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SolidWorks® 2013

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SolidWorks Simulation
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PR

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation

175 Wyman Street
Waltham, MA 02451 U.S.A.
© 1995-2012, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, a Copyright Notices for SolidWorks Standard,
Dassault Systèmes S.A. company, 175 Wyman Street, Premium, Professional, and Education Products
Waltham, MA. 02451 USA. All rights reserved. Portions of this software © 1986-2012 Siemens Product
The information and the software discussed in this document Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved.
are subject to change without notice and are not This work contains the following software owned by
commitments by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation Siemens Industry Software Limited:
(DS SolidWorks).
D-Cubed™ 2D DCM © 2012. Siemens Industry

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No material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or Software Limited. All rights reserved.

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by any means, electronically or manually, for any purpose
without the express written permission of DS SolidWorks. D-Cubed™ 3D DCM © 2012. Siemens Industry
Software Limited. All rights reserved.

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The software discussed in this document is furnished under a
license and may be used or copied only in accordance with D-Cubed™ PGM © 2012. Siemens Industry Software
the terms of the license. All warranties given by DS Limited. All rights reserved.
SolidWorks as to the software and documentation are set D-Cubed™ CDM © 2012. Siemens Industry Software
forth in the license agreement, and nothing stated in, or Limited. All rights reserved.
implied by, this document or its contents shall be considered D-Cubed™ AEM © 2012. Siemens Industry Software
or deemed a modification or amendment of any terms, Limited. All rights reserved.

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including warranties, in the license agreement.
Portions of this software © 1998-2012 Geometric Ltd.
Patent Notices Portions of this software © 1996-2012 Microsoft
SolidWorks® 3D mechanical CAD software is protected by Corporation. All rights reserved.
U.S. Patents 5,815,154; 6,219,049; 6,219,055; 6,611,725; Portions of this software incorporate PhysX™ by NVIDIA
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7,688,318; 7,694,238; 7,853,940 and foreign patents, (e.g., rights reserved, patents pending.
EP 1,116,190 B1 and JP 3,517,643).
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eDrawings® software is protected by U.S. Patent 7,184,044;
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Portions of this software © 2007-2011 DriveWorks Ltd.
Copyright 1984-2010 Adobe Systems Inc. and its licensors.
All rights reserved. Protected by U.S. Patents 5,929,866;
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U.S. and foreign patents pending. 5,943,063; 6,289,364; 6,563,502; 6,639,593; 6,754,382;
patents pending.
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eDrawings, and the eDrawings logo are registered
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trademark of DS SolidWorks. About SolidWorks.

CircuitWorks, FloXpress, PhotoWorks, TolAnalyst, and Copyright Notices for SolidWorks Simulation
XchangeWorks are trademarks of DS SolidWorks. Products
FeatureWorks is a registered trademark of Geometric Ltd. Portions of this software © 2008 Solversoft Corporation.
SolidWorks 2013, SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, SolidWorks PCGLSS © 1992-2010 Computational Applications and
Workgroup PDM, SolidWorks Simulation, SolidWorks Flow System Integration, Inc. All rights reserved.
No -RE

Simulation, eDrawings, eDrawings Professional, and

SolidWorks Sustainability are product names of DS Copyright Notices for Enterprise PDM Product
SolidWorks. Outside In® Viewer Technology, © 1992-2012 Oracle
Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered © 2011, Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
trademarks of their respective holders.
Copyright Notices for eDrawings Products
COMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE —
PROPRIETARY Portions of this software © 2000-2012 Tech Soft 3D.
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The Software is a "commercial item" as that term is defined Portions of this software © 1995-1998 Jean-Loup Gailly and
at 48 C.F.R. 2.101 (OCT 1995), consisting of "commercial Mark Adler.
computer software" and "commercial software Portions of this software © 1998-2001 3Dconnexion.
documentation" as such terms are used in 48 C.F.R. 12.212
PR

Portions of this software © 1998-2012 Open Design

(SEPT 1995) and is provided to the U.S. Government (a) for Alliance. All rights reserved.
acquisition by or on behalf of civilian agencies, consistent
with the policy set forth in 48 C.F.R. 12.212; or (b) for Portions of this software © 1995-2010 Spatial Corporation.
acquisition by or on behalf of units of the department of This software is based in part on the work of the Independent
Defense, consistent with the policies set forth in 48 C.F.R. JPEG Group.
227.7202-1 (JUN 1995) and 227.7202-4 (JUN 1995).
Portions of eDrawings® for iPad® © 1996-1999 Silicon
In the event that you receive a request from any agency of the Graphics Systems, Inc.
U.S. government to provide Software with rights beyond
those set forth above, you will notify DS SolidWorks of the Portions of eDrawings® for iPad® © 2003-2005 Apple
scope of the request and DS SolidWorks will have five (5) Computer Inc.
business days to, in its sole discretion, accept or reject such
request. Contractor/Manufacturer: Dassault Systèmes
SolidWorks Corporation, 175 Wyman Street, Waltham,
Massachusetts 02451 USA. Document Number: PMT1340-ENG
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Contents

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Introduction
About This Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Course Design Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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Laboratory Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About the Training Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Windows® 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Conventions Used in this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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Use of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What is SolidWorks Simulation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What Is Finite Element Analysis? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Build Mathematical Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Defeaturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Idealization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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Clean-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Build Finite Element Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
PR

Solve Finite Element Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Analyze Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Errors in FEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Finite Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Element Types Available in SolidWorks Simulation . . . . . . . . . . 10
First Order Solid Tetrahedral Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Second Order Solid Tetrahedral Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
First Order Triangular Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Second Order Triangular Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Contents SolidWorks 2013

Beam Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Choosing Between Solid and Shell Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Draft vs. High Solid and Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Degrees of Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Calculations in FEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Interpretation of FEA Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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Principal Stresses: P1, P2, and P3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Units of Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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Limitations of SolidWorks Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Linear Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Small Structural Deformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Static Loads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Lesson 1:
The Analysis Process
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Analysis Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

yo E Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Case Study: Stress in a Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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SolidWorks Simulation Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SolidWorks Simulation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Plot Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Preprocessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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New Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Assigning Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Fixture Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Display/Hide Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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External Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Size and Color of Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Preprocessing Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Meshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Curvature Based Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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Mesh Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Element Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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Minimum Number of Elements in a Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Mesh Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Postprocessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Result Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Editing Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Nodal vs. Element Stresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Show as Tensor Plot Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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SolidWorks 2013 Contents

Modifying Result Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Other Plot Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Other Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Multiple Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Creating New Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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Copy Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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Check Convergence and Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

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Results Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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Comparison With Analytical Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

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Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Exercise 1: Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Exercise 2: Compressive Spring Stiffness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Exercise 3: Container Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Lesson 2:

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Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Mesh Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
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Case Study: The L Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Run All Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
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Analysis with Local Mesh Refinement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Mesh Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Results Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Stress Singularities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
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Case Study: Analysis of Bracket with a Fillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Case Study: Analysis of a Welded Bracket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Understanding the Effect of Boundary Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
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Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Exercise 4: C-bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
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Exercise 5: Bone Wrench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Exercise 6: Foundation Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Lesson 3:
Assembly Analysis with Contacts
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Contact Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Case Study: Pliers with Global Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Applying Materials to Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

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Contents SolidWorks 2013

Component Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Component Contact: Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Component Contact: Default setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Component Contact: Hierarchy and Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Viewing Assembly Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

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Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

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Handle Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

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Required Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

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Pliers with Local Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Local Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Local Contact Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
No Penetration Local Contact Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

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No Penetration Local Contact: Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
No Penetration Local Contact: Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Contact Stresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Lesson 4:yo E Exercise 7: Two Ring Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

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Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Shrink Fit Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Case Study: Shrink Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
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Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Defeaturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Rigid Body Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Shrink Fit Contact Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
No -RE

Plot Results in Local Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Cylindrical Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Saving All Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
What’s Wrong Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Analysis with Soft Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Do E

Soft Springs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Inertial Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
PR

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Exercise 8: Chain Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Exercise 9: Chain Link 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Lesson 5:
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Connecting Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Connector Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Mesh Control in an Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

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SolidWorks 2013 Contents

Case Study: Cardan Joint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Part 1: Draft Quality Coarse Mesh Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Remote Load. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Bolt Tight fit and Diameter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

rib T
Bolt Pre-load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

e
Local Contact Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

ist AF
Rotational and Axial Stiffness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

ut
Knowledge Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Part 2: High Quality Mesh Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Required Number of Solid Elements in Thin Features. . . . . . . . 210
Aspect Ratio Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

r D DR
Jacobian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Exercise 10: Vise Grip Pliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Spring Connector Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

yo E Spring Connector Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Pin/Bolt Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Exercise 11: Lift Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
op AS
Exercise 12: Analysis with Base (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Exercise 13: Spot Welds-Solid Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Exercise 14: .Bolt Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Exercise 15: Awning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
t C LE

Lesson 6:
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Compatible / Incompatible Meshing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Case Study: Rotor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
No -RE

Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Compatible Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Incompatible Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Automatic Switch to Incompatible Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Incompatible Bonding Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Do E

Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
PR

Lesson 7:
Analysis of Thin Components
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Thin Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Case Study: Pulley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Part 1: Mesh with Solid Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Symmetry Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Part 2: Refined Solid Mesh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Solid vs. Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

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Contents SolidWorks 2013

Creating Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

Part 3: Shell Elements - Mid-plane Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Thin vs. Thick Shells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Shell Mesh Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Changing Mesh Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

rib T
Shell Element Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

e
Automatic Shell Surface Re-alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

ist AF
Render shell thickness in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

ut
Applying Symmetry Restraints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Deformed Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Results Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Computational Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

r D DR
Case Study: Joist Hanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Exercise 16: Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

yo E Exercise 17: Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

Exercise 18: Spot Welds - Shell mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Exercise 19: Edge Weld Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
op AS
Exercise 20: Container Handle Weld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Lesson 8:
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
t C LE

Mixed Meshing Solids and Shells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

Bonding Shells and Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Mixed Mesh: Supported Analysis Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Case Study: Pressure Vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
No -RE

Analyze the Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Preparing the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Steel Identification Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
UNS Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Do E

Other Indices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

Bulk and Shear Moduli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
PR

Bonding Entities with Clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329

Shell Face to Shell Face Bonding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Shell Edge to Shell Face Bonding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Shell to Solid Bonded Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Failure Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Meshing Small Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Incremental meshing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Exercise 21: Mixed Mesh Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

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SolidWorks 2013 Contents

Lesson 9:
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Mixed Meshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Case Study: Particle Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

rib T
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

e
Element Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

ist AF
Beam elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351

ut
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Beam Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Beam Joints: Locations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Beam Joint Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

r D DR
Section Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Connected and Disconnected Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Sphere Diameter Defining Beam Joint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Render Beam Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Beam imprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362

yo E Cross-section 1st and 2nd Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

Bending Moment and Shear Force Diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
op AS
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Exercise 22: Beam Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Slenderness ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Exercise 23: Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
t C LE

Exercise 24: Frame Rigidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

Lesson 10:
Submodeling
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Submodeling Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
No -RE

Parent Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392

Case Study: Scaffolding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Part 1: Parent Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Do E

Part 2: Child Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

Selecting Components for Submodeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
PR

Submodel Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Lesson 11:
Design Study
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Design Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Case Study: Suspension Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

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Contents SolidWorks 2013

Part 1: Multiple Load Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Design Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Design Study Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Design Study Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

rib T
Part 2: Geometry Modification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

e
Design Study Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

ist AF
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

ut
Exercise 25: Design Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Lesson 12:
Thermal Stress Analysis
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

r D DR
Thermal Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Case Study: Bimetallic Strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Importing Temperatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

yo E Averaging Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Examining Results in Local Coordinate Systems (Optional) . . . . . . 445
op AS
Saving Model in its Deformed Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Lesson 13:
Adaptive Meshing
t C LE

Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Adaptive Meshing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Case Study: Support Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Geometry Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
No -RE

h-Adaptivity Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454

h-Adaptivity Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
h-Adaptive Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Convergence Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Review h-adaptive Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Do E

Strain Energy Error is NOT Stress Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

p-Adaptivity Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
PR

p-Adaptive Solution Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

h vs. p Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Method Comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
h vs. p Elements - Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Which Solution Method is Better? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469

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SolidWorks 2013 Contents

Lesson 14:
Large Displacement Analysis
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Small vs. Large Displacement Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Case Study: Clamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473

rib T
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473

e
Part 1: Small Displacement Linear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473

ist AF
Results Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475

ut
Contact Solution in Small and Large Displacement Analyses . . 475
Part 2: Large Displacement Nonlinear Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Permanent Deformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
SolidWorks Simulation Premium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478

r D DR
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Appendix A:
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks
Meshing Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482

yo E Geometry Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482

Defeaturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Idealization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
op AS
Clean-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Mesh Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Aspect Ratio Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Jacobian Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
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Mesh Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Automatic Trials for Solids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Meshing Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Failure Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
Tips for Meshing Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
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Tips for Meshing Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492

Tips for Using Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Hardware Considerations in Meshing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
Solvers in SolidWorks Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Choosing a Solver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Do E

Appendix B:
Customer Help and Assistance
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Customer Help and Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498

ix
x
Contents

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SolidWorks 2013

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1
Introduction

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e
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

About This The goal of this course is to teach you how to use the SolidWorks
Course Simulation software to help you analyze static structural behavior of
your SolidWorks part and assembly models.
The focus of this course is on the fundamental skills and concepts
central to the successful use of SolidWorks Simulation 2013. You

rib T
e
should view the training course manual as a supplement to, and not a
replacement for, the system documentation and on-line help. Once you

ist AF
ut
have developed a good foundation in basic skills, you can refer to the
on-line help for information on less frequently used command options.
Prerequisites Students attending this course are expected to have the following:

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I Mechanical design experience.
I Experience with the Windows™ operating system.
I Complete the course SolidWorks Essentials.
I Completed the on-line SolidWorks Simulation tutorials that are
available under Help. You can access the on-line tutorials by
clicking Help, SolidWorks Simulation, Tutorials.
yo E
Course Design
Philosophy
This course is designed around a process- or task-based approach to
training. Rather than focusing on individual features and functions, a
op AS
process-based training course emphasizes processes and procedures
you should follow to complete a particular task. By utilizing case
studies to illustrate these processes, you learn the necessary commands,
options, and menus in the context of completing a design task.
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Recommended The minimum recommended length of this course is three days.

Length
Using this Book This training manual is intended to be used in a classroom environment
under the guidance of an experienced SolidWorks Simulation
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instructor. It is not intended to be a self-paced tutorial. The examples

and case studies are designed to be demonstrated “live” by the
instructor.
There may be slight differences in results in certain lessons due to
service pack upgrades, etc.
Do E

Laboratory Laboratory exercises give you the opportunity to apply and practice the
Exercises material covered during the lecture/demonstration portion of the
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course.

2
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

About the Training A complete set of the various files used throughout this course can be
Files downloaded from the SolidWorks website, www.solidworks.com.
Click on the link for Support, then Training, then Training Files, then
SolidWorks Simulation Training Files. Select the link for the desired
file set. There may be more than one version of each file set available.

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e
Direct URL:

ist AF
www.solidworks.com/trainingfilessimulation

ut
The files are supplied in signed, self-extracting executable packages.
The files are organized by lesson number. The Case Study folder
within each lesson contains the files your instructor uses while

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presenting the lessons. The Exercises folder contains any files that are
required for doing the laboratory exercises.
Windows® 7 The screen shots in this manual were made using SolidWorks 2013 and
SolidWorks Simulation 2013 running on Windows® 7. If you are
running on Windows Vista, or XP, you may notice differences in the

yo E appearance of the menus and windows. These differences do not affect

the performance of the software.
op AS
Conventions Used This manual uses the following typographic conventions:
in this Book
Convention Meaning
Bold Sans Serif SolidWorks Simulation commands and
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options appear in this style. For example,

“Right-click External Loads and select
Force” means right-click the External
Loads icon in the SolidWorks Simulation
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Study tree and select Force from the shortcut

menu.
Typewriter Feature names and file names appear in this
style. For example, Restraint-1.
Double lines precede and follow sections of
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17 Do this step the procedures. This provides separation

between the steps of the procedure and large
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blocks of explanatory text. The steps

themselves are numbered in sans serif bold.

3
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Use of Color The SolidWorks and SolidWorks Simulation user interface make
extensive use of color to highlight selected geometry and to provide
you with visual feedback. This greatly increases the intuitiveness and
ease of use of the SolidWorks Simulation software. To take maximum
advantage of this, the training manuals are printed in full color.

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e
Also, in many cases, we have Radius 50mm
used additional color in the

ist AF
ut
illustrations to communicate
concepts, identify features, and
otherwise convey important
information. For example, we

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Radius 5mm
might show the fillet areas of a All Around Radius 6mm, 4 Places
part in a different color, to
highlight areas for mesh control, even though by default, the
SolidWorks Simulation software would not display the results in that
way.

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4
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

What is SolidWorks Simulation is a design analysis tool based on a numerical

SolidWorks technique called Finite Element Analysis or FEA. SolidWorks
Simulation? Simulation belongs to the family of engineering analysis software
products developed by SRAC, now part of SolidWorks Corporation.
Established in 1982, SRAC pioneered the implementation of FEA into

rib T
desktop computing. In 1995, SRAC entered the emerging mainstream

e
FEA software market by partnering with SolidWorks Corporation and

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ut
creating COSMOSWorks software, one of the first SolidWorks Gold
Products. COSMOSWorks soon became the top-selling, add-in analysis
software for SolidWorks Corporation. The commercial success of
COSMOSWorks integrated with SolidWorks CAD software resulted in
the acquisition of SRAC in 2001 by Dassault Systemes, the parent

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company of SolidWorks Corporation. In 2003, SRAC merged with
SolidWorks Corporation. COSMOSWorks was renamed for 2009 to
SolidWorks Simulation.
SolidWorks is a parametric, solid, feature-based CAD system. As
opposed to many other CAD systems that were originally developed in
yo E a UNIX environment and only later ported to Windows, SolidWorks
has, from the very beginning, been developed specifically for the
op AS
Windows operating system. SolidWorks Simulation has also been
specifically developed for the Windows operating system. Full
integration between SolidWorks and SolidWorks Simulation is possible
because both of the programs are native Windows OS applications.
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SolidWorks Simulation comes in different “bundles”, or applications,

designed to best suit the needs of different users. With the exception of
SolidWorks SimulationXpress, which is an integral part of SolidWorks,
all SolidWorks Simulation bundles are add-ins. A brief description of
the capabilities of different bundles is as follows:
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I SolidWorks SimulationXpress
The static analysis of parts with simple types of loads and supports.
I SolidWorks Simulation
The static analysis of parts and assemblies.
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I SolidWorks Simulation Professional

The static, thermal, buckling, frequency, drop test, optimization and
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fatigue analysis of parts and assemblies.

