Copy With Mates - A Simple Tutorial

The Copy with Mates command has always been an underused feature in SolidWorks for me. I'm not really sure why but every time I went to use it I had to refer to the program help to figure it out. On a recent project that involved a lot of hardware placement into the assemblies I took another look at the command and through repeated use I finally have a handle on it's use.
Take a look at this simple assembly that has a single PEM fastener installed with a concentric and a coincident mate to the sheet metal part. I need to replicate this feature with the same mates on all the holes.













Image 1

In Image 2 you see that I've selected the PEM nut and clicked the 'Copy with Mates' button. (I added the button to the toolbar, its not there by default.) The dialogue box shows the selected components and the mates associated with the components. Click in the box associated with the 1st listed mate, 'Concentric3' in this case.













Image 2

Now all that is left is picking the surfaces that will satisfy these 2 mates. You see in image 3 that I've zoomed up on one of the holes. I have the selection filter set to 'Faces' and I've already picked the inside of the hole in the sheet metal. You see a preview of the PEM nut placement.














Image3

Notice that next to the mate boxes there is a tick box with the word 'Repeat' next to it. Since all the PEM nuts will meet this mate requirement I will check the box next to the Coincident3 mate.
As soon as I check the box the PEM nut snaps into place as shown in Image 4 below.













Image 4

Make sure you click the OK button or the PEM nut will not be placed, but don't click it twice because that will exit the command and we have more hardware to place. All you have to do now is continue picking the face of the holes and clicking OK (once) after each PEM is placed.













Image5 - Shows that the face of the 2nd hole is selected and the PEM will be placed here.

Now think about how many clicks you will save by using the 'Copy with Mates'. Also note that if there had been a screw and washer inserted into that single PEM nut we could have applied the 'Copy with Mates' to all three at the same time. Here is the part with all the PEM hardware installed: