Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 1

In this tutorial, we will learn the basics of performing motion analysis using COSMOSMotion. Although
the tutorial can be completed by anyone with a basic knowledge of SolidWorks parts and assemblies, we
have provided enough detail so that students with an understanding of the physics of mechanics will be
able to relate the results to those obtained by hand calculations.

Begin by creating the six part models detailed on page 2. For each part,
define the material by right-clicking Material in the FeatureManager
and selecting Edit Material. The Materials Editor will appear, as shown
here. Select Alloy Steel from the list of steels in the SolidWorks
materials library. The part will appear with the material color (gray)
stored in the library for steel. If you prefer to show the part with a color
that you have defined, uncheck the Use material color box. Click the
check mark to apply the material.

Rotation of a Wheel

To begin, we will analyze a simple model of a wheel subjected to a torque.

From Newtons Second Law, we know that the sum of the forces acting on a
body equals the mass of the body times the acceleration of the body, or

F = ma
The above equation applies to bodies undergoing linear acceleration. For
rotating bodies, Newtons Second Law can be written as:

M = I
Where M is the sum of the moments about a point in the body, I is the mass
moment of inertia of the body, and is the angular acceleration of the body.
The moment of inertia about an axis is defined as:

I = mr 2 dV

where r is the radial distance from the axis. For simple shapes, the moment
inertia is easy to calculate. However, for more complex components,
calculation of I can be difficult. SolidWorks allows mass properties, including
moments of inertia, to be determined easily.

Open the part Wheel. From the main menu, select Mass
Properties.

The mass properties of the wheel are reported in the pop-up box.
For this part, the mass is 40.02 pounds-mass, and the moment of
inertia about the z-axis is 609.3 lbmin2. Note that if you centered
the part about the origin, then the properties, labeled Taken at the
center of mass and aligned with the output coordinate system will
be identical to those labeled Taken at the center of mass.
Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 2
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 3

Since the wheel is symmetric about the axis of rotation, it will be difficult to visualize the rotational
motion in the model. Adding a non-symmetric pattern to one of the faces of the wheel will be helpful.

Select the face shown here. Click on

the Textures Tool, and select a
texture. The Checker 1 texture
from the Patterns group is a good
choice. Move the scale slider bar
under the preview window to make the pattern
larger or smaller, as desired. Click the check
mark to apply the pattern to the face.

Save the part file. Open the part Wheel2.

Find the mass properties, and apply a texture
to a face of the model. Save the part file.

Note that the mass of this part (40.14 lbm) is almost identical to that of the other wheel, but the mass
moment of inertia (837.0 lbmin2) is about 37% greater. The mass moment of the part depends not only on
the parts mass, but also on how that mass is distributed. As more mass is placed further away from the
axis of the part, then the mass moment of inertia about that axis increases (note the r2 in the equation on
page 1).

Open a new assembly. Insert the component Frame.

Since the first component inserted into an assembly is fixed, it is logical to

insert the component representing the stationary component (the frame or
ground component) first.

Activate the COSMOSMotion program by selecting Tools: Add-Ins

from the main menu. Select COSMOSMotion from the menu of
available add-ins and click OK.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 4

With COSMOSMotion activated, a Motion menu will be added to the

main menu. Also, a tab to the motion model will appear above the
FeatureManager.

Click the Motion icon above the FeatureManager.

A pop-up box will appear, asking if you would like to add the existing
parts to Grounded or Moving Parts.

Click Yes to add the frame link as a grounded (stationary) part in

the motion model.

Notice that the frame part is listed under Ground Parts in the motion
model manager.

You can switch back to the modeling

environment by clicking on the
FeatureManager icon. However, you
can perform modeling functions
(adding components, adding mates,
etc.) while in the motion model environment.

Insert the part Wheel into the assembly. Click Yes to add the
part to the motion model.

From the menu, select Motion: Show Simulation

Panel.

Click on the Calculate button. A pop-up box will appear

as shown here.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 5

The box that appears shows an analysis of the model. Each moving part has six degrees of freedom in 3-
D space. The part can translate along the x, y, and z axes, and can rotate about the x, y, and z axes. Since
we have one moving part (the wheel), and its motion is so far unconstrained, the number of degrees of
freedom is six.

