1.

Exploring Finite Element Analysis with

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017

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Exploring Finite Element Analysis with SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017

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Dedication
First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents for being a great support
throughout my career and while writing this textbook.

Heartfelt thanks goes to my wife and my sisters for their patience and support in
taking this challenge and letting me spare time for it.

I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of the employees at CADArtifex for
their dedication in editing the content of this textbook.

Preface

SOLIDWORKS Simulation, a product of Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
Corp., which is one of the biggest technology providers to engineering software
solutions that lets you create, simulate, publish, and manage the data. By
providing advanced analysis techniques, SOLIDWORKS Simulation helps
engineers to optimize performance of products and allows them to cut
prototyping cost, create better and safer products, and save time as well as the
development costs.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is a Finite Element Analysis tool which enables
critical engineering decisions to be made earlier in the design process. With this
software, engineers have the tools to easily study the initial design and predict
the performance of the complete digital prototype. The automatic meshing tools
of this software generate mesh with high-quality elements on the first pass.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation makes it possible to quickly validate design
concepts before resources are invested in significant design changes or new
products.

Exploring Finite Element Analysis with SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017
textbook is designed for instructor-led courses as well as for self-paced learning.
It is intended to help engineers and designers interested in learning
SOLIDWORKS Simulation for performing various types of finite element
analysis (FEA). This textbook is a great help for new SOLIDWORKS
Simulation users and a great teaching aid in a classroom training too. This
textbook consists of 10 chapters, total 392 pages covering various types of
analysis: Linear Static analysis, Buckling analysis, Fatigue analysis, Frequency
analysis, and Non-linear Static analysis.

This textbook covers important concepts and methods used in finite element
analysis (FEA) such as Preparing Geometry, Boundary Conditions (load and
fixture), Element Types, Contacts, Connectors, Meshing, Mesh Controls,
Adaptive Meshing (H-Adaptive and P-Adaptive), Iterative Methods (Newton-
Raphson Scheme and Modified Newton-Raphson Scheme), Incremental
Methods (Force, Displacement, or Arc Length), and so on. This textbook not
only focuses on the usages of the tools of SOLIDWORKS Simulation but also
on the fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) through various real-
world case studies. The case studies used in this textbook allow users to solve
various real-world engineering problems in SOLIDWORKS Simulation step-by-
step. Also, the Hands-on test drives are given at the end of chapters that allow
users to experience themselves the ease-of-use and powerful capabilities of
SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

Every chapter begins with learning objectives related to the topics covered in
that chapter. Moreover, every chapter ends with a summary which lists the topics
learned in that chapter followed by questions to assess the knowledge.

Who Should Read This Textbook

This textbook is written with a wide range of SOLIDWORKS Simulation users
in mind, varying from beginners to advanced users and SOLIDWORKS
Simulation instructors. The easy-to-follow chapters of this textbook allow you to
easily understand concepts of Finite Element Analysis (FEA), SOLIDWORKS
Simulation tools, and various types of analysis through case studies.

What Is Covered in This Textbook
Exploring Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with SOLIDWORKS Simulation
2017 textbook is designed to help you learn everything you need to know to start
using SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017 with easy to understand, step-by-step
case studies. This textbook covers the following:

Chapter 1, “Introduction to FEA and SOLIDWORKS Simulation,” discusses
introduction to SOLIDWORKS Simulation, various types of analysis,
introduction to finite element analysis (FEA), and different phases of finite
element analysis (FEA): Pre-processing, Solution, and Post-processing. Also, it
introduces various terms and definitions used in finite element analysis (FEA).
This chapter also discusses different types of elements, the application areas of
FEA, system requirements for installing SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and
SOLIDWORKS interface. Besides, this chapter discusses how to invoke
different SOLIDWORKS documents and how to start with SOLIDWORKS
Simulation.

Chapter 2, “Create, Import, and Prepare Geometry,” discusses how to invoke
different environments of SOLIDWORKS for creating models, how to open an
existing SOLIDWORKS model, how to import a model created in another CAD
software, and how to import a neutral file. It also introduces how to prepare a
model in SOLIDWORKS Simulation for performing an analysis.

Chapter 3, “Introduction to Analysis Tools and Static Analysis,” introduces
various assumptions for considering the linear static analysis problem and how
to start with it in SOLIDWORKS Simulation. This chapter also introduces how
to define the analysis unit and material properties for geometry. It also discusses
about adding a new material and customizing the material properties. Besides, it
introduces boundary conditions (fixtures and loads) and meshing geometry.

Chapter 4, “Case Studies of Static Analysis,” discusses various case studies of
linear static analysis: Static Analysis of a Rectangular Plate, Static Analysis of a
Bracket with Mesh Control, Static Analysis of a Symmetrical Model, Static
Analysis of a Torispherical Head with Shell Elements, and Static Analysis of a
Weldment Frame with Beam Elements.

Chapter 5, “Contacts and Connectors,” discusses various contacts and
connectors available in SOLIDWORKS Simulation. Besides, it introduces how
to perform the static analysis of various case studies having contact problems:
Static Analysis of a Hook Assembly with Contacts, Static Analysis of a Flange
Assembly with Bolt Connectors, and Static Analysis of an Assembly with Edge
Weld Connectors.

Chapter 6, “Adaptive Mesh Methods,” discusses different Adaptive meshing
methods (H-Adaptive and P-Adaptive) and how to setup an analysis with them.

Chapter 7, “Buckling Analysis,” introduces the concept of the buckling analysis
and how to perform the buckling analysis of different case studies: Buckling
Analysis of a Pipe Support, Buckling Analysis of a Beam.

Chapter 8, “Fatigue Analysis,” discusses about the failure of a design due to the
fatigue when the design undergoes cyclic loads. It also introduces how to
perform the fatigue analysis.

Chapter 9, “Frequency Analysis,” introduces how to perform the frequency
analysis to calculate the natural/resonant frequencies, the mode shapes
associated to each natural frequencies, and the mass participations in X, Y, and Z
directions.

Chapter 10, “Non-Linear Static Analysis,” introduces various assumptions for
considering the non-linear static analysis problems. Also, this chapter discusses
different iterative methods (Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme and Modified
Newton-Raphson (MNR) scheme) and incremental methods (Force,
Displacement, and Arc Length) to find the equilibrium solutions for the non-
linear analysis. This chapter also discusses different types of nonlinearities
(material nonlinearities, geometric nonlinearities, and contact nonlinearities) and
how to perform the non-linear analysis of various case studies: Non-Linear
Static Analysis of a Shackle, Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Handrail Clamp
Assembly, and Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Cantilever Beam.

Icons/Terms used in this Textbook
The following icons and terms are used in this textbook:

Note
Notes highlight information requiring special attention.

Tip
Tips provide additional advice, which increases the efficiency of the users.

Flyout
A Flyout is a list in which a set of tools are grouped together, see Figure 1.
Figure 1

Drop-down List
A drop-down list is a list in which a set of options are grouped together, see
Figure 2.

Rollout
A rollout is an area in which drop-down list, fields, buttons, check boxes are
available to specify various parameters, see Figure 2. A rollout can be either in
the expanded or in the collapsed form. You can expand/collapse a rollout by
clicking on the arrow available on the right of its title bar, see Figure 2.

Field
A Field allows you to select entities from the graphics area, see Figure 2. Also, it
allows you to enter a new value or modify the existing/default value.

Check box
A Check box allows you to turn on or off the uses of a particular option, see
Figure 2.

Figure 2

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Thank you very much for purchasing Exploring Finite Element Analysis with
SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017 textbook, we hope that the information and
concepts introduced in this textbook help you to accomplish your professional
goals.

 Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to FEA and SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Introduction to SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Linear Static Analysis
Frequency Analysis
Buckling Analysis
Thermal Analysis
Drop Test Analysis
Fatigue Analysis
Nonlinear Analysis
Linear Dynamic Analysis
Pressure Vessel Design Analysis
Introduction to Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
Working with Different Phases of FEA
Pre-processing
Solution
Post-processing
Important Terms and Definitions used in FEA
Stress
Strain
Load
Displacement
Hooke’s Law
Yield Strength
Ultimate Strength
Fracture Strength
Young’s Modulus
Stiffness
Poisson’s Ratio
Creep
Meshing
 Elements
Nodes
Different Application Areas of FEA
Installing SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Task Pane
Standard Toolbar
SOLIDWORKS Menus
SOLIDWORKS Search
Invoking a New SOLIDWORKS Document
Invoking a New Part Modeling Environment
Invoking a New Assembly Environment
Invoking a New Drawing Environment
Identifying SOLIDWORKS Documents
Different Components of the Part Environment
CommandManager
FeatureManager Design Tree
View (Heads-Up) Toolbar
Status Bar
Adding CommandManager Tabs
Starting SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Summary
Questions

Chapter 2:Create, Import, and Prepare Geometry

Creating a Model in SOLIDWORKS
Opening an Existing SOLIDWORKS Model
Importing a Model Created in Another CAD Software
Importing a Neutral file
Preparing a Model for Analysis
Extruded Boss/Base Tool
Revolved Boss/Base Tool
Split Line Tool
 Simplify Tool
Tutorial 1
Tutorial 2
Hands-on Test Drive 1
Summary
Questions

Chapter 3: Introduction to Analysis Tools and Static Analysis

Making Assumptions for Linear Static Analysis
Working with Linear Static Analysis
Defining Analysis Units
Assigning Material Properties
Adding New Material Library, Category, and Material
Adding a New Material Category
Creating a Custom Material
Editing Properties of a Standard Material
Deleting Material library, Category, and Material
Defining Boundary Conditions
Applying Fixtures/Restraints
Applying Standard Fixtures
Applying Advanced Fixtures
Applying Loads
Applying the Force
Applying the Torque
Applying the Pressure
Applying the Gravity
Applying the Centrifugal Force
Applying the Bearing Load
Applying the Remote Loads/Mass
Meshing
Different Types of Elements
Creating Mesh on a Geometry
Summary
Questions

Chapter 4: Case Studies of Static Analysis

Case Study 1: Static Analysis of a Rectangular Plate
Case Study 2: Static Analysis of a Bracket with Mesh Control
Case Study 3: Static Analysis of a Symmetrical Model
Case Study 4: Static Analysis of a Torispherical Head with Shell
Elements
Case Study 5: Static Analysis of a Weldment Frame with Beam
Elements
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Static Analysis of a Beam Support
Hands-on Test Drive 2: Static Analysis of a Bearing House
Summary
Questions

Chapter 5: Contacts and Connectors

Working with Contacts
Different Types of Contacts
Applying Contacts
Applying a Component Contact
Applying a Local Contact
Working with Connectors
Applying a Bolted connector
Applying a Pin connector
Applying a Link Connector
Applying a Bearing connector
Applying a Spot Weld Connector
Case Study 1: Static Analysis of a Hook Assembly with Contacts
Case Study 2: Static Analysis of a Flange Assembly with Bolt
Connectors
Case Study 3: Static Analysis of an Assembly with Edge Weld
Connectors
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Static Analysis of a Leaf Spring Assembly
Hands-on Test Drive 2: Static Analysis of a Car Jack Assembly
Summary
Questions

Chapter 6: Adaptive Mesh Methods

Working with H-Adaptive Mesh
Working with P-Adaptive Mesh
Case Study 1: Static Analysis of a C-Bracket with Adaptive Meshing
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Static Analysis of a Wrench with Adaptive
Meshing
Summary
Questions

Chapter 7: Buckling Analysis

Introduction to Buckling Analysis
Case Study 1: Buckling Analysis of a Pipe Support
Case Study 2: Buckling Analysis of a Beam
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Buckling Analysis of a Column
Summary
Questions

Chapter 8: Fatigue Analysis

Introduction to Fatigue Analysis
Case Study 1: Fatigue Analysis of a Connecting Rod
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Fatigue Analysis of a Crankshaft
Summary
Questions

Chapter 9: Frequency Analysis

Introduction to Frequency Analysis
Case Study 1: Frequency Analysis of a Wine Glass
Case Study 2: Frequency Analysis of a Pulley Assembly
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Frequency Analysis of a Cantilever Beam
Summary
Questions

Chapter 10: Non-Linear Static Analysis

Making Assumptions for Non-Linear Static Analysis
Using Iterative Methods for Non-Linear Analysis
Newton-Raphson (NR) Scheme
Modified Newton-Raphson (MNR) Scheme
Using Incremental Methods for Non-Linear Analysis
Force Incremental Control Method
Displacement Incremental Control Method
Arc Length Incremental Control Method
Case Study 1: Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Shackle
Case Study 2: Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Handrail Clamp
Assembly
Case Study 3: Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Cantilever Beam
Hands-on Test Drive 1: Non-linear Static Analysis of a Hook
Assembly
Summary
Questions
 Chapter 1
Introduction to FEA and
SOLIDWORKS Simulation

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Introduction to SOLIDWORKS Simulation

• Introduction to Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
• Working with Different Phases of FEA
• Important Terms and Definitions used in FEA
• Different Application Areas of FEA
• Installing SOLIDWORKS Simulation
• Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS Simulation
• Invoking a New SOLIDWORKS Document
• Identifying SOLIDWORKS Documents
• Different Components of the Part Environment
• Adding CommandManager Tabs
• Starting SOLIDWORKS Simulation

Welcome to the world of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) with

SOLIDWORKS Simulation. SOLIDWORKS Simulation, a product of Dassault
Systemes SOLIDWORKS Corp., which is one of the biggest technology
providers of engineering software solutions that lets you create, simulate,
publish, and manage the data. By providing advanced analysis techniques,
SOLIDWORKS Simulation helps engineers optimize performance of products
and allows them to cut prototyping cost, create better and safer products, and
save time as well as the development costs.

Introduction to SOLIDWORKS
Simulation
SOLIDWORKS Simulation is a Finite Element Analysis tool which enables
critical engineering decisions to be made earlier in the design process. With this
software, engineers have the tools to easily study the initial design and predict
the performance of the complete digital prototype. The automatic meshing tools
of this software generate mesh with high-quality elements on the first pass. It
also enables engineers to directly edit the mesh for accurate placement of loads
and constraints or simplify the geometry using its modeling capabilities.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation makes it possible to quickly validate the design
concepts before resources are invested in significant design changes or new
products.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides a wide range of linear and nonlinear

materials that allow a better understanding of the real-world behavior of
products and let engineers know how a product will perform in the real-world
environment.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is fully integrated with SOLIDWORKS and
supports efficient workflow in today’s multi-CAD environment by providing
direct geometry exchange with other CAD applications such as Creo Parametric,
CATIA V5, NX (Unigraphic), Solid Edge, Autodesk Inventor, and so on. It
makes iterative design change without redefining material, loads, constraints, or
other simulation data when working with the native CAD format. You can also
import geometry of universal file formats such as ACIS®, IGES, STEP, and STL
for solid models and CDL, DXF™, and IGES for wireframe models.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides a broad range of simulation tools to
perform various types of analysis, which help engineers to bring product
performance knowledge into the early stages of the design cycle.

The various types of analysis that can be carried-out by using SOLIDWORKS
Simulation are discussed below.

Linear Static Analysis
The linear static analysis is used to calculate displacements, strains, stresses, and
reaction forces of an object under the impact of applied loads. In the linear static
analysis, the material properties of the object are assumed to behave linearly
under the impact of applied load and the object returns to its original
configuration once the load has been removed. Also, the load is assumed to be
constant and do not vary with respect to time. Besides, in this analysis, the
displacement is assumed to be smaller due to the applied load.

Frequency Analysis
The frequency analysis is used to calculate the natural or resonant frequencies
and the associated mode shapes of the structure. Natural or resonant frequency is
the frequency of an object at which it vibrates when disturbed from its rest
position. By knowing the natural frequencies of an object, you can ensure that
the actual operating frequency of the object will not coincide with any of its
natural frequencies to avoid the failure of the object due the resonance.

Buckling Analysis
The buckling analysis is used to calculate the buckling load, which is also known
as the critical load, when the model can start buckling, even if the maximum
stress developed in the model is within the yield strength of the material.
Buckling refers to a larger deformation occurred due to the compressive axial
loads acting on the structures such as long slender columns and thin sheet
components.

Thermal Analysis
The thermal analysis is used to calculate temperature distribution in an object
due to conduction, convention, and radiation. It help you to avoid over-heating
and melting conditions. In addition to calculating temperature distribution, this
analysis also determines the related thermal quantities such as thermal
distribution, amount of heat loss and gain, thermal gradients, and thermal fluxes.

Drop Test Analysis

The drop test analysis is used to calculate the response of an object when it is
dropped on a rigid or flexible floor.

Fatigue Analysis
The fatigue analysis is used to calculate the stress at which the object fails, when
it undergoes repeated loading and unloading process. The repeated loading and
unloading, weakens the object after a period time and causes failure of the object
in the lower stress than the allowable stress limits. You can also predict the total
life and damage of the object due to repeated loading by using this analysis.

Nonlinear Analysis
The nonlinear analysis is used to calculate displacements, strains, stresses, and
reaction forces of the non-linear mechanical problems which includes large
deformation, plasticity, creep and so on. In the nonlinear analysis, the material
properties of the object are assumed to exceed its elastic region under the impact
of applied load and experiences plastic deformation. Means the object will not
return to its original configuration even after removing the applied load. The
nonlinear analysis can undergo static analysis (applied load or field conditions
do not vary with respect to time) and dynamic analysis (applied load or field
conditions do vary with respect to time).

Linear Dynamic Analysis

The linear dynamic analysis is used to calculate the response of objects to
dynamic loading environment. In this analysis, the load or boundary conditions
vary with time due to the sudden loading. Also, the material of an object is
assumed to behave linearly under the impact of applied load and will return to its
original shape once the load has been removed. This analysis includes oscillating
loads, impacts, collisions, and random loads. The linear dynamic analysis is
classified into the following four main categories.

Modal time history
Modal time history analysis is used to analyze the response of the load to the
function of time.

Harmonic
Harmonic analysis is used to analyze the response of an object to harmonically
time varying loads.

Random vibration
Random vibration analysis is used to calculate maximum stresses due to the
vibration, which occurs in response to the non-deterministic loads. The non-
deterministic loads include loads generated on a wheel of a car traveling on a
rough road, base accelerations generated by earthquakes, pressure generated by
air turbulence, and other similar types of load. In the random vibration analysis,
the input provided to the system is in the form of ‘Power Spectral Density
(PSD)’, which is represented as vibration frequencies.

Response Spectrum
Response spectrum analysis is used to calculate the response of structure which
undergoes sudden forces or shocks due to earthquakes, wind loads, ocean wave
loads and so on. Also, it is assumed that the shocks or forces occur at the area
which is fixed.

Pressure Vessel Design Analysis

The pressure vessel design analysis is used to analyze pressure vessels. In this
analysis, you can combine the results of static analysis with a different set of
loads. These loads include dead loads, live loads, thermal loads, seismic loads,
and so on.

Introduction to Finite Element Analysis
(FEA)
The finite element analysis (FEA) uses numerical technique known as finite
element method (FEM) to solve engineering problems. The finite element
method (FEM) is the most widely used and accepted method to solve
engineering problems involving stress analysis, deflections, reactions, vibrations,
fluid flow, heat transfer, electrical, magnetic fields, and so on due its suitability,
numerical efficiency, and generality for computer implementation.

The whole concept of FEM can be explained with a small example of measuring
the area of an unknown geometry of a plate, see Figure 1.1. There are many
ways to measure the area of an unknown geometry, but the best way is to divide
the entire geometry into different known geometries whose area can be easily
calculated, see Figure 1.2. After measuring the area of each individual known
geometry, assemble them together to get the total area of the geometry.

Figure 1.1
 Figure 1.2

The same concept is used in FEM to calculate stresses, displacements, strains,

reaction forces, temperature, frequency, vibrations, and so on of a complex
structure. FEM divides the entire complex structure into a finite number of
pieces of simple geometric shapes called elements, see Figure 1.3. It replaces a
complex engineering problem with many simple problems that can be easily
solved.

Figure 1.3

It is clear from the above figure that a FEM model consists of number of finite
elements which collectively represent the entire structure. Note that the
geometries of the real-world mechanical structures are complex and to
accurately represent their shapes, more number of finite elements are required.
However, due to more number of finite elements, the computational time to
calculate the response of all elements gets increased during analysis. Therefore,
in finite element analysis (FEA), a proper balance to be made between the
accuracy of results and the computational time. It makes the finite element
analysis (FEA) a method of finding approximate solutions to the engineering
problems.

Working with Different Phases of FEA
Before you start performing an analysis, it is important to understand different
phases of finite element analysis (FEA). As discussed, SOLIDWORKS
Simulation is a finite element analysis (FEA) tool which uses numerical
technique known as finite element method (FEM) to solve engineering
problems. In finite element analysis (FEA), the entire process of analyzing the
engineering design is divided into three phases: Pre-processing, Solution, and
Post-processing. The phases are discussed below.

Pre-processing
The Pre-processing phase involves creating/importing CAD model, simplifying
geometry, selection of analysis type, assigning material properties, defining
boundary conditions (external loads and supports), and meshing the model, see
Figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4

Solution
The Solution phase is completely automatic in SOLIDWORKS Simulation. In
this phase, the system generates matrices for individual finite elements, which is
then assembled to generate a global matrix equation for the structure. Further, it
solves the global matrix equation to compute displacement, which is then used to
compute strain, stress, and reaction forces. Note that in this phase, the computed
results are stored in numerical form.

Post-processing
In the Post-processing phase, the results generated in the Solution phase appear
in graphical form to check or analyze them, see Figure 1.4. You can also animate
the structure response based on the results obtained in the Solution phase. The
graphical representation of results is very useful in understanding the correct
behavior of the structure.

Important Terms and Definitions used in

FEA
Some of the important terms and definitions used in finite element analysis
(FEA) are discussed below.

Stress
Stress is defined as the force per unit area. When an object is subjected to an
external force, the internal resistance offered by the object is known as stress.

Ϭ = F/A

Where,
Ϭ = Stress
F = External force acting on the object
A = Cross section area of the object

The stresses are of various forms, but mainly categorized in three types: Tensile
Stress, Compressive Stress, and Shear Stress, which are discussed below.

Tensile Stress
When an object is subjected to tensile forces, the internal resistance offered by
the object against its increase in the length is known as tensile stress, see Figure
1.5.

Figure 1.5

Compressive Stress
When an object is subjected to compressive forces, the internal resistance
offered by the object against its decrease in the length is known as compressive
stress, see Figure 1.6.

Figure 1.6

Shear Stress
The shear stress occurs when two objects tend to slide over one another due to
the application of external forces which are parallel to the plane of shear, see
Figure 1.7.

Figure 1.7

Strain
Strain is defined as the ratio of change in length to the original length of the
object when it undergoes deformation due to the application of an external force,
see Figure 1.8.
 Figure 1.8

ε = dl/L

Where,
ε = Strain
dl = Change in length of the object
L = Original length of the object

Load
Load is defined as the external force acting on an object.

Displacement
Displacement is defined as the change in length or position of an object.

Hooke’s Law
Hooke’s Law defines that the ratio of stress to strain is constant. It states that the
stress is directly proportional to the strain within the elastic region of the stress-
strain curve of a material, when the material is subjected to an external load, see
Figure 1.9.

Constant = Stress (Ϭ) /Strain (ε) (within the elastic region)

Figure 1.9

Yield Strength
Yield strength is defined as the maximum stress (yield stress) up to which a
material deforms elastically under the impact of applied load and will return to
its original configuration once the load is removed. It is also defined as the stress
under which the material begins to deform plastically.

Ultimate Strength
Ultimate strength is defined as the maximum stress that a material can withstand
when subjected to an external load. It is also defined as the stress under which
the material begins to fail or weaken.

Fracture Strength
Fracture strength is defined as the breaking stress under which a material fails
due to fracture or breakage.

Young’s Modulus
Young’s modulus is also known as the modulus of elasticity or the elastic
modulus, which defines the relationship between stress and strain of a material
where the Hooke’s law is obeyed. It measures the stiffness of a material.

E = Stress (Ϭ) / Strain (ε)
E = F*L / A*dl
F = E*A*dl / L
F = (E*A / L) * dl
F = K * X

Where,
K = Stiffness (E*A / L)
E = Young’s modulus
A = Cross section area
L = Original length
X = Change in length (dl)
F = Applied force

Stiffness
Stiffness is defined as the property of a material which offers resistance against
the deformation of the material when it is subjected to an external force.

K = F / dl

Where,
K = Stiffness
F = Applied external force
dl = Displacement (change in length)

Poisson’s Ratio
Poisson’s ratio is defined as the ratio of lateral strain to the axial or longitudinal
strain of a material in the direction of the applied load, see Figure 1.10. The
Poisson’ ratio of a material within the elastic limit is constant. It implies that the
ratio of lateral strain to the axial or longitudinal strain of a material within the
elastic limit is constant.

Figure 1.10

μ = εlateral / εaxial

Where,
μ = Poisson’s ratio
εlateral = Lateral strain
εaxial = Axial or longitudinal strain

Axial or Longitudinal strain (εaxial) = ΔL - L / L = dla / L

Where,
L = Initial/original length
ΔL = Final length
dla = Change in length in axial direction

(Lateral strain εlateral) = ΔD - D / D = dll / D

Where,
D = Initial/original width
ΔD = Final width
dll = Change in width in lateral direction

Creep
Creep is defined as the tendency of a material to deform slowly or gradually. It
increases with time increase under the impact of stress which is below the yield
strength of the material, see Figure 1.11. It is a property of a material which
depends on both stress and temperature.

Figure 1.11

Meshing
Meshing is defined as the process to divide an object into a finite number of
pieces of simple geometric shapes called elements, see Figure 1.12.
 Figure 1.12

Elements
Elements are small pieces of simple geometric shapes into which an object is
divided while meshing. Elements are mainly categorized into three types: 1D
elements, 2D elements, and 3D elements, see the table given below.

Element
Element Shape
Type





1D Element

2D Element









3D Element

Nodes
Elements are connected to each other at common points called nodes, see
Figures 1.13 and 1.14. Also, the nodes define the shape of elements. If you move
a node of an element, the shape of the element will change depending on the new
position of the node.

Figure 1.13

Figure 1.14

Different Application Areas of FEA

The finite element analysis (FEA) was developed for the nuclear, research, and
aerospace industries. However, now a days, it is a widely used and accepted
method in all engineering disciplines (mechanical, civil, electrical, and
automobile etc). The area of applications of FEA includes:

1. Structure analysis
2. Thermal analysis
3. Buckling analysis
4. Fluid flows analysis
5. Frequency analysis
6. Mould flow analysis
7. Drop test
8. Pressure vessel design
9. Fatigue analysis
10. Vibrations
11. Electromagnetic
12. Biomechanics, and many more

Installing SOLIDWORKS Simulation
As discussed, SOLIDWORKS Simulation is fully integrated with
SOLIDWORKS, therefore to install SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you must have
SOLIDWORKS installed on your system. If you do not have SOLIDWORKS
and SOLIDWORKS Simulation installed in your system, you first need to install
them. However, before you start installing SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS
Simulation, you need to evaluate the system requirements and make sure that
you have a system capable of running SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS
Simulation adequately. Below are the system requirements.

1. Operating Systems: Windows 10, 8.1, or 7 SP1 - 64-bit
2. RAM: 8 GB or more recommended
3. Disk Space: 10 GB or more recommended
4. Processor: Intel or AMD with SSE2 support, 64-bit operating system
5. Graphics Card: SOLIDWORKS certified graphics card drivers

For more information about the system requirement for SOLIDWORKS, visit
SOLIDWORKS website at
http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html.


Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS

Simulation
Once the SOLIDWORKS 2017 and SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017 are
installed on your system, start SOLIDWORKS by double-clicking on the
SOLIDWORKS 2017 icon on your desktop. The system prepares for starting
SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS Simulation by loading all required files.
Once all the required files are loaded, the initial screen of SOLIDWORKS
appears, see Figure 1.15. If you are starting SOLIDWORKS for the first time
after installing the software, the SOLIDWORKS License Agreement window
appears, see Figure 1.16. Click on the Accept button in the SOLIDWORKS
License Agreement window to accept the license agreement and to start
SOLIDWORKS.

Figure 1.15

Figure 1.16

Note that SOLIDWORKS Simulation can be invoked within SOLIDWORKS,
therefore, before you start working with SOLIDWORKS Simulation, it is very
important to get familiar with different components of the initial screen of
SOLIDWORKS. The components of the initial screen of SOLIDWORKS are
discussed below.

Task Pane
Task Pane appears on the left side of the screen with tabs for accessing various
resources of SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 1.17. You can access SOLIDWORKS
resources, start a new file, open an existing file, access tutorial help file, several
applications, communities, library, and so on by using the Task Pane.

Figure 1.17

Standard Toolbar
The Standard toolbar contains a set of the most frequently used tools such as
New, Open, and Save, see Figure 1.18.

Figure 1.18

SOLIDWORKS Menus
The SOLIDWORKS Menus contain different menus such as File, View, and
Tools for accessing different tools, see Figure 1.19.
 Figure 1.19

Note that the SOLIDWORKS Menus appears when you move the cursor on the
SOLIDWORKS logo, which is available at the top left corner of the screen. You
can keep the SOLIDWORKS Menus visible all time by clicking on the push-pin
button that is available at the end of the SOLIDWORKS Menus. The tools in
different menus of the SOLIDWORKS Menus are dependent upon the type of
environment invoked.

SOLIDWORKS Search
The SOLIDWORKS Search is a search tool for searching command (tool),
knowledge base (help topic), community forum, files, models, and so on, see
Figure 1.20.

Figure 1.20

Invoking a New SOLIDWORKS

Document
The new SOLIDWORKS document such as Part, Assembly, and Drawing can be
invoked by using the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box. This dialog
box can be invoked by clicking on the New tool in the Standard toolbar or by
clicking on the New Document tool in the SOLIDWORKS Resources Task
Pane. You can also invoke this dialog box by choosing File > New in the
SOLIDWORKS Menus.

Note that SOLIDWORKS Simulation can be invoked either within the Part or
Assembly document of SOLIDWORKS. Therefore, it is important to understand
how to invoke the Part and Assembly documents of SOLIDWORKS.

Click on the New tool in the Standard toolbar. The New SOLIDWORKS
Document dialog box appears, see Figure 1.21. If you are invoking the New
SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box for the first time after installing the
software then the Units and Dimension Standard dialog box appears, see
Figure 1.22. In this dialog box, specify the required unit system as the default
unit system for SOLIDWORKS and then click on the OK button. The New
SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box gets invoked. By using this dialog box,
you can invoke the Part modeling environment, Assembly environment, and
Drawing environment of SOLIDWORKS. The different environments of
SOLIDWORKS are discussed next.

Figure 1.21

Figure 1.22

Invoking a New Part Modeling Environment
The Part modeling environment is used to create 3D solid models, surface
models, and sheet metal models. Also, you can access SOLIDWORKS
Simulation within the Part modeling environment of SOLIDWORKS to perform
analysis (FEA) on a part or a component. To invoke the Part modeling
environment, make sure that the Part button is activated in the New
SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box and then click on the OK button. Figure
1.23 shows the initial screen of the Part modeling environment. You will learn
how to invoke SOLIDWORKS Simulation within the Part modeling
environment later in this chapter.

Figure 1.23

Invoking a New Assembly Environment
The Assembly environment is used to assemble different components of an
assembly with respect to each other by applying the required mates, see Figure
1.24. Also, you can access SOLIDWORKS Simulation within the Assembly
environment to perform analysis (FEA) on an assembly or assembly
components. To invoke the Assembly environment, click on the Assembly
button in the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box and then on the OK
button. The Assembly environment gets invoked. You will learn how to invoke
SOLIDWORKS Simulation within the Assembly environment later in this
chapter.

Figure 1.24
Invoking a New Drawing Environment
The Drawing environment of SOLIDWORKS is used to create 2D drawings of a
part or an assembly, see Figure 1.25. To invoke the Drawing environment, click
on the Drawing button and then on the OK button in the New SOLIDWORKS
Document dialog box. The Drawing environment is invoked.

Figure 1.25

Identifying SOLIDWORKS Documents
The documents created in different environments (Part, Assembly, and Drawing)
of SOLIDWORKS have a different file extension, see the Table given below.

Environments File Extension
Part Environments *.prt; *.sldprt
Assembly Environments *.asm; *.sldasm
Drawing Environments *.drw; *.slddrw

Different Components of the Part
Environment
The different components of the initial screen of the Part modeling environment
are shown in Figure 1.26. The components of the initial screen such as
SOLIDWORKS Menus, Standard toolbar, and SOLIDWORKS Search have
been discussed earlier. Some of the remaining components of the initial screen of
the Part modeling environment are discussed below.

Figure 1.26

CommandManager
CommandManager is available at the top of the graphics area, see Figure 1.26. It
provides access to different SOLIDWORKS tools. There are various
CommandManagers such as Features CommandManager, Sketch
CommandManager, Evaluate CommandManager, Surfaces
CommandManager, Sheet Metal CommandManager, and so on available in
the Part modeling environment. When the Features tab is activated in the
CommandManager, the Features CommandManager appears, which provides
different tools for creating 3D solid models, see Figure 1.27. On activating the
Sketch tab, the Sketch CommandManager appears, which provides different
tools for creating sketches.

Figure 1.27

Note that the tabs of some of the CommandManagers such as Surfaces
CommandManager and Sheet Metal CommandManager are not available in
the CommandManager, by default. You will learn about adding these tabs later
in this chapter.

NOTE: The different environments (Part, Assembly, and Drawing) of

SOLIDWORKS are provided with a different set of CommandManagers.

FeatureManager Design Tree

FeatureManager Design Tree appears on the left of the graphics area and keeps a
record of all operations or features used for creating a model, see Figure 1.28.
Note that the first created feature appears at the top and the next created features
appear one after another in an order in the FeatureManager Design Tree. Also, in
the FeatureManager Design Tree, three default planes, and an origin appear, by
default, see Figure 1.28.

Figure 1.28

View (Heads-Up) Toolbar
The View (Heads-Up) toolbar is available at the center of the top of the graphics
area, see Figure 1.29. It is provided with different sets of tools that are used to
manipulate the view and display of a model available in the graphics area.

Figure 1.29

Status Bar
The Status Bar is available at the bottom of the graphics area and provides the
information about the action to be taken based on the currently active tool.

Adding CommandManager Tabs
As discussed, the tabs of some of the CommandManagers such as Surfaces
CommandManager and Sheet Metal CommandManager are not available in
the CommandManager, by default. To add the tabs of these CommandManagers,
right-click on any of the available CommandManager tab. A shortcut menu
appears, see Figure 1.30. This shortcut menu displays a list of available
CommandManagers. Also, a tick-mark front of the CommandManager indicates
that the respective CommandManager is already added. Click on the required
CommandManagers in the shortcut menu to add their respective
CommandManager tabs in CommandManager.

Figure 1.30

Starting SOLIDWORKS Simulation
As discussed, you can start the SOLIDWORKS Simulation within the Part
modeling and Assembly environments of SOLIDWORKS to perform various
types of finite element analysis (FEA). For doing so, in the Part modeling
environment, click on the Tools > Add Ins in the SOLIDWORKS Menus, see
Figure 1.31. The Add Ins window appears, see Figure 1.32.
 Figure 1.31

NOTE:You may need to expand the Tools menu of the SOLIDWORKS Menus by clicking on the arrow at its
bottom to display the Add Ins option as shown in Figure 1.31.

Figure 1.32

In the Add Ins window, click on the check boxes available on the left and right
of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation option, see Figure 1.32. Next, click on the
OK button. SOLIDWORKS Simulation is invoked and the Simulation menu
gets added in the SOLIDWORKS Menus, see Figure 1.33. Also, the Simulation
tab gets added in the CommandManager, see Figure 1.33. The Simulation menu
and Simulation tab are provided with different set of simulation tools to perform
various types of finite element analysis (FEA). If the Simulation tab is not
added in the CommandManager, by default then you need to add it manually.
For doing so, right-click on any of the tab of the CommandManager and then
click on the Simulation option in the shortcut menu appeared.

Figure 1.33

NOTE: If you select the check box available on the right of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation option in the
Add Ins window then SOLIDWORKS Simulation will be invoked every time on starting SOLIDWORKS,
automatically. However, if you select the check box available on the left of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation
option then SOLIDWORKS Simulation will be invoked only for the current session of the SOLIDWORKS.
To invoke SOLIDWORKS Simulation for the current SOLIDWORKS session as well as for every session of
SOLIDWORKS, you need to select both these check boxes in the Add Ins window.

If the SOLIDWORKS Simulation option is not available in the Add Ins window then you first need to
install SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

After invoking SOLIDWORKS Simulation, click on the Simulation tab in the

CommandManager. The Simulation CommandManager appears, see Figure
1.34. It contains simulation tools to perform various types of finite element
analysis (FEA). Note that initially, most of the tools of the Simulation
CommandManager are not enabled. These tools will be enabled after defining
the type of finite element analysis (FEA) to be performed. You can define the
type of analysis by using the New Study tool of the Simulation
CommandManager.

Figure 1.34

Note that before you define the type of analysis to be performed by using the
New Study tool, you need to create or import a geometry in SOLIDWORKS to
perform the analysis on it. You will learn about performing different types of
analysis in the later chapters.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned about various types of analysis that can be
performed in SOLIDWORKS Simulation and the concept of finite element
analysis (FEA). Also, you have learned about different phases of FEA: Pre-
processing, Solution, Post-processing. You have also learned about various terms
and definitions used in FEA such as Stress, Strain, Hooke’s law, Yield strength,
Young’s modulus, Stiffness, Poisson’s ratio, and so on. Besides, you have
learned about differnet types of elements and the application areas of FEA. In
this chapter, you have also learned about the system requirements for installing
SOLIDWORKS Simulation, getting started with SOLIDWORKS Simulation,
how to invoke a new SOLIDWORKS document such as Part, Assembly, or
Drawing. You have also learned about identifying SOLIDWORKS Documents,
various components of the Part modeling environment of SOLIDWORKS, how
to add CommandManager tabs, and how to invoke SOLIDWORKS Simulation
within the SOLIDWORKS.

Questions
• In the linear static analysis, the material properties of an object are assumed to
behave ________ under the impact of applied load.

• The ________ analysis is used to calculate the natural or resonant frequencies
and the associated mode shapes of a structure.

• The ________ analysis is used to calculate the stress at which the object fails,
when it undergoes repeated loading and unloading process.

• The finite element analysis (FEA) uses numerical technique known as
________ to solve engineering problems.

• In finite element analysis (FEA), the entire process of analyzing the
engineering design is divided into three phases ________, ________, and
________.

• The ________ is defined as the process to divide an object into a finite number
of pieces of simple geometric shapes called elements.

• The elements are mainly categorized into three categories ________,
 ________, and ________.

• The ________ strength is defined as the maximum stress that a material can
withstand when subjected to an external load.

• The ________ is defined as the ratio of change in length to the original length
of the object when it undergoes deformation due to the application of external
load.

• The ________ strength is defined as the maximum stress up to which a
material deforms elastically under the impact of applied load and will return
to its original configuration once the load is removed.

• The ________ is defined as the property of a material which offers resistance
against the deformation of the material when it is subjected to an external
force.
 Chapter 2
Create, Import, and Prepare Geometry

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Creating a Model in SOLIDWORKS
• Opening an Existing SOLIDWORKS Model
• Importing a Model Created in another CAD Software
• Importing a Neutral file
• Preparing a Model for Analysis

In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, before you start an analysis, you need to have a
model available in the graphic area for performing an analysis. SOLIDWORKS
Simulation is fully integrated inside SOLIDWORKS software. As a result, you
can create any real world mechanical 3D model in SOLIDWORKS and then
perform the required analysis on it by using the SOLIDWORKS Simulation. It
helps engineers to take advantage of 3D CAD data such as materials, assembly
mates, and configurations which are stored within the model while performing
the analysis in SOLIDWORKS Simulation. SOLIDWORKS being a parametric
3D modeling software allows you to create or edit any real world mechanical
design, as required. To learn about creating real-world 3D mechanical models
using SOLIDWORKS, refer to SOLIDWORKS 2017: A Power Guide for
Beginners and Intermediate Users textbook published by CADArtifex.

In addition to creating a model in SOLIDWORKS, you can also import a model
created in other software and perform the required analysis on it.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation supports wide range of cad formats: CATIA V5
(*.catpart;*.catproduct), ProE/Creo (*.prt;*.asm), Inventor (*.ipt;*.iam), Solid
Edge (*.par;*.asm), and so on. Moreover, you can also import the models saved
in the neutral file format such as *.SAT, *.STP, *.IGES, and *.STEP to perform
analysis by using the SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

Creating a Model in SOLIDWORKS

As discussed, SOLIDWORKS Simulation is fully integrated inside
SOLIDWORKS software which is a very powerful parametric 3D modeling
software. You can create a real-world mechanical 3D model in SOLIDWORKS
and then perform an analysis on it by using SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

To create a model in SOLIDWORKS, start SOLIDWORKS by double-clicking
on the SOLIDWORKS icon available on your desktop. The initial screen of
SOLIDWORKS appears as shown in Figure 2.1. Next, click on the New tool in
the Standard toolbar, see Figure 2.1. The New SOLIDWORKS Document
dialog box appears, see Figure 2.2. By using this dialog box, you can invoke the
required environment of SOLIDWORKS such as Part modeling environment,
Assembly environment, or Drawing environment.

Figure 2.1

Figure 2.2

To invoke the Part modeling environment of SOLIDWORKS, make sure that the
Part button is activated in the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box and
then click on the OK button. Figure 2.3 shows the initial screen of the Part
modeling environment. In the Part environment of SOLIDWORKS, you can
create 3D solid models, surface models, and sheet metal models. To learn about
creating real-world 3D mechanical models in the Part modeling environment of
SOLIDWORKS, refer to SOLIDWORKS 2017: A Power Guide for Beginners
and Intermediate Users textbook published by CADArtifex.

Figure 2.3

Similarly, to invoke the Assembly environment of SOLIDWORKS, click on the
Assembly button in the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box and then
click on the OK button. The Assembly environment of SOLIDWORKS appears
with the Begin Assembly PropertyManager on its left. Also, the Open dialog
box appears on the screen, see Figure 2.4. Note that along with the Begin
Assembly PropertyManager, the Open dialog box appears every time on
invoking the Assembly environment. It is so because the Automatic Browse
when creating new assembly check box is selected in the Options rollout of the
Begin Assembly PropertyManager, by default. This check box is used to
invoke the Open dialog box automatically if no components are opened in the
current session of SOLIDWORKS. By using the Open dialog box, you can
insert components in the Assembly environment and then assemble them by
applying required mates. In SOLIDWORKS, you can create assemblies by using
two approaches: Bottom-up Assembly approach and Top-down Assembly
approach. To learn about creating assemblies, refer to SOLIDWORKS 2017: A
Power Guide for Beginners and Intermediate Users textbook published by
CADArtifex.

Figure 2.4

NOTE: Once you have created a model in the Part modeling environment or an
assembly in the Assembly environment, you can perform an analysis on it by
using the SOLIDWORKS Simulation. You will learn about performing different
types of analysis in later chapters.

Opening an Existing SOLIDWORKS
Model
You can open an existing SOLIDWORKS model in the current active session of
SOLIDWORKS and perform an analysis on it by using SOLIDWORKS
Simulation. For doing so, click on the Open tool in the Standard toolbar. The
Open dialog box appears. In this dialog box, make sure that the SOLIDWORKS
Files (*.sldprt;*.sldasm;*.slddrw) file format is selected in the File type drop-
down list. This file format is used to display the list of all SOLIDWORKS part,
assembly, and drawing files in the Open dialog box. Browse to the location
where the SOLIDWORKS models are saved and then select the required
SOLIDWORKS model. Next, click on the Open button. The selected model gets
opened in the current session of SOLIDWORKS.

Importing a Model Created in Another
CAD Software
In addition to creating a model in SOLIDWORKS, you can also import a model,
which is created in another CAD software and then perform an analysis by using
SOLIDWORKS Simulation. You can import models which are created in
CATIA, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, ProE/Creo, Unigraphics/NX, and so on.
For doing so, start SOLIDWORKS and then click on the Open button in the
Standard toolbar. The Open dialog box appears, see Figure 2.5. In this dialog
box, invoke the File type drop-down list, see Figure 2.6.

Figure 2.5

Figure 2.6

In the File type drop-down list of the Open dialog box, select the required file
type. For example, to open the model created in Unigraphics/NX software, select
the Unigraphics/NX (*.prt) file type. Next, browse to the location where the
model to be imported is saved. Next, select the model and then click on the
Open button. The process of importing the selected model starts, and once it is
completed, the selected model is imported in SOLIDWORKS and appears in the
graphic area. Also, the SOLIDWORKS message window appears, see Figure
2.7. This message window confirms whether you wish to run import diagnostics
on the model. The import diagnostics is used to repair broken faces and remove
gaps between the faces of the model to make it a valid solid model for analysis.
Note that the SOLIDWORKS message window appears when the imported
model has some faults. Click on the Yes button in the SOLIDWORKS message
window to run the import diagnostics on the model. The Import Diagnostics
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 2.8. The options of this PropertyManager
are discussed next.

Figure 2.7

Figure 2.8
 NOTE: Importing a model from other CAD software is always a challenge. Most of the time while
importing a model from other CAD software, you may find some topological issues in the geometry such as
faulty faces and gaps between the faces. These problems need to be resolved by using the Import
Diagnostics feature of SOLIDWORKS before you carry out any analysis. As discussed, the Import
Diagnostics feature prompts automatically when you import a model from other CAD software. However, if
it does not invoke automatically, click on the imported model in the FeatureManager Design Tree and then
right-click. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 2.9. In this shortcut menu, click on the Import
Diagnostics option to invoke the Import Diagnostics PropertyManager. The options of this
PropertyManager are discussed next.

Figure 2.9

Message
The Message rollout of the Import Diagnostics PropertyManager displays the
current status of the model and the appropriate information about the action to be
performed, see Figure 2.10. Note that if the model gets repaired and no further
action is required, the background color of the Message rollout is changed to
green and displays “No faulty faces or gaps remain in the geometry” message,
see Figure 2.11.

Figure 2.10

Figure 2.11

Faulty faces
The Faulty faces area of the Analyze Problem rollout is used to display the list
of damaged faces of the model, see Figure 2.12. To repair a damaged face, select
it in the Faulty faces area and then right-click. A shortcut menu appears, see
Figure 2.13. Next, click on the Repair Face option in the shortcut menu. The
selected face gets fixed, and its warning icon changes to a green tick-mark .

The Delete Face option of the shortcut menu is used to remove the selected face
from the model. Note that if the face did not repair due to many faults on it, it is
recommended to delete the face by clicking on the Delete Face option of the
shortcut menu and then create a new face in the gap created.

The Re-check Face option of the shortcut menu is used to re-check the selected
face and display its results.

The What’s Wrong? option of the shortcut menu is used to display the
information about the selected face.

The Zoom to Selection option is used to zoom the selected damaged face in the
graphics area. The Invert Zoom to Selection option is used to zoom the
opposite side to the selected damaged face in the graphics area.
The Color option of the shortcut menu is used to apply a color or edit the
existing color of the selected damaged face of the model.

The Remove Face from List option is used to remove the selected damaged
face from the list of faculty faces in the Faulty faces area of the Analyze
Problem rollout.
Figure 2.12

Figure 2.13

Gaps between faces

The Gaps between faces area of the Import Diagnostics PropertyManager is
used to display the list of gaps between the faces of the model, see Figure 2.14.
To heal the gap between the faces, select a gap in the Gaps between faces area
and then right-click. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 2.15. In this shortcut
menu, click on the Heal Gap option. The gap between the faces gets healed.

Figure 2.14

Figure 2.15

Attempt to Heal All
The Attempt to Heal All button of the PropertyManager is used to fix the whole
model automatically. However, sometimes due to the complexity of the faults,
the model may not be fixed automatically, and you may need to repair it
manually.

Attempt to Heal All Faces
The Attempt to Heal All Faces button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager is used to repair all the faulty faces of the model,
automatically.

Attempt to Heal All Gaps
The Attempt to Heal All Gaps button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager is used to heal all gaps between the faces of the model,
automatically.

Once all the faulty faces have been repaired and all the gaps between the faces of
the model are healed, click on the green tick-mark button of the Import
Diagnostics PropertyManager. The PropertyManager closes and the model is
ready for analysis.

Importing a Neutral file
Similar to importing models created in other CAD software, you can also import
a model saved in a neutral file format such as *.SAT, *.STP, *.IGES, or *.STEP
by selecting the required file type from the File type drop-down list of the Open
dialog box.

NOTE: When you import a neutral file, the SOLIDWORKS message window
appears which prompts you to run the import diagnostics for repairing the faulty
faces of the model by using the Import Diagnostics PropertyManager. After
fixing the faulty faces of the model, close the Import Diagnostics
PropertyManager. The FeatureWorks message window appears, see Figure
2.16. The FeatureWorks message window informs you whether you want to
proceed with feature recognition. The feature recognition is a process of
recognizing features of the imported non-SOLIDWORKS model and converting it
into an intelligent SOLIDWORKS model, which allows you to edit the
parameters of the recognized features. FeatureWorks can recognize features
such as extruded boss, extruded cut, conical and cylindrical revolved, standard
hole, hole pattern, sheet metal, shell, rib, draft, fillet, and chamfer. To recognize
the features of the model, click Yes in the FeatureWorks message window. The
FeatureWorks PropertyManager appears, see Figure 2.17. You can recognize
the features of the model by using two methods: Automatic and Interactive.
Select the required options in this PropertyManager or accept the default
selected options and then click on the green tick-mark button. The process of
recognizing the features of the model starts, and once it is completed, all the
recognized features get listed in the FeatureManager Design Tree. Due to the
complexity of the imported geometry, sometimes it is not possible to recognize
the entire model correctly, therefore if you do not want to edit the parameters of
the imported geometry, click No in the FeatureWorks message window.

Figure 2.16

Figure 2.17

After importing the model in SOLIDWORKS, you can perform the required
analysis by using the SOLIDWORKS Simulation. You will learn about
performing different types of analysis in later chapters. However, before you
start performing an analysis, it is important to learn about preparing the model
for it, which is discussed next.

Preparing a Model for Analysis
After importing a model in SOLIDWORKS, you may need to add or remove
features to prepare it for analysis. You can remove features to simplify the model
such as holes, fillets, and threads that have no impact on the analysis results but
have significant impact on the computational time for the analysis. The tools to
prepare a model for analysis are available in the Analysis Preparation
CommandManager, see Figure 2.18.

Figure 2.18

NOTE: The Analysis Preparation tab is available in the CommandManager when SOLIDWORKS
Simulation, SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, or SOLIDWORKS Plastics is integrated in SOLIDWORKS. To
integrate SOLIDWORKS Simulation, click on Tools > Add-Ins in the SOLIDWORKS Menus, see Figure
2.19. The Add-Ins dialog box appears, see Figure 2.20. In this dialog box, select the check boxes available
on the left and right of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation option and then click OK.

Figure 2.19


Figure 2.20

It is evident from the Figure 2.18 that the most of the tools of the Analysis
Preparation CommandManager such as Extruded Boss/Base, Revolved
Boss/Base, Extruded Cut, and Split are same as of the Features
CommandManager. Refer to the SOLIDWORKS 2017: A Power Guide for
Beginners and Intermediate Users textbook published by CADArtifex for the
detailed information about these tools. Some of the tools of the Analysis
Preparation CommandManager are discussed below.

Extruded Boss/Base Tool
The Extruded Boss/Base tool of the Analysis Preparation
CommandManager is used to add material normal or at an angle to the
sketching plane. Note that to create an extruded feature, you first need to create a
sketch which defines the geometry of the feature, see Figure 2.21.

Figure 2.21

To create an extruded feature, first create a sketch by using the sketching tools in
the Sketching environment of SOLIDWORKS. After creating the sketch of the
extruded feature, click on the Analysis Preparation tab in the
CommandManager. The Analysis Preparation CommandManager appears.
Next, click on the Extruded Boss/Base tool. The preview of the extruded
feature by adding material normal to the sketching plane appears in the graphics
area with the default parameters, see Figure 2.22. Also, the Boss - Extrude
PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area, see Figure 2.23.

NOTE: If you exit the Sketching environment after creating the sketch and the
sketch is not selected in the graphics area then on invoking the Extruded
Boss/Base tool, the Extrude PropertyManager appears, which prompts you to
select a sketch or create a sketch to extrude. Select the sketch in the graphics
area to invoke the Boss - Extrude PropertyManager.

Figure 2.22

Figure 2.23

In the Boss - Extrude PropertyManager, specify the parameters such as start
condition, end condition, and depth of extrusion by using the respective options
in the PropertyManager. By default, the Sketch Plane option is selected in the
Start Condition drop-down list of the PropertyManager. As a result, extrusion
starts exactly from the sketching plane of the sketch, see Figure 2.22. You can
select the Surface/Face/Plane, Vertex, or Offset option as the start condition in
the Start Condition drop-down list. The End Condition drop-down list of the
PropertyManager allows you to select a method for defining the end condition of
the extrusion. By default, the Blind option is selected in the End Condition
drop-down list, see Figure 2.23. As a result, you can specify the end condition of
the extrusion by specifying the depth value in the Depth field of the
PropertyManager. You can also select the Up To Vertex, Up To Surface, Offset
From Surface, Up To Body, or Mid Plane option in the End Condition drop-
down list.

Note that some of the options of the Start Condition and End Condition drop-
down lists are not available while creating the base/first feature of the model. For
detailed information about the options of the Boss - Extrude PropertyManager,
refer to the SOLIDWORKS 2017: A Power Guide for Beginners and
Intermediate Users textbook published by CADArtifex.

After specifying the extrusion parameters, click on the green tick-mark button
in the Boss - Extrude PropertyManager. The extruded feature is created.

Revolved Boss/Base Tool
The Revolved Boss/Base tool of the Analysis Preparation CommandManager
is used to create a revolved feature such that the material is added by revolving a
sketch around a centerline or an axis of revolution, see Figure 2.24.

Figure 2.24

To create a revolved feature, first create a sketch of the revolved feature and a
centerline as the axis of revolution by using the sketching tools in the Sketching
environment. Next, click on the Analysis Preparation tab in the
CommandManager and then click on the Revolved Boss/Base tool in the
Analysis Preparation CommandManager. The preview of the revolved feature
appears in the graphics area with default parameters, see Figure 2.25. Also, the
Revolve PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area, see Figure
2.26. If the preview of the revolve feature does not appear, select the centerline
as the axis of revolution.

NOTE: If the sketch to be revolved has only one centerline then the centerline
drawn will automatically be selected as the axis of revolution and the preview of
the resultant revolved feature appears in the graphics area.

Figure 2.25
 Figure 2.26

NOTE:If you exit the Sketching environment after creating the sketch and the
sketch is not selected in the graphics area then on invoking the Revolved
Boss/Base tool, the Revolve PropertyManager appears, which prompts you to
select a sketch or create a sketch to be revolved.

In the Revolve PropertyManager, specify the parameters such as revolve type

and angle of revolution by using the options of the PropertyManager. After
specifying the required parameters, click on the green tick-mark button in the
Revolve PropertyManager. The revolved feature is created.

Split Line Tool
The Split Line tool plays a very important role in the preparation of a model for
analysis. By using the Split Line tool you can split the faces of the model for
applying loads and fixtures. You will learn about applying loads and fixtures for
defining the boundary condition in the later chapters.

To split the faces of a model, click on the Split Line tool in the Analysis
Preparation CommandManager. The Split Line PropertyManager appears,
see Figure 2.27.
 Figure 2.27

The options of this PropertyManager are used to split faces of a model by using
three methods: Silhouette, Projection, and Intersection. The methods are
discussed below.

Projection Method
The Projection method is used to split a face of the model by projecting a sketch
on to the face to be split. For doing so, make sure that the Projection radio
button is selected in the Type of Split rollout of the PropertyManager. On
selecting the Projection radio button, the Sketch to Project and Faces to Split
fields get enabled in the Selections rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure
2.27. By default, the Sketch to Project field is activated. As a result, you can
select a sketch to be projected, see Figure 2.28. After selecting a sketch, the
Faces to Split field gets activated in the PropertyManager. Now, select a face or
faces of the model to split, see Figure 2.28. You can select curve or planar faces
to split. To split the faces in one direction, select the Single direction check box
and to reverse the direction of projection, click on the Reverse direction check
box in the PropertyManager. Next, click on the green tick-mark in the
PropertyManager. The selected face or faces gets split, see Figure 2.29.

Figure 2.28
 Figure 2.29

Intersection Method
The Intersection method is used to create split line at the intersection of two
objects. The objects can be solid bodies, surfaces, faces, or planes. To split faces
of a model by using the Intersection method, select the Intersection radio button
in the Type of Split rollout of the PropertyManager. The Splitting
Bodies/Faces/Planes and Faces/Bodies to Split fields are enabled in the
Selections rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure 2.30.

Figure 2.30

By default, the Splitting Bodies/Faces/Planes field is activated. As a result, you
can select bodies, faces, or planes from the graphics area as splitting objects.
Select the splitting object, see Figure 2.31. The Faces/Bodies to Split field gets
activated in the PropertyManager. Now, you can select the faces or bodies to
split, see Figure 2.31. The preview of split lines appears in the graphics area, see
Figure 2.31. Next, click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The
selected faces get split, see Figure 2.32.

Figure 2.31
 Figure 2.32

Silhouette Method
The Silhouette method is used to create a split line at the intersection of the
direction of projection and a curve face. To split faces of a model by using the
Silhouette method, select the Silhouette radio button in the Type of Split rollout
of the PropertyManager. The Direction of Pull and Faces to Split fields are
enabled in the Selections rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure 2.33.

Figure 2.33

By default, the Direction of Pull field is activated in the Selections rollout of the
PropertyManager. As a result, you can select a plane or a planar face from the
graphics area as the direction of projection. Select a plane or a planar face, see
Figure 2.34. The Faces to Split field gets activated. Now, you can select the
curved faces to split. After selecting the curved faces, specify the value for the
draft angle in the Angle field of the PropertyManager. Next, click on the green
tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The split line is created and the selected
faces of the geometry get split, see Figure 2.35.

Figure 2.34

Figure 2.35

Simplify Tool
The Simplify tool is used to simply a model for analysis by suppressing some of
its features such as holes, fillets, and chamfers that does not have any impact on
the analysis results. Simplifying a model for analysis is very important, it
reduces the computational time of analysis and run analysis more efficiently.
You can suppress or remove features that are not critical and have very little or
no affect on the analysis results.

To simply a model, click on the Simplify tool in the Analysis Preparation
CommandManager, see Figure 2.36. The Simplify Task Pane appears on the
right of the graphics area, see Figure 2.37.

Figure 2.36

Figure 2.37

The Simplify Task Pane allows you to simply a model by using two methods:
Feature Parameter and Volume Based. To simplify a model by using the Feature
Parameter method, make sure that the Feature Parameter radio button is
selected in the Simplify Task Pane. Next, select the features to be simplified in
the Features drop-down list of the Simplify Task Pane. After specifying the
type of features, specify the simplification factor in the Simplification factor
field of the Task Pane. The simplification factor is used for calculating the
insignificant volume, which is based on the feature parameter. Next, click on the
Find Now button in the Task Pane. The features that are below the calculated
insignificant volume get listed in the Results area of the Task Pane, see Figure
2.38. Select the features to be suppressed in the Results area of the Task Pane
and then click on the Suppress button. A derived configuration of the simplified
model is created such that the selected features are suppressed. Figure 2.39
shows a model before simplification and Figure 2.40 shows the simplified
model.

Figure 2.38


Figure 2.39

Figure 2.40

Similarly, to simplify a model by using the Volume Based method, select the
Volume Based radio button in the Simplify Task Pane and then select the
features to be simplified in the Features drop-down list. Next, specify the
simplification factor in the Simplification factor field. In case of the Volume
Based method, the Simplification factor field is used to set the simplification
factor for calculating the insignificant volume, which is based on the volume of
features in the model. Next, click on the Find Now button in the Task Pane. The
features that are below the calculated insignificant volume get listed in the
Results area. Select the features to be suppressed in the Results area and then
click on the Suppress button in the Task Pane. A derived configuration of the
simplified geometry is created such that the selected features get suppressed.

After preparing a model, you can perform analysis by defining the type of
analysis, material properties, loads, fixtures, mesh, and so on. You will learn
about defining the type of analysis, material properties, loads, fixtures, and so on
in later chapters.
Tutorial 1
Open a SOLIDWORKS model “Wrench.SLDPRT”, see Figure 2.41 and then
simplify the model by specifying 0.1 as the volume based simplification factor.
Figure 2.42 shows the simplified model.

Figure 2.41

Figure 2.42

Section 1: Downloading Model

1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by using your user
name and password. If you are a new user, you first need to register on
CADArtifex website as a student.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation
> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resources of this textbook appear in
the respective drop-down lists. For example, all part files used in the
illustration of this textbook are available in the Part Files drop-down list and
all tutorial files are available in the Tutorials drop-down list.

3. Click on Tutorials > C02 Tutorials. The downloading of C02 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the
downloaded file. It is recommended to create a folder with the name
“SOLIDWORKS Simulation” in the local drive of your computer and then
 create a sub-folder inside it with the name “Tutorial Files” to save the
downloaded unzipped C02 Tutorials file in it.

NOTE: All the files available for download are zipped files. You need to unzip
these files after downloading from the website.

Section 2: Starting SOLIDWORKS

1. Start SOLIDWORKS by double-clicking on the SOLIDWORKS icon on
your desktop.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C02
Tutorials of the local drive of your system. Next, select the Wrench file and
then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The Wrench model gets
opened in SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 2.43.

Figure 2.43

Section 3: Invoking SOLIDWORKS Simulation

1. Click on Tools > Add-Ins in the SOLIDWORKS Menus, see Figure 2.44. The
Add-Ins dialog box appears, see Figure 2.45.

Figure 2.44
 Figure 2.45

2. Select the check boxes available on the left and right of the SOLIDWORKS
Simulation option in the Add-Ins dialog box.

3. Click on the OK button in the dialog box. The Simulation and Analysis
Preparation tabs are added in the CommandManager.

NOTE: If you select the check box available on the left of the SOLIDWORKS
Simulation option in the Add-Ins dialog box, then
the Simulation and Analysis Preparation tabs will be added only for the
current session of SOLIDWORKS. However, if you select both the check
boxes, then these tabs will be added every time you start SOLIDWORKS.

Section 4: Simplifying Model
1. Click on the Analysis Preparation tab in the CommandManager. The tools of
the Analysis Preparation CommandManager appear, see Figure 2.46.

Figure 2.46

2. Click on the Simplify tool in the Analysis Preparation CommandManager.
The Simplify Task Pane appears on the right of the graphics area, see Figure
2.47.

Figure 2.47

3. Click on the Volume Based radio button in the Simplify Task Pane. Next,
make sure that the 0.1 value is set in the Simplification factor field of the
Task Pane.

4. Make sure that the Fillets, Chamfers, Holes, and Extrudes check boxes are
selected in the Features drop-down list of the Simplify Task Pane, see
Figure 2.48.

Figure 2.48

5. Click on the Find Now button in the Task Pane. The features that are below
the calculated insignificant volume get listed in the Results area of the Task
Pane, see Figure 2.49.

Figure 2.49

6. Select Fillet1, Fillet2, Fillet3, and Cut-Extrude2 features in the Results area
of the Task Pane by pressing the CTRL key and then right-click. The
Suppress option appears, see Figure 2.50.

Figure 2.50

7. Click on the Suppress option. The selected features of the model get
suppressed, see Figure 2.51. Also, a configuration of the simplified model is
created.

Figure 2.51

8. Click on the red cross-mark in the Simplify Task Pane to exit it.

Section 5: Saving the Model
After simplifying the model, you need to save it.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The modified model gets
saved with the same name “Wrench” in the same location.

Tutorial 2
Import the STEP file “Press Vise Jaw.STEP”, see Figure 2.52 and then run the
import diagnostics on the model for repairing its faulty face. Also, recognize the
features of the model by using FeatureWorks.

Figure 2.52

NOTE: If you have not downloaded the tutorial files of Chapter 2 in the Tutorial
1 of this chapter from the CADArtifex website then you first need to download it.
The steps to download the tutorial files of Chapter 2 are discussed below.

1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by using your user
name and password. If you are a new user, you first need to register as a student.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation >

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook appear in
the drop-down lists.

3. Click on Tutorials > C02 Tutorials. The downloading of the C02 Tutorials file
starts. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the downloaded file
and save in a folder. It is recommended to create a folder with the name
“SOLIDWORKS Simulation” in the local drive of your computer and then create
a sub-folder inside it with the name “Tutorial Files” to save the unzipped Co2
Tutorials file in it

Section 1: Starting SOLIDWORKS

1. Start SOLIDWORKS by double-clicking on the SOLIDWORKS icon on
your desktop.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar, next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Select the STEP AP203/214 (*.step;*.stp) file type in the File type drop-
down list of the Open dialog box.

4. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C02
Tutorials in the local drive of your system.

5. Select the Press Vise Jaw.STEP file and then click on the Open button in the
dialog box. The process of opening the Press Vise Jaw.STEP file starts and
once it is completed, the SOLIDWORKS message window appears, see
Figure 2.53.

Figure 2.53

6. Click on the Yes button in the SOLIDWORKS message window. The Import
Diagnostics PropertyManager appears, see Figure 2.54. Also, the display of
the faulty face of the model appears in the Faulty faces area of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 2.54.

Figure 2.54

7. Click on the faulty face in the Faulty faces area of the PropertyManager and
then right-click to display a shortcut menu, see Figure 2.55.

Figure 2.55

8. Click on the Repair Face option in the shortcut menu. The selected face is
repaired and a green tick-mark appears in its front in the Faulty faces area of
the PropertyManager.

9. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager to exit the
Import Diagnostics PropertyManager. The FeatureWorks message
window appears, see Figure 2.56.

Figure 2.56

10. Click on the Yes button in the FeatureWorks message window. The
FeatureWorks PropertyManager appears, see Figure 2.57.

Figure 2.57

11. Make sure that the Automatic radio button is selected in the Recognition
Mode rollout and the Standard features radio button is selected in the
Feature Type rollout of the PropertyManager.

12. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The process
of recognizing the features of the model starts and once it is completed, all the
recognized features of the model are displayed in the FeatureManager Design
Tree, see Figure 2.58. Figure 2.59 shows the model after importing it in the
SOLIDWORKS.

Figure 2.58


Figure 2.59

Section 2: Saving the Model
Now, you need to save the model.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The Save As dialog box
appears.

2. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C02
Tutorials. Next, enter Press Vise Jaw with Study in the File name field of the
dialog box as the name of the model.

3. Click on the Save button. The model is saved in the C02 Tutorials folder of
the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder with the name ‘Press Vise Jaw with
Study’.

Hands-on Test Drive 1
Import the IGS file “Bracket.IGS” in SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 2.60 and then
run the import diagnostics on the model for repairing its faulty face.

Figure 2.60

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned invoking different environments of
SOLIDWORKS for creating models. You have also learned how to open an
existing SOLIDWORKS model, how to import a model from other CAD
software, and how to import a neutral file. Besides, you learned how to prepare a
model in SOLIDWORKS Simulation for performing an analysis.

Questions
• The ________ dialog box is used to invoke the Part Modeling, Assembly, and
Drawing environments of SOLIDWORKS.

• The ________ is used to repair broken faces and remove gaps between the
faces of a model to make it a valid solid model for analysis.

• The ________ process is used to recognize features of the imported non-
SOLIDWORKS model and convert it into an intelligent SOLIDWORKS
model.

• The tools to prepare a model for analysis are available in the ________
 CommandManager.

• The ________ tool is used to simplify a model for analysis by suppressing its
features such as holes, fillets, and chamfers.

• SOLIDWORKS Simulation is fully integrated inside SOLIDWORKS which is
a very powerful parametric 3D modeling software. (True/False).
 Chapter 3
Introduction to Analysis Tools and Static
Analysis

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Making Assumptions for Linear Static Analysis

• Working with Linear Static Analysis
• Defining Analysis Units
• Assigning Material Properties
• Adding New Material Library, Category, and Material
• Editing Properties of a Standard Material
• Deleting Material library, Category, and Material
• Defining Boundary Conditions
• Applying Fixtures/Restraints
• Applying Loads
• Meshing

After creating or importing a CAD Geometry in SOLIDWORKS, the next and

the foremost important step is to select the right type of analysis to be
performed. Selection of analysis to be performed depends upon the type of
engineering problem to be solved. In finite element analysis (FEA), you need to
make some engineering assumptions for understanding the engineering problem
and then based on the assumptions made, you can select the type of analysis to
be performed. Below are some of the important engineering assumptions that
can be made for selecting the Linear Static analysis.

Making Assumptions for Linear Static

Analysis
Linear static analysis is used to calculate displacements, strains, stresses, and
reaction forces under the effect of applied loads in a geometry. You can perform
the linear static analysis, if the following assumptions are valid for the
engineering problem to be solved.

1. Load applied to a structure do not vary with respect to time.
2. Load is applied slowly and gradually to a structure until it reaches its full
magnitude and once it reaches its full magnitude, it remains constant.
3. Displacement assumed to be smaller due to the applied load.
4. Change in stiffness assumed to be negligible due to the small displacement,
applied load and so on.
5. Material assumed to behave linearly that is it obeys Hook’s Law (stress is
proportional to the strain and the structure will return to its original
configuration once the load has been removed), see Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1

6. Change in material properties assumed to be negligible due to the small

displacement and linear behavior of material.
7. Material assumed to be within the elastic region of the stress-strain curve due
to the applied load, see Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2

8. Boundary conditions do not vary due the application of loads.


If the above mentioned assumptions are valid for the problem to be solved, you
can go ahead and perform the linear static analysis. In linear static analysis, the
linear finite element equilibrium equation to be solved is as follows:

[F] = [K ][X]

Where,
F = Applied load
K = System stiffness (stiffness is constant)
X = Displacement

NOTE: In linear static analysis, if the force doubles, the displacement is

assumed to be doubled, see Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3

Working with Linear Static Analysis
To start with linear static analysis, first create or import a 3D model in
SOLIDWORKS and then click on the Simulation tab in the CommandManager.
The tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear, see Figure 3.4. If the
Simulation tab is not available in the CommandManager, you need to customize
it. To add Simulation tab in the CommandManager, click on the
SOLIDWORKS Add-Ins tab in the CommandManager. The tools in the
SOLIDWORKS Add-Ins CommandManager appear and then click on the
SOLIDWORKS Simulation tool, see Figure 3.5. The Simulation tab is added
in the CommandManager. Alternatively, click on Tools > Add Ins in the
SOLIDWORKS Menus to invoke the Add Ins dialog box and then select the
check boxes on the left and right of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation option in
the dialog box. Next, click OK.
 Figure 3.4

Figure 3.5

Initially, most of the tools in the Simulation CommandManager are not
enabled, refer to Figure 3.4. All these tools will be enabled after defining the
type of analysis to be performed. To define the type of analysis, click on the New
Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager, see Figure 3.6. The Study
PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area, see Figure 3.7.

Figure 3.6

Figure 3.7

NOTE: Before you start with any analysis in SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you
need to ensure that the geometry to be analyzed is available in the graphics area.
If the geometry is not available then on clicking the New Study tool,
the Simulation window appears which informs you that there is no geometry for
simulation to analyze, see Figure 3.8. Click on the OK button in this window and
then create or import a geometry to be analyzed.

Figure 3.8

In the Study PropertyManager, you can select the type of analysis to be
performed. By default, the Static button is activated in this PropertyManager,
refer to Figure 3.7. This button is used to perform the linear static analysis. You
can activate any button in this PropertyManager to perform the required analysis.
In this chapter, you will learn about the linear static analysis. Therefore, make
sure that the Static button is activated in the PropertyManager. Next, specify the
name of the analysis in the Name field of the PropertyManager and then click on
the green tick-mark button. The initial screen of SOLIDWORKS Simulation
appears on starting the linear static analysis, see Figure 3.9.
 Figure 3.9

It is evident from the above figure that after selecting the type of analysis, all the
tools of the Simulation CommandManager are enabled. Also, the Simulation
Study Tree appears on the left of the graphics area, see Figure 3.9. The
Simulation Study Tree keep the record of analysis data used and to display the
analysis results.

After defining the type of analysis to be performed on the geometry, you need to
define its material properties, boundary conditions (fixtures and loads), generate
mesh, and so on. However, before you do so, it is important to learn about
defining analysis units in SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

Defining Analysis Units

SOLIDWORKS Simulation allows you to define analysis units as per your
requirement. For doing so, click on Simulation > Options in the
SOLIDWORKS Menus, see Figure 3.10. The System Options dialog box
appears.

Figure 3.10

In the System Options dialog box, click on the Default Options tab. The name
of the dialog box changes to Default Options, see Figure 3.11. Next, click on the
Units option in the Default Options dialog box. The options related to defining
units appear on the right of the dialog box, see Figure 3.11. Now, you can select
the required predefined standard unit system: SI (MKS), English (IPS), or Metric
(G) in the Unit system area of the dialog box. For example, to set the metric unit
system, click on the Metric (G) radio button. By default, in the metric unit
system, the length is measured in centimeters, temperature is measured in
celsius, angular velocity is measured in hertz, and pressure/stress is calculated in
kgf/cm^2.

Figure 3.11

You can also customize the units of the predefined unit systems by using the
drop-down lists available in the Units area of the dialog box. After defining the
analysis units in the dialog box, click on the OK button.

Assigning Material Properties

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is provided with the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library which contains various types of standard materials. In the library, the
different set of materials are arranged in different categories. For example, the
various types of steel materials are available in the Steel category and the
various types of iron materials are available in the Iron category. You can assign
a required standard material to the model by using the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library. On assigning a material to a model, all its material properties such as
elastic modulus, density, tensile strength, and yield strength also get assigned to
the model and define its physical characteristics.

To assign a material, click on the Apply Material tool of the Simulation
CommandManager, see Figure 3.12. The Material dialog box appears, see
Figure 3.13.

Figure 3.12

Figure 3.13

Alternatively, right-click on the name of the model in the Simulation Study
Tree. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 3.14. In this shortcut menu, click on
the Apply/Edit Material option to display the Material dialog box.

Figure 3.14

In the Material dialog box, the SOLIDWORKS Materials library appears on the
left. Expand it by clicking on the > sign available in front of it, if not expanded
by default. On expanding the SOLIDWORKS Materials library, all the available
material categories such as Steel, Iron, and Aluminum Alloys appear, see Figure
3.15. Next, expand the required material category by clicking on the > sign
available in front of it to display the list of materials available in it, see Figure
3.15. Figure 3.16 shows the expanded view of Steel material category.

Figure 3.15

Figure 3.16

In the expanded material category, click on the required material to assign it to
the model. The material properties of the selected material appear on the right
panel of the dialog box, see Figure 3.17. Note that the material properties are
read only. As a result, you can not edit them. After selecting the required
material, click on the Apply button and then the Close button to close the dialog
box. The material properties of the selected material are assigned to the model
and the material name appears next to the model name in the Simulation Study
Tree, see Figure 3.18.
Figure 3.17

Figure 3.18

As discussed, the materials available in the SOLIDWORKS Materials library
are read only materials and you can not edit or modify their material properties.
However, by using the Custom Materials library of the Material dialog box, you
can add new custom materials and edit the properties of the existing materials. In
the Custom Materials library, you can create a new material category and then
create new materials in it. In addition to the default material libraries such as
SOLIDWORKS Materials and Custom Materials, you can also create new
material libraries and store customized materials in it. The methods of creating a
new material library, a new material category, and a custom material are
discussed next.

Adding New Material Library, Category,

and Material
To add a new material library in the Material dialog box, click on an existing
material library and then right-click. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 3.19.
In the shortcut menu, click on the New Library option. The Save As dialog box
appears. In this dialog box, enter the name of the material database for the
material library in the File name field and then click on the Save button. The
material database of the specified name is saved and the material library is added
in the Material dialog box, see Figure 3.20. In this figure, the
CADArtifex_Materials library is added in the Material dialog box. After adding
a material library, you can add material categories and customized materials. The
method of adding material categories and customized materials are discussed
below.

Figure 3.19

Figure 3.20

Adding a New Material Category
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can add a material category in an user
defined material library or the Custom Materials library. To add a material
category, right-click on a material library (user defined or Custom Materials). A
shortcut menu appears, see Figure 3.21. In this shortcut menu, click on the New
Category option. A new category is added in the selected material library and its
default name New Category appears in an edit field. You can edit or change the
default name of the newly added material category and then click anywhere in
the dialog box. Figure 3.22 shows the Material dialog box with the Steel MFG
material category added in the CADArtifex_Materials library. Similarly, you
can add multiple material categories. After adding a material category, you can
create custom materials in it. The method of creating custom materials in a
material category is discussed next.

Figure 3.21


Figure 3.22

Creating a Custom Material

To create a new custom material, right-click on a material category. A shortcut
menu appears, see Figure 3.23. In this shortcut menu, click on the New Material
option. The new material is added in the selected material category and its
default name Default appears in an edit field. You can edit or change the default
name of the newly added material and then click anywhere in the dialog box.
The default material properties of the newly added material appear on the lower
right panel of the dialog box in the Properties tab, see Figure 3.24. By using the
options in the right panel of the dialog box, you can specify material properties
of the selected material such as elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, density, and
yield strength, as required. In addition to specifying material properties, you can
also define other properties such as type of model, units for material properties,
and creep effect by using the options available on the upper right panel of the
dialog box, see Figure 3.24. Some of the options available in the Properties tab
of the Material dialog box are discussed later in this chapter. After specifying
the required material properties for the newly added material, click on the Apply
button. The material with specified material properties is created in the selected
material category. Similarly, you can create multiple materials in a material
category.

Figure 3.23

Figure 3.24

Editing Properties of a Standard

Material
As discussed, the standard materials available in the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library are read only materials and you can not edit their material properties.
However, you can copy a standard material from the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library and paste it in a custom material library to make the necessary changes in
its material properties. For doing so, select a standard material in the
SOLIDWORKS Materials library and then right-click to display the shortcut
menu. Next, click on the Copy option in the shortcut menu. The selected
material is copied. Now, expand a custom material library and then select a
category to paste the copied material. Next, right-click to display the shortcut
menu and then click on the Paste option. The copied material is added in the
selected material category of the custom material library. Now, you can edit its
material properties such as elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, density, and yield
strength by using the options in the right panel of the Properties tab in the
dialog box. Some of the options of the Properties tab in the Material dialog box
are discussed below.

Model Type
The Model Type drop-down list of the Properties tab is used to select the type
of material such as linear elastic isotropic, linear elastic orthotropic, nonlinear
elastic, or plasticity - von mises. Note that the availability of material types in
this drop-down list depends upon the type of analysis being performed. Figure
3.25 shows the Model Type drop-down list for the linear static analysis and
Figure 3.26 shows the Model Type drop-down list for the non-linear static
analysis.
Figure 3.25

Figure 3.26

Units
The Units drop-down list is used to select a unit system such as SI - N/m^2 (Pa),
English (IPS), or Metric (MKS) for defining the values of the material
properties, see Figure 3.27.

Figure 3.27

Include Creep Effect
Creep is the plastic deformation of a material when the material is subjected to
stress which is below the yield strength of the material. In SOLIDWORKS
Simulation, you can include the effect of creep in the material by selecting the
Include creep effect check box, refer to Figure 3.26. Note that this check box is
available only for non-linear analysis. Also, this check box is not available for
the linear elastic orthotropic and viscoelastic material types. You will learn about
performing non-linear analysis in later chapters.

Reference Geometry
The Reference Geometry field is available only when the Linear Elastic
Orthotropic material type is selected in the Model Type drop-down list. This
field is used for selecting a reference geometry to define the orthogonal
directions of the orthotropic material. Note that the material properties of an
orthotropic material are not constant and vary in the orthogonal directions. As a
result, you need to select a reference geometry to define the orthogonal
directions of the material. You can select a plane, an axis, or a coordinate system
as the reference geometry to define the orthogonal directions of an orthotropic
material.

Category
The Category field displays the name of the category of the selected material.
You can update or rename the category name by entering a new name in this
field. Note that the new name of the category entered in this field will be applied
when you click on the Apply button in the Material dialog box.

Name
The Name field displays the name of the selected material. You can enter a new
name of material in this field.

Default failure criterion
The Default failure criterion drop-down list is used to set the default failure
criterion factor for computing the factor of safety. Note that the selected failure
criterion factor is used for computing the factor of safety only when you
compute the factor of safety by using the Automatic option. You will learn more
about computing factor of safety in later chapters.

Description
The Description field is used to add the description or comment about the
material. You can enter description or comment upto 256 characters in this field.

Source
The Source field is used to specify the source of reference for the custom
material.

Properties table
The Properties table of the Material dialog box is used to specify the properties
of the material such as elastic modulus, Poisson ratio, density, and yield strength.
You can specify physical properties of the material in the respective fields of the
Properties table, see Figure 3.28. Note that the material properties highlighted in
red indicate that they are mandatory to be specified and the material properties in
blue are optional based on the current active analysis study and the material type.

Figure 3.28

Deleting Material library, Category, and
Material
You can delete a custom material library, a material category, and a material in
the Material dialog box. To delete a custom material library, select the material
library in the Material dialog box and then right-click. A shortcut menu appears,
see Figure 3.29. In this shortcut menu, click on the Delete option. The
SOLIDWORKS message window appears, which informs that you are about to
delete ‘name of the material library’ and its contents, see Figure 3.30. Click on
the Yes button in the SOLIDWORKS message window to confirm the action of
deleting the selected material library. The selected material library gets deleted
and is no longer available in the dialog box. Similarly, you can delete a custom
material category and a material. Note that you cannot delete the
SOLIDWORKS Materials library as well as its categories and materials.

Figure 3.29

Figure 3.30

Defining Boundary Conditions
Defining boundary conditions is one of the important steps in the pre-processing
phase of an analysis. Boundary conditions represent the effect of surrounding
environment on the model which includes the application of external loads and
restraints. In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can define the boundary
conditions by applying fixtures and external loads such as force, torque, and
pressure. The fixtures are also known as restraints or constraints which are used
to remove the degree of freedoms of the model.

Depending upon the application of model in the real-world, you need to apply
fixtures and loads to the model. For example, in case of cantilever beam, one end
is fixed with the wall and other end is free and an external force of 100 N is
acting on its top face in the real conditions, see Figure 3.31. In such a case, you
need to apply the fix restraint to the fixed end and the 100 N force on the top
face of the cantilever beam in SOLIDWORKS Simulation, see Figure 3.32.

Figure 3.31

Figure 3.32

SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides you with various type of fixtures and
external loads in order to satisfy the real-world conditions of a model.

Applying Fixtures/Restraints
Fixtures are also know as restraints or constraints and act as a rigid support. By
applying fixtures you can remove the required degrees of freedom of a model.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides you with two type of fixtures: Standard
and Advanced. Both these type of fixtures are discussed next.

Applying Standard Fixtures
The Standard fixtures includes Fixed Geometry, Roller/Slider, Fixed Hinge, and
Immovable (No translation) fixtures. The Standard fixtures are available in the
Fixtures flyout of the Simulation CommandManager, see Figure 3.33.
Alternatively, to access the Standard fixture, right-click on the Fixtures option in
the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the required Standard fixture in the
shortcut menu appeared, see Figure 3.34. The Standard fixtures are discussed
below.

Figure 3.33

Figure 3.34

Fixed Geometry Fixture
The Fixed Geometry fixture is used to fix/remove all translations and rotations
degrees of freedom of a solid model, see Figure 3.35. You can apply the Fixed
Geometry fixture to vertices, edges, and faces of a model. Note that the effect of
the Fixed Geometry fixture depends on the type of geometry selected. It is
important to understand it in order to make a stable model for analysis. If you
apply the Fixed Geometry fixture to a vertex of a solid model then all degrees of
freedom of the model will not be fixed and the model can rotate about the fixed
vertex. Similarly, if you fix an edge of a 3D model by using this fixture, the
model can rotate about the fixed edge. On the other hand, if you fix a face of a
3D model then all the degrees of freedom of the model become fixed and the
model cannot rotate as well as translate in any direction.

Figure 3.35

To apply the Fixed Geometry fixture, invoke the Fixture flyout by clicking on
the arrow in the bottom of the Fixtures Advisor tool in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on the Fixed Geometry tool, see Figure
3.36. The Fixture PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.37. Select the
required geometry of the model such as a face, an edge to apply the Fixed
Geometry fixture. You can select single or multiple geometries to apply the
fixture. As soon as you select a geometry, the symbol of the Fixed Geometry
fixture appears on the selected geometry in the graphics area, see Figure 3.38.
Also, the name of the selected geometry appears in the Faces, Edges, Vertices
for Fixture field of the Fixture PropertyManager.

Figure 3.36

Figure 3.37

Figure 3.38

Procedure for Applying the Fixed Geometry Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout in the Simulation CommandManager.
2. Click on the Fixed Geometry tool. The Fixture PropertyManager appears.
3. Select a geometry to add fixture. You can select a face, an edge, or a vertex of
the model.
4. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The Fixed Geometry
fixture is applied to the selected geometry of the model.

Roller/Slider Fixture
The Roller/Slider fixture is used to apply the restraint to a planar face such that
its movement in the direction normal to the planar face gets restricted and allows
movement within the plane of face, see Figure 3.39.

Figure 3.39

To apply the Roller/Slider fixture, invoke the Fixture flyout in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on the Roller/Slider tool. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.40. Select a planar face of the model to
apply the Roller/Slider fixture. You can also select multiple planar faces to apply
this fixture. As soon as you select a face, the symbol of Roller/Slider fixture
appears on the selected face in the graphics area, see Figure 3.41. Also, the name
of the selected face appears in the Faces for Fixture field of the
PropertyManager.

Figure 3.40
 Figure 3.41

Procedure for Applying the Roller/Slider Fixture
1. Click on the Roller/Slider tool in the Fixture flyout.
2. Select a planar face or planar faces of a model to apply the Roller/Slider
fixture.
3. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The Roller/Slider
fixture is applied. The selected planar face can move freely within its plane of
face and its movement along the direction normal to the planar face gets
restricted.

Fixed Hinge Fixture
The Fixed Hinge fixture is used to apply restraints to a cylindrical face such that
it can only rotate about its axis of rotation. In other works, on applying the Fixed
Hinge fixture to a cylindrical face, all degree of freedoms of the component get
fixed except its rotational degree of freedom about the axis of the selected
cylindrical face, see Figure 3.42.

Figure 3.42

To apply the Fixed Hinge fixture, invoke the Fixture flyout and then click on the
Fixed Hinge tool. The Fixture PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.43.
Select a cylindrical face of the model to apply the Fixed Hinge fixture. You can
also select multiple cylindrical faces. When you select a cylindrical face, the
symbol of the Fixed Hinge fixture appears on it in the graphics area, see Figure
3.44.

Figure 3.43

Figure 3.44

Procedure for Applying the Fixed Hinge Fixture
1. Click on the Fixed Hinge tool in the Fixture flyout.
2. Select a cylindrical face or cylindrical faces to apply the Fixed Hinge fixture.
3. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The Fixed Hinge
fixture is applied.

Immovable (No translation) Fixture
The Immovable (No translation) fixture is used to fix/remove all the translation
degree of freedoms of a shell, beam, or truss geometry. You can apply the
Immovable (No translation) fixture to vertices, edges, faces, and beam joints of
the geometry. Note that this fixture is not applicable to 3D solid models.

To apply the Immovable (No translation) fixture, invoke the Fixture flyout in
the Simulation CommandManager and then click on the Fixed Geometry
tool. The Fixture PropertyManager appears. In this PropertyManager, click on
the Immovable (No translation) button, see Figure 3.45. Note that the
Immovable (No translation) button is only available for a shell, beam, or truss
geometry. Next, select faces, edges, vertices, or joints to apply the Immovable
(No translation) fixture. The symbol of the Immovable (No translation) fixture
appears on the selected geometry in the graphics area, see Figures 3.46 and 3.47.
In Figure 3.46, the Immovable (No translation) fixture is applied on the edges of
a shell geometry and in Figure 3.47, the Immovable (No translation) fixture is
applied on the joints of a beam geometry. You will learn more about shell, beam,
and truss geometries later in this chapter.

Figure 3.45

Figure 3.46

Figure 3.47

Procedure for Applying the Immovable (No
translation) Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout in the Simulation CommandManager.
2. Click on the Fixed Geometry tool. The Fixture PropertyManager appears.
3. Click on the Immovable (No translation) button in the PropertyManager.
Note that the Immovable (No translation) button is available only for shells,
beams and trusses.
4. Select faces, edges, verities, or joints to apply fixture.
5. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The Immovable (No
translation) fixture is applied.

Applying Advanced Fixtures
In addition to the Standard fixtures such as Fixed Geometry, Roller/Slider, and
Fixed Hinge, SOLIDWORKS Simulation also provides you the Advanced
fixtures: Symmetry, Circular Symmetry, Use Reference Geometry, On Flat
Faces, On Cylindrical Faces, and On Spherical Faces. To access these advance
fixtures, invoke the Fixtures flyout in the Simulation CommandManager and
then click on the Advanced Fixtures tool, see Figure 3.48. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears with the expanded Advanced rollout, see Figure
3.49. Note that the name of the Advanced rollout depends upon the type of
advanced fixture selected. For example, by default, the Use Reference
Geometry button is selected in this rollout. As a result, the name of the
Advanced rollout appears as Advanced (Use Reference Geometry). The
advanced fixtures are discussed next.

Figure 3.48


Figure 3.49

Symmetry Fixture
The Symmetry fixture is used to analyze one half of the model which is
symmetric about a symmetric plane and the results are obtained for the complete
model. Figure 3.50 show a symmetric model and Figure 3.51 shows one half of
the model that can be analyzed to obtain the results of the complete model. Note
that because of the symmetry, you can analyze one half of the model instead of
analyzing the complete model to reduce the computational time of the analysis
and to obtain accurate results as that of the complete model. On applying the
Symmetry fixture, the symmetric face of the model cannot move in its normal
direction.

Figure 3.50
 Figure 3.51

To apply the Symmetric fixture, click on the Symmetry button in the Advanced
rollout of the Fixture PropertyManager. The Planar Faces for Fixture field
becomes available in the PropertyManager, see Figure 3.52. This field is used to
select symmetric faces of the model. Select a symmetric face of the model in the
graphics area. The preview of the other symmetric half of the model appears in
the graphics area and the symbol of the Symmetric fixture appears on the
selected face, see Figure 3.53. Next, click on the green tick-mark in the
PropertyManager. The Symmetry fixture is applied.

Figure 3.52

Figure 3.53

Procedure for Applying the Symmetric Fixture
1. Click on the Advanced Fixtures tool in the Fixture flyout.
2. Click on the Symmetry button in the Advanced rollout of the Fixture
PropertyManager.
3. Select symmetric faces of the model.
4. Click on the green tick-mark of the PropertyManager. The Symmetry fixture
is applied.

Cyclic Symmetry Fixture

The Cyclic Symmetry fixture is used to analyze a portion of a circular model
having 360-degree angle and the results are obtained for the complete circular
model. In the Cyclic Symmetry fixture, the portion of a circular model is
considered to be repeated or patterned about the axis of revolution of the
symmetry to form the complete model. Figure 3.54 shows a circular model and
Figure 3.55 shows a portion of the model that can be analyzed to obtain the
results for the complete model. To analyze a portion of a circular model by using
the Cyclic Symmetry fixture, you need to select its cutting faces and the axis of
revolution. Note that on applying the Cyclic Symmetry fixture, the cutting faces
of the model cannot move in its normal direction.

Figure 3.54

Figure 3.55

To apply the Cyclic Symmetry fixture, click on the Cyclic Symmetry button in
the Advanced rollout of the Fixture PropertyManager. The Selection (Face)
and Axis fields become available in the rollout, see Figure 3.56.

Figure 3.56

The Selected (Face) fields of the PropertyManager are used to select cutting
faces of the circular model and the Axis field is used to select the axis of
revolution of the model. By default, the first Selection (Face) field is activated
in the PropertyManager. As a result, you are prompted to select the first cutting
face. Select the first cutting face, see Figure 3.57. Next, click on the second
Selection (Face) field in the Advance rollout to activate it and then select the
second cutting face, see Figure 3.57. Next, click on the Axis field in the
Advance rollout and then select the axis of revolution. The preview of the
complete model appears by patterning the portion of the model around the axis
of revolution, see Figure 3.58. Note that the axis of revolution must lie at the
intersection of two selected cutting faces so that the portion of the model can
pattern around it to represent the complete model. Next, click on the green tick-
mark in the PropertyManager. The Cyclic Symmetry fixture is applied.

