Creating kinematic mechanisms of CATIA assemblies can be a useful tool for many reasons, including determining clash, range of motion, and tracking measurements. By default, kinematic commands are independent of each other. As you modify the command value of one component, any other commands in the mechanism are not modified. It can be tedious to include another command in the mechanism to move at the correct rate relative to another. Read on to learn more and watch this short video.
A Gear Joint can be created to relate one Revolute Joint to another Revolute Joint. This will allow one Kinematic Joint to move at a defined rate relative to another joint. Through the gear joint, we can define the direction of the spin, the direction of the Revolute Joints relative to each other (same or opposite), the ratio, and which joint will be moving the other.
With an assembly of a clock face, we have two components (minute and hour hands) that have commands applied to them. The commands are independent of each other, but that is not realistic or precise. Applying a Gear Joint to the commands in the mechanism allows the motion of the components to be applied realistically and modified easily.
This topic (and more!) is covered in the Rand 3D training class, DMU Kinematics.
Visit www.Rand3D.com for a complete list of courses.
