similarly, assemble the other components.

k. Unsuppress the assembly. The complete assembly is shown in Figure U.

Figure U Complete assembly with

all the components
l. Create the exploded state of the assembly as shown in Figure V.

m. Create the offset lines in the exploded view of the assembly as shown in Figure W.

Figure V Exploded state of Figure W Displaying the offset

the assembly lines in the exploded state

n. Save the assembly and then close the window.

 Tutorial 2
In this tutorial you will create all the components of the Pedestal Bearing assembly
and then assemble them as shown in Figure A. You will also create the exploded
state shown in Figure B displaying the offset lines. The BOM is shown in Figure C.
The dimensions of the components are shown in Figure D through Figure G.
(Estimated time: 2 hrs)

Figure A Pedestal bearing assembly Figure B The exploded state of the

Pedestal Bearing
Figure C The Bill Of Material for Pedestal Bearing Figure D Dimensions
for Casting
Figure E Dimensions for Cap Figure F Dimensions for Brasses
Figure G Dimensions for the components of the
assembly
 a. Create all the components of the assembly as separate files and save them in
the current working directory.

b. Apply the assembly constraints (Figure H) and assemble the Casting with the
default datum planes (Figure I).

Figure H Constraints used for assembling Figure I After assembling the Cap with the
the components Casting
 c. Suppress the Cap from the assembly.

d. Apply the assembly constraints (Figure J) and assemble the Brasses with the
Casting (Figure K).

Figure J Constraints used for assembling the Figure K Inserting the Brasses in the
components assembly
e. Similarly, assemble the remaining components and then resume the
components that were suppressed earlier. The final assembly is shown in
Figure L.

f. Create an exploded state of the assembly (Figure M).

Figure L The final Pedestal Bearing Figure M The Exploded Pedestal

assembly Bearing assembly
g. Create the offset lines in the exploded view of the assembly as shown in
Figure N.

Figure N Exploded state of the

assembly displaying the offset lines

h. Save the assembly and then close the window.

 Exercise 1
In this exercise you will create all the components of the Crosshead assembly and
then assemble them as shown in Figure A. Also you will create an exploded state
shown in Figure B displaying the offset lines. The dimensions of the components are
shown in Figure C through Figure G. (Estimated time: 2 hrs)

Figure A The Crosshead Figure B The exploded state of

assembly Crosshead assembly
Figure C Front view and
the right side view of the
Body

Figure D Dimensions of Keep

Plate
Figure E Dimensions for Piston Rod Figure F Dimensions for the Brasses and
Bolt
Figure G Dimensions for Nut