Select Instance
Translate To from the main menu bar to position two instances by translating one instance along a vector defining the direction of motion until selected faces or edges of the movable instance are separated by a specified distance from selected faces or edges of the fixed instance.
Abaqus/CAE calculates the contact only within a tolerance based on the size of your model. As a result, contact may not be precise unless it is applied between two planar surfaces. If the selected faces or edges never contact when Abaqus/CAE translates the movable instance, the translation is not applied.
To translate a part or model instance to another instance:
From the main menu, select InstanceTranslate To.
Tip:
You can also define a Translate To constraint using the 
tool in the Assembly module toolbox. For a diagram of the tools in the Assembly toolbox, see “Using the Assembly module toolbox,” Section 13.9.
Abaqus/CAE displays prompts in the prompt area to guide you through the procedure.
Select the faces (for three-dimensional part instances) or edges (for two-dimensional part instances) from the part or model instance that will move and the instance that will remain fixed. You can select more than one face or edge from both the fixed and the movable instances. Selecting multiple faces or edges is useful if you are not sure what part of the model will come in contact when the movable instance moves along the selected vector. However, for faster processing you should select as few faces or edges as possible. You cannot select a datum plane.
Select the start and end points of the vector that defines the direction of motion. You can select any existing vertices or datum points, or you can enter the coordinates in the text box in the prompt area. If the instances are axisymmetric, the translation vector must be parallel to the axis of revolution.
In the text box that appears in the prompt area, enter a value for the clearance between the two selected faces; a negative value indicates overclosure. A translation is not saved as a feature, and you cannot change the clearance after you have completed the procedure.
From the prompt area, click Preview.
Abaqus/CAE moves the movable part or model instance along the translation vector until the selected faces of the movable instance are separated by the specified clearance from the selected faces of the fixed instance.
If the new position of the instance is correct, click Done in the prompt area.
Attempting to translate an instance may result in a conflict with existing position constraints. Abaqus/CAE applies the components of translation only along the unconstrained degrees of freedom. If all of the degrees of freedom are constrained, Abaqus/CAE displays an error message and the translation fails. To avoid the conflict, you can try reversing the selection of the instance that will move and the instance that will remain fixed. Alternatively, you can convert the existing constraints to an absolute position and reapply the translation.
