1. Using Joints in Inventor Fusion
How to model realistic mechanisms easily
October 27, 2012
© 2007 Autodesk 1

2. What is Inventor Fusion?
• Inventor Fusion is a new CAD product from Autodesk
• It is designed to be simpler to use and easier to learn than
other CAD tools
• Key features:
• Mac O/S support
• Direct geometry modeling:
• Shape creation using familiar tools, but without the complexity of
parametric, history-based design
• Simple editing using interactive tools directly on the model
• Mechanism design using Joints
• Allows you to create assemblies using familiar concepts of joints, instead of
traditional mate/flush/align constraints
• This will be the main focus of our class today
© 2007 Autodesk 2

3. Fusion Modeling
• Quick introduction to basic modeling techniques and concepts
• Component hierarchy
• Multiple components, all in a single file
• Each component can have multiple bodies
• A body can be solid or surface
• Body modeling
• Geometry creation:
• Primitive shapes
• Sketch/Feature creation
• Geometry modification
• Features
• Press/Pull and Tweak Faces
• Construction geometry
© 2007 Autodesk 3

4. Modeling Demo
© 2007 Autodesk 4

5. Fusion Joints for mechanism
• Joints apply only to components
• Joints allow you to define how two components will move with
respect to each other
• Supported types:
• Most common are “Slider” and “Revolute”
• Most mechanisms can be designed using just these two
• “Rigid” joint is a special case: used to glue or weld two
components together
© 2007 Autodesk 8

6. Simple example – robotic claw
• Let’s look at simple example that illustrates the basics, using
only a single joint type: “Revolute”
© 2007 Autodesk 9

7. The Add Joint command
• Command inputs:
• Select geometry on the two components (first one will move to the
second)
• Select the joint type
• OK!
© 2007 Autodesk 10

8. Joints Demo
© 2007 Autodesk 11

9. Two intermediate topics
• Joint Limits
• Sometimes you want to restrict the movement of your joints
• Motion Relationships
• Sometimes you want to make two joints move together
© 2007 Autodesk 12

10. Another Demo
© 2007 Autodesk 13

11. Advanced Joints
• Contact sets
• Motion studies
© 2007 Autodesk 14

12. © 2007 Autodesk 15