Assembly Motion and Detection Flashcards

In a SolidWorks assembly, what does a 'LimitAngle' mate do when applied between two components?

Answer: Restricts angular rotation between two components within defined minimum and maximum values

A LimitAngle mate allows angular motion between two components but constrains it within a user-defined minimum and maximum angle range.

Which SolidWorks tool would you use to visualize the swept volume of a moving component during animation?

Answer: Motion Study Results

Motion Study Results can generate plots and traces showing the path and swept volume of components during animation.

When setting up a gear mate in SolidWorks, what input is required to define the gear ratio?

Answer: The ratio of angular velocities between the two gear axes

A gear mate uses the ratio of angular velocities (or equivalently pitch radii) to define how rotation of one gear drives the other.

In SolidWorks Motion Analysis, what is a 'spring' element used for?

Answer: Simulating elastic force proportional to relative displacement between two components

A spring element applies a force proportional to the displacement between two attachment points, simulating elastic behavior.

Which mate type is used in SolidWorks to simulate a rack-and-pinion mechanism?

Answer: Rack Pinion Mate

The Rack Pinion Mate links linear translation of a rack component to the rotation of a pinion component.

In Collision Detection, what happens when 'Stop at collision' is enabled during manual component dragging?

Answer: SolidWorks stops the drag motion when the component contacts another body

With 'Stop at collision' enabled, SolidWorks halts the drag operation the moment the dragged component makes contact with another component.

What is the purpose of the 'Physical Dynamics' option in SolidWorks assembly dragging?

Answer: It allows dragged components to push other components using contact forces

Physical Dynamics causes components to push, rotate, and interact with each other during manual dragging, simulating real contact dynamics.

In SolidWorks Motion Study, what does 'Animation' type allow compared to 'Basic Motion'?

Answer: Animation only moves components along mate-driven paths without physics, while Basic Motion includes approximate physics

Animation type moves components according to defined key positions and does not calculate physical forces, while Basic Motion includes gravity, springs, and contact approximations.

A cam mate in SolidWorks requires which geometric elements to define the cam-follower relationship?

Answer: A cam surface profile and a follower face or point

A cam mate requires a cam profile surface and a follower element (face or point) that remains in contact as the cam rotates.

Which of the following correctly describes a 'Screw Mate' in SolidWorks?

Answer: It couples linear translation along an axis to rotation about that same axis

A Screw Mate links linear displacement along an axis to angular rotation about that axis, simulating helical (screw) motion.

When using Interference Detection with the option 'Create fastener folder' enabled, what happens to detected interferences involving fasteners?

Answer: Interference results involving fasteners are grouped separately in the results tree

The 'Create fastener folder' option groups fastener-related interference results into a dedicated folder in the Interference Detection results, making them easier to manage.

In Motion Analysis, what is a 'damper' element primarily used to simulate?

Answer: A force that resists relative velocity between two components, dissipating kinetic energy

A damper element applies a force proportional to relative velocity, representing energy-dissipating behavior such as hydraulic or viscous damping.

When running Collision Detection during a Motion Study, which solver must be active?

Answer: Basic Motion or Motion Analysis solver

Collision detection during motion studies requires either the Basic Motion or Motion Analysis solver, as the Animation solver does not calculate contact.

In a SolidWorks assembly, which mate would you use to keep a ball always tangent to the inside of a curved track surface?

Answer: Tangent mate

A Tangent mate constrains two surfaces or edges to remain tangent, keeping the ball in continuous contact with the curved track surface.

In SolidWorks, what does a 'Path Mate' constrain?

Answer: A point on a component to follow a defined curve or edge path

A Path Mate constrains a selected vertex or point on a component to travel along a specified sketch curve or model edge.

Which setting in the Path Mate controls how the component orients itself as it travels along the path?

Answer: Free, Follow Path, or Up vector options

The Path Mate orientation options — Free, Follow Path, or Up Vector — control whether the component's orientation is unconstrained, aligned to the path tangent, or constrained to a fixed direction.

What is the primary difference between 'Clearance Verification' and 'Interference Detection' in SolidWorks assemblies?

Answer: Clearance Verification checks gaps between components, while Interference Detection finds overlapping volumes

Interference Detection finds volumes where components physically overlap, while Clearance Verification identifies components that are closer than a specified minimum gap distance.

In Motion Analysis, if you want to apply a motor that drives a component at a constant angular velocity, which motor type should you select?

Answer: Rotary motor with constant velocity profile

A Rotary Motor set to a constant velocity profile drives a component at a fixed angular speed, maintaining that speed throughout the simulation.

When does SolidWorks flag a mate as 'over-defined' in an assembly?

Answer: When the combined mates remove more degrees of freedom than the component has

An over-defined condition occurs when the set of mates applied to a component constrains more degrees of freedom than exist, creating conflicting geometric requirements.

Which SolidWorks feature allows you to move a sub-assembly's components independently of its parent assembly mates during design review?

Answer: Flexible Sub-assembly

Setting a sub-assembly to 'Flexible' allows its internal mates to drive motion, so components inside can move relative to the parent assembly.