Pinball Machine using Event Based Motion

Event based motion is part of SOLIDWORKS Motion Add-In. It is a powerful tool that allows to link sensors with actuators and simulate synchronous motion patterns present in various mechatronics devices.

Event Based Motion offers the following benefits:

• It is possible to simulate operation of electronically controlled mechanisms, such as manufacturing and lab equipment. Results obtained from the study allow to check whether the mechanism is going to work as intended. Detailed reaction force/torque results can be extracted like in any other SOLIDWORKS Motion study.
• Creating marketing/presentation videos becomes much easier as software takes on the job of creating animation key frames for you. Key frames are created during the simulation run.

In this example a self-playing pinball machine was created and simulated using event based motion.

The table was created using a single master part and ‘Save Bodies’ command, that automates assembly creation by turning solid bodies into part documents and arranging them inside a new assembly document. This is a common method of top down assembly modelling using a multi body approach.

The table was fixed in an inclined position. Two copies of paddle part were brought into the assembly and their initial orientations were set. Two rotary servo-motors were attached to paddle axes and one linear servo was attached to the plunger.

Each servo has been assigned with a proximity sensor – to trigger motion when the ball passes close to the paddle/plunger.

Motion analysis was set to 1000 frames per second to avoid numerical errors that end up with the ball flying through walls.  Gravity was added to put everything in motion.

The events setup is listed in event manager below:

And here’s the result:

Rodion Radchenko

Applicatons Engineer