I SolidWorks Simulation Premium
All capabilities of SolidWorks Simulation Professional plus nonlinear
and dynamic analyses.
In this volume, we introduce SolidWorks Simulation through a series of
hands-on lessons intermixed with FEA fundamentals. We recommend
that you study the lessons in the order presented in the text. As you go
through the lessons, note that explanations and steps described in detail
in earlier lessons are not repeated later.

5
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Each subsequent lesson assumes familiarity with software functions

and the FEA background discussed in previous lessons. Each lesson
builds on the skills and experience gained from the previous lessons.
Before we proceed with the lessons, let us construct a foundation for
our skills in SolidWorks Simulation by taking a closer look at what

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e
Finite Element Analysis is and how it works.
What Is Finite

ist AF
In mathematical terms, FEA, also known as the Finite Element Method,

ut
Element is a numerical technique of solving field problems described by a set of
Analysis? partial differential equations. Those types of problems are commonly
found in many engineering disciplines, such as machine design,
acoustics, electromagnetism, soil mechanics, fluid dynamics, and

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others. In mechanical engineering, FEA is widely used for solving
structural, vibration, and thermal problems.
FEA is not the only tool available for numerical analysis. Other
numerical methods used in engineering include the Finite Difference
Method, Boundary Element Method, or Finite Volumes Method.
yo E However, due to its versatility and high numerical efficiency, FEA has
come to dominate the software market for engineering analysis, while
op AS
other methods have been relegated to niche applications. Using FEA,
we can analyze any shape, use various ways to idealize geometry and
produce results with the desired accuracy. FEA theory, numerical
problem formulation, and solution methods become completely
transparent to users when implemented into modern commercial
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software, including SolidWorks Simulation.

A powerful tool for engineering analysis, FEA is used to solve
problems ranging from very simple to very complex. Design engineers
use FEA during the product development process to analyze the
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design-in-progress. Time constraints and limited availability of product

data call for many simplifications of the analysis models. At the other
end of scale, specialized analysts implement FEA to solve very
advanced problems, such as vehicle crash dynamics, metal forming, or
analysis of biostructures.
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6
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

Regardless of the project complexity or the field of application, the

fundamental steps in any FEA project are always the same, be it for
example a structural, thermal, or acoustic analysis. The starting point
for any analysis is the geometric model. In our case, this is a
SolidWorks model of a part or an assembly. To this model, we assign

rib T
material properties, and define loads and restraints. Next, as always the

e
case when using a tool based on the method of numerical

ist AF
approximations, we discretize the model intended for analysis.

ut
The discretization process, better known as meshing, splits the
geometry into relatively small and simply-shaped entities, called finite
elements. The elements are called “finite” to emphasize the fact that

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they are not infinitesimally small, but only reasonably small in
comparison to the overall model size.
When working with finite elements, the FEA solver approximates the
wanted solution (for example, deformations or stresses) for the entire
model with the assembly of simple solutions for individual elements.

yo E From the perspective of FEA software, each application of FEA

requires three steps:
op AS
I Preprocessing
The type of analysis (e.g., static, thermal, frequency), material
properties, loads and restraints are defined and the model is split into
finite elements.
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I Solution
Computing the desired results.
I Postprocessing
Analyzing the results.
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We follow the preceding three steps every time we use SolidWorks

Simulation.
From the perspective of FEA methodology, we list the following FEA
steps:
1. Building the mathematical model.
Do E

2. Building the finite element model.

3. Solving the finite element model.
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4. Analyzing the results.

7
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Build Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation starts with the geometry

Mathematical represented by a SolidWorks model of a part or assembly. This
Model geometry must be meshable into a correct and reasonably small, finite
element mesh. By small, we do not refer to the element size, but the
number of elements in the mesh. This requirement of meshability has

rib T
very important implications. We must ensure that the CAD geometry

e
indeed meshes and that the produced mesh provides the correct

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solution of the data of interest, such as displacements, stresses,
temperature distribution, and so on.
Often, but not always, this necessity of meshing requires modifications
to the CAD geometry. Such modifications can take the form of

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defeaturing, idealization, and/or clean-up, described as follows:
Defeaturing Defeaturing refers to the process of suppressing or removing geometry
features deemed insignificant for analysis, such as external fillets,
rounds, logos, and so on.
Idealization Idealization presents a more aggressive exercise that may depart from
yo E solid CAD geometry as, for example, when representing thin walls
with surfaces.
op AS
Clean-up Clean-up is sometimes required because the meshable geometry must
satisfy much higher quality requirements than those commonly
followed in Solid Modeling. For clean-up, we can use CAD quality-
control tools to check for problems, like sliver faces or multiple
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entities, that the CAD model could tolerate, but would make meshing
difficult or impossible.
It is important to mention that we do not always simplify the CAD
model with the sole objective of making it meshable. Often, we
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simplify a model that would mesh correctly “as is”, but the resulting
mesh would be too large and, consequently, the analysis would run too
slowly. Geometry modifications allow for a simpler mesh and shorter
computing time. Successful meshing depends as much on the quality of
the geometry submitted for meshing as on the sophistication of the
meshing tools implemented in the FEA software.
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Having prepared a meshable, but not yet meshed, geometry, we define

material properties, loads, supports and restraints, and provide
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information on the type of analysis that we wish to perform.

8
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

This procedure completes the creation of a mathematical model. Note

that the process of creating the mathematical model is not FEA-
specific. FEA has not yet entered the picture.

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Idealization of geometry

e
(if necessary) Type of Material
Analysis Properties Supports Loads

ist AF
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MATHEMATICAL
MODEL

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CAD geometry Simplified geometry

CAD FEA Pre-processing

yo E
Build Finite
Element Model
We now split the mathematical model into finite elements through a
process of discretization, better known as meshing. Discretization
visually manifests itself as the meshing of geometry. However, loads
op AS
and supports are also discretized and, after the model has been meshed,
the discretized loads and supports are applied to nodes of the finite
element mesh.
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Discretization Numerical solver

MATHEMATICAL
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MODEL

FEA model FEA results

FEA Pre-processing FEA Solution FEA Post-processing

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Solve Finite After creating the finite element model, we use a solver provided in
Element Model SolidWorks Simulation to produce the desired data of interest.

Analyze Results The analysis of results is often the most difficult step of all. The
analysis provides very detailed results data, which can be presented in
almost any format. Proper interpretation of results requires that we
appreciate the assumptions, simplifications, and errors introduced in
the first three steps: building the mathematical model, building the
finite element model, and solving the finite element model.

9
 Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Errors in FEA The process of creating a mathematical model and discretizing it into a
finite element model introduces unavoidable errors. Formulation of a
mathematical model introduces modeling errors, also called
idealization errors. Discretization of the mathematical model
introduces discretization errors, and solution introduces numerical

rib T
errors.

e
Of these three types of errors, only discretization errors are specific to

ist AF
ut
FEA. Therefore, only discretization errors can be controlled using FEA
methods. Modeling errors, affecting the mathematical model, are
introduced before FEA is utilized and can only be controlled by using
correct modeling techniques. Solution errors, which are round-off

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errors accumulated by solver, are difficult to control, but fortunately are
usually very low.
Finite Elements As we have already said, the discretization process, better known as
meshing, splits continuous models into finite elements. The type of
elements created in this process depends on the type of geometry

yo E meshed, the type of analysis to be executed, and sometimes on our own

preferences.
op AS
SolidWorks Simulation features tetrahedral solid elements for meshing
solid geometry, and triangular shell elements for meshing surface
geometry. Why are we limited to tetrahedral, and triangular shapes?
This is because the automeshers reliably mesh almost any solid or
surface geometry using only those shapes of elements. Elements in
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other shapes, such as hexahedral (brick) elements, cannot be created

reliably by the present-day automeshers. This limitation is not specific
to automeshers used in SolidWorks Simulation. A reliable brick
element automesher has not been invented yet.
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Before proceeding, we need to clarify an important terminology issue.

What in CAD terminology we call solid geometry, in FEA is called
volumes. Solid elements are used to mesh those volumes. The term
solid has different meanings when it is used as solid geometry in CAD
terminology and when it is used as solid element in FEA terminology.
Do E

Element Types Five element types are available in SolidWorks Simulation: first order
Available in solid tetrahedral elements, second order solid tetrahedral elements, first
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SolidWorks order triangular shell elements, second order triangular shell elements,
Simulation and two-node beam elements. The next few paragraphs describe them
in this order.
SolidWorks Simulation terminology refers to first order elements as
Draft Quality elements and second order elements as High Quality
elements.

10
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

First Order Solid First order (draft quality) tetrahedral elements model the first order
Tetrahedral (linear) displacements field in their volume, along faces and edges. The
Elements linear, or the first order, displacements field gives these elements their
name: first order elements. If you recall from The Mechanics of
Materials, strain is the first derivative of displacement. Therefore,

rib T
strain (obtained by derivating displacement) and, consequently, stress

e
are both constant in first order tetrahedral elements.

ist AF
ut
Each first order tetrahedral element has After
total of four nodes, one in each corner. deformation
Each node has three degrees of freedom,
meaning that nodal displacements can

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be fully described by three translation
components. A more detailed
description of degrees of freedom
follows later in this chapter.
The edges of first order elements are Before
deformation
straight and the faces are flat. These
yo E edges and faces must remain straight
and flat after the elements experience deformation under an applied
op AS
load.
This situation imposes a very severe limitation on the capability of a
mesh constructed with first order elements to model displacements and
stress fields of any real complexity. Moreover, straight edges and flat
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faces do not map properly to curvilinear geometry.

The failure of straight edges and flat faces to map to curvilinear
geometry using first order tetrahedral elements is shown in the
following diagram using an elbow geometry.
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For demonstration purposes, excessively large (as compared to the

model size) elements are used for this mesh. This mesh would not be
sufficiently refined for any analysis.
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11
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Second Order Second order (high quality) solid tetrahedral elements model the
Solid Tetrahedral second order (parabolic) displacements field and, consequently, first
Elements order (linear) stress field (note that the derivative of a parabolic
function is a linear function). The second order displacements field
gives these elements their name: second order elements.

rib T
e
Each second order tetrahedral element has ten nodes (four corner nodes
and six mid-side nodes) and each node has three degrees of freedom.

ist AF
ut
The edges and faces of second order After
solid elements can assume curvilinear deformation
shapes if the elements need to map to
curvilinear geometry and/or during the

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deformation process when the elements
deform under a load.

Therefore, these elements map precisely

to curvilinear geometry, as illustrated by Before

yo E the same elbow geometry.

deformation
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No -RE

Again, for demonstration purposes, excessively large (as compared to

the model size) elements are used for this mesh. This mesh is not
sufficiently refined for analysis, even though it uses second order
elements that require a significantly less-refined mesh compared to that
Do E

for first order elements.

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For accurate stress results, it is generally recommended to use two

layers of second order elements across the wall thickness.
Because of their much better mapping capabilities and because of their
ability to model the second order displacements field, second order
tetrahedral elements are used for the vast majority of analyses with
SolidWorks Simulation, even though second order elements are more
computationally demanding than first order elements.

12
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

First Order Analogous to first order solid elements, first order triangular shell
Triangular Shell elements model the linear displacements field and constant strain and
Elements stress along their faces and edges. The edges of first order shell element
are straight and must remain straight while the elements deform.
Each first order shell element has

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After

e
three nodes (all in corners) and deformation
each node has six degrees of

ist AF
ut
freedom, meaning that its
displacements are fully described
by three translation components
and three rotation components. Before

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deformation
If we represent the elbow with a
mid-plane surface and mesh this
surface with first order shell elements, note the imprecise mapping to
curvilinear geometry.
This result resembles the previously demonstrated result of first order
yo E elements mapping imprecisely to curvilinear geometry.
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Analogous to first order solid elements shown before, these shell

elements are too large for any real analysis. In the illustration, different
colors are used to differentiate the element top (brown) and bottom
(green). The orientation and colors are arbitrary and can be changed by
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“flipping” the shell elements. They do not refer, in any way, to model
orientation or model geometry.
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13
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Second Order Second order (high quality) triangular shell elements model the second
Triangular Shell order displacements field and the first order (linear) stress field.
Elements Each second order shell element
After
has six nodes: three corner nodes deformation
and three mid-side nodes. The

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e
edges and faces of second order
shell elements can assume

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Before
curvilinear shapes in the meshing deformation
process when the elements need to
map to curvilinear geometry and/or
during the deformation process when the elements deform under a load.

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This shell element mesh created with second order shell elements maps
precisely to curvilinear geometry as illustrated again with the elbow
model.

yo E
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While convenient to show element mapping capabilities, the element

size is too large for analysis, even though second order shell elements
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require less refined meshes as compared to first order shell elements.

Beam Elements Contrary to the first order solid and shell elements, two-node beam
elements model the two out-of-plane deflections as cubic functions and
the axial translations and torsional rotations as linear. The shape of a
two-node beam element is initially straight, but it can assume the shape
Do E

of a cubic function after the deformation takes place.

Each two-node beam element After
PR

features six degrees of freedom at deformation

each end node: three translations
and three rotations.
The same mesh mapping Before
considerations that apply to the first deformation
order solid and shell elements apply
to a two-node beam element as well.

14
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

Choosing Between Certain classes of shapes can be modeled using either solid or shell
Solid and Shell elements, such as the elbow discussed earlier. The selection of element
Elements type: tetrahedral solid or triangular shell, used for modeling may
depend on the objective of the analysis. More often, however, the
nature of geometry dictates what type of element to use for meshing.

rib T
For example, parts produced by casting lend themselves to be meshed

e
with solid elements, while a sheet metal structure is best meshed with

ist AF
shell elements.

ut
r D DR
yo E A hollow plate, featured in the next chapter, can be meshed with either
solid elements created by meshing solid geometry or with shell
elements created by meshing mid-surface.
op AS
Draft vs. High First order elements, both solids and shells, should be used only for
Solid and Shell preliminary studies with specific objectives, such as verifying
Elements directions of loads or restraints, or calculating reaction forces.
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The studies ready for the final computations (where the correct setup
has been verified by using the Draft elements, for example) and the
studies where a stress distribution is of any interest (especially in the
through-thickness direction) should be modeled using High quality
elements.
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Degrees of The degrees of freedom (DOF) of a node in a finite element mesh

Freedom define the ability of the node to perform translation or rotation. The
number of degrees of freedom that a node possesses depends on the
type of element that the node belongs to. Nodes of solid elements have
three degrees of freedom while nodes of shell elements have six
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degrees of freedom.
In order to describe transformation of a solid element from the original
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to the deformed shape, we need to know only three translational

components of nodal displacement for each node. In the case of shell
elements, we need to know, not only the translational components of
nodal displacements, but also the rotational displacement components.

15
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Consequently, built-in (or rigid) constraints applied to solid elements

require only three degrees of freedom to be constrained. The same
constraints applied to shell element require that all six degrees of
freedom be constrained. Failure to constrain rotational degrees of
freedom may result in unintentional hinge support in place of the

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intended rigid support.

e
Calculations in Each degree of freedom of each node in a finite element mesh

ist AF
ut
FEA constitutes an unknown. In structural analysis, degrees of freedom
assigned to nodes can be thought of as nodal displacements.
Displacements are primary unknowns and are always calculated first.
If solid elements are used, three displacement components, or three

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degrees of freedom (three unknowns) per node must be calculated.
Using shell elements, six displacement components, or six degrees of
freedom per node (six unknowns) must be calculated. All other aspects
of the analysis, such as strains and stresses, are calculated based on the
nodal displacements. In fact, some FEA programs offer solutions with
stress calculation as an option, not a requirement.
yo E In a thermal analysis (which determines temperatures, temperature
op AS
gradients, and heat flux), the primary unknowns are nodal
temperatures. Since temperature is a scalar value, unlike displacement,
which is a vector, then regardless of what type of elements are used,
there is only one unknown (temperature) to be found for each node in
the thermal analysis model. All other results available in a thermal
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analysis are calculated based on those nodal temperatures.

The fact that there is only one unknown to be found for each node
rather than three, or six as is the case in structural analysis, makes
thermal analysis less computationally intensive than structural analysis.
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16
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

Interpretation of The results of FEA are provided either in the form of displacements,
FEA Results strains and stresses for a structural analysis or in the form of
temperatures, temperature gradients, and heat flux for thermal analysis.
We now focus on the more intuitive structural analysis. How do we
decide between a “passed” or a “failed” design?

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e
To answer these questions, we need to establish some criteria to
interpret FEA results, be they, for example, the maximum acceptable

ist AF
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deformation, maximum stress, or the lowest acceptable natural
frequency.
While displacement or frequency criteria are quite obvious and easy to
establish, stress criteria are not.