Figure 3.57
 Figure 3.58

Procedure for Applying the Cyclic Symmetry Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout and then click on the Advanced Fixtures tool.
2. Click on the Cyclic Symmetry button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager.
3. Select the first cutting face of the model.
4. Click on the second Selection (Face) field in the Advanced rollout and then
select the second cutting face of the model.
5. Click on the Axis field in the Advanced rollout and then select the axis of
revolution.
6. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The Cyclic Symmetry
fixture is applied.

Use Reference Geometry Fixture
The Use Reference Geometry fixture is used to restrict degree of freedoms of
faces (planar or curved), edges, and vertices of a solid model with respect to a
reference geometry. You can select a plane, an axis, an edge, or a planar face as
the reference geometry to restrict degree of freedoms of faces, edges, and
vertices of a solid model. Note that the number of degrees of freedom that can be
restricted depends on the reference geometry selected. For example, if you select
a plane or a planar face as the reference geometry then the translational degrees
of freedom of faces, edges, or vertices of a model will be restricted in the X axis,
Y axis, and in the direction normal to the plane or planar face selected as
reference geometry. If you select an edge as the reference geometry then the
translational degree of freedom in the direction of the selected edge will be
restricted. Similarly, if you select an axis then the translational degree of
freedom in the radial, circumferential, and axial directions will be restricted.
Note that in case of the beam and shell, you can also restrict the rotational
degrees of freedom by using the Use Reference Geometry fixture. You will learn
more about shell, beam, and truss geometries later in this chapter

To apply the Use Reference Geometry fixture, click on the Use Reference
Geometry button in the Advanced rollout of the Fixture PropertyManager.
The Faces, Edges, Vertices for Fixture and Face, Edge, Plane, Axis for
Direction fields get enabled in the Advanced rollout of the PropertyManager,
see Figure 3.59. Also, the Faces, Edges, Vertices for Fixture field is activated,
by default. As a result, you are prompted to select faces, edges, or vertices of a
model. Select faces, edges, or vertices of the model to apply the Use Reference
Geometry fixture, see Figure 3.60. In this figure, a planar face is selected to
restrict its translational movements. Next, click on the Face, Edge, Plane, Axis
for Direction field in the PropertyManager and then select a reference geometry.
You can select a plane, a planar face, an edge, or an axis as the reference
geometry, see Figure 3.60. In this figure, the Top plane is selected as the
reference geometry. Now, by using the Translations rollout of the
PropertyManager, you can define the directions in which you wish to restrict the
translational movements of the selected face with respect to the reference
geometry, see Figure 3.61.
Figure 3.59

Figure 3.60
 Figure 3.61

In the Translations rollout of the PropertyManager, click on a required button:
Along Plane Dir 1, Along Plane Dir 2, or Normal to Plane, see Figure 3.61. In
this figure, the Along Plane Dir 1 and Normal to Plane buttons are activated.
Note that as soon as you activate a button (Along Plane Dir 1, Along Plane Dir
2, or Normal to Plane), an edit field is enabled with 0 (zero) value entered in it,
see Figure 3.61. The 0 (zero) value means the translation motion for the selected
faces, edges, or vertices is restricted along the respective direction. You can also
enter any value other than 0 (zero) in the edit fields to allow permissible motion
for the selected faces, edges, or vertices in the respective directions. Note that if
you do not activate a button (Along Plane Dir 1, Along Plane Dir 2, or Normal
to Plane) and leave it unspecified in the Translations rollout then the selected
faces, edges, or vertices are allowed to translate freely along the respective
directions. Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager.
The Use Reference Geometry fixture is applied to the selected faces, edges, or
vertices.

NOTE: In case of the shell, beam and truss, you can also restrict or allow
permissible rotational motions for faces, edges, vertices, or joints of the model
by using the Rotation rollout of the Fixture PropertyManager. This rollout is
only available for shells, beams, and trusses. You will learn more about shell,
beam, and truss geometries later in this chapter.
Procedure for Applying the Use Reference Geometry
Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout and then click on the Advanced Fixtures tool.
2. Make sure that the Use Reference Geometry button is activated in the
Advanced rollout.
3. Select faces (planar or curved), edges, or vertices to apply this fixture. Note
that in case of beam/truss, you need to select joints.
4. Click on the Face, Edge, Plane, Axis for Direction field in the Advanced
rollout.
5. Select a plane, a planar face, an edge, or an axis as the reference geometry.
6. In the Translations rollout, click on the required direction button (Along
Plane Dir 1, Along Plane Dir 2, or Normal to Plane) and then specify
translation value in the edit field enabled. Note that on entering 0 (zero)
translation value, the translation motion gets restricted along the respective
direction.
7. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The Use Reference
Geometry fixture is applied on the selected faces, edges, vertices, or joints.

On Flat Faces Fixture
The On Flat Faces fixture is same as of the Use Reference Geometry fixture with
the only difference that the On Flat Faces fixture can only be applied to the
planar faces and is used to restrict or allow permissible motions to the selected
faces relative to their directions (Direction 1, Direction 2, and Normal), see
Figure 3.62. In this figure, the translational movements along the Direction 1 and
in the direction normal to the selected face are restricted by specifying 0 (zero)
in the Along Face Dir 1 and Normal to Face fields of the Translation rollout in
the PropertyManager, respectively.

Figure 3.62

Procedure for Applying the On Flat Faces Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout and then click on the Advanced Fixtures tool.
2. Click on the On Flat Faces button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager.
3. Select a planar face or faces of the model to apply the fixture.
4. In the Translations rollout, click on the required direction button (Along
Plane Dir 1, Along Plane Dir 2, or Normal to Plane) and then specify the
translation value in the edit field enabled. Note that on entering 0 (zero)
translation value, the translation motion gets restricted along the respective
direction. Also, the direction left unspecified will be free for movements.
5. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The On Flat Faces
fixture is applied.

On Cylindrical Faces Fixture

The On Cylindrical Faces fixture is used to restrict cylindrical faces of a model
to translate in its radial, circumferential, and axial directions, see Figure 3.63. In
this figure, the On Cylindrical Faces fixture is applied to a cylindrical face of the
model such that its movements in the radial and circumferential directions are
restricted.

Procedure for Applying the On Cylindrical Faces

Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout and then click on the Advanced Fixtures tool.
2. Click on the On Cylindrical Faces button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager.
3. Select a cylindrical face or faces of the model to apply this fixture.
4. Click on the required direction button (Radial, Circumferential, or Axial) in
the Translations rollout and then specify the translation value in the edit field
enabled. Note that on entering 0 (zero) translation value, the translation
motion gets restricted along the respective direction. Also, the direction left
unspecified will be free for movements.
5. Click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The On Cylindrical
Faces fixture is applied.

Figure 3.63

On Spherical Faces Fixture
The On Spherical Faces fixture is used to restrict spherical faces of a model to
translate in its radial, longitudinal, and latitudinal directions, see Figure 3.64. In
this figure, the On Spherical Faces fixture is applied to a spherical face of the
model such that its movement in the radial direction is restricted and the model
is free to move in its longitudinal and latitudinal directions around the center
point of selected spherical face.

Figure 3.64
Procedure for Applying the On Spherical Faces
Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout and then click on the Advanced Fixtures tool.
2. Click on the On Spherical Faces button in the Advanced rollout.
3. Select a spherical face or faces to apply this fixture.
4. In the Translations rollout, click on the required direction button (Radial,
Longitude, or Latitude) and then specify translation value in the edit field
enabled. Note that on entering 0 (zero) translation value, the translation
motion gets restricted along the respective direction. Also, the direction left
unspecified will be free for movements.
5. Click on the green tick-mark of the PropertyManager. The On Spherical
Faces fixture is applied.

Applying Loads
The internal and external forces such as force, pressure, temperature acting on an
object are known as loads. Defining loads is a very important step in FEA to
evaluate the response of an object under the given loading condition. In
SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the tools used to apply different type of loads are
available in the External Loads flyout, see Figure 3.65. You can invoke this
flyout by clicking on the arrow available at the bottom of the External Loads
Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager. Alternatively, to access the
different types of loads, right-click on the External Loads option in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the required load in the shortcut menu
appeared, see Figure 3.66. The different types of loads are discussed next.

Figure 3.65

Figure 3.66

Figure 3.67

Applying the Force
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can apply the uniformly or nonuniformly
distributed external force on faces, edges, reference points, vertices, beams, and
beam joints by using the Force tool.

To apply the external force, invoke the External Loads flyout, refer to Figure
3.65 and then click on the Force tool. The Force/Torque PropertyManager
appears, see Figure 3.67. Alternatively, right-click on the External Loads option
in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Force tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, refer to Figure 3.66. The options of the Force/Torque Property
Manager are discussed below.

Force/Torque Rollout
The options in the Force/Torque rollout of the PropertyManager are used to
specify parameters for defining the uniformly distributed force or torque. By
default, the Force button is activated in this rollout, see Figure 3.67. As a result,
the options available in this rollout are used to define the uniformly distributed
force. The options are discussed below.

NOTE: On activating the Torque button in the Force/Torque rollout, you can
apply the torque to the faces of the model. You will learn more about applying
torque later in this chapter.
Faces and Shell Edges for Normal Face
By default, the Faces and Shell Edges for Normal Face field is activated in the
Force/Torque rollout. As a result, you can select faces, edges, vertices, and
reference points of the model to apply the force, see Figure 3.68. In this
figure, a face of the model is selected to apply the force. Note that in case of a
beam structure, you can select beams, joints, and vertices for applying the
force.

Figure 3.68

Normal
By default, the Normal radio button is selected in this rollout. As a result, on
selecting a face of the model, the force is applied in the direction normal to
the selected face, automatically, refer to Figure 3.68. You can also define the
direction of force other than the normal direction by using the Selected
direction radio button. Note that if you have selected an edge, a reference
point, or a vertex for applying the force, then the direction of force will not be
defined automatically and you need to define it by using the Selected
direction radio button, which is discussed next.

Selected direction
The Selected direction radio button is used to define the direction of the force.
On selecting this radio button, the Face, Edge, Plane for Direction field and
the Force rollout appear, see Figure 3.69. The Face, Edge, Plane for
Direction field is used to select a face, an edge, or a plane, respectively as the
reference geometry for defining the direction of force. After selecting a
reference geometry, click on the required button: Along Plane Dir 1, Along
Plane Dir 2, or Normal to Plane in the Force rollout to define the direction
of force with respect to the reference geometry selected. As soon as you select
a direction button (Along Plane Dir 1, Along Plane Dir 2, or Normal to
Plane), the respective field is enabled in its front, where you can enter the
magnitude of the force applied.
 Figure 3.69

Unit
The Unit drop-down list is used to select the unit for the magnitude of the force.
You can select the SI, English (IPS), or Metric (G) unit by using this drop-
down list, see Figure 3.70.

Figure 3.70

Force Value
The Force Value field is used to enter the magnitude of the force applied. Note
that this field is available only when the Normal radio button is selected.

Per item
On selecting the Per item radio button, the specified magnitude of the force is
applied to all the selected geometries. For example, if you have specified 100
N as the magnitude of the force on two vertices of a model, then on selecting
this radio button, the magnitude (100 N) is applied on each of the selected
vertices (100 + 100 = 200 N). So, the total magnitude acting on the complete
body becomes 200 N.

Total
On selecting the Total radio button, the specified magnitude of the force is
distributed among all the selected geometries, equally. For example, if you
have specified 100 N as the total magnitude of the force on two vertices of a
model, then on selecting this radio button, the magnitude 50 N is applied on
 each of the selected vertices (50 + 50 = 100 N). So, the total magnitude acting
on the body remains the same that is 100 N.

Reverse direction
The Reverse direction check box is used to reverse the direction of the force
applied.

Nonuniform Distribution Rollout
The Nonuniform Distribution rollout of the PropertyManager is used to apply
the nonuniformly distributed load. By default, this rollout is collapsed. To
expand this rollout, click on the check box available in its title bar, see Figure
3.71. The options in this rollout are discussed below.

Figure 3.71

Select a Coordinate System
The Select a Coordinate System field of the Nonuniform Distribution rollout
is used to select a coordinate system to measures the nonuniform load. After
selecting a coordinate system, you need to define the nonuniform distribution
equation of the load. You will learn about nonuniform distribution equation
later in this chapter.

TIP: To create a coordinate system, first exit the PropertyManager and then
click on the Features tab in the CommandManager. Next, click on Reference
Geometry > Coordinate System in the Features CommandManager, see
Figure 3.72. The Coordinate System PropertyManager appears, see Figure
3.73. Select a vertex or a point of the model as the origin of the coordinate
system. The preview of the coordinate system appears in the graphics area.
Select an edge or a linear entity to define the X axis direction of the
coordinate system. You can flip the direction of the X axis by using the
Reverse X Axis Direction button available in front of the X axis field. Next,
 select an edge or a linear entity to define the Y axis direction of the coordinate
system. Next, click on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The
coordinate system is created.

Figure 3.72

Figure 3.73

Type of Coordinate System
The Type of Coordinate System area of the Nonuniform Distribution rollout is
used to select the type of coordinate system, refer to Figure 3.71. You can
select the cartesian (X, Y), cylindrical (radial “r”, circumferential “t”, axial
“z”), or spherical (radial “r”, longitude “t”, latitude “p”) coordinate system by
clicking on the respective button in the rollout, refer to Figure 3.71. Note that
depending upon the type of coordinate system selected [cartesian (X, Y),
cylindrical ( r, t, z), or spherical (r, t, p)], you can define the equation for the
nonuniform distribution force by using the Edit Equation button, which is
discussed next.

Edit Equation
The Edit Equation button is used to invoke the Edit Equation window to
define the equation for the nonuniformly distribution force. Click on the Edit
Equation button. The Edit Equation dialog box appears, see Figure 3.74.

Figure 3.74

In the Edit Equation dialog box, you can define the equation for the nonuniform
distribution force. Note that for the cartesian coordinate system, you can enter
equation by using x, y, and z as coefficients. Similarly, for the cylindrical
coordinate system, you can enter equation by using r, t, and z as coefficients and
for the spherical coordinate system, you can enter equation by using r, t, and p as
coefficients. The example of nonuniformly distribution equations based on
different coordinates are given below.

F (x, y, z) = 1 * “x” + 2 *
Nonuniform distribution equations based on “y” + 1 * “z”
cartesian coordinate system (x, y, z) F (x, y, z) = 2 * “x”^3 + 1
* “y” + 1 * “z”
Nonuniform distribution equation based on F (r, t, z) = 2 * “r” + sin
cylindrical coordinate system (r, t, z) (“t”) + 1 * “z”
Nonuniform distribution equation based on F (r, t, p) = 3 * “r” + 1 *
spherical coordinate system (r, t, p) “t” + 1 * “p”

NOTE: While entering the equation, a drop-down list appears, see Figure 3.75.
In this drop-down list, you can select the mathematical functions and
coefficients, see Figure 3.75. You need to enter coefficients inside quotation
marks. For example, F = 1 * “x” + 2 * “y” + 1 * “z”. Where, F is the relative
magnitude of the force at an integration point along the force varying direction.

After entering the equation for the nonuniformly distribution force, click on the
green tick-mark button in the Edit Equation dialog box. The nonuniformly
distributed force applied on the selected face of the model, see Figure 3.76. In
this figure, the force is nonuniformly distributed along the X-axis of the
coordinate system. Note that you cannot apply a nonuniformly distributed force
on an edge or a vertex of the model.

Figure 3.75

Figure 3.76

Symbol Settings Rollout
The Symbol Settings rollout is used to specify the color and size of the force
symbols that appear in the graphics area. By default, this rollout is collapsed. To
expand this rollout, click on the arrow in its title bar, see Figure 3.77.

Figure 3.77

After specifying the required parameters for defining the force in the
Force/Torque PropertyManager, click on the green tick-mark in the
PropertyManager. The force of the specified parameters is applied on the
selected geometry of the model.

Applying the Torque
You can apply the uniformly or nonuniformly distributed torque on faces of a
model by using the Torque tool. The torque is a rotational force which causes
object to rotate about an axis.

To apply the torque, invoke the External Loads flyout, see Figure 3.78 and then
click on the Torque tool. The Force/Torque PropertyManager appears with
the Torque button activated in it, see Figure 3.79. Alternatively, right-click on
the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the
Torque tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The options in the PropertyManager
are discussed below.

Figure 3.78

Figure 3.79

Force/Torque Rollout
In the Force/Torque rollout of the PropertyManager, the Torque button is
activated, see Figure 3.79. As a result, the options available in this rollout are
used to define the uniformly distributed torque. The options are discussed next.

NOTE: You can apply the force or torque by activating the Force or Torque
button in the Force/Torque rollout of the PropertyManager, respectively.

Faces for Torque

The Faces for Torque field of the rollout is activated, by default. As a result,
you can select a cylindrical face or cylindrical faces of the model to apply the
torque, see Figure 3.80.

Axis, Cylindrical Face for Direction
The Axis, Cylindrical Face for Direction field is used to select an axis, an
edge, or a cylindrical face to define the axis of torque, see Figure 3.80.

Figure 3.80

Unit
The Unit drop-down list is used to select the unit for the torque magnitude. You
can select SI, English (IPS), or Metric (G) unit by using this drop-down list.

Torque Value
The Torque Value field is used to specify the magnitude of the torque.

The remaining options in this rollout are the same as discussed earlier.

Nonuniform Distribution Rollout
The options in the Nonuniform Distribution rollout of the PropertyManager are
used to define the equation for nonuniformly distributed torque. The options in
this rollout are the same as discussed earlier.

After specifying the required parameters for defining the uniform or nonuniform
torque in the Force/Torque PropertyManager, click on the green tick-mark. The
torque of specified parameters is applied on the selected cylindrical face or
cylindrical faces of the model.

Applying the Pressure
You can apply the uniformly or nonuniformly distributed pressure on faces of a
model by using the Pressure tool. The pressure is the exertion of the force
applied on a face per unit area.

To apply the pressure on faces of a model, invoke the External Loads flyout,
see Figure 3.81 and then click on the Pressure tool. The Pressure
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.82. Alternatively, right-click on the
External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the
Pressure tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Pressure
PropertyManager. The options in the PropertyManager are discussed below.

Figure 3.81

Figure 3.82

Type
The options in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager are used to select faces
of a model to apply the pressure and to define the direction of pressure applied.
The options are discussed below.

Faces for Pressure
By default, the Faces for Pressure field is activated in the Type rollout of the
PropertyManager. As a result, you can select a face or faces of the model to
apply the pressure.

Normal to selected face
By default, the Normal to selected face radio button is selected in the rollout.
As a result, the pressure is applied in the normal direction to the selected face
or faces of the model, see Figure 3.83.

Figure 3.83

Use reference geometry
The Use reference geometry radio button is used to apply the pressure in a
direction, which is defined by a reference geometry. When you select this
 radio button, the Face, Edge, Plane, Axis for Direction field and Direction
drop-down list become available in the rollout, see Figure 3.84.

Figure 3.84

The Face, Edge, Plane, Axis for Direction field is used to select a face, an
edge, a plane, or an axis as the reference geometry for defining the direction
of the pressure. The Direction drop-down list is used to define the direction of
pressure with respect to the selected reference geometry. Note the availability
of options in the Direction drop-down list depends on the type of reference
geometry selected. For example, if you select a planar face or a plane as the
reference geometry, then you can select the Along Plane Dir 1, Along Plane
Dir 2, or Normal to Plane option in the Direction drop-down list to define
the direction of the pressure. If you select a cylindrical face or an axis as the
reference geometry, then you can select the Radial, Circumferential, or
Axial option to define the direction of the pressure. If you select an edge as
the reference geometry, then the Direction drop-down list will not be enabled
and you can define the direction of the pressure along the selected edge.

Pressure Value
The Unit drop-down list of the Pressure Value rollout is used to select the unit
for the pressure, see Figure 3.85. The Pressure Value field of the rollout is used
to define the value of the pressure. The Reverse direction check box is used to
reverse the direction of pressure.

Figure 3.85

Nonuniform Distribution
The options in the Nonuniform Distribution rollout are used to define the
equation for the nonuniformly distributed pressure. The options in this rollout
are the same as discussed earlier.

After specifying the required parameters for defining the uniform or nonuniform
pressure in the PropertyManager, click on the green tick-mark in the
PropertyManager. The pressure of specified parameters is applied on the selected
face or faces of the model.

Applying the Gravity

The Gravity is defined as the gravitational force, which is acting on all objects in
the universe and causes objects to fall toward the earth. You can apply the
gravitational force on a model by using the Gravity tool.

To apply the gravity on a model, invoke the External Loads flyout in the
Simulation CommandManager and then click on the Gravity tool. The
Gravity PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.86. The options are discussed
below.

Selected Reference
The Face, Edge, Plane for Direction field of the Selected Reference rollout is
used to select a planar face, a plane, or an edge to define the direction of the
gravitational force. By default, the Top Plane is selected in this field to define the
direction of the gravitational force. Note that the gravitational force is applied
normal to the selected planar face or the plane, see Figure 3.87. However, if you
have selected an edge, then the gravitational force is applied along the selected
edge.

Figure 3.86
 Figure 3.87

The Apply Earth’s gravity field is used to specify the value of the gravity of the
earth. By default, the gravity of the earth is 9.81 m/s^2. The Reverse direction
check box is used to reverse the direction of the gravitational force applied.

Figure 3.88

Advanced
In addition to applying the gravitational force normal to the selected planar face
or the plane, you can also apply it in the other directions of the selected planar
face or plane by using the Along Plane Dir 1 and Along Plane Dir 2 fields of
the Advanced rollout. By default, this rollout is in collapsed form. To expand
this rollout, click on the arrow available in its title bar, see Figure 3.88.

After specifying the required parameters for defining the gravity in the
PropertyManager, click on the green tick-mark. The gravity of specified
parameters is applied on the object.

Applying the Centrifugal Force

The Centrifugal force is defined as the force, which is acting on a rotating object
in the outward direction from its axis of rotation. You can apply the centrifugal
force by using the Centrifugal Force tool.

To apply the centrifugal force on a rotating object, invoke the External Loads
flyout in the Simulation CommandManager and then click on the Centrifugal
Force tool. The Centrifugal PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.89.
Alternatively, right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study
Tree and then click on the Centrifugal tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
options in the PropertyManager are discussed below.

Figure 3.89

Selected Reference
The Axis, Edge, Cylindrical Face for Direction field of the Selected Reference
rollout is used to select an axis, an edge, or a cylindrical face to define the axis
of rotation of the object, see Figure 3.90. In this figure, the cylindrical face of the
model is selected to define the axis of rotation.

Figure 3.90

Centrifugal Force
The options in the Centrifugal force rollout are used to specify the angular
velocity and acceleration of the object. The options are discussed below.

Unit
The Unit drop-down list is used to select the unit for defining the angular
velocity and acceleration values.

Angular Velocity
The Angular Velocity field is used to specify the value of the angular velocity.

Angular Acceleration
The Angular Acceleration field is used to specify the value of the angular
acceleration.

Reverse direction
You can reverse the direction of angular velocity and angular acceleration by
using the respective Reverse direction check box of the rollout.

After specifying the angular velocity and angular acceleration, click on the green
tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The centrifugal force of specified angular
velocity and angular acceleration is applied on the object.

Figure 3.91

Applying the Bearing Load
The Bearing load is defined as the load that occurs in the cylindrical faces
having contact with each other. For example, the contact between shafts and
bearings/bushings. In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can apply the bearing
load by using the Bearing Load tool.

To apply the bearing load, invoke the External Loads flyout in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on the Bearing Load tool. The Bearing
Load PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.91. Alternatively, right-click on
the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the
Bearing Load tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The options in the
PropertyManager are discussed below.

Selected Entities
The options in the Selected Entities rollout of the PropertyManager are used to
select cylindrical faces to apply the bearing load. The options are discussed
below.

Cylindrical Faces or Shell Circular Edges for Bearing Load
The Cylindrical Faces or Shell Circular Edges for Bearing Load field of the
Selected Entities rollout is used to select a cylindrical face or cylindrical
faces of same radius to apply the bearing load. Note that the cylindrical faces
need not to be full 360-degree. You can split the faces by using the Split tool
of the Features CommandManager.

Select a Coordinate System
The Select a Coordinate System field is used to select a coordinate system,
which defines the direction of bearing load. Note that the z-axis of the
coordinate system must be aligned with the axis of cylindrical face selected,
see Figure 3.92.

Figure 3.92

Bearing Load
The options in the Bearing Load rollout are used to specify the bearing load
along the X-axis or Y-axis of the coordinate system. The options are discussed
next.

Unit
The Unit drop-down list is used to select the unit for defining the bearing load.

X-Direction
The X-Direction field is used to specify the bearing load value along the X-axis
of the coordinate system.

Y-Direction
The Y-Direction field is used to specify the bearing load value along the Y-axis
of the coordinate system. To activate the Y-Direction field, click on the Y-
Direction button available in its front in the rollout.

Reverse direction
The Reverse direction check box is used to reverse the direction of bearing
load.

Sinusoidal distribution
On selecting the Sinusoidal distribution radio button, the applied bearing load
follows the sinusoidal load distribution on the selected cylindrical face.

Parabolic distribution
On selecting the Parabolic distribution radio button, the applied bearing load
follows the parabolic load distribution on the selected cylindrical face.

After specifying the bearing load on a cylindrical face or cylindrical faces, click
on the green tick-mark in the PropertyManager. The bearing load is applied on
the object.

Applying the Remote Loads/Mass
The Remote Loads/Mass is defined as the load which is originated at a remote
location in the space and its effects are transferred to the model geometry, see
Figure 3.93. To define the remote location in the space, you can specify the X, Y,
and Z coordinates with respect to the global coordinate system or a user defined
coordinate system.

Figure 3.93

To apply the remote load, invoke the External Loads flyout in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on the Remote Loads/Mass tool. The
Remote Loads/Mass PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.94. Alternatively,
right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Remote Loads/Mass tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
options in the PropertyManager are discussed below.

Figure 3.94

Type
The options in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager are used to specify the
type of remote load to be applied. The options are discussed below.

Load (Direct transfer)
The Load (Direct transfer) radio button is used to transfer the applied remote
load to the faces of the model by considering that the connection between the
remote load location and the faces of the model is adequately flexible. Also,
 its displacement is assumed to be small. SOLIDWORKS Simulation
calculates equivalent forces (shear force and moment) and apply them on the
faces of the model based on the applied remote load and the distance between
the remote load location and the faces of the model, see Figure 3.95.

Figure 3.95

Load/Mass (Rigid connection)
The Load/Mass (Rigid connection) radio button is used to transfer the applied
load/moment/mass to the entities (faces/edges/vertices) of the model by
considering that the remote load location and the entities of the model are
connected with rigid bars, see Figure 3.96. It develops high stress near the
selected entities of the model.

Figure 3.96

Displacement (Rigid connection)
The Displacement (Rigid connection) radio button is used to transfer the
applied translation and rotation remote loads to the entities
(faces/edges/vertices) of the model by considering that the remote load
location and the entities of the model are connected with rigid bars.

Faces, edges or vertices for Remote Load/Mass
The Faces, edges or vertices for Remote Load/Mass field is used to select
faces, edges, or vertices of the model to apply the remote load. Note that the
selection of entities (faces, edges, or vertices) depends upon the type of
remote load selected. For example, in case of the Load (Direct transfer), you
can only select the face or faces of the model to apply the remote load. You
can select the required type of remote load by selecting the respective radio
button: Load (Direct transfer), Load/Mass (Rigid connection), or
Displacement (Rigid connection).

Reference Coordinate System
The options in the Reference Coordinate System rollout are used to select a
coordinate system to define the location and direction of the remote load. By
default, the Global radio button is selected in this rollout. As a result, you can
define the location and direction of the remote load with respect to the global
coordinate system. To define the location and direction of remote load with
respect to a user defined coordinate system, select the User defined radio button.
On doing so, the Select a Coordinate System field gets enabled in the rollout
which is used to select a coordinate system from the graphics area.

Location
The options in the Location rollout are used to specify the X, Y, and Z
coordinates of the remote location with respect to the coordinate system selected
(global or user defined).

Force
The options in the Force rollout are used to set the direction and the value of the
remote load. For example, to set the remote load along the X direction, click on
the X-direction button in the rollout and then specify the remote load value in
the field which is enabled in its front. You can apply the remote load along
multiple directions (X, Y, and Z) by activating the respective buttons in the
rollout. The Unit drop-down list of this rollout is used to set the unit for the
remote load. You can also reverse the direction of applied remote load by
selecting the Reverse direction check box. Note that this rollout is available
when the Load (Direct transfer) or Load/Mass (Rigid connection) radio
button is selected in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager.

Moment
By default, the Moment rollout is in collapsed form. To expand this rollout,
click on the check box available in its title bar. The options in the Moment
rollout are used to set the direction and the value of remote moment. For
example, to set the remote moment about the X-axis, click on the X-direction
button in the rollout and then specify the remote moment value in the field which
is enabled in its front. The Unit drop-down list of this rollout is used to set the
unit for the remote moment. You can also reverse the direction of applied
moment by selecting the Reverse direction check box. Note that this rollout is
available only when the Load (Direct transfer) or Load/Mass (Rigid
connection) radio button is selected in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager.

Mass
The Mass rollout is available when the Load/Mass (Rigid connection) radio
button is selected in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager. By default, this
rollout is in collapsed form. To expand this rollout, click on the check box
available in its title bar. The Remote Mass field of this rollout is used to specify
the value of the remote mass and the remaining fields are used to specify the
mass moment of inertia in the respective directions. The Unit drop-down list of
this rollout is used to specify the unit for the mass values.

Translation
The Translation rollout is available when the Displacement (Rigid connection)
radio button is selected in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager. The options
in this rollout are used to specify the remote translations along X, Y, and Z axes
by activating the respective buttons.

Rotation
The Rotation rollout is available when the Displacement (Rigid connection)
radio button is selected in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager. The options
in this rollout are used to specify the remote rotations about X, Y, and Z axes by
activating the respective buttons.

After specifying the required parameters for the remote load, click on the green
tick button in the PropertyManager. The remote load is applied.

Meshing
Meshing is a very important process of an analysis in which the geometry is
divided into number of discrete finite elements which are connected at common
points called nodes, see Figure 3.97. In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the type of
elements used for dividing the geometry depends on the type of geometry being
meshed. For example, to mesh a 3D solid geometry, the tetrahedral solid
elements are used. To mesh a surface or sheet metal geometry (2D planar
geometry), the triangular shell elements are used. Similarly, to mesh a
weldment/structure geometry (1D line geometry), the beam/truss elements are
used. SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses automatic mesher for meshing a
geometry. As a result, it is limited to tetrahedral solid elements for 3D solid
geometries and triangular shell elements for 2D planar geometries (surface and
sheet metal). It is because, in automatic meshers, these elements types are the
most reliable types for meshing the geometries.

Figure 3.97

SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses five types of elements for meshing a geometry:
First Order Solid Tetrahedral elements, Second Order Solid Tetrahedral
Elements, First Order Triangular Shell elements, Second Order Triangular Shell
elements, and Two Node elements. The different types of elements are discussed
below.

Different Types of Elements

Element
Description
Type
The First Order Solid Tetrahedral elements are also known as Draft
elements. Each First Order Solid Tetrahedral element is defined by
 four corner nodes which are connected by six straight edges, see
Figure 3.98. Each node has three degree of freedoms (translations).
Due to the straight edges of draft elements, they do not map
properly on curved boundaries, see Figure 3.99. Also, draft
elements do not provide accurate results. However, due to the less
number of nodes and degree of freedoms, the draft elements require
less computational time and are generally used for quick evaluation.
Figure 3.98
First Order
Solid
Tetrahedral
Elements

Figure 3.99

The Second Order Solid Tetrahedral elements are also known as
High quality elements. Each Second Order Tetrahedral element is
defined by four corner nodes and six mid-side nodes which are
connected by six curvilinear edges, see Figure 3.100. Due to the
curvilinear edges of high quality elements, they map properly on
curved boundaries, see Figure 3.101. Also, high quality elements
provide better results than draft elements. However, due to more
number of nodes and degree of freedoms, the high quality elements
require greater computational time and are mostly recommended for
final evaluation.
Figure 3.100
Second
Order
Solid
Tetrahedral
Elements
Figure 3.101

Similar to the First Order Solid Tetrahedral elements, the First Order
Triangular Shell elements are also known as Draft elements with the
difference that the First Order Triangular Shell elements are defined
by three corner nodes which are connected by three straight edges,
see Figure 3.102. Each node has six degree of freedoms (three
translations and three rotations). Due to the straight edges, the draft
elements do not map properly on curved boundaries, see Figure
3.103 and the results are not accurate. However, the draft elements
require less computational time and are used for quick evaluation.
The Triangular Shell elements are 2D elements are used for meshing
surface and sheet metal geometries, see Figure 3.103. This figure
shows a surface geometry meshed with the First Order Triangular
First Order Shell elements (Draft elements).
Triangular Figure 3.102
Shell
Elements
 Figure 3.103

The Second Order Triangular Shell elements are High quality
elements having three corner nodes and three mid-side nodes which
are connected by three curvilinear edges, see Figure 3.104. Due to
the curvilinear edges of high quality elements, they map properly on
curved boundaries and provide better results than draft elements.
However, the high quality elements require greater computational
time and are recommended for final evaluation. The Triangular
Shell elements are 2D elements and are used for meshing surface
and sheet metal geometries, see Figure 3.105. This figure shows a
sheet metal geometry meshed with the Second Order Triangular
Shell elements (High quality elements). Note that in case of a sheet
metal geometry, the thickness of the shell elements is automatically
Second extracted from the geometry. However, in case of a surface
Order geometry, you need to define the thickness of the shell elements.
Triangular Figure 3.104
Shell
Elements

Figure 3.105

The Two Node Beam elements are also known as Line elements. As
name suggest, each beam element is end-to-end connected with two
nodes, see Figure 3.106. Each node has six degree of freedoms
(three translations and three rotations). The Two Node Beam
elements are 1D elements and are used for meshing
weldment/structure geometries. When you mesh a weldment
geometry, the beam elements are represented by hollow cylinders
similar to the one shown in Figure 3.107. The beam elements can
resist axial, bending, torsional, and shear loads.
Figure 3.106
Figure 3.107
Two Node
Beam
Elements

In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can also mesh a
weldment/structure geometry with the truss elements. The truss
elements are special type of beam elements which resist axial loads
only.


Creating Mesh on a Geometry
SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses automatic mesher for meshing a geometry
based on the mesh parameters such as global element size and tolerance. To
mesh a geometry, click on the down arrow at the bottom of the Run This Study
tool in the Simulation CommandManager, see Figure 3.108. A flyout appears,
see Figure 3.108. In this flyout, click on the Create Mesh tool. The Mesh
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 3.109. Alternatively, right-click on the
Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Create Mesh
tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh PropertyManager.

Figure 3.108

Figure 3.109

The options in the Mesh PropertyManager are used to define the mesh
parameters and are discussed below.

Mesh Density
The Slider in the Mesh Density rollout is used to set the global mesh element
size and tolerance by dragging the Slider. By default, SOLIDWORKS
Simulation, calculate the default global element size for a geometry based on its
volume, surface area, and other geometric details. You can drag the Slider
toward right to set the fine global mesh element size and toward the left to set
the coarse mesh element size. Figure 3.110 shows a geometry with fine mesh
and Figure 3.111 shows the geometry with coarse mesh. The Reset button in this
rollout is used to reset the global mesh element size to the default settings.

Figure 3.110

Figure 3.111

NOTE: The mesh size directly affects the accuracy of results. The smaller (fine)
the element size, more accurate the results you get. However, the computational
time to generate the results gets increased. On the other hand, the larger
(coarse) the element size, less accurate the results you get. However, the
computational time gets decreased.

Mesh Parameters
The options in the Mesh Parameters rollout is used to define the mesh
parameters. By default, this rollout is in collapsed form. To expand this rollout,
click on the check box in its title bar, see Figure 3.112.

Figure 3.112

Standard mesh
By default, the Standard mesh radio button is selected in the Mesh Parameters
rollout. As a result, you can specify the global element size and tolerance
value in the Global Size and Tolerance fields of the rollout, respectively.
Note that the standard mesh keeps the mesh element size uniform throughout
the geometry as per the global element size and tolerance value specified. It
does not refines the mesh in the curvature areas or small features of the
geometry which may have high stresses, see Figure 3.113. It can affect the
accuracy of results. The Automatic transition check box is used to apply
mesh controls, automatically to high curvature areas or small features of the
geometry to generate the fine mesh in such areas, see Figure 3.114. Figure
3.113 shows a mesh geometry with the Automatic transition check box
cleared and Figure 3.114 shows the mesh geometry with the Automatic
transition check box selected.

Figure 3.113
 Figure 3.114

Curvature-based mesh
On selecting the Curvature-based mesh radio button, you can specify the
maximum element size, minimum element size, minimum number of
elements in a circle, and element size growth ratio in the respective fields of
the rollout. Note that the curvature-based mesh automatically refines the mesh
based on the specified parameters such that it creates more number of small
elements in the curvature areas or small features of the geometry to get more
accurate results, see Figure 3.115. It is used to create a mesh with variable
element size, varying between the maximum and minimum element sizes
specified in the respective fields of the rollout.

Figure 3.115

Blended curvature-based mesh
The Blended curvature-based mesh radio button is used to create a blended
 curvature-based mesh for a geometry which failed to mesh with the standard
mesh or curvature-based mesh. It is used to create a mesh with high quality
elements having low Aspect Ratio. On selecting this radio button, you can
specify the maximum element size, minimum element size, minimum number
of elements in a circle, and element size growth ratio in the respective fields
of the rollout for creating the blended curvature-based mesh. Note that the
blended curvature-based mesh runs on a single central processor unit (CPU).
As a result, the meshing process becomes slow.

Advanced
The options in the Advanced rollout are used to define the quality of mesh in a
geometry. Figure 3.116 shows the expanded Advanced rollout. The options are
discussed below.

Figure 3.116

Draft Quality Mesh
By default, the Draft Quality Mesh check box is cleared. As a result, the high
quality mesh which uses second order tetrahedral or triangular shell elements
gets generated. To generate the draft quality mesh which uses first order
tetrahedral or triangular shell elements, you need to select this check box. It is
recommended to use the draft quality mesh for quick evaluation and high
quality mesh for the final results. The difference between first order and
second order elements have already discussed.

Jacobian points
The Jacobian points drop-down list is used to set the number of integration
points (4, 16, 29 gaussian points or At nodes) located within each element of a
mesh to check its quality. The quality of mesh is important to ensure the
accuracy of results. SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses Aspect Ratio and
Jacobian Points to check the quality of a mesh. By default, the Aspect Ratio
check is used by SOLIDWORKS Simulation to check the quality of a mesh.
The Aspect Ratio of an element is calculated as the ratio of the longest edge
length to the shortest edge length. By default, a perfect tetrahedral element has
the Aspect Ratio equal to 1.0, see Figure 3.117. However, meshing a geometry
 with the elements having perfect Aspect Ratio is not possible due to its curved
edges or small features. Figure 3.118 shows a tetrahedral element with a large
Aspect Ratio. When the difference between the edges of an element becomes
large, the accuracy of the results is deteriorated.

Figure 3.117

Figure 3.118

Similar to the Aspect Ratio check, the Jacobian check is also used to check the
quality of a mesh as per the Jacobian Ratio. The Jacobian Ratio of an element
is calculated based on the locations of the mid-side nodes on the edges of the
element. A perfect tetrahedral element has all its mid-side nodes placed
exactly at the middle of the edges. The Jacobian ratio of a perfect tetrahedral
element is 1.0 and it increases as the curvatures of the boundaries increases.
The Jacobian check is available for second order elements (high quality). It is
because, the mid-side nodes of the second order elements are placed on the
curved boundaries to map the geometry accurately. Generally, the Jacobian
ratio upto 40 is acceptable. SOLIDWORKS Simulation, automatically adjusts
the placement of mid-side nodes of an element to ensure it passes the Jacobian
check.

Automatic Trials for Solid
The Automatic Trials for Solid check box is available when the Standard
Mesh radio button is selected in the Mesh Parameters rollout for creating the
 standard mesh on a geometry. On selecting the Automatic Trials for Solid
check box, the program automatically performs the next iteration and remesh
the geometry with the smaller global element size, everytime the meshing
fails. The ratio by which the global element size reduces in every iteration is
0.8.

Options
The Save settings without meshing check box of the Options rollout is used to
save the parameters specified in the PropertyManager without meshing the
geometry. The Run (solve) the analysis check box is used to run the analysis
immediately after meshing the geometry. By default, both these check boxes are
cleared.

NOTE: SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically defines the type of elements to

be used for meshing the geometry depending on the geometry type. For a 3D
solid geometry, it uses tetrahedral solid elements and for a surface/sheet metal
geometry, it uses triangular shell elements. Also, for a weldment/ structure
geometry, it uses beam elements.

Besides using tetrahedral solid elements for a 3D solid geometry, you can also
use triangular shell elements and beam elements for meshing a 3D solid
geometry. For example, if the 3D solid geometry is having uniform thickness
then you can treat it as a 2D geometry and use the shell elements for meshing it
to reduce the computational time. The method of meshing a 3D solid geometry
by using the shell and beam elements are discussed in later chapters.

After specifying all the required mesh parameters, click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The Mesh Progress window appears which
displays the progress of meshing the geometry, see Figure 3.119. After the
geometry is meshed, the Mesh Progress window is closed automatically and the
meshed geometry appears in the graphics area, see Figure 3.120.

Figure 3.119
 Figure 3.120

NOTE: To mesh a surface geometry, you first need to define the thickness of the shell elements.
Similarly, to mesh a weldment geometry, first you need to define the number of joints. You will learn more
about meshing a surface, a sheet metal, and a weldment geometry in later chapters.

In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, after defining the material properties, boundary

conditions (loads and fixtures), and generating the mesh on a geometry, you can
run the analysis to get the results. You will learn about performing different
types of analysis in later chapters. The various step-by-step case studies on the
linear static analysis are discussed in next chapter.

Summary
So far in this chapter, you have learned about various assumptions for
considering the linear static analysis problem and how to get started with it in
SOLIDWORKS Simulation. Also, you have learned how to define the analysis
unit and the standard material properties for a geometry. You have also learned
about adding a new material library, a new material category, and a custom
material with user-defined material properties. Also, you have learned how to
edit the properties of a standard material and how to delete a custom material
library, category, and material. Besides, you have learned about boundary
conditions, applying fixtures/restraints, loads, and meshing on a geometry.

Questions
• To perform the linear static analysis, the material is assumed to be within the
________ region of the stress-strain curve due to the applied load.

• Click on the ________ tool in the Simulation CommandManager to invoke
the Study PropertyManager for selecting the type of analysis.

• By using the ________ library, you can assign a standard material to a model.

• The Apply Material tool is used to invoke the ________ dialog box for
assigning a material to a model.

• The materials available in the ______ library are read only materials.

• In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the ______ are also known as restraints or
constraints.

• SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides two type of fixtures: ______ and ______
.

• Standard fixtures includes ______ , ______ , ______ , and ______ .

• The ______ fixture is used to apply restraints to a cylindrical face such that it
can only rotate about its axis of rotation.

• The ______ fixture is used to analyze one half of the model which is
symmetric about a symmetric plane and the results are obtained for the
complete model.

• The ______ fixture is used to restrict the cylindrical faces of a model to
translate in its radial, circumferential, and axial directions.

• The tools used to apply different type of loads are available in the ______
flyout of the Simulation CommandManager.

• The ______ tool is used to apply the uniformly or nonuniformly distributed
external force on faces, edges, reference points, vertices, beams, and beam
joints.

• By default, the gravity of the earth is ______ m/s^2.

• The ______ is defined as the load which is originated at a remote location in
the space and its effect transfers to the model geometry.

• The ______ process is used to divide the geometry into a number of discrete
finite elements.

• By default, the ______ elements are used to mesh a 3D solid geometry.

• The First Order Solid Tetrahedral elements are also known as ______ elements.

• The ______ mesh automatically refines the mesh in the curvature areas or
small features of the geometry.

• In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the ______ and ______ checks are used to
check the quality of a mesh.

• SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically defines the type of elements to be
used for meshing the geometry depending on the geometry type. (True/False).

• In a sheet metal geometry, the thickness of the shell elements is automatically
extracted from the geometry. (True/False).
 Chapter 4
Case Studies of Static Analysis

In this chapter, you will perform the following case studies:

• Static Analysis of a Rectangular Plate
• Static Analysis of a Bracket with Mesh Control
• Static Analysis of a Symmetrical Model
• Static Analysis of a Torispherical Head with Shell Elements
• Static Analysis of a Weldment Frame with Beam Elements
• Static Analysis of a Beam Support
• Static Analysis of a Bearing House

In the earlier chapter, you have learned about various assumptions for
considering the linear static analysis problem. You have also learned various
options to assign material properties, applying boundary conditions (fixtures and
loads), meshing a geometry, and so on. In this chapter, you will perform various
case studies of linear static analysis.

Case Study 1: Static Analysis of a
Rectangular Plate
In this case study, you will perform the linear static analysis of a rectangular
plate shown in Figure 4.1 and determine the stress under a tensile load.

Figure 4.1
Project Description
The rectangular plate is fixed at its one end, see Figure 4.2 and the 5000 Newton
load is uniformly distributed along the other (opposite) end face of the plate,
see Figure 4.2. The plate is made up of AISI 1020 steel material.

Figure 4.2

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run two static studies, in the first study, you will
generate the high quality standard mesh with default parameters and in the
second study, you will generate the curvature-based mesh with default
parameters to compare the difference in the results. Specify the unit system to
SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 4

2. Starting SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS Simulation
3. Starting the First Static Study
4. Defining Default Units and Results Settings
5. Assigning the Material
6. Applying the Fixture
7. Applying the Load
8. Generating the Mesh
9. Running the Analysis
10. Displaying Stress, Displacement, and Strain Results
11. Annotating Maximum and Minimum Stresses
12. Displaying the 1st Principal Stress Plot
13. Displaying the von Mises Stress in the True Scale
14. Saving Results
15. Running the Second Static Study
16. Comparing Results of two Static Studies
17. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 4
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by using your user
name and password. If you are a new user, first you need to register on
CADArtifex website as a student.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists. For example, all part files used in the
illustration of this textbook are available in the Part Files drop-down list and
all tutorial files are available in the Tutorials drop-down list.

3. Click on Tutorials > C04 Tutorials. The downloading of C04 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the
downloaded file. It is recommended to create a folder with the name
“SOLIDWORKS Simulation” in the local drive of your computer and then
create a sub-folder inside it with the name “Tutorial Files”, if these folders are
not created earlier.

