CSWP Advanced and Mechanical Mates 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which mechanical mate simulates a gear relationship between two rotating components by maintaining a fixed ratio of angular velocities?
- Rack and Pinion mate
- Gear mate (Correct answer)
- Hinge mate
- Cam mate
Correct answer: Gear mate
The Gear mate constrains two rotating parts so their angular velocities maintain a constant ratio defined by their pitch circle radii.
Question 2: When defining a Cam mate in SolidWorks, what geometry types are valid for the cam follower?
- Only flat faces
- Only cylindrical faces
- A point, line, or planar face tangent to the cam profile (Correct answer)
- Only circular edges
Correct answer: A point, line, or planar face tangent to the cam profile
The cam follower in a Cam mate can be a point, line, or flat face that remains tangent to the cam surface during motion.
Question 3: A Rack and Pinion mate requires which two geometric references to be specified?
- Two circular edges
- A linear edge for the rack and a cylindrical face for the pinion (Correct answer)
- Two cylindrical faces
- A planar face and a circular edge
Correct answer: A linear edge for the rack and a cylindrical face for the pinion
The Rack and Pinion mate links the linear translation of the rack (specified by a linear edge) to the rotation of the pinion (specified by a cylindrical or circular face).
Question 4: What does the 'Reverse' option do when configuring a Gear mate between two shafts?
- Swaps which shaft is the driver
- Changes the rotation direction so the shafts rotate in the same direction instead of opposite directions (Correct answer)
- Reverses the gear ratio
- Switches between angular and linear motion
Correct answer: Changes the rotation direction so the shafts rotate in the same direction instead of opposite directions
By default, meshing gears rotate in opposite directions; the Reverse option makes them rotate in the same direction, simulating an internal gear arrangement.
Question 5: Which advanced mate type is used to constrain a component so that it always maintains a specific angle relative to another component as both move?
- Width mate
- Angle mate with 'Flip Dimension' enabled (Correct answer)
- Profile Center mate
- Symmetric mate
Correct answer: Angle mate with 'Flip Dimension' enabled
An Angle mate with a defined value constrains the angular relationship between two components' reference planes or faces throughout motion.
Question 6: In a Width mate, what does SolidWorks center between the two 'width' faces?
- The center of mass of the assembly
- The tab component (selected faces) equidistant between the two width references (Correct answer)
- The coordinate origin of the assembly
- The mated component's bounding box center
Correct answer: The tab component (selected faces) equidistant between the two width references
A Width mate centers the selected tab faces of one component symmetrically between the two width-reference faces of another component.
Question 7: A Screw mate relates which two types of motion between components?
- Translation along X and translation along Y
- Rotation about an axis and translation along the same axis (Correct answer)
- Rotation about two different axes
- Translation along an axis and rotation about a perpendicular axis
Correct answer: Rotation about an axis and translation along the same axis
The Screw mate links axial rotation of one component to its axial translation, simulating lead-screw or threaded-fastener behavior.
CSWP Advanced and Mechanical Mates 2
Which mechanical mate simulates a gear relationship between two rotating components by maintaining a fixed ratio of angular velocities?