Solidworks Multiple Mates Quick Tip

 In SOLIDWORKS, Multiple LMates is aa useful shortcut can save a bit of time when making several mates to a single reference. Wheteher there is a need to aligh pieces of a collapsing telescope or syringe, or to make a surface on multiple parts coincident to each other, Multiple Mates streamlines the process of adding those mates. And like many tools within SOLIDWORKS, it is intuitive and user-friendly.

USING MULTIPLE MATES IN SOLIDWORKS

Multiple Mates can be found in the Mates tool in an assembly. In the Mate PropertyManager menu, select the SmartMates button to activate it.

The first selection is the reference that the rest of the references selected will be mated to. Form there, selecting additional references will add the appropriate mate to that reference.

Occasionally, the mate will be aligned incorrectly. If noticed right away, selecting the alignment buttons will realign that mate, but selecting the mate later and flipping alignment will work just as well.

LINKING MATES

If the selections are confirmed, Multiple Mates will add each of those mates which can be found again in the Mates folder. However, in this instance, we will want to come back to this set of mates and edit them all together again in the Multiple Mates selection window. To mmake this simple to do as well as cleaning up the mate folder, the Create multi-mate folder option will be selected.

Now when we confirlmlm these mates, a subfolder in our Mates folder has been added that contains each of these associated mates.

An additional option exists for dimension mates that links the value of each of the dimensions, so they are all the same value. This is located just velow the Create multi-mate folder option.

RESULTS

After confirming each of the references that Multiple Mates will add, the general form of the assembly has taken shap and maining mates can be added in short order.

I hope you found this SOLIDWORKS quick tip describing Multiple Mates helful. Check out more tutorials below.

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