Click Dismiss to close the message box. Select the Mate Tool.
Add a concentric mate between the center hole of the wheel
and and one of the holes in the frame link. Be sure to select
the cylindrical faces for the mate and not edges.

A message box will appear, informing you that a concentric joint

has been created based on the mate.

Click Dismiss to close the message box.

A concentric joint
has been added. By zooming in on the joint area, you can see the joint
illustrated (shown here with the model in wireframe mode for clarity). Each
joint restricts degrees of freedom. The cylindrical joint prevents translation
in the x and y directions, and also prevents rotations about the x and y axes.
Therefore, two degrees of freedom (DOF) remain: the wheel can turn about
the z axis and can also translate along the z axis.

In the Simulation Panel, click the

Calculate button.

The message box confirms that two

degrees of freedom remain in the
model.

Add a coincident mate

between the back face of
the wheel and the front
face of the frame link.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 6

Dismiss the message box confirming the creation of a joint from the mate. Click the Calculate
button in the Simulation panel.

The message box now shows that

the joint has been changed into a
revolute joint. A revolute joint
allows only one degree of freedom.
It is represented by a hinge icon.

Close the Mate Command window, and dismiss the message box.

We will now apply a prescribed rotational motion to the revolute joint,

and determine the torque required to produce the motion.

Right-click the Revolute joint under Joints in the Motion Model

Manager. Select Properties.

Choose the motion type as Acceleration. (The Motion On will be

set to Rotate Z, with no other choices available, since that is the only
motion allowed by the revolute joint.)

Set the type of acceleration as constant, and the value as 600

deg/s2.

Note that if you calculate the number of DOF, it is now zero, as the
only unconstrained motion now is being driven by the prescribed motion
added to the joint.

Click the Simulation Settings icon in the Simulation Panel.

Under the Simulation tab, set the duration to 2 seconds and the
number of frames to 100.

Run the simulation by clicking the calculator

on the Simulation Panel.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 7

Right-click the Revolute joint in

the Motion Model Manager.
Choose Plot: Angular Velocity: Z
Component.

Note that when you right-click on

the joint, a different menu appears
than before. After a simulation has
been performed, the menus allow
you to display results. If you want
to change the parameters of the simulation, then you must
first delete the results of the last simulation.

A plot of the angular velocity is displayed. Since we

specified a constant acceleration, the velocity change is
linear. The final velocity after 2 seconds is:
deg deg
= t = 600 2 ( 2 s ) = 1200
s s

The appearance of the plot can be changed with commands similar to those for spreadsheet graphs. For
example, the background color can be changed by right-clicking in the graph are and selecting Chart
Properties. The appearance of the line (color/weight) can be changed by right-clicking on the curve and
selecting Curve properties.

Make any desired changes

to the appearance of the
plot.

We will now plot the value of the torque that is desired

to drive the wheel at the specified motion.

Right-click the Revolute joint in the Motion Model

Manager. Choose Plot: Rotary Motion Generator:
Moment Z. Modify the appearance of the chart as
desired.

The plot created shows a constant value of torque.

 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 8

Right-click on the y-axis and select Axis

Properties. Under the Numbers tab,
change the number of decimal places to 2.

The torque required to produce the motion is

seen to be 16.53 inlb.

We can check this result by applying the equation

M = I
Delete the simulation results by clicking on the calculator icon in the
Simulation Panel. Right-click on the part name (Wheel) and select
Properties.

Since we defined the material of the wheel when creating the part, we can
leave the source of the properties as Part. The mass moment of intertia
about the Z-axis that was previously calculated (609.3 lbmin2) is
shown.

It is necessary to use a consistent set of units to apply this

equation. The mass properties of the wheel were calculated with
lbm (pounds-mass) as the units of mass.

A pound is a measure of weight, not mass. A pound-mass is the

mass of an object that weighs one pound at sea level.