4. Save the downloaded unzipped C04 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder
inside the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.

Section 2: Starting SOLIDWORKS and
SOLIDWORKS Simulation
1. Double-click on the SOLIDWORKS icon on your desktop to start
SOLIDWORKS.
2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left corner of the SOLIDWORKS screen.
The Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Rectangular Plate model and then click on the Open button in the dialog box.
The Rectangular Plate model is opened in SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3

Now, you need to invoke SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

4. Click on the Tools > Add-Ins in the SOLIDWORKS Menus, see Figure 4.4.
The Add-Ins dialog box appears, see Figure 4.5.

Figure 4.4
 Figure 4.5

5. Select the check boxes available on the left and right of the SOLIDWORKS
Simulation option in the Add-Ins dialog box, see Figure 4.5.

6. Click on the OK button in the dialog box. The Simulation and Analysis
Preparation tabs are added in the CommandManager.

NOTE: If the Simulation tab is already added in the CommandManager then

you can skip the above steps 4, 5, and 6.

Section 3: Starting the First Static Study

1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
 tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear, see Figure 4.6.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager, see
Figure 4.6. The Study PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.7.

Figure 4.6

Figure 4.7

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis on the model.

4. Click on the green tick-mark button in the Study PropertyManager. The
various tools to perform the static analysis are enabled in the Simulation
CommandManager.

Section 4: Defining Default Units and Results Settings
Before you start with the analysis process, it is important to set the default units
and results settings for SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

1. Click on the Simulation > Options in the SOLIDWORKS Menus. The
 System Options dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, click on the Default Options tab. The name of the dialog
box changes to the Default Options, see Figure 4.8.

Figure 4.8

3. Make sure that the Units options is activated in the dialog box and the options
to specify the units appears on the right panel of the dialog box, see Figure
4.8.

4. Select the SI (MKS) radio button in the Unit system area of the dialog box.
Next, make sure that the mm unit is selected in the Length/Displacement
drop-down list and the N/m^2 (MPa) unit is selected in the Pressure/Stress
drop-down list of the Units area, see Figure 4.9.

Figure 4.9

Now, you need to set the default results settings.

5. Click on the Results option in the dialog box and then select the Automatic
radio button in the Default solver area of the dialog box, see Figure 4.10. You
will learn more about solvers in later chapters.

6. Select the Under sub folder check box in the Results folder area of the
dialog box and then enter Results in the field enabled in its front, see Figure
 4.10. By doing so, the Results sub-folder will be created automatically in the
same directory where the model is saved to save the results of the analysis.
Note that by default, the Under sub folder check box is cleared. As a result,
the analysis results are saved in the same folder where the model is saved.
You can also specify a folder in the user defined location to save the analysis
results by using the User defined radio button of the Results folder area in
the dialog box.

Figure 4.10

NOTE: By default, for every static analysis, SOLIDWORKS Simulate creates plots for the stress,
displacement, and strain results. It is because in the Static Study Results node of the dialog box, the three
plots (Plot1, Plot2, and Plot3) for stress, displacement, and strain are added, by default, see Figure 4.10.
You can change the plot settings of a plot as required by clicking on it and then selecting the required result
type. You can also add more result plots for the analysis. For doing so, right-click on the Study Results
node of the dialog box and then click on the Add New Plot option in the shortcut menu appeared. Next, set
the required result type for the newly added plot.

7. After specifying the default units and result settings, click on the OK button to
accept the change and exit the dialog box.

Section 5: Assigning the Material
1. Click on the Apply Material tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Material dialog box appears, see Figure 4.11. Alternatively, right-click
on the name of the model (Rectangular Plate) in the Simulation Study Tree
and then click on the Apply/Edit material option in the shortcut menu
appeared.

2. Expand the Steel category of the SOLIDWORKS Materials library in the

Material dialog box and then select the AISI 1020 steel material, see Figure
4.11. The material properties of the selected material appear on the right panel
of the dialog box, see Figure 4.11.
 Figure 4.11

3. Click on the Apply button and then the Close button in the dialog box. The
material is assigned to the model.

Section 6: Applying the Fixture
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of the
Fixtures Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager and then click
on the Fixed Geometry tool, see Figure 4.12. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.13. Alternatively, right-click on the
Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Fixed
Geometry option in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Fixture
PropertyManager.

Figure 4.12

Figure 4.13

2. Rotate the model such that the left end face of the model can be viewed and
then select it to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture. The symbol of the Fixed
Geometry fixture appears on the selected face, see Figure 4.14.

Figure 4.14

3. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed

Geometry fixture is applied to the selected end face of the model.

Section 7: Applying the Load
1. Invoke the External Loads flyout by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of
the External Loads Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager and
then click on the Force tool, see Figure 4.15. The Force/Torque
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.16. Alternatively, right-click on the
External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the
Force option in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Force/Torque
PropertyManager.

Figure 4.15
 Figure 4.16

2. Change the orientation of the model to isometric and then select the right end
face of the model to apply the load. The symbol of the load appears on the
selected face, see Figure 4.17.

Figure 4.17

3. Make sure that the Normal radio button is selected to apply the load normal to
the face.

4. Enter 5000 in the Force field of the PropertyManager.

5. Select the Reverse direction button to reverse the direction of force as shown
in Figure 4.17.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 5000 N
load is applied on the selected face of the model.

Section 8: Generating the Mesh
After defining the material properties and boundary conditions (fixtures and
loads), you need to generate the mesh on the model. In this case study, you will
first generate the standard mesh with default parameters and then generate the
curvature-based mesh with the default parameters to compare the difference in
the results.

1. Click on the down arrow at the bottom of the Run This Study tool in the
Simulation CommandManager. A flyout appears, see Figure 4.18. Next,
click on the Create Mesh tool. The Mesh PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 4.19. Alternatively, right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation
Study Tree and then click on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu
appeared to invoke the Mesh PropertyManager.

Figure 4.18

Figure 4.19

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on
the check box in its title bar, see Figure 4.20.

Figure 4.20

3. Make sure that the Standard mesh radio button is selected in the expanded
Mesh Parameters rollout. The Global Size and Tolerance fields of the
rollout display the default global mesh size and tolerance values, respectively,
see Figure 4.20. SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically calculates the
default mesh parameters based on the volume, surface area, and other details
of the model.

4. Expand the Advanced rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on the
arrow in its title bar, see Figure 4.21.

Figure 4.21

5. Make sure that the Draft Quality Mesh check box is cleared in the Advanced
rollout to generate the mesh with high quality tetrahedral solid elements.

6. Accept the default mesh parameters and then click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The Mesh Progress window appears which
displays the progress of generating the mesh in the model, see Figure 4.22.
After the process of meshing the model is complete, the meshed model
appears in the graphics area, see Figure 4.23.

Figure 4.22
 Figure 4.23

Section 9: Running the Analysis
After defining the material properties, boundary conditions (fixtures and loads),
and generating the mesh, you can run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Static 1 (name of the study) window appears which displays the progress
of analysis, see Figure 4.24. Note that the computational time to complete the
analysis depends on the number of elements, nodes, and degrees of freedom to
be solved by the solver. After the process of running the analysis is complete,
the Results folder is added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress,
displacement, and strain results, see Figure 4.25. By default, the Stress result
is activated in the Results folder. Consequently, the stress distribution on the
model and the von Mises stress plot appear in the graphics area, see Figure
4.26.

Figure 4.24

Figure 4.25
 Figure 4.26

Section 10: Displaying Stress, Displacement, and
Strain Results
1. Double-click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree to display the von Mises stress results, if not
displayed by default, refer to Figure 4.26. The maximum Von Mises stress in
the model under the applied load is 66.156 N/mm^2 (MPa) which is
significantly within the yield strength of the material that is 351.571 N/mm^2
(MPa). The area of the model having the maximum Von Mises stress is
marked in red, see Figure 4.27.

Figure 4.27
2. To display the displacement result and the resultant displacement (URES)
plot, double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) option in the Results
folder of the Simulation Study Tree. Figure 4.28 shows the displacement
distribution on the model and the resultant displacement (URES) plot. The
maximum resultant displacement of the model under the applied load is
0.01086 mm (1.086e-002 mm) which is a considerably small displacement.
Also, the area of the model having the maximum resultant displacement is
marked in red, see Figure 4.28.

Figure 4.28

3. Similarly, to display the strain result and the equivalent strain (ESTRN) plot,
double-click on the Strain1 (-Equivalent-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree. Figure 4.29 shows the strain distribution on the
model and the equivalent strain (ESTRN) plot. It is evident from the
equivalent strain (ESTRN) plot shown in Figure 4.29 that the maximum
equivalent strain on the model under the applied load is 0.0002534 (2.534e-
004). Note that the strain results are unit less.

Figure 4.29
 NOTE: You may find slight difference in the result values depending on the
service pack installed on your system.

Section 11: Annotating Maximum and Minimum

Stresses
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can annotate the maximum and minimum
stresses in the model by editing the stress plot settings.

1. Double-click on the Stess1 (-vonMises-) option in the in the Results folder of

the Simulation Study Tree to display the stress results.

2. Right-click on the Stess1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the

Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 4.30.

Figure 4.30

3. In this shortcut menu, click on the Edit Definition option, see Figure 4.30.
The Stress plot PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.31. Alternatively,
double-click on the von Mises stress plot appeared in the graphics area to
display the Stress plot PropertyManager.

4. In the Stress plot PropertyManager, click on the Chart Options tab to
display the options available in it, see Figure 4.31.

Figure 4.31

5. Select the Show min annotation and Show max annotation check boxes in
the Display Options rollout of the PropertyManager.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The minimum
and maximum stresses are annotated in the model, see Figure 4.32.

Figure 4.32

NOTE:Similar to annotating maximum and minimum stresses in the model, you can annotate the
maximum and minimum displacement and strain in the model.

Section 12: Displaying the 1st Principal Stress Plot

1. Double-click on the von Mises stress plot in the graphics area. The Stress plot
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.33. Alternatively, right-click on the
Stess1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the Simulation Study
Tree and then click on the Edit Definition option in the shortcut menu
appeared to invoke the Stress plot PropertyManager.

2. Click on the Definition tab in the Stress plot PropertyManager. The options
of the Definition tab of the PropertyManager appear, see Figure 4.33.

Figure 4.33

3. Invoke the Component drop-down list in the Display rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 4.34 and then select the P1: 1st Principal Stress
option.

Figure 4.34

NOTE: The options in the Component drop-down list of the Display rollout are used to select a stress
component to display its corresponding stress result. You can also change the unit of the stress measurement
by using the Units drop-down list of the Display rollout. The options of the Advanced
Options and Deformed shape rollouts are discussed later in this chapter.

4. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 1st
Principal Stress plot appears in the graphics area, see Figure 4.35.

It is evident from the Figure 4.35 that the maximum 1st principal stress is 66.975
N/mm^2 (MPA) which is close to the maximum von Mises stress value that is
66.156 N/mm^2 (MPa). It is because, the uniformly distributed tensile load
mainly result tensile stress along the longitudinal direction of the model.

Figure 4.35
NOTE: Instead of editing the von Mises stress plot to display the 1st principal stress on the model, you can
add a new plot. For doing so, right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Stress Plot option in the shortcut menu appeared, see Figure 4.36. The Stress plot
PropertyManager appears. In this PropertyManager, select the P1: 1 st Principal Stress option in
the Component drop-down list of the Display rollout. Next, click on the green tick-mark button. The new
stress plot is added in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree with the name Stress2 (-1st
principal-) and the 1st Principal Stress plot appears in the graphics area.
Figure 4.36

Section 13: Displaying the von Mises Stress in the
True Scale
1. By default, the deformed shape of the model due to stress appears in
Automatic scale. To display the von Mises stress in the True scale, double-
click on the von Mises stress plot in the graphics area. The Stress plot
PropertyManager appears..

2. Click on the Definition tab in the Stress plot PropertyManager. The options
 of the Definition tab of the PropertyManager appear, see Figure 4.37.

3. Select the True scale radio button in the Deformed shape rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 4.37.

Figure 4.37

TIP: You can also display the deformed shape of the model as per the user defined
scale by selecting the User defined radio button and then entering the scale
value in the Scaled Factor field enabled below the User defined radio button in
the Deformed shape rollout.

4. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The deformed

shape of the model in the True scale appears in the graphics area, see Figure
4.38.

Figure 4.38

Similarly, you can display the deformed shape of the model in the True scale for
the displacement and strain results.

Section 14: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model with results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. The results saved
in the Results sub-folder, which is created automatically inside the Case Study
1 folder.

Section 15: Running the Second Static Study
After completing the static study with standard mesh, you need to run the new
static study with the curvature-based mesh as mentioned in this Case Study
description to compare the difference in the results.

1. Right-click on the Static 1 tab in the lower left corner of the screen, see
Figure 4.39. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 4.39.

Figure 4.39

2. Click on the Copy Study option in this shortcut menu to create a duplicate
copy of the existing study. The Copy Study PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 4.40.

Figure 4.40

3. Enter Static 2 in the Study name field of the PropertyManager and then click
on the green tick-mark button. The new static study is created with the same
parameters as that of the existing static study and a new tab “Static 2” is
added next to the tab of the existing study (Static 1) in the lower left corner of
the screen.

NOTE:The newly created study is activated, by default. You can switch between
the studies by clicking on the respective tab available at the lower left corner
of the screen.

TIP: You can also create a new study from scratch by using the Create New
Simulation Study option of the shortcut menu, refer to Figure 4.39 and then
drag the required parameters such as material, fixtures, and loads from the
Simulation Study Tree of the existing study to the tab of the new study. In this
case study, we will copy the existing study and then modify the mesh
parameters.

Now, you need to run the analysis with curvature-based mesh. Note that all other
parameters such as material, fixtures, and loads are same as that of the
existing study.

4. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree of the newly
created study (Static 2). A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 4.41.

Figure 4.41

5. In this shortcut menu, click on the Create Mesh option. The Simulation
window appears which informs you that the remeshing will delete the results,
see Figure 4.42.

Figure 4.42

6. Click on the OK button in the Simulation window. The Mesh
PropertyManager appears.

7. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager by selecting
the check box in its title bar, see Figure 4.43.

Figure 4.43
8. Select the Curvature-based mesh radio button in the expanded Mesh
Parameters rollout. The Maximum element size, Minimum element size,
Min number of elements in a circle, and Element size growth ratio fields
appear with default parameters in the rollout, see Figure 4.43.

9. Accept the default parameters of the curvature-based mesh and then click on
the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Mesh Progress
window appears which displays the progress of generating the mesh in the
model. After the process of meshing the model is complete, the meshed model
appears in the graphics area, see Figure 4.44.

Figure 4.44

NOTE: As discussed in earlier chapter, SOLIDWORKS Simulation generates mesh with tetrahedral solid
elements, automatically for solid geometry.

10. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Static 2 (name of the study) window appears which displays the progress
of analysis. After the process of running the analysis completes, the Results
folder of the Simulation Study Tree is updated as per the new mesh
parameters. Also, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress
 plot appear in the graphics area, see Figure 4.45.

Figure 4.45

It is evident from the Figure 4.45 that in the curvature-based mesh study, the maximum von Mises stress in
the model under the applied load is 66.733 N/mm^2 (MPa).

11. To display the displacement and strain results, click on the Displacement (-
Res disp-) and Strain1 (-Equivalent-) options in the Simulation Study Tree,
respectively.

Section 16: Comparing Results of two Static Studies
After performing the two static studies with different mesh parameters, you can
compare the results. In this case study, you will compare the stress and
displacement results of both the studies.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut

menu appears, see Figure 4.46.

Figure 4.46

2. In this shortcut menu, click on the Compare Results tool, see Figure 4.46.
The Compare Results PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.47.

3. Select the All studies in this configuration radio button and then select the
Stress1 (-vonMises-) and Displacement1 (-Res disp-) check boxes of the
Static 1 and Static 2 studies in the PropertyManager, see Figure 4.47.

Figure 4.47

4. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The graphics
screen of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation divides and displays the stress and
displacement results of both the studies, see Figure 4.48.

Figure 4.48

Now, you can compare the stress and displacement results of both the studies.
The table given below summarizes the results of both the studies.

Max. Stress Max. Displacement

Study Mesh Type
[N/mm^2 (MPa)] [mm]
Static Study 1 Standard Mesh 66.156 0.01086
Static Study 2 Curvature-based Mesh 66.733 0.01087

NOTE: In both the studies, all the properties such as materials and boundary
conditions (fixtures and loads) are same except the type of mesh due to which
there is difference in the results. It indicates that the mesh parameters affects
the results. Finer the mesh density, more accurate the results you get but the
computational time will increase due to increase in elements, nodes, and
degrees of freedom in the fine mesh.

5. After comparing the results, click on the Exit Compare button in the
Compare Results window which appears in the graphics area.

Section 17: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. The results saved
in the Results sub-folder, which is created automatically inside the C04
Tutorials folder.

Case Study 2: Static Analysis of a
Bracket with Mesh Control
In this case study, you will perform the linear static analysis of a Bracket shown
in Figure 4.49 and determine the stress under a uniformly distributed load.

Figure 4.49

Project Description
The Bracket is fixed at its four holes and the 1200 Newton load is uniformly
distributed along its top face, see Figure 4.50. The Bracket is made up of AISI
304 steel material.

Figure 4.50

Project Summary
In this case study, you will first generate the high quality curvature-based mesh
with default parameters and then refine the mesh at the upper corner of the
Bracket where the high stresses are located by applying the mesh control.
Specify the unit system to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in
 N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 4

2. Opening the Bracket Model
3. Starting the Static Study
4. Defining Default Units
5. Assigning the Material
6. Applying the Fixture
7. Applying the Load
8. Generating the Mesh
9. Running the Analysis
10. Displaying Stress, Displacement, and Strain Results
11. Annotating Maximum and Minimum Stresses
12. Applying the Mesh Control and Running the Analysis
13. Comparing Stress Results Before and After Mesh Control
14. Creating the Iso Plot
15. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 4

1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by using your user
name and password to download the files of this chapter (C04 Tutorials), if
not downloaded in the Case Study 1. The path to download the files is
SOLIDWORKS Simulation > SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017 > Tutorials >
C04 Tutorials. Note that if you are a new user, then first you need to register
on CADArtifex website as a student to download the files.

2. After downloading the C04 Tutorials file of this chapter, create a folder with
the name “SOLIDWORKS Simulation” in a local drive of your computer and
then create a sub-folder inside it with the name “Tutorial Files”, if not created
in the Case Study 1.

3. Save the unzipped C04 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder inside the
SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.
NOTE: If you have downloaded the C04 Tutorials file of this chapter in the
Case Study 1 and saved it in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation >
Tutorial Files then you can skip the above steps 1, 2, and 3.

Section 2: Opening the Bracket Model

1. Double-click on the SOLIDWORKS icon on your desktop to start
SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 2 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Bracket model and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The
Bracket model is opened in SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 4.51.

Figure 4.51

Section 3: Starting the Static Study
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear, see Figure 4.52.

Figure 4.52

NOTE: If the Simulation tab is not added in the CommandManager then you need to customize it to add as
 discussed earlier.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The

Study PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.53.

Figure 4.53

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis on the Bracket model.

4. Enter Bracket Static Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout in
the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the Study PropertyManager. The

various tools to perform the static analysis are enabled in the Simulation
CommandManager. Also, a static study with the name Bracket Static Study
is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 4.54.

Figure 4.54

Section 4: Defining Default Units
Before you start with the analysis process, it is important to set the default units
for SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

1. Click on the Simulation > Options in the SOLIDWORKS Menus. The
System Options dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, click on the Default Options tab. The name of the dialog
box changes to the Default Options, see Figure 4.55.

3. Make sure that the Units option is activated in the dialog box and the options
to specify the units appear on the right panel of the dialog box, see Figure
4.55.

Figure 4.55

4. Select the SI (MKS) radio button in the Unit system area of the dialog box.
Next, make sure that the mm unit is selected in the Length/Displacement
drop-down list and the N/m^2 (MPa) unit is selected in the Pressure/Stress
drop-down list of the Units area, see Figure 4.56.

Figure 4.56

5. After specifying the units, click on the OK button to accept the change and
exit the dialog box.

Section 5: Assigning the Material
1. Click on the Apply Material tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Material dialog box appears, see Figure 4.57. Alternatively, right-click
on the name of the model (Bracket) in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Apply/Edit material option in the shortcut menu appeared.

2. Expand the Steel category of the SOLIDWORKS Materials library in the

Material dialog box and then select the AISI 304 steel material, see Figure
4.57. The material properties of the selected material appear on the right panel
of the dialog box, see Figure 4.57.

Figure 4.57

3. Click on the Apply button and then the Close button in the dialog box. The
material is assigned to the model.

Section 6: Applying the Fixture

1. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut
menu appears, see Figure 4.58. In this shortcut menu, click on the Fixed
Geometry option. The Fixture PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.59.
Alternatively, invoke the Fixture flyout by clicking on the arrow at the
bottom of the Fixtures Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager
and then click on the Fixed Geometry tool.

Figure 4.58
 Figure 4.59

2. Select the inner circular face of all the holes of the model one by one to apply
the Fixed Geometry fixture. The symbol of the Fixed Geometry fixture
appears on the selected faces, see Figure 4.60.

Figure 4.60

3. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed
 Geometry fixture is applied to the holes of the model. Also, the Fixed
Geometry fixture (Fixed-1) is added under the Fixtures options in the
Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 4.61.

Figure 4.61

TIP: To edit an applied fixture, right-click on the name of the fixture listed under the Fixtures option in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Edit Definition option in the shortcut menu appeared.
The Fixture PropertyManager appears. By using this PropertyManager, you can edit the selected fixture
and then click on its green tick-mark button to accept the change and close the PropertyManager.

Section 7: Applying the Load
1. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree. A
shortcut menu appears, see Figure 4.62. In this shortcut menu, click on the
Force option. The Force/Torque PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.63.
Alternatively, invoke the External Loads flyout by clicking on the arrow at
the bottom of the External Loads Advisor tool in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on the Force tool.

Figure 4.62

Figure 4.63

2. Select the top face of the model to apply the load, see Figure 4.64. The symbol
of the load appears on the selected face, see Figure 4.64.

Figure 4.64

3. Make sure that the Normal radio button is selected to apply the load normal to
the face.

4. Enter 1200 in the Force field of the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 1200 N

load is applied on the selected face of the model. Also, the default name
[Force-1 (:Per item: 1200 N:)] of the applied load is added under the External
Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 4.65.

Figure 4.65
TIP: To edit an applied load, right-click on the name of the load listed under the External Loads option in
the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Edit Definition option in the shortcut menu appeared.
The Force/Torque PropertyManager appears. By using this PropertyManager, you can edit the selected
load and then click on the green tick-mark button to accept the change and close the PropertyManager.

Section 8: Generating the Mesh

After defining the material properties and boundary conditions (fixtures and
loads), you need to generate the mesh on the model. In this case study, you
will first generate the curvature-based mesh with default parameters and then
apply the mesh control at the upper corner of the Bracket, where the high
stresses are located.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut
menu appears, see Figure 4.66. In this shortcut menu, click on the Create
Mesh tool. The Mesh PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.67.
Alternatively, click on the down arrow at the bottom of the Run This Study
tool in the Simulation CommandManager and then click on the Create
Mesh tool in the flyout appeared.

Figure 4.66
 Figure 4.67

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on
the check box in its title bar, see Figure 4.68.

3. Select the Curvature-based mesh radio button in the expanded Mesh

Parameters rollout, see Figure 4.68. The Maximum element size, Minimum
element size, Min number of elements in a circle, and Element size growth
ratio fields appear in the rollout with the default parameters, see Figure 4.68.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically calculates the mesh parameters
based on the volume, surface area, and other details of the model and set the
default mesh with the medium mesh density.

Figure 4.68

4. Expand the Advanced rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on the
arrow in its title bar, see Figure 4.69 and then make sure that the Draft
Quality Mesh check box is cleared to mesh the model with the high quality
(second order) tetrahedral solid elements.

Figure 4.69

5. Accept the default mesh parameters and then click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The Mesh Progress window appears which
displays the progress of meshing the model. After the process of meshing the
model is complete, the meshed model appears in the graphics area, see Figure
4.70.

Figure 4.70

NOTE: As discussed in earlier chapter, SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically generates mesh with
tetrahedral solid elements for solid geometry.

Section 9: Running the Analysis
After defining the material properties, boundary conditions (fixtures and loads),
and generating the mesh, you can run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.

The Bracket Static Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis, see Figure 4.71.

Figure 4.71

NOTE: The computational time to complete the analysis depends on the number of elements, nodes, and
degrees of freedom to be solved by the solver.

2. After the process of running the analysis is completed, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
 results, see Figure 4.72. By default, the Stress result is activated in the Results
folder. Consequently, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises
stress plot appear in the graphics area, see Figure 4.73.

Figure 4.72

Figure 4.73

Section 10: Displaying Stress, Displacement, and
Strain Results
1. Double-click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree to display the von Mises stress results, if not
displayed by default, refer to Figure 4.73. It is evident from the Figure 4.73
that the maximum Von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is
38.313 N/mm^2 (MPa) which is significantly within the yield stress of the
material that is 206.807 N/mm^2 (MPa). The area of the model having the
maximum Von Mises stress is marked in red.
2. To display the displacement result and the resultant displacement (URES)
plot, double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) option in the Results
folder of the Simulation Study Tree. Figure 4.74 shows the displacement
distribution on the model and the resultant displacement (URES) plot. It is
evident from the resultant displacement (URES) plot that the maximum
resultant displacement of the model under the applied load is 0.05209 mm
(5.209e-002 mm) which is considerably a small displacement. Also, the area
of the model having the maximum resultant displacement is marked in red.

Figure 4.74

3. Similarly, to display the strain result and the equivalent strain (ESTRN) plot,
double-click on the Strain1 (-Equivalent-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree. Figure 4.75 shows the strain distribution on the
model and the equivalent strain (ESTRN) plot. It is evident from the
equivalent strain (ESTRN) plot that the maximum equivalent strain on the
model is 0.0001393 (1.393e-004). Note that the strain results are unit less.

Figure 4.75

Section 11: Annotating Maximum and Minimum
Stresses
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can annotate the maximum and minimum
stresses in the model by editing the stress plot settings.

1. Double-click on the Stess1 (-vonMises-) option in the in the Results folder of

the Simulation Study Tree to display the stress results.

2. Right-click on the Stess1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the

Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 4.76.

Figure 4.76

3. Click on the Edit Definition option in the shortcut menu, see Figure 4.76. The
Stress plot PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.77. Alternatively,
double-click on the von Mises stress plot appeared in the graphics area to
display the Stress plot PropertyManager.

4. In the Stress plot PropertyManager, click on the Chart Options tab to

display the options available in this tab, see Figure 4.77.

Figure 4.77

5. Select the Show min annotation and Show max annotation check boxes in
the Display Options rollout of the PropertyManager.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The minimum

and maximum stresses are annotated in the model, see Figure 4.78.

Figure 4.78

It is evident from the Figure 4.78 that the maximum von Mises stress is located
 near the upper corner of the Bracket. Therefore, we need to refine the mesh at
the corner where the maximum stresses are located by applying the mesh
control.

Section 12: Applying the Mesh Control and Running
the Analysis
1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut
menu appears, see Figure 4.79.

Figure 4.79

2. Click on the Apply Mesh Control option in the shortcut menu, see Figure
4.79. The Mesh Control PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.80.

Figure 4.80

3. Select the upper intersecting edge of the model to apply the mesh control, see
Figure 4.81. The name of the selected edge appears in the Faces, Edges,
Vertices, Reference Points, Components for Mesh Control field of the
Selected Entities rollout in the PropertyManager. Also, a callout gets attached
to the selected edge in the graphics area, see Figure 4.81.

Figure 4.81

4. Drag the Slider toward extreme right in the Mesh Density rollout of the
PropertyManager to create fine mesh on the selected edge of the model. Note
that as you drag the Slider, the element size in the Element Size field of the
Mesh Parameters rollout gets reduced.

5. Click on the Create Mesh button in the Selected Entities rollout of the
PropertyManager. The Simulation message window appears. In this window,
click on the Yes button to continue meshing the selected entity. The Mesh
Progress window appears which displays the progress of meshing the model.
After the process of meshing the model completes, the meshed model appears
in the graphics area, see Figure 4.82.

Figure 4.82
 NOTE: The smaller elements (fine mesh) are created along the selected edge, see Figure 4.82.

Now, you need to run the analysis again to get the results after applying the mesh
control.

6. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Bracket Static Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis. After the process of running the analysis is
complete, the Results folder gets updated in the Simulation Study Tree with
updated stress, displacement, and strain results. Also, the stress distribution on
the model and the von Mises stress plot appear in the graphics area, by default
see Figure 4.83.

Figure 4.83

Section 13: Comparing Stress Results Before and
After Mesh Control
1. Double-click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree to display the von Mises stress results, if not
displayed by default, refer to Figure 4.83. It is evident from the above figure
that the maximum Von Mises stress in the model after applying the mesh
control is 60.388 N/mm^2 (MPa).

Notice the difference between the maximum von Mises stress in the model
before and after applying the mesh control. Before applying the mesh control,
 the maximum Von Mises stress was 38.313 N/mm^2 (MPa) and after applying
the mesh control, the maximum Von Mises stress is 60.388 N/mm^2 (MPa). It
is because of the fine mesh created along the edge of the model has high
stresses. The fine mesh generates more number of small elements which
results in more accurate results but the computational time increases due to
more number of elements, nodes, and degrees of freedom.

Section 14: Creating the Iso Plot
Now, you need to create the Iso plot to display the von Mises stresses between
the 30 N/mm^2 (MPa) and 60.388 N/mm^2 (MPa) range in the model.

NOTE: The Iso plot is used to display the user-defined range of results in the
portions of the model.

1. Click on Plot Tools in the Simulation CommandManager. The Plot Tools

flyout appears, see Figure 4.84. In this flyout, click on the Iso Clipping tool.
The Iso Clipping PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.85. Alternatively,
click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Iso Clipping tool.

Figure 4.84

Figure 4.85

2. Enter 30 in the Iso value field of the Iso 1 rollout in the PropertyManager.

3. Expand the Iso 2 rollout of the PropertyManager by selecting the check box in
its title bar, see Figure 4.86 and then drag the Slider toward extreme right to
display the maximum von Mises value in the Iso value field of the rollout, see
Figure 4.86. Notice that the portions of the model where the von Mises stress
is between the specified range displayed in the graphics area, see Figure 4.87.

Figure 4.86

Figure 4.87

NOTE: In Figure 4.87, the symbols of fixtures and loads is hidden for clarity of image. To hide a
fixture, right-click on the fixture name listed under Fixtures in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on
the Hide tool in the shortcut menu appeared. Similarly, to hide a load, right-click on the load name listed
under External Loads in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Hide tool in the shortcut menu
appeared.

4. After creating the Iso plot and reviewing the portions of the model where the
von Mises stress is between the 30 N/mm^2 (MPa) and 60.388 N/mm^2
(MPa), click on the Clipping on/off button in the Options rollout of the Iso
Clipping PropertyManager to turn off the display of Iso plot. This button is
used to turn on and off the display of Iso plot in the graphics area.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager.

Section 15: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.
1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 2 of the local drive of your system.

Case Study 3: Static Analysis of a

Symmetrical Model
In this case study, you will perform the linear static analysis of a symmetrical
model shown in Figure 4.88 and determine the stress under a uniformly
distributed load.

Figure 4.88

Project Description
The model is fixed at its two holes and the 65200 Newton load is applied at its
top face, see Figure 4.89. The model is made up of AISI 1035 Steel (SS)
material.

Figure 4.89

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run a static study on half of the model and obtain the
results for the complete model. In the study, you will generate the high quality
curvature-based mesh with the maximum element size 3 mm and the
minimum element size 0.5 mm. Also, determine the stress, displacement,
strain, and factor of safety of the model under the applied load. You will also
animate the stress distribution on the model. Specify the unit system to SI
(MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 4

2. Opening the Symmetrical Model
3. Starting the Static Study
4. Defining Default Units
5. Assigning the Material
6. Splitting the Model
7. Applying the Fixture
8. Applying the Load
9. Generating the Mesh
10. Running the Analysis
11. Displaying Stress, Displacement, and Strain Results
12. Animating the Stress Distribution on the Model
13. Defining the Factor of Safety
14. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 4

1. Download the files of this chapter (C04 Tutorials), if not downloaded earlier
by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com). The path to
download files is SOLIDWORKS Simulation > SOLIDWORKS Simulation
2017 > Tutorials > C04 Tutorials. Note that if you are a new user, first you
need to register on CADArtifex website as a student to download the files.

2. Save the unzipped C04 Tutorials file in the location > SOLIDWORKS
 Simulation > Tutorial Files of the local drive of your system. You need to
create these folders, if not created earlier.

NOTE: If you have downloaded the C04 Tutorials file of this chapter in the
earlier case studies and saved it in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation
> Tutorial Files then you can skip the steps 1 and 2 mentioned above.

Section 2: Opening the Symmetrical Model

1. Double-click on the SOLIDWORKS icon on your desktop to start
SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 3 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Symmetrical Model and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The
Symmetrical Model is opened in SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 4.90.
Figure 4.90

Section 3: Starting the Static Study
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear, see Figure 4.91.

Figure 4.91
NOTE: If the Simulation tab is not added in the CommandManager then you need to customize it and
add as discussed earlier.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The

Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis on the model.

4. Enter Symmetrical Static Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout
in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The various

tools to perform the static analysis are enabled in the Simulation
CommandManager. Also, the Symmetrical Static Study is added in the
Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 4.92.

Figure 4.92

Section 4: Defining Default Units
Before you start with the analysis process, it is important to set the default units
for SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

1. Click on the Simulation > Options in the SOLIDWORKS Menus. The

System Options dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, click on the Default Options tab. The name of the dialog
box changes to the Default Options, see Figure 4.93.

3. Make sure that the Units option is activated in the dialog box and the options
 to specify the units appear on the right panel of the dialog box, see Figure
4.93.

4. Select the SI (MKS) radio button in the Unit system area of the dialog box.
Next, make sure that the mm unit is selected in the Length/Displacement
drop-down list and the N/m^2 (MPa) unit is selected in the Pressure/Stress
drop-down list of the Units area, see Figure 4.93.
Figure 4.93

5. After specifying the units, click on the OK button to accept the change and
exit the dialog box.

Section 5: Assigning the Material
1. Click on the Apply Material tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Material dialog box appears, see Figure 4.94.

2. Expand the Steel category of the SOLIDWORKS Materials library in the

Material dialog box and then select the AISI 1035 Steel (SS) steel material,
see Figure 4.94. The material properties of the selected material appear on the
right panel of the dialog box.

Figure 4.94

3. Click on the Apply button and then the Close button in the dialog box. The
material is assigned to the model.

Section 6: Splitting the Model
As the model geometry and boundary conditions (fixtures and loads) are
symmetric about its mid plane, you can split the model to perform the analysis
on its one half and obtain the results for the complete model. Performing
analysis on one half of the symmetrical model reduces the computation time.

1. Click on the Analysis Preparation tab in the Simulation

CommandManager, see Figure 4.95. The tools of the Analysis Preparation
CommandManager appears.

2. Click on the Split tool in the Analysis Preparation CommandManager, see

Figure 4.95. The Split PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.96.

Figure 4.95

Figure 4.96

3. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree, which is now at the upper left
corner of the graphics area and then click on the Right Plane as the plane to
split the model, see Figure 4.97.

Figure 4.97

4. Click on the Cut Part button in the Trim Tools rollout of the Split
PropertyManager. The model is divided into two bodies, which are listed in
the Resulting Bodies rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure 4.98.

5. Select the check box corresponding to the first body in the Resulting Bodies
rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure 4.98.

Figure 4.98

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The selected
body of the model gets deleted and the model appears similar to the one
shown in Figure 4.99.

Figure 4.99

Section 7: Applying the Fixture
Now, you need to apply the Fixed and Symmetry fixtures to the model.
1. Invoke the Fixture flyout by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of the
Fixtures Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager and then click
on the Fixed Geometry tool, see Figure 4.100. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.101.

Figure 4.100

Figure 4.101

2. Select the circular face of the hole to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture. The
symbol of the Fixed Geometry fixture appears on the selected face, see Figure
4.102. Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager to
apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.
Figure 4.102

Now, you need to apply the Symmetry fixture on the cutting face of the model.

3. Invoke the Fixture flyout by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of the
Fixtures Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager and then click
on the Advanced Fixtures tool. The Fixture PropertyManager appears with
the expanded Advanced rollout.

4. Click on the Symmetry button in the Advanced rollout of the

PropertyManager and then select the cutting face as the symmetric face of
the model in the graphics area. The preview of the other symmetric half of the
model appears in the graphics area and the symbol of the Symmetric fixture
appears on the selected face, see Figure 4.103.

Figure 4.103

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Symmetric

fixture is applied on the selected face of the model.

Section 8: Applying the Load
After applying the Fixed Geometry and Symmetric fixtures, you need to apply
the load.

1. Invoke the External Loads flyout by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of
the External Loads Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager, see
Figure 4.104 and then click on the Force tool. The Force/Torque
PropertyManager appears.

Figure 4.104

2. Select the top horizontal face of the model to apply the load, see Figure 4.105.
The symbol of the load appears on the selected face.

Figure 4.105

3. Make sure that the Normal radio button is selected to apply the load normal to
the face.

4. Enter 65200 in the Force field of the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 65200 N

load is applied on the selected face of the model.

Section 9: Generating the Mesh
As mentioned in the project summary, you need to generate the curvature-based
mesh with the maximum element size 3 mm and the minimum element size
0.5 mm.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh
PropertyManager.
2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on
the check box in its title bar.

3. Select the Curvature-based mesh radio button in the expanded Mesh

Parameters rollout and then enter 3 mm as the maximum element size and
0.5 mm as the minimum element size in the respective fields of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 4.106.

Figure 4.106

4. Accept the other default mesh parameters and then click on the green tick-
mark button . The Mesh Progress window appears which display the
progress of meshing in the model. After the meshing is complete, the meshed
model appears, see Figure 4.107. Note that SOLIDWORKS Simulation
generates mesh with tetrahedral solid elements for solid geometry.

Figure 4.107

Section 10: Running the Analysis
Now, you need to run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.

The Symmetrical Static Study (name of the study) window appears which
display the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis is complete, the Results folder is
 added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated in the Results folder. As a
result, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 4.108.

Figure 4.108

Section 11: Displaying Stress, Displacement, and
Strain Results
1. Display the von Mises stress results, if not displayed by default, refer to
Figure 4.108. Notice that the maximum Von Mises stress in the model under
the applied load is 425.501 N/mm^2 (MPa) which significantly exceeds the
yield strength of the material that is 282.685 N/mm^2 (MPa). The yield
strength of the material is indicated by the red pointer in the Von Mises stress
plot, refer to Figure 4.108. Note that you may find slight difference in the
result values depending on the service pack installed on your system.

NOTE: When the maximum von Mises stress of the model exceeds the yield
strength of the material, your design is likely to fail under the applied load.
You may need to optimize the design, validate the boundary conditions
(fixtures/loads), or material properties to make it a valid design to withstand
the applied load.

Now, you need to display the stress distribution on the complete model.
2. Right-click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Edit Definition option in the
shortcut menu appeared. The Stress plot PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 4.109.

Figure 4.109

3. Expand the Advanced Options rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on
the arrow in its title bar, see Figure 4.110.

4. Select the Display symmetric results check box in the Advanced Options
rollout, see Figure 4.110.

Figure 4.110

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The stress
distribution on the complete model appears in the graphics area, see Figure
4.111.

Figure 4.111

6. Similarly, display the displacement and strain results by double-clicking on
the respective option in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree. The
maximum resultant displacement of the model under the applied load is
0.3387 mm (3.387e-001 mm) and the maximum equivalent strain on the
model is 0.00172 (1.720e-003).

Section 12: Animating the Stress Distribution on the
Model
Now, you will animate the stress distribution and review the deformed shape of
the model.

1. Display the von Mises stress results, if not displayed in the graphics area and
then right-click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) option in the Results folder of
the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut menu appears. In this shortcut menu,
click on the Animate option. The Animation PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 4.112. Also, the animated effects of the deformed shape of the model
starts in the graphics area with default settings. You can change the animation
settings by using the PropertyManager.

Figure 4.112

2. To save the animation as AVI file, select the Save as AVI file check box in the
PropertyManager. Next, specify the path to save the file.

3. After reviewing the animated effects of the deformed shape, click on the green
tick-mark button in the PropertyManager to exit the PropertyManager and
save the AVI file in the specified location.

NOTE: By default, the deformed shape of the model does not appear in the true
scale. To display the deformed shape of the model in true scale, you need to
edit the plot and select the True scale option in the Deformed shape rollout of
the PropertyManager, refer to Figure 4.109.

Section 13: Defining the Factor of Safety

Now, you need to define the Factor of Safety of the design.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut

menu appears, see Figure 4.113.

Figure 4.113

2. Click on the Define Factor Of Safety Plot option in the shortcut menu. The
Factor of Safety PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.114.

Figure 4.114

3. Select the Display symmetric results option in the Advanced Options
rollout of the PropertyManager to display the results in the complete model.

4. Accept the other default parameters and then click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The Factor of Safety1 (-FOS-) plot is added
in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree. Also, the Factor of Safety
distribution on the model and the its plot appear in the graphics area, see
Figure 4.115.

Figure 4.115

Notice that the minimum Factor of Safety of the model is 0.6644 (6.644e-001),
which indicates that the failure of model is likely under the design load. The
Factor of Safety is the ratio of the allowable stress to the actual stress.

NOTE: The Factor of Safety equal to 1 indicates that the stress is exactly at the
allowable limit and the model can withstand only the design load. The Factor
of Safety less than 1 indicates that the failure of the model is likely under the
design load, whereas, the Factor of Safety greater than 1 indicates that the
stress is within the allowable limit. Greater the Factor of Safety, stronger the
design. However, the greater Factor of Safety sometimes leads to over
designing of the product.

Section 14: Saving Results

Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 3 of the local drive of your system.

Case Study 4: Static Analysis of a

Torispherical Head with Shell Elements
In this case study, you will perform the linear static analysis of a Torispherical
Head with shell elements shown in Figure 4.116 and determine the stress under a
uniformly distributed pressure.

Figure 4.116

Project Description
The torispherical head is fixed at its top face and the 500 psi pressure is
uniformly distributed along its inner faces, see Figure 4.117. The model is
made up of Alloy Steel (SS) material.

Figure 4.117

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run a static study on the torispherical head having
uniform thickness 18 mm. As the torispherical head having uniform thickness,
you need to mesh the model with shell elements which help reducing the
computational time without compromising the quality of results. You will
generate the high quality curvature-based mesh with the maximum element
size 50 mm and the minimum element size 1 mm. Also, determine the stress,
displacement, strain, and factor of safety of the model under the applied
 pressure. Specify the unit system to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and
stress in PSI units.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Starting the Static Study

2. Defining Shell Elements for 3D Solid Geometry
3. Defining the Fixture, Pressure, and Material
4. Generating the Mesh with Shell Elements
5. Displaying Mesh Details
6. Running the Analysis
7. Displaying Stress, Displacement, and Strain Results
8. Defining the Factor of Safety
9. Saving Results

Section 1: Starting the Static Study
1. Start SOLIDWORKS and then open the Torispherical Head model from the
location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04 Tutorials >
Case Study 4.

NOTE: You need to download the C04 Tutorials file which contains the files of
this chapter by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com), if
not downloaded earlier. If you are a new user, first you need to register on
CADArtifex website as a student to download the files.

2. When the Torispherical Head model is opened in SOLIDWORKS, click on

the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The tools of the
Simulation CommandManager appear, see Figure 4.118.

Figure 4.118

NOTE: If the Simulation tab is not added in the CommandManager then you need to customize it to
add it as discussed earlier.
 3. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

4. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis on the model.

5. Enter Torispherical Head Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout
in the PropertyManager.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The various

tools to perform the static analysis are enabled in the Simulation
CommandManager. Also, the Torispherical Head Study is added in the
Simulation Study Tree.

Section 2: Defining Shell Elements for 3D Solid
Geometry
As mentioned in the project summary, the torispherical head has uniform
thickness and you need to define shell elements for meshing it.

NOTE: As discussed in Chapter 3, when you perform an analysis on a model,

SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically identifies the type of geometry (3D
solid, 2D, or 1D line) and generates mesh elements accordingly. For example,
it generates tetrahedral solid elements for 3D solid geometry, triangular shell
elements for 2D geometry, and beam elements for 1D line geometry. However,
you can change the type of geometry. For example, if a 3D model is having
uniform thickness, you can change its geometry type from 3D solid to 2D
geometry for meshing it with triangular shell elements. It helps in reducing
the computational time without affecting the results.

1. Right-click on the Torispherical Head Study (name of the study) in the

Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 4.119.

Figure 4.119

2. Click on the Define Shell By Selected Faces option in the shortcut menu, see
Figure 4.119. The Shell Definition PropertyManager appears, see Figure
4.120.

Figure 4.120

NOTE: The options in the Type rollout of the Shell Definition PropertyManagerare used to define the
type of 2D geometry (thin, thick, or composite)for representing the 3D model. The Thin radio button of this
rollout is used to define the thin 2D geometry when the 3D model has thickness-to-span ratio equal to or
less than 0.05. The Thick radio button is used to define the thick 2D geometry when the 3D model has
thickness-to-span ratio more than 0.05. The Composite radio button is used to define the composite 2D
geometry having multiple layers of different materials. This radio button is used when the 3D model has
multiple layers of different materials. On selecting the Composite radio button, the Composite
Options rollout appears in the PropertyManager, see Figure 4.121. The options in this rollout are used to
define the arrangement of different material layers as symmetric or unsymmetrical to the mid plane of the
geometry, or the sandwich type arrangement. You can also define the same material for all the material
layers by selecting the All Plies Same Material check box in this rollout. The Total Plies field of this rollout
is used to define the number of layers of materials. The Rotate 0 Reference check box is used to set the
layers rotational angle to 0-degree. By default, it is set to 90-degree. The Thickness, Angle,
and Material columns of the Table in this rollout are used to specify the thickness, angle, and material of a
layer by double-clicking on the respective fields.
 Figure 4.121

3. Make sure that the Thin radio button is selected in the Type rollout of the
PropertyManager.

4. Select the inner faces (three faces) of the model to define it as a 2D geometry.
The color of the selected faces changes in the graphics area, see Figure 4.122.

