4 Creating parts
4.5 Creating assemblies
This section explains how to turn steel parts into assemblies.
Tekla Structures creates assemblies of steel parts when you use a workshop weld or bolt to join parts together. Assemblies and their main parts are automatically defined when you create single workshop welds or bolts, or when you apply automatic connections that create workshop welds or bolts.
Click the links below to find out more: • Creating an assembly on page 90
• Adding objects to assemblies on page 93
• Changing the assembly main part on page 95
• Changing the main assembly on page 96
• Removing objects from an assembly on page 96
• Highlighting objects in an assembly on page 96
• Exploding an assembly on page 97
• Assembly examples on page 97
Creating an assembly
To create an assembly:
1. Ensure that the Select assemblies selection switch is active. 2. Select the parts and/or assemblies that you want to join together.
3. Right-click and select Assembly --> Make into Assembly from the pop-up menu. See also
Creating assemblies on page 89 Creating a sub-assembly on page 90 Using bolts to create assemblies on page 91 Using welds to create assemblies on page 92
Creating a sub-assembly
To create a sub-assembly of parts that are already in an assembly:
1. Ensure that the Select objects in assemblies selection switch is active. 2. Select the parts you want to include in the sub-assembly.
See also
Creating an assembly on page 90
Using bolts to create assemblies
You can use bolts to create and connect assemblies. You can create nested assemblies by connecting sub-assemblies to an existing assembly, or you can just connect more parts to assemblies using bolts.
To control how Tekla Structures creates assemblies, use the Connect part/assembly and Bolt type lists in the Bolt Properties dialog box. The order in which you select parts when creating the connection determines the main and secondary parts of the assembly or the assembly hierarchy.
Connect part/assembly Bolt type Result
As sub-assembly Workshop or Site Nested assembly with the assembly you are bolting as a sub-assembly.
The first part you pick determines the assembly to which you are bolting.
As secondary part Workshop Basic assembly with the part you are bolting as a secondary part.
The first part you pick usually becomes the main part in the assembly.
As secondary part Site No assembly created.
See also
Creating assemblies on page 89
Bolting sub-assemblies to an existing assembly on page 91
Bolting sub-assemblies to an existing assembly
To bolt sub-assemblies to an existing assembly:
1. Click Detailing --> Properties --> Bolt... to open the Bolt Properties dialog box. 2. In the Connect part/assembly list, select As sub-assembly.
3. Click Apply or OK.
4. Select a part in the assembly to bolt to. 5. Select a part in the sub-assembly to be bolted. 6. Pick the bolt group origin.
7. Pick a point to indicate the bolt group x direction.
See also
Using bolts to create assemblies on page 91
Using welds to create assemblies
Tekla Structures forms assemblies based on where the weld should be made. You can create workshop welds and site welds.
The order in which you select parts when creating the connection determines the main and secondary parts of the assembly or the assembly hierarchy. The first part you select becomes the main part of the assembly. Tekla Structures dimensions secondary parts relative to the main part in assembly drawings. The largest main part in the weld becomes the main part of the assembly.
When you connect assemblies, the first part you select determines the assembly to which you weld sub-assemblies.
To control how Tekla Structures creates assemblies, use the Connect part/assembly and Workshop/Site lists in the Weld Properties dialog box.
Connect part/assembly Workshop/Site Result
As sub-assembly Workshop or Site Nested assembly with the assembly you are welding as a sub-assembly.
The first part you pick determines the assembly to which you are welding.
As secondary part Workshop Basic assembly with the part you are welding as a secondary part.
The first part you pick usually becomes the main part in the assembly.
As secondary part Site No assembly created.
See also
Creating assemblies on page 89
Welding sub-assemblies to an existing assembly on page 92
Welding sub-assemblies to an existing assembly
To weld sub-assemblies to an existing assembly:
1. Click Detailing --> Properties --> Weld... to open the Weld Properties dialog box. 2. In the Connect part/assembly list, select As sub-assembly.
3. Click Apply or OK.
4. Select a part in the assembly to weld to. 5. Select a part in the sub-assembly to be welded.
6. To check that the weld marks look correct, create a drawing. See also
Using welds to create assemblies on page 92
Adding objects to assemblies
You can add objects to assemblies in the following ways:
To Do this
Create a basic assembly Do one of the following:
• Add parts to an existing assembly as secondary parts. • Bolt or weld parts to an existing assembly as secondary
parts.
Create a nested assembly Do one of the following:
• Add parts to an existing assembly as secondary parts. • Bolt or weld assemblies to an existing assembly as sub-
assemblies.
• Add assemblies to an existing assembly as sub-assemblies. • Join existing assemblies together without adding any loose
parts.
NOTE Sub-assemblies in a nested assembly retain their own assembly information and main part. You can also define properties separately for the sub-assemblies and the nested assembly by using the part properties dialog box.
