Mastering SolidWorks: The Design Approach, 3rd Edition

Chapter 6

Assemblies

6.1 Introduction

Products are made up of components (parts) that are assembled together. We manufacture the parts first, and then we assemble them. Similarly, in CAD, we create the parts individually and assemble them to create an assembly model. An assembly is a collection of parts positioned and oriented correctly relative to each other. Assemblies can be created by assembling parts, subassemblies, or both. For example, a universal joint has four parts: center block, yoke, pin, and bushing. A car has many parts (e.g., tires and rims) and subassemblies (e.g., steering system and engine).

Assembly modeling is different from part modeling in multiple ways. The most distinctive differences pertain to mates and the assembly ...