In this Fusion 360 tutorial, we will guide you through the process of creating a bolt circle using the Fusion 360 software. This exercise will help you understand how to sketch and extrude circles, as well as how to create a circular pattern for multiple holes in a bolt circle.

Overview

For this exercise, we have been given the following specifications:

  • Overall diameter: 12 inches
  • Inner diameter: 5 inches
  • Height: 1 inch

Our goal is to create a bolt circle with a diameter of 9 inches and six equally spaced holes, each with a diameter of 1.5 inches.

Step-by-Step Process

Follow these steps to create the bolt circle:

Step 1: Sketch Creation

  1. Open Fusion 360 and create a new sketch by clicking on the Sketch icon.
  2. Select the top plane as your sketch plane.
  3. To create the outer circle, click on the Circle tool and then click on the origin.
    • In the dialog box, enter “12” as the diameter to create a circle with a 12-inch diameter.
  4. Now, create the inner circle by clicking on the Circle tool again and then click on the origin.
    • In the dialog box, enter “5” as the diameter to create a circle with a 5-inch diameter.
  5. Extrude the sketch by clicking on the Extrude tool.
    • Select the faces of both circles.
    • Enter “1” as the length to extrude the sketch upward by 1 inch.

Step 2: Creating the Bolt Circle

  1. Create a new sketch by clicking on the Sketch icon.
  2. Click on the top of the part to create a circle.
  3. Reference the center of the origin to create the circle.
    • In the dialog box, enter “1.5” as the diameter to create a circle with a diameter of 1.5 inches.
  4. Now, constrain the circle vertically by 4.5 inches.
    • This is done by dividing the bolt circle diameter (9 inches) by 2, resulting in a radius of 4.5 inches.
  5. Create six equally spaced holes within the bolt circle.
    • Go to the Create menu and select Circular Pattern.
    • Select the circle as the object to pattern.
    • Click on the center point of the circle.
    • Click on the outside arc of the bolt circle.
    • Set the quantity to 6 and click OK.
  6. Finally, create the holes by extruding the circle.
    • Press the ‘E’ key to activate the Extrude tool.
    • Select the faces of the circle.
    • Tilt the model back for better visibility.
    • Pull the arrow down to cut the holes.

Congratulations! You have successfully created a bolt circle with six equally spaced holes in Fusion 360.

Key Points

To recap, here are the key points covered in this Fusion 360 tutorial:

  1. Use the Sketch tool to create circles for the outer and inner diameters.
  2. Utilize the Extrude tool to extrude the sketch upward by the desired height.
  3. Create a new sketch to create the bolt circle.
  4. Reference the center of the origin to create a circle with the desired diameter.
  5. Constraint the circle vertically to position it within the bolt circle.
  6. Use the Circular Pattern tool to create equally spaced holes within the bolt circle.
  7. Extrude the circle to create the holes by cutting through the model.

By following these steps, you can easily create a bolt circle with equally spaced holes using Fusion 360.

Remember to save your progress throughout the exercise to ensure that you don’t lose any work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this Fusion 360 tutorial guided us through the process of creating a bolt circle with equally spaced holes. By using the sketch and extrude features in Fusion 360, we were able to create a three-dimensional model of the bolt circle. This exercise is valuable for anyone working in the field of engineering or design, as it demonstrates the capabilities of Fusion 360 and helps to enhance skills in 3D modeling.

Start practicing your Fusion 360 skills today and experiment with different designs and shapes to expand your knowledge of this powerful software.

Check out the video below to see the step-by-step process in action: [link to the YouTube video]