Working Dial Indicator in Solidworks 1

[tazznchop]

I was wondering if this is possible to do in solidworks.

I am an understudy and I am helping design a curriculum for a GD&T class. I have spent the better part of the last two month designing jigs, fixtures, and parts to use in the new curriculum. However we would like to incorporate solidworks into the class.

What I am looking to do is make a working dial indicator that say if we are checking for flatness the student will drag either the indicator or part and will visualize and record the data to check to see if it is in tolerance.

I can do this with the solidworks animator but want the students to get a better feel. Is there possibly a plug-in or a way to make a digital readout or something. Any suggestions on where I might get started will be helpful, or even a it is not possible would be nice to hear.

Chris

 

[Theophilus]

Is this for creating an illustration or animation or for seeing within SolidWorks in real-time when dragging the dial indicator through an assembly? If the latter, you'll have to create an interesting surface (non-flat) for it to change along the way.

Perhaps look into Simulation as a means of seeing the dial indicator move while dragging in real-time?

The dial indicator will probably need a set of gear mates if you want to translate linear displacement into a dial display. I really don't know if you'll get such a thing to work real-time in an assembly or not.

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe trumps reason.

 

[SBaugh]

Using a Cam mate would allow you to let the indicator run over the surface and if you have it mated right you could possbile make something like that work. You would have to know the gear ratio to make the indicator needle show correctly on the dial.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[tazznchop]

Thanks guys, first off from Theophilus, I am wanting it in realtime, and was hoping to using the assembly. Thansk Sbaugh, that is really all I really need to know, that it is possible.

Thanks
Chris

 

[mncad]

If you look at a Starret "Last Word" indicator they don't even use gears. The spindle that the dial is on has a helical groove around the OD and then the arm from the tip of the indicator lays in that groove. As the tip of the indicator goes up the arm comes down causing the dial to rotate. That could be modeled fairly easy with a Swept Cut and assembled with a cam follower mate. Hardest part would be calculating the ratio of the helical groove to the slashes on the dial. A few checks in the assembly could make that easier though.

mncad