How to manage deformable components ?

[FL_9682192]

Hello guys,

I have a customer request and I think it is quite common but I'm struggling to advice him on what to do:

How to manage deformable components in Windchill ?

They use Catia connected to Windchill PDMLink and they want to manage certain types of deformable components (harnesses or strings for example) in their several representations (starting position, compressed position, released position) under a unique Part Number.

I was thinking that it could be handled only with representations attached to the WTPart but I'm not sure that it would be enough.

How would you manage this in Windchill ?

Tnkas in advance for your feedback.

Regards,

Florent

[MikeLockwood]

This is a universal need, not specific to CATIA.  Looking forward to answers that are posted.

Could consider as:

- same part / sub assy can exist in different shapes (e.g. the same cable wrapped different ways)

- a component actually gets deformed during assembly (e.g. an o-ring or gasket gets compressed, or a spring gets stretched)

For the second one (e.g. a o-ring, gasket, spring) Creo Parametric has very elegant functionality to apply this deformation only in the assembly, resulting in not creating any additional models (termed: Flexibility).  To use, it's necessary to model the component with those dimension(s) "flexible" so requires some planning.

[joe_morton · Accepted solution]

They want a different part number for the deformed component?

I think a more typical use case would be storing all deformed permutations under a single part number, since it is the same part that would be ordered. In that case, Windchill allows you to link one WTPart to multiple models using the Image link. 

I've never used CATIA. In Creo, there is also the option within a single model to create multiple "representations" that can appear differently. All will be linked to the same part number as they are all the same model. 

[FL_9682192]

Actually they want a single part number. This was my concern: how to manage different "3D models" under one part number.

But following your answer, I have 2 solutions:

1- Different CAD Documents related to the same WTPart (image link)

2- Only one CAD Document that gather all the "configurations" of the defromable component.

For solution 2-, I need to know how they manage in CATIA their models and I think the solution will come from this.

Thank you very much for your answer !