Creating Welding Spot Points

This task shows you how to create a welding spot point.

There are several ways to create a spot point:

a joint and a joint body are already created: click the desired icon and select the joint body in the selection tree.
a joint and a joint body are already created: select the joint body in the selection tree and click the desired icon (here is the example used for our scenario).
no joint body is created. Select the components or the publications, and click the desired icon: a joint and a joint body are created if needed.

Open the SpotPoint1.CATProduct document.

Make sure the spot point Fastener Type is set up in the standard file.

Select the joint body in the specification tree.
Click BiW Welding SpotPoint from the Welding toolbar.

The BiW SpotPoint Fastener Definition dialog box opens.

Specify whether you wish to use the existing standard or not.

If a standard has been imported, a spot point is created using this standard. If not, you are able to define your own values for each attribute.
	If the last location method is different from `Explicit`, the ABF application creates a specification part associated to the Assembly Joint if this specification part does not already exist.
	You must not delete this specification part.

Select the process type and the stacking.

Define the design parameters:

Robustness
Regulation
Finish
More>>: allows you to define the Manufacturing parameters.

Define the shape of the spot point:
Definition

Representation

Diameter

Select the location (see below):

According to the location you choose, different dialog boxes open, except when selecting the Explicit mode.

Define the orientation of the spot point by setting the K axis to either:

`Same as Surface Material` `Opposite to Surface Material`


	To visualize the K axis, the Fastening Axis Orientation Show option should be checked in `Tools > Options`.

Click OK to create the spot point.

The spot point (identified as Joint Element.xxx) is added to the specification tree, under the Joint Body node.

Note that:

the selection of geometrical elements must be done within the sub-components of the spot point's reference product, except when using such options as Datum mode and Explicit locations.
when selecting a geometric specification (curve or point), it is recommended to select published elements in order to guaranty associativity between elements.
to authorize the selection of only published elements, check the following option using Tools > Options > Infrastructure > Part Infrastructure > General > Only use published elements for external selection keeping links.
when the On Surface and Explicit methods are activated, the application will ignore the active Part Infrastructure setting Only use published elements for external selection and will enable the usage of non published external geometry.

Annotations can be automatically created during the fastener creation. For more information, refer to Creating Fastener Annotations Automatically.

Locating the Spot Point

On Surface

Select a surface or a point to indicate the spot point location.

You can as well select a circle instead of a point: the center of the circle is computed to get the reference point.
The spot point will be created on the selected zone, which may not be a support zone of the joint body.

(Optional) Select a direction.
Click More>>to:
- display the Reference Point,
- display the Direction
- (optional) modify the distance to the reference point.

On Point

Select a point.

You can as well select a circle instead of a point: the center of the circle is computed to get the reference point.

(optional) Click More>> to:
- modify the reference point type (coordinates or axis origin)
- modify the distance to the reference point
- modify the normal vector if the reference point do not lie on the surface.

From Curve On Surface

Select a curve lying on a surface.

Most of the times, a surface is selected by default.

If needed, select a surface.

You can select a published surface from the drop-down list or choose No Selection if the surface to be selected cannot be found and select the desired surface in the 3D geometry.

Modify the offset.
Modify the Reference Point (extremity or middle of the curve).
Modify the distance to the reference point.
Define the distance type (length or ratio)

For instance, define 15mm as the offset, select the extremity as the reference point and choose a distance of 30mm from the reference point.

The Repeat object after OK option appears in the BiW SpotPoint Fastener Definition. Refer to the Repeating Spots to create more spot points using the currently created spot point as reference.

Along Curve

Select a curve.
Select the reference point (extremity or middle of the curve)
Modify the distance to the reference point.
Define the distance type (length or ratio)
Modify the normal vector if the reference point does not lie on the surface.

Note that the last four steps are optional.


	The `Repeat object after OK` button appears in the BiW SpotPoint Fastener Definition. Refer to the Repeating Spots to create more spot points using the currently created spot point as reference.

Intersect

Select the first and the second element.

Elements can either be two curves or a curve and a surface.
Click More>> to optionally modify the normal vector if the reference elements do not lie on a surface.

Bitangent Circle Center

Select the first and the second curves.

They must not be parallel.

Click More>> to:

(optional) select a support surface in the drop-down list or in the 3D geometry if the curves are not coplanar. In this case, the center of gravity of the circle is automatically computed.
define the circle radius

(optional) modify the normal vector if the reference elements do not lie on a surface.



When several solutions are possible, click `Next Solution` to move to another solution. When you click `OK` in the Bitangent Circle Center Location dialog box, the chosen spot point is created, and the next solution is proposed for creation. Click `OK` to create the second spot point, and so on until the last solution. You can click `Cancel` in the `BiW SpotPoint Fastener` Definition dialog box to only create one spot point or not to create any more spot point.

Explicit

Select a surface or a point where the spot point is to be created.

You can as well select a circle instead of a point: the center of the circle is computed to get the reference point.

(optional) Click More>> to:

modify the spot point location

modify the normal vector if the reference point do not lie on the surface.

When the location method switches to Explicit, the specification part is automatically deleted if it is empty.
The fastener normal vector is automatically calculated if the fastener is based on a surface. Otherwise, the normal parameters need to be defined in the Normal Definition dialog box. In this case, if you do not manually define the fastener normal vector and validate this Joint Element, a warning message is issued, asking you whether you wish to calculate it or not: