Flexible Sub-Assemblies
By default, when you create
a sub-assembly, it is rigid. Within the parent assembly, the
sub-assembly acts as a single unit and its components do not move relative
to each other.
However, you can make sub-assemblies flexible. This allows movement
of the individual components of a sub-assembly within the parent assembly.
An example of the benefit of this function is when you want to move
the components of a piston sub-assembly in a motor assembly. You can move
the individual components of the piston while still grouping the components
as a sub-assembly.
Please note the following regarding flexible sub-assemblies:
Mates.
The mates in a flexible sub-assembly are solved simultaneously with the
mates of the parent assembly. Therefore, moving or rotating a sub-assembly
component does not violate the mates in the sub-assembly or its parent.
A component moves only within its degrees of freedom according to its
mates.
Multiple
Instances. You can insert more than one instance of the sub-assembly
in the same configuration of the parent assembly. You can make some instances
rigid and others flexible, and the different instances can have different
positions of the sub-assembly components.
To make a sub-assembly flexible:
-
Right-click a sub-assembly in the FeatureManager design tree and
select Component
Properties.
The Component Properties
dialog box appears.
Under Solve as, select Flexible,
then click OK.
In the FeatureManager design tree, the icon changes to 
to indicate that the sub-assembly is flexible.
Related Topics
Moving a Component
Rotating a Component