To convert weight in pounds to mass, it is necessary to divide by

the gravitational constant, 32.2 ft/s2 or 386.4 in/s2. Since the inch
is our unit of length, we will use the latter. Therefore I, the mass
moment of inertia, is:

609.3lb in 2
I= = 1.577 lb in s 2
in
386.4 2
s

The angular acceleration must be expressed in radians per second squared:

deg rad rad
= 600 2 = 10.47 2
s 180 deg s

The torque can now be calculated as:

rad
M = T = I = (1.577 lb in s 2 ) 10.47 2 = 16.5 in l b
s

This result agrees with the COSMOSMotion result.

 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 9

Note that the torque required to produce the constant acceleration is also constant. Therefore, the torque
would need to be applied instantaneously, which is impossible. If our goal is to reach a constant angular
velocity of 1200 deg/s (200 rpm) in 2 seconds, then we may consider a motion profile that starts with an
acceleration of zero and ramps up to a maximum value and then ramps back down to zero. In this case,
the torque is allowed to ramp up and down smoothly.

Click the calculator icon on the Simulation Panel to delete

the previous results. Right-click on the Revolute joint in
the Motion Model Manager and change the Motion Type to
Velocity. Select a Step Function with an initial value of 0
deg/s, a final value of 1200 deg/s, a start time of 0 seconds,
and an end time of 2 seconds. Click Apply, and run the
simulation.

The graphs previously created are refreshed. Note that the

angular velocity profile is an S-shaped curve, as the
acceleration (the slope of the velocity curve) begins and ends at
zero and peaks in the middle. The torque now smoothly
increases to a maximum value at a time one second and
smoothly decreases back to zero. Although the peak torque
(24.79 inlb) is higher than before, the smooth torque curve is
preferred. In particular, the jerk (rate of change of acceleration) is no longer infinite.

Delete the results. Set the duration of the

simulation to 3 seconds. Repeat the
simulation.

Notice that the angular velocity remains at

1200 deg/s after 2 seconds. Also, the torque
remains at zero. If no friction is present in the
model, then maintaining a constant rotational
speed requires no torque.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 10

Return to the FeatureManager and delete

the Wheel part. Insert Wheel 2, and add
concentric and coincident mates as
before. Switch to the Motion Model
Manager, and set the properties of the
revolute joint to velocity, with a step
function as described above. Run the
simulation.

Note that the peak torque is 34.05 inlb,

which is 37% higher than before. This
increased torque is proportional to the
increased moment of inertia of the new
wheel.

Analysis of a 4-Bar Linkage

We will now analyze the motion of the 4-bar

linkage shown here. We will specify a constant F
rotational velocity for the crank and will find the
velocities and accelerations of the other links, the
torque required to drive the mechanism, and
forces at the pin joints.

NOTE: This analysis will not predict the stresses

in the links, since the links are assumed to be
rigid. However, the forces calculated can be used
as inputs to finite element analysis.
CONNECTOR

Open a new assembly. Insert the frame link, and

then insert the other three links in the
approximate locations shown.
CRANK

Switch to the motion model.

When prompted to add the FRAME
ROCKER
parts to grounded and
moving parts in the motion
model, click Yes. Open the Simulation Panel.

Throughout this tutorial, any message boxes

can be deleted by selecting Dismiss.

Note that there are 18 DOF, six for each of the three moving links.

Click the calculator icon to run the simulation.

The moving links will all fall off the screen, as the motion model includes gravity.

Click the calculator icon again to clear the results and reset the components.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 11

Add a coincident mate between the back face of the crank and the front
face of the frame. Add a concentric mate between the corresponding
cylindrical faces of the frame and crank. Be sure to select faces and not
edges; if edges are selected, then the resulting joints in the motion model
may be incorrect. Close the Mate PropertyManager, and select
Calculate from the Simulation Panel.

A revolute joint, which constrains five degrees of freedom of the crank, is

created, and the number of DOF is reduced to 13.

Add coincident and concentric mates between the frame

and rocker, creating another revolute joint and reducing
the number of DOF to 8. Move the crank and rocker to the
approximate positions shown here.

Add coincident and concentric mates between the

crank and connector, creating a third revolute joint
and reducing the number of DOF to 3.

Finally, add a concentric relation between the

connector and the rocker.

Although the symbol that appears on

the last joint appears to be that of a
cylindrical joint, in the Motion Model
Manager it is identified as a concentric
joint. A cylindrical joint would place
redundant constraints on the model.
(The revolute between the crank and
connector has already constrained the rotations about the x and y
axes of the connector. Therefore, the new joint is defined to
constrain only the x and y translations of the pin joint.) The
Simulation Panel now shows the number of DOF to be one, which
means that the mechanism can be completely controlled by
driving one on the links.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 12

To define the starting position of the mechanism, we will set the crank to be
perpendicular to the frame.

Add a perpendicular mate to the faces shown

here. Switch to the FeatureManager, and
right-click on the perpendicular mate just
created. Select Suppress.

This will remove the constraint defined by the mate (and the corresponding joint in the motion model),
but the orientation of the links will remain.

We will now define the motion of the crank.

Click on the plus sign next to Joints in the FeatureManager. As you

click on each joint, the joint will be highlighted in green on the
screen. Select the revolute joint that connects the frame link and the
crank.

Right-click on the revolute joint, and choose Properties. Set the

motion type as Velocity, the function to Constant, and the
angular velocity to -360 degrees per second (60 rpm).

In COSMOSMotion, the positive direction for applied rotations is

clockwise, which is the opposite from most the typical right hand
rule sign convention. (Align the thumb of your right hand along the
axis of rotation, and your fingers will curl in the positive direction of
rotation.) Velocities and accelerations from the analysis generally
follow the right-hand rule convention, but extreme care should be taken in evaluating the signs.

Note that arrows appear on the joint name in the FeatureManager and on the joint itself, indicating the
there is applied motion on this joint. The number of degrees of freedom is now zero.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 13

Click on the Simulation Settings button

on the Simulation Panel. Under the
World tab, make sure that the gravity is
on, with a value of 386 in/s2, with the
gravity direction in the y direction, as
indicated by a -1 in Y box. (The
gravitational constant can be reset by
clicking the icon next to the numerical value.)

Under the Simulation tab, set the duration to one second and the
number of frames to 100.

Before running the simulation, we will add a force to the open hole
of the connector.

Right-click on Action-Only under the Forces and select Add

Action-Only Force.

Select the edge of the open hole on the connector

as the component to which the force will be
applied (by selecting the hole, both the component
and the location of the force will be selected).

Select the ground link as the reference-

direction link.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 14

In the Select Direction box, delete the entry in

the box. With the box highlighted in pink, select
the top face of the ground link. The direction of
the force will be perpendicular to this face.

The force is now shown

acting upwards. Click on the
arrows to change the
direction.

Select the Function tab and set the force to 20

pounds, and click Apply.

Check the mass properties of each of the moving parts by right-clicking on each and selecting
Properties.

If you defined the material of each part as steel, then the density box should display about 0.28 pounds per
cubic inch. If you did not define the properties, then the value defaults to the density of water (0.036
pounds per cubic inch). You may override the part-defined properties by selecting a new material here or
by entering a density value.

Run the simulation by clicking the

calculator icon.

Velocities, accelerations, forces, and

moments can now be plotted.

To view the angular velocity of the

connector, right-click on the connector
under Moving Parts, pick Plot-Angular
Velocity-Z Component.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 15

By moving the slider bar on the

Simulation panel, you can find the
approximate position of the
mechanism at which the
magnitude of the angular velocity
of the connector is maximized.

To remove the graph, right-click

on it and select delete.

You can add graphics showing the directions and relative magnitudes of the velocities and accelerations
of any point.

Under Results, right-click Velocity and select Create Velocity. Click on

the edge of the open hole, and an arrow showing the velocity will be
added.

Repeat with Acceleration to add an

acceleration graphic.

As you move the slider bar on the Simulation Panel, the

velocity and acceleration arrows will change direction
and length.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 16

You can also add a trace path, which shows the position of a
point throughout the simulation.

