Tech Tip: How to Align Slot Mates in Onshape

Often in an assembly you want a hardware component to have the ability to slide within a slot.

To do this, you can use the Slot Mate and apply limits.

The Slot Mate defaults to sliding in the X-axis alignment. The question then becomes, how do you adjust this for a different alignment?

Adjusting the Implicit Mate Connector on Mate Creation

As you create the Slot Mate using the implicit Mate Connectors, you can choose to realign the secondary axis while creating the mate. This works to adjust the secondary axis from the X to the Y direction while you have that Mate Connector tool selected in the dialog.

Adjusting the Implicit Mate Connector After Mate Creation

Sometimes the slot is not aligned with an existing axis and you will have to adjust the implicit Mate Connector after creating the mate. To do this, first create the mate and accept the dialog box.

Then, after the mate is created, you can expand the mate and edit the Mate Connector of the slot. Realign it with the edge of the slot as the secondary axis. Once it’s aligned correctly, add the appropriate limits to the mate.

Want to learn more about Mate Connectors? Check out this Onshape webinar, “All the Ways You Can Use Mate Connectors.”

Interested in learning more Onshape Tech Tips? You can review the most recent technical blogs here.