Figure 4.122

5. Enter 18 in the Shell thickness field of the PropertyManager as the thickness
of the geometry.

TIP: When you perform an analysis on a sheet metal component, SOLIDWORKS

Simulation automatically identifies it as a 2D geometry and the thickness is
automatically extracted from the sheet metal component. On the other hand,
for surface component, SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically identifies it
as a 2D geometry, but you need to define the thickness manually, as discussed
in the above steps.

6. Expand the Offset rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on the arrow in

its title bar, see Figure 4.123.

Figure 4.123

7. By default, the Middle surface button is activated in the Offset rollout. As a
result, the selected faces of the model are used as middle faces of the model
and the thickness is added symmetrically on both the sides. Click on the
Bottom surface button in this rollout to add the thickness on the outer side
of the selected faces of the model.

8. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 2D

geometry (shell) is defined with the specified thickness and the geometry type
is updated in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 4.124.

Figure 4.124

Section 3: Defining the Fixture, Pressure, and
Material
Now, you need to apply the fixture and the pressure on the geometry.

1. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

2. Select the inner circular edge of the model to apply the Fixed Geometry
fixture, see Figure 4.125. It is because you have defined the 2D geometry by
selecting the inner faces of the model. Next, click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager.

Figure 4.125

After applying the fixture, you need to apply the pressure.

3. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Pressure tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Pressure
PropertyManager appears.

4. Make sure that the Normal to selected face radio button is selected in the
PropertyManager.

5. Select the Psi option in the Unit drop-down list of the Pressure Value rollout
in the PropertyManager as the unit of the pressure.

6. Enter 500 in the Pressure Value field of the PropertyManager.

7. Select the inner faces (three) of the model to apply the uniformly distributed
pressure of 500 psi, see Figure 4.126.

Figure 4.126

8. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The uniformly
distributed pressure of 500 psi is applied on the inner faces of the model.

Now, you need to define the material of the geometry.
9. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the Alloy Steel (SS)
material. Next, close the dialog box.

Section 4: Generating the Mesh with Shell Elements
As mentioned in the project summary, you need to generate the curvature-based
mesh with the maximum element size 50 mm and the minimum element size
1 mm.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh
PropertyManager.

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on

the check box in its title bar.

3. Select the Curvature-based mesh radio button in the expanded Mesh

Parameters rollout and then enter 50 mm as the maximum element size and 1
mm as the minimum element size in the respective fields of the
PropertyManager.

4. Accept the other default mesh parameters and then click on the green tick-
mark button . The Mesh Progress window appears. After the meshing is
complete, the 2D meshed geometry with shell elements appears in the
graphics area, see Figure 4.127.

Figure 4.127

NOTE: As the geometry of the model is defined as 2D geometry, SOLIDWORKS Simulation

automatically meshes the geometry with shell elements.
Section 5: Displaying Mesh Details
After generating the mesh, you can display the mesh details.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Details tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Mesh Details window
appears, see Figure 4.128. This window displays the mesh details such as
mesh type, mesher used, maximum element size, minimum element size,
mesh quality, total number of nodes, and the total number of elements.

Figure 4.128

Section 6: Running the Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Torispherical Head Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis. When it is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated. As a result, the stress
distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot appear, see Figure
4.129.

Figure 4.129
 NOTE: By default, the deformed shape on the geometry is not appeared in its actual shape. To display
the actual deformed shape, right-click on a result (stress, displacement, and strain) in the Simulation Study
Tree and then click on the Edit Definition tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the respective
PropertyManager. Next, select the True scale radio button in the Deformed shape rollout of the
PropertyManager and then click on the green tick-mark button to close the PropertyManager. Figure 4.130
shows the deformed shape of the geometry with stress distribution in the true scale.

Figure 4.130

Section 7: Displaying Stress, Displacement, and Strain
Results
1. As discussed, you can display the stress, displacement, and strain results of
the model by double-clicking on the respective option in the Results folder of
the Simulation Study Tree.

Notice that the maximum Von Mises stress in the model under the applied
pressure is 315.354 N/mm^2 (MPa) which is considerably within the yield
stress of the material that is 620.422 N/mm^2 (MPa). The maximum resultant
displacement of the model under the applied pressure is 2.668 mm
(2.668e+000 mm) and the maximum equivalent strain on the model is
0.0009848 (9.848e-004).

NOTE: You may find a slight difference in the result values depending on the
service pack installed on your system.

Section 8: Defining the Factor of Safety

Now, you need to define the Factor of Safety of the design.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut

menu appears, see Figure 4.131.

Figure 4.131

2. Click on the Define Factor Of Safety Plot option in the shortcut menu. The
Factor of Safety PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.132.

Figure 4.132

3. Accept the other default parameters and then click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The Factor of Safety1 (-FOS-) plot is added
in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree. Also, the Factor of Safety
distribution on the model and the its plot appear in the graphics area, see
Figure 4.133.

Figure 4.133

Notice that the minimum Factor of Safety of the model is 1.334 (1.334e+000),
which indicates that the model is safe and can withstand the applied pressure.
The Factor of Safety is the ratio of the allowable stress to the actual stress.

NOTE: The Factor of Safety equals to 1 indicates that the stress is exactly at the
allowable limit and the model can withstand only the design load. The Factor
of Safety less than 1 indicates that the failure of the model is likely under the
design load, whereas, the Factor of Safety greater than 1 indicates that the
stress is within the allowable limit. Greater the Factor of Safety, stronger the
design. However, the greater Factor of Safety sometimes leads to over
designing of the product.

Section 9: Saving Results

Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 4 of the local drive of your system.

Case Study 5: Static Analysis of a

Weldment Frame with Beam Elements
In this case study, you will perform the linear static analysis of a Weldment
Frame with beam elements, see Figure 4.134 and determine the stress under a
uniformly distributed load.

Figure 4.134

Project Description
All the legs of the Weldment Frame are fixed at its bottom and the 48000 N load
is uniformly distributed along all the beams of the top frame, see Figure
4.135. The model is made up of Plain Carbon Steel material.

Figure 4.135

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run a static study on the Weldment Frame and
determine the stress, displacement, and factor of safety of the model under the
applied load. Also, you need to determine the axial stress, bending stress, and
the bending moment diagram for an inclined member in the local directions 1
and 2.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Starting the Static Study

2. Defining Beam Joints
3. Defining the Material, Fixture, and Load
4. Generating the Mesh with Beam Elements
5. Running Analysis and Displaying Results
6. Displaying the Axial and Bending Stress Plots
7. Displaying the Bending Moment Diagram
8. Saving Results

Section 1: Starting the Static Study
1. Start SOLIDWORKS and then open the Weldment Frame model from the
location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04 Tutorials >
Case Study 5.

NOTE: You need to download the C04 Tutorials file which contains the files of
this chapter by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com), if
not downloaded earlier.

2. After the Weldment Frame model is opened in SOLIDWORKS, click on the

Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The tools of the
Simulation CommandManager appear.

3. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The

Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

4. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager.

5. Enter Weldment Frame Study in the Study name field and then click on the
green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Weldment Frame
Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 4.136. Also, the
joints appear on the members of the frame in the graphics area, see Figure
4.137.

Figure 4.136
 Figure 4.137

Notice that the joints appeared on the members in the graphics area are of two
color: magenta and yellow. A magenta joint is connected to two or more than
two members, whereas a yellow joint is connected to a single member only
and represents open end connection. You need to fix the yellow joints by
applying fixtures or connect them with the other members manually to
prepare the structure for analysis.

NOTE: When you expand the Weldment Frame > Cut list folders in the
Simulation Study Tree, you will notice that the members of the frame are
represented by beam icons, see Figure 4.136. It is because, SOLIDWORKS
Simulation automatically identifies the members of the weldment structure as
beam members (1D line) and calculates the number of joints in the structure.
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, beam members automatically mesh with beam
elements. However, you can also treat a beam member of the structure as a
solid body to mesh it with solid tetrahedral elements. For doing so, right-click
on the beam member in the respective sub-folders of the Weldment Frame
folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Treat as Solid tool
in the shortcut menu appeared. Similarly, you can treat a solid body as a
 beam member by selecting the Treat as Beam tool in the shortcut menu which
appeared on right-clicking on the solid body.

Section 2: Defining Beam Joints

SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically calculates the joints between the end-
to-end connected members of the structure. You can edit the calculated beam
joints or recalculate them as per your requirement.

1. Right-click on the Joint group option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Edit tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see Figure 4.138. The
Edit Joints PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.139.

Figure 4.138

Figure 4.139

By default, the All radio button is selected in the Selected Beams rollout of the
PropertyManager. As a result, the joints between all the end-to-end connected
beam members of the structure are calculated. However, on selecting the
Select radio button, you need to select the members of the structure between
which you want to calculate the joints. Note that in the Treat as joint for
clearance area of the PropertyManager, the equal to zero (touching) radio
button is selected, by default. As a result, the joints are calculated between
 end-to-end touching members, by default. However, on selecting the less than
radio button, you need to specify a clearance value in the field enabled below
this radio button to create joints between the members which are within the
specified clearance value.

2. Accept all the default parameters and then click on the Calculate button in the
PropertyManager. The joints between the members are calculated and appear
in the Results rollout of the PropertyManager.

3. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager.

Section 3: Defining the Material, Fixture, and Load

Now, you need to define the material, fixture and load on the structure.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the Plain Carbon Steel
material. Next, close the dialog box.

Now, you need to define the fixtures.

2. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

3. Select the yellow joints (four) which appear at the bottom of the four legs of
the structure, see Figure 4.140. Next, click on the green tick-mark button in
the PropertyManager. The Fixed Geometry fixtures are applied on the joints
of the four legs of the structure, see Figure 4.140.
Figure 4.140

Now, you need to apply the load.

4. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears, see Figure 4.141.

Figure 4.141

By default, the Vertices, Points button is activated in the Selection rollout of
the PropertyManager. As a result, you can select vertices and points of the
structure members to apply the load. On selecting the Joints button , you can
select the beam joints to apply the load, whereas on selecting the Beams
button , you can select the beams of the structure to apply the load.

5. Click on the Beams button in the Selection rollout of the PropertyManager
to select the beams for applying the load.

6. Select the top horizontal beams (four) of the structure one by one. The names
of the selected beams appear in the field of the Selection rollout in the
PropertyManager, see Figure 4.142.

7. Click on the Face, Edge, Plane for Direction field of the Selection rollout in
the PropertyManager, see Figure 4.142.

Figure 4.142

8. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree which is now at the top left corner
of the graphics area, see Figure 4.143 and then click on the Top Plane as the
reference plane to define the direction of force.

Figure 4.143

9. Click on the Normal to Plane button in the Force rollout of the

PropertyManager and then enter 48000 as the load, see Figure 4.144.

Figure 4.144

10. Select the Reverse direction check box in the Force rollout to reverse the
direction of force in the downward direction.

11. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The specified
load is applied on the selected beams.

Section 4: Generating the Mesh with Beam Elements
1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Mesh Progress
window appears and the process of meshing the structure starts. Once it is
complete, the meshing is created on the structure members with beam
elements, which are represented by hollow cylinders in the graphics area, see
Figure 4.145.

Figure 4.145

NOTE: SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically meshes the weldment

structure with beam elements.

Section 5: Running Analysis and Displaying Results

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Weldment Frame Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis. When it is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress and displacement results.
By default, the Stress result is activated. As a result, the stress distribution on
the model and the Upper bound axial and bending plot appear, see Figure
4.146.

Figure 4.146

2. To display the resultant displacement, click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-
) option in the Simulation Study Tree.

Section 6: Displaying the Axial and Bending Stress
Plots
1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Stress Plot tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Stress Plot
PropertyManager appears.

2. Select the Axial option in the Beam Stress drop-down list of the Definition
tab in the PropertyManager and then click on the green tick-mark button. The
axial stress plot appears in the graphics area, see Figure 4.147. Notice that the
maximum axial stress (tensile value) is 1.368 N/mm^2 (MPa) which is
relatively low.

Figure 4.147

3. Similarly, you can display the bending stress in direction 1 and direction 2 by
selecting the Upper bound bending in Dir 1 and Upper bound bending in
Dir 2 options, respectively, in the Beam Stress drop-down list of the
Definition tab in the Stress plot PropertyManager.

Section 7: Displaying the Bending Moment Diagram
1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Bending Diagrams tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Beam Diagrams PropertyManager appears.

2. Select the Moment about Dir1 option in the Component drop-down list of
the Definition tab in the PropertyManager, see Figure 4.148 to display the
bending moment diagram in the local direction 1.

Figure 4.148

3. Select the Select radio button in the Selected Beams rollout of the
PropertyManager and then select the front right inclined beam to display its
 bending moment diagram. Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the
PropertyManager. The bending moment diagram of the selected beam in the
local direction 1 appears in the graphics area, see Figure 4.149.

Figure 4.149

4. Similarly, you can display the bending moment diagram of a beam in the local
direction 2.

Section 8: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C04
Tutorials > Case Study 5.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Static Analysis of
a Beam Support
Perform the linear static analysis of a Beam Support, see Figure 4.150 and
determine the stress, displacement, strain, and factor of safety under a uniformly
distributed load.

Figure 4.150

Project Description
The Beam Support is fixed at its both sides bottom faces and the 12000 N load
uniformly distributed along its top middle face, see Figure 4.151. The model
is made up of Alloy Steel (SS) material.

Figure 4.151

Project Summary
Run a static study on the Beam Support mode. You need to generate the high
quality curvature-based mesh with the maximum element size 5 mm and the
minimum element size 1 mm. Also, determine the stress, displacement, strain,
and factor of safety of the model under the applied load. Also, animate the
displacement distribution on the model in a true scale. Specify the unit system
to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Hands-on Test Drive 2: Static Analysis of

a Bearing House
Perform the linear static analysis of a Bearing House, see Figure 4.152 and
determine the stress, displacement, strain, and factor of safety under a sinusoidal
distribution bearing load.

Figure 4.152

Project Description
The Bearing House is fixed at its bottom face and the 48500 N load sinusoidal
distributed along the lower half circular face of the model in the Y-direction,
see Figure 4.153. The model is made up of AISI 304 steel material.

Figure 4.153

Project Summary
Run a static study on the Bearing House. You need to generate the high quality
curvature-based mesh with default mesh parameters. Also, determine the
stress, displacement, strain, and factor of safety of the model under the
applied load. Also animate the displacement distribution on the model in true
scale. Specify the unit system to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and
stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Hint: To apply the bearing load, you need to select a coordinate system which
defines the direction of load. Note that the Z-axis of the coordinate system
must be aligned with the axis of cylindrical face selected for applying the
load.

Summary
In this chapter, you have performed linear static analysis of various case studies.
In the Case Study 1, you have learned how to perform multiple static studies on
a model with different meshes and how to compare the results of both the
studies. While preparing the model of the analysis, you have learned how to
define default units and results settings, material properties, fixtures, and loads.
Also, you have learned about examining different results such as stress,
displacement, strain, 1st principal stress, and annotating the maximum and
minimum stress areas of the model under the applied load.

In the Case Study 2, you have learned how to apply the mesh control on an area
where the high stresses are located and compare the difference in the results,
before and after applying the mesh control. In addition to examining the stress,
strain, and displacement results, you have also learned how to create the Iso plot
to display a user-defined range of stresses in the portions of the model.

In the Case Study 3, you have learned how to perform the static study on one
half of a symmetrical model and obtain the results for the complete model. You
have also learned about examining different results such as stress, displacement,
and strain under the applied load. Besides, you have learned how to animate the
deformed shape of the model with stress distribution and how to define the
factor of safety of the design.

In the Case Study 4, you have learned how to define shell elements for a 3D
solid geometry and generate the mesh with shell elements. Also, you have
learned how to display the mesh details such as number of nodes and elements in
the mesh. Besides, you have learned about examining different results such as
stress, displacement, strain, and factor of safety under the applied pressure on the
model.

In the Case Study 5, you have learned how to perform the static analysis on a
weldment structure with beam elements. While preparing the structure for
analysis, you have learned how to define the beam joints, material properties,
fixtures, and loads and how to generate mesh with beam elements. Besides, you
have learned about examining different results such as axial and bending stresses
on the structure members under the applied load and how to define the bending
moment diagram for a beam member.

Questions
• The ________ and ________ check boxes of the Stress plot
PropertyManager are used to annotate the maximum and minimum stresses
in the model.

• The ________ tool is used to apply the mesh control where the high stresses
are located in the model.

• You can save the animation of a result in the ________ file format.

• The ________ less than 1 indicates that the failure of the model is likely under
the design load.

• In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the ________ elements are generated in
meshing a 3D solid geometry.

• On performing an analysis on a ________ or a ________ component,
SOLIDWORKS Simulation identifies it as a 2D geometry and generates mesh
with shell elements.

• The ________ joints in beam members represent connection with two or more
than two members and the ________ joints represent connection with single
member only.

• The ________ tool is used to define the bending moment diagram of a beam.

• The ________ tool is used to display the user-defined range of stresses in the
portions of the model.

• The Shell Definition PropertyManager is used to define the 2D geometry as
________, ________, and ________.

• The ________ tool is used to compare the results of multiple studies.

• The ________ tool is used to run the current analysis study.
 Chapter 5
Contacts and Connectors

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Working with Contacts
• Applying Contacts
• Working with Connectors
• Static Analysis of a Hook Assembly with Contacts
• Static Analysis of a Flange Assembly with Bolt Connectors
• Static Analysis of an Assembly with Edge Weld Connectors
• Static Analysis of a Leaf Spring Assembly
• Static Analysis of a Car Jack Assembly

In the previous chapter, you have learned about various case studies of linear
static analysis on a component. In this chapter, you will learn about performing
static analysis on an assembly having multiple parts. However, before you start
performing analysis on an assembly, it is important to understand about contacts
and connectors. It is because, an assembly is made-up of multiple components
and you need to define how the components of the assembly interact with each
other before you start the analysis. In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can
define various types of contacts between the components: No Penetration,
Bonded, Allow Penetration, Shrink Fit, and Virtual Wall. Besides defining the
contacts between the components, you can also define the type of connection
between the components. For example, if two components of the assembly are
connected with bolt connections then instead of creating the actual geometry of
bolts, you can apply the Bolt connections between the components to reduce the
computational time and speedup the analysis process. Various types of contacts
and connectors are discussed next.

Working with Contacts
As discussed, before you start an analysis of an assembly, you need to define
how the components of the assembly interact with each other. In
SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can define various types of contacts between
the components: No Penetration, Bonded, Allow Penetration, Shrink Fit, and
Virtual Wall. The different types of contacts are discussed below.

Different Types of Contacts
Types of Contacts
The No Penetration contact is used to prevent interference between
the selected components. On defining this contact, the touching
faces of the components can slide over each other or come apart, but
cannot penetrate each other during simulation, see Figure 5.1.
No Figure 5.1
Penetration

The Bonded contact is used to apply the bonded connection
between the touching faces of the components. On applying this
contact, the contacting components together act as single
component with the only difference that you can apply different
material properties to the components, see Figure 5.2. By default,
the Bonded contact is applied between the components of an
assembly.
Bonded Figure 5.2

The Allow Penetration contact is used to allow interference between
 the selected components. On defining this contact, the touching
faces of the components can cause interference with each other
during simulation, see Figure 5.3.
Allow Figure 5.3
Penetration

The Shrink Fit contact is used to determine the stresses between the
components having interference with each other. For example, when
you insert a shaft of 100 mm diameter into a hub of 99.95 mm
diameter, then the 0.05 mm interference occurs between the
components. To analyze such components, you need to apply the
Shrink Fit contact between the interference faces of the
components, see Figure 5.4.
Shrink Fit
Figure 5.4

The Virtual Wall contact is used to define the contact between a
Virtual component and a virtual wall which is represented by a reference
Wall plane. Note that a virtual wall can be rigid or flexible and you can
define the friction coefficient.

Applying Contacts
When you perform an analysis of an assembly, the Connections folder is added
automatically in the Simulation Study Tree and by default, the Bonded
component contact is applied as the global contact between all the components
of the assembly, see Figure 5.5. In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the contacts are
divided into two categories: Component Contact and Local Contact. The
Component Contact includes No Penetration, Bonded, and Allow Penetration,
whereas, the Local Contact includes No Penetration, Bonded, Allow Penetration,
Shrink Fit, and Virtual Wall. You can apply a Component Contact between a set
of components or the entire components of the assembly. However, a Local
Contact can only be applied between a set of touching faces of the components
or the faces that are within the specified minimum and maximum clearance
values. Note that the Local Contact has precedence over the Component Contact
and it overrides the Component Contact conditions. The methods of applying the
Local Contact and the Component Contact are discussed next.

Figure 5.5

Applying a Component Contact
To apply a Component Contact, click on the arrow at the bottom of the
Connections Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Connections flyout appears, see Figure 5.6. In this flyout, click on the
Component Contact tool. The Component Contact PropertyManager
appears, see Figure 5.7. Alternatively, right-click on the Connections folder in
the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Component Contact tool in
the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Component Contact
PropertyManager. The options in this PropertyManager are discussed below.

Figure 5.6
 Figure 5.7

Contact Type
The options in the Contact Type rollout are used to select the type of component
contact to apply between a set of components or the entire assembly. You can
apply the No Penetration, Bonded, or Allow Penetration component contact
by selecting the respective radio button in this rollout. The different types of
contacts have already been discussed.

NOTE: By default, the Bonded component contact is applied as the global

contact between all the components of the assembly. It can be overridden by
applying the sets of component contacts and local contacts, manually. You will
learn about local contacts later in this chapter.

Components
The Components for Contact field in the Components rollout is used to select
the set of components between which you want to apply the selected component
contact. You can select components either from the graphics area or the
FeatureManager Design Tree. If you select the Global Contact check box of
this rollout, the selected component contact is applied between all the
components of the assembly as the global component contact.

Options
The Options rollout of the PropertyManager is used to define the type of
meshing in the connecting areas of the selected components. The options in this
rollout are discussed below.

Compatible mesh
By default, the Compatible mesh radio button is selected in the Options rollout.
As a result, SOLIDWORKS Simulation creates a compatible mesh to achieve
smooth mesh transition between the connecting areas of the selected
components, see Figure 5.8. In a compatible mesh, the nodes along the
connecting areas of the components get imprinted over each other and form
node-to-node connection. In case of the Bonded contact, the nodes along the
connecting areas merge with each other to ensure the perfect bonding with the
components and to create compatible mesh.

Figure 5.8

Incompatible mesh
On selecting the Incompatible mesh radio button, SOLIDWORKS Simulation
creates mesh in each component of the assembly, independently, see Figure
5.9. The incompatible mesh is used when the mesher fails to mesh the
components with the compatible mesh.

Figure 5.9
 Non-touching faces
On selecting the Non-touching faces check box, you can create the bonded
contact between the non-touching faces of the components that are within the
maximum clearance value. You can specify the maximum clearance value in
the Maximum Clearance field which appears when this check box is selected,
see Figure 5.10.

Figure 5.10

After defining the component contact conditions in the PropertyManager, click
on the green tick-mark button. The selected component contact is applied
between the selected components.

Applying a Local Contact
To apply a Local Contact between a set of touching faces of the components,
click on the arrow at the bottom of the Connections Advisor tool in the
Simulation CommandManager. The Connections flyout appears, see Figure
5.11. In this flyout, click on the Contact Set tool. The Contact Sets
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.12. Alternatively, right-click on the
Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Contact
Set tool in the shortcut menu appeared.

The options of this PropertyManager are used to apply contacts by using two
methods: Manual or Automatic. In the Manual method, you need to select a set
of touching faces of the components to apply the local contact, whereas, in the
Automatic method, you can select the components, and SOLIDWORKS
Simulation automatically identifies different sets of touching faces of the
selected components to apply local contacts between them. Both the methods are
discussed below.

Figure 5.11

Figure 5.12

Applying a Local Contact by using the Manual
Method
1. After invoking the Contact Sets PropertyManager, select the Manually
select contact sets radio button in the Contact rollout to apply a local contact
between a set of touching faces of the components, see Figure 5.12.

2. Select a contact type: No Penetration, Bonded, Allow Penetration, Shrink

Fit, or Virtual Wall in the Type drop-down list to apply between a set of
touching faces, see Figure 5.13.
 Figure 5.13

3. Select a face, an edge, or a vertex of a component as the first set of contact
entity from the graphics area, see Figure 5.14. The selected face/edge/vertex is
highlighted in blue and its name appears in the Faces, Edges, or Vertices for
Set 1 field of the Type rollout in the PropertyManager, respectively. Note that
you can also select multiple faces/edges/vertices as the first set of contact
entities.

TIP: It is difficult to select the faces of the touching components to apply a

contact between them. Therefore, it is recommended to explode the assembly
view and then select the faces, see Figure 5.14. You can explode the assembly
view by using the Exploded view tool of the Assembly CommandManager.

Figure 5.14

4. Click on the Faces for Set 2 field in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager
to activate it. Next, select a face of another component as the second set of
contact entity, see Figure 5.14. You can also select multiple faces as the
second set of contact entities.

NOTE: For the No Penetration and Virtual Wall contacts, you can also define
the clearance settings by selecting the Gap (clearance) check box in the
Properties rollout of the PropertyManager. When you select the Gap
 (clearance) check box, the Always ignore clearance and Ignore clearance
only if gap is less than radio buttons appear in the rollout, see Figure 5.15.
The Always ignore clearance radio button is used to ignore the clearance that
exists between the selected set of faces and assume that the faces are initially
in contact with each other. The Ignore clearance only if gap is less than
radio button is used to ignore clearance which is within the clearance value
specified in the field enabled below this radio button.

Also, for the No Penetration and Shrink Fit contacts, you can specify the friction
coefficient between the faces of the components by selecting the Friction
check box of the Properties rollout. You can specify friction coefficient value
up to 1.

Figure 5.15

5. After selecting the type of contact and the set of entities, click on the green
tick-mark button in the PropertyManager, the selected contact type is applied
between the selected entities.

Applying a Local Contact by using the Automatic
Method
1. Invoke the Contact Sets PropertyManager and then select the
Automatically find contact sets radio button in the Contact rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 5.16.

Figure 5.16

By default, the Touching faces radio button is selected in the Options rollout of
the PropertyManager, see Figure 5.16. As a result, only the faces of the
components which are in contact or touching each other get identified,
automatically for applying the local contacts. On selecting the Non-touching
faces radio button, you can specify the minimum and maximum clearance
values in the respective fields of the Options rollout. On doing so, the faces of
the components which are within the specified minimum and maximum
clearance values are identified for applying the contacts.

2. Select the Touching faces radio button in the Options rollout of the
PropertyManager to identify the touching faces of the components.

3. Select the components from the graphics area or the FeatureManager Design
Tree to find the touching faces between them.

4. After selecting the components, click on the Find contact sets button in the
Components rollout of the PropertyManager. All sets of touching faces
between the selected components get identified and are listed in the Results
rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure 5.17.

Figure 5.17

5. Select a contact set in the Results rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking
 the left mouse button to apply a contact between them. You can select
multiple contact sets by pressing the CTRL key to apply a contact between
them. Note that when you select a contact set in the Results rollout, the
respective touching faces of the components get highlighted in the graphics
area.

TIP: On selecting the Transparent view check box of the Results rollout, the
touching faces of the selected contact set get highlighted in the graphics area
in the transparent view.

6. Select a contact type: No Penetration, Bonded, or Allow Penetration in the

Type drop-down list of the Results rollout in the PropertyManager to apply it
between the selected contact set or sets.

7. Click on the Create contact sets button in the Results rollout of the
PropertyManager. The selected contact is applied between the selected contact
set or sets. Also, the selected contact set or sets are removed from the list of
contact sets in the Results rollout. Note that you can apply different contacts
between the different contact sets.

8. After applying the contacts between the required contact sets of the
components, click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager.

NOTE: All the applied contacts (component contacts and local contacts) are
listed in sub-folders under the Connections folder of the Simulation Study
Tree, see Figure 5.18. In this figure, the Bonded component contact is applied
as the global contact between all components of the assembly. Also, the No
Penetration local contacts are applied between the five contact sets. As
discussed, the local contacts have precedence over the component contacts
and the component contacts have precedence over the global contact.

Figure 5.18

Working with Connectors
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can also define the type of connection such
as Pin, Bolt, Bearing, Spot/Edge Welds, and Spring between the components. On
doing so, you no need to create the actual geometry of the connectors. It helps in
reducing the computational time and speedup the analysis process without
compromising with the accuracy of the results. The different types of connectors
are discussed below.

Applying a Bolted connector
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can apply a bolted connector between two or
more than two components by using the Bolt tool.

1. To apply a bolted connector, click on the arrow at the bottom of the
Connections Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Connections flyout appears, see Figure 5.19. In this flyout, click on the Bolt
tool. The Connectors PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.20.

Figure 5.19
 Figure 5.20

In the Type rollout of the PropertyManager, you need to select the type of bolted
connector to be applied between the components by clicking on the respective
button: Standard or Counterbore with Nut, Countersink with Nut,
Standard or Counterbore Screw, Countersink Screw, Foundation Bolt.
By default, the Standard or Counterbore with Nut button is activated. As a
result, the Circular Edge of The Bolt Head Hole and Circular Edge of The
Bolt Nut Hole fields appear in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager.

2. Make sure that the Standard or Counterbore with Nut button is activated in
the Type rollout of the PropertyManager to apply the counterbore bolted
connection.

NOTE: The Standard or Counterbore with Nut button is used to apply a

counterbore bolted connection by selecting two circular edges which define
the bolt head and bolt nut location. The Countersink with Nut button is used
to apply a countersink bolted connection by selecting a conical face to define
the bolt head and a circular edge to define the bolt nut location. The Standard
or Counterbore Screw button is used to apply a counterbore screw
connection by selecting a circular edge to define the bolt head and the hole
faces to define the threads. The Countersink Screw button is used to apply a
countersink screw connection by selecting a conical face to define the bolt
head and the hole faces to define the threads. The Foundation Bolt button is
used to apply a bolted connection between a component and a wall/ground by
selecting a circular edge to define the bolt nut location and a target plane to
 define the virtual wall.

3. Select a circular edge to define the bolt head location, see Figure 5.21. A
callout gets attached to the selected circular edge in the graphics area with
default parameters (head diameter and nominal shank diameter) of the bolt,
see Figure 5.21. Also, the name of the selected edge appears in the Circular
Edge of The Bolt Head Hole field of the PropertyManager. Note that when
you select a circular edge, the head diameter and nominal shank diameter of
the bolt get automatically calculated by the program based on the diameter of
the selected circular edge. You can edit these values by using the Head
Diameter and Nominal Shank Diameter fields of the Type rollout in the
PropertyManager.

Figure 5.21

After defining the bolt head location, you need to define the bolt nut location.

4. Click on the Circular Edge of The Bolt Nut Hole field in the Type rollout
and then select a circular edge to define the bolt nut location, see Figure 5.22.
By default, the Same head and nut diameter check box is selected in the
Type rollout of the PropertyManager. As a result, the nut diameter remains the
same as the head diameter. To specify a different diameter for the nut, clear
this check box and then specify the required nut diameter in the Nut
Diameter field appeared in the Type rollout.

Figure 5.22
Now, you need to define the material properties of the bolt.

5. Make sure that the Library radio button is selected in the Material rollout of
the PropertyManager to select a standard material from the SOLIDWORKS
Material Library, see Figure 5.23.

Figure 5.23

6. Click on the Select Material button in the Material rollout of the
PropertyManager. The Material dialog box appears. In this dialog box, select
a material. Next, click on the Apply button and then the Close button to apply
the selected material to the bolted connection and close the dialog box,
respectively.

NOTE: You can also specify the custom material properties to the bolted
connection. For doing so, select the Custom radio button in the Material
rollout of the PropertyManager and then specify the custom material
properties in the respective fields appeared in the rollout, see Figure 5.24.

Figure 5.24

7. The options in the Pre-load rollout of the PropertyManager are used to
specify the known axial or torque pre-load acting on the bolt. By default, the
axial or torque load is defined as 0 (zero). Means, no axial or torque pre-load
is acting on the bolt.

NOTE: The Tight Fit rollout of the PropertyManager is used to define the tight
fit bolt connection when the diameter of the bolt shank is equal to the
diameter of the hole faces. For doing so, you need to expand the Tight Fit
rollout and then activate the Shank Contact Faces field of this rollout by
clicking on it. Next, you need to select the hole faces which are in contact with
the bolt shank.

8. Accept the remaining default options of the PropertyManager and then click
on the green tick-mark button. The bolt connection is applied between the
components and its representation appear in the graphics area, see Figure
5.25. Also, the applied bolt connection is listed under the Connectors folder
in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 5.26.

Figure 5.25

Figure 5.26

You can also apply the bolted connection between more than two components.
For doing so, follow the steps (1 through 7) mentioned above and then expand
the Advanced Option rollout of the Connectors PropertyManager, see
Figure 5.27. Next, select the Bolt series check box and then click on the
Allow faces for bolt series field to activate it in the expanded Advanced
Option rollout. Next, select the hole/cylindrical faces of the middle
components, see Figure 5.28. After selecting the cylindrical faces of the
middle components, click on the green tick-mark button of the
PropertyManager. Figure 5.29 shows a bolted connection applied between
more than two components.

Figure 5.27

Figure 5.28

Figure 5.29

Similar to applying a counterbore with nut type bolt connector, you can apply
countersink with nut, counterbore screw, countersink screw, and foundation
bolt by using the Connectors PropertyManager.

Applying a Pin connector
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can apply a pin connector between the
cylindrical faces of the components that rotate against the pin by using the Pin
tool.

1. To apply a pin connector, click on the arrow at the bottom of the Connections
Advisor tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The Connections
flyout appears, see Figure 5.30. In this flyout, click on the Pin tool. The
Connectors PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.31. Alternatively, right-
click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Pin tool in the shortcut menu appeared.

Figure 5.30

Figure 5.31

By default, the Cylindrical Faces/Edges of Component 1 field is activated in
the Type rollout of the PropertyManager. As a result, you can select a
cylindrical face of the first component.

2. Select a cylindrical face of the first component, see Figure 5.32. You can
select a single 360-degree cylindrical face or multiple cylindrical faces of
smaller angle to apply the pin connector. The selected face is highlighted with
a callout attached to it in the graphics area, see Figure 5.32. Also, the name of
the selected face appears in the Cylindrical Faces/Edges of Component 1
field of the rollout. Note that for shell geometry, you can select a cylindrical
edge.
Figure 5.32

3. Click on the Cylindrical Faces/Edges of Component 2 field in the Type
rollout of the PropertyManager and then select a cylindrical face of the second
component, see Figure 5.33.
Figure 5.33

By default, the With retaining ring (No translation) check box is selected in
the Connection Type rollout of the PropertyManager. As a result, the relative
axial translation between the selected faces of the components gets restricted.
On selecting the With key (No rotation) check box, the relative rotation
between the selected faces of the components gets restricted.

4. Make sure that the With retaining ring (No translation) check box is
selected in the Connection Type rollout of the PropertyManager to restrict the
relative axial translation between the selected faces.

You can specify the rotational stiffness in the Rotational Stiffness field of the
Advanced Option rollout in the PropertyManager. This field is enabled only
when the With retaining ring (No translation) check box is selected. When
the With key (No rotation) check box is selected, the Axial Stiffness field is
enabled in the Advanced Option rollout, which is used to specify the axial
stiffness in the axial direction.

5. Expand the Strength Data rollout of the PropertyManager and then specify
the yield strength of the pin material in the Pin Strength field of the rollout.

6. Specify the factor of safety ratio in the Safety Factor field of the rollout. Note
that the pin fails when the combined load of the pin exceeds the ratio of the
specified factor of safety.

You can also specify the known tensile stress location/area of the pin in the
Tensile Stress Area field of the Strength Data rollout.

7. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The pin is
applied between the selected cylindrical faces and its representation appears in
the graphics area, see Figure 5.34. Also, the applied pin connection gets listed
under the Connectors folder in the Simulation Study Tree.
 Figure 5.34

Applying a Link Connector
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can apply a link connector between two
components that are connected by a rigid bar (link) with each other, see Figure
5.35.

Figure 5.35

1. Right-click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree. A
shortcut menu appears, see Figure 5.36. In this shortcut menu, click on the
Link tool. The Connectors PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.37.
Alternatively, click on the arrow at the bottom of the Connections Advisor
tool in the Simulation CommandManager and then click on Link tool in the
Connectors flyout appeared.

Figure 5.36
 Figure 5.37

To apply a link connector between two components, you need to specify hinged
end locations on both the components. You can do so either by selecting
vertices or reference points. In Figure 5.38, the reference points are created on
the hinged end locations of the components to define their end locations.

Figure 5.38

2. Select a vertex or a reference point to define the hinged end location of the
 first component, see Figure 5.38. In this figure, a reference point is selected to
define the end location of the first component.

3. Click on the Vertex or Point for Second location field in the
PropertyManager and then select a vertex or a reference point to define the
hinged end location of the second component, see Figure 5.38. In this figure, a
reference point is selected to define the end location of the second component.

4. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The link
connector is applied between the selected components, see Figure 5.39.

NOTE: The applied link connector acts as rigid bar between two components
and the distance between the specified locations of the components remains
same during the deformation.

Figure 5.39

Applying a Bearing connector
You can apply a bearing connector between components which represents shaft
and housing mechanism, see Figure 5.40. The bearing connector is used when
the shaft is more rigid than the housing.

Figure 5.40

1. To apply a bearing connector, right-click on the Connections folder in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Bearing tool in the shortcut
menu appeared. The Connectors PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.40.
Alternatively, invoke the Connectors flyout in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on Bearing tool.

By default, the For shaft: Cylindrical face or circular edge of shell field is
activated in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager. As a result, you can
select a cylindrical face of the shaft. For shell geometry, you need to select a
circular edge.

2. Select a circular portion (circular face of 360-degree) of the shaft where the
bearing is connected between the shaft and the housing, see Figure 5.40.

NOTE: You need to split the shaft face by creating split lines using the Split Line
tool to define the bearing connector on the proper portion of the shaft where
the bearing is connected. In Figure 5.40, the split lines are created on the
shaft to ensure the proper location of the bearing connector.

3. Click on the For housing: Cylindrical face or circular edge of shell field in
the Type rollout of the PropertyManager. Next, select a cylindrical face of the
housing where the bearing is resting on it, see Figure 5.41.

Figure 5.41

By default, the Allow self-alignment check box is selected in the Type rollout
of the PropertyManager. As a result, the self-aligning is defined for the
bearing connector which allows off-axis rotation of the shaft.

4. Make sure that the Rigid radio button is selected in the Stiffness rollout of the
PropertyManager to define no lateral or axial translation for the selected face
of the shaft by applying a high stiffness value to the connector.

On selecting the Flexible radio button, you can define the total lateral and axial
stiffness values in the respective fields which are enabled below the radio
button. This radio button is used when you want to allow the lateral or axial
translation for the selected face of the shaft.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The bearing
connector is applied between the shaft and the housing.

Applying a Spot Weld Connector
You can apply a spot weld connector between two thin components which are
connected to each other with a spot weld.

1. To apply a spot weld connector, right-click on the Connections folder in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Spot Welds tool in the shortcut
menu appeared. The Connectors PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.42.
Alternatively, invoke the Connectors flyout in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on Spot Welds tool.

Figure 5.42

By default, the Spot Weld First Face field is activated in the Type rollout of the
PropertyManager. As a result, you can select a connected face of the first
component to apply the spot weld connector.

2. Select a connected face of the first component, see Figure 5.43. A callout is
attached to the selected face, see Figure 5.43 and the name of the face appears
in the Spot Weld First Face field of the PropertyManager.

3. Click on the Spot Weld Second Face field in the Type rollout and then select
a connected face of the second component, see Figure 5.44. In figures 5.43
and 5.44, the outer planar faces of the components are selected to apply the
spot weld connector.

Figure 5.43

Figure 5.44

After selecting the faces of the components which are connected by the spot
weld, you need to define the weld location on any one of the selected faces.
Note that you can define a weld location by selecting a vertex or an assembly
reference point.

4. Click on the Spot Weld Locations field in the Type rollout and then select
vertices or assembly reference points one by one to define the spot weld
locations, see Figure 5.45. In this figure, six (6) vertices of the first selected
face are selected to define the spot weld locations.

NOTE: You need to split a face by creating split lines using the Split Line tool
so that you can select the vertices which are created by split lines. In Figure
5.45, the split lines are created on the first selected face and their vertices are
selected to define the spot weld locations.

Figure 5.45

After defining the spot weld location, you need to define the spot weld diameter.

5. Enter a spot weld diameter value in the Spot Weld Diameter field of the
PropertyManager. Note that the spot weld diameter should be less than 12.5
mm.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The spot weld
connector is applied between the selected faces of the components.

Applying an Edge Weld connector
You can apply an edge weld connector between two metal components. By
applying an edge weld connector, you can determine the appropriate weld size
required to connect components.

1. To apply an edge weld connector, right-click on the Connections folder in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Edge Weld tool in the shortcut
menu appeared. The Edge Weld Connector PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 5.46. Alternatively, invoke the Connectors flyout in the Simulation
CommandManager and then click on Edge Weld tool.

Figure 5.46

2. Select a weld type in the Type drop-down list of the Weld Type rollout in the
PropertyManager. You can apply a single-sided or a double-sided fillet weld
or groove weld by selecting the appropriate weld type in the Type drop-down
list, see Figure 5.47.

Figure 5.47

After selecting the type of weld, you need to select two faces and an intersecting
edge of the selected faces to apply the weld. By default, the Face Set1 field is
activated in the Weld Type rollout of the PropertyManager. As a result, you
can select a face of a shell or sheet metal component.

3. Select a face of a shell (surface/2D geometry) or a sheet metal component as
the first face to apply the edge weld, see Figure 5.48. The face gets selected
and its name appears in the Face Set1 field of the PropertyManager.

NOTE: You can apply an edge weld connector between two shell/sheet metal
components as well as between a shell/sheet metal component and a solid
component. However, the first selected face should be of a shell/sheet metal
component. In Figure 5.48, the vertical plate is a sheet metal component and
the bottom horizontal plate is a 3D solid component.

4. Click on the Face Set2 field in the Weld Type rollout of the PropertyManager
and then select a face of another shell/sheet metal component or solid
component, see Figure 5.48.

NOTE: For applying a fillet weld, the selected faces of two components should
be perpendicular to each other, whereas for applying a groove weld, the
selected faces of two components should be parallel to each other.

The intersecting edge between the selected faces gets automatically selected for
the fillet weld and the preview of the weld appears in the graphics area with
the weld size estimated by default, see Figure 5.48. You can also select a
touching or non-touching edge of the selected faces as the intersecting edge, if
 not selected by default.

Figure 5.48

5. Select a welding standard: American Standard or European Standard by
selecting the respective radio button in the Weld Sizing rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 5.49. Next, specify the electrode material
properties of the weld.

Figure 5.49

.
NOTE: For American Standard, you need to specify the electrode material. You can select the required
standard electrode material in the Electrode drop-down list of the Weld Sizing rollout. In case of custom
material, you can select the Custom steel or Custom Aluminum option in the drop-down list and enter the
weld strength of the material in the Weld strength field of the rollout.

For European Standard, you need to specify the material ultimate tensile strength and correlation factor in
the respective fields of the rollout..

6. Specify the estimated weld size value in the Estimated weld size field of the
Weld Sizing rollout in the PropertyManager. Note that SOLIDWORKS
Simulation automatically calculates the appropriate weld size required for the
weld connector and compares with the value specified in the Estimated weld
size field.

7. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The edge weld
connector is applied between the selected faces of the components, see Figure
5.50.

Figure 5.50

Case Study 1: Static Analysis of a Hook

Assembly with Contacts
In this case study, you will perform the linear static analysis of a Hook assembly
shown in Figure 5.51 and determine the stress under a load.

Figure 5.51

Project Description
The Hook assembly is fixed at its one end and the 21000 Newton load is
distributed along the other end, see Figure 5.52. All the components of the
assembly are made up of Alloy Steel (SS) material.

Figure 5.52

Project Summary
In this case study, you will generate a high quality curvature-based mesh with
default parameters. Also, you need to define the No Penetration contact
between two contacting sets of the assembly. Specify the unit system to SI
(MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 5

2. Opening the Hook Assembly
3. Starting the Static Study
4. Defining Default Units
5. Assigning Materials
6. Applying Fixtures
7. Applying Contacts
8. Applying the Load
9. Generating the Mesh
10. Running Analysis and Displaying Results
11. Displaying Stress Results for any one Assembly Component
12. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 5
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by using your user
name and password. If you are a new user, first you need to register on
CADArtifex website as a student.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists. For example, all part files used in the
 illustration of this textbook are available in the Part Files drop-down list and
all tutorial files are available in the Tutorials drop-down list.

3. Click on Tutorials > C05 Tutorials. The downloading of C05 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the
downloaded file.

4. Save the downloaded unzipped C05 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder
inside the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder. You need to create these folders
if not created earlier.

Section 2: Opening the Hook Assembly
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not started already.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C05
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Hook Assembly and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The
Hook Assembly is opened in SOLIDWORKS, see Figure 5.53.

Figure 5.53

Section 3: Starting the Static Study
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.
NOTE: If the Simulation tab is not added in the CommandManager then you
need to customize it to add it as discussed earlier.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The

Study PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis on the model.

4. Enter Hook Static Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout in the
PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The various
tools to perform the static analysis are enabled in the Simulation
CommandManager. Also, the Hook Static Study is added in the
Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 5.54.

Figure 5.54

Section 4: Defining Default Units
Before you start with the analysis process, it is important to set the default units
for SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

1. Click on the Simulation > Options in the SOLIDWORKS Menus. The
System Options dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, click on the Default Options tab. The name of the dialog
box changes to the Default Options. Next, Make sure that the Units options
is activated in the dialog box.

3. Select the SI (MKS) radio button in the Unit system area of the dialog box.
Next, make sure that the mm unit is selected in the Length/Displacement
drop-down list and the N/m^2 (MPa) unit is selected in the Pressure/Stress
 drop-down list of the Units area.

Section 5: Assigning Materials
As mentioned in the project description that all the components of the assembly
are made up of Alloy Steel (SS) material. Therefore, you need to apply this
material to all the components.

1. Right-click on the Parts folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Apply Material to All tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Material dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, expand the Steel category of the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library and then click on the Alloy Steel (SS) material. The material
properties of the selected material appear on the right panel of the dialog box.

