• Fusion

Using contacts in the assembly

Use contacts between components to push or limit each other.


Tutorial resources

These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:


00:03

In Fusion, you can use contact sets to push or limit components by linking joints in an assembly.

00:10

Once contact sets are defined,

00:12

from the Browser, you can remove or apply contact sets to all bodies in the design, and suppress individual sets.

00:20

In this example, the drill press shown has no motion limits on the assembly, so it can have components that pass through one another.

00:28

One method of establishing a range of motion for the assembly is to use contact sets.

00:34

On the Design workspace toolbar, Assemble tab, expand Assemble and select Enable Contact Sets.

00:42

Contact sets enable the assembly to move freely until selected components come in contact with one another.

00:49

Then, the motion is limited by their interface.

00:53

You can also Enable All Contact, but unless it is a very small assembly, this can be prohibitive and slow performance dramatically.

01:01

In the Browser, right-click the Contact sets folder and select New Contact Set.

01:07

This opens a new dialog, where you select each member of the contact set.

01:12

First, create a contact set to establish how far down the drill chuck can go.

01:18

Select the top component, which is the Shaft carrier, and then the top of the Carriage, which is the sheet metal component.

01:25

Click OK to create the contact set.

01:28

In the Browser, under the Contact sets folder, you now see a ContactSet.

01:34

In the model, move the handle down, and it stops at the top of the carriage.

01:39

However, move the handle up, and the chuck extends through the carriage.

01:44

Right-click and create another New Contact Set.

01:48

This time, select the drill chuck and the lower bearing.

01:54

Click OK.

01:56

Contact sets can be renamed as needed; which is helpful in a large assembly.

02:01

Move the handle up and down again.

02:04

Now, it stops at full depth and at full retraction.

02:09

If you create a contact set and move the part too fast or continue to push through, in certain cases, parts may pass through each other.

02:18

If that happens, just pull the model back up to its original position quickly,

02:22

then move the part more slowly to help ensure that the contact is made.

02:27

Revert the position.

02:30

When you place the pointer over the Contact sets folder in the Browser, you see two icons:

02:37

Disable All Contact turns off contact analysis for all components

02:41

and Enable All Contact activates contact analysis for all components in the design.

02:47

For individual contact sets, you can use the Suppress icon to suppress the contact set.

02:53

Note that these options are also available in the context menu of each contact set.

02:59

For example, if you right-click and Suppress the first set, you can move the handle all the way down and the contact is ignored.

03:07

Revert the position and Unsuppress the contact set.

03:12

Contact sets can be used in several different ways to actuate mechanisms or to limit mechanisms.

03:19

The use of contact sets is intended to replicate what will happen in the real world within your digital design.

Video transcript

00:03

In Fusion, you can use contact sets to push or limit components by linking joints in an assembly.

00:10

Once contact sets are defined,

00:12

from the Browser, you can remove or apply contact sets to all bodies in the design, and suppress individual sets.

00:20

In this example, the drill press shown has no motion limits on the assembly, so it can have components that pass through one another.

00:28

One method of establishing a range of motion for the assembly is to use contact sets.

00:34

On the Design workspace toolbar, Assemble tab, expand Assemble and select Enable Contact Sets.

00:42

Contact sets enable the assembly to move freely until selected components come in contact with one another.

00:49

Then, the motion is limited by their interface.

00:53

You can also Enable All Contact, but unless it is a very small assembly, this can be prohibitive and slow performance dramatically.

01:01

In the Browser, right-click the Contact sets folder and select New Contact Set.

01:07

This opens a new dialog, where you select each member of the contact set.

01:12

First, create a contact set to establish how far down the drill chuck can go.

01:18

Select the top component, which is the Shaft carrier, and then the top of the Carriage, which is the sheet metal component.

01:25

Click OK to create the contact set.

01:28

In the Browser, under the Contact sets folder, you now see a ContactSet.

01:34

In the model, move the handle down, and it stops at the top of the carriage.

01:39

However, move the handle up, and the chuck extends through the carriage.

01:44

Right-click and create another New Contact Set.

01:48

This time, select the drill chuck and the lower bearing.

01:54

Click OK.

01:56

Contact sets can be renamed as needed; which is helpful in a large assembly.

02:01

Move the handle up and down again.

02:04

Now, it stops at full depth and at full retraction.

02:09

If you create a contact set and move the part too fast or continue to push through, in certain cases, parts may pass through each other.

02:18

If that happens, just pull the model back up to its original position quickly,

02:22

then move the part more slowly to help ensure that the contact is made.

02:27

Revert the position.

02:30

When you place the pointer over the Contact sets folder in the Browser, you see two icons:

02:37

Disable All Contact turns off contact analysis for all components

02:41

and Enable All Contact activates contact analysis for all components in the design.

02:47

For individual contact sets, you can use the Suppress icon to suppress the contact set.

02:53

Note that these options are also available in the context menu of each contact set.

02:59

For example, if you right-click and Suppress the first set, you can move the handle all the way down and the contact is ignored.

03:07

Revert the position and Unsuppress the contact set.

03:12

Contact sets can be used in several different ways to actuate mechanisms or to limit mechanisms.

03:19

The use of contact sets is intended to replicate what will happen in the real world within your digital design.

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