Constraining Content Center Components in Autodesk Inventor - An Alternate Way

Recently, I've been doing a lot of work with content center lately.  I've been building content, publishing content, and fixing content.

It can be tedious, but it can also be a lot of fun.

But there's one trick I've picked up in my travels.  It's how to constrain content, in particular custom content, a little more quickly than by using the standard method.

Now before I get started, one disclaimer.  I'm using standard content to demo my blog, I didn't have customer content center fasteners I could share with you, so I had to borrow the standard.

Since I'm using standard content, I also I know I could use Autodrop, but the point was to show an alternative.  All I ask is you bear with me on the standard content part.

So with that said, it's time to get started.

Of course you'll need to place your content from the browser.

Selecting content to place

2) When the fastener previews, right click and choose the size you want to place.

Choosing the size of your content center fastener

3) Next left click to place your fastener, but here's the trick.  Without you even knowing it, the insert constrain is active.  Before you left click to place the next fastener, left click under the head of the fastener you wan to place.

Selecting under the head of the fastener

4) Now select the mating hole, the insert constraint will be created!

Completing the constraint with a second click on the mating hole

5) All that's left is to repeat the steps if you have multiple fasteners!  You don't have to exit the command!

Repeating the step for multiple fasteners. 

So give it a try if you have content you're using, particularly custom content.  I've found it helps me out, I hope it does the same for you!

Thin Walled Inserts - Threads Screwed into Threads

This post is a bit more "manufacturing focused" than CAD focused.  It was brought on by my most recent experience in design.

I wasn't exposed them as much as I would have liked in college, so I like to share that newly acquired knowledge of mine with the world out there.

So what have I learned about most recently?

Threaded inserts.  I've been spending a lot of time working with them in the last year or so.

A Fusion 360 rendering of a thin wall insert. 

Most of us have probably used helical coil inserts, which most of us know by their trade name, Helicoil.

By The original uploader was Boellhoff at German Wikipedia - Transferred from de.wikipedia to Commons by MichaelFrey using CommonsHelper., Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7363606

But recently, I had to use "thin wall" inserts, designed to meet the MIL-I-45932/1 standard.  If you like, you can download that standard here.

A real image of thin wall inserts. Image from Acme Industrial.

They're a new experience for me.  I hadn't worked with them before.  I had only installed the  aforementioned helical coil insert.

We use them to reinforce holes in aluminum castings.  Stainless steel inserts provide a more durable interface for the hardware to fit into, and makes it easier to assemble and disassemble without wearing the threads as quickly.

The thin wall inserts have the extra advantages of using standard threads, so they don't require any thread making tools.

They also work when there isn't a lot of edge distance to play with, such as a flange.  Where using too big of an insert risks weakening the interior all.

The downside is that, at least from what I'm told, these are tougher to put in.  You can't twist them in like a Helicoil.  They have to be threaded in, then the collar has to be expanded with a special tool, and a bit of skill is required to keep from damaging the surface, or the insert itself.

For the steps to install a thin wall insert, he's a nice "shop video" from Acme Industrial.



There are so many things to learn, and such little time.  I hope this little blurb is something you find helpful!

As always, here's the embeded Fusion 360 model that I always have so much fun including!

Old Technology Flashback - The Boeing P-26 "Peashooter"

This Friday's post is just a video of old technology.  It's just a fun way to look back on how things were, "once upon a time".

Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, Ca. USA, has a restored, 1930s vintage, Boeing P-26A Peashooter

The P-26 outside its hanger at Planes of Fame  

It still starts in the same way it did in the 1930s when it was a front line fighter.

With an inertial starter.  You can find a brief blip on the technology at this Wikipedia link!

That means spinning up a flywheel, and using the flywheel to turn the engine and get that precious first spark!

But a mere description doesn't do the old technology justice.

Check out the video below!  Those guys had to be in incredible shape!

Modifying an Non-Fusion 360 part in Fusion 360

Just a tick over a year ago, I tried an experiment to build a 3D model of the aileron horn Spanish BF-109.  Then I printed it in 3D to prove the concept.

The original part, and the 3D printed part, side by side

You can read that post here. 

The model of the horn. 

And the concept was proven.

But in that experiment, I found that there was another challenge.

I had to measure the part by hand.  Naturally, that creates the opportunity for error.  And of course, I made an error.  I mis-measured one dimension, and the part was too tall.

Now, at home, I primarily use Fusion 360, simply because it's what I have access to on my personal laptop.

But that raised an interesting scenario to me.

What if you don't have access to the technology that created the software, but still need to make modifications to increase the manufacturability of the product, or perhaps there's feed back that needs to get back to the designers.

Well, here I found myself, wanting to make a few modifications to the aileron horn, but my Inventor installation is 20 miles away on my work computer.

It's time to see what Fusion 360 will do for me.  I can modify the solid, and I don't need access to the feature tree to do it.

I've brought the model into Fusion 360, but let's look at the mis-measured dimension I mentioned earlier.

I'm going to shorten the top flange, and rotate it a few degrees for good measure.

Let's start by right clicking and choosing the Move command.

Let's get moving!

Now comes the selection part.  For this operation, I'm going to choose the faces option.  I'll also choose my center of rotation as the tube supporting the flange.  Notice that you can also translate or rotate the triad, or snap it to existing geometry.

Now comes the selection of geometry to rotate.  That translates into selecting the faces you want to rotate. I'll choose the holes, and all the faces I wan to rotate.

Choosing the faces to rotate. 

And don't forget any back faces too!  Missing one can fail the operation!

Don't forget any back faces! 

Now comes the time to rotate and translate the part.  This can be done by selecting the appropriate translation arrow, or rotation radius for the operation, and dragging or typing in a value.

An example of rotating the flange

Now by dragging the grips, or typing a value, the flange position can be changed to exactly what is needed.

The part after accepting the change.

So here's how Fusion 360 helped me out.  I was able to make the modifications I wanted when I didn't have access to the authoring program, in this case Autodesk Inventor.

The part before, and the part after.  

But the file could have just as easily been from one of several types.  So there are certainly more options to explore!