3. Click on the Apply button and then click on the Close button. The Alloy Steel
(SS) material is assigned to all the components of the assembly.

NOTE: To apply material to each individual component of the assembly, expand

the Parts folder of the Simulation Study Tree. All the components of the
assembly appear in the expanded Parts folder, see Figure 5.55. Now, you can
right-click on a component in the expanded Parts folder and then click on the
Apply/Edit Material tool in the shortcut menu appeared. On doing so, the
Material dialog box appears. In this dialog box, select a material and then
click on the Apply button. Next, click on the Close button. The material is
assigned to the selected component. Similarly, you can assign a material to
other components of the assembly.

Figure 5.55

Section 6: Applying Fixtures
Now, you need to apply fixtures to make the assembly suitable for the analysis.

1. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

2. Rotate the model such that you can view the end face of the left Hook
component of the assembly and then select it to apply the Fixed Geometry
fixture, see Figure 5.56.

Figure 5.56

3. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed
Geometry fixture is applied to the selected face of the component.

Now, you need to apply the On Flat Faces fixture to the Link component of the
assembly.

4. Change the current orientation of the assembly to Isometric.

5. Right-click on Fixtures in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the
Advanced Fixtures tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears with the expanded Advanced rollout on the left of
the graphics area, see Figure 5.57.

Figure 5.57

6. Click on the On Flat Faces button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager.

7. Select the front planar face of the Link component of the assembly to apply
the fixture, see Figure 5.58.

Figure 5.58

8. Scroll down in the PropertyManager and then click on the Normal to Face
and the Along Face Dir 1 buttons in the Translations rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 5.59. By default, the 0 value is specified in the
fields enabled in front of both the buttons. It means, the translation movement
is restricted along the direction 1 and normal to the face selected. However,
component can move along the direction 2 of the selected face.

Figure 5.59

9. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The On Flat
Faces fixture is applied to the selected face of the component.

Now, you need to apply the Use Reference Geometry fixture to the right Hook
component of the assembly.

10. Right-click on Fixtures in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the
Advanced Fixtures tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

11. Make sure that the Use Reference Geometry button is activated in the
Advanced rollout of the PropertyManager.

12. Select the cylindrical face of the right Hook component to apply the fixture,
see Figure 5.60.

Figure 5.60

13. Click on the Face, Edge, Plane, Axis for Direction field in the Advanced
rollout of the PropertyManager.

14. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree, which is now at the top left
corner of the graphics area and then click on the Top Plane of the assembly to
define the direction of the fixture, see Figure 5.61.

Figure 5.61

15. Scroll down in the PropertyManager and then click on the Normal to Face
and the Along Face Dir 2 buttons in the Translations rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 5.62. By default, the 0 value is specified in the
fields enabled in front of both the buttons. It means, the translation movement
is restricted along the direction 2 and normal to the plane selected. However,
component can move along the direction 1 of the selected plane.

Figure 5.62

16. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Use
Reference Geometry fixture is applied to the selected cylindrical face of the
component.

Section 7: Applying Contacts
After applying the fixtures, you need to define the contact conditions between
the components of the assembly.

NOTE: By default, the Bonded component contact is applied as a global contact
between all the components of the assembly. You need to apply the No
Penetration contact sets between the components of the assembly to override
the global contact conditions.

1. Right-click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Contact Sets tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Contact
Sets PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

2. Make sure that the Manually select contact sets radio button is selected in
the Contact rollout of the PropertyManager.

3. Make sure that the No Penetration option is selected in the Type drop-down
list of the Type rollout in the PropertyManager.

4. Rotate the assembly and then select the inner touching faces (two faces) of the
right Hook component as the first contact set, see Figure 5.63.

Figure 5.63

5. Click on the Faces for Set 2 field in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager
and then select the right cylindrical touching face of the Link component as
the second contact set, see Figure 5.64.

Figure 5.64

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The No
Penetration contact set is applied between the selected faces of the
components.

7. Similarly, apply the No Penetration contact set between the touching faces of
 the left Hook component and the left cylindrical face of the Link component,
see Figure 5.65.

Figure 5.65

Section 8: Applying the Load
Now, you need to apply the load on the end face of the right Hook component.

1. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

2. Select the end face of the right Hook component of the assembly to apply the
load, see Figure 5.66. The symbol of the load appears on the selected face.

3. Make sure that the Normal radio button is selected to apply the load normal
to the face.

4. Enter 21000 in the Force field of the PropertyManager.

5. Select the Reverse direction check box in the PropertyManager to reverse the
direction of force toward right, see Figure 5.66.

Figure 5.66

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 21000 N
load is applied on the selected face of the right Hook component.

Section 9: Generating the Mesh
Now, you need to generate the curvature-based mesh with default parameters.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh
PropertyManager.

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager by clicking on
the check box in its title bar.

3. Select the Curvature-based mesh radio button in the expanded Mesh
Parameters rollout. The default maximum element size and the minimum
element size appear in the respective fields of the rollout, see Figure 5.67.

Figure 5.67

4. Accept the other default mesh parameters and then click on the green tick-
mark button . The Mesh Progress window appears which displays the
progress of meshing in the model. After the meshing is complete, the meshed
model appears, see Figure 5.68.
 Figure 5.68

Section 10: Running Analysis and Displaying Results
Now, you need to run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Hook Static Study (name of the study) window appears which displays
the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis completes, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated in the Results folder. As a
result, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 5.69.

Figure 5.69

The maximum Von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is 581.659
N/mm^2 (MPa) which is within the yield stress of the material that is 620.422
 N/mm^2 (MPa). Note that you may find a slight difference in the result values
depending on the service pack installed on your system.

3. Double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) option in the Results folder
of the Simulation Study Tree. The displacement distribution on the assembly
and the resultant displacement (URES) plot appears in the graphics area, see
Figure 5.70. The maximum resultant displacement on the assembly under the
applied load is 1.719 mm (1.719e+000 mm).

Figure 5.70

4. Similarly, review the strain results by clicking on the Strain1 (-Equivalent-)
option in the Simulation Study Tree.

5. Animate the displacement distribution on the model to review the deformed
shape of the components and the contact conditions by using the Animate
tool. This tool is available in the shortcut menu, which appears on right-
clicking on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) option in the Results folder of
the Simulation Study Tree.

Section 11: Displaying Stress Results for any one
Assembly Component
1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Stress plot in the shortcut menu appeared. The Stress plot
PropertyManager appears.

2. Expand the Advanced Options rollout of the Stress plot PropertyManager.

3. Select the Show plot only on selected entities check box in the expanded
Advanced Options rollout. The selection field appears in the rollout, see
Figure 5.71.

Figure 5.71

4. Click on the Select bodies for the plot button on the left of the selection
field in the Advanced Options rollout to select a component of the assembly
for displaying its stress plot. You can also select multiple components.

5. Select the right Hook component of the assembly to display its stress plot.
Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. All the
components of the assembly get hidden except the selected component, see
Figure 5.72.

Figure 5.72

NOTE:In Figure 5.72, the display of fixtures and load symbols are hidden for the clarity of image. To hide a
fixture, right-click on the fixture name listed under Fixtures in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on
 the Hide tool in the shortcut menu appeared. Similarly, to hide a load, right-click on the load name listed
under External Loads in the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Hide tool in the shortcut menu
appeared.

Now, you can display the maximum and minimum stress areas in the right Hook
component of the assembly.

6. Double-click on the Stress plot that appears in the graphics area. The Stress
plot PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

7. Make sure that the Chart Options tab is activated in the PropertyManager.
Next, select the Show max annotation and Show min annotation check
boxes in the Display Options rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure
5.73.

Figure 5.73

8. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The minimum
and maximum stresses are annotated on the right Hook component, see Figure
5.74.

Figure 5.74

9. Similarly, you can display the stress, strain, or displacement plot for other
components of the assembly and annotate their maximum and minimum
stress, strain, or displacement areas, respectively.

Section 12: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C05
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system.

Case Study 2: Static Analysis of a Flange
Assembly with Bolt Connectors
In this case study, you will perform the static analysis of a Flange assembly with
Bolt connectors, see Figure 5.75.

Figure 5.75
Project Description
The Flange assembly is fixed at its one end and the 8000 Newton downward
load is applied on its other end, see Figure 5.76. Both the flanges of the
assembly are made up of AISI 304 steel material and the bolts are made up of
Alloy Steel material.

Figure 5.76

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run a static study of the Flange assembly shown in
Figure 5.75. Note that in this assembly, the bolts are added by using the
SOLIDWORKS Toolbox. Therefore, you will convert these bolts into bolt
connectors, automatically. Also, you will generate the high quality curvature-
based mesh with default parameters. Besides, you will define the No
Penetration contact as the global component contact between the components
of the assembly. Specify the unit system to SI (MKS) with displacement in
mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 5

2. Opening the Flange Assembly
3. Starting the Static Study and Defining Bolt Connectors
4. Reviewing Properties of a Bolt Connector
5. Assigning Materials
6. Applying Fixtures
7. Applying Contacts
8. Applying the Load
9. Generating the Mesh
10. Running Analysis and Displaying Results
11. Displaying Bolt Connectors Forces
12. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 5
1. Download the files of this chapter (C05 Tutorials) if not downloaded earlier,
by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com). The path to
download the files is SOLIDWORKS Simulation > SOLIDWORKS
Simulation 2017 > Tutorials > C05 Tutorials.

2. Save the unzipped C05 Tutorials file in the location > SOLIDWORKS
Simulation > Tutorial Files of the local drive of your system. You need to
create these folders, if not created earlier.

NOTE: If you have downloaded the C05 Tutorials file of this chapter in the Case
Study 1 and saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial
Files then you can skip the steps 1 and 2, discussed above.

Section 2: Opening the Flange Assembly

1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C05
Tutorials > Case Study 2 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Flange Assembly and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The
Flange Assembly opens in SOLIDWORKS.

Section 3: Starting the Static Study and Defining Bolt
Connectors
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager.

In the Flange assembly, the bolts are added by using the SOLIDWORKS
Toolbox. As a result, you can convert them directly into bolt connectors.

4. Scroll down the Study PropertyManager and then select the Convert
Toolbox fasteners to bolt connectors check box in the Options rollout, see
Figure 5.77.

Figure 5.77

5. Enter With Bolt Connectors Study in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The
Simulation message window appears which informs that 6 simulation bolt
connectors have been created successfully, see Figure 5.78.

Figure 5.78

7. Click on the OK button in the Simulation message window. All the bolts of
the assembly are converted into bolt connectors and the assembly appears in
the graphics area, as shown in Figure 5.79. Also, the six bolt connectors added
under the Connectors folder in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 5.80.
This figure shows the expanded view of the Connectors folder.
 Figure 5.79

Figure 5.80

Section 4: Reviewing the Properties of a Bolt
Connector
Now, you need to review the properties of a bolt connector.

1. Expand the sub-folders of the Connectors folder in the Simulation Study
Tree to display the bolt connectors, see Figure 5.80.

2. Right-click on a bolt connector in the expanded Connectors folder and then
click on the Edit Definition tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see Figure
5.81. The Connectors PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.82.

Figure 5.81
 Figure 5.82

Notice that in the Connectors PropertyManager, the bolt parameters such as
head diameter, nut diameter, nominal shank diameter, bolt strength data, and
axial pre-load are automatically extracted from the original bolts. It is
because, the original bolts were added by using the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox.

3. Exit the Connectors PropertyManager by clicking on its green tick-mark
button.

NOTE: If the bolts are not added in the original assembly then you need to add
the bolt connectors manually by using the Bolt tool. To access the Bolt tool,
right-click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Bolt tool in the shortcut menu appeared. On doing so,
the Connectors PropertyManager appears. In this PropertyManager, you
need to define bolt properties such as bolt head and nut locations, material,
and pre-load.
Section 5: Assigning Materials
Now, you need to apply the AISI 304 steel material to the flanges of the
assembly.

1. Right-click on the Parts folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Apply Material to All tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Material dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, expand the Steel category of the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library and then click on the AISI 304 material.

3. Click on the Apply button and then click on the Close button. The AISI 304
steel material is assigned to the flanges of the assembly.

TIP: To apply material to each individual component of the assembly, expand

the Parts folder of the Simulation Study Tree and then right-click on a
component to display the shortcut menu. Next, click on the Apply/Edit
Material tool in the shortcut menu to display the Material dialog box for
applying the material to the selected component.

Section 6: Applying Fixtures

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture to one end of the assembly.

1. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

2. Rotate the model such that you can view the end face of the right Flange
component of the assembly and then select it to apply the Fixed Geometry
fixture, see Figure 5.83.

Figure 5.83

3. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed
Geometry fixture is applied to the selected face of the component.

Section 7: Applying Contacts
By default, the Bonded component contact is applied as the global contact
between all the components of the assembly. You need to edit it to apply the
No Penetration component contact as the global contact between the
components of the assembly.

1. Expand the Component Contacts sub-folder of the Connections folder in the
Simulation Study Tree and then right-click on the Global Contact (-
Bonded) option to display a shortcut menu, see Figure 5.84.

2. Click on the Edit Definition tool in the shortcut menu. The Component
Contact PropertyManager appears.

Figure 5.84

3. Select the No Penetration radio button in the Contact Type rollout of the
PropertyManager and then click on the green tick-mark button. The No
Penetration component contact is applied as the global contact between the
assembly components.

Section 8: Applying the Load
Now, you need to apply the downward load on the end face of the left Flange
component.

1. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

2. Select the end face of the left Flange component of the assembly to apply the
load, see Figure 5.85. The symbol of load appears on the selected face.

Figure 5.85

3. Select the Selected direction radio button in the Force/Torque rollout of the
PropertyManager. The Face, Edge, Plane for Direction field appears in the
rollout.

4. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree, which is now at the top left corner
of the graphics area and then click on Top Plane of the assembly as the
reference plane to define the direction of force, see Figure 5.86.

Figure 5.86

5. Scroll down in the PropertyManager and then click on the Normal to Plane
button in the Force rollout, see Figure 5.87.

6. Enter 8000 in the field enabled in front of the Normal to Plane button, see
Figure 5.87.

Figure 5.87

7. Select the Reverse direction check box in the PropertyManager to reverse the
direction of force downward, see Figure 5.88.

Figure 5.88

8. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 8000 N
load is applied on the selected face of the left Flange component.

Section 9: Generating the Mesh
Now, you need to generate the curvature-based mesh with default parameters.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh
PropertyManager.

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager.

3. Select the Curvature-based mesh radio button in the expanded Mesh
Parameters rollout and then click on the green tick-mark button. The Mesh
Progress window appears and once the meshing is complete, the meshed
model appears, see Figure 5.89.
 Figure 5.89

Section 10: Running Analysis and Displaying Results
Now, you need to run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The With Bolt Connectors Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis completes, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated in the Results folder. As a
result, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 5.90.

Figure 5.90

The maximum Von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is 44.620
N/mm^2 (MPa) which is within the yield stress of the material that is 206.807
N/mm^2 (MPa).

3. Double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) option in the Results folder
of the Simulation Study Tree to display the displacement distribution on the
assembly and the resultant displacement (URES) plot. Similarly, display the
strain results by clicking on the Strain1 (-Equivalent-) option.

4. Display the Factor of Safety plot by clicking on the Define Factor Of Safety
Plot tool in the shortcut menu which appears on right-clicking on the Results
folder in Simulation Study Tree.

5. Animate the stress distribution on the model to review the deformed shape of
the components and the contact conditions by using the Animate tool.

Section 11: Displaying Bolt Connectors Forces
1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Connector Force in the shortcut menu appeared. The Result
Force PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.91.

Figure 5.91

2. Make sure that the Connector Force radio button is selected in the Options
rollout. All the forces such as shear, axial, bending, and torque of each
connector appear in the Connector Force rollout of the PropertyManager, see
Figure 5.91. You can expand the width of the PropertyManager by dragging it
to display the results.
TIP: By default, the All connectors option selected in the Connector drop-down list in the Selection rollout
of the PropertyManager. As a result, the forces such as shear, axial, bending, and torque, developed in all
the connectors of the assembly are appear in the Connector Force rollout of the PropertyManager. You can
select the required option in this drop-down list to display the forces of the selected connector type only

3. After reviewing the forces of the bolt connectors, exit the PropertyManager by
clicking on its green tick-mark button.

Section 12: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C05
Tutorials > Case Study 2 of the local drive of your system.

Case Study 3: Static Analysis of an

Assembly with Edge Weld Connectors
In this case study, you will perform the static analysis of a Hanger Assembly
with Edge Weld and bolt connectors, see Figure 5.92.

Figure 5.92

Project Description
The Hanger Assembly is fixed at its one end and the 800 Newton downward
load is applied on its other end, see Figure 5.93. All the components of the
assembly are made up of AISI 1035 Steel (SS) material.
 Figure 5.93

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run a static study of a hanger assembly shown in
Figure 5.92. The connecting rod components of the assembly are surface
components and you need to mesh these components with shell elements
having 1 mm thickness. Also, you need to apply the edge weld connectors to
weld these components with the other components of the assembly. You need
to use the American standard weld with E60 electrode and 2 mm estimated
weld size for welding the connectors. You need to apply the bolt connectors to
connect the back plates of the assembly. The bolt connectors are of Alloy
Steel material with 100 Ibf axial pre-load. You need to generate a high quality
curvature-based mesh with default parameters. Since the assembly have the
combination of 3D solid and 2D (surface) geometries, you will experience
mixed meshing on the assembly.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 5

2. Opening the Hanger Assembly
3. Starting the Static Study
4. Defining Thickness for the Surface (Shell) Geometries
5. Assigning Materials
6. Applying Fixtures
7. Applying Contacts
8. Applying Edge Weld Connectors
9. Applying Bolt Connectors
10. Applying the Load
11. Generating the Mesh
12. Running Analysis and Displaying Results
13. Displaying Weld Results
14. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 5
1. Download the files of this chapter (C05 Tutorials), if not downloaded earlier
by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com). The path to
download files is SOLIDWORKS Simulation > SOLIDWORKS Simulation
2017 > Tutorials > C05 Tutorials.

2. Save the unzipped C05 Tutorials file in the location > SOLIDWORKS
Simulation > Tutorial Files of the local drive of your system. You need to
create these folders, if not created earlier.

NOTE: If you have downloaded the C05 Tutorials file of this chapter in the
earlier case studies and saved in the > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial
Files location then you can skip the steps 1 and 2, discussed above.
Section 2: Opening the Hanger Assembly
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C05
Tutorials > Case Study 3. Next, select the Flange Assembly and then click on
the Open button in the dialog box. The Hanger Assembly is opened in
SOLIDWORKS.

Section 3: Starting the Static Study
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager.

4. Enter Hanger Asm with Weld Study in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The tools to
perform the static analysis are enabled in the Simulation
CommandManager. Also, the Hanger Asm with Weld Study is added in
the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 5.94.

Figure 5.94

Notice a warning icon on the left of the study name in the Simulation Study
 Tree. It is because, the assembly has surface components with undefined
thickness. You need to define the thickness of these components.

Section 4: Defining Thickness for the Surface (Shell)
Geometries
As mentioned in the project description, the connecting rod components of the
assembly are surface components, therefore, you need to define the thickness
for the geometry.

1. Expand the Parts folder in the Simulation Study Tree. All the components of
the assembly appear in the expanded Parts folder, see Figure 5.95.

Figure 5.95

2. Right-click on the Connecting Rod-1 surface component in the Parts folder
of the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Edit Definition tool in
the shortcut menu appeared, see Figure 5.96. The Shell Definition
PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

Figure 5.96

3. Enter 1 mm in the Thickness field of the PropertyManager and then click on
the green tick-mark button. The thickness for the selected component is
specified as 1 mm.

Section 5: Assigning Materials
Now, you need to apply the AISI 1035 Steel (SS) material to all the components
of the assembly.

1. Right-click on the Parts folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Apply Material to All tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Material dialog box appears.

2. Select the AISI 1035 Steel (SS) material in the Steel category of the
SOLIDWORKS Materials library and then click on the Apply button in the
dialog box. Next, click on the Close button to close the dialog box. The AISI
1035 Steel (SS) material is assigned to all the components of the assembly.

NOTE: To apply a material to each individual component of the assembly,

expand the Parts folder of the Simulation Study Tree and then right-click on
a component to display a shortcut menu. Next, click on the Apply/Edit
Material tool in the shortcut menu to display the Material dialog box for
applying the material to the selected component.

Section 6: Applying Fixtures

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.

1. Invoke the Fixture PropertyManager and then apply the Fixed Geometry
fixture on the back face of the Black Plate component, see Figure 5.97. Next,
exit the PropertyManager.

Figure 5.97

Section 7: Applying Contacts
By default, the Bonded component contact is applied as the global contact
between all the components of the assembly. You need to edit it to apply the
No Penetration component contact as the global contact between the
components of the assembly.

1. Expand the Component Contacts sub-folder of the Connections folder in the
Simulation Study Tree and then right-click on the Global Contact (-
Bonded) option to display a shortcut menu, see Figure 5.98.

Figure 5.98

2. Click on the Edit Definition tool in the shortcut menu. The Component
Contact PropertyManager appears.

3. Select the No Penetration radio button in the Contact Type rollout of the
PropertyManager and then click on the green tick-mark button. The No
 Penetration component contact is applied as the global contact between the
assembly components.

Section 8: Applying Edge Weld Connectors
Now, you need to apply the edge weld connectors to weld the connecting rod
components of the assembly.

1. Right-click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Edge Weld tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Edge Weld
Connector PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.99.

Figure 5.99

2. Select the Fillet, Single-Sided option in the Type drop-down list of the Weld
Type rollout in the PropertyManager.

3. Select the cylindrical face of the upper connecting rod as the first weld face,
see Figure 5.100. The name of the selected face appears in the Face Set 1
field of the PropertyManager.

Figure 5.100

4. Click on the Face Set 2 field in the PropertyManager and then select the front
face of the upper weld plate as the second weld face, see Figure 5.101. The
intersecting edge between the selected faces is defined, automatically and the
preview of the weld appears with the default estimated weld size at the
intersecting edge.

Figure 5.101

5. Select the American Standard radio button in the Weld Sizing rollout of the
PropertyManager.

6. Select the E60 option in the Electrode drop-down list and then enter 2 mm in
the Estimated weld size field of the Weld Sizing rollout.

7. Accept the remaining default options and then click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The single sided edge weld is added, see
Figure 5.102.

Figure 5.102

8. Similarly, add three more edge welds on the intersecting edges of the
connecting rod components, see Figure 5.103.

Figure 5.103

Section 9: Applying Bolt Connectors
Now, you need to apply the bolt connectors.

1. Right-click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Bolt tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Connectors
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.104.

Figure 5.104

2. Click on the Countersink with Nut button in the Type rollout of the
PropertyManager.

3. Click on the Conical Face field in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager
and then select the conical face of the upper right countersink hole, see Figure
5.105.

Figure 5.105

4. Click on the Circular Edge of The Bolt Nut Hole field in the Type rollout
and then select the circular edge of the back plate to define the nut location,
see Figure 5.106. Note that you need to rotate the assembly to select the
circular edge of the back plate.

Figure 5.106

In the Nut Diameter and Nominal Shank Diameter fields of the Type rollout,
the nut diameter and nominal shank diameter of the bolt is defined
automatically based on the conical face selected.

5. Make sure that the Alloy Steel material is selected as the material of the bolt
connector in the Material rollout of the PropertyManager.

6. Select the English (IPS) option in the Unit drop-down list of the Pre-load
rollout in the PropertyManager as the unit to define the pre-load of the bolt
connector.

7. Select the Axial radio button and then enter 100 Ibf in the Axial load field of
the Pre-load rollout in the PropertyManager.

8. Accept the remaining default options and then click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager. The countersink bolt connector is added, see
Figure 5.107.
 Figure 5.107

9. Similarly, add the remaining seven countersink bolt connectors with the same
parameters. Figure 5.108 shows the assembly after adding all the bolt
connectors.

Figure 5.108

Section 10: Applying the Load
Now, you need to apply the load.

1. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

2. Select the inner circular face of the hook component to apply the load, see
Figure 5.109. The symbol of the load appears on the selected face.

Figure 5.109

3. Select the Selected direction radio button in the Force/Torque rollout of the
PropertyManager. The Face, Edge, Plane for Direction field appears in the
rollout.

4. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree, which is now at the top left corner
of the graphics area and then click on the Top Plane of the assembly as the
reference plane to define the direction of force, see Figure 5.110.

Figure 5.110

5. Scroll down in the PropertyManager and then click on the Normal to Plane
button in the Force rollout, see Figure 5.111.

6. Enter 800 in the field enabled in front of the Normal to Plane button, see
Figure 5.111.

Figure 5.111

7. Select the Reverse direction check box in the PropertyManager to reverse the
 direction of force downward, see Figure 5.112.

Figure 5.112

8. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 800 N load
is applied on the selected face of the component.

Section 11: Generating the Mesh
Now, you need to generate the curvature-based mesh with default parameters.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh
PropertyManager.

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager and then select
the Curvature-based mesh radio button. Next, click on the green tick-mark
button. The Mesh Progress window appears and once the meshing is
complete, the meshed model appears, see Figure 5.113.

Figure 5.113

NOTE: The 3D solid components of the assembly are meshed with solid tetrahedral elements and the
 surface components (connecting rods) are meshed with triangular shell elements.

Section 12: Running Analysis and Displaying Results

Now, you need to run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The With Bolt Connectors Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis is completes, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated in the Results folder. As a
result, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 5.114.

Figure 5.114

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is 135.488
N/mm^2 (MPa) which is within the yield stress of the material that is 282.685
N/mm^2 (MPa).

3. Annotate the maximum and minimum stress areas of the assembly by editing
the stress plot.

4. Double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) option in the Results folder
 to display the displacement distribution on the assembly and the resultant
displacement (URES) plot. Similarly, display the strain results by clicking on
the Strain1 (-Equivalent-) option.

Section 13: Displaying Weld Results
1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Weld Results tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Edge Weld
Results PropertyManager appears, see Figure 5.115.

Figure 5.115

2. By default, the Edge Weld Connector-1 option is selected in the Type drop-
down list of the PropertyManager, see Figure 5.115. As a result, the weld
results such as minimum and maximum required weld size, weld throat size,
shear forces, and bending moment of the selected weld connector 1 appear in
the PropertyManager, see Figure 5.115. Notice that the maximum weld size of
this weld connector is 1.9007 mm which is smaller than the specified
estimated weld size 2 mm. As a result, the selected weld connector can
withstand the applied load conditions.

3. Click on the Plot button in the Report Options rollout of the
PropertyManager. The Edge-weld size plot window appears, see Figure
5.116. This window displays the required weld size and the weld throat size
along the weld seam. After reviewing the weld size plot, close this window.

Figure 5.116

4. Similarly, you can review the weld results of the remaining weld connectors
by selecting the respective weld connector in the Type drop-down list of the
PropertyManager.

5. After reviewing the weld results, close the PropertyManager by clicking on its
green tick-mark button.

Section 14: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results is
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C05
Tutorials > Case Study 2 of the local drive of your system.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Static Analysis of

a Leaf Spring Assembly
Perform the linear static analysis of a Leaf Spring assembly, see Figure 5.117
and determine the stress, displacement, strain, and factor of safety under a
loading condition.

Figure 5.117

Project Description
The Leaf Spring assembly is fixed at its bottom leaf and total 3000 N load is
uniformly distributed along both the ends of the top leaf of the assembly, see
Figure 5.118. All leafs of the assembly are made up of Alloy Steel (SS)
material.

Figure 5.118

Project Summary
Run a static study of a Leaf Spring assembly shown in Figure 5.117. You need to
define the No Penetration contact as the global component contact between
the components of the assembly. You need to generate a high quality
curvature-based mesh with default parameters. Specify the unit system to SI
(MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa) units.

Hint: In addition to the Fixed Geometry fixture on the bottom leaf, you need
to restrict the translation movement of all other leaf components, along the
normal direction of their front planar faces.

Hands-on Test Drive 2: Static Analysis of

a Car Jack Assembly
Perform the linear static analysis of a Car Jack Assembly, see Figure 5.119 and
determine the stress, displacement, strain, and factor of safety under a loading
condition.

Figure 5.119

Project Description
The Car Jack Assembly is fixed at its Base Plate and the 900 N axial load is
uniformly distributed along the top face of the Top Support component of the
assembly, see Figure 5.120. All components of the assembly are made up of
Alloy Steel material.

Figure 5.120

Project Summary
Run a static study on the Car Jack Assembly shown in Figure 5.120. You need to
define the No Penetration contact as the global component contact between
the components of the assembly. Also, you need to apply the total 16 Pin
 Connectors to allow the rotational movement of all the Link components
against the pin. You need to generate a high quality curvature-based mesh
with default mesh parameters. Also, determine the stress, displacement, strain,
and factor of safety of the assembly under the applied load. Also animate the
displacement distribution on the model in the true scale. Specify the unit
system to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa)
units.

Hint: In addition to the Fixed Geometry fixture on the bottom component, you
need to restrict the translation movement of the top component where the load
is applied, along the normal direction of its right planar faces, see Figure
5.120.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned about various contacts and connectors available
in SOLIDWORKS Simulation. Also, you have learned how to perform static
analysis on different assemblies by defining the contact conditions and
connectors with the help of case studies. Besides, you have learned how to
review different results of a complete assembly or any one component of the
assembly.

Questions
• The ________ contact is used to prevent interference between components.

• The ________ contact is used to determine the stresses between the
components having interference with each other.

• In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the contacts are divided into two categories:
________ and ________.

• By default, the ________ component contact is applied as the global contact
between all the components of the assembly.

• The ________ mesh is used to achieve a smooth mesh transition between the
connecting areas of different assembly components.

• You can apply the ________ connector between two components that are
connected by a rigid bar.

• The ________ tool is used to display the faces such as shear, axial, bending,
and torque of each connector in the assembly.

• The ________ tool is used to display the weld results such as minimum and
maximum required weld size, weld throat size, shear forces, and bending
moment of the weld connectors.

• The ________ check box of the Study PropertyManager is used to convert
the bolts (fasteners) of the assembly which are added by using the
SOLIDWORKS Toolbox into the bolt connectors, automatically.
 Chapter 6
Adaptive Mesh Methods

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Working with H-Adaptive Mesh
• Working with P-Adaptive Mesh
• Static Analysis of a C-Bracket with Adaptive Meshing
• Static Analysis of a Wrench with Adaptive Meshing

In earlier chapters, you have learned various methods of meshing a component

or an assembly with standard mesh, curvature-based mesh, and blended
curvature-based mesh. Also, you have learned about applying mesh control to
refine the mesh elements size in the areas where the high stresses are located to
get more accurate results. Besides applying mesh control manually, you can use
the adaptive mesh methods to automatically converge the mesh elements in the
areas where the high stresses are located by performing multiple iterations until
the specified accuracy is achieved. SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides two
adaptive mesh methods: H-adaptive and P-adaptive. Both these adaptive mesh
methods are discussed next.

Working with H-Adaptive Mesh

The H-adaptive mesh method is used to refine the mesh automatically in the
areas where the high stresses are identified and multiple iterations are performed
with small elements size in every iteration until the specified accuracy level is
achieved. To mesh a model with H-adaptive meshing, you need to define the
required target accuracy and the number of iteration to be performed. You can
define maximum five iterations for H-adaptive meshing. SOLIDWORKS
Simulation compares the results after every iteration with the specified accuracy
level to be achieved and starts new iteration with smaller elements size.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops meshing the model either when the specified
accuracy level is achieved or the maximum number of specified iterations are
performed. Figure 6.1 shows a curvature-based meshed model without using the
H-adaptive mesh method, whereas Figure 6.2 shows a curvature-based meshed
model with the H-adaptive meshing.

Notice the difference in both the figures, in Figure 6.2 with H-adaptive meshing,
the elements are smaller in the high stress areas and bigger in the lower stress
areas of the model.

Figure 6.1

Figure 6.2

To mesh a model with H-adaptive meshing, right-click on the study name in the
Simulation Study Tree. A shortcut menu appears, see Figure 6.3. In this
shortcut menu, click on the Properties tool. The Static dialog box appears. In
this dialog box, click on the Adaptive tab. The options to specify an adaptive
mesh method and the respective parameters appear in the dialog box, see Figure
6.4.

Figure 6.3

Figure 6.4

By default, the None radio button is selected in the Adaptive method area of the
dialog box, see Figure 6.4. As a result, none of the adaptive mesh methods are
performed on the model. To perform the H-adaptive meshing, select the h-
adaptive radio button. The options in the h-Adaptive options area of the dialog
box are enabled to specify the H-adaptive parameters, see Figure 6.5.

Figure 6.5

The Target accuracy Slider is used to set the target accuracy to be achieved.
Note that the target accuracy defines the change in the strain energy in every
iteration. By default, the target accuracy is set to 98%. It means that the
difference in the strain energy between two consecutive iterations must be less
than 2%. Note that SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops refining the mesh when the
difference in the strain energy between two iterations is less than 2%.

The Accuracy bias Slider is used to define whether SOLIDWORKS Simulation
achieves accurate stress results in the high stress areas or the accurate global
results. If you set the Accuracy bias Slider to the left in the Local (Faster) side
then SOLIDWORKS Simulation refines the mesh with very small elements in
the high stress areas to achieve accurate stress results. It is recommended to set
the slider at the middle, the default position of the slider, to maintain a proper
balance between the high stress concentration areas and global results of the
model.

The Maximum no. of loops field is used to set the maximum number of
iterations to be performed to achieve the target accuracy. Maximum five
iterations can be specified in this field. As discussed, SOLIDWORKS
Simulation stops refining the mesh either when the target accuracy is achieved or
when the maximum number of iterations are performed.

On selecting the Mesh coarsening check box, SOLIDWORKS Simulation
generates coarse mesh (larger elements size) in the low stress areas of the model.

After specifying the H-adaptive meshing parameters, click on the OK button in
the Study dialog box. The H-adaptive meshing is defined for the model. Now,
you can run the study by using the Run This Study tool in the Simulation
CommandManager. SOLIDWORKS Simulation performs multiple iterations
by refining the mesh in every iteration to achieve the specified target accuracy.
When the target accuracy is achieved or the maximum number of specified
iterations are performed, the Results folder is added in the Simulation Study
Tree with different results. Also, the stress distribution on the model appears in
the graphics area, by default.

NOTE: Before running the study with an adaptive method, you need to make the
model suitable for the analysis by defining required boundary conditions
(loads/fixtures), material, and so on.

Working with P-Adaptive Mesh

In the P-adaptive mesh method, instead of refining the mesh, it changes the
polynomial order of the elements in every iteration, automatically in the areas
where the high stresses are identified to achieve the specified accuracy level. To
mesh a model with the P-adaptive meshing, you need to define the required
target accuracy, maximum number of polynomial order, and the number of
iterations to be performed. You can define up to fifth order elements and
maximum four iterations. As discussed in earlier chapters, you can mesh a model
with 1st order elements (draft quality) and 2nd order elements (high quality)
only, whereas using the P-adaptive meshing, you can mesh a model up to 5th
order elements.

To mesh a model with P-adaptive meshing, right-click on the study name in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared. The Static dialog box appears. In this dialog box, click on the
Adaptive tab and then select the P-adaptive radio button, see Figure 6.6. The
options of the p-Adaptive options area of the dialog box get enabled to specify
the P-adaptive mesh parameters, see Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6

The Stop when drop-down list and the change is field in the p-Adaptive
options area of the dialog box are used to specify the convergence criteria to be
achieved. By default, the Total Strain Energy option selected in this drop-down
list and 1% is specified in the change is field, see Figure 6.7. As a result, when
the change in the total strain energy is 1% or less than 1% between two
iterations, SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops changing the polynomial order of
elements and does not perform any further iteration. You can select the
convergence criteria as RMS von Mises Stress, Total Strain Energy, or RMS
Res. Displacement.

Figure 6.7

The Starting p-order field is used to specify starting polynomial order for the
first iteration. By default, 2 is specified in this field. As a result, the 2nd order
elements are used in the first iteration. If the specified convergence criteria does
not meet in the first iteration then SOLIDWORKS Simulation performs the next
iteration with higher polynomial element order and continue with other iterations
until the specified convergence criteria is achieved or the maximum number of
iterations are performed.

The Update elements with relative Strain Energy field is used to specify a
percentage value to change the order of the polynomial elements having relative
strain energy between two iterations equal to or more than the specified
percentage value.

The Maximum p-order field is used to specify the maximum polynomial
element order. You can specify up to 5th order elements.

The Maximum no. of loops field is used to set the maximum number of
iterations to be performed to achieve the convergence criteria. Maximum four
iterations can be specified in this field. As discussed, SOLIDWORKS
Simulation stops changing the polynomial order of elements either when the
convergence criteria is achieved or the maximum number of specified iterations
are performed.

After specifying the P-adaptive meshing parameters, click on the OK button in
the Study dialog box. The P-adaptive meshing is defined for the model. Now,
you can run the study by using the Run This Study tool in the Simulation
CommandManager.

Case Study 1: Static Analysis of a C-

Bracket with Adaptive Meshing
In this case study, you will perform three different static studies (without
adaptive meshing, with H-adaptive meshing, and with P-adaptive meshing) of a
C-Bracket shown in Figure 6.8 and compare the stress results of each study.

Figure 6.8

Project Description
The C-Bracket is fixed at its top face and the 900 Newton load is distributed
along its bottom horizontal face, see Figure 6.9. The C-Bracket is made up of
Alloy Steel material.

Figure 6.9

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run three different static studies. In the first static
study, you will run the analysis with default curvature-based mesh. In the
second and third static studies, you will run the analysis with H-adaptive
meshing and P-adaptive meshing, respectively. After completing all the static
studies, you will compare the stress results of all the studies. Specify the unit
system to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2 (MPa)
units.
Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 6

2. Opening the C-Bracket
3. Starting the Static Study
4. Assigning the Material
5. Applying the Fixture
6. Applying the Load
7. Generating the Mesh
8. Running Analysis and Displaying Results
9. Creating a New Static Study with H-Adaptive Meshing
10. Creating a New Static Study with P-Adaptive Meshing
11. Comparing Stress Results of all Studies
12. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 6
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by your user name
and password. If you are a new user, first you need to register on CADArtifex
website as a student.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All the resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists.

3. Click on Tutorials > C06 Tutorials. The downloading of C06 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the
downloaded file.

4. Save the downloaded unzipped C06 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder
inside the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.

Section 2: Opening the C-Bracket
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
 SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C06
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the C-
Bracket and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The C-Bracket
is opened in SOLIDWORKS.

Section 3: Starting the Static Study
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

NOTE: If the Simulation tab is not added in the CommandManager then you
need to customize it to add it, as discussed earlier.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The

Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis on the model.

4. Enter Without Adaptive Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout
in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Without
Adaptive Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 6.10.

Figure 6.10

Section 4: Assigning the Material

1. Click on the Apply Material tool in the Simulation CommandManager to
invoke the Material dialog box.

2. Select the Alloy Steel material in the Steel category of the SOLIDWORKS
 Materials library in the dialog box.

3. Click on the Apply button and then click on the Close button. The Alloy Steel
material is assigned to the component.

Section 5: Applying the Fixture
1. Apply the Fixed Geometry fixture on the top planar face of the component by
using the Fixed Geometry tool, see Figure 6.11.

Figure 6.11

Section 6: Applying the Load
1. Apply the 900 N uniformly distributed downward load on the bottom planar
face of the component by using the Force tool, see Figure 6.12.

Figure 6.12

Section 7: Generating the Mesh
Now, you need to generate the curvature-based mesh with default parameters.

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared to invoke the Mesh
PropertyManager.

2. Expand the Mesh Parameters rollout of the PropertyManager and then select
the Curvature-based mesh radio button.

3. Accept the default curvature-based mesh parameters and then click on the
green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Mesh Progress
window appears which displays the progress of meshing in the model. After
the meshing is complete, the meshed model appears, see Figure 6.13.

Figure 6.13

Section 8: Running Analysis and Displaying Results

Now, you need to run the analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Without Adaptive Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated in the Results folder. As a
result, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 6.14.

Figure 6.14

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is 47.685
N/mm^2 (MPa) which is significantly within the yield stress of the material
that is 620.422 N/mm^2 (MPa). You can display the other results of the
component as discussed earlier.

Section 9: Creating a New Static Study with H-
Adaptive Meshing
Now, you need to create a new study with H-adaptive meshing method and run
the analysis. Instead of creating a new study from scratch, you can copy the
existing study and specify the H-adaptive parameters.

1. Right-click on the Without Adaptive Study tab in the lower left corner of the
graphics area and then click on the Copy Study option in the shortcut menu
appeared, see Figure 6.15. The Copy Study PropertyManager appears on
the left of the graphics area.

Figure 6.15

2. Enter H-adaptive Study in the Study name field of the Copy Study
PropertyManager and then click on its green tick-mark button. The new
 study with the name H-adaptive Study is created in different tab. Also, the
newly created study is activated, by default and appears in the Simulation
Study Tree, see Figure 6.16.
Figure 6.16

Now, you need to define the H-adaptive parameters for the newly created study.

3. Right-click on the H-adaptive Study (name of the study) in the Simulation
Study Tree to display a shortcut menu, see Figure 6.17.

Figure 6.17

4. Click on the Properties tool in the shortcut menu. The Static dialog box
appears.

5. Click on the Adaptive tab in the Static dialog box. The options to define the
adaptive mesh method and the respective parameters appear in the dialog box.

6. Select the h-adaptive radio button to specify the H-adaptive mesh method for
analyzing the model. The options in the h-Adaptive options area of the dialog
box are enabled, see Figure 6.18.
 Figure 6.18

7. Enter 5 in the Maximum no. of loops field in the h-Adaptive options area of
the dialog box as the maximum number of iterations to be performed to
achieve the target accuracy.

8. Accept the default specified target accuracy and the accuracy bias in the h-
Adaptive options area of the dialog box. Next, click on the OK button in the
dialog box. The H-adaptive meshing is specified for the current study.

Now, you can run the analysis with H-adaptive meshing. Note that the fixtures,
loads, material properties and so on are same as the original study.

9. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The H-adaptive Study (name of the study) window appears which displays
the progress of analysis. Note that SOLIDWORKS Simulation performs five
iterations with refined mesh elements size in every iteration to achieve the
specified target accuracy. Once the specified target accuracy is achieved,
SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops refining the mesh and the Simulation
window appears, see Figure 6.19 which informs that the current specified h-
adaptive accuracy percentage has been satisfied.

Figure 6.19
 NOTE:In H-adaptive mesh method, SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops refining the mesh either when the
target accuracy is achieved or the maximum number of iterations are performed.

10. Click on the OK button in the Simulation window. The results get updated
in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree as per the H-adaptive
meshing method. Also, the updated stress distribution on the model and the von
Mises stress plot appear in the graphics area, see Figure 6.20.

Figure 6.20

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied load in the H-
adaptive mesh method is 112.147 N/mm^2 (MPa). You can notice the
difference in the results between the study created without adaptive method
and with H-adaptive method.

Now, you need to display the convergence graph for the H-adaptive mesh
method.

11. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Define Adaptive Convergence Graph tool in the shortcut menu
appeared, see Figure 6.21. The Convergence Graph PropertyManager
appears, see Figure 6.22.
 Figure 6.21

Figure 6.22

In the Options rollout of the Convergence Graph PropertyManager, you can
select an option to display the respective convergence graph. In this study, you
will display the maximum von Mises Stress convergence graph.

12. Select the Maximum von Mises Stress check box in the PropertyManager
and then click on the green tick-mark button. The Convergence Graph
window appears, see Figure 6.23 which displays the H-adaptive convergence
graph for the von Mises Stress against each iteration. Also, the Graph1 option
is added in the Results folders of the Simulation Study Tree.

Figure 6.23

After reviewing the convergence graph, close it. Now, you need to display the
meshed model after performing the H-adaptive meshing to view the elements
size in the high stress areas.

13. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Show Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The meshed model
appears in the graphics area, see Figure 6.24. Notice that the small elements
are generated in the high stress areas of the model for achieving the target
accuracy.

Figure 6.24

Section 10: Creating a New Static Study with P-

Adaptive Meshing
Now, you need to create a new study with P-adaptive meshing method to
compare the results with earlier created studies. Instead of creating the new
study from scratch, you can copy the first study, created without adaptive
method and specify the P-adaptive parameters.

1. Right-click on the Without Adaptive Study tab in the lower left corner of the
graphics area and then click on the Copy Study option in the shortcut menu
appeared, see Figure 6.25. The Copy Study PropertyManager appears on
the left of the graphics area.

Figure 6.25

2. Enter P-adaptive Study in the Study name field of the Copy Study
PropertyManager and then click on its green tick-mark button. The new
study with the name P-adaptive Study is created in a different tab. Also, the
newly created study is activated, by default and appears in the Simulation
Study Tree, see Figure 6.26.

Figure 6.26

Now, you need to define the P-adaptive parameters for the newly created study.

3. Right-click on the P-adaptive Study (name of the study) in the Simulation
Study Tree to display a shortcut menu, see Figure 6.27.

Figure 6.27

4. Click on the Properties tool in the shortcut menu. The Static dialog box
appears.

5. Click on the Adaptive tab in the Static dialog box. The options to define the
adaptive mesh method and the respective parameters appear in the dialog box.

6. Select the p-adaptive radio button in the Adaptive method area of the dialog
 box. The options in the p-Adaptive options area of the dialog box are
enabled, see Figure 6.28.

Figure 6.28

7. Make sure that the Total Strain Energy option is selected in the Stop when
drop-down list and 1% in the change is field of the p-Adaptive options area
in the dialog box as the convergence criteria to be achieved. On doing so,
SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops changing the polynomial order of elements
and does not perform any further iteration, when the change in the total strain
energy is 1% or less than 1% between two iterations.

8. Make sure that 4 is entered in the Maximum no. of loops field of the p-
Adaptive options area as the total number of iterations to be performed to
achieve the specified convergence criteria.

9. Accept the remaining default parameters in the p-Adaptive options area of
the dialog box. Next, click on the OK button in the dialog box. The P-
adaptive meshing is specified for the current study.

Now, you can run the analysis with p-adaptive meshing. Note that the fixtures,
loads, material properties, and so on are same as the original study.

10. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The P-adaptive Study (name of the study) window appears which displays
the progress of analysis. Note that SOLIDWORKS Simulation performs four
 iterations with different polynomial order of elements in every iteration to
achieve the specified convergence criteria. Once the specified convergence
criteria is achieved, SOLIDWORKS Simulation stops changing the
polynomial order of elements and the results get updated in the Results folder
of the Simulation Study Tree as per the P-adaptive meshing method. Also,
the updated stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 6.29.