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Assume that we conduct a stress analysis in order to ensure that stresses
are within an acceptable range. To assess stress results, we need to
understand the mechanism of potential failure. If the part breaks, what
stress component is responsible for that failure?
Discussion of various failure criteria is beyond the scope of this
yo E manual. Any book in the field of the mechanics of materials provides
information on this topic. Here we limit our discussion to outlining the
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differences between von Mises stresses and the principal stresses,
which are both common stress measures used for evaluating structural
safety.
Von Mises Stress Von Mises stress, also known as Huber
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stress, is a stress measure that accounts

for all six stress components of a
general 3D state of stress.
Two components of shear stress and
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one component of normal stress act on

each side of an elementary cube. Due to
equilibrium requirements, the general
3D state of stress is characterized by
only six stress components because of
equalities:
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τxy = τyx, τ yz = τ zy, τ xz = τ zx

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The von Mises stress equation can be expressed by stress components

that are defined in a global coordinate system as:

2 2 2 2 2 2
σ eq = 0.5 ( σ x – σ y ) + ( σ y – σ z ) + ( σ z – σ x ) + 3 ⎛ τ xy + τ yz + τ zx⎞
⎝ ⎠

17
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Principal Stresses: The state of stress can also be described by three principal stress
P1, P2, and P3 components: σ 1, σ2, σ 3 whose directions are normal to faces of an
elementary stress cube.

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Von Mises stress is then expressed as:

2 2 2
σ eq = 0.5 ( σ 1 – σ 2 ) + ( σ 2 – σ 3 ) + ( σ 3 – σ 1 )

yo E Note that von Mises stress is a non-negative, scalar value. Von Mises
stress is a commonly used stress measure because the structural safety
op AS
of many engineering materials showing elastoplastic properties, such as
steel, is well described by von Mises stress magnitude.
For those materials, the yield factor of safety or the ultimate factor of
safety can be calculated by dividing the yield stress (also called yield
strength) or the ultimate stress (also called ultimate strength) of the
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material by von Mises stress.

In SolidWorks Simulation, principal stresses are denoted as P1, P2, and
P3.
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P1 stress which is usually tensile, is used when evaluating stress results

in parts made of brittle material, whose safety is better related to P1
than to von Mises stress. P3 is used to examine compressive stresses
and contact pressure.
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18
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

Units of Internally, SolidWorks Simulation uses the International System of

Measurement Units (SI). As SolidWorks Simulation users, we are spared much
confusion and trouble with systems of units. Data may be entered in
three different systems of units: SI, Metric, and English. Similarly,
results can be displayed in any of those three systems of units. The

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available systems of units are summarized in the following table:

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International
Metric English
System of Units
(MKS) (IPS)
(SI)

Mass kg kg lbm

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Length m cm in

Time s s s

Force N kgf lbf

Pressure/Stress N/m^2 Kgf/cm^2 lbf/in^2

yo E Mass density kg/m3 kg/cm3 lb./in3

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Temperature o o o
K C F

Limitations of With any FEA software, we need to take advantage of its strengths as
SolidWorks well as work within its limitations. Analysis with SolidWorks
Simulation Simulation is conducted under the following assumptions:
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I material is linear
I structural deformations are small
I loads are static
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These assumptions are typical of the FEA software used in the design
environment, and the vast majority of FEA projects are run
successfully within these limitations.
For analyses requiring nonlinear material, nonlinear geometry, or
dynamic analysis, tools such as SolidWorks Simulation Premium can
Do E

be used. Some dynamic analysis capabilities are also included in

SolidWorks Simulation Professional, which features frequency analysis
and drop test functions.
PR

Note SolidWorks Simulation also features a geometrically nonlinear solver

to compute large displacement problems. However, because only a
default set of the parameters for the nonlinear solver is available, the
applicability of this SolidWorks Simulation feature is limited. For full
scale nonlinear problems (both the geometry and materials),
SolidWorks Simulation Premium suite must be used.

19
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Linear Material In all materials used with SolidWorks Simulation, stress is linearly
proportional to strain.

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Linear
Material

STRESS

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Nonlinear
Material

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STRAIN

Using a linear material model, the maximum stress magnitude is not

limited to yield or to ultimate stress as it is in real life.
For example, in a linear model, if stress reaches 100 MPa under a load
yo E of 1,000 N., then stress will reach 1,000 MPa under a load of 10,000 N.
op AS
Material yielding is not modeled. Whether or not yield takes place can
only be interpreted based on the stress magnitudes reported in results.
Most analyzed structures experience stresses below yield stress, and the
factor of safety is most often related to the yield stress.
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Therefore, the analysis limitations imposed by linear material seldom

impede SolidWorks Simulation users.
Small Structural Any structure experiences deformation under load. In SolidWorks
Deformations Simulation, we assume that those deformations are small. What exactly
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is a small structural deformation? Often it is explained as a deformation

that is small in relation to the overall size of the structure.

Small structural deformations

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Large structural deformations

The preceding figure shows a cantilever beam in bending with small

deformations and large deformations.

20
SolidWorks 2013 Introduction

If deformations are large, then the SolidWorks Simulation assumptions

generally do not apply, even though SolidWorks Simulation has some
large displacement analysis capabilities, which we will discuss towards
the end of this course.
Other analysis tools, such as SolidWorks Simulation Premium must be

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used to analyze this structure.

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Note that the magnitude of deformation is not the deciding factor when

ut
classifying deformation as “small” or “large”. What really matters is
whether or not the deformation changes the structural stiffness in a
significant way.

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Small deformation analysis assumes that the structural stiffness
remains the same throughout the deformation process. Large
deformation analysis accounts for changes of stiffness caused by
deformations.
While the distinction between
Pressure
small and large deformations is
yo E quite obvious for the beam, it
is not at all obvious for a flat
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membrane under pressure.
For a flat membrane, initially
the only mechanism resisting
the pressure load is that of
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bending stresses.
During the deformation
process, the membrane
acquires membrane stiffness in addition to the original bending
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stiffness.
The stiffness of the membrane changes significantly during
deformation. This change in stiffness requires a large deformation
analysis, using tools like SolidWorks Simulation Premium.
Static Loads All loads, as well as restraints, are assumed not to change with time.
Do E

This limitation implies that loads are applied slowly enough to ignore
inertial effects. Dynamic loading conditions cannot be analyzed with
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SolidWorks Simulation.
While all loads, in reality, change with time, modeling them as static
loads is most often acceptable for the purpose of design analysis.
Gravity loads, centrifugal forces, pressure, bolt preloads, and so on can
be successfully represented as static loads.
Dynamic analysis is generally required only for fast-changing loads. A
drop test or vibration analysis definitely require that we model dynamic
loads.

21
Introduction SolidWorks 2013

Summary This short review of FEA fundamentals is not, of course, “all

inclusive”. It is only intended to get us started with the hands-on
lessons. As we progress through the case studies presented in the
following lessons, we will occasionally digress from software-specific
issues in order to discuss relevant FEA fundamentals.

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22
 rib T
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Lesson 1

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The Analysis Process

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Navigate the SolidWorks Simulation interface.
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I Execute a linear static analysis using solid elements.

I Understand the influence of mesh density on displacement and
stress results.
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I Employ various methods to present FEA results.

I Manage SolidWorks Simulation result files.
I Access available help and assistance.
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23
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

The Analysis The process of analyzing models consists of the same basic steps
Process regardless of the type of analysis or model. We must understand these
steps fully to have a meaningful analysis.
Stages in the Some key stages in the analysis of a model are shown in the following
Process list:

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I Create a study

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Each analysis performed on a model is a study. We can have

ut
multiple studies in each model.
I Apply material
We apply a material which contains the physical information, such
as yield strength, to the model.

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I Apply fixtures
Fixtures are added to represent the way the physical model is held.
I Apply loads
Loads represent the forces on the model.

yo E I Mesh the model

The model is broken into finite elements.
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I Run the study
The solver calculates the displacement, strain and stress in the
model.
I Analyze the results
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The results are interpreted.

Case Study: In this first case study, we will determine the stress in a rectangular
Stress in a Plate plate, with a hole in it, under a tensile load. We will use this simple
model to familiarize ourselves with all the steps and the majority of the
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software functionality typically used in a static analysis of solid

models.
In spite of its simplicity, this is probably the most important lesson in
this course. This lesson goes through all the required steps; however,
after the lesson is complete, you should continue to explore other
Do E

software functionality and other modeling assumptions, such as

different material properties, loads, restraints, and so on.
PR

Project The rectangular plate with a

Description hole is fixed at the short-
end face. A 110,000
Newton load is uniformly
distributed along the other
end face.

24
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

In addition to learning SolidWorks Simulation functions, our objective

is to investigate the impact of different mesh densities on the results.
Using FEA terminology, the objective is to investigate the effect of
different discretization choices on the data of interest, in our case, on
deformation and stress.

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Therefore, we perform the analyses using meshes with different
element sizes. Note that repetitive analysis with different meshes does

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ut
not represent standard practice in FEA. We repeat the analysis using
different meshes as a learning tool to gain more insight into how FEA
works.

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1 Open a part file.
Open rectangular hollow plate from the Lesson01\Case Studies
folder. Review the dimensions of the model and note down the length,
width, and thickness of the part in millimeters.
2 Start SolidWorks Simulation.

yo E Click Tools, Add-Ins. Select

SolidWorks Simulation.
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Click OK.
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25
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

SolidWorks SolidWorks Simulation functions are accessed in the same way as core
Simulation SolidWorks. To create an FEA model, solve the model, and analyze the
Interface results, we use a graphical interface in the form of icons and folders
located in the SolidWorks Simulation Study tree window.

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Analysis Library

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CommandManager tab

Toolbar

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yo E Simulation Study
Simulation
Advisor
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Simulation tabs
Study tree
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Simulation Study Once a simulation study is

Tree created, the Simulation Study tree
will appear in the lower part of the
FeatureManager design tree. Its
No -RE

visibility is controlled by a tab

below the graphics area.
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26
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Pull-down The Simulation menu provides a method to access

Simulation Menu all the commands for simulation.

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Toolbars yo E The Simulation toolbar contains all the
commands that have toolbar buttons. It
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can be customized to show only those
commands you use frequently.
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CommandManager The CommandManager provides a universal toolbar for simulation.

The Simulation tab provides the tools to setup a study and for
analyzing the results.
No -RE

Context menus Functions can be selected by right-

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clicking geometry or items in the

Simulation Study tree.
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27
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

SolidWorks Located on the Simulation menu, the Options dialog box enables you to
Simulation customize the Simulation software to reflect the standards your
Options company uses for analysis. There are two categories of options, system
and default.
I System Options

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System options apply to all studies. Included are the settings for the
way the errors are displayed and the location of the default libraries.

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I Default Options
Default options apply to new studies. As we do not use templates
for simulation studies, this is where the options are set for units,
default plots, etc.

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Where to Find It I Menu: Click Options from the Simulation menu

3 Open Options window.

Click Options on the Simulation menu.

yo E 4 Set default units for SolidWorks Simulation.

Under Default Options, select Units. Make sure that the Units system
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is set to SI (MKS) and Length/Displacement and Stress are in mm
and N/mm^2(MPa), respectively.
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5 Set default results.

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Under Default options, select the Results folder. In this lesson, the
analysis results will be created and stored in a sub-folder located in the
PR

SolidWorks document directory.

Under Results folder, select SolidWorks document folder.
SolidWorks document folder is the folder where rectangular
hollow plate.SLDPRT file resides on your computer.
Select the Under sub folder check box.

28
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

In the Under sub folder box, enter results. This will automatically
create a sub folder results to store SolidWorks Simulation results.
Under Default Solver, select Automatic.

Note Solvers will be discussed later in the course.

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Plot Settings Upon completion of any static analysis,

SolidWorks Simulation automatically
creates the following result plots:
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I Stress1
I Displacement1
I Strain1
The plot settings determine which plots
will be automatically created and their
Do E

units. To add an additional plot, right-

click Static Study Results and select
PR

the type of plot you wish to define. Each

type of plot can be stored in a user-
defined folder.

29
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

6 Set default plots.

Expand the Default plots subfolder located in the Plot folder. This
section allows you to select default result plots to be generated after
solving the analysis.

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We will use the default settings in the Default plots folder for this
lesson.

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yo E 7 Specify color chart options.
Under the Plot folder, select Color chart.
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Set Number format to scientific (e) and No. of decimal places to 6.
Explore all the chart options in this dialog.
Click OK to close the Options window.
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30
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Preprocessing In the following steps, we will prepare the model for analysis. The
preprocessing steps include:
I Create a study
I Apply material
I Apply fixtures

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I Apply external forces
I Mesh the model

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New Study Creation of an FEA model always starts with the
definition of a study.
The study definition is where we enter
information about the kind of analysis we wish

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to perform.
Each analysis we do is a separate
study. When a study is defined,
SolidWorks Simulation
automatically creates a study
yo E folder (named in this case,
default analysis) and places
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several icons in it.
Some of the icons are folders that
contain other icons.
We use the Parts folder to define
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and assign material properties, the External Loads folder to define

loads, the Fixtures folder to define fixtures, and the Mesh icon to
create the finite element mesh.
The Connections folder is not used in this lesson.
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There is only one component, named rectangular hollow plate, in

the Parts folder. If an assembly (and not a part) is analyzed, then the
Parts folder contains as many components as there are parts in the
assembly.
Renaming Studies The name of the study can be changed at any point by click-pause-
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clicking on the study name (similarly to renaming files and folders in

Windows). It can also be changed by right-clicking on the study tab and
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selecting Rename.

31
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Assigning Material We can assign material to the model in either the SolidWorks or the
Properties SolidWorks Simulation window.
If a material was assigned in the SolidWorks window, the material
definition will be transferred automatically to SolidWorks Simulation.

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In this lesson, we assign material to the part in the SolidWorks

e
Simulation window, not because this is the preferred way, but to

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demonstrate this option.

ut
To assign a material:
I Select Material on the Simulation menu, then click Apply material
to all.

r D DR
I Select the component, then click Apply Material in the
Simulation Main toolbar.
I Right-click the body/part/
assembly icon in the
Simulation Study tree and
select Apply/Edit Material.
yo E
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Note The first method assigns the same material properties to all components
in the model. The second method assigns material properties to one
particular component and all the multi-bodies associated to the
component. The third method assigns material properties to one
particular body: in this lesson, the rectangular hollow plate.
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Because we are not working with an assembly but with a single part
which contains only one body (i.e. this is not a multi body part) any of
the above three ways of material assignment can be used.
No -RE

8 Create a study.
Click Study on the Simulation menu.
9 Name the study.
Studies can have any name; here we name the
study default analysis. Type default analysis
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for the Name.

Select Static for the Type of study.
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Click OK.

32
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

10 Assign material properties.

Click Material in the Simulation menu. Click Apply Material to All.
Expand Solidworks Materials and assign AISI 304 from the Steel
folder.

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The required material constants are in red. The constants shown in blue
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may be required if specific load types are used (for example, the
Temperature load would require the Thermal expansion
coefficient).
Note that you may add a new material library by right clicking any
folder or existing material in the Material dialog window. The new
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material can be added by copying the existing material into a new

location and editing its properties.
PR

Click Close.
The rectangular hollow plate icon in the Parts folder now displays
a green check mark and the name of the selected material to indicate
that a material has successfully been assigned.

33
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Fixtures To do a static analysis, the model must be properly restrained so that it

cannot move. SolidWorks Simulation provides various fixtures that can
be used to restraint the model. Generally, fixtures can be applied to
faces, edges and vertices using various methods.
Fixture Types The fixtures and restraints are grouped as Standard and Advanced.

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Their properties are summarized below:

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Standard Fixtures
Fixture Type Definition
Fixed Geometry Also called a rigid support, all translational

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and all rotational degrees of freedom are
constrained.
Fixed Geometry does not require any
information on the direction along which
restraints are applied.

yo E Roller/Slider Use the Roller/Slider restraint to specify that

a planar face can move freely in its plane but
cannot move in the direction normal to its
op AS
plane. The face can shrink or expand under
loading.

Fixed Hinge Use the hinge restraint to specify that a

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cylindrical face can move only about its axis.

The radius and the length of the cylindrical
face remain constant under loading.
No -RE

Advanced Fixtures
Fixture Type Definition
Symmetry This option is available for use on flat face;
in-plane displacements are allowed and
Do E

rotation in the direction normal to the plane is

allowed.
PR

Circular This option is used to restrain segments

Symmetry which, if periodically revolved around a
specified axis of revolution, would form a
rotationally symmetrical body.

34
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Advanced Fixtures
Fixture Type Definition
Use Reference This option restrains a face, edge, or vertex
Geometry only in desired direction(s), while leaving the

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other directions free to move. You can specify

e
the desired direction(s) of restraint in relation

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to the selected reference plane, axis, edge, or

ut
face. The SolidWorks Flyout FeatureManager
is useful for selecting reference geometry
(plane and axis).

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On Flat Faces This option provides restraints in selected
directions, which are defined by the three
principal directions of the flat face where
restraints are being applied.
On Cylindrical This option is similar to On flat face except
Faces that the three principal directions of a
yo E cylindrical reference face define the directions
in a cylindrical coordinate system; this option
op AS
is very useful because you can apply a
restraint that allows for rotation about the axis
associated with the cylindrical face.
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On Spherical Similar to On flat faces and On cylindrical

Faces faces; the three principal directions of a
spherical face define the directions of the
applied restraints in a spherical coordinate
system.
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Display/Hide Fixture and External Forces symbols can be displayed or hidden by

Symbols doing one of the following actions:
I Right-click Fixtures or External Loads and select Hide All or
Show All.
Do E

I Right-click a Fixture or External Loads symbol for each

restraint individually, and then select Hide or Show.
PR

35
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

11 Define Fixed Restraints.

In the Simulation Study tree, right-click
Fixtures and select Fixed Geometry.
Rotate the model and select the face to apply

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e
restraints. The Flyout FeatureManager is
available in the upper left corner of the

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graphics area to make selection easier for
parts, bodies or features.
In the Type box, select Fixed Geometry, and
then click OK to close the Fixture

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PropertyManager.

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Having defined fixtures, we have fully restrained the model in space.

Therefore, the model cannot displace without elastic deformation. In
FEA terminology, we say that the model does not have any rigid body
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modes.
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Renaming Each boundary condition can be renamed to help us decipher the

meaning later on.
Window’s standard click-pause-click technique can be used to rename
fixtures, loads and connectors.

