A weldment is comprised of three unique weld feature groups representing the stages of the manufacturing process.
Within each group, there is a hierarchy of assembly features that go into completing that stage.
Like part features, the weld feature groups used to create a weldment are order dependent and cannot be deleted or reordered.
Only one weld feature group is active at a time. To activate a weld feature group, double-click its symbol or name in the browser.
How are the weld feature groups different?
The difference between weld preparations, welds, and post-weld machining is one of manufacturing process. Each process is dependent on the other.
Features from a subsequent process cannot appear when an earlier group is active. For example, machining features do not appear when the Welds group is active.
Preparations
- A material removal process used to prepare models for welding. Chamfers are typical assembly features used for weld preparations.
Welds
- Includes cosmetic and solid fillet weld beads. Weld bead features can only reside in the Welds feature group.
Machining
- A material removal process that represents post-weld machining and finishing. Machining features often go through multiple assembly components. Typical assembly features for machining include extrude cuts and holes.
The weld feature groups also differ by the assembly features they can contain. Weld preparations and post-weld machining groups can contain chamfers, extrude cut, and holes. The welds group can contain only cosmetic or solid fillet weld features.
How are weld feature groups used?
You activate any of the weld feature groups (Preparations, Welds, or Machining) and add assembly features to complete the weldment. Choose to use some or all groups based on the type of weld bead you are creating, your preferred process, and whether specialized views of weld states are required in drawings.
The sequence supported by the three feature groups is most common when creating solid weld beads. Cosmetic welds and some solid fillet welds do not require preparations. You can also place weld preparations at the part level.
To document the different weld states in drawings, you must place your features in the appropriate groups.
What tasks are performed in an active weld feature group?
In an active weld feature group, you can:
- Create an assembly feature (extrude cut, revolve cut, hole, fillet, chamfer, sweep cut) in the Preparation and Machining groups.
- Create or edit cosmetic welds or solid fillet welds in the Welds group.
- Edit, suppress, or delete any feature or sketch in the active group or an upstream group.
- Expand and collapse other weld feature groups.
- Create, select, and edit an assembly work feature.
- Create a 2D sketch in the Preparation and Machining groups.
- In-place activate a feature component such as a chamfer or cosmetic weld.
- Roll back the group by feature.
- Select sketches from active or upstream groups and use to create assembly features (excluding weld features).
- Edit the properties of any features in the active or upstream groups.
- Activate a different weld feature group.
- Change visibility of weld features and weld symbols in that group.
- Use the Return command to exit a weld feature group and return to the top-level weldment assembly.
You cannot create a design view representation in an active weld feature group, or suppress, edit, or delete a feature in a downstream group.