Standard mates (coincident, concentric, distance) in Solidworks - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Standard mates (coincident, concentric, distance)

Business Question

How do standard mates like coincident, concentric, and distance affect the assembly alignment and spacing in SolidWorks?

Sample Data: Assembly Components and Mates

Component	Mate Type	Reference Geometry	Mate Value (mm)	Status
Plate A	Coincident	Face 1 of Plate A & Face 1 of Plate B	0	Aligned
Pin B	Concentric	Cylindrical face of Pin B & Hole in Plate A	0	Centered
Bracket C	Distance	Face 2 of Bracket C & Face 2 of Plate A	10	10 mm apart
Rod D	Distance	Face 3 of Rod D & Face 3 of Plate B	5	5 mm apart
Washer E	Concentric	Cylindrical face of Washer E & Pin B	0	Centered

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Mates - Shows the total number of mates in the assembly (5)
• KPI Card: Coincident Mates Count - Number of coincident mates (1)
• KPI Card: Concentric Mates Count - Number of concentric mates (2)
• KPI Card: Distance Mates Count - Number of distance mates (2)
• Bar Chart: Count of Mates by Type
  Formula: Count of rows grouped by Mate Type
  Shows counts: Coincident=1, Concentric=2, Distance=2
• Table: Detailed Mates List
  Columns: Component, Mate Type, Reference Geometry, Mate Value (mm), Status
  Shows all 5 rows from sample data
• Gauge Chart: Average Distance Mate Value
  Formula: Average of Mate Value where Mate Type = 'Distance' = (10 + 5) / 2 = 7.5 mm

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Total Mates (5)      | Coincident (1)       | Concentric (2)       |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Distance (2)         | Average Distance: 7.5 mm Gauge           |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|                      Bar Chart: Count of Mates by Type             |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                      Detailed Mates List Table                    |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
    

Interactivity

User can filter mates by Mate Type using a slicer. Selecting a mate type updates:

• KPI cards to show counts for the selected type
• Bar chart to highlight the selected mate type count
• Detailed mates table to show only mates of the selected type
• Gauge chart updates average distance only if 'Distance' is selected; otherwise, it hides or shows zero

Self Check

If you add a filter for Mate Type = Concentric, which components update?

• KPI cards update to show: Total Mates = 2, Concentric = 2, others = 0
• Bar chart highlights only the concentric mates count
• Detailed mates table shows only the 2 concentric mates rows
• Gauge chart hides or shows zero because no distance mates are selected

Key Result

Dashboard shows counts and details of standard mates (coincident, concentric, distance) in a SolidWorks assembly.

Practice

1. Which type of standard mate in SolidWorks makes two faces or edges touch exactly?

easy

A. Coincident mate

B. Concentric mate

C. Distance mate

D. Parallel mate

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the Coincident Mate

   A coincident mate forces two faces or edges to touch exactly, aligning them perfectly.

2. Step 2: Compare with Other Mates

   Concentric mates align circular parts along the same axis, and distance mates keep parts a fixed space apart, so they do not make faces touch.

3. Final Answer:

   Coincident mate -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Faces touching = Coincident mate [OK]

Hint: Faces or edges touching? Choose coincident mate [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing concentric with coincident
• Thinking distance mate makes parts touch
• Mixing parallel mate with coincident

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to apply a concentric mate between two circular edges in SolidWorks?

easy

A. Mate.AlignCenters(edge1, edge2)

B. Mate.Add(edge1, edge2, 'distance')

C. Mate.SelectFaces(face1, face2).ApplyCoincident()

D. Mate.SelectEdges(edge1, edge2).ApplyConcentric()

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the correct method for concentric mates

   The method to apply a concentric mate involves selecting edges and applying the concentric constraint, matching Mate.SelectEdges(edge1, edge2).ApplyConcentric().

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Mate.Add(edge1, edge2, 'distance') applies a distance mate, Mate.SelectFaces(face1, face2).ApplyCoincident() applies coincident on faces, and Mate.AlignCenters(edge1, edge2) is not a valid SolidWorks syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   Mate.SelectEdges(edge1, edge2).ApplyConcentric() -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Concentric mate syntax = Mate.SelectEdges(edge1, edge2).ApplyConcentric() [OK]

Hint: Select edges then apply concentric mate method [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using face selection for concentric mate
• Confusing distance mate syntax with concentric
• Using non-existent methods like AlignCenters

3. Given two cylindrical parts with axes aligned, what is the result of applying a concentric mate between their circular edges?

medium

A. The parts are fixed at a set distance apart.

B. The parts' axes align and their circular edges share the same center axis.

C. The parts' flat faces touch exactly.

D. The parts rotate freely without alignment.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the effect of a concentric mate

   A concentric mate aligns the axes of circular edges so they share the same center line.

2. Step 2: Compare with other mate effects

   Distance mates keep parts apart, coincident mates make faces touch, and free rotation means no mate applied.

3. Final Answer:

   The parts' axes align and their circular edges share the same center axis. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Concentric mate aligns axes = The parts' axes align and their circular edges share the same center axis. [OK]

Hint: Concentric mate aligns circular axes, not faces [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking concentric sets distance
• Confusing coincident with concentric
• Assuming free rotation after mate

4. You tried to apply a distance mate between two parts but the parts snap together instead of staying apart. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The distance value was set to zero.

B. You applied a coincident mate instead of a distance mate.

C. The parts are fixed and cannot move.

D. You applied a concentric mate by mistake.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the distance mate value

   If the distance is zero, parts will snap together, appearing coincident.

2. Step 2: Rule out other causes

   Applying coincident or concentric mates causes different behaviors; fixed parts do not move but distance mate with zero causes snapping.

3. Final Answer:

   The distance value was set to zero. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Distance zero snaps parts together = The distance value was set to zero. [OK]

Hint: Check distance value; zero means no gap [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing coincident with distance mate effect
• Ignoring zero distance input
• Assuming concentric mate affects distance

5. You need to assemble a shaft inside a hole so that the shaft's axis aligns with the hole's axis and the shaft is exactly 5 mm away from the hole's bottom face. Which mates should you apply?

hard

A. Apply a distance mate of 5 mm between shaft and hole edges only.

B. Apply two coincident mates: one for axes and one for bottom faces.

C. Apply a concentric mate between shaft and hole edges, then a distance mate of 5 mm between shaft bottom face and hole bottom face.

D. Apply a concentric mate and a coincident mate between bottom faces.

Solution

1. Step 1: Align shaft and hole axes

   Use a concentric mate between the circular edges of shaft and hole to align their axes.

2. Step 2: Set the gap distance

   Apply a distance mate of 5 mm between the shaft's bottom face and the hole's bottom face to maintain the required space.

3. Final Answer:

   Apply a concentric mate between shaft and hole edges, then a distance mate of 5 mm between shaft bottom face and hole bottom face. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Concentric for axis + distance for gap = Apply a concentric mate between shaft and hole edges, then a distance mate of 5 mm between shaft bottom face and hole bottom face. [OK]

Hint: Use concentric for alignment, distance for spacing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using coincident mate for axis alignment
• Applying distance mate between edges only
• Mixing coincident and concentric incorrectly