Simulic
English

Exploded View and Assembly Drawing – Parts List, Item Numbers and Assembly Order

Design & TechnologyEngineering Drawing & DesignAges 15–16

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Three small assemblies (a wheel with ball bearings on an axle, a bolted joint of two plates and a pulley keyed to a shaft) can be rotated in 3D and exploded along their assembly axis with a slider. Every part has an item number linked to the parts list (item, quantity, name, material, standard designation such as an ISO 4017 screw); clicking a part highlights its row and vice versa. A 2D assembly drawing in section along the axis and an assembly-order mode, in which students fit the parts back in the right sequence, complete the sim.

Lesson: Assembly drawings: exploded views, item numbers (balloons), parts list, standard parts and assembly sequence

What it shows

An assembly drawing shows how parts fit together; an exploded view pulls them apart along their assembly axis so that each one can be seen. Item numbers in circles (balloons) link every part to a parts list with quantity, name, material and, for standard parts, a designation such as ISO 4017 – M10 × 40. Standard parts are bought ready-made, while manufactured parts need their own detail drawings. The 2D view applies the sectioning conventions: adjacent parts are hatched differently, and shafts, screws, nuts, washers and keys are not cut. Chamfers and bearing raceways are omitted.

How to use

Choose an assembly and drag the Explode slider, or press Explode ▶ and Assemble ◀, then drag to rotate the 3D exploded view. Click a part, a balloon or a row of the parts list to highlight it and see whether it is a standard part. Switch to 2D assembly drawing to study the hatching. In Assembly order mode, students fit the parts back one by one; Show correct order demonstrates a valid sequence.

Parameters you can change

  • Assembly Wheel on an axle (with ball bearings), Bolted joint, Pulley keyed to a shaft
  • Explode amount 0–100 %
  • View 3D exploded view, 2D assembly drawing (section)
  • Mode Explore, Assembly order
  • Show item numbers

Questions to explore

  1. Why do the two ball bearings share one item number, and where is their quantity shown?
  2. In the wheel assembly, why must the left bearing be fitted before the wheel but the right bearing after it?
  3. Which parts in the parts list need their own detail drawing, and which only need a standard designation?

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