36
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Fixture Symbols Fixture symbols are displayed on the face

where they have been applied.
In this case study, we select Fixed Geometry
as the fixture type, meaning that all six
degrees of freedom (three translations and

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three rotations) have been restrained.
The fixture symbols are arrows to indicate

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translational restraints and discs to indicate rotational restraints in
respective directions. In this lesson, the fixtures are defined by the
directions of the global coordinate system visible in the lower-left
corner of the model window.

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If, instead of selecting Fixed Geometry as the
type of fixture, we selected Roller/Slider, then
the rotational degrees of freedom would not be
constrained and the corresponding fixture
symbols would feature only arrows, not discs.
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37
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

External Loads Once the model is restrained, we must apply external loads, or forces,
to the model. SolidWorks Simulation provides various external forces
that can be used to load the model. Generally, forces can be applied to
faces, edges, and vertices using various methods. These external forces
and their properties are summarized below:

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Standard External Forces

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Force Type Definition
Force This option applies a force or moment to a
face, edge, or vertex in the direction defined
by selected reference geometry (plane, edge,

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face, or axis).
Note that a moment can only be applied if
shell elements are used. Shell elements have
six degrees of freedom per node (translations
and rotations) and can assume a moment load.
yo E Solid elements have only three degrees of
freedom per node (translations only) and,
op AS
therefore, cannot assume a moment load
directly.
If you need to apply a moment to solid
elements, it must be represented by
appropriately distributed forces, or remote
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loads.
Torque This option applies torque about a reference
axis using the Right-hand Rule. This option
requires that the axis be defined in
No -RE

SolidWorks.
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38
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Advanced External Forces

Force Type Definition
Pressure Applies a pressure to a face. Can be
directional and variable, such as hydrostatic

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pressure.

e
Gravity Applies linear accelerations to parts or

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assemblies.
Centrifugal Force Applies an angular velocity and acceleration
to a part or assembly.
Bearing Load Bearing loads are defined between contacting

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cylindrical faces.
Remote Load/ Remote loads apply loads that would
Mass normally be transferred by connecting
structure.
Distributed Mass Distributed masses are applied to selected
yo E faces to simulate the mass of components that
are suppressed or not included in the model.
op AS
The presence of an external force is indicated by arrows symbolizing
the load and by the corresponding icon.
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12 Rename the fixture.

Use the Windows click-pause-click method to rename the fixture called
Fixture-1 to Fixed side.
No -RE

13 Define Force.
Rotate the model to reveal the face where
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the 110,000 N [24,729 lbf] tensile force

is to be applied and select this face.
PR

Right-click External Loads and select

Force to list the available options for
defining loads. This action opens the
Force/Torque PropertyManager.

39
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

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ut
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yo E In the Type area, select Normal, in the Units dialog make sure that SI is
selected, and in the Force Value box, type 110,000.
op AS
Select Reverse direction. This is required to define a tensile force.
Clearing the Reverse direction check box would result in a
compressive force.
When defining a normal force we do not need to use any reference
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geometry. Load direction is sufficiently defined by the orientation of

the loaded face when Normal is in effect.
Click OK .
14 Rename the force.
No -RE

Rename this force definition to Tensile force.

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40
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Size and Color of The size and color of restraint

Symbols and load symbols can be
controlled both locally and
globally.
The local settings of the

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symbols are controlled from the
Symbol settings dialog in the

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Fixtures and External Loads
PropertyManagers.

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The global definitions for the symbols can be controlled by the
SolidWorks Simulation Options in the Load/Fixture folder.
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No -RE
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Display/Hide The model now shows both loads and restraints symbols. To hide or
Symbols show the symbols:
I Right-click a particular restraint or load icon in the Fixtures or
External Loads folder and choose Show or Hide.
I Right-click the Fixtures or External Loads folder to globally
display or hide loads and restraints and choose Show All or Hide All.

41
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Preprocessing Now that we have assigned the material properties, fixtures, and
Summary external loads, we have fully defined the mathematical model, which
we intend to solve with FEA.
The mathematical model must be discretized into a finite element
model. Before creating the finite element model, let us make a few

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observations about the following terms:

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I Geometry preparation

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I Material properties
I External loads definition
I Fixtures definition
Geometry preparation is a well-defined step with few uncertainties.

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Geometry
Preparation Geometry that is simplified for analysis can be checked visually by
comparing it with the original CAD model.
Material Properties Material properties are most often selected from the material library
and do not account for local defects, surface conditions, and so on.
Generally, material definition has more uncertainties than geometry
yo E
External Loads
preparation.
External loads definition, even though done in a few quick menu
op AS
Definition selections, involves many background assumptions because in real life,
load magnitude, distribution, and time dependence are often known
only approximately and must be roughly estimated in FEA with many
simplifying assumptions. Therefore, significant idealization errors can
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be made when defining loads. Nonetheless, loads can be expressed in

numbers, which makes loads easier for FEA users to relate to.
Fixtures Definition Defining restraints is where severe
errors are most often made. A
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common error is over-constraining

the model, which results in an overly
stiff structure that underestimates
deformations and stresses.
The relative level of uncertainties in
Geometry Material Loads Fixtures
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defining geometry, material, loads,

and fixtures is qualitatively shown.
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Idealizations and Geometry is the easiest to define while fixtures are the most difficult,
Assumptions but the level of difficulty has no relation to the time required for each
step, so the message in this bar graph may be counterintuitive. In fact,
preparing CAD geometry for FEA may take hours, while defining
material, and applying loads and fixtures involves only a few mouse
clicks.

42
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

In all examples here, we assume that material properties, external

forces, and supports are known with certainty, and that the way they are
defined in the model represents an acceptable idealization of real
conditions. However, we need to emphasize that it is the responsibility
of the user of the FEA software to determine if all those idealized

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assumptions made during the creation of the mathematical model are

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indeed acceptable. The best automesher and the fastest solver do not

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help if the mathematical model submitted for analysis with FEA is

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based on erroneous assumptions.
Meshing The last step before processing the FEA model is to mesh the geometry.
In this step, the geometry will be divided into finite elements by an

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automesher. While the automesher will take care of the tedious part of
the problem, we have input into the process to control the size and
quality of the mesh.
Curvature Based SolidWorks Simulation uses advanced technology to mesh the
Mesh geometry into finite elements. The curvature based mesh algorithm
generates a mesh with a variable element size that allows the accurate
yo E resolution of small features in the geometry.
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Mesh Density SolidWorks Simulation will suggest medium mesh
density as the default that SolidWorks Simulation
will use for meshing our model. Mesh density
directly affects the accuracy of results. The smaller
the elements, the lower the discretization errors, but the longer the
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meshing and solution times.

Element Sizes The element size represents the characteristic element size in the mesh
and is defined as the diameter of a sphere circumscribing the element
(on the left in the following figure). This representation is easier to
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illustrate with the 2-D analogy of a circle circumscribing a triangle (on

the right in the following figure).
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Because the curvature based mesh algorithm generates a mesh with a

variable element size, the Maximum element size and Minimum
element size define how big and smallare the elements. These
parameters are established automatically, based on the geometric
features of the SolidWorks model. SolidWorks Simulation uses the

43
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

units of length specified in the SolidWorks model for the element size.
Remember, however, that we can enter analysis data and analyze
results in any one of three unit systems: SI, Metric and English.
Minimum Number The Min number of elements in a circle
of Elements in a defines how the small features in the

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Circle geometry will be resolved. For example, if
the model had a hole, the number of elements

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ut
in a circle will define how many elements
will surround that circle. In the image to the
right, we have defined a minimum of 10
elements to surround the hole.

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Ratio The ratio is used to define the transition of the mesh from the Minimum
element size to the Maximum element size.
The Ratio parameter specifies the ratio between element sizes in
consecutive transitional element layers. In our case, the default Ratio is
used.
yo E The following shows the use of this option.
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a) Minimum element
Maximum element size = 0.1 mm
size = 1mm
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Ratio = 2.0
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b)
Minimum element
Maximum element size = 0.1 mm
size = 1mm
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Ratio = 1.1

Tip In the majority of analyses with SolidWorks Simulation, the default

mesh settings produce a mesh that provides acceptable discretization
errors while keeping solution times reasonably short.

44
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

15 Generate the mesh.

Right-click Mesh and select Create Mesh.
Expand Mesh Parameters and select
Curvature based mesh.

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The model will be meshed using High

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quality elements.

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Expand all the sections of the
PropertyManager to see all the available
choices.

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yo E 16 Set the mesh density.
The default mesh density will have the slider at
mid-scale. Under Mesh Parameters, the
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Maximum element size and Minimum element
size of the mesh is shown as 5.72453 mm
[0.2254 in], the Min number of elements in a
circle is 8, and the Element size growth ratio is
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1.5. For the initial analysis, we will use the

default settings.
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45
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Mesh Quality The mesh can be created with either a High or Draft mesh quality. The
default is to use a High quality mesh. To use a draft quality mesh, you
must select it in the PropertyManager under Advanced options.
The difference between High and Draft quality is that:

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I Draft quality mesh uses first order elements.

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I High quality mesh uses second order elements.

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The differences between first and second order elements are discussed
in Element Types Available in SolidWorks Simulation in the
Introduction to FEA chapter.

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17 Set mesh quality.
In the Advanced section, clear Draft Quality
Mesh.
We will review the other mesh options as we proceed with the class.
Click OK to generate the mesh.
yo E The mesh appears after mesh
generation is completed.
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The Mesh icon in the SolidWorks
Simulation Study tree window now
displays a green check mark to
indicate that meshing has been
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successfully completed.
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Note We named this study default analysis with the intention of using the
default mesh size. Later on in this lesson the problem will be solved
again with coarse and fine meshes.
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Display/Hide Mesh Mesh visibility can be controlled by right-clicking Mesh, and then
doing one of the following:
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I Select Hide Mesh.

I Select Show Mesh.

46
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

18 Run the analysis.

Right-click the study icon, default
analysis, and select Run.

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You can monitor or pause the
solution in the solver window
while the analysis is running.

yo E
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Postprocessing After the analysis is complete, SolidWorks Simulation automatically
creates the Results folder with the default results plots that we
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specified at the beginning of the lesson: Stress1 (-vonMises-),

Displacement1 (-Res disp-), and Strain1 (-Equivalent-).
Result Plots Each result plot can be displayed by doing
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one of the following:

I Double-click the desired plot icon
(Stress1, for example).
I Right-click the desired plot icon
(Stress1, for example) and select Show
Do E

under any folder.

While a plot is active (appears in the model window) you can right-
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click the plot icon again to examine the plot control options.

47
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

19 Show and edit Stress1 (-vonMises-) plot.

Double-click on Stress1 (-vonMises-) under the Results folder to
display the plot.
Notice that the stress plot is in Mega-pascals (N/mm^2) units and the
legend features scientific numbers with six digits, just as we requested

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in the Options at the beginning of the lesson.

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We observe that the maximum value of Von Mises stress is 408 MPa,
which significantly exceeds the yield stress of the material, 206 MPa,
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indicated by the red marker in following the chart.

Editing Plots To edit a plot, right-click on the plot and select Edit
definition.
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The Display dialog lets you specify a stress

component, units, and the type of plot.
The Advanced Options dialog lets you choose to
plot either Node or Element values which is
discussed below.
Do E

The Show as tensor plot option lets users plot the

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orientation as well as the magnitudes of the

principle stresses (shown in the discussion below).
The Deformed Shape dialog lets the user specify
the deformation scale for the plot. Automatic
(default), True scale, and User Defined scale
options are available.
Students are encouraged to experiment with these
options.

48
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Nodal vs. Element The following figures show the nodal and elemental values of the Von
Stresses Mises stress for our model.

Node Values

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yo E Element Values
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The stress plot that displays Nodal values appears “smooth”, while the
stress plot that displays Element values appears “rough”.
Do E

To understand the reasons for these different appearances, we need to

explain the differences between nodal and element stresses.
PR

During the solution process, in each element, stress results are

calculated at certain locations called Gauss points. First order
tetrahedral elements (draft quality) have one Gauss point in their
volume. Second order tetrahedral elements have four Gauss points.
First order shell elements have one Gauss point. Second order shell
elements have three Gauss points.

49
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Nodal Values Stresses in Gauss points can be

extrapolated to element nodes. Most
often, one node is shared by several
elements, and each element reports
different stresses at the shared node.

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Reported values from all adjacent

e
elements are then averaged to obtain a

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single value. This method of stress

ut
averaging produces averaged (or nodal)
stress results.
Element Values Alternately, the stress values from all Gauss points within each element

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can be averaged to report a single elemental stress. Although these
stresses are averaged between Gauss points, they are called non-
averaged stresses (or element stresses) because the averaging is done
internally within the same element only.
Element stresses and nodal stresses are always different, but too large a
difference indicates that the mesh is not sufficiently refined in that
yo E location. See the exercise Exercise 1: Bracket on page 70 for the
practical use of these quantities.
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Show as Tensor This plot type helps visualize the directions as well as the magnitudes
Plot Option of the principal stresses P1, P2, and P3. Due to the considerable
differences in magnitudes between these stress values, one must zoom
in substantially to see all three arrows.
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Modifying Result The Results plots can be modified in several ways to suit your needs.
Plots There are three primary functions to control the content, units, display
and annotations of the plots.
I Edit Definition
Edit Definition controls the component (von Mises, 1st principal
stress, X normal stress) and units to be displayed.

50
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

I Chart Options
Chart Options control the annotations. Options include which
annotations are shown as well as the color, type of units (scientific,
floating, general) and the number of decimal places shown in the
legend. The position of the legend and titles can also be adjusted.

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I Settings
Settings are used to control the display of the model.

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Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click a plot and select either Edit Definition,
Chart Options or Settings

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20 Modify the chart.
Right-click Stress1 (-vonMises-) and select Chart Options.
Check Show min annotation and Show max annotation boxes to
show the markers in the plot.
Note that you can also modify the limiting values in the legend, format
yo E of the numbers, and the color options.
If you select the legend, it will be framed. You can then drag the legend
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to any location on the plot.
Click OK to save new settings.

Drag chart to new location

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51
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

21 Modify settings of stress plot.

Right-click on Stress1 (-vonMises-) and select
Settings.
Explore the Fringe, Boundary, and Deformed
Plot Options in this dialog.

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Other Plot There are several other plot types available to display specific results of
Controls the analysis.
Introducing: Section Sections plots allow a cutting plane to be positioned at any point in the
Plot
yo E
Where to Find It
model and the plotted results shown at the plane location.

I Menu: Simulation, Result Tools, Section Clipping

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I Shortcut Menu: Right-click an existing plot and select Section
Clipping
Introducing: Iso Iso plots show that part of a model where the plotted parameter is a
Plots certain value or between certain values.
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Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Result Tools, Iso Clipping

I Shortcut Menu: Right-click an existing plot and select Iso Clipping
Introducing: Probe A probe allows you to select a point or points on the model and display
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the plot parameter in both tabular and plotted form.

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Result Tools, Probe

I Shortcut Menu: Right-click a plot and select Probe
Do E
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52
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

22 Create section plot.

In many applications it is useful to cut the
model and look at the distribution of the
result quantity in the through-thickness

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direction.

e
Right-click Stress1 (-vonMises-) and

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select Section Clipping.
From the SolidWorks fly-out menu, select
Right plane as a Reference entity.

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Students are encouraged to explore all the
options and parameters in the Section
dialog. Note that the user can also drag the
triad to easily move the cut plane through the model.

yo E
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No -RE
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Use Reverse Clipping Direction and Clipping On/Off to

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control the cutting direction and to disable the section plot.

Click OK to close the Section dialog.

53
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

23 Create Iso plot.

Suppose that we wish to display portions of the
model where the von Mises stress is between 170
MPa and 275 MPa.
Right-click on Stress1 (-vonMises-) and select

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Iso Clipping. This opens the Iso Clipping
PropertyManager.

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ut
In the Iso value box, under the Iso1 dialog, enter
275 N/mm^2 [MPa] [39,886 psi].
Check Iso 2 and in the Iso value box, enter 170 N/

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mm^2 [MPa] [24,657 psi].
Click OK.

yo E
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No -RE

The black arrows on the stress legend indicate the values defined for
the two iso surfaces.
Experiment with the Iso Clipping window options using different
numbers of iso surfaces and different cutting directions.
Do E

Use Reverse Clipping Direction and Clipping On/Off to

control the cutting direction and to reset the plot.
PR

54
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

24 Probe stress results.

Right-click on Stress1 (-vonMises-) and select Probe.
Using the pointer, click the desired locations on the plot. It helps to
zoom in on the area.
The stress results are listed in the Results dialog table and in the plot at

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the selected locations.

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Select points

yo E in this direction
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Under Report Option, you can save the results in a file, plot the path-
graph, or save the locations as sensors. (Sensors are discussed in detail
later on in the class.)
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55
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

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yo E The figure above shows a Von Mises stress path plot for the selected
locations.
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25 Define P1: 1st Principal Stress
plot.
Define a new stress plot. Right-click
the Results folder and select Define
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Stress Plot.
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Select P1: 1st Principl Stress as the stress

component, keep all other default options, and
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click OK.

56
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

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ut
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We observe that the maximum value of the 1st principle stress, 416 MPa
[60,304 psi], is very close to the maximum value of the Von Mises
yo E stress, 408 MPa [59,218 psi]. This is because the specified Tensile
load is the only dominant load component resulting in predominantly
op AS
tensile stress along the longitudinal direction of the plate.
26 Define displacement plot.
Double-click the Displacement1 (-Res disp-) plot icon.
The post processing features that we practiced in the case of Stress1
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(-vonMises-) are applicable to all other result quantities, such as

Displacement.
The displacement shows a maximum resultant displacement of
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0.1435 mm [0.00565 in].

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57
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Note We record the displacement result with 6 digits only to practice the plot
options and to compare results from studies with different meshes. The
uncertainties and simplifying assumptions used to create the model do
not justify this accuracy.
27 Superimpose undeformed shape.

