Engineer's Handbook is a survey of all the knowledge and calculation formulas for Generators and Calculators included in Design Accelerator.
The Design Accelerator represents an important component of Functional Design. It provides engineering calculation and decision support to identify standard components or create standards-based geometry. The Design Accelerator commands simplify the design process. They automate the selections and geometry creation, improve initial design quality by validating against design requirements, and increase standardization by selecting the same components for the same tasks.
Design Accelerator provides a set of generators and calculators that can create mechanically correct components automatically by entering simple or detailed mechanical attributes. For example, use the bolted connection generator to insert a bolted connection at once by offering to select the right parts, select holes, and assemble components together.
To insert components using Design Accelerator generators and calculators, work within the assembly or weldment environment. On the ribbon, click the Design tab. The available generators and calculators commands are displayed. Generators and calculators are grouped according to functional areas, for example, all welds are grouped.
Before you start working with any generator or calculator, your assembly must be saved.
To open generator or calculator, click the appropriate command. Generators open on the Design tab and calculators open on the Calculation tab, by default. In the Design tab, you specify the placement options and select the type of components you want to insert. In the Calculation tab, you enter the calculation values. For Bolted Connection Generator and for some calculators, the Fatigue Calculation is also available to specify values for fatigue calculation.
Only one generator/calculator can be open at a time. When one generator/calculator is opened and you want to open a new one, the first one is automatically closed.
To perform the calculation, click Calculate.
To insert designed components and calculations to Autodesk Inventor assembly, click OK.
What operations can I perform in Design Accelerator?
When you open the Design Accelerator, a set of tools is displayed. They are divided into three groups:
- Component Generators
- Mechanical Calculators
- Engineer's Handbook
Using Component generators you design desired components. You can also perform calculations. Some generators use Content Center components, for example Bolted Connection Generator, or Clevis Pin generator. You must be connected to Content Center to insert components using such generators. Without being connected to Content Center, you can perform various calculations of such components.
You can use the following Design Accelerator generators:
- Bolted Connection
- Shaft
- Involute Splines
- Parallel Splines
- Key Connection
- Disc Cam
- Linear Cam
- Spur Gears
- Bevel Gears
- Worm Gears
- Bearing
- V-Belts
- Synchronous Belts
- Roller Chains
- Clevis Pin
- Joint Pin
- Secure Pin
- Cross Pin
- Radial Pin
- O-ring
Engineering calculators use standard mathematical formulas and physical theories in design and validation of mechanical systems.
The following Design Accelerator calculators are available:
- Plain Bearing
- Plug and Groove Weld
- Butt Weld
- Spot Weld
- Filled Weld (Connection Plane Load) Weld
- Fillet Weld (Spatial Load) Weld
- Butt Solder Joint
- Bevel Solder Joint
- Lap Solder Joint
- Step Tube Solder Joint
- Step Solder Joint
- Separated Hub Joint
- Slotted Hub Joint
- Cone Joint
- Tolerance
- Limits and Fits
- Press Fit
- Power Screw
- Beam and Column
- Plate
- Shue Drum Brake
- Disc Brake
- Cone Brake
- Band Drum Brake
Design Accelerator toolbar
You can also use the Design Accelerator toolbar to access Design Accelerator functions. To display the Design Accelerator toolbar, click Tools tab 
Options panel Customize. Switch to the Toolbars tab. In the list, select Design Accelerator, and click Show. Place the toolbar in any location on the screen.
Can I share a Design Accelerator database?
The Design Accelerator library is installed at Inventor\Design Data\DesignAccelerator. It contains files with specific data for individual generators and calculators, for example factors, chains, or hole parameters. You can move the folder to a server or other location for sharing.
Do I need other applications to work successfully with generators and calculators?
Some generators insert parts from Content Center. To work with these generators, you must be connected to Content Center and have the appropriate libraries loaded.
Following generators insert components from Content Center:
| Bolted Connection | Secure Pin |
| Key Connection | Radial Pin |
| Bearing | Cross Pin |
| Clevis Pin | O-Ring |
| Joint Pin | Shaft |
Component Authoring
To use your own company standard parts in addition to the parts delivered with Autodesk Inventor, the Author and Publish process is enabled for user components in the part environment.
In the Design Accelerator Component Authoring dialog box, you define iMates and Part parameters. All inserted values are transferred to the Content Center Publish command so you can fluently author and publish user components.
Update
Design Accelerator Generators are enabled to the Update command. See the Design Accelerator Browser chapter for more information.
File Naming
A File Naming dialog box is provided in Generators and Calculators for changes to the Display and File names for Design Accelerator components.
Resizable Dialog Boxes
Many of the Component Generators and Mechanical Calculators require the display of a great deal of information in one dialog box. The dialog boxes are resizable.
By default, all Design Accelerator dialog box windows open to a full view with expansion bars minimized. Tabs vary in size. Drag the dialog box to resize. You can resize the dialog boxes to their original size only.
Edit fields
For generators and calculators, in all edit fields it is possible to write formulas and units.
Results area
To display the Results area on the right side of the Calculation and Design tabs, double-click the double line on the right or click the chevron. The units of the calculated result values can be changed. For example, you can change millimeters to inches.
The inputs that fail the calculation are displayed in red (their value does not correspond with other inserted values or calculation criteria).
The list of results is unavailable if the results are not up-to-date. For example, if you change any calculation value, the list becomes gray. When you press Calculate, the black color of the list of results indicates that the list reflects the current state of inserted values.
Summary of Messages
Displays the reports about calculations. To open the Summary of Messages area at the bottom of the Calculation and Design tabs, double-click the double line at the bottom of the tabs or click the chevron.
Depending on the purpose of description of calculation results they are displayed in different colors. If a description is in blue color, the information is of the informatory character. If a description is in red color it describes inputs that fail the calculation. You can finish design or calculation of such component but the inputs do not correspond with other inserted values or calculation criteria. If a description sentence has a red background, it describes a critical calculation or design state. You cannot continue with the design or calculation unless you correct such en error.
Graphical Preview
A graphical preview of the selected geometry is displayed in Autodesk Inventor. Grips are available to edit values. For various generators, various number of grips is available depending on a design. For example, when designing compression spring two grips are available - to change the diameter and to move the spring along its axis.