ANSI Fasteners and Basic Library

[WindLogik]

At my company, we design in US units (e.g. inch, english fasteners, ...). I have the basic library installed, but there doesn't seem to be a good selection of standard fasteners. For example, I would like to place a 1/4-20 nut in an assembly without having to model one. Are these in the basic library? I can't find them. I even called PTC support, and the service guy couldn't find it. He did say that my library was properly installed.

I'm a bit hot about this. How can they sell mechanical design software without having a complete selection of fasteners. I love Pro, but I can't get over this. When I used Inventor (piece of junk), it had all kinds of ways to assemble fasteners.

 

[dross]

Look under "eng_part_lib" in your Basic Library.

 

[dgs]

Be aware, the fasteners aren't modeled very well and, as
far as I can tell, haven't been modified since I started
using Pro/E in 1996 with Rev. 16.

 

[dross]

Be aware, the fasteners aren't modeled very well and, as
far as I can tell, haven't been modified since I started
using Pro/E in 1996 with Rev. 16.

That's why I created my own generics of bolts, screws, nuts, washers, retaining rings, springs, and other stuff I can't think of right now.

 

[WindLogik]

dross,

Yeah, I looked under eng_part_lib and no luck. I reinstalled the library and it still isn't what I'm after.

On another note, PTC software seems to have an emphasis on data management. Placing components from a library isn't the best for this anyway. So, I'll just have to model what I need.

 

[dross]

What did you find under eng_part_lib?


There should be15 directories. For screws and bolts, you would use the mach_screw_nut or some other directory containing the type of fastener that you need. There directories all say that they are "ANSI B..." indicating that they meet the ANSI standards.

 

[dr_gallup]

I just pulled up a 1/4 nut. None of the PTC basic lib fasteners have screw threads, a major short coming. Obviously a 1/4-28 won't fit a 1/4-20 bolt.

Anyway, the path to it is objlib\eng_part_lib\mach_scrw_nut\HMSN26

 

[dr_gallup]

Another beef about these parts is they do not have proper tolerances.
The 1/4" hole in this nut comes up .2501/.2499 and the width across the
flats is .4381/.4379. Good luck finding those tolerances on a
commercial nut!



PTC needs to completely redo this library with threads (cosmetic is OK)
and standard tolerances. Of course, if they did it would become
Basic_Lib_2.0 and they would charge us all for an upgrade and annual
maintenance.

 

[dross]

Another beef about these parts is they do not have proper tolerances. The 1/4" hole in this nut comes up .2501/.2499 and the width across the flats is .4381/.4379. Good luck finding those tolerances on a commercial nut!

PTC needs to completely redo this library with threads (cosmetic is OK) and standard tolerances. Of course, if they did it would become Basic_Lib_2.0 and they would charge us all for an upgrade and annual maintenance.

Those tolerances are probably the result of someone's default settings...Limit dimensions, .0001 tolerance.

 

[dr_gallup]

They are how PTC created and stored the parts.

 

[D3syn3rMike]

Personally, I suggest making your own fastener library using family tables. I've been adding to my own for several years. I made them according to the standard, as best as I could interpret. But ultimately you have control over what information is included with the model, such as real or cosmetic threads, vendor, part number and unit cost.


That's time consuming of course. McMaster-Carr is a good resource for CAD models of a lot of things including fasteners. Downside there, not a library exactly, you'd have to download individual models.

 

[SRINIVASANIYER1]

Frankly, I prefer to make my own fastener library using
family table. That way, I can add additional company
specific information easily and I know for sure that it is
right. It does not take much time either. You also have
control over what sizes of fasteners the designer use,
thus Standardization.