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Right-click on Displacement1(-Res disp-) and
select Settings.

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Select Superimpose model on the deformed
shape. You can also adjust the transparency of the
undeformed image.
Click OK.

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28 Animate displacement plot.
To animate the displacement plot, right-
click on Displacement1 (-Res disp-)
and select Animate.

yo E
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In the Animation PropertyManager you can start

and stop the animation, set the number of frames,
control the speed, and save the animation as an
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*.avi file.
Try the options of the animation feature.
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58
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

29 Plot strain results.

Double-click the Strain1 (-Equivalent-) plot icon to show the plot.

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Note that strain results are dimensionless.
yo E Strain results are shown as non-averaged (element values) by default as
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opposed to stress results, which are shown as averaged (node values)
by default.
Examine the strain plot showing Element Values.
To review the averaged strain plot, right-click on Strain1
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(-Equivalent-) and select Edit Definition, and then select Node

Values.
To examine the available chart options, right-click Strain1
(-Equivalent-) and select Edit Definition.
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All post processing features that we practiced for the stress plot are
available for strain plots as well.

Other Plots There are several other postprocessing quantities available to view at
the end of the analysis.
Do E

Introducing: Factor Factor of Safety Plot show the safety of the design based on the
of Safety Plot design strength of the material (typically the yield strength). This plot is
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fully introduced in Lesson 5: .

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click the Results folder and select Define
Factor of Safety Plot
I CommandManager: Simulation > Results Advisor > New Plot >
Factor of Safety
Introducing: Fatigue Fatigue Check Plot serves as a quick indicator if the fatigue may be of
Check Plot any concern in the design of the component.

59
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click the Results folder and select Define
Fatigue Check Plot

Important! The fatigue check plot is only available if you have Simulation
Professional.

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30 Plot Fatigue Check Plot.

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Right-click on the Results folder and select Define
Fatigue Check Plot.
Set the Loading type to On/Off Loading to indicate
that the Tensile force may oscillate between 0 and

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110,000 N.
Set the Surface Finish Factor to Machined. Keep
the Loading Factor and Size Factor at their default
values of Axial and 0.75.
Under Material keep the Scale this value and
yo E Minimum safety factor fields at their default values
of 1.
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Click OK.
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The areas in red indicate potential fatigue problems. Note that accurate
calculations using the SolidWorks Simulation Professional fatigue
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modulus may be required.

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60
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Multiple Studies We have completed the analysis of rectangular hollow plate with the
default mesh and now wish to see how a change in mesh density affects
the results. For this reason, we will repeat the analysis two more times
using both coarser and finer density meshes.
To repeat the analysis with coarsened mesh, we can create a new mesh

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while still in the default analysis study, but this action would
overwrite the old results.

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ut
To preserve the results of the study, we will create a new study, coarse
analysis. Creating a new study can be done in several ways.
Creating New New studies can be created in one of two ways:
Studies

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I Create a new study from scratch.
I Duplicate an existing study. Right-click the tab for the study you
want to duplicate and click Duplicate. This is essentially the same
as copying a study and pasting it into a blank study.
When we duplicate a study, SolidWorks
yo E Simulation displays the Define Study
Name window. This will allow us to
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name the duplicated study and choose the
model configuration to use.
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Copy Parameters When we create a new study, we can copy material, fixtures and
external forces from existing studies rather than recreating them in the
new study. To copy parameters, drag the parameter from the Simulation
Study tree to the tab of the new study.
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Note When a study is duplicated, the study settings, Fixtures, External

Forces, Mesh, and the study results will be copied as well.

31 Duplicate the study.

Do E

Right-click the default analysis tab and

click Duplicate.
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Type coarse analysis for the study

name. The model only has a Default
configuration, so we cannot change it.

61
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

32 Create new mesh in coarse analysis study.

In the coarse analysis study, right-click Mesh and select Create
Mesh. A warning window appears.
Remeshing will delete the results for study: coarse analysis.
Click OK to open the Mesh window.

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Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.

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Move the Mesh Factor slider all the way to the
left. The Maximum element size and Minimum
element size should read 11.4491 mm
[0.4508 in].

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Click OK.

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The generated mesh is

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displayed to the right.

Notice that there is only
one element across the
thickness of the part. In
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the default analysis there

were two elements across
the thickness.
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62
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Note The mesh is rather coarse. Later, we will discuss why this sort of mesh
is not acceptable for reliable analysis results.
33 Display mesh details.
Having created the mesh, we can
access the detailed mesh

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information by right-clicking Mesh
and selecting Details.

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The same detailed information can
of course be displayed for the “old”
mesh in the default analysis
study.

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Many of the items in this list will be
discussed in later lessons.
34 Run the analysis.

35 View displacement and stress results.

yo E Record the maximum displacement (0.143 mm / 0.00563 in) and the
maximum von Mises stress (403 Mpa / 58,393 psi).
op AS
Note All plot settings remain the same as the default analysis study
because the plot definitions are copied from that study.
36 Re-run the analysis with fine mesh.
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Repeat steps 31 - 34 to generate a new study with fine mesh named

fine analysis.
When re-generating the mesh, move the slider all the way to the right.
The Maximum element size and Minimum element size should read
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2.86227 mm [0.1127 in].

The fine mesh generated
using the above settings is
shown to the right.
Notice that we now have
Do E

several elements in the

through-thickness
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direction. You will later

learn that this mesh is
acceptable for reliable
analysis results.

63
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

37 View displacement and stress results.

Record the maximum displacement (0.144 mm / 0.00567 in) and the
maximum von Mises stress (415 Mpa / 60,252 psi).

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Check Now we must collect information from all of the studies (default,

e
Convergence and coarse and fine analysis) to compare the displacement and
Accuracy

ist AF
maximum von Mises stress results for the various mesh refinements.

ut
We can determine the maximum displacement and the maximum von
Mises stress results in plots.
We must also determine the number of elements and the number of

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nodes in each mesh. These can be found in the Mesh Details window
of each respective mesh.
Finally, we must determine the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) in
each model. To calculate this number, we could count the number of
unconstrained nodes by subtracting the number of nodes on the
constrained face from the number nodes reported in mesh details. Then
yo E we could multiply this number by three because each node in a solid
element mesh has 3 DOF. An easier method, however, is to right-click
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the Results folder in each study and select Solver Messages (see
below).

38 View solver messages.

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Right-click on Results and choose

Solver Messages. Note the number
of elements, nodes, and degrees of
freedom.
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64
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Results Summary The summary of the results produced by the three studies is shown in
the following table:

Max.
Max. von Number
Mesh displace- Number Number
Mises stress of

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density ment of DOF of nodes

e
[MPa] elements
[mm]

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coarse
.1432142 402.589 7,128 1,173 2,427
analysis

default
.1434665 408.323 44,037 8,677 14,844
analysis

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fine
.1435111 415.605 310,977 68,511 104,248
analysis

Note that all of the results of this table pertain to the same problem. The
only difference is in the mesh density. You may find small differences
between your own results and those presented in this table. This is due
yo E to service pack upgrades, etc. Having noted that the maximum
displacement increases with mesh refinement, we can conclude that the
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model becomes less stiff (or softer) when the number of degrees of
freedom increases. In our case, by selecting second order elements, we
impose the assumption that the displacement field in each element is
described by second order polynomial functions.
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With mesh refinement, the displacement field in each element is still

described by second order polynomial functions; however, the larger
number of elements makes it possible to approximate the real
displacement and stress fields more accurately.
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We can say that the artificial constraints resulting from element

definition become less imposing with mesh refinement. Displacements
are always the primary unknowns in FEA, and stresses are calculated
based on displacement results. Therefore, stresses also increase with
mesh refinement. If we continued with mesh refinement, we would see
both displacement and stress results converge to a finite value. This
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limit is the solution of the mathematical model. Differences between

the solution of the FEA model and the solution of the mathematical
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model are due to discretization error. Discretization error diminishes

with mesh refinement.
The process of consecutive mesh refinements that we have completed
is called the convergence process. Its objective is to determine the
impact of our discretization choices (element size) on the data of
interest, which, in this lesson, are the maximum resultant displacements
and the maximum von Mises stress.

65
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

Comparison With An infinitely long rectangular hollow plate under a tensile load
Analytical Results possesses an analytical solution [1]. We compare FEA results with
analytical results.
W, D and T denote plate width (100 mm), hole diameter (40 mm) and
plate thickness (10 mm). P is the tensile load 110,000 N or 24,729 lb.

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For comparison with analytical results, it is more convenient to use the
SI system because the SolidWorks model have been defined in mm.

ist AF
ut
σn is the normal stress in the cross section where the hole is located, Kn
is the stress concentration factor, and σmax is the maximum principal
stress.

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P 110000
σ n = ---------------------------- = ----------------------------------- = 183.33MPa
( W – D )xT ( 100 – 40 )x10
2 3
K n = 3 – 3.13 ⎛⎝ -----⎞⎠ + 3.66 ⎛⎝ -----⎞⎠ – 1.53 ⎛⎝ -----⎞⎠ = 2.23568
D D D
W W W

σ max = K n xσ n = 183.33 × ( 2.23568 ) = 409.87MPa

yo E Review the P1: 1st principal stress plot for study default analysis.
The maximum value reached 415.83 MPa, which corresponds to
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approximately 60.3 ksi.
Therefore, the difference is:
NumericalSolutions – THEORY 415.83 – 409.87
difference = -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- = --------------------------------------- = 1.43
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NumericalSolutions 415.83

The difference of 1.43% between the SolidWorks Simulation result and

the analytical solution does not necessarily mean that the SolidWorks
Simulation result is worse and has a 1.43% error.
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We must be very careful in how we compare these results. Note that the
analytical solution is valid only for a very thin plate where a plane
stress condition is assumed. SolidWorks Simulation calculates a
solution for a 3D model with substantial thickness (10 mm) and
accounts for realistic stress distribution across the plate thickness.
Do E

SolidWorks Simulation also takes into consideration the fact that the
plate has a finite length (200 mm) rather that an infinite one, as the
analytical solution does.
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Furthermore, detailed inspection of the stress results show the stress

gradient across the plate thickness, which is not accounted for in the
analytical model. Thus, we can conclude that SolidWorks Simulation
provides more detailed stress information than the analytical solution.

66
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Reports Results may need to be recorded in report form for review, presentation
or archive purposes.
Reports can be published in Microsoft Word format. Different sections
can be added to the report from a list of predefined commonly used
topics. The default settings for the Reports can be found in the

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Simulation, Options menu.

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Predefined sections include:

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I Description I Assumptions
I Model Information I Study Properties
I Units I Material Properties

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I Loads and Fixtures I Connector Definitions
I Contact Information I Mesh Information
I Sensor Details I Resultant Forces
I Beams I Study Results
I Conclusion I Appendix

yo E To edit the content of a section, select the section in the Included

sections and fill in the appropriate section properties.
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Where to Find It I Menu: Click Reports in the Simulation menu
I Simulation Toolbar: Click Report .
I CommandManager: Simulation > Report .
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39 Generate report in Microsoft Word format.

Under SolidWorks Simulation menu item,
select Report.
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67
Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2013
The Analysis Process

40 Add sections.
Under Report sections, select the required report parts. (For example,
you could deselect the option Contact Information, as we do not have
any in this analysis.)
Enter your Header information and click Publish.

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41 Examine the report.

Open the report in Microsoft Word and examine the results.
42 Save and Close the file.
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68
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 1
The Analysis Process

Summary We used a simple model of a hollow rectangular plate to introduce the

SolidWorks Simulation interface and, at the same time, to go through
all major steps in the FEA process.
We created multiple studies to execute a linear static analysis with three
different meshes.

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While preparing models for analysis and examining results obtained

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with different meshes, we introduced the concept of modeling error and

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discretization error.
This first lesson was intended to provide an understanding of FEA
methodology and the software skills necessary to complete the lessons

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that follow.
References 1. Young and Budynas, Roark’s Formulas for Stress and Strain, 7th
Edition.

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Questions I The pre-processing stage of the FEA includes the following steps:
1.___________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
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4. _________________________________________________
5.________________________________________________
I The density of finite element mesh (does / does not) have
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considerable impact on the analysis results.

I In general, we would favor (finer / coarser) meshes to obtain
reliable analysis results. Therefore, the time required to solve the
analysis will (increase / decrease), but this is an unavoidable
consequence.
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Ultimately, we will try to design optimum meshes providing

reasonable accuracy levels and resulting in acceptable run times.
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I The primary unknown in finite element analysis is (displacements /

strains / stresses). This quantity is therefore the most accurate.
I The accuracy levels of (displacements / strains / stresses) and
(displacements / strains / stresses) are approximately the same, but
significantly worse than that of (displacements / strains / stresses).
Therefore, to obtain good (displacement / strain / stress) results, the
mesh must be reasonably fine.
I (Refining / Coarsening) the mesh results in solutions approaching
the analytical solution of a mathematical model.

69
Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

Exercise 1: In this first exercise, you will analyze a simple part with a single
Bracket restraint and one external force.
This lab uses the following skills:
I Fixtures on page 34.

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I External Loads on page 38.

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I Meshing on page 43.

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I Multiple Studies on page 61.

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Problem The aluminum part of an
Statement assembly will be analyzed for its Bolt holes
maximum stresses and

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displacements. The part is
bolted to the rest of the
assembly through the two bolt
holes, as indicated in the figure.
The part is then subjected to a
normal force of 500 N, applied to the counter bored face.
yo E 1 Open a part file.
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Open part from the Lesson01\Exercises folder.
2 Specify SolidWorks Simulation options.
Select Options in the Simulation menu.
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Select the Default Options tab, specify SI (MKS) as a default Units for
this analysis. In the Units dialog, set the Length/Displacement and
Pressure/Stress fields to mm and N/mm2 (MPa), respectively.
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70
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 1
Bracket

The following default results plots are generated after each static study
is completed: nodal von Mises stress and resultant displacement.

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Right-click on the Static Study Results folder and select Add New
Plot. Add an additional result plot for the nodal P1: 1st principal
stress be generated as a default result plot.

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Specify the subfolder results in the SolidWorks document directory as

a location to store the result files.
3 Number format.
Select Color chart. Select
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Scientific and 2 decimal places.

4 Define a static study.
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Create a new static study named stress analysis.

71
Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

5 Apply material properties.

Right-click on the Part folder in the
FeatureManager and select Apply/Edit
Material.
Specify Aluminum 1060 Alloy from the

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solidworks materials library.

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72
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 1
Bracket

6 Apply Fixtures.
Apply Fixed Geometry to the two bolt holes, as shown in the figure
below.

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yo E This restraint simulates the way this part is attached to the rest of the
assembly.
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Fixed Geometry fixtures are used in this exercise to model the bolted
connections mounting the bracket to the other parts of the larger
assembly. Also, the presence of the other parts to which this bracket is
attached is ignored in this exercise.
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You will learn in the later lessons that more accurate and elegant
methods and features, such as bolt connectors and virtual wall, exist to
simulate these conditions.
7 Apply external load.
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Apply normal force on the

face indicated in the figure.
Specify a magnitude of
500 N.
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73
Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

8 Mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Mesh the model using High quality elements with the default element
sizes.

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yo E9 Run the study.
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10 Plot stress results.
We observe that the maximum von Mises stress in the model is
approximately 35.1 MPa, which is above the yield strength of the 1060
Aluminum Alloy (27.5 MPa).
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74
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 1
Bracket

The distribution of the P1: 1st principal stress indicates a maximum

value of approximately 32.6 MPa. This value corresponds to the
maximum tensile stress in the part (maximum compressive stress
where the value is negative).

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yo E 11 Probe stress on the fillet.
Later in the course you will learn that the
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fixtures may result in stress
intensifications which are not real. For
this reason, we will focus our attention to
the filleted region between the horizontal
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and vertical bosses on the part.

Right-click the plot Stress1and click
Probe.
Select On selected entities, then pick
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the seven faces of the fillet between the two bosses.

Click Update.
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75
Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

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Probing the results on selected faces we see that the maximum stress at
this stress concentration region is 31.1 MPa [4,507 psi], which is
slightly above the yield strength of 27.5 MPa [3,989 psi].
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12 Plot displacement results.

We observe the maximum resultant displacement of approximately
0.068 mm [0.0027 in].
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76
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 1
Bracket

Coarse Mesh and Are our current results accurate enough? Visual inspection of our finite
Element Stress element mesh suggests that it may be rather coarse, especially in the
regions where the fillets are present. Furthermore, inspection of the
distribution of the elemental values of the von Mises stress indicates
considerable stress jumps from element-to-element in the higher stress

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concentration areas.

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We will repeat the analysis with finer mesh.

13 Create new static study.

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Duplicate the study stress analysis as a new study named stress

analysis - refined.
The folders Fixtures, External Loads, Parts, Mesh, and Results
will be copied into the new study as well.
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77
Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

14 Create fine mesh.

Create High quality mesh. Slide the Mesh Density slider all the way to
the right which will result in an Maximum element size of 2.198 mm
and a Minimum element size of 0.733 mm.

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The resulting mesh shows significantly improved mapping of the
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15 Run the study.
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16 Plot stress results.
We now observe that the maximum von Mises stress increased from
35.1 MPa to 39 MPa, which is above the material yield strength of the
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27.5 MPa. This translates to a difference of nearly 11%. However, if we

examine the plot, we will see that the maximum stress is at the sharp
corner of the bolt holes. We will discuss this further in the next lesson.
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78
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 1
Bracket

17 Probe stress on the fillet.

Using the identical procedure described in step 11 probe the stress
results on the filleted geometries.
We can observe the maximum von Mises stress on these entities
decreased from 31.1 MPa to 29.82 MPa, which is still above the yield

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strength but is a neglible difference from the previous study. We can
therefore conclude that the mesh refinement confirmed the validity of

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our simulation and our results are converged. It should be noted that in
other situations the difference in the stress results may be significant. In
general, requirements on the good stress results translates into a
necessity to generate finer meshes. In our present case further

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refinement does not produce further improvement in the stress results
and we will thus conclude that they are converged.
18 Plot displacement results.
The plot shows that the maximum displacement resultant increased
from 0.0678 mm to 0.0683 mm; a difference of less than 1 %.