Figure 6.29

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied load in the P-
adaptive mesh method is 50.530 N/mm^2 (MPa).

Figure 6.30

Now, you need to display the meshed model after performing the P-adaptive
meshing to view the elements size in the high stress area of the model.

11. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Show Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The meshed model
appears, see Figure 6.30. Notice that the size of the elements are not changed
in the meshed model for achieving the target accuracy. It is because, in the P-
adaptive mesh method, the polynomial order of the elements change only in
the high stress areas.

Section 11: Comparing Stress Results of all Studies
After performing the three different static studies (without adaptive method, with
H-adaptive method, and with P-adaptive method), you can the compare the
results. In this case study, you will compare the stress results of all the three
studies.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree of any study
and then click on the Compare Results tool in the shortcut menu appeared,
see Figure 6.31. The Compare Results PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 6.32.

Figure 6.31

Figure 6.32

2. Select the All studies in this configuration radio button in the Options
rollout of the PropertyManager. All the performed studies appear in the
PropertyManager, see Figure 6.32.

3. Select the Stress1 (-vonMises-) check boxes of all the studies, see Figure
6.32. Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The
graphics screen of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation divides and displays stress
results of all the studies, see Figure 6.33.

Figure 6.33

Now, you can compare the stress results of all the studies. The table given below
summarizes the results of all the studies.

Max. Stress
Study
[N/mm^2 (MPa)]
Without Adaptive Study 47.685
With H-Adaptive Study 112.147
 With P-Adaptive Study 50.530

4. After comparing the results, click on the Exit Compare button in the
Compare Results window which appeared in the graphics area.

Section 12: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C06
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Static Analysis of

a Wrench with Adaptive Meshing
Perform three different static studies, one without adaptive meshing, second with
H-adaptive meshing, and third with P-adaptive meshing of a Wrench shown in
Figure 6.34 and compare the results of each study.

Figure 6.34

Project Description
The Wrench is fixed at its one end due to the tight connection of nut and the 350
Newton load is subjected to the other end, which occurs while tightening the
nut, see Figure 6.35. The Wrench is made up of Alloy Steel (SS) material.

Figure 6.35

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run three different static studies. In the first static
study, you will run the analysis with default curvature-based mesh. In the
second and third static studies, you will run the analysis with H-adaptive
meshing and P-adaptive meshing, respectively. After completing all the static
studies, you will compare the displacement results of all the studies. Specify
the unit system to SI (MKS) with displacement in mm and stress in N/mm^2
(MPa) units.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned about different Adaptive meshing methods: H-
adaptive and P-adaptive. Also, you have learned about the difference between
both the Adaptive meshing methods and how to setup an analysis with them.
Besides, you have learned how to run an analysis using the H-adaptive and P-
adaptive meshing methods with the help of a case study. You have also learned
how to define adaptive convergence graph and how to compare the difference in
the results of both these adaptive methods.


Questions
• SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides two Adaptive meshing methods:
________ and ________.

• The ________ mesh method is used to refine the mesh automatically in the
areas where the high stresses are identified and perform multiple iterations
 with small elements size in every iteration until the specified accuracy level is
achieved.

• In the H-adaptive meshing method, the target accuracy defines the change in
the ________ energy in every iteration.

• In the H-adaptive meshing method, if the target accuracy is set to 96% then the
difference in the strain energy between two iterations should be less than
________ percent.

• You can define maximum ________ number of iterations in the H-adaptive
mesh method.

• The ________ mesh method is used to change the polynomial order of
elements in every iteration, where the high stresses are identified in the model
to achieve the specified accuracy.

• In the P-adaptive mesh method, you can define maximum ________ number of
iterations.

• In the P-adaptive mesh method, you can specify up to ________ order
elements.

• The ________ tool is used to define the adaptive convergence graph of the
study.
 Chapter 7
Buckling Analysis

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Introduction to Buckling Analysis
• Buckling Analysis of a Pipe Support
• Buckling Analysis of a Beam
• Buckling Analysis of a Column

In earlier chapters, you have learned about performing the static analysis of
various components and assemblies. In this chapter, you will learn about
performing the buckling analysis.

Introduction to Buckling Analysis
The buckling analysis is used to calculate the buckling load which is also known
as the critical load. It is the load under which the model can start buckling even
if the maximum stress developed in the model is within the yield strength of the
material. Buckling refers to a larger deformation occurred due to the
compressive axial loads acting on the structures such as long slender columns
and thin sheet components, see Figure 7.1.
 Figure 7.1

The minimum bucking load or critical load, when a structure can start bucking is
calculated by the following formula:

F= π²EI / (KL)²

Where,
F= Minimum bucking load or Critical load
E = Modulus of elasticity
I = Area Moment of inertia of the cross-section of the structure
K = Structure (column) effective length, which depends on the end conditions
L = Length of the structure

It clear from the above formula that the buckling load does not depend upon the
compressive strength of the material. As a result, the structure can buckle or fail,
even if the maximum stress developed in the structure is within the compressive
yield strength of the material. Also, on increasing the length of the structure, the
force required to buckle the structure gets reduced.

In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can perform the buckling analysis of a
structure to calculate the minimum bucking load factor and its associated
buckling mode shape, when the structure can buckle under the compressive axial
loads.


Case Study 1: Buckling Analysis of a
Pipe Support
In this case study, you will perform the buckling analysis of a Pipe Support, see
Figure 7.2 and determine its minimum bucking load.

Figure 7.2

Project Description
The Pipe Support is fixed at its bottom and the 9500 Newton compressive axial
load is subjected on its top face, see Figure 7.3. The Pipe Support is made up
of Alloy Steel material.

Figure 7.3

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run the buckling analysis of a Pipe Support and
determine its buckling factor of safety under the applied compressive load.
Also, you need to calculate the buckling load or critical load based on the
buckling factor of safety.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:
1. Downloading Files of Chapter 7
2. Opening the Pipe Support
3. Starting the Buckling Study
4. Applying the Material, Fixture, and Load
5. Generating the Mesh
6. Defining the Buckling modes
7. Running the Buckling Analysis
8. Displaying the Buckling Factor of Safety
9. Calculating the Buckling Load or Critical Load
10. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 7
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) with your user name
and password. If you are a new user, first you need to register on CADArtifex
website as a student.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists.

3. Click on Tutorials > C07 Tutorials. The downloading of C07 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the
downloaded file.

4. Save the downloaded unzipped C07 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder
inside the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.

Section 2: Opening the Pipe Support
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C07
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Pipe Support and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The Pipe
Support is opened in SOLIDWORKS.
 Figure 7.4

Section 3: Starting the Buckling Study
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

3. Click on the Buckling button in the Study PropertyManager to perform the
buckling analysis, see Figure 7.4.

4. Enter Pipe Support Buckling Study in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Pipe
Support Buckling Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree.

Section 4: Applying the Material, Fixture, and Load
Now, you need to apply the material, fixture and load to the model. The
procedures to apply the material, fixture, and load in the Buckling analysis are
the same as in the static analysis.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the Alloy Steel material.
Next, close the dialog box.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.

2. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

3. Rotate the model such that you can view the bottom face of the Pipe Support
model and then select it to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture, see Figure 7.5.
Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager.

Figure 7.5

Now, you need to apply the compressive axial load on the top face of the model.

4. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

5. Change the orientation of the model to isometric and then select the top semi-
cylindrical face of the Pipe Support model to apply the load, see Figure 7.6.

Figure 7.6

6. Select the Selected direction radio button in the PropertyManager. The Face,
Edge, Plane for Direction field appears.

7. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree, see Figure 7.7. Next, click on the
Top Plane as the reference plane to define the direction of force.

Figure 7.7

8. Click on the Normal to Plane button in the Force rollout of the
PropertyManager and then enter 9500 as the axial load acting on the model,
see Figure 7.8.

Figure 7.8

9. Select the Reverse direction check box in the Force rollout to reverse the
direction of force downward, see Figure 7.9.

Figure 7.9

10. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The specified
compressive axial load is applied on the Pipe Support.

Section 5: Generating the Mesh
1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with the default mesh parameters by using
the Create Mesh tool. Figure 7.10 shows the meshed model.

Figure 7.10

Section 6: Defining the Buckling modes
Now, you need to define the required number of buckling modes to be calculated
by the program. By default, SOLIDWORKS Simulation calculates the first
buckling mode of the model.

1. Right click on the Pipe Support Buckling Study (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appears, see Figure 7.11. The Buckling dialog box appears, see Figure
7.12.

Figure 7.11

Figure 7.12

2. Enter 5 in the Number of buckling modes field of the Options tab in the
dialog box to calculate five different buckling safety factors and the associated
buckling modes for the Pipe Support.

3. Click on the OK button in the dialog box.

Section 7: Running the Buckling Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Pipe Support Buckling Study (name of the study) window appears
which displays the progress of analysis. After the analysis completes, the
Results folder is added in the Simulation Study Tree with the five different
mode shapes, see Figure 7.13. By default, the Amplitude1 (-Res Amp -
Mode Shape 1-) is activated in the Results folder. As a result, the first
buckling mode shape of the model, which occurs first when the model starts
buckling, appears in the graphics area, see Figure 7.14.

Figure 7.13

Figure 7.14
You can also display the remaining buckling mode shapes of the model by
double-clicking on the respective option in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree.

Section 8: Displaying the Buckling Factor of Safety
Now, you need to display the buckling factor of safety of the Pipe Support.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Buckling Factor of Safety tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see
Figure 7.15. The List Modes dialog box appears, see Figure 7.16.

2. Close the List Modes dialog box.

Figure 7.15

Figure 7.16


The List Modes dialog box displays the specified number of buckling modes
and the associated buckling factor of safety of each mode. The first buckling
load factor is always smaller than the other buckling load factors and for any
given load, it occurs first. Therefore, you can calculate the buckling load or
critical load when the model can start buckling by using the first buckling
factor of safety.

In this study, the first calculated buckling factor of safety is 16.399. It means that
the design is safe.

NOTE: The buckling load factor is the ratio of buckling/critical load to the
applied load.

Buckling Load Factor = Buckling Load / Applied Load

If the buckling load factor is greater than 1, the design is considered to be safe.
If the buckling load factor is equal to 1 then the buckling starts occurring in
the design. If the buckling load factor is less than 1, the design is considered
to be failure and the buckling occurs in the design.

Section 9: Calculating the Buckling Load or Critical

Load
Now, you need to calculate the buckling load when the Pipe Support start
buckling.

1. Calculate the buckling load by using the following formula.

Buckling Load = Buckling Load Factor X Applied Load
= 16.399 X 9500 N
= 155790.5 N

The 155790.5 N load is the calculated buckling load or critical load when the
Pipe Support can start buckling.

Section 10: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model and its results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C07
Tutorials > Case Study 1.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Case Study 2: Buckling Analysis of a
Beam
In this case study, you will perform the buckling analysis of a long Beam, see
Figure 7.17. Determine the bucking load or critical load when the Beam can start
buckling.

Project Description
The Beam is fixed at its bottom and the 14000 Newton compressive axial load is
subjected on its top face, see Figure 7.18. The Beam is made up of AISI 304
steel material.

Figure 7.17
 Figure 7.18

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run the buckling analysis of a beam and determine
the buckling factor of safety of the beam under the applied compressive load.
Also, you need to calculate the buckling load or critical load based on the
buckling factor of safety of the beam.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Starting the Buckling Analysis

2. Applying the Material, Fixture, and Load
3. Generating the Mesh
4. Running the Buckling Analysis
5. Displaying the Buckling Factor of Safety
6. Calculating the Buckling Load or Critical Load
7. Saving Results

Section 1: Starting the Buckling Analysis
1. Start SOLIDWORKS and then open the Beam model from the location >
SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C07 Tutorials > Case Study 2.

NOTE: You need to download the C07 Tutorials file which contains the files of
this chapter, by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com), if
not downloaded earlier. If you are a new user, first you need to register on
CADArtifex website as a student to download the files.

2. When the Beam model is opened in SOLIDWORKS, click on the Simulation

tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The tools of the Simulation
CommandManager appear.

3. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

4. Click on the Buckling button in the Study PropertyManager to perform the
buckling analysis, see Figure 719.

5. Enter Beam Buckling Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout in
the PropertyManager, see Figure 719.

Figure 7.19


6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Beam
Buckling Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 7.20.
Also, the joints appear on the beam member in the graphics area, see Figure
7.21. It is because, SOLIDWORKS Simulation, automatically identifies the
geometry as a beam and calculates its joints.

Figure 7.20

Figure 7.21

Section 2: Applying the Material, Fixture, and Load
Now, you need to apply the material, fixture and load on the beam.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the AISI 304 steel material.
Next, close the dialog box.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.

2. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

3. Select the yellow joints appeared at the bottom of the beam in the graphics
 area, see Figure 7.22. Next, click on the green tick-mark button in the
PropertyManager. The Fixed Geometry fixture is applied at the bottom joint
of the beam.

Figure 7.22

Now, you need to apply the compressive axial load on the top joint of the beam.

4. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears, see Figure 7.23.

Figure 7.23

By default, the Vertices, Points button is activated in the Selection rollout of
the PropertyManager. As a result, you can select the vertices and points of the
beam members to apply the load. On selecting the Joints button , you can
select a beam joint to apply the load.

5. Click on the Joints button in the Selection rollout of the PropertyManager
to select the beam joint for applying the load.

6. Select the top beam joint. The name of the selected beam joint appears in the
field of the Selection rollout in the PropertyManager.

7. Click on the Face, Edge, Plane for Direction field of the Selection rollout in
the PropertyManager. Next, expand the FeatureManager Design Tree and
then click on the Top Plane as the reference plane to define the direction of
force, see Figure 7.24.

Figure 7.24

8. Make sure that the SI is selected as the unit in the Unit drop-down list of the
Units rollout of the PropertyManager.

9. Click on the Normal to Plane button in the Force rollout of the
PropertyManager and then enter 14000 as the axial load on the beam, see
Figure 7.25.

Figure 7.25

10. Select the Reverse direction check box in the Force rollout to reverse the
direction of force downward, see Figure 7.26.

Figure 7.26

11. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The specified
compressive axial load is applied on the beam.

Section 3: Generating the Mesh

1. Right-click on the Mesh option in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Create Mesh tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Mesh Progress
window appears and the process of meshing the beam starts. After it is
complete, the meshed beam with beam elements, which are represented by
hollow cylinders, appear in the graphics area, see Figure 7.27.

Figure 7.27

Section 4: Running the Buckling Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Beam Buckling Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis. When it is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the resultant amplitude of the first
mode shape. Also, the first mode shape of the beam appears in the graphics
area, see Figure 7.28.
 Figure 7.28

Section 5: Displaying the Buckling Factor of Safety

Now, you need to display the buckling factor of safety of the beam.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Buckling Factor of Safety tool in the shortcut menu appeared.
The List Modes dialog box appears, see Figure 7.29.

NOTE: The List Modes dialog box displays the number of specified buckling
modes and the associated buckling factor of safety of each mode. By default,
SOLIDWORKS Simulation, calculates the first buckling factor of safety. It is
because, the first buckling load factor is always smaller and for any given
load, it occurs first. However, as discussed in the Case Study 1, you can
specify multiple buckling modes and the associated buckling factors of safety
to be calculated by the program.

Figure 7.29

The calculated buckling factor of safety is 28.641. It means that the design is
 safe under the applied axial load and the buckling starts when the applied load
is equal to 400974 N [14000 (applied load) X 28.641 (buckling load factor)].
Note that you may find difference in the results due to the service packs
installed on your system.

Section 6: Calculating the Buckling Load or Critical
Load
Now, you need to calculate the buckling load when the beam can start buckling.

1. Calculate the buckling load by using the following formula.

Buckling Load = Buckling Load Factor X Applied Load
= 28.641 X 14000
= 400974 N

Section 7: Saving the Results
Now, you need to save the results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C07
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS Simulation session.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Buckling
Analysis of a Column
Perform the buckling analysis of a long hollow column shown in Figure 7.30 and
determine the buckling load or critical load when the column can start buckling.

Figure 7.30

Project Description
The column is clamped at its both ends (top and bottom). You need to apply the
Fixed Geometry fixture at the bottom face of the column to represent its
clamped connection with the ground, see Figure 7.31. To represent the
clamped connection at the top of the column, you need to restrict the radial
and circumferential translations of the column at the top so that the column
can only translate along its axial direction due to the applied load, see Figure
7.31. The column is subjected to the 1200 Newton compressive axial load on
its top, see Figure 7.31. The column is made up of Alloy Steel material.

Figure 7.31

Hint: To restrict the radial and circumferential translations of the column at the
top, you can apply the On Cylindrical Faces fixture and specify the 0 values
for the radial and circumferential translations.

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run the buckling analysis of a column which is
 clamped at its both ends and determine the buckling factor of safety of the
beam under the applied compressive load. You also need to calculate the
buckling load or critical load based on the minimum buckling factor of safety
of the column when it can start buckling.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned about the concept of the buckling analysis. You
have also learned about performing the buckling analysis of various case studies.
Also, you have learned how to calculate the buckling load or critical load when
the structure can start buckling.


Questions
• The ________ refers to the larger deformation occurred on a structure due to
the compressive axial loads.

• The buckling load is also known as the ________ , when the model can start
buckling.

• A structure can buckle even if the maximum stress developed in the structure is
within the ________ strength of the material.

• The ________ field of the Buckling dialog box is used to specify the number of
buckling modes to be calculated by the program.

• The ________ tool is used to display the specified number of buckling modes
and the associated buckling factor of safety.

• For any given load, the ________ calculated buckling factor of safety is always
smaller than the other buckling load factors.

• The ________ dialog box displays the specified number of buckling modes and
the associated buckling factor of safety of each mode.

• The buckling load factor is the ratio of ________ load to the ________ load.

• If the buckling load factor is greater than 1, the design is consider to be
________.

• If the buckling load factor is less than 1, the design is consider to be ________
and the buckling occurs in the design due to the applied load.

• On increasing the length of a structure, the force required to buckle it gets
________.

• The buckling load or critical load does not depend upon the ________ strength
of the material.

• You can calculate the buckling load or critical load of a structure, when it can
starts buckling, by using the ________ buckling factor of safety.
 Chapter 8
Fatigue Analysis

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Introduction to Fatigue Analysis
• Fatigue Analysis of a Connecting Rod
• Fatigue Analysis of a Crankshaft

In earlier chapters, you have learned about the failure of a design due to the
stresses developed beyond the yield strength of the material, which is also
known as the material failure of a design. You have also learned about the failure
of a design due to buckling. In this chapter, you will learn about the failure of a
design due to the repeated loading and unloading or the cyclic loads. In real-
world conditions, most of the mechanical components undergo repeated loading
and unloading, which result in the failure of the design over a period of time.
This phenomenon of failure due to repeated loading and unloading on an object
is known as fatigue.

Introduction to Fatigue Analysis
The Fatigue analysis is used to calculate the stress at which the object fails,
when it undergoes repeated loading and unloading process. The repeated loading
and unloading, weakens the object after a period of time and causes failure of the
object under the lower stress than the allowable stress limits. You can predict the
total life and damage of the object due to the repeated loading on it by using the
Fatigue analysis. In SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the fatigue analysis can be
performed based on the results of the linear static analysis, time history linear
dynamic analysis, or the nonlinear analysis. In this chapter, you will perform the
fatigue analysis on objects based on the linear static analysis and determine the
total life and damage of the objects due to the cyclic loads.

Case Study 1: Fatigue Analysis of a

Connecting Rod
In this case study, you will perform the fatigue analysis of a Connecting Rod, see
Figure 8.1 and determine its total life, damage, and load factor due to the cyclic
loads of constant amplitudes.

Figure 8.1

Project Description
The Connecting Rod is fixed at its crank end, see Figure 8.2. Also, the 8000 N
compressive load as the combustion force, 3000 N tensile load as the inertial
force, and 1800 N lateral load as the momentum force is activating on the pin
end of the Connecting Rod, see Figure 8.2. The Connecting Rod is made up of
Alloy Steel (SS) material.

Figure 8.2
Project Summary
In this case study, you will first perform the static analysis on the Connecting
Rod and then based on the results of the static analysis, you need to perform
the fatigue analysis to calculate the total life and damage of the product under
the repeated fully reversed loading for 3,00,000 load cycles.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 8

2. Opening the Connecting Rod
3. Starting the Static Study
4. Applying the Material, Fixture, and Load
5. Generating the Mesh
6. Running the Static Study and Displaying Results
7. Running the Fatigue Analysis
8. Defining Properties for the Fatigue Analysis
9. Defining the Loading Events for the Fatigue Analysis
10. Defining the Fatigue S-N Curve
11. Running the Fatigue Analysis and Displaying Results
12. Displaying the Load Factor Plot
13. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 8
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) with your user name
and password.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

 > SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists.

3. Click on Tutorials > C08 Tutorials. The downloading of C08 Tutorials file
starts. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the downloaded
file.

4. Save the downloaded unzipped C08 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder
inside the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.

Section 2: Opening the Connecting Rod
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C08
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Connecting Rod and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The
Connecting Rod is opened in SOLIDWORKS.

Section 3: Starting the Static Study
As discussed, first you need to perform the static analysis on the Connecting Rod
and then based on the results of the static analysis, you can perform the
fatigue analysis.

1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager.

4. Enter Connecting Rod Static Study in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The
Connecting Rod Static Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree.

Section 4: Applying the Material, Fixture, and Load
Now, you need to apply the material, fixture and load to the model.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the Alloy Steel (SS)
material. Next, close the dialog box.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.

2. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

3. Select the semi-circular face of the crank end of the Connecting Rod to apply
the Fixed Geometry fixture, see Figure 8.3. Next, click on the green tick-mark
button in the PropertyManager.

Figure 8.3

Now, you need to apply the loads on the pin end of the Connecting Rod.

4. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

5. Select the inner circular face of the pin end of the Connecting Rod to apply
the load, see Figure 8.4.
 Figure 8.4

6. Select the Selected direction radio button in the PropertyManager. The Face,
Edge, Plane for Direction field appears in the PropertyManager.

7. Expand the FeatureManager Design Tree, see Figure 8.5. Next, click on the
Front Plane as the reference plane to define the direction of force.

Figure 8.5

8. Click on the Normal to Plane button in the Force rollout of the
PropertyManager and then enter 8000 as the compressive load acting on the
Connecting Rod.

9. Select the Reverse direction check box in the Force rollout to reverse the
direction of force toward the crank end of the Connecting Rod, see Figure 8.6.

Figure 8.6

10. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The specified
compressive load is applied on the Connecting Rod.

11. Similarly, apply the tensile load of 3000 N and the lateral load of 1800 N on
the pin end of the Connecting Rod, one by one. Figure 8.7 shows the
Connecting Rod after applying the compressive, tensile, and lateral load on its
pin end. All the applied loads get listed in the External Loads folder in the
Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 8.8.

Figure 8.7

Figure 8.8

Section 5: Generating the Mesh
1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with default mesh parameters by using the
Create Mesh tool. Figure 8.9 shows the meshed model.

Figure 8.9

Section 6: Running the Static Study and Displaying
Results
Now, you need to run the static study.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Connecting Rod Static Study (name of the study) window appears
which displays the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. Also, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot
appear in the graphics area, see Figure 8.10.

Figure 8.10

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied loads is 252.456
N/mm^2 (MPa) which is significantly within the yield stress of the material
that is 620.422 N/mm^2 (MPa). Also, the Factor of Safety of the design is 2.5.
 It means that the design of the Connecting Rod is safe. You can display the
Factor of Safety plot of the model by using the Define Factor Of Safety Plot
tool which is displayed in the shortcut menu appeared on right-clicking on the
Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree.

After running the static study of the Connecting Rod, you can perform the
fatigue analysis based on the results of the static study to check the life of the
design, when it undergoes repeated loading of constant amplitudes.

Section 7: Running the Fatigue Analysis
Now, you need to perform the fatigue analysis on the Connecting Rod, based on
the results of the static study.

1. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears.

2. Click on the Fatigue button in the Study PropertyManager, see Figure 8.11.

3. Enter Connecting Rod Fatigue Study in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager, see Figure 8.11.

Figure 8.11

4. Make sure that the Constant amplitude events with defined cycles button
activated in the Options rollout of the PropertyManager to perform the
 fatigue analysis with constant amplitude of cyclic loads, see Figure 8.12.

Figure 8.12

TIP: You can perform the fatigue analysis based on the results of the static study with the constant or
variable amplitude of cyclic loads by activating the Constant amplitude events with defined cycles or
Variable amplitude history data button, respectively in the Options rollout of the Study PropertyManager.
You can also perform the fatigue analysis based on the linear dynamic harmonic study or linear dynamic
random vibration study by activating the Harmonic-fatigue of sinusoidal loading or Random vibration-
fatigue of random vibration button, respectively in the Options rollout of the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. A new tab

named Connecting Rod Fatigue Study is added at the lower left corner of
the graphics area and the Connecting Rod Fatigue Study is added in the
Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 8.13.

Figure 8.13

Section 8: Defining Properties for the Fatigue Analysis
Before you start performing the fatigue analysis, you need to define its
properties.

1. Right-click on the Connecting Rod Fatigue Study (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, see Figure 8.14. The Fatigue dialog box appears, see Figure
8.15.

Figure 8.14

Figure 8.15

The options in the Fatigue dialog box are used to specify the properties of the
active fatigue study. By default, the Random interaction radio button is
activated in the Constant amplitude event interaction area of the dialog
box. As a result, SOLIDWORKS Simulation considers the random interaction
between different events to calculate the alternating stresses. On the other, on
selecting the No interaction radio button, SOLIDWORKS Simulation
considers the no interaction between the events and all the events occur one
after the other, sequentially. The Random interaction radio button is useful
when you have specified multiple events for the fatigue analysis and specially
in case of performing the fatigue analysis on the ASME Boiler and Pressure
vessel. You will learn more about specifying the events later in this case study.

The options in the Computing alternating stress using area of the dialog box are
used to define the stress type for calculating the alternating stress in the
constant cyclic loads. The program extracts the respective data (number of
load cycle against the computed alternating stress) from the S-N curve to
identify the fatigue failure. You will learn about S-N curve later in this case
study. Figure 8.16 shows a constant amplitude stress diagram for the number
of cyclic loads.

Figure 8.16

The options in the Mean stress correction area are used to define the method
for calculating the mean stress correction. SOLIDWORKS Simulation
calculates the mean stress along with the alternating stress for each cycle and
then it evaluates the mean stress correction by using the method specified in
this area.

The Fatigue strength reduction factor (Kf) field of the dialog box is used to
specify the fatigue strength reduction factor. You can specify the fatigue
strength reduction factor between the range 0 to 1. SOLIDWORKS
Simulation divides the computed alternating stress by the specified fatigue
strength reduction factor and then reads the corresponding number of cycles
in the S-N curve. If the fatigue strength reduction factor is less than 1 then the
number of cycles that can cause failure due to fatigue get reduced.

2. Accept the default specified options in the Fatigue dialog box and then click
on the OK button. The default properties for the fatigue study are specified.

Section 9: Defining the Loading Events for the Fatigue

Analysis
After defining the properties for the fatigue analysis, you need to define the
loading events.

1. Right-click on the Loading (-Constant Amplitude-) option in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Add Event tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, see Figure 8.17. The Add Event (Constant)
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 8.18.
 Figure 8.17

Figure 8.18

2. Enter 300000 in the Cycles field of the PropertyManager as the number of
cyclic loads to be carried out on the design.

After specifying the number of cyclic loads, you need to select the type of
fatigue loading in the Loading Type drop-down list of the PropertyManager.
The Fully Reversed (LR=-1) option of the Loading Type drop-down list is
used to specify the fully reverse loading type for the specified number of
cyclic loads such that all the applied loads in the study reverse their load
magnitudes simultaneously, see Figure 8.19. The Zero-based (LR=0) option
is used to specify the zero-based loading type for the specified number of
cyclic loads such that all the applied loads in the study change their
magnitudes from maximum to zero stress values, see Figure 8.20.

Figure 8.19

Figure 8.20

The Loading Ratio option is used to specify the loading ratio (R) to define the
user-defined loading type such that the applied loads change their magnitudes
from maximum to minimum load values, see Figure 8.21. Note that the
minimum load value is defined by multiplying the specified loading ratio (R)
to the maximum value of the load magnitude (R*Smax = Smin), see Figure
8.21. The Find Cycle Peaks option is used to define the loading type based
on the multiple studies.

Figure 8.21

3. Select the Fully Reversed (LR=-1) option in the Loading Type drop-down
list of the PropertyManager considering the fully reverse loading type for the
specified number of cyclic loads.

4. Click on the field of the first row, corresponding to the Study column in the
Study Association table of the PropertyManager. An arrow appears. Next,
click on this arrow to invoke a drop-down list, see Figure 8.22. Note that this
drop-down list displays the list of all the studies performed earlier on the
active design. You have performed a static study of the Connecting Rod
earlier. As a result, the same static study is listed in the drop-down list, see
Figure 8.22.
 Figure 8.22

5. Make sure that the Connecting Rod Static Study is selected under the Study
column as the base study to perform the fatigue analysis.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. An event for the
3,00,000 fully reversed cyclic loads is created. Also, it is listed under the
Loading (-Constant Amplitude-) folder of the Simulation Study Tree, see
Figure 8.23.

Figure 8.23

Section 10: Defining the Fatigue S-N Curve
Now, you need to define the S-N Curve (Stress-Life Cycle Curve) data for the
material of the model. The S-N Curve determines the fatigue strength at
different intervals of cyclic loads, see Figure 8.24. It is only used to perform
the fatigue analysis. You can define a new S-N curve by specifying the
alternating stress vs number of load cycles values for a material, manually or
you can use an existing S-N curve from the material database of
SOLIDWORKS Simulation.
Figure 8.24
 NOTE: As the number of load cycles increases, the fatigue strength of the material decreases. The fatigue
occurs in a load cycle where the stress developed due to the applied load is more than its fatigue strength as
per the S-N curve.

1. Right-click on the Connecting Rod (name of the model) in the Simulation

Study Tree and then click on the Apply/Edit Fatigue Data tool in the
shortcut menu appeared, see Figure 8.25. The Material dialog box appears,
see Figure 8.26.

Figure 8.25

Figure 8.26

2. Make sure that the Fatigue SN Curves tab is activated in the Material dialog
box, see Figure 8.26.

3. Select the Derive from the material Elastic Modulus: radio button in the
Source area of the dialog box and then make sure that the Based on ASME
Austenitic Steel curves radio button is selected. The S-N data for various
points gets filled in the Table data area of the dialog box based on the ASME
Austenitic steel.

TIP: You can also enter the S-N curve data in the N and S columns of the Table
data area in the dialog box, manually or by importing an existing S-N data
file. For doing so, select the Define radio button in the Source area of the
dialog box and then enter the stress ratio/loading ratio in the Stress Ratio (R)
field of the dialog box. Next, enter the number of load cycles vs alternating
stress values in the S and N columns of the table, respectively. You can also
click on the File button in the dialog box to invoke the Function Curves
dialog box. In this dialog box, you can select an existing material having pre-
defined S-N curve data from the left panel of the dialog box. As soon as you
select a material, the respective S-N curve data appears on the right panel of
the Function Curves dialog box. You can edit the S-N curve data of the
material, as required by double-clicking the respective fields in the dialog
box. You can also import an existing file (.dat) having the S-N curve data by
clicking on the File button of the Function Curves dialog box. After
specifying the S-N curve data in the dialog box, click on the OK button in the
Function Curves dialog box. Next, click on the Apply button and then the
Close button in the Material dialog box.

4. Click on the Apply button and then the Close button in the Material dialog
box. The S-N curve is defined based on the ASME Austenitic steel material.

Section 11: Running the Fatigue Analysis and

Displaying Results
Now, you can run the fatigue analysis.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Connecting Rod Fatigue Study (name of the study) window appears
which displays the progress of fatigue analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis is complete, the damage and life
 results of the Connecting Rod are added in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree. Also, the Results1 (-Damage-) result is activated in
the Results folder. As a result, the damage distribution on the model and the
Damage Percentage plot appear in the graphics area, see Figure 8.27.

Figure 8.27

The maximum damage percentage of the Connecting Rod is 126.3 (1.263e+002).
It means that the specified event for the 300000 load cycles consumes about
126.3% of the life of the Connecting Rod and the design is considered to be
failed. If the damage percentage of a design is more than 100% then the
design is consider to be failure due to the fatigue.

3. Double-click on the Result2 (-Life-) result in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree. The Total Life (cycle) plot appears in the graphics
area, see Figure 8.28.

Figure 8.28


The Total Life (cycle) plot of the Connecting Rod shows that the failure is likely
to occur after approximately 237500 (2.375e+005) load cycles. Also, the area
of the Connection Rod where the failure occurs after 237500 (2.375e+005)
load cycles is highlighted in red, see Figure 8.28.

Section 12: Displaying the Load Factor Plot
You can also display the load factor plot of the design to determine the minimum
load that the design can withstand for the specified total number of load
cycles.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Fatigue Plot tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see Figure
8.29. The Fatigue Plot PropertyManager appears, see Figure 8.30.

Figure 8.29

Figure 8.30

2. Select the Load Factor radio button in the Plot Type rollout of the
PropertyManager.

3. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Load factor
plot appears, see Figure 8.31.

Figure 8.31

The Load factor plot shows that the minimum load factor of the design is 0.9632
(9.632e-001), which indicates the failure of the design. Note that the
minimum load factor less than 1 indicates the failure of design due to fatigue.
The Connecting Rod design fails due to the fatigue at a load which is equal to
the current loads multiplied by the 0.9632 (9.632e-001) load factor, see the
formula below.

[Minimum load when the design can fail = Current loads X Minimum Load
Factor]

Section 13: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model and its results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C08
Tutorials > Case Study 1.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Fatigue Analysis
of a Crankshaft
Perform the fatigue analysis of a Crankshaft shown in Figure 8.32 and its total
life, damage, and load factor due to the cyclic loads of constant amplitude.

Project Description
The Crankshaft is fixed at its both ends, see Figure 8.33 and the 5000 N
downward load acts on its middle where it connects with the Connecting Rod,
see Figure 8.33. The Crankshaft is made up of Cast Carbon Steel material.

Figure 8.32

Figure 8.33

Project Summary
In this case study, you will first perform the static analysis on the Crankshaft and
then based on the results of the static analysis, you need to perform the fatigue
analysis to calculate the total life, damage, and minimum load factor of the
design under the repeated fully reversed loading for 2,00,000 load cycles. You
can use the per-defined S-N curve data of the ASME carbon steel curves.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned about the failure of a design due to the fatigue
when the design undergoes cyclic loads. You have learned how to perform the
fatigue analysis based on the results of a static study to determine the total life,
damage percentage, and the load factor of a design. You have also learned about
different types of cyclic loading and the S-N curve of a material, which defines
the fatigue strength of a material at different intervals of cyclic loads.

Questions
• The phenomena of failure due to repeated loading and unloading on an object
is known as ________.

• The ________ button in the Options rollout of the Study PropertyManager is
used to perform the fatigue analysis with a constant amplitude of cyclic loads.

• The ________ option is used to specify the loading type for the specified
number of cyclic loads such that all the applied loads in the study reverse their
 load magnitudes simultaneously.

• The ________ option is used to specify the loading type for the specified
number of cyclic loads such that all the applied loads in the study change their
magnitudes from the maximum to the zero stress values.

• The ________ determines the fatigue strength at different intervals of cyclic
loads.

• As the number of load cycles increases, the ________ of the material
decreases.

• The ________ plot indicates the approximate number of load cycles when the
failure is likely to occur.

• The ________ plot indicates the minimum load factor when the failure can
occur due to the fatigue in the design.

• A design can fail due to the fatigue at a load, which is equal to the current loads
multiplied by the ________.

• The minimum load factor less than ________, indicates the failure of the
design due to the fatigue.

 Chapter 9
Frequency Analysis

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Introduction to Frequency Analysis
• Frequency Analysis of a Wine Glass
• Frequency Analysis of a Pulley Assembly
• Frequency Analysis of a Cantilever Beam

In this chapter, you will learn about frequency analysis, which is used to
calculate the natural frequencies of an object. The natural frequencies also
known as resonant frequencies. The natural or resonant frequency of an object is
defined as the energy required to produce vibration in the object. Every object
has different natural frequencies depending on its geometry, material properties,
and boundary conditions. A real-world object has an infinite number of natural
frequencies in which it vibrates. However, in the finite element analysis, the
natural frequencies of an object are considered equal to the number of its degrees
of freedom. Each natural frequency of an object is associated with a shape called
mode shape, which occurs when the object vibrates at that frequency. When an
object vibrates due to an external force with a frequency which matches with one
of its natural frequencies, the object undergoes large displacements and stresses,
which causes failure of the object. This phenomena of failure is known as
resonance. For example, a structure like bridge vibrates due to a frequency that
is generated due to many reasons like traffic, high wind speed, or a high footfall.
When this frequency matches with one of its natural frequencies of the
vibrations then the bridge can fall down.

Introduction to Frequency Analysis
The frequency analysis is used to calculate the natural frequencies of an object
and their associated mode shapes. By knowing the natural frequencies of an
object, you can ensure that the actual operating frequency of an object will not
coincide with any of its natural frequencies to avoid the failure of the object due
the resonance.

Case Study 1: Frequency Analysis of a

Wine Glass
In this case study, you will perform the frequency analysis of a Wine Glass, see
Figure 9.1 and determine its first three natural/resonant frequencies and their
associated mode shapes. Also, determine the mass participation in the X, Y, and
Z directions.
Figure 9.1

Project Description
Fix the Wine Glass at its bottom to represent its operation conditions, see Figure
9.2. The Wine Glass is made up of Glass material.

Figure 9.2

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run the frequency analysis on a Wine Glass without
applying any external force.

NOTE: You can run the frequency analysis with or without applying the fixtures
and loads. However, it is recommended to apply the required fixtures to the
model to represent its real operating conditions. Although, applying external
loads to the model is optional but, if you do so, their effects are considered in
the frequency analysis.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading Files of Chapter 9

2. Opening the Wine Glass
3. Starting the Frequency Analysis
4. Defining Properties for the Frequency Analysis
5. Applying the Material and Fixture
6. Generating the Mesh
7. Running the Frequency Analysis
8. Displaying Natural/Resonant Frequencies
9. Viewing Different Mode Shapes
10. Displaying the Mass Participation
11. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading Files of Chapter 9
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) with your user name
 and password.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists.

3. Click on Tutorials > C09 Tutorials. The downloading of Co9 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading completed, you need to unzip the
downloaded file.

4. Save the downloaded unzipped C09 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder
inside the SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.

Section 2: Opening the Wine Glass
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar available next to the
SOLIDWORKS logo at the upper left of the SOLIDWORKS screen. The
Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C09
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Wine Glass and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The Wine
Glass is opened in SOLIDWORKS.

Section 3: Starting the Frequency Analysis
1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The
tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

3. Click on the Frequency button in the Study PropertyManager to perform
the frequency analysis, see Figure 9.3.

4. Enter Wine Glass Frequency Study in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager, see Figure 9.3.
 Figure 9.3

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Wine
Glass Frequency Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure
9.4.

Figure 9.4

Section 4: Defining Properties for the Frequency
Analysis
Before you start performing the frequency analysis, you need to define its
properties.

1. Right-click on the Wine Glass Frequency Study (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, see Figure 9.5. The Frequency dialog box appears, see
Figure 9.6.

Figure 9.5

Figure 9.6

2. Enter 3 in the Number of frequencies field of the Options area in the dialog
box to calculate first three natural frequencies of the Wine Glass.

NOTE: You can also calculate the frequencies closest to a frequency of your
interest. For doing so, you need to select the Calculate frequencies closest to:
(Frequency Shift) check box in the Options area of the dialog box and then
enter a frequency value of your interest. The Upper bound frequency radio
button is used to specify an upper limit for the frequencies to be calculated.
On doing so, the program calculates the frequencies which are below the
specified limit.

3. Click on the OK button in the dialog box. The first three number of
frequencies to be calculated are defined.

Section 5: Applying the Material and Fixture
Now, you need to apply the material and fixture to the model.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager.

2. Expand the Other Non-metals category of the SOLIDWORKS Materials
library in the Material dialog box and then click on the Glass material, see
Figure 9.7. All the properties of the Glass material appears on the right panel
of the dialog box, see Figure 9.7.

Figure 9.7

3. Click on the Apply button and then Close in the Material dialog box. The
Glass material is applied to the model and its appearance changes, accordingly
in the graphics area.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.

4. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

5. Rotate the model such that you can view its bottom face and then select it to
apply the Fixed Geometry fixture, see Figure 9.8.

Figure 9.8

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed
Geometry fixture is applied to the bottom face of the Wine Glass. Now,
change the orientation of the model back to isometric.

Section 6: Generating the Mesh
Now, you need to generate the mesh on the model. You can generate the
curvature-based mesh with default parameters.

1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with the default mesh parameters by using
the Create Mesh tool. Figure 9.9 shows the meshed model.

Figure 9.9

Section 7: Running the Frequency Analysis
Now, you need to run the static study.

1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Wine Glass Frequency Study (name of the study) window appears
which displays the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis completes, the Results folder is
 added in the Simulation Study Tree with the amplitude results of specified
number of mode shapes. By default, the first mode shape is activated. As a
result, the mode shape and the resultant amplitude plot of the first natural
frequency appear in the graphics area, see Figure 9.10.

Figure 9.10

Section 8: Displaying Natural/Resonant Frequencies
Now, you need to display the natural/resonant frequencies of the Wine Glass.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Resonant Frequencies tool in shortcut menu appeared, see Figure
9.11. The List Modes window appears, see Figure 9.12.

Figure 9.11

 Figure 9.12

The List Modes window displays the list of calculated natural/resonant
frequencies of the model associated with the respective mode numbers in
Rad/sec and Hertz. Also, it displays the corresponding period in seconds for
each natural frequency, see Figure 9.12.

2. Review the calculated natural frequency of the Wine Glass for different mode
numbers. The mode number 1 has the frequency of 16.237 hertz, the mode
number 2 has the frequency of 16.24 hertz, and mode number 3 has the
frequency of 40.054. You need to ensure that the Wine Glass does not operate
in the frequency which matches with any one of its calculated natural
frequencies to avoid the failure due to the resonance.

3. Click on the Save button in the List Modes window. The Save As dialog box
appears. In this dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the
calculated results of the natural frequencies. Next, click on the Save button in
the dialog box. The results file is saved with the .csv file extension in the
specified location. You can open the .csv files in the Microsoft Excel.

4. Click on Close button in the List Modes window to close it.

Section 9: Viewing Different Mode Shapes
1. By default, the Amplitude1 (-Res Amp - Mode Shape 1-) result is activated
in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree. As a result, the mode
shape 1 of the Wine Glass appears, refer to Figure 9.10. To display the mode
shapes 2 and 3, double-click on their respective results in the Simulation
Study Tree. Figures 9.13 and 9.14 show the mode shapes 2 and 3,
respectively.

Figure 9.13
 Figure 9.14

TIP:You can rotate the model to view the mode shapes of the model at different orientations.

Section 10: Displaying the Mass Participation

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Mass Participation tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see
Figure 9.15. The Mass Participation window appears, see Figure 9.16.

Figure 9.15

Figure 9.16

The Mass Participation window displays the list of natural/resonant frequencies
and the mass participation in the X, Y, and Z directions for each mode
number.

2. Review the mass participation for each mode number in the Mass
Participation window. For example, the mass participation for the mode
number 1 is approximately 0.59604 in the X-direction, 2.8641e-013 in the Y-
direction, and 0.23444 in the Z-direction.

Section 11: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model and its results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C09
Tutorials > Case Study 1.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Case Study 2: Frequency Analysis of a

Pulley Assembly
In this case study, you will perform the frequency analysis of a Pulley Assembly,
see Figure 9.17 and determine its first five natural/resonant frequencies and their
associated mode shapes.

Figure 9.17

Project Description
Both the Support components of the Pulley Assembly are fixed at the bottom,
see Figure 9.18. All the components of the Pulley Assembly are made up of
Alloy Steel (SS) material.
Figure 9.18

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run the frequency analysis on a Pulley Assembly
without applying any external force.

NOTE: You can run the frequency analysis with or without applying the fixtures
and loads. However, it is recommended to apply the required fixtures to the
model to represent its real operating conditions. Although, applying external
loads to the model is optional but, if you do so, their effects are considered in
the frequency analysis.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Starting the Frequency Analysis

2. Defining Properties for the Frequency Analysis
3. Applying Materials and Fixtures
4. Generating the Mesh
5. Running the Frequency Analysis
6. Displaying Natural/Resonant Frequencies
7. Viewing Different Mode Shapes
8. Saving Results

Section 1: Starting the Frequency Analysis
1. Start SOLIDWORKS and then open the Pulley Assembly from the location >
SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C09 Tutorials > Case Study 2.

NOTE: You need to download the C09 Tutorials file which contains the files of
this chapter by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com), if
not downloaded earlier.

2. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The

tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

3. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The

Study PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

4. Click on the Frequency button in the Study PropertyManager to perform
the frequency analysis, see Figure 9.19.

5. Enter Pulley Frequency Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout
in the PropertyManager, see Figure 9.19.

Figure 9.19


6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Pulley
Frequency Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree.

Section 2: Defining Properties for the Frequency
Analysis
Before you start performing the frequency analysis, you can define its properties.

1. Right-click on the Pulley Frequency Study (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, see Figure 9.20. The Frequency dialog box appears, see
Figure 9.21.

Figure 9.20

Figure 9.21

2. Make sure that the 5 is entered in the Number of frequencies field of the
Options area in the dialog box to calculate the first five natural frequencies of
the Pulley Assembly.

3. Click on the OK button in the dialog box.

Section 3: Applying Materials and Fixtures
Now, you need to apply the materials and fixtures to the model.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager.

2. Right-click on the Parts folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Apply Material to All tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see Figure
9.22. The Material dialog box appears.

Figure 9.22

3. Select the Alloy Steel (SS) material in the Steel category of the
SOLIDWORKS Materials library in the dialog box.

4. Click on the Apply button and then Close button in the Material dialog box.
The Alloy Steel (SS) material is applied to all the components of the
assembly.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture.

5. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

6. Rotate the assembly such that you can view its bottom faces. Next, select the
bottom faces of both the Support components of the assembly to apply the
Fixed Geometry fixture, see Figure 9.23.