Right-click Trace Path, and select Create Trace Path.

Select the edge of the open hole as the location.

The trace path will be displayed, with a pencil icon showing

the current position of the trace point.

Each of these graphic

elements is stored in the
Results section, from where
it can be edited or deleted.

To display the torque required to

drive the crank at 60 rpm, right-
click on the revolute joint for
which the motion was applied, and
select Plot-Rotary Motion
Generator-Z Moment. At the
position shown here, the maximum
torque of 62.3 in-lb is required to
maintain the velocity of the crank.

To save the actual data displayed on the graph, right-click on the graph
and select Export CSV. This will create a data file that can be opened in
Excel.

As we see here, the torque is

about 30 in-lb at the beginning of
the simulation.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 17

Since the rotational speed is fairly low, you may assume that the inertial effects of the accelerating links
are small compared to the applied 20-pound load. Confirm this by changing the rotational velocity.

Delete the results by clicking on the calculator icon and change the rotational velocity of the crank
by right-clicking on the revolute and selecting Properties. Change the velocity to 36 degrees per
second (6 rpm). Change the duration of the simulation to 10 seconds and run the analysis.

Note that the maximum torque is only slightly less than for the previous analysis, about 61 in-lb. Further
evidence that the inertial effects are low can be seen by conducting a static force analysis, as is shown in
the hand calculations on pages 19 and 20. Ignoring both the accelerations of the members and the
member weights, it is seen that a torque of 29.4 in-lb is required for static equilibrium of the mechanism
when the members are in their starting positions.

Delete the analysis results. From the Simulation Panel, choose the Simulation settings and turn
gravity off. Run the analysis, and save the torque results to a CSV file.

This result for the torque at time =0 agrees with that calculated in
the hand analysis. An analysis in which the inertial forces are
small is sometimes referred to as a quasi-static analysis.
Although a static analysis produces good results if inertial force
are low, the advantage of our computer solution is that a
complete revolution has been considered. The hand calculations
only apply to a single point in time, which of course may not be
the time at which the forces are maximized.

Delete the results by clicking on the calculator icon and change the rotational velocity of the crank
by right-clicking on the revolute and selecting Properties. Change the velocity to 3600 degrees per
second (600 rpm). Change the duration of the simulation to 0.10 seconds, turn on the gravity, and
run the analysis.

The maximum torque is now found to be about 270 in-lb. At this

higher rotational speed, the inertial effects of the members now
make a large contribution to the solution. By saving and viewing
the .CSV file, we see that the value of torque at the beginning
position (crank is vertical) is 6.49 in-lb. This value is verified in
the dynamic analysis hand calculations beginning on page 21.

Simulation results can be exported as Excel spreadsheets. For

example, we can export force on joint between the crank and
connector (Revolute3).

From the menu, select Motion-Export Results-To Spreadsheet.

For the Element with Results, select the Revolute3 Joint. For
the Result Characteristic, select Force. For Components, select
X.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2006 COSMOSMotion Tutorial Page 18

We will plot both components of force (the Z-direction force is

zero) and the magnitude on a single graph.

Click on Add 1 Curve and select Revolute3-Force-Y.

Click on Add 1 Curve and select Revolute3-Force-

Magnitude.

Now select Add 1 Curve and OK.

Excel will be opened, and the graph displayed. The

actual numerical data is stored on Sheet 1 of the
spreadsheet.

Note that the value of the pin forces at time = 0 (X-

component = -2.16 pounds, Y-component = 23.55
pounds) agree with the hand calculation results for joint
B on page 30.

Edit the graph in Excel to

make it look the way you want.

The graph type is a Line graph.

You may want to right click on
the graph and change the graph
type to XY plot to have more
control of the graphs
appearance.

Video files are easy to create.

Select Motion-Export Results-to AVI Movie. Set the path to which the file will be saved, and OK.

Note that the Simulation Panel and any results windows will appear in the movie if they are open in the
model area. To play the movie, go to the directory where you stored it and double-click on the file name.