Assemblies
About assemblies
An assembly is a set of parts and sub-assemblies. Each part or sub-assembly in an assembly is a component. Meridian saves an assembly as a .massy file.
Make an assembly
- On the start page, click New Assembly.
- On the Assemble tab, click Place.
- Select a part or an assembly file.
- Put the component in the assembly.
- Do steps 2 to 4 again for each component.
- Ground one component so that it cannot move.
- Add mates to position the other components.
Component commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Place | Places a part or an assembly in the assembly. |
| Move | Moves a component. |
| Rotate | Rotates a component. |
| Ground | Locks or releases the position of a component. |
| Open Component | Opens the document of the selected component. |
| Copy, Paste | Copies the selected components and adds them to the assembly. |
| Replace Component | Replaces the selected component with a different part or assembly. |
| Component Pattern | Makes copies of a component in a circular or rectangular pattern. |
The move and rotate handles let you drag a component in the viewport.
Mates
A mate positions a component relative to another component. To add a mate, click Mate on the Assemble tab.
| Mate type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Coincident | Puts two items on one another. |
| Concentric | Gives two round items the same axis. |
| Distance | Keeps two items at a distance. |
| Angle | Keeps two items at an angle. |
| Fixed | Locks two components together. |
Exploded views
An exploded view moves the components apart in steps. It shows how the assembly goes together. To show or hide the exploded view, click Exploded View.
Bill of materials
To see the list of components and their quantities, click Bill of Materials. A drawing of an assembly can show a parts list with item balloons. Refer to Drawings.
Interference
To find components that overlap, select Inspect > Interference.
Missing components
If a component file is missing or cannot be read, the component stays in the assembly file. Meridian does not remove it from the file.
Simulation of assemblies
You can make structural studies of an assembly. Flow studies are for parts only. Refer to Structural simulation.
Import a STEP assembly
The command line can import a STEP file that has a product structure. The result is an assembly. Refer to Command line.