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19 Save and Close the file.

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79
Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

Summary In this exercise, we practiced the basic setup of the linear static study as
well as the post processing features available in SolidWorks
Simulation. We observed that the mesh quality has a significant impact
on the results (especially the stress results). While the deviation in the
resultant displacements obtained from the two studies was 1 %, the

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deviation for maximum von Mises stresses was nearly 11 % (often the

e
difference in stresses is much greater). The greater difference in the

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maximum stresses is attributed to the following two phenomena:

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I Displacements are the primary unknown in the finite element
analysis and, as such, will always be significantly more accurate
than strains and stresses. A relatively coarse mesh is sufficient for

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satisfactory displacement results, while significantly finer mesh is
generally required for satisfactory stress results.
I The extreme values of the stresses occur in the vicinity of the
fixture where the stresses often assume unrealistically high values.
This is a subject studied in the next lesson. The stresses at the
filleted regions reported in both studies were closer in their
yo E magnitudes with a negligible difference. Finer meshes are required
in filleted regions as stress results are of importance to us.
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80
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 2
Compressive Spring Stiffness

Exercise 2: In this exercise, we will use SolidWorks Simulation to determine the

Compressive compressive stiffness of a coil spring.
Spring Stiffness This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I New Study on page 31.

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I Fixtures on page 34.

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I External Loads on page 38.

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I Meshing on page 43.

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I Result Plots on page 47.
Procedure The stiffness of the helical spring can be determined as follows:
1 Open a part file.

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Open spring from Lesson01\Exercises folder.
Note For convenient application of fixtures and external loads, disks have
been added to both ends of the spring. The distance between the disks
corresponds to the active length of the un-compressed spring.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
yo E Set the system of Units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and N/m2 (Pa).
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3 Create study.
Create a Static study named spring stiffness.
4 Review material properties.
The material properties (Alloy Steel) are transferred from SolidWorks.
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5 Apply Fixed restraint.

Apply a Fixed Geometry fixture to the end face of one disk (item 1).
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81
Exercise 2 SolidWorks 2013
Compressive Spring Stiffness

6 Apply radial restraint.

Use an advanced fixture to apply a restraint in the
radial direction to the cylindrical face of the other
disk (item 2).
This restraint only allows the spring to be

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compressed (or expanded) in its axial direction
and to rotate about the longitudinal axis.

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2

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1

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7 Apply compressive force.

Apply a 0.1 N compressive force to the end face of the disk with the
cylindrical face constrained in the radial direction.
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8 Mesh the model and run the analysis.

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Use High quality elements with the default Maximum element size
and Minimum element size of 2.787 mm and 0.557 mm, respectively.
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82
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 2
Compressive Spring Stiffness

9 Plot z displacements.
Displacement results indicate an axial displacement of 0.426 mm. The
axial displacement is in the z direction.

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Coil Spring Axial The axial stiffness of the spring can be calculated as 234.7 N/m.
Stiffness (k = f/x).
We use this result to define the spring connector in later lessons using
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the equation f= kx, where k=234.7 N/m.

Alternately, we could use an approximate formula for the stiffness of a
helical spring (Mechanical Vibrations by S. S. Rao, 1995).
4
Gd
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K Axial = --------------
3
8nD

where:
I G is the material shear modulus
I d is the diameter of the wire
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I D is the mean coil diameter

I n is the number of active turns
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Substituting our values (n = 8.75, d = 1 mm, D = 17 mm, and G =

7.9e10 Pa) into the above formula gives an axial stiffness of
approximately 230 N/m. This result is very close to our actual result of
234.7 N/m.

10 Save and Close the file.

83
Exercise 3 SolidWorks 2013
Container Handle

Exercise 3: In this exercise, you will

Container assess the safety of the waste
Handle container handle.
This exercise reinforces the
following skills:

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I New Study on page 31.

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I Fixtures on page 34.

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I External Loads on
Base plates
page 38.
I Meshing on page 43.
I Result Plots on page 47.

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Handle

Problem The handle is used to attach the hook of the winch when loading the
Description container on the rails of the transporting truck. The entire container is
manufactured from AISI 304 steel. The handle is welded (double-sided
yo E fillet weld) to the two square base plates located symmetrically on both
sides. The diameter of the handle is 30mm; the thickness of the steel
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plates is 5mm. Apply the most suitable fixtures to simulate the
connection between the handle and the steel plates.

Loading In the most extreme loading

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Conditions situation, when the container is

pulled onto the truck rails, the handle
is loaded by a 3000 N force inclined
at 15 degrees. The force should be
applied on the circular split face indicated in the figure above.
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The geometry of the handle

structure with the base plates is
shown in the figure to the right.
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Goal Decide whether the design of this handle is safe. Pay attention to the
most appropriate representation of the fixture.
The part for this exercise is located in the Lesson01\Exercises
folder.

84
 rib T
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Lesson 2

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Mesh Controls, Stress
Concentrations and
Boundary Conditions
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Illustrate the differences between modeling and discretization
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errors.
I Use Automatic transition option to mesh models.
I Use mesh controls.
I Describe when the lack of convergence of FEA results may occur.
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I Understand stress concentrations.

I Analyze model in different SolidWorks configurations.
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I Run multiple studies in a batch mode.

I Extract reaction forces.

85
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

Mesh Control Meshes are rarely uniform in practical problems. It would be very
inefficient to uniformly reduce the mesh size in a large model because
of a local stress concentration. We would create large number of
elements in areas of uniform or slowly changing stress resulting in an
increase of computational time that in the end tells us little about the

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model.

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Using different methods to control the mesh, we can use a small mesh

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in areas of rapid changing stress and a large mesh in areas with little
change.
Case Study: In this case study, we will determine the stress in an L bracket, under
The L Bracket load. The L bracket presents the problem of stress at sharp corners and

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the effects of fillets and local mesh refinement.
The corner of the bracket is rounded by a small fillet. Since the radius
of the fillet is small compared to the overall size of the model, it may be
suppressed. We will solve the model with and without fillet, discuss the
differences and the applicability of each approach.
yo E We will also investigate the effect of different mesh sizes on the
maximum displacement and stress results. Rather than refining the
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mesh uniformly in the entire model, which is called global mesh
refinement, we refine the mesh locally, where high stresses are located.
This is called local mesh refinement.
Project An L-shaped steel bracket is fixed at the top
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Description and a 900 N load is applied to the lower end

face. We will evaluate the displacements and
stresses in the model. Suppressed
Fillet
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Stages in the Some key stages in the analysis of this part are shown in the following
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Process list:
I No fillet
The fillet will be suppressed to simplify the geometry and to
observe the stress at the sharp corner.
I Add fillet
The fillet will be unsuppressed to determine the effect of the fillet
on the maximum stress in this part.

86
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

I Mesh refinement
As the fillet is small compared to the rest of the model, we will use
different techniques to reduce the mesh size only in the area of the
fillet.

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Procedure In the first part of this case study, we will examine the stress on this part

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without the fillet.

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1 Open a part file.
Open L bracket.from Lesson02\Case
Studies folder.

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In the SolidWorks ConfigurationManager,
examine the two configurations: fillet and no fillet.
Make the no fillet configuration active.
2 Set the simulation options.
Click Options from the Simulation
yo E menu. Select the Default Options tab.
Select Units, then select SI (MKS) for the
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Unit system. Select mm for Length/
Displacement and N/m^2 (Pascals) for
Pressure/Stress.
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Select Color Chart. For Number

format, select Scientific (e) and
6 decimal places.
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3 Define static study.

Create a new study named mesh1.
In the analysis Type list, select Static.
Click OK.
4 Examine the Simulation Study tree.
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The L bracket icon already has a check mark next to the name of the
assigned material because the material definition (AISI 304 steel) has
PR

been transferred from SolidWorks. Also, note that a sharp re-entrant

corner takes the place of the suppressed fillet.

87
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

5 Apply a fixture.
Now apply a Fixed Geometry fixture to the
top face of the L bracket.
Right-click Fixtures and select Fixed
Geometry.

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In the Standard list select Fixed Geometry.

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Click OK.

6 Apply an external load.

Right-click External Loads and select Force.

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Select Force.
We want to apply a shearing force and not a normal force, so we must
define the direction of the force. Select Selected direction.
Select the indicated face to apply the force and the Top plane to specify

yo E the direction.
Type 900 N [202.33 lbf] for the force.
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Select Reverse direction to make sure the force is pointing as shown.
Click OK.
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88
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

7 Mesh the model.

Select Curvature based mesh under
Mesh Parameters.
Verify that the meshing option is set to
High quality (Draft Quality Mesh is

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cleared), meaning that second order
elements are created.

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Mesh the model using the default
Maximum element size and Minimum
element size of 4.812 mm [0.1894 in].

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Run All Studies Multiple studies can be run at the same time. This allows you to setup
multiple studies and then run them after hours.

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Where to Find It I CommandManager: Simulation > Run > Run All
Studies
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8 Create a duplicate study.

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Study mesh1 is now ready to be analyzed. However, we will create

two more studies and run all three studies at the same time using the
Run All Studies command.
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Duplicate study mesh1 into a new study mesh2 (see Creating New
Studies on page 61 on how to duplicate a study).
When creating the duplicate of the study
make sure that the Configuration to use
field says no fillet.
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Click OK.
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89
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

Analysis with The second part of this case study will

Local Mesh investigate the effect of using smaller elements
Refinement in the model on the results. In Lesson 1, we
refined the mesh uniformly throughout the Stress
concentration
entire model by controlling the global element

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size.

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In this part of the case study, we will use a

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different technique. Note that a stress
concentration is located near the sharp re-
entrant corner.
Knowing the location of high stress, we can

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refine the mesh locally in that area by applying local mesh controls.
Introducing: Mesh Mesh controls allow you to control the Maximum element size and
Control Ratio locally on selected entities independent of the global Maximum
element size and Ratio. As compared to global mesh refinement, this
is a more numerically efficient technique. Small elements are placed
yo E where needed, while portions of the model with no stress concentration
are meshed with larger elements.
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Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Mesh, Apply Control.
I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Mesh in the Simulation Study tree and
select Apply Mesh Control.
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Mesh Controls Mesh controls can also be applied to vertices, faces, or entire
components of assemblies. Once mesh controls have been defined, the
Mesh icon becomes a folder.
Mesh controls can be edited using a shortcut
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menu displayed by right-clicking Control-1 and

select Edit Definition in the Mesh folder, or
directly by double-clicking on the Control-1
item.
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The mesh, with applied control (also called

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mesh bias), features localized refinement

along the edges.
Meshing must be done after controls are
defined.
Mesh control symbols are displayed along
the affected edge.

Mesh Control Symbols

90
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

Mesh control Mesh control symbols can be displayed or hidden by:

symbols
I Right-click Mesh and select Hide All Control Symbols
I Right-click Mesh and select Show All Control Symbols
The visibility of mesh control symbols can also be controlled
individually for each mesh control.

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9 Apply local mesh control
for study mesh2.
Select the edge shown.
Right-click Mesh and select

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Apply Mesh Control.
Use the suggested local
Element size of 2.406 mm
and the Ratio of 1.5.
Click OK to close Mesh
yo E controls PropertyManager.
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10 Create mesh.
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Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.

Create High quality mesh with the default settings.
11 Examine the mesh.
Note that smaller elements have been created along the edge where
No -RE

mesh control has been just applied.

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With edge mesh control No edge mesh control

12 Duplicate study mesh2.

Name the new study mesh3.

91
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

13 Apply local mesh control for study mesh3.

In the mesh3 study, edit the definition of Control-1.
In the Element size box, enter 0.508 mm to locally refine the mesh
along the sharp re-entrant edge. Keep the Ratio at its default value of
1.5.

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With this mesh control, we will create very small elements along the
sharp re-entrant edge.

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Click OK.
14 Mesh study mesh3.
Mesh study mesh3 with High quality elements and the default mesh

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parameter. Use the curvature based mesh.
We now have three studies: mesh1, mesh2 and mesh3. The only
difference is mesh refinement along the sharp re-entrant edge.

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Study: mesh1 Study: mesh2 Study: mesh3
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15 Run all studies.

Select the Simulation tab on the CommandManager.
Select the down arrow under Run Study to flyout the
other choices. Click Run All Studies.
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16 Simulation progress log.

Once the analyses are completed,
review the report in the MSG file
located in the result folder.
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17 Plot von Mises stresses.

Display the mesh with the plot by right-clicking the corresponding
result plot and selecting Settings.
Under Boundary options, select Mesh.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

Click OK.

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Study: mesh1

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Study: mesh2
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Study: mesh3

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Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

18 Plot resultant displacements.

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Study: mesh1

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Study: mesh2
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Study: mesh3

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

Results Reporting displacement results with six digits of accuracy is excessive

as uncertainties in loads, restraints, and material properties definition
do not normally justify this level of accuracy.
We used six digits of accuracy so that we can compare the minute
differences in the displacement results calculated in the three studies

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we undertook in this lesson.
Results

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Results for the maximum resultant displacement and maximum von

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Comparison Mises stress from mesh1, mesh2 and mesh3 studies are summarized
in the following table:

Max. Von Increase in

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Increase in
Max. displ. Mises Von Mises
Study max. displ.
[mm] stress stress
[mm][%]
[MPa] [MPa][%]
mesh1 0.28741 - 60.76 -

yo E mesh2 0.288
0.00059
(0.2%) 76.54
15.78
(26%)
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0.00115 106.82
mesh3 0.28856 167.58
(0.4%) (175.8%)

Each mesh refinement results in an increase in both the maximum

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displacement and the maximum stress. The increase in the

displacement results is negligible and becomes less pronounced with
successive runs. From this, we can say that the displacement results
converge.
No -RE

If we continue this exercise of progressive mesh refinement, either

locally near the sharp re-entrant corner as we did by means of the local
mesh controls, or globally by reducing the global element size as we
did in Lesson 1, we would note that the displacement results converge
to a finite value and that even the first mesh is adequate if we are
examining only displacement results.
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Stress Stresses, however, behave quite differently. Each subsequent mesh

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Singularities refinement produces higher stress results. Instead of converging to a

finite value like the displacement results, the stress results diverge.

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Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

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mesh1

mesh3
mesh2

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With enough time and patience, we can produce results that show any
stress magnitude. All that is necessary is to make the element size small
enough!
The reason for divergent stress results is not that the finite element
yo E model is incorrect, but that the finite element model is based on the
wrong mathematical model.
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According to the theory of elasticity, stress in the sharp re-entrant
corner is infinite; a mathematician would say that stress there is
singular. The finite element model does not produce infinite stress
results due to discretization errors, and these discretization errors mask
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the modeling error.

However, stress results in the vicinity of the re-entrant corner are
completely dependent on mesh size; therefore, they are totally
meaningless at this location.
No -RE

If our objective is to determine the maximum stress at this location,

then the decision to suppress the fillet and analyze a model with a sharp
re-entrant corner is a very serious mistake. The stress in a sharp re-
entrant corner is singular, or infinite. The fillet, no matter how small it
is, must be included in the model if we seek to find accurate stresses in
Do E

or near that fillet.

Suppressed When the active configuration is different from the configuration used
PR

Configuration to create the study, the study is suppressed and all items in the study are
shown in grey. To unsuppress the study, the configuration must be
changed to that used to do the study.
Introducing: To change the SolidWorks configuration to the one used for a study, we
Activate SW can activate the configuration from the Simulation Study tree.
Configuration

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click the study in the Simulation Study tree
and click Activate SW Configuration.

96
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

Case Study: Now that we understand the problem caused by the sharp re-entrant
Analysis of corner, we must repeat this analysis using a model with the fillet.
Bracket with a Obtaining the correct model requires unsuppressing the fillet.

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Fillet

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1 Change SolidWorks configuration.

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In the SolidWorks ConfigurationManager, make
the configuration fillet active.
2 Examine the Simulation Study tree.
With the fillet configuration active, the mesh1, mesh2 and mesh3

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studies are greyed-out. You can access them again only after activating
the SolidWorks configuration corresponding to these studies.
3 Create new study.
Create a study mesh4 by duplicating the mesh1 study.
We copied the mesh1 study and not the mesh2 or mesh3 studies for
yo E convenience because mesh1 does not have mesh controls defined and
mesh4 does not require mesh controls.
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If we use mesh2 or mesh3, we have to edit or delete the mesh
controls in the mesh4 study because the geometry of the model has
changed.
4 Mesh the model.
t C LE

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh

Parameters.
Mesh the model with High quality elements and
the Maximum element size and Minimum
No -RE

element size of 4.813 mm [0.1895 in].

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97
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

5 Run the analysis.

6 Plot Displacement results.

The maximum resultant displacement result (0.2845 mm) reported for
the fillet study differs only insignificantly from the earlier

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displacement results. This small difference can be attributed to the
change in the model geometry.

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7 Plot von Mises stresses.
The stress results obtained by the model with the fillet indicate that the
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maximum von Mises stress is at the fillet location and its magnitude is
88.76 MPa.
No -RE
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98
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

8 Analyze the plots.

Analyzing the stress distribution uniformity at the fillet location we see
rather spotty behavior and no symmetry. This is another sign of
insufficient mesh resolution for stresses. The displacement results are
accurate in all studies solved in this lesson.

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We will therefore apply a new local mesh control on fillet and rerun the
study again.

