Substitute component

[Michel1978]

Every time I try to substitute a component in an assembly all or most of the assembly constraints fail to maintain.
Even when I copy a component and try to substitute with the new named identical copied version.
Is this normal?

I use NX5.

 

[RobLN]

I get the exact same thing when I use the substitute command - I've never seen NX5 update the assembly constraints automatically. Granted it is re-installed in exactly the right place but there is a white dot in the assembly tree where I think there should be a black one... Seems to defeat the object of selecting 'maintain mating' unless this has something to do with 'mating conditions' vs 'assembly constraints'... Maybe someone can explain.
Either way would be nice to just be able to take out one part with the same / simialr geometry and have most, if not all of the constraints survive. (Not that this ever worked in I-Deas either...)

 

[Michel1978]

Ok, nice to know (or actually not) that I'm not the only one with this problem. Strange that suchs a high end software package can not deal with this.
Solid edge and inventor do this way better.

I use NX5.

 

[BOPdesigner]

The way I understand it, the new component must have the same face, datum, edge or whatever you are using for the assembly constraints. Not just these same features appearance wise, but the same actual face, datum, edge identification number in the part file. If your new components truly is a revisied variant of the original, you should have better luck if you make that component the work part in the assembly, and then do a File -> Save As on the component. Then make your changes to the new component file. The component gets renamed in the ANT and your constraints will be maintained.

 

[JohnRBaker]

If you have an expectation that this part may be replaced later with a part which does NOT share a common ancestry you can also give user-defined names to the faces and edges used for your mating/positioning constraints. Then just give the same names to the appropriate faces and edges of the replacement component. This works great for things like standard parts such as screws and bolts where you build your part family masters parts with a common and consistent set of face and edge names for those parts of the model which will be used when creating mating/position constraints. Now the names do not have to be unique in the sense that you can only use them once in an entire assembly, they just have to be unique with respect to the two parts, the original one and one that is replacing it.

BTW, you assign names to such things as an edge or face by selecting it, pressing MB3 and selecting Properties.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[jerry1423]

I have a tip that may help you. I do not use the substitute command, and I have much better luck when it updates.
I am not at work right now, so I may screw up with the instructions:

1) Open up the assembly with the parts in it that will be replaced.
2) Go into the ANT and on the parts that you want replaced right click and "close part".
3) On those parts that are now closed right click on them again and do "open component as" and find the new part that will go in its place.
4) Save the part if all is good.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Note that starting with NX 6.0, both 'Substitute Component' and 'Open Component As' have been replaced by a single new function titled 'Replace Component'. This does not require that you first Close and then re-Open Part files, plus it also combines the menus and options of the two pre-NX 6.0 legacy functions onto a single new-style dialog.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.