Engineering Connection Definition

The engineering connection is made of a set of constraints between components such as Product, 3D Part or 3D Shape, where a typed-relation is defined which takes into account kinematics relation.

The engineering connection can be also involved in Functional Tolerancing & Annotation feature creation in an assembly context in order to contain PLM information. In this case, the engineering connection appears as empty.

In this section:

Definition

Engineering connection definition. The engineering connection is defined by:

  • A set of components,
  • An orientation or not,
  • A set of constraints.

The engineering connection can be defined:

  • On one component (Product or 3D Part).
  • Between two components:
    • Product/Product,
    • Product/3D Part,
    • Product/3D Shape,
    • 3D Part/3D Part,
    • 3D Part/3D Shape.
      Important:

      The 3D Shape representation directly under the active product is always seen as fixed in an engineering connection. In this case only the other component is repositioned during the PLM update process.

  • Between three components (any combination of Product and/or 3D Part).

The engineering connection orientation means that one component will be repositioned relatively to the other component during the PLM update process, in order to respect the engineering connection definition. This orientation can be changed or left undefined.

The engineering connection feature always appears in the specification tree:

  • Under the Engineering Connections node of the active product:
    • Names of affected products are displayed in the label.
    • Orientation of the engineering connection is identified by -> between product names.

      If no orientation is defined, products names are separated by a comma.

  • As reminder, under the repositionable component in an oriented engineering connection. The name of the connected component is displayed.
  • As reminder, under both components in a non oriented engineering connection. The name of the connected component is displayed.

Regular Engineering Connection

A regular engineering connection is an engineering connection created between the child products of the active product.

Example 1




  • Root_Product is the active product.
  • An engineering connection has been created between the representation of Product_C.1 and the representation of Product_D.1 (Product_A.1 can be repositioned).
  • The engineering connection appears under the Engineering Connections node of Root_Product (active product) and under the Connections of Product_A.1 node as a reminder (child and affected product of the active product that can be repositioned during the PLM update process).

Example 2




  • Root_Product is the active product.
  • An engineering connection has been created between the representation of Product_C.1 and the representation of Product_D.1 (Product_D.1 can be repositioned).
  • The engineering connection appears under the Engineering Connections node of Root_Product (active product) and under the Connections of Product_D.1 node as a reminder (child and affected product of the active product that can be repositioned during the PLM update process).

Example 3




  • Root_Product is the active product.
  • An engineering connection has been created between the representation of Product_C.1 and the representation of Product_D.1 (Product_D.1 or Product_A.1 can be repositioned).
  • The engineering connection appears under the Engineering Connections node of Root_Product (active product) and under the Connections of Product_D.1 and Connections of Product_A.1 nodes as a reminder (child and affected product of the active product that can be repositioned during the PLM update process).

Contextual Engineering Connection

A contextual engineering connection is an engineering connection created between a child product of the active product and a product that does not belong to the active product.

Important:
  • Only the component belonging to the active product can be repositioned during the PLM update process.
  • You cannot create a contextual engineering connection with flexible products.
  • The contextual engineering connection defines the context information.

Example




  • Product_A is the active product.
  • An engineering connection has been created between the representation of Product_C.1 and the representation of Product_D.1, (Product_C.1 can be repositioned).
  • The contextual engineering connection appears under the Product_A (active product) and under Product_C.1 as a reminder (child and affected product of the active product that can be repositioned during the PLM update process).

When you edit the contextual engineering connection links, you can see that Root_Product is the context of UserDefined.1.



Working with Flexible Product (Positional Mechanical Reference)

A flexible product is a product set as Positional Mechanical Reference (PMR).

Child products in a flexible product may be repositioned according to their parent product, and engineering connections can be created between them.

When you instantiate a flexible product, its repositionable products can be moved or constrained independently from other flexible product instances.

Instantiating a flexible product containing engineering connections, or creating engineering connections in an already instantiated flexible product:


  • Creates an engineering connection instance of the flexible product engineering connection reference, under the Engineering Connections node of the parent product of the flexible product.
  • Displays an engineering connection reminder under the Connection of xxx node of the flexible product.

The aim of this engineering connection instance is to take into account the flexible product engineering connection reference during the PLM update process, especially when you create engineering connection with repositionable products of the flexible product.

Important:
  • Engineering connection instance and engineering connection reminder are the same feature.
  • No engineering connection instance will be created from a contextual engineering connection involving flexible products.
  • If you set as flexible, products involved in a contextual engineering connection, this contextual engineering connection will generate an error during the PLM update process.
  • You cannot edit an engineering connection instance or an engineering connection reminder.
  • If you delete an engineering connection instance or an engineering connection reminder, it will be recreated during the PLM update process.
  • If you delete the engineering connection reference of the flexible product, its engineering connection instance and engineering connection reminder will be deleted during the PLM update process.
  • When an instantiated product is set as flexible and already contains a Fix in Space constraint, an engineering connection reminder appears under the active product. This does not mean that the product instance is constrained as Fix in Space in the active product.

Example 1

Setting as flexible a product with an engineering connection.



A the beginning, Product_A contains an engineering connection between Product_B and Product_C: UserDefined.1(Product_C.1 > Product_B.1)



In the example above Product_B is set as repositionable in Product_A:


  • For Root_Product: UserDefined.1 of Product_A.1 appears under the Engineering Connections node of the Root_Product and is the engineering connection instance.
  • For Product_B: UserDefined.1 of Product_A.1 under the Connections of Product_A.1 node of the repositionable product is the engineering connection reminder.

Example 2

Creating an engineering connection between a product and a repositionable product in a flexible product.



cdc

In the example above:


  • Root_Product is the active product,
  • Product_A is a flexible product and Product_C is repositionable
  • An engineering connection reference has been created between the representation of Product_C.1 and the representation of Product_D.1,
  • The engineering connection instance appears under the Root_Product (active product) and under Product_C.1 as a reminder (child and affected product of the active product that can be repositioned during the PLM update process).

Reordering Engineering Connections when Modifying Assembly Structure

You can modify your assembly structure and thus engineering connection in relation with moved components are automatically reordered.



Product_D has been moved using drag & drop under the Product_A.

The engineering connection between a geometrical element of Product_B and a geometrical element of Product_D has been relocated under the Product_A where all affected products are located.

Important:
  • This functionality is only available with positioning engineering connections, not with engineering connections of 3D Functional Tolerancing & Annotations for example.
  • This functionality is not available with flexible product.
  • Engineering connection links are not rerouted for:
    • Product moved out of the affected context.
    • Product opened out of assembly context.
  • When an engineering connection change from Regular to Contextual or Contextual to Regular, all affected products are switched into Edit mode.