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9 Apply mesh control on fillet.
To get more accurate results, we will apply a local mesh control on the
fillet face.
Apply mesh controls to the fillet face using 0.762 mm [0.030 in] for

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the local Element size, 1.2 for the Ratio.
10 Re-mesh model.
Select Curvature based mesh
under Mesh Parameters.

yo E Mesh the model with High quality

elements and the Maximum
element size and Minimum
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element size of 4.813 mm
[0.1895 in].
The resulting mesh can be seen at
right.
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This mesh is a little excessive in

its size, but given the small size of
the problem we can afford it.
No -RE

11 Run the study.

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99
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

12 Plot von Mises stress.

We observe that the maximum stress increased to 102 MPa. The details
of the stress distribution are uniform and symmetrical. We could
conclude that this stress value is accurate.

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13 Extract reaction force.
Right-click on the Results folder and select List Result Force.
Select the face where the bracket is supported and click Update. Make
sure the units are set to SI.
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The Reaction force (N) dialog will list the resultant of the reaction on
the selected face (or faces, if more supported faces exist and are
selected) as well as on the entire model.
We can see that the equilibrium is satisfied; the reaction force is equal
No -RE

to 900 N, which confirms the equilibrium and the correctness of the

solution.
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100
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

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Note
yo E Moment reactions are not reported since solid elements feature three
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translational degrees of freedom only. Nodes of the solid elements do
not carry any moment.
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Case Study: Now that we understand the stress concentration in the fillet, let’s
Analysis of a repeat the analysis using a more realistic model where the edges of the
Welded Bracket faces are fixed rather than the entire face. This would more closely
represent the face being welded to a plate.
No -RE

1 Create a new study.

Create a static study named mesh5 by duplicating the study mesh4.
2 Edit the Fixture.
Edit the fixture and remove the top face.
Add the four edges surrounding that face
as shown.
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This type of restraint would simulate the

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part being welded to a surface when only

the edges are firmly attached to the
structure, and not the entire face.
3 Run the analysis.

101
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

4 Plot the stress results.

Another stress concentration has appeared at the edges where fixed
geometry was used. Again, a singularity of stress is formed due to the
fixed geometry at the sharp end. Although perhaps a more realistic
finite element model, the stress concentration is an artifact of the

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mathematical model.

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These types of effects must be understood to properly analyze model

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results.

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5 Save and Close the file.

No -RE
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102
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 2
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary

Understanding Boundary conditions are necessary in order to fix the model in space
the Effect of and solve the mathematical problem. In real life every part is connected
Boundary to another and finally attached to the primary structure or the ground.
Conditions We can, however, view the
boundary conditions as a means to

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significantly simplify our
simulation. As an illustration,

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consider the bracket assembly
shown in the figure to the right,
where the bracket is part of a larger
structure.

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Then, before we even begin
modeling in SolidWorks Simulation
we have to decide whether to model
the entire upper level assembly with
the boundary conditions applied as
shown in the figure above, or the
yo E full bracket only, or a part of the bracket (a model identical to what we
had in Lesson 2). See the images below.
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No -RE

The decision is based on what is the objective of the analysis, i.e. what
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results do we truly need. The larger the model we chose, the more
realistic it becomes. At the same time the size of the finite element
PR

model increases, resulting in significantly longer solution times.

Boundary conditions therefore serve to express the fact how a specific

103
Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2013
Mesh Controls, Stress Concentrations and Boundary Conditions

part or sub-assembly is grounded or attached to another primary

structure, and help us substantially reduce the size of the problem.
Reduction of the problem comes at a cost, i.e. the stress results at the
location of the boundary conditions may be singular and have to be
ignored in such cases.

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Also, we need to understand that the boundary conditions do effect our
solution. In the three cases listed above the final results will be

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comparable, but not exactly the same. Therefore the selection, as well
as the location, of the boundary condition must be done so that its effect
on the results and the rest of the model is minimal.
Conclusion The question may arise: which one study is the correct one?

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The second to last study with the fillet and fixed face included in the
model and the mesh control applied produce the most accurate results
and is favored provided one can afford the increased size of the model
due to the additional regions that must be meshed. Then what about the
other studies where stress concentrations are seen?
yo E These results are obtained by using the incorrect mathematical model.
It does not make sense to debate which of the first three models
op AS
produces the most accurate results and, therefore, which one was “the
best” among the three. All models with sharp re-entrant edges or edges
that are fixed are equally poor if we examine the stress on those edges.
Thus, if we are interested in stress at or near a sharp edge (or a sharp
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corner for shell models), this edge must be modeled with a fillet, even
if the fillet is very small. In addition, if the edge of the model is fixed,
we must realize that the appearance of the stress concentration is
artificial. In general, if stresses at these singularities are of no interest,
No -RE

these studies still produce good results for the overall model.
Summary In this lesson, we illustrated what can go wrong when FEA is based on
an incorrectly prepared model.
Using local mesh controls rather than the global mesh controls, we
obtained solutions for different meshes and revealed stress singularities
Do E

at a sharp re-entrant corner and at fixed geometries.

We used this lesson to further discuss modeling and discretization error,
PR

meshing techniques, and also to illustrate the integration between

SolidWorks and SolidWorks Study tree.
Questions I Why do we often eliminate fillets and small rounds if such
suppression can lead to locally inaccurate stress results? Does it
imply that the stress results are inaccurate for the whole model?
I Are displacements affected by the suppression of small features
(fillets, rounds) as much as stresses? Why?

104
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 4
C-bracket

Exercise 4: In this exercise, you will analyze a bracket with two different
C-bracket configurations to determine the effects of the internal fillets.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Mesh Controls on page 90.

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I Results Comparison on page 95.

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I Stress Singularities on page 95.

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I Suppressed Configuration on page 96.

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Problem A hanging bracket mounted on the ceiling will
Statement be supporting a sign mounted on the bottom
flange of the bracket. The sign will be mounted

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onto the bracket with a flat ribbon like cable. A
900 N [202 lb.] force will be exerted on the
bracket due to the weight of the sign and
ribbon. We will evaluate the displacements and
stresses for the bracket due to this loading. We
are also interested in how modeling the bracket
yo E with and without fillets will effect our results.
The effects of different boundary conditions will also be investigated.
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Part 1: Analysis of
Bracket with no
Fillet
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1 Open a part file.

Open bracket from Lesson02\Exercises folder.
2 Specify active configuration.
Make the configuration No Fillet active.
No -RE

Notice that the rounded inside edges become

sharp re-entrant corners. This configuration,
suppresses all inner fillets.
3 Define a static study.
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Create a Static study named no fillet 1.

4 Apply material properties.
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Apply the material Alloy Steel from the

solidworks material library.

105
Exercise 4 SolidWorks 2013
C-bracket

5 Apply a fixture.
Apply a Fixed Geometry fixture to the top
face as indicated.
We will assume that the compressive force of
the screw is large enough to prevent any

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sliding or rotation about the screw.

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6 Apply force.
Apply a 900 N [202 lb] normal force to the top

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face of the bottom flange. This force is due to
the weight of the sign.
7 Mesh the model.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh
Parameters.

yo E Mesh the model with the default element size.

Use High quality elements.
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8 Run the analysis.

9 Plot stress results.

We find that the bracket has a maximum von Mises stress of 132 MPa
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[19.2 ksi] and does not yield. However, there is a high stress
concentration at the sharp corners.
No -RE
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106
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 4
C-bracket

10 Plot displacement results.

Maximum displacement is 1.25 mm.

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11 Create a new study.
yo E Duplicate the existing study and name it no fillet 2.
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12 Apply mesh control.
Apply mesh control to each of the three edges on the inner faces of the
bracket. Use the default mesh control size.
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No -RE

13 Mesh the model.

Mesh the model with the default element size. We have created a finer
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mesh at the inside edges of the bracket, while the mesh sizes are coarser
at all other locations in the bracket.
PR

14 Run the analysis.

107
Exercise 4 SolidWorks 2013
C-bracket

15 Plot stress results.

The maximum von Mises stress is now 162 MPa [23.5 ksi], which is
higher than the von Mises stress value obtained in the previous study
with no mesh control. This shows the diverging stress results and
verifies that the stress in the corners are indeed concentrations. Further

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refinement will continue this trend.

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16 Create a new study.
Duplicate the no fillet 1 study and name it no fillet 3.
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17 Apply mesh control.

Add mesh control to the same three edges. Change the local Element
size to 0.889 mm [0.035 in].
18 Mesh the model.
No -RE

Mesh the model with the default element size. We have created a finer
mesh at the inside edges of the bracket, while the mesh sizes are coarser
at all other locations in the bracket.
Do E
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108
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 4
C-bracket

19 Run the analysis.

20 Plot stress results.

We find that the maximum von Mises stress is significantly higher than
the value obtained in the previous study with a coarser mesh control.

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We see that, although we are refining the mesh, the stress results are not
converging. This is due to the sharp re-entrant corners.

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Part 2: Analysis of We will now look at a model with fillets and analyze its solution.
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Bracket with Fillet

1 Change configuration.
Change the active configuration to Default.
This configuration has the fillets unsuppressed.
No -RE

2 Create a new study.

Duplicate the no fillet 1 study and name it
fillet.
3 Mesh the model.
Mesh the model with the default local Element
Do E

size.
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109
Exercise 4 SolidWorks 2013
C-bracket

4 Run the analysis.

5 Plot stress results.

The stress results obtained from the model with the fillet indicate that
the maximum von Mises stress is approximately 127 MPa [18.4 ksi].

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Because no sharp edges are present in the model, this value is close to
the real stress magnitudes. Further mesh refinement would improve the

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results and eliminate the spotty stress distribution.

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Part 3: Analysis of In this last study, we will change the way the part is restrained by
Bracket with Fillet editing the one fixture and holding the part by the cylindrical hole
and Fixed Hole instead of the entire top face.
1 Create a new study.
No -RE

Duplicate the fillet study and name it fillet fixed hole.

2 Use Fixed Geometry on hole.
Edit the fixture and remove the
top face. Add the hole face.
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110
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 4
C-bracket

3 Apply mesh control.

Apply a mesh control with an Element
size of 0.508 mm to the inner cylindrical
surface of the hole.

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4 Mesh control on the fillets.
Apply a mesh control with the default
Element size of 1.9 mm to the three
fillets.
5 Run the analysis.
The study will mesh and solve.
yo E Add
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No -RE
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111
Exercise 4 SolidWorks 2013
C-bracket

6 Plot the stress results.

The stress results obtained from the model with the fillet and the fixed
geometry on the hole produce a stress concentration around the edges
of the hole. This is because a singularity of stress appears in this region
due to the perfectly rigid support at those edges. This is similar to the

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singularity seen in the fixed edges of the L-Bracket in Lesson 2: and

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can be ignored. Change the scale of the legend to obtain a more realistic

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plot.

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We can see that the stresses on the filleted faces increased from 127
MPa (see previous study) to nearly 148 MPa.
7 Modify the mesh controls.
No -RE

Change the Element Size for both mesh controls to 0.1mm for the hole
and 1.1mm for the fillets.
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8 Run the Study.

The study will mesh and solve.

112
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 4
C-bracket

9 Examine the stress plot.

As can be seen the stress near the support increased considerably and
represents the maximum stress in the model. From Lesson 2 we know
that this stress is unreal and will increase as we reduce the size of the
elements.

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Probing on selected entities reveals the maximum stress on the filleted

faces as 150 MPa, a slight increase from the 148 MPa obtained from
No -RE

the previous run. This stress is real and approaching a finite value (we
say it converges).
10 Save and Close the file.
Do E
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113
Exercise 5 SolidWorks 2013
Bone Wrench

Exercise 5: In this exercise a bone wrench will be analyzed for its stresses and
Bone Wrench deformations when subjected to loads resulting from regular working
conditions.
The analysis will include a report generated automatically.

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This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Plot Settings on page 29.

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I Results Summary on page 65.

Problem One side of the wrench is fixed,

Statement simulating a tight contact with a

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nut. The other side is subjected to
a horizontal 150 N force exerted
by an operator when tightening
(loosening) the nut.

yo E 1 Open a part file.

op AS
Open bonewrench from the Lesson02\Exercises folder.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
Set the Units to SI(MKS), and the units of Length and Stress to mm
and N/mm^2, respectively.
t C LE

3 Define a static study.

Create a Static study named bone wrench analysis.
4 Apply material properties.
No -RE

Assign Alloy Steel as the material from the solidworks materials

library.
5 Apply fixtures.
The tight contact between the wrench and the nut will be simulated by
the application of Fixed Geometry fixture on the faces (a total of eight
faces), as shown in the figure.
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Note Restrained faces are featured in beige in the SolidWorks model.

114
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 5
Bone Wrench

6 Apply force.
Apply a force of 150 N [33.7 lbf] exerted by an operator, as shown in
the figure below.

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7 Mesh the model.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Mesh the model using High quality elements. Use the default settings.
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No -RE
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8 Run the analysis.

115
Exercise 5 SolidWorks 2013
Bone Wrench

9 Plot stress results.

We observe that the resulting von Mises stress in the model is 244 MPa
[35.4 Ksi], which is well below the material yield strength of the 620
MPa [89.9 Ksi].
10 Plot resultant displacements.

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The absolute values of the displacements are very small, with a
maximum value of 0.3 mm.

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Note The next task, extraction of the reaction torque requires a specification
of the local cylindrical coordinates system. This is explained in Lesson
t C LE

4: .
11 Check the reaction moment.
Right-click on Results folder and select
No -RE

List Result Force.

As shown in the following figure, in the
Plane, Axis or Coordinate system field,
select Axis1. SolidWorks Simulation will
switch to the cylindrical coordinate
system defined by Axis1.
Do E

Select all the faces where the model is

restrained (a total of 8 faces).
PR

Click Update.
The Reaction force (N) dialog reads Sum Y: -1393.5 N.

116
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 5
Bone Wrench

Note This force could be negative or positive depending on which side of the
wrench the force was applied.
This is the total value of the reaction force in the second cylindrical
(circumferential) direction. To obtain a reaction moment, we have to
multiply this value by a radius.

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12 Compute the moment.

Because the opening is not
circular, we will measure the
No -RE

outer and inner diameters and

use the average as an
approximation of the opening
diameter.
The average diameter is
Do E

17.321 + 15 = 16.16mm
---------------------------- .
2
PR

Therefore, the total reaction moment is approximately equal to

16.16
------------- x 1393.5 = 11259.48 Nmm .
2

To calculate the loading moment, measure the distance between the

centroid of the applied load and Axis1.

117
Exercise 5 SolidWorks 2013
Bone Wrench

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The measured distance is 75 mm. Therefore, the loading moment is

ut
equal to 75x150 = 11250Nmm , which confirms the equilibrium.
Note The slight difference in the two values is not caused by the inaccuracy
of SolidWorks Simulation computations. It is merely a consequence of

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the approximate calculation of the average diameter of 16.16 mm.
13 Generate report.

14 Save and Close the file.

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No -RE
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118
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 6
Foundation Bracket

Exercise 6: The foundation bracket is used to secure a table

Foundation leg to the floor.
Bracket In this exercise the foundation bracket will be
analyzed for its stresses and deformations
when subjected to loads resulting from regular

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working conditions.

ist AF
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

ut
I Mesh Controls on page 90.
I Stress Singularities on page 95. Model courtesy of
Bosch Rexroth
I Results Comparison on page 95.

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Problem One side of the foundation bracket is bolted to
Statement the floor by a single bolt. The vertical face is
bolted to a table leg with two bolts.
+X
Analyze the stress in the foundation bracket
when the table leg is forced to displace by
yo E 0.5 mm in both the plus and minus X direction.
op AS
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Note Both of these displacements are rather large and would not occur under
normal conditions.
No -RE

We will first analyze the stress when the table leg moves in the plus X
direction.
1 Open a part file.
Open bracket from the Lesson02\Exercises folder.
2 Set options.
Do E

Select Units, then set the Unit system to use SI units, mm for length
and displacement and N/m^2 (Pascals) for pressure and stress.
PR

Select Color Chart, then set the number format to display Scientific
units at 2 decimal places.
Select Specify color for values above yield for vonMises plot.
Leave the color as the default gray.
Select Results, then select Automatic as the Default solver.
3 Create a study.
Create a new static study and name it stress analysis x+.

119
Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2013
Foundation Bracket

4 Apply material.
Apply the material Chrome Stainless Steel from the SolidWorks
material library.
5 Add fixtures.
We are going to ignore friction along the direction of the slot and only

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constrain the surface that the bolt head and shank contact to zero
displacement.

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Add an On Flat Faces fixture to the four faces shown. Set the
Translations to zero for the direction Normal to Face.
Rename the Fixture to Bottom bolt.

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120
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 6
Foundation Bracket

6 Apply fixtures.
Apply an On Flat Faces fixture to the four faces where the bolt heads
contact the vertical plate. Rename this fixture to Top bolts-1.

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121
Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2013
Foundation Bracket

7 Apply a displacement.
Apply a 0.5 mm normal displacement to the two faces indicated using
the On Flat Faces fixture. Select the face shown in blue as the
direction.
Rename this fixture to Top bolts-2.

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No -RE

8 Mesh the model.

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh
Parameters.
Mesh using the default element size.
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9 Run the study.

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122
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 6
Foundation Bracket

10 Plot the results.

The displacement plot shows a maximum displacement of 0.5 mm
which was our input.

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11 Examine the stress plot.
The stress plot shows high stress at the lower bolt and at the sharp edge.
We can see that there is significant yielding as indicated by the gray
color and the position of the yield arrow in the color band.
t C LE

We see that the part will yield around the areas of the bolts, and at the
sharp corner between the back vertical face and the angled face.
No -RE
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123
Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2013
Foundation Bracket

12 Re-mesh.
Re-mesh the model with a finer mesh. Move
the mesh size slider all the way to the right
and mesh.
We now have two elements in the thickness

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direction.

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Note You will learn later in the course that at least two solid elements
through the thickness are required in the bent regions to obtain
acceptable stress results.
yo E 13 Run the study.
The choice of Automatic for the solver should cause the FFEPlus
op AS
solver to be used.
14 Review the plots.
The stress plot shows essentially the same results as with the coarser
mesh. We still have yielding around the bolts and the sharp corner.
t C LE
No -RE
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15 Duplicate the study.