Figure 9.23

7. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed
Geometry fixture is applied to the selected faces. Now, change the orientation
of the assembly back to isometric.

Section 4: Generating the Mesh

1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with default mesh parameters by using the
Create Mesh tool. Figure 9.24 shows the meshed assembly.

Figure 9.24

Section 5: Running the Frequency Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Pulley Frequency Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis.

2. After the process of running the analysis is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree. By default, the mode shape and the
resultant amplitude plot of the first natural frequency appear in the graphics
area, see Figure 9.25.

Figure 9.25

Section 6: Displaying Natural/Resonant Frequencies
Now, you need to display the natural/resonant frequencies of the Pulley
Assembly.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the List Resonant Frequencies tool in shortcut menu appeared, see Figure
9.26. The List Modes window appears, see Figure 9.27.

Figure 9.26

Figure 9.27

The List Modes window displays a list of calculated natural/resonant
frequencies in Rad/sec and Hertz for each mode number. Besides, it displays
the corresponding period in seconds for each mode number, see Figure 9.27.

2. Review the calculated natural frequency of the Pulley Assembly for each
mode number. The mode number 1 has the frequency of approximate 2202.3
hertz and the mode number 2 has the frequency of approximate 2350 hertz.
You need to ensure that the Pulley Assembly does not operate in the
frequency which matches with any of its calculated natural frequencies to
avoid the failure due to the resonance.

3. Click on the Close button in the List Modes window to close it.

Section 7: Viewing Different Mode Shapes
1. By default, the Amplitude1 (-Res Amp - Mode Shape 1-) result is activated
in the Results folder of the Simulation Study Tree. As a result, the mode
shape 1 of the Pulley Assembly appears in the graphics area, refer to Figure
9.28. To display the other mode shapes, double-click on the respective results
in the Simulation Study Tree. Figure 9.29 shows the mode shape 2 of the
assembly.

Figure 9.28

Figure 9.29
Section 8: Saving Results
1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C09
Tutorials > Case Study 2.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Frequency
Analysis of a Cantilever Beam
Perform the frequency analysis of a Cantilever Beam, see Figure 9.30 and
determine its first five natural/resonant frequencies and their associated mode
shapes.

Figure 9.30

Project Description
The Cantilever Beam is fixed at its left end and the downward load of 900 N is
acting on its free end (right), see Figure 9.31. The Cantilever Beam is made
up of AISI 1035 Steel (SS) material.

Figure 9.31

Project Summary
In this case study, you will run the frequency analysis on a Cantilever Beam with
900 N download load on its right end.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned how to perform the frequency analysis to
calculate the natural/resonant frequencies, the mode shapes associated to each
natural frequencies, and the mass participations in X, Y, and Z directions.

Questions
• The natural frequencies of an object are also known as ________ frequencies.

• Every object has different natural frequencies depending on its ________,
________, and ________.

• Each natural frequency of an object is associated with a shape called ________
shape.

• When an object vibrates due to an external force with a frequency which
matches with one of its natural frequencies, the object undergoes large
displacements and stresses due to ________.

• The ________ tool is used to invoke the List Modes window, which displays
the list of calculated natural frequencies.

• The ________ tool is used to invoke the Mass Participation window, which
displays the list of natural frequencies and the mass participation in the X, Y,
and Z directions.

• You can save the results of the natural frequencies in an external file having
________ file extension.
 Chapter 10
Non-Linear Static Analysis

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• Making Assumptions for Non-Linear Static Analysis

• Using Iterative Methods for Non-Linear Analysis
• Using Incremental Methods for Non-Linear Analysis
• Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Shackle
• Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Handrail Clamp Assembly
• Non-Linear Static Analysis of a Cantilever Beam
• Non-linear Static Analysis of a Hook Assembly

In this chapter, you will learn about the non-linear static analysis problems. As
discussed, in finite element analysis (FEA), you need to make some assumptions
for understanding the type of engineering problem and then based on the
assumptions made, you can select the type of analysis to be performed. Below
are some of the important engineering assumptions made to consider the non-
linear static analysis problem.

Making Assumptions for Non-Linear
Static Analysis
Non-Linear static analysis is used to calculate displacements, strains, stresses,
and reaction forces under the effect of applied loads for the non-linear problems.
In mechanical models, the non-linear problems are categorized mainly in three
categories: material nonlinearities, geometric nonlinearities, and contact
nonlinearities. You can consider the non-linear problem and perform the non-
linear static analysis, if the following assumptions are valid for the engineering
problem to be solved.

1. Geometric Nonlinearities: Displacement is assumed to be very large due to
the applied load.
2. Material Nonlinearities: Material is assumed to exceed its elastic region in
the stress-strain curve and behave nonlinearly. It implies that the structure is
loaded beyond its elastic limits such that it experiences plastic deformation
and will not return to its original configuration even after removing the
applied load, see Figure 10.1. Also, the material properties are assumed to
change due to the plastic deformation.

Figure 10.1

3. Contact Nonlinearities: In case of contact problems, the boundary conditions
are assumed to change due the motion in the components during the analysis.

Also, in the non-linear problems, the relationship between load and the
displacement response is not proportional to each other, see Figure 10.2. As a
result, the stiffness is not constant and it changes as the magnitude of the load
increases.

Figure 10.2

If the above mentioned assumptions are valid for the problem to be solved, you
can perform the non-linear static analysis. In non-linear static analysis, the basic
finite element equilibrium equation to be solved is as follows:

[F] = [K (X)][X]

Where,
F = Applied load
K = System stiffness (stiffness is not constant and varies as a function of
displacement)
X = Displacement (large displacement)

Similar to the linear static analysis, the applied load in the non-linear static
analysis is assumed to be constant and do not vary with time. However, the
procedure to solve the non-linear static analysis is different than the linear static
analysis because of the change in the stiffness.
In the non-linear static analysis, the load is applied in different incremental steps
as the function of pseudo time (not the real time) and for every incremental step,
the program updates the stiffness to carry out the next incremental step. Also, the
program performs multiple iterations to ensure that the equilibrium equation is
satisfied in every incremental step.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses the Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme or the
Modified Newton-Raphson (MNR) scheme as the iterative method and Force,
Displacement, or Arc Length technique as the incremental method to converges
the final solution. The different iterative methods and the incremental methods
are discussed next.

Using Iterative Methods for Non-Linear
Analysis
SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses the Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme or the
Modified Newton-Raphson (MNR) scheme as the iterative method. Both the
methods are discussed next.

Newton-Raphson (NR) Scheme
The Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme forms the tangential stiffness matrix to
calculate the stiffness at every iteration. In this scheme, the program first
calculates the stiffness for the first iteration and then based on the calculated
stiffness, it calculates the stiffness for the next iteration, even if the equilibrium
equation is not satisfied in the first iteration, see Figure 10.3. It continues
performing multiple iterations until the structure reaches the equilibrium state up
to the prescribed tolerance in an incremental step.

Figure 10.3

Modified Newton-Raphson (MNR) Scheme
In the Modified Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme, the stiffness is calculated at the
first iteration and then uses the same stiffness for the next iterations, see Figure
10.4. It continues performing multiple iterations until the structure reaches the
equilibrium state up to the prescribed tolerance in an incremental step.

Figure 10.4

It is clear from the above Figures 10.3 and 10.4 that the Modified Newton-
Raphson (MNR) scheme uses more number of iterations than the Newton-
Raphson (NR) scheme to converge the solution. However, in the Modified
Newton-Raphson (MNR) scheme, every iteration is faster than the Newton-
Raphson (NR) scheme. It is because, the stiffness is not calculated in every
iteration.

TIP: In some cases where the Newton-Raphson scheme does not converge the
solution, the Modified Newton-Raphson scheme may converge it due to more
number of iterations.

Using Incremental Methods for Non-

Linear Analysis
In addition to defining the iterative methods: Newton-Raphson (NR) or Modified
Newton-Raphson (MNR), you also need to define the incremental control
method: Force, Displacement, or Arc Length to converge the final solution. The
different incremental control methods are discussed below.

Force Incremental Control Method
In the Force control method, the force/load is used as the prescribed variable and
increases gradually in different incremental steps to find the equilibrium path,
see Figure 10.5. In this figure, the load is applied in different incremental steps
and the equilibrium condition is satisfied in every incremental load step by using
the Newton-Raphson scheme.

Figure 10.5

Displacement Incremental Control Method
In the Displacement control method, the displacement is used as the prescribed
variable and increases gradually in different incremental steps to find the
equilibrium path, see Figure 10.6. In this method, the applied load is not
increased directly and is used as a multiplier to calculate the load as the response
of the structure.

Figure 10.6

Arc Length Incremental Control Method

The Arc Length incremental control method is a very powerful method to solve
the non-linear problems when the slope of the equilibrium path undergoes large
changes from one equilibrium state to another and the load and displacement
control methods fail to converge the equilibrium solution, see Figure 10.7. In the
Arc Length control method, the incremental steps are controlled by the
combination of both the load and displacement increments of a specified length
called arc-length. Also, an incremental step is defined by the radius of the arc
and a point of intersection between the path and the arc radius, see Figure 10.7.

Figure 10.7

Case Study 1: Non-Linear Static

Analysis of a Shackle
In this case study, you will perform the non-linear analysis of a Shackle, see
Figure 10.8 and determine the stress under a load.

Figure 10.8

Project Description
The Shackle is fixed at its top holes, see Figure 10.9 and the 19000 Newton
 downward load is uniformly distributed along the middle of the cylindrical
face of the model, see Figure 10.9. The Shackle is made up of AISI 1035 Steel
(SS) material.

Figure 10.9

Project Summary
In this case study, you will first run the linear static studies and then perform the
non-linear static study to compare the difference in the results. In the non-
linear static study, you need to use the Force control method and the Newton-
Raphson (NR) scheme to converge the final solution.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Downloading the Files of Chapter 10

2. Opening the Shackle Model
3. Starting the Linear Static Analysis
4. Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
5. Generating the Mesh
6. Running the Static Analysis
7. Starting the Non-Linear Static Analysis
8. Defining the Properties for the Non-Linear Static Analysis
9. Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
10. Generating the Mesh
11. Running the Non-linear Static Analysis
12. Generating the Time History Plot in the Non-linear Static Study
13. Saving Results

Section 1: Downloading the Files of Chapter 10
1. Login to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com) by using your user
name and password.

2. After login to the CADArtifex website, click on SOLIDWORKS Simulation

> SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2017. All resource files of this textbook
appear in the respective drop-down lists.

3. Click on Tutorials > C10 Tutorials. The downloading of C10 Tutorials file
gets started. Once the downloading is complete, you need to unzip the
downloaded file.

4. Save the unzipped C10 Tutorials file in the Tutorial Files folder inside the
SOLIDWORKS Simulation folder.

Section 2: Opening the Shackle Model
1. Start SOLIDWORKS, if not already started.

2. Click on the Open button in the Standard toolbar. The Open dialog box
appears.

3. Browse to the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C10
Tutorials > Case Study 1 of the local drive of your system. Next, select the
Shackle and then click on the Open button in the dialog box. The Shackle
model opens in SOLIDWORKS.

Section 3: Starting the Linear Static Analysis
As mentioned, first you need to perform the linear static analysis of the Shackle
model.

1. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The

tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

2. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis.

4. Enter Shackle Static Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout in
the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Shackle
Static Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 10.10.

Figure 10.10

Section 4: Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
Now, you need to apply the fixture, load, and material to the model.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the AISI 1035 Steel (SS)
material. Next, close the dialog box.

NOTE: In the SOLIDWORKS Materials library, the materials with (SS) at their
end, represent that the Stress-Strain Curve is defined for that particular
material. It defines the behavior of the material in the plastic region and is
used when you perform the non-linear analysis.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture to the holes of the model.

2. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

3. Select the inner circular faces of both the holes of the model to apply the
Fixed Geometry fixture, see Figure 10.11.

Figure 10.11

4. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed
Geometry fixture is applied.

Now, you need to apply the 19000 N downward load.

5. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

6. Select the middle split circular face of the model to apply the load, see Figure
10.12.

Figure 10.12

7. Select the Selected direction radio button in the PropertyManager and then
select the Top Plane as the direction reference in the expanded
FeatureManager Design Tree. Note that to select the Top Plane as the
direction reference, you need to expand the FeatureManager Design Tree
which is now available at the top left corner of the screen.

8. Click on the Normal to Plane button in the Force rollout of the
PropertyManager and then enter 19000 as the load value, see Figure 10.13.
 Figure 10.13

9. Select the Reverse direction check box in the Force rollout of the
PropertyManager to reverse the direction of force downward, see Figure
10.14.

Figure 10.14

10. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 19000 N
downward load is applied.

Section 5: Generating the Mesh
1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with the default mesh parameters by using
the Create Mesh tool. Figure 10.15 shows the meshed model.

Figure 10.15

Section 6: Running the Static Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Shackle Static Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of analysis. When it is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated. As a result, the stress
distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot appear, see Figure
10.16.

Figure 10.16

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is 586.509
N/mm^2 (MPa) which significantly exceeds the yield strength of the material
that is 282.685 N/mm^2 (MPa). The yield strength of the material is indicated
by the red pointer in the Von Mises stress plot, refer to Figure 10.16. Note that
you may find a slight difference in the result values depending on the service
pack installed on your system.

Note that when the maximum von Mises stress of the model exceeds the yield
strength of the material, the design is likely to fail under the applied load.
Also, after the yield strength, the material experiences the plastic deformation
and behave nonlinearly, refer to the Stress-Strain curve. Such cases fall under
the category of material nonlinearities and you can not trust on the results of
linear static analysis. Therefore, you need to perform the non-linear analysis
to get the correct results.

Section 7: Starting the Non-Linear Static Analysis
In the linear static analysis results, we have noticed that the maximum von
Mises stress in the model exceeds the yield strength of the material and the
material experiences the plastic deformation. As a result, you need to perform
the non-linear static analysis to get the correct results.

1. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears at the left of the graphics area.

2. Click on the Nonlinear button in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager,
see Figure 10.17.

3. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Options rollout of the
PropertyManager to perform the non-linear static analysis, see Figure 10.17.

Figure 10.17

4. Enter Shackle Nonlinear Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout
in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. A new tab
“Shackle Nonlinear Study” is added next to the tab of the existing linear
static study (Shackle Static Study) in the lower left corner of the screen and
is activated, by default. As a result, the Shackle Nonlinear Study appears in
the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 10.18.

Figure 10.18

Section 8: Defining the Properties for the Non-Linear
Static Analysis
Before you start performing the non-linear static analysis, you need to define its
properties to control the solution and the output of the non-linear static study.

1. Right-click on the Shackle Nonlinear Study (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, see Figure 10.19. The Nonlinear - Static dialog box appears,
see Figure 10.20.

Figure 10.19

Figure 10.20

The Steeping options area of the Nonlinear - Static dialog box is used to define
the start time and end time to control the solution for the non-linear static
analysis. Note that it is the pseudo time, not the real time and the load is
divided into different incremental load steps between the specified time
period. You can control the incremental load steps in between the specified
time period by using the Automatic (autostepping) or Fixed method. By
default, the Automatic (autostepping) radio button is activated as the time
increment method. As a result, the program automatically determines the
incremental load steps based on the converged solutions. You can define a
limit for converging a solution by specifying the minimum and maximum
time steps in the Min and Max fields, respectively. Also, you can define the
maximum number of iterations to be made, to converge the solution within
the specified limit in the No. of Adjustments field of the dialog box. On
selecting the Fixed radio button in the dialog box, you can specify the fixed
incremental load steps between the specified time period. For example, if the
start time is 0 and end time is 1 then on specifying 0.1 as the fixed
incremental load step, the program divides the load into 10 number of
incremental load steps to converge the final solution.

2. Make sure that the start time and end time are set to 0 and 1, respectively in
the Stepping options area of the dialog box.

3. Make sure that the Automatic (autostepping) radio button is activated in the
dialog box as the time increment method to determine the incremental load
steps, automatically.

4. Accept the remaining options specified by default in the Steeping options
area of the dialog box.

After defining the time period and the time increment method, you need to
define the control and iterative methods.

5. Click on the Advanced Options button in the Nonlinear - Static dialog box.
The options to define the control and iterative methods appear in the
Advanced tab, see Figure 10.21.

Figure 10.21

6. Make sure that the Force option is selected in the Control drop-down list of
the Method area in the dialog box as the control method, see Figure 10.21.

7. Make sure that the NR (Newton-Raphson) option is selected in the Iterative
technique drop-down list as the iterative method, see Figure 10.21.

8. Accept the values specified by default in the Step/Tolerance options area of
the dialog box, see Figure 10.22.

Figure 10.22

The Do equilibrium iteration every field is used to specify the frequency for
satisfying the equilibrium equation. The Maximum equilibrium iterations
field is used to specify the maximum number of equilibrium iterations to be
performed. The Convergence tolerance field is used to specify the relative
displacement tolerance for converging the equilibrium equation. The
Maximum increment strain field is used to specify the maximum acceptable
increment strain for the models having creep or plasticity. The Singularity
elimination factor (0-1) field is used to specify the singularity elimination
factor in the range from 0 to 1 for evaluating the stiffness.

9. Select the Show intermediate results upto current iteration (when
running) check box in the Intermediate Results area of the dialog box to
view the intermediate result in the graphics area when the non-linear study is
in progress.

10. Click on the OK button in the dialog box to accept the changes and to close
the dialog box.

Section 9: Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
Now, you need to apply the fixture, load, and material to perform the non-linear
static analysis.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then select the AISI 1035 Steel (SS)
material. Do not close the dialog box.

NOTE: As discussed, the material with (SS) at their end, represent that the
stress-strain curve is defined for that particular material. The stress-strain
curve is used to define the behavior of material in the plastic region.

2. Click on the Tables & Curves tab in the Material dialog box. The options to
define the tables and curves for the selected material appears.
3. Select the Stress-Strain Curve option in the Type drop-down list of the
dialog box, see Figure 10.23. The pre-defined standard values of the stress-
strain curve of the selected material appear in the dialog box, see Figure
10.23. Also, the preview of the curve appears in the Preview area of the
dialog box.

Figure 10.23

4. Click on the Apply button and then Close button in the dialog box to apply
the material with pre-defined stress-strain curve.

NOTE: If the stress-strain curve is not defined for a material then you need to
specify it manually to define the behavior of material in the plastic region.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture and load to the model.

5. Apply the Fixed Geometry fixture to the upper two holes of the model, see
Figure 10.24.

Figure 10.24

6. Right-click on the External Loads option in the Simulation Study Tree and
then click on the Force tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Force/Torque PropertyManager appears.

7. Select the middle split circular face of the model, refer to Figure 10.25 and
then select the Selected direction radio button in the PropertyManager. Next,
select the Top Plane as the direction reference in the FeatureManager Design
Tree.

Figure 10.25

8. Click on the Normal to Plane button in the Force rollout of the
PropertyManager and then enter 19000 as the load value. Next, select the
Reverse direction check box to reverse the direction of force downward, see
Figure 10.25.

9. Select the Curve radio button in the Variation with Time rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 10.26.

Figure 10.26

10. Click on the Edit button in the Variation with Time rollout of the
PropertyManager. The Time curve dialog box appears, see Figure 10.27. In
this dialog box, the X column defines the time and the Y column defines the
load multiplier. You can define the variable load with respect to the time
(pseudo time) by using this dialog box.

Figure 10.27

11. Accept the default settings of the Time curve dialog box and then click on
the OK button.

12. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The 19000 N
load is applied.

Section 10: Generating the Mesh
1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with the default mesh parameters by using
the Create Mesh tool. Figure 10.28 shows the meshed model.

Figure 10.28

Section 11: Running the Non-linear Static Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Shackle Nonlinear Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of non-linear static analysis, see Figure 10.29. Also, the
SOLIDWORKS message window appears which informs that the you have
chosen to show the intermediate results while running the analysis. Therefore,
the analysis will terminate if you switch to another SOLIDWORKS document
or close the active model, see Figure 10.30.
 Figure 10.29

Figure 10.30

2. Click on the OK button in the SOLIDWORKS message window. The
intermediate results appear in the graphics area when the non-linear static
analysis is in progress. When the analysis is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated. As a result, the stress
distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot of the non-linear
analysis appear, see Figure 10.31.

Figure 10.31

Notice the difference in the results of the linear static analysis and the non-linear
 static analysis. In the non-linear static analysis, the maximum von Mises
stress under the applied load is 313.646 N/mm^2 (MPa), see Figure 10.31,
whereas, in the linear static analysis, the maximum Von Mises stress was
586.509 N/mm^2 (MPa).

Section 12: Generating the Time History Plot in the
Non-linear Static Study
Now, you need to generate the time history graph for the von Mises stress at a
node of the high stress area.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Time History Plot tool in the shortcut menu appeared, see
Figure 10.32. The Time History Graph PropertyManager appears, see
Figure 10.33.

Notice that in the Response rollout of the PropertyManager, all the nodes of the
model appear in a selection field. You can select a node or multiple nodes in
this selection field, whose response graph is to be generated. Alternatively,
you can click on a node or nodes in the model appeared in the graphics area.

Figure 10.32

Figure 10.33

2. Click on a node in the high stress area of the model in the graphics area, see
Figure 10.34. The node 5176 of the high stress area get selected. Note that the
selected node number of the high stress area may differ in your case
depending on your selection. Also, the node number 1 is selected, by default.
Figure 10.34

3. Make sure that the Time option is selected in the X axis drop-down list of the
PropertyManager.

4. Make sure that the Stress and VON: von Mises Stress options are selected in
the respective fields of the Y axis area in the PropertyManager.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Response
Graph window appears, see Figure 10.35. This window displays the response
graphs of the selected nodes (1 and 5176) for the von Mises stress vs solution
steps.

Figure 10.35

6. After viewing the response graphs, close the Response Graph window. The
Response1 (-Time-von Mises-) result is added in the Results folder of the
Simulation Study Tree.

Section 13: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model and its results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C10
Tutorials > Case Study 1.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Case Study 2: Non-Linear Static
Analysis of a Handrail Clamp Assembly
In this case study, you will perform the non-linear analysis of a Handrail Clamp
Assembly, see Figure 10.36. The Handrail Clamp part of the assembly is pushed
toward the Pipe to clamp it, see Figure 10.37.

Figure 10.36
 Figure 10.37

Project Description
The Pipe is fixed at its both ends, see Figure 10.38 and the Handrail Clamp has
all degrees of freedom fixed except the translation movement of 52 mm in the
downward direction, see Figure 10.38. The Pipe is made up of AISI 304 steel
material and the Handrail Clamp is made up of ABS plastic material.

Figure 10.38

Project Summary
In this case study, you will perform the non-linear static study. You need to use
the Force control method and the Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme to converge
the solution.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:
1. Starting the Non-Linear Static Analysis
2. Defining Properties for the Non-Linear Static Analysis
3. Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
4. Defining Contacts between the Components
5. Generating the Mesh
6. Running the Non-linear Static Analysis
7. Displaying the von Mises Stress Plot at Different Solution Steps
8. Animating the Stress Distribution on the Model
9. Saving Results

Section 1: Starting the Non-Linear Static Analysis
In this case study, as the Handrail Clamp component will move toward the Pipe
and the contact between the components changes during the analysis, you
need to perform the non-linear analysis to solve the problem. It is because,
such cases fall under the category of contact nonlinearities.

1. Start SOLIDWORKS and then open the Handrail Clamp Assembly from the
location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C10 Tutorials >
Case Study 2.

NOTE: You need to download the C10 Tutorials file which contains the files of
this chapter by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com), if
not downloaded earlier.

2. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The

tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

3. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

4. Click on the Nonlinear button in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager,
see Figure 10.39.

5. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Options rollout of the
PropertyManager to perform the non-linear static analysis, see Figure 10.39.

Figure 10.39

6. Enter Clamp Nonlinear Study in the Study name field of the Name rollout
in the PropertyManager.

7. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Clamp
Nonlinear Study is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure 10.40.

Figure 10.40

Section 2: Defining Properties for the Non-Linear
Static Analysis
Before you start performing the non-linear static analysis, you can define its
properties to control the solution and the output of the non-linear static study.

1. Right-click on the Clamp Nonlinear Study (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared, see Figure 10.41. The Nonlinear - Static dialog box appears,
see Figure 10.42.

Figure 10.41

Figure 10.42

2. Make sure that the start time and end time are set to 0 and 1, respectively in
the Stepping options area of the dialog box.

3. Make sure that the Automatic (autostepping) radio button is activated in the
dialog box as the time increment method to determine the incremental load
steps, automatically.

4. Accept the remaining default specified options in the Steeping options area of
the dialog box.

After defining the time period and the time increment method, you need to
define the control and iterative methods.

5. Click on the Advanced Options button in the Nonlinear - Static dialog box.
The options to define the control and iterative methods appear in the dialog
box, see Figure 10.43.

Figure 10.43

6. Make sure that the Force option is selected in the Control drop-down list of
the Method area as the control method.

7. Make sure that the NR (Newton-Raphson) option is selected in the Iterative
technique drop-down list as the iterative method.

8. Accept the values specified by default in the Step/Tolerance options area of
the dialog box, see Figure 10.44.

Figure 10.44

9. Select the Show intermediate results upto current iteration (when
 running) check box in the Intermediate Results area of the dialog box to
view the intermediate result in the graphics area when the non-linear study is
in progress.

10. Click on the OK button in the dialog box to accept the changes and to close
the dialog box.

Section 3: Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
Now, you need to apply the fixture, load, and material to perform the non-linear
static analysis.

1. Expand the Parts folder in the Simulation Study Tree by clicking on the
arrow in its front to display all the components of the assembly, see Figure
10.45.

Figure 10.45

2. Right-click on the Handrail Clamp component in the expanded Parts folder
and then click on the Apply/Edit Material tool in the shortcut menu
appeared, see Figure 10.46. The Material dialog box appears.

Figure 10.46

3. Expand the Plastics category in the SOLIDWORKS Materials library and
then click on the ABS material. The material properties of the ABS plastic
material appear on the right panel of the dialog box.

4. Click on the Apply button and then the Close button in the dialog box. The
ABS plastic material properties are assigned to the Handrail Clamp
component and the dialog box gets closed.

5. Similarly, apply the Alloy Steel material to the Pipe component.

Now, you need to apply the required fixtures to fix the Pipe component and
allow the Handrail Clamp component to translate 52 mm towards the Pipe
component.

6. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Fixed Geometry tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Fixture
PropertyManager appears.

7. Select both the ends of the Pipe component to apply the Fixed Geometry
fixture, see Figure 10.47.

Figure 10.47

8. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Fixed

Geometry fixture is applied.

9. Right-click on the Fixtures option in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Advanced Fixtures tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The
Fixture PropertyManager appears with the expanded Advanced rollout.

10. Click on the On Flat Faces button in the Advanced rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 10.48.

Figure 10.48

11. Select the top middle face of the Handrail Clamp component to apply the On
Flat Face fixture, see Figure 10.49.

Figure 10.49

12. In the Translations rollout of the PropertyManager, click on the Along Face
Dir 1, Along Face Dir 2, and Normal to Face buttons, see Figure 10.50.

13. Enter 52 in the Normal to Face field of the PropertyManager as the
translation motion in the direction normal to the face selected, see Figure
10.50.

Figure 10.50

14. Make sure the 0 (zero) value is entered in the Along Face Dir 1 and Along
Face Dir 2 fields of the rollout to restrict the translation movements in these
directions of the face selected.

15. Make sure that the Linear radio button is selected in the Variation with
Time rollout of the PropertyManager and then click on the View button. The
Time curve dialog box appears, see Figure 10.51.

Figure 10.51

Notice that the program applies the pre-defined translation of 52 mm linearly in
different incremental time steps based on the specified time increment method
[Automatic (autostepping)]. It starts from zero displacement at zero time step
and then increases up to its full value (52 mm) at the end time step.

16. After viewing the time curve, close the Time curve dialog box.

17. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The On Flat
Face fixture is applied to the Handrail Clamp component with the pre-defined
translation movement of 52 mm.

Section 4: Defining Contacts between the Components
By default, the Bonded component contact is applied as the global contact
between the components. You need to apply the No Penetration contact
between the contacting faces of the components to override the global contact
conditions.

1. Right-click on the Connections folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then
click on the Contact Sets tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Contact
Sets PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

2. Make sure that the Manually select contact sets radio button is selected in
the Contact rollout.

3. Make sure that the No Penetration option is selected in the drop-down list of
the Type rollout.

4. Select the outer tangent faces (4 faces) of the Pipe component as the first
contact set, see Figure 10.52.

5. Select the tangent faces (11 faces) of the Handrail Clamp component as the
second contact set, see Figure 10.52.

Figure 10.52

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The No
Penetration contact set is applied.

Section 5: Generating the Mesh
1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with the default mesh parameters by using
the Create Mesh tool. Figure 10.53 shows the meshed model.

Figure 10.53

Section 6: Running the Non-linear Static Analysis
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Clamp Nonlinear Study (name of the study) window appears which
displays the progress of the non-linear static analysis. Also, the
SOLIDWORKS message window appears, which informs that the you have
chosen to show intermediate results while running the analysis. Therefore, the
analysis will terminate if you switch to another SOLIDWORKS document or
close the active model.

2. Click on the OK button in the SOLIDWORKS message window. The
intermediate results appears in the graphics area when the non-linear static
analysis is in progress. The non-linear static analysis will take considerable
time to complete the analysis. Once the analysis is complete, the Results
folder is added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement,
and strain results. By default, the Stress result is activated. As a result, the
stress distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot of the non-linear
static analysis appear, see Figure 10.54.

Figure 10.54

By default, the von Mises stress plot displays the results for the end solution
step. The maximum von Mises stress at the end solution step is approximately,
7.979 N/mm^2 (MPa), see Figure 10.54. You can display the stress results for
different solution steps, which is discussed next.

Section 7: Displaying the von Mises Stress Plot at
Different Solution Steps
In non-linear static analysis, you can also display the results at different solution
steps. By default, the program displays the results at the end solution step.

1. Right-click on the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree and then click
on the Define Stress Plot tool in the shortcut menu appeared. The Stress plot
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 10.55.

TIP: To display the displacement plot and the strain plot, you need to click on
the Define Displacement Plot tool and Define Strain Plot tool, respectively in
the shortcut menu.

2. Make sure that the Definition tab is activated in the PropertyManager, see
Figure 10.55.

Figure 10.55

By default, the value 1 is entered in the Time field of the Plot Step rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 10.55. As a result, the von Mises stress plot will
display the results for the end solution step, which is 14 in this case study.

3. Enter 7 in the Plot Step field of the PropertyManager to display the stress
results for the 7th solution step. Next, click anywhere in the graphics area.
The time step (0.45 sec) corresponding to the specified solution step (7th)
appears in the Time field of the PropertyManager.

4. Select the True scale radio button in the Deformed Shape rollout of the
PropertyManager to display the deformed shape of the model in true scale.

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The von Mises
stress plot for the 7th solution step at 0.45 sec appears in the graphics area, see
Figure 10.56. Also, the stress plot (stress2 (-vonMises-) of the specified
solution step added in the Results folder in the Simulation Study Tree.

6. Similarly, you can display the von Mises stress plot for different solution
steps.

Figure 10.56

The maximum von Mises stress at the 7th solution step is approximately,
149.081 N/mm^2 (MPa), see Figure 10.56.

Section 8: Animating the Stress Distribution on the
Model
Now, you will animate the stress distribution and review the deformed shape of
the model.

Figure 10.57

1. Double-click on the Stress1 (-vonMises-) plot in the Simulation Study Tree
to activate it.

2. Right-click on the activated Stress1 (-vonMises-) plot in the Simulation
Study Tree. A shortcut menu appears. In this shortcut menu, click on the
Animate option. The Animation PropertyManager appears, see Figure
10.57. Also, the animation starts in the graphics area with the default
 animation settings. You can change the animation settings by using the
PropertyManager.

3. To save the animation as an AVI file, select the Save as AVI file check box in
the PropertyManager. Next, specify the path to save the file.

4. After reviewing the animated effects of the deformed shape, click on the green
tick-mark button in the PropertyManager to exit the PropertyManager and
save the AVI file in the specified location.

Section 9: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model and its results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C10
Tutorials > Case Study 2.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Case Study 3: Non-Linear Static

Analysis of a Cantilever Beam
In this case study, you will perform the non-linear analysis of a Cantilever Beam
having large displacement under the applied load, see Figure 10.58.

Figure 10.58

Project Description
The Cantilever Beam is fixed at its one end, see Figure 10.59 and the 180
Newton downward load acts on a small area of the top face in the free end of
the Cantilever Beam, see Figure 10.59. Note that the area to apply the load is
created by splitting the top face. The Cantilever Beam is made up of Alloy
Steel material.

Figure 10.59

Project Summary
In this case study, you will first run the linear static study to solve the large
displacement problem and then perform the non-linear static study to compare
the difference in the results. In the non-linear static study, you need to use the
Force control method and the Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme to converge the
final solution.

Learning Objectives:
In this case study, you will learn the following:

1. Performing the Static Analysis for a Large Displacement Problem

2. Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
3. Defining Properties for the Linear Static Analysis
4. Generating the Mesh
5. Running the Linear Static Analysis and Displaying Results
6. Performing the Non-Linear Static Analysis and Displaying Results
7. Generating the Response graph of a Node
8. Saving Results

Section 1: Performing the Static Analysis for a Large
Displacement Problem
In this case study, you will first perform the linear static analysis to solve the
large displacement problem. As discussed, the large displacement problems
fall under the category of geometric nonlinearities. Therefore to get accurate
results, you need to perform the non-linear analysis. However, in
SOLIDWORKS Simulation, you can also solve the large displacement
problems by performing the linear static analysis, which is discussed next.

1. Start SOLIDWORKS and then open the Cantilever Beam from the location >
SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C10 Tutorials > Case Study 3.

NOTE: You need to download the C10 Tutorials file which contains the files of
this chapter by logging to the CADArtifex website (www.cadartifex.com), if
not downloaded earlier.

2. Click on the Simulation tab in the Simulation CommandManager. The

tools of the Simulation CommandManager appear.

3. Click on the New Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager. The
Study PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

4. Make sure that the Static button is activated in the Study PropertyManager
to perform the linear static analysis.

5. Enter Linear Study with Large Disp in the Study name field of the Name
rollout in the PropertyManager.

6. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The Linear
Study with Large Disp is added in the Simulation Study Tree, see Figure
10.60.

Figure 10.60

Section 2: Applying the Fixture, Load, and Material
Now, you need to apply the fixture, load, and material to the model.

1. Invoke the Material dialog box by clicking on the Apply Material tool in the
Simulation CommandManager and then apply the Alloy Steel material.
Next, close the dialog box.

Now, you need to apply the Fixed Geometry fixture to fix one end of the model.

2. Apply the Fixed Geometry fixture on the left end of the Cantilever Beam by
using the Fixed Geometry tool, see Figure 10.61.

Figure 10.61

Now, you need to apply the 400 N downward load.

3. Apply the 180 N downward load on the right portion of the top face by using
the Force tool, see Figure 10.62.

Figure 10.62

Section 3: Defining Properties for the Linear Static
Analysis
Now, you need to define the properties for the linear static analysis.

1. Right-click on the Linear Study with Large Disp (name of the study) in the
Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut
menu appeared. The Static dialog box appears, see Figure 10.63.

Figure 10.63

In this dialog box, the Large displacement check box is unchecked, by default.
As a result, the program considers the small displacement in the model due to
the applied load and solve the problem. However, if the program identifies the
large displacement during the linear static analysis, you will be prompted to
choose whether to solve the problem with small displacement or large
displacement. In this case, if you choose the Large displacement option, the
program automatically starts performing the non-linear analysis to solve the
problem. If you select the Large displacement check box in this dialog box
then the program directly performs the non-linear static analysis to solve the
problem.

2. Leave the Large displacement check box unchecked in the dialog box and
then click on the OK button.

Section 4: Generating the Mesh
1. Generate the curvature-based mesh with the default mesh parameters by using
the Create Mesh tool. Figure 10.64 shows the meshed model.
 Figure 10.64

Section 5: Running the Linear Static Analysis and
Displaying Results
1. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Linear Study with Large Disp (name of the study) window appears
which displays the progress of linear static analysis. During the analysis,
when the large displacement is identified by the program on the model due to
the applied load, the Simulation message window appears, see Figure 10.65.
This message window informs you that the excessive displacements were
calculated in this model and prompts you whether to consider the large
displacement option to improve the accuracy of the results or continue with
the current settings. If you choose the Yes button, the program considers the
large displacement option and starts performing the non-linear static analysis.
However, if you choose the No button then the program continues with the
current settings of linear static analysis, which will not give you correct
results.

Figure 10.65

2. Click on Yes button in the Simulation message window to consider the large
displacement option. The program starts performing the non-linear static
analysis by dividing the total load into small number of incremental steps and
calculates the stiffness matrix at every incremental step. When the analysis is
completed, the Results folder is added in the Simulation Study Tree with the
stress, displacement, and strain results. By default, the Stress result is
 activated. As a result, the stress distribution on the model and the von Mises
stress plot appear, see Figure 10.66.

The maximum von Mises stress in the model under the applied load is 561.588
N/mm^2 (MPa) which is within the yield strength of the material that is
620.422 N/mm^2 (MPa), refer to Figure 10.66.

Figure 10.66

3. Double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) result in the Simulation
Study Tree. The resultant displacement plot appears in the graphics area, see
Figure 10.67.

Figure 10.67

The maximum resultant displacement in the model under the applied load is 12.6
mm (1.260e+001 mm) which is considered as a large displacement, see Figure
10.67.

NOTE: When you perform the linear static analysis with the large displacement
option to solve the problems of geometric nonlinearities, you can not view the
results at different incremental steps. Also, if the model experiences material
or contacts nonlinearities as well, the results will not be accurate and you
need to perform the non-linear static analysis to get accurate results.

Section 6: Performing the Non-Linear Static Analysis

and Displaying Results
Now, you will perform the non-linear static analysis. You can copy the existing
linear static study or create a new study. In this case study, you will copy the
existing linear static study and then perform the non-linear static analysis.

1. Right-click on the Linear Study with Large Disp tab in the lower left corner
of the screen, see Figure 10.68. A shortcut menu appears.

Figure 10.68

2. Click on the Copy Study option in this shortcut menu. The Copy Study
PropertyManager appears on the left of the graphics area.

3. Click on the Nonlinear button in the Target Study rollout and then make sure
that the Static button is activated in the Options rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 10.69.

4. Enter Non-linear Study in the Study name field of the PropertyManager, see
Figure 10.69.

Figure 10.69

5. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The new non-
linear static study is created and a new tab “Non-linear Study” is added next
to the tab of the existing static study in the lower left corner of the screen.

NOTE: The newly created study is activated, by default. You can switch between
the studies by clicking on the respective tabs available in the lower left corner
of the screen.

Now, you can define the non-linear properties and run the study. Notice that the
material, fixtures, load, and mesh properties are copied from the existing static
study.

6. Right-click on the Non-linear Study (name of the study) in the Simulation
Study Tree and then click on the Properties tool in the shortcut menu
appeared. The Nonlinear - Static dialog box appears.

7. Make sure that the start time and end time are set to 0 and 1 in the Stepping
options area of the dialog box.

8. Make sure that the Automatic (autostepping) radio button is activated in the
dialog box as the time increment method to determine the incremental load
steps, automatically.

9. Select the Direct sparse solver in the drop-down list of the Solver area in the
dialog box.

10. Click on the Advanced Options button in the Nonlinear - Static dialog box.
The options to define the control and iterative methods appear in the dialog
box.

11. Make sure that the Force and NR (Newton-Raphson) options are selected in
the Control and Iterative technique drop-down lists of the dialog box,
respectively.

12. Select the Show intermediate results upto current iteration (when
running) check box in the Intermediate Results area of the dialog box to
view the intermediate result in the graphics area, when the non-linear study is
in progress.

13. Accept the remaining default settings and then click on the OK button in the
dialog box.

Now, you can run the non-linear static study.

14. Click on the Run This Study tool in the Simulation CommandManager.
The Non-linear Study (name of the study) window appears which displays
the progress of non-linear static analysis. Also, the SOLIDWORKS message
window appears, which informs that you have chosen to show intermediate
results while running the analysis. Therefore, the analysis will terminate if
you switch to another SOLIDWORKS document or close the active model.

15. Click on the OK button in the SOLIDWORKS message window. The
intermediate results appear in the graphics area when the non-linear static
analysis is in progress. When the analysis is complete, the Results folder is
added in the Simulation Study Tree with the stress, displacement, and strain
results. By default, the Stress result is activated. As a result, the stress
distribution on the model and the von Mises stress plot of the non-linear
analysis appear, see Figure 10.70.

Figure 10.70
Notice that in the non-linear static analysis, the maximum von Mises stress is
560.954 N/mm^2 (MPa), see Figure 10.70, which is very close to the
maximum von Mises stress result of the linear static analysis with the large
displacement option [561.588 N/mm^2 (MPa)].

16. Double-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) result in the Simulation
Study Tree. The resultant displacement plot appears in the graphics area, see
Figure 10.71.

Figure 10.71

Notice that in the non-linear static analysis, the maximum resultant displacement
is 12.6 mm (1.260e+001 mm), see Figure 10.71, which is same as the
maximum resultant displacement result of the linear static analysis with the
 large displacement option [12.6 mm (1.260e+001 mm)].

NOTE: In addition to the large displacement, if the model experiences material

or contacts nonlinearities as well then the results of the linear static analysis
with the large displacement option will not be accurate and you need to
perform the non-linear static analysis to get the accurate results. Also, in the
linear static analysis, you cannot display the results in different incremental
steps.

In non-linear static analysis, you can also display the results at different solution
steps. By default, the program displays the results at the end solution step.

17. Right-click on the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) result in the Results folder of
the Simulation Study Tree and then click on the Edit Definition tool in the
shortcut menu appeared. The Displacement plot PropertyManager appears,
see Figure 10.72.

By default, 1 is entered in the Time field of the Plot Step rollout of the
PropertyManager, see Figure 10.72. As a result, the resultant displacement
plot displays the results for the end solution step, which is 7th in this case.

Figure 10.72

18. Enter 5 in the Plot Step field of the PropertyManager to display the resultant
displacement plot results for the 5th solution step. Next, click anywhere in the
graphics area. The time step (0.31 sec) corresponding to the specified solution
step (5th) appears in the Time field of the PropertyManager.

19. Select the True scale radio button in the Deformed Shape rollout of the
PropertyManager to display the deformed shape of the model in true scale.

20. Click on the green tick-mark button in the PropertyManager. The resultant
displacement plot for the 5th solution step at 0.31 sec appears in the graphics
area, see Figure 10.73.

Figure 10.73

21. Similarly, you can display different results of the non-linear static analysis in
different incremental steps.

Section 7: Generating the Response graph of a Node
Now, you need to generate the response graph of a node in the large
displacement area.

1. Click on Plot Tools in the Simulation CommandManager. A flyout appears,
see Figure 10.74.

Figure 10.74

2. Click on the Probe tool in this flyout, see Figure 10.74. The Probe Result
PropertyManager appears, see Figure 10.75.

Figure 10.75

3. Make sure that the At location radio button is selected in the Options rollout
of the PropertyManager to display the results of a location (node).

4. Move the cursor toward the lower right vertex of the model and then click the
left mouse button when it highlights in the graphics area, see Figure 10.76.
The node number 7 is selected and the results of the selected node appears in
the Results rollout of the PropertyManager.

Figure 10.76

5. Scroll down the PropertyManager and then click on the Response button in
the Report Options rollout of the PropertyManager, see Figure 10.77. The
Response Graph window appears which displays the response graph of the
selected node to the resultant displacement vs time, see Figure 10.78.
 Figure 10.77

Figure 10.78

6. After viewing the response graph, close the window and then close the
PropertyManager.

Section 8: Saving Results
Now, you need to save the model and its results.

1. Click on the Save tool in the Standard toolbar. The model and its results are
saved in the location > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > Tutorial Files > C10
Tutorials > Case Study 3.

2. Close the SOLIDWORKS session.

Hands-on Test Drive 1: Non-linear Static

Analysis of a Hook Assembly
Perform the non-linear analysis of a Hook Assembly, see Figure 10.79. The
Hook part of the assembly is pushed toward the other part to snap into it, see
Figure 10.80.
Figure 10.79

Figure 10.80

Project Description
The Snap part is fixed at its bottom, see Figure 10.81 and the Hook part has all
degrees of freedom fixed except the translation movement of 30 mm
downward, see Figure 10.81. Both the parts are made up of Acrylic (Medium-
high impact) plastic material.

Figure 10.81
Project Summary
In this case study, perform the non-linear static study by using the Force control
method and the Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme to converge the solution.

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned about important engineering assumptions that
are made for a non-linear static problems. You have also learned about various
iterative methods [Newton-Raphson (NR) scheme and Modified Newton-
Raphson (MNR) scheme] and incremental methods (Force, Displacement, and
Arc Length) to converge the equilibrium solutions for the non-linear analysis. In
this chapter, you have also learned about different types of nonlineraties
(material nonlinearities, geometric nonlinearities, and contact nonlinearities) and
how to perform the non-linear analysis of various case studies. Besides, you
have learned how to define the non-linear properties, generate time history plot,
display the non-linear results at different solution steps, generate response graph
of a node, and so on in a non-linear analysis.


Questions
• The non-linear problems are categorized mainly in three categories: ________,
________, and ________.

• In non-linear problems, the ________ is not constant and it changes as the
magnitude of the load increases.

• SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses ________ or ________ as the iterative
method to converges the equilibrium equation at every incremental step.

• In the Newton-Raphson (NR) method, the stiffness is calculated at every
________.

• In the Modified Newton-Raphson (NR) method, the stiffness is calculated at
the ________ iteration and then the same stiffness is used for the next
iterations.

• SOLIDWORKS Simulation uses ________, ________, and ________ as the
incremental methods to converges the final solution.

• The ________ nonlinearities occur, when the maximum von Mises stress
exceeds the yield strength of the material and the material experiences the
plastic deformation.

• In non-linear static analysis, the load is divided into different incremental steps
as the function of ________ time.

• The ________ check box is used to display the intermediate result of the non-
linear analysis in the graphics area when the analysis is in progress.

• The ________ curve is used to define the behavior of material in the plastic
region.

• The ________ tool is used to generate the time history response graph of the
specified nodes or locations.

• In ________ problems, the boundary conditions are assumed to be changed due
to the motion in the components during the analysis.

• The ________ check box in the Static dialog box allows you to solve the large
displacement problems in the linear static analysis.