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Solid Edge Wins Big at the “Slots”!



Solid Edge ST5 introduced a new “Slot” feature to make creating slots much more efficient than past methods.  You may have overlooked this feature in ST5 and future versions due to its nested button location on the ribbon, so I thought I would reintroduce this useful feature.

Prior to the new Slot feature, one would have to use the Cutout command and then create a sketch of the slot’s profile by hand or by using the Symmetric Offset sketch command.  If the slot needed to be counter bored for a head of a fastener, then additional sketching and features were needed.  The new Slot command simplifies this process greatly.

The Slot command is located under the Hole fly-out menu.  It is available as both an Ordered and Synchronous feature.

Invoking the command produces the Slot Command Bar that contains the typical command steps and option button that we are familiar with from other features (Ordered shown).

The Option button produces the standard Option form allowing us to set the active feature options as well as save them for later use.  The Slot command has the following options:

  •  Slot Width
  • Flat or Arc end
  • Counter bore/boss and corresponding offsets

The only sketch input needed for the slot is an open path for it to follow, which also defines its length (width is defined in the Options).  Tangent connected lines and arcs are supported.  As typical to sketch based features in Ordered, the sketch may be pre-created as a standalone Sketch feature or created during the Slot feature.  As typical in Synchronous, the sketch must be pre-created as a Sketch.

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