1. 33nd CATIA Forum Moving from Component to a Product
CAD services

2. Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services
Index
Key features
Use case
Get a Product from a Component
Motivation
CATIA Options
General procedure
Additional information
11/2/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

3. Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services
KEY FEATURES
Component
It is an option to arrange instances within an assembly
Useful for creating a tree structure for large assemblies
It behaves exactly as an Assembly
It does not generate a separate file, saving its information under the first parent Assembly upstream.
6 Component1
4 Component2
3 Component3
8 ComponentN
BOM
Top Product 3D
Component1
Component2
ComponentN …
BOM Transparent
Product
(Small piece of paper behind)
Component
(Nothing behind the couple of gears)
But…
Cannot be saved independently.
It makes the understanding of the whole assembly more clear.
Behaves as an assembly  means it has to be constrained internally the same way as a sub-assembly + constrained at product level
SmarTeam transparent.
BOM transparent.
Cannot be opened in a new window.
Cannot be used into another Assembly (will be explained later).
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

4. Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services
USE CASE
Reasons to work with components
Assembly with lots of first-level dependencies
Show different design study options under the same file when scenes are not applicable (temporary solution)
Facilitate selection of multiple elements
There are specific elements repeated several times:
Nuts
Screws …
Work decisions leading to go for components.
Primary reason is when the user has lots of first-level dependencies
There are a few design options
There are lots of same-kind elements instantiated, such as nuts, screws,…
Work-based decision
It makes easier to work under some circumstances, without creating additional data in SmarTeam.
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

5. GET A PRODUCT FROM A COMPONENT
MAIN MOTIVATION
Complex Component tree structure created.
Reusing the structure created into another assembly
Complex Structure (Work independently)
Simplify the BOM …
Enable creation of intermediate level drawings
(if the mounting sequence evolves for instance)
Moving from Component to Product. Justified by…
Complex Component – Structure involves lots of items at product level in SmarTeam.
Complex Component so it would be eventually better to work on it independently.
Reuse it into another models
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

6. GET A PRODUCT FROM A COMPONENT
MAIN MOTIVATION
Complex Component tree structure created.
Reusing the structure created into another assembly
Reuse the structure in other assembly
Simplify the BOM …
Moving from Component to Product. Justified by…
Complex Component – Structure
Complex Component so it would be eventually better to work on it independently.
Reuse it into another models
Actually it is possible… but it requires that the original assembly where the component was created is opened in session.
Source component and copied component will be completely independent from each other.
Modifications performed on the source component will not be propagated to the copied component
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

7. GET A PRODUCT FROM A COMPONENT
MAIN MOTIVATION
Complex Component tree structure created.
Reusing the structure created into another assembly
Makes the BOM simpler
Simplify the BOM …
Moving from Component to Product. Justified by…
Complex Component – Structure
Complex Component so it would be eventually better to work on it independently.
Reuse it into another models
No direct way to “switch”
There is no direct option to transform a component into an assembly
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

8. GET A PRODUCT FROM A COMPONENT
CREATE AN EQUIVALENT PRODUCT STRUCTURE
Best approach:
In the Component Tree structure (CTS) to be replicated…
Create a new Product underneath every existing component
Copy/Paste New Products outside the CTS in equivalent relative position
Starting
point
Remove the New products under Component-Structure
Creating inside each Component a Product ensures both will have same axis origin and position
(2) Replicate the component tree-structure
Top Product
Component1
Component2
Subproduct2 3D
Subproduct1
(3) Delete the New products from comp.-structure
In the context of
Each component!
Top Product
Component1 3D
Component2
Subproduct1
Subproduct2
The step one allows to have the same axis origin between each Product and its corresponding Component.
With the Drag & Drop option enabled in CATIA, this step is really simple and quick.
Do not forget to remove the created subproducts in the component tree structure.
(1) Create a new Product below any component
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

9. GET A PRODUCT FROM A COMPONENT
PLACE THE DATA UNDER NEW PRODUCTS
Best approach: For every group of dependencies in the same level in the CTS…
Copy/Paste each group in the equivalent Product Structure level
Once done, remove the complete CTS.
Starting
point
Save it in SmarTeam
Copy/Paste!
Top Product
Component1
Component2
Subproduct2 3D
Subproduct1
(2/3) Remove the complete CTS + Save in SmarTeam
Everything will be moved, not only constraints but also features,…
(1) Copy/Paste dependencies in the Product structure
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Some final considerations…
It is not a transformation
We are moving the data from a Component structure to a Product Structure.
These strategy can be useful under specific circumstances
Complex structure created, BOM Modification, reusing,...
Is there any way to reuse a component in another assembly?
Yes, it is possible, as long as the original Assembly where it was created is open in session.
To be written: Axis origin – Main reason for introduce the Subproduct in the component
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services

11. Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services
Special thanks to Alberto who did this presentation We wish him a prompt recovery ! Thank you!! Questions?
02/11/2019
Alberto Ortiz Delgado - CAD Services