Assembly Modeling for product design and analysis

Most engineered products - from pencil sharpeners to aircraft engines - are assembled units. During product design and development, designers traditionally consider not only functionality but also ease of manufacture of individual components and parts. However, little attention is given to those aspects of design that will facilitate assembly of parts. Assembly-related problems are typically discovered on the shop floor when it is either too late or too expensive to remedy them. Given the underemphasis on assembly design, this paper examines the current approach to teaching assembly design/drafting in the mechanical/manufacuring engineering technology graphics curriculum. It presents an alternate approach in which the focus is shifted from assembly drafting to assembly design. Assembly modelers, which facilitate the construction,modification and analysis of complex assemblies, are a critical component in the assembly design process. These modules are found in many parametric solid modelers, including Pro/ENGINEER, Solid Works, and Mechanical Desktop.