Guide to Simulate the Driven Wheel and Geneva Mechanism Assembly in SolidWorks
Master multibody dynamics in SolidWorks with this Geneva mechanism tutorial. Ideal for beginners and students. Explore Skill-Lync's Full Course for hands-on training in MBD SolidWorks and simulations
Skill-Lync·19 Sept 2024·4 min read
Welcome to the next part of our Multibody Dynamics using SolidWorks series! In this guide, we will complete the driven wheel for the Geneva mechanism, assemble it with the driver, and prepare for multibody dynamics simulation. This blog will walk you through every step, including some fine adjustments needed for simulation success.
Step 1: Start a New Part in SolidWorks
To begin, let’s create a new part for the driven wheel:
- Open a New Part: Go to File > New > Part.
- Set Units to Millimeters: Make sure the unit system is set to millimeters.
- Select the Front Plane: Start a new sketch on the front plane.
Step 2: Sketching the Driven Wheel
We’ll now start creating the geometry for the driven wheel. The process involves drawing concentric circles and adding construction lines.
Draw Three Circles: Use the circle tool to create three concentric circles:
- First circle: 10 mm diameter.
- Second circle (set as construction geometry): 90 mm diameter.
- Third circle: 200 mm diameter.
- Draw a Line: Add a straight line starting at the origin and convert it into construction geometry.
- Bi-Directional Offset: Use the offset tool to create a bi-directional offset of 5.5 mm with capped arcs.
- Circular Pattern: Replicate this geometry by applying a circular pattern. Set the number of instances to five. If your sketch becomes underdefined, align the center of the pattern with the origin using the coincident constraint.
Step 3: Refining the Sketch
Now we will further refine the geometry by adding more construction lines and circles:
Angle Setup: Draw two construction lines from the origin at a 36° angle between them.
Perimeter Circle: Use the perimeter circle tool to create a circle connecting three key points from the geometry. Convert this to construction geometry.
Add a New Circle: Place another circle at the origin with a diameter of 106 mm.
Clean Up the Sketch: Trim any unnecessary geometry using the power trim tool.
Step 4: Extruding the Driven Wheel
With the sketch completed, let’s extrude the driven wheel into a 3D model:
Extrude the Sketch: Use the Extrude Boss/Base feature to extrude the sketch to a thickness of 10 mm.
Save the Part: Save the part as Geneva Driven.
Step 5: Assemble the Geneva Mechanism
Now that both parts—the driver and driven wheel—are ready, we’ll assemble them for multibody dynamics assembly.
Create a New Assembly: Open File > New > Assembly and add both parts into the workspace.
Mating Components:
Use mates to align the front planes of both components.
Align the axes of the driver and driven wheels using temporary axes for visibility.
Adding Coincident Mates: Align the front, right, and top planes of the driver and driven wheel. Use the mate tool to make the axes coincident.
Step 6: Fixing Overlaps and Setting Distances
To ensure smooth assembly motion, we need to prevent component overlap and ensure proper spacing.
Measure Center-to-Center Distance: Open the driver part and show the original sketch. Measure the center-to-center distance of the driver and driven wheels using the Evaluate > Measure tool.
Apply Distance Mate: Go back to the assembly and apply a distance mate using the measured value (111.02 mm). This will set the proper spacing between the driver and driven wheels.
Step 7: Final Adjustments for Assembly
Step 8: Motion Analysis Setup
With the assembly properly constrained, we’re ready to proceed with motion analysis in SolidWorks. We will simulate the interaction between the driver and driven wheel in the next part of the series, using multibody dynamics simulation.
Conclusion
This blog walked you through the steps of creating and assembling the driven wheel of the Geneva mechanism. We covered everything from sketching and extruding the part to assembling and constraining the components for a successful simulation. With these steps, you’ve now advanced your skills in multibody dynamics using SolidWorks.
If you want to explore more about SolidWorks simulation and multibody dynamics, check out Skill-Lync’s Full Course on SolidWorks Training and MBD Certification. This hands-on course is perfect for beginners and professionals alike, and it offers in-depth insights into solidworks simulation for mechanical engineering.
Stay tuned for the next episode, where we’ll dive into running the multibody dynamics simulation!
This blog is part of our ongoing series on Multibody Dynamics.
If you missed the previous posts, check them out here.
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