Why doesn't the lock mate correctly export SolidWorks assemblies with Smart Fasteners in SimMechanics Link 3.2 (R2010a)?

I have a SolidWorks model that uses Smart Fasteners. When I export this to SimMechanics via SimMechanics Link, I get a very complicated model that correctly models these complex interfaces. I wish to suppress this mobility into a massive weld joint without having to remodel my SolidWorks model. I can use the Lock Mate but this is not supported by SimMechanics as detailed by the documentation on supported constraints here;

 <http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/toolbox/physmod/smlink/ref/brpp8fo-1.html>

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Support for Lock Mates or a suppress Smart Fasteners feature is not available in SimMechanics Link 3.2 (R2010a).

As a possible workaround, you may try the following;

1)Restructure the SolidWorks model such that the smart fasteners are inside of a rigid subassembly in SolidWorks. When this is exported, it will be represented as a single rigid massive body in SimMechanics.

2)You can export the bodies of the fasteners to SimMechanics as normal creating a complex representation of the joints and constraints and then remove the constraints and joints. Replace the joints with weld blocks. You may need to create a Coordinate System on one of the body blocks with the same coordinates as the Coordinate System that it is connected to on the other body block. This will preserve the mass of the bodies but remove the complicated constraints