See also
Creating assemblies on page 89 Assembly hierarchy on page 93
Adding parts to an assembly on page 94 Creating a nested assembly on page 95 Joining assemblies on page 95
Assembly hierarchy
You can work on any level of a nested assembly, from single parts and bolts, through the basic and sub-assemblies, up to the highest level of the nested assembly.
To work with nested assemblies, you need to know how to use the Shift key and mouse scrolling to select objects on different levels in the assembly hierarchy.
The assembly hierarchy in nested assemblies affects drawings and reports. You can create separate drawings and reports of the sub-assemblies and the nested assembly, and still produce dimensions, marks, fabrication information, etc. for all assembly levels. See also
Adding objects to assemblies on page 93
Adding parts to an assembly
To add secondary parts to a basic assembly or to any level of a nested assembly: 1. Ensure that the Select objects in assemblies selection switch is active. 2. Select the part you want to add.
3. Right-click and select Assembly > Add to Assembly from the pop-up menu. 4. Select the assembly to add to.
See also
Adding objects to assemblies on page 93
Creating a nested assembly
To create a nested assembly:
1. Ensure that the Select assemblies selection switch is active.
2. Select the assemblies you want to add to another assembly. They will become sub- assemblies in the nested assembly.
3. Right-click and select Assembly > Add as sub-assembly from the pop-up menu. 4. Select the assembly to add to.
See also
Adding objects to assemblies on page 93
Joining assemblies
To join existing assemblies without adding any loose parts: 1. Ensure that the Select assemblies selection switch is active. 2. Select the assemblies you want to join.
3. Right-click and select Assembly > Make into Assembly from the pop-up menu. The assembly with the largest volume becomes the main assembly.
See also
Changing the main assembly on page 96 Adding objects to assemblies on page 93
Changing the assembly main part
The main part in a steel assembly has other parts welded or bolted to it. By default, the main part is not welded or bolted to any other parts. You can change the main part in an assembly. To change the main part in an assembly:
1. Check what is currently the main part of the assembly.
a. Ensure that the Select assemblies selection switch is active.
b. Click Tools --> Inquire --> Assembly Objects . c. Select the assembly.
Tekla Structures highlights the main part in orange and the secondary parts in yellow. 2. Ensure that the Select objects in assemblies selection switch is active.
3. Click Modeling --> Assembly --> Set as New Main Object of Assembly . 4. Select the new main part.
Tekla Structures changes the main part. See also
Adding objects to assemblies on page 93 Highlighting objects in an assembly on page 96
Changing the main assembly
When you join two or more assemblies together, the assembly with the largest volume becomes the main assembly. You can change the main assembly at any time.
To change the main assembly in a nested assembly: 1. Select the new main assembly.
2. Right-click and select Assembly --> Set as New Main Sub-Assembly from the pop-up menu.
See also
Adding objects to assemblies on page 93
Removing objects from an assembly
To remove objects from an assembly:
1. Select the part or sub-assembly you want to remove.
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Remove from Assembly from the pop-up menu. See also
Highlighting objects in an assembly
Use the Inquire tool to check which objects belong to a particular assembly. To highlight objects in an assembly:
1. Click Tools --> Inquire --> Assembly Objects . 2. Select a part that belongs to an assembly.
Tekla Structures highlights the other parts that belong to the same assembly. The following colors are used:
Object type Highlight color
Concrete - main part magenta
Concrete - secondary part cyan
Reinforcement blue
Steel part - main part orange Steel part - secondary part yellow See also
Creating assemblies on page 89
Exploding an assembly
When you explode a nested assembly, Tekla Structures breaks the assembly hierarchy level by level, always starting from the highest level. You need to use the Explode command several times to break a nested assembly back to single parts.
You can also explode sub-assemblies to single parts without breaking the entire assembly hierarchy.
To explode an assembly:
1. Select the assembly or sub-assembly you want to explode. 2. Do one of the following:
• To explode the entire assembly, right-click and select Assembly > Explode from the pop-up menu.
• To only explode the sub-assembly, right-click and select Assembly > Explode Sub- Assembly from the pop-up menu.
See also
Creating assemblies on page 89
Assembly examples
Column corbel
A column corbel is fabricated in one workshop, and then attached to the column in another workshop. Model the corbel as a sub-assembly of the column. Then create an assembly drawing for each workshop: one assembly drawing showing how the corbel is welded
together, another assembly drawing showing how the corbel and the other part are welded to the column.
Drawing 2, Workshop 2 Drawing 1, Workshop 1
Complex truss
Model the halves of a complex truss as assemblies. Create assembly drawings for the workshop to fabricate the truss halves. Then create another assembly drawing showing how the halves should be joined on site.
Built-up profile
In a frame of built-up columns and beams, each built-up profile can be a sub-assembly. You can create an assembly drawing showing the entire frame, and separate drawings showing how the columns and beams are constructed.
See also
Creating assemblies on page 89