Name the new study stress analysis x-.

124
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 6
Foundation Bracket

16 Change the direction.

Edit the fixture Top bolts-2 to switch the direction and have the
displacement applied to the two faces on the other side of the slot as we
want to push, not pull, the material in the negative x direction.

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17 Run.
No -RE

Run the study with the fine mesh.

Note No remeshing is necessary; the geometry was not modified.

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125
Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2013
Foundation Bracket

18 Examine the results.

The stress on the inside faces looks similar to the stress found when the
movement was in the +X direction, however we can now see additional
yielding on the back face.
From these results, we can see that we would need to possibly increase

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the thickness of the material to avoid yielding. However, we need to
remember that we purposely subjected the bracket to a very large

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displacement, which is not likely to occur frequently.

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19 Probe the result.

By probing several points in the yielded region on the back face, we
can see that the stress is well over 200 MPa.
No -RE
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126
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 6
Foundation Bracket

20 Probe the face.

In the Probe Results, select On selected entities, then select the
indicated face.
Click Update.
By selecting the face, we now have Summary information that show

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the maximum stress is 351 MPa.

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No -RE

21 Conclusion.
Based on the analysis, we might conclude that the bracket is not strong
enough in this configuration. We might consider a change to the design
to avoid yielding, probably by increasing the material thickness to
sustain the applied displacements.
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However, as the displacement applied is very large and occurs

exceptionally, this bracket design may be appropriate. Additional
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analysis may be needed to determine the exact stresses.

22 Save and Close the file.

127
128
Exercise 6
Foundation Bracket

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SolidWorks 2013

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Lesson 3

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Assembly Analysis
with Contacts
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Perform structural analyses of simple assemblies.
I Apply and define contact conditions.
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Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Contact When we analyze an assembly, we must understand how the

Analysis components interact with each other so that our mathematical model
correctly computes the stress and deformation.
Different conditions must be considered where the parts can pull apart
or penetrate each other and whether or not the surfaces can slide over

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each other.

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Case Study: In this lesson, we analyze a simple hand tool. It consists of four

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Pliers with components: two identical arms, a hinge pin, and a piece of flat
Global Contact stock squeezed by pliers.

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We are not interested in
the contact stresses that
develop between the
arms and the piece of
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flat stock.
Therefore, we can
simplify the model by
suppressing the flat
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stock and replacing it

with the appropriate fixture.
Project Calculate the stresses that develop in the arms when a 225 N [50.6 lbf]
Description “squeezing” force is applied to the end of each arm. The design
strength is set at 138 MPa [20,016 psi], approximately 22% of the
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material yield strength.

Stages in the Some steps in analyzing an assembly.
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Process I Apply materials

Materials can be applied to all components together or individually.
I Add fixtures
Fixtures are added in the same way they are done in parts to restrain
the motion of the model.

130
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

I Apply component contact conditions

Component contact conditions dictate how parts or sub-assemblies
in contact or close proximity interact in the absence of local
overrides.
I Apply local contact conditions

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Local contact conditions override the component contact.
I Apply mesh control

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The mesh can be refined in areas of stress concentrations or rapidly
changing geometry.
I Mesh the model

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I Run the analysis

I Analyze the results

Determine if the results are accurate enough or further refinement
of the analysis is needed.
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Procedure To begin this case study:
1 Open an assembly file.
Open pliers from Lesson03\Case Studies folder.
2 Suppress flat.
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Suppress the part flat in the SolidWorks FeatureManager design tree.

3 Create study.
Create a static study named pliers.
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4 Examine the Simulation Study Tree.

There is now a Parts folder with three components
because there are three parts in the assembly to be
analyzed.
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Applying Materials You can apply the same material to all components of an assembly or to
to Assemblies each component individually.
To apply material to the components:
I To apply the same material to all components, right-click Parts and
select Apply Material to All.
I To apply different material to each component, right-click a part
and select Apply/Edit Material.

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Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

5 Apply materials to components.

Apply Plain Carbon Steel material
properties to all components including the
pin.

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6 Apply fixed restraints.
Define Fixed Geometry fixture on both
jaws.

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The applied restraints simulate the
suppressed piece of squeezed flat stock.
This condition assumes that the flat is not
sliding when held by the jaws.

yo E 7 Apply force to handles.

Apply a 225 N [50.6 lbf] force to both
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handles. The outer face of each arm has a
split face so that the load is only applied to
part of the face.
In the Force/Torque PropertyManager,
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select Normal.
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Component Whenever we create a study of an assembly, a new

Contact folder named Connections is added to the
Simulation Study tree. We use this folder to define
how the assembly components interact with each
other.
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We have defined the fixtures and external loads, but we are not yet
ready to mesh this assembly. We have to account for the contact
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between the two arms.

The Component Contact options defines the way components interact
with each other. You can override the component conditions by
defining different conditions locally for selected pairs of features.
Local contact conditions are discussed later in this lesson.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Component The available options for the component contact are: Bonded, Allow
Contact: Options penetration and No penetration. These options are explained in the
following figure and table.

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Part A Part A Part A

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Part B Part B Part B

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Bonded Contact Allow penetration No penetration

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Where to Find It I In the Simulation Study tree, right-click Connections and select
Component Contact.
I Select Contact/Gap in the Simulation menu and then click Define
Contact for Components.
I Select the Simulation tab in the CommandManager, then select
yo E Component Contact from the Connections Advisor pull-down
list.
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Component Contact Types
Bonded This is the default choice. Select this option
when all touching faces are bonded and the
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assembly behaves as one part. The only

difference between a part and an assembly
with bonded parts is that in an assembly we
can assign different material properties to
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individual components.
Allow penetration Select this option when the assembly is a
series of unattached components with no
structural connection between them.
No penetration Select this option when touching components
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can come apart, but cannot penetrate each

other.
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The coefficient of friction can be specified in

the component contact property manager.

133
Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Component Default component contact setting is bonded

Contact: Default contact between all touching faces for the top
setting level assembly.

Editing default component contact,

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Global Contact, shows that it is applied
to the top level assembly.

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Component It is possible to delete and re-define the top level assembly contact
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Contact: Hierarchy
and Conflicts
condition. However, multiple top level component contact conditions
would result in a conflict and are not permitted.
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Any additional component contact between parts and subassemblies
must not be in conflict and will override the top assembly level
component contact. If the conflict is detected a warning message will
be displayed.
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8 Check for existing interferences.

Click Tools, Interference Detection.
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In the Options dialog, select Treat

coincidence as interference and click
Calculate.
Three sets of faces in the assembly are
touching.
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134
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Note In the parts of this assembly, the manufacturing clearance between the
pin and the arms is ignored. That is why the coincident contact of
cylindrical shape between the pin and the arms was detected.
9 Change top level component contact option.
In order to allow the relative movement of the arms while the model

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deforms under the load, change the default component contact (Global
Contact) condition to No Penetration.

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Expand the Connections folder, edit the Global
Contact item and change it to No Penetration.
Click OK.

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10 Mesh the model.

yo E Select Curvature based

mesh under Mesh
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Parameters.
Mesh the assembly with
Draft quality elements and
the slider all the way to the
right. This should produce the Maximum element size of 4.912mm,
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Minimum element size of 0.982mm, Number of elements in a circle

as 8, and Ratio of 1.6.
Important! Meshing must always be performed after the contact conditions are
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defined.
11 Run the analysis.

12 Switch to exploded view.

Switch to the exploded view.
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135
Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

13 Plot von Mises stresses.

Display the von Mises stress plot by double-clicking on the Stress1
plot icon.

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yo E We want to see if the von Mises stresses in any portion of the model
exceed 138 MPa [20,016 psi], which is our design stress. To determine
whether the von Mises stresses exceed the maximum we can change
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the plot options.
14 Change the plot.
While the plot is displayed, right-click Stress1
and select Chart options.
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Under Display options, select Defined, and then

enter the minimum stress as 0 and the maximum
stress as 138,000,000.
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Click OK.
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136
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

15 Change Plot Settings.

Right-click Stress1 and select Settings. Under Fringe options, select
Discrete.
Click OK.

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Viewing Assembly Areas with stresses higher than 138 MPa would appear in red.
Results Note that an exploded view offers a very convenient way of examining
the analysis results of an assembly, whereas, in normal viewing,
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components may obstruct the view.

Another way of reviewing results of an assembly is to hide some
assembly components.
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16 Isolate the arm.

Right-click on plot Stress1 and select Hide. Isolate arm<1>.
17 Define stress plot of one arm.
In the Simulation Study tree, right-click the Results folder, and select
Define Stress Plot.
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Click OK.
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137
Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Note You can also use the existing plot Stress1 after hiding an assembly
component arm.
18 Max/Min annotations.
In Chart Options, select Show max. annotation and Show min.
annotation.

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The maximum stress locations and their magnitudes are indicated for

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the displayed arm.

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Conclusion The maximum von Mises stress of approximately 95.0 MPa is

produced by normal operation of the pliers when a 225 N force is
applied to the handles. This load can be (perhaps with some difficulty)
applied by hand and 95.0 MPa can easily be tolerated by the pliers’
material (which has a yield stress of almost 220 MPa).
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Before concluding that our design is safe, re-meshing the model and
looking for stress convergence would be required.
Handle Contact We wish to determine the maximum stress that the pliers undergo when
squeezing a 5 mm stock plate. The maximum stress corresponds to the
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situation where the handles are blocked.

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19 Show the hidden arm and pin.

Click Exit Isolate.
20 Collapse the assembly.

138
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

21 Create UY: Y displacement plot.

To determine the force that brings the ends of the two handles together,
we need to create a displacement plot showing the y component of the
displacements.
Double-click the Displacement1 plot icon to make the plot active.

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Right-click the Displacement1 plot icon and select Edit definition.
Select UY as the Displacement Component, and select mm as the

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Units.
Under Deformed shape, select True scale. This option plots the
deformation in 1:1 scale.

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Click OK.

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Required Force We see that under the 225 N force, the end of each handle travels
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0.391 mm. Consequently, the distance between the two ends decreases
by twice that amount, 0.782 mm.
Since the original distance is 15.24 mm, the force magnitude must be
increased by a factor of:
15.24 mm / 0.782 mm = 19.49
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Therefore, the force required to bring both arms in contact is equal to

19.49 x 225 = 4385 N. This is based on fundamental assumptions of
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linear analysis where the structural response is assumed to be

proportional to the applied load.

139
Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Pliers with We will now load the pliers with a force that significantly exceeds
Local Contact 4385 N to ensure that both arms come in contact. The appropriate
definition of the contact will ensure that the handles can come together,
but cannot penetrate each other.

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1 Create new study.
Duplicate the study pliers and name the new study pliers with local

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contact.
2 Edit force.
Edit the force magnitude to 4,500 N. This is an arbitrary magnitude
based on our “rough” estimation of forces that will definitely bring the

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two arms together.

Local Contact The top level component contact condition remains the same (No
Penetration) as in the previous study. However, now that the force is
considerably larger in order to bring the two arms together, we need to
yo E specify a local contact condition that prevents their penetration (No
penetration top level assembly component contact applies to initially
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touching faces only).
This local contact High precedence
condition has in contact hierarchy
LOCAL
precedence over the
component contact. In
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OTHER
COMPONENT
general, the hierarchy of CONTACTS
the contact conditions
can be explained by the Low precedence
TOP LEVEL
COMPONENT CONTACT
pyramid shown in the in contact hierarchy
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following figure.
Top assembly level contact (only one definition is permitted) is
overridden by other user defined component conditions. All component
contacts are then overridden by local conditions.
The local contact conditions can be defined
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by right-clicking on the Connections

folder and selecting Contact Set.
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140
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Local Contact In addition to Bonded, No Penetration, and

Types Allow penetration, the local contact features
two more contact types: Virtual wall and Shrink
fit.

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The table briefly describes the local contact condition types.

Local Contact Types

yo E The features (both initially touching and separated
by a gap) may move away from each other but
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No preserve the physical requirement that they may not
penetration penetrate each other. Friction coefficient and initial
geometrical offset can be specified in the contact
options.
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The selected features will become bonded, similarly

to the component level contact types. While
Bonded component bonded contact only applies to touching
faces, local condition is capable of bonding features
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separated by a gap.
The program creates a shrink fit condition between
the selected faces. The faces may or may not be
Shrink fit
cylindrical. This condition requires that the two
parts exhibit a finite volume interference.
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The selected pair of features is free to move in any

direction. Free features can penetrate into each
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Allow other, a physical impossibility. You should use this

penetration option only when you are absolutely sure that the
specified loading will not cause the features to
penetrate.
This provides a sliding support in a way similar to
Virtual wall Roller/Sliding restraint, except that a friction
coefficient and wall elasticity can be specified.

141
Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Note Each local contact type features various options described at various
locations throughout the manual.

3 Define contact set.

To define a contact zone between the

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ends of the two handles, we use the
two small split faces on the inside of

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the handles to define a contact pair.
Right-click Connections and select
Contact Set.

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In the Contact Set
PropertyManager, select No Penetration.
Click one face to define it as the Set 1, and then
yo E click the other face to define it as Set 2.
Click OK.
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Note The selection of the faces for Set 1 and Set 2
is arbitrary at this point.
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No Penetration The above image shows two properties of the local contact set ,
Local Contact Friction and Gap (clearance).
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Properties I Friction: Any value of the friction coefficient is permitted.

I GAP (clearance): In many applications, two entities cannot come
into full contact due to the manufacturing limitations and the
modeling approaches that we use. This feature restricts such two
entities from coming closer than the initial geometrical offset. For a
more detailed explanation, please refer to Lesson 5: .

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

No Penetration The advanced options of the No Penetration contact are accessible

Local Contact: through the simulation study options. To activate them, Show
Advanced Options advanced options for contact set definitions option must be
activated in the simulation Default Options, under Mesh.

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The Advanced dialog in the No
Penetration type of the Contact
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Set definition offers the following

options:
I Node to node: Entities must be initially touching and no significant
sliding or change in the contact region shape may occur. This
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option may not be used when the Large displacements option (see
Lesson 14: ) is active.
I Node to surface: No restriction on the initial configuration is
imposed, i.e. the entities participating in contact do not need to be
touching at the beginning of the analysis and sliding is permitted.
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Because the directions of the friction and normal forces are updated
during the analysis, this option is valid for the Large displacements
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calculations.
This type of contact is able to
describe complex contact
configurations and behavior, but it
requires substantially more Set 1
computational effort.Typically, we
would use this type of contact when Set 2
edge-to-face configuration is
expected and if contact stresses are not of primary importance.

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Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

I Surface to surface: This type of Set 1

No penetration condition is the
most general and accurate one.
Entities participating in the
contact are represented by the Set 2

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subsurfaces of the finite element

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mesh. As in the case of the Node to surface type, no restriction is

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imposed on the initial configuration and sliding is allowed. The

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directions of the contact and friction forces are updated during the
analysis and this option is valid for the Large displacement
computations. Typically, we would use this type of contact when a
face-to-face configuration is expected or if accurate resolution of

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the contact stresses is required.
If these advanced options are not used, the default no penetration
contact type will be Surface to Surface.

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Contact/Gaps, Contact Sets

yo E I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Connections and select Contact Sets
CommandManager: Simulation > Connections Advisor
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I
>Contact Set
Use in Instructions Under Advanced choose from Node to node, Node to surface or
Surface to Surface.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

No Penetration The default algorithm for the local contact is fast and suitable to most
Local Contact: contact solutions. However, if contact stresses are of primary
Accuracy importance, or if the areas in contact are large and/or the default
solution for contact stresses is spotty or discontinuous, Improve
accuracy for contacting surfaces feature should be activated.

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Introducing: Improve accuracy for contacting surfaces feature employs advanced
Improve Accuracy solution algorithm resulting in improved results. While such contact
for contacting solution is more accurate it may take significantly more time.
surfaces

Where to Find It Shortcut Menu: Right-click <study name>, Properties and under the
yo E Options tab, click the Improve accuracy for contacting surfaces
check box.
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No Penetration Edges and vertices in local No Penetration contact condition can only
Local Contact: be selected in the first field (Set 1), while the second field (Set 2)
Remarks accepts faces only.
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Note Because the friction forces are small and no initial geometrical offset
exists in this case, neither the Friction nor the Gap (clearance)
properties will be used. Since the contact stresses are of no interest in
No -RE

this simulation Improve accuracy for contacting surfaces option

will not be utilized.
Because the contact conditions have changed, the
warning signs indicate that remeshing and re-
calculation of the results are necessary.
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4 Mesh the model.

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Mesh the model with High quality elements and the same element size
as before.
5 Run the analysis.

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Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

6 Large/Small displacement.
While the study is running, the following message will appear:
Excessive displacements were calculated in this model. If
your system is properly restrained, consider using the Large
Displacement option to improve the accuracy of the

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calculations. Otherwise, continue with the current settings

e
and review the causes of these displacements.

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Click No to complete the analysis as linear.

Note The large displacement dialog box warns us that the large
displacements of some parts in the assembly were detected. The large
displacement computations are the subject of Lesson 14: . At this point,

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we will ignore this fact.
7 Plot von Mises stresses.
After the analysis is complete, create a von Mises stress plot, with
discrete fringes, the mesh showing, and the stresses scaled from 0 to
220 MPa [89,925 psi].
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No -RE

The region in red indicates the yielding material. We can observe that
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the maximum reported von Mises stress is approximately 2550 MPa.

This value is, of course, unrealistic. Yielding of the material indicates
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that a linear analysis is no longer valid and that a nonlinear analysis

would be required.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 3
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Contact Stresses After the handles are blocked, any further increase in force magnitude
has little effect except for increasing the contact stresses where the
handles touch.
Question: Can we analyze the contact stresses in the current study?
Answer: No, the element size in the

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contact area is much too
large in comparison to the

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size of the contact area.
This comparison is best seen in a side view.
The two handles touch only along the edge. For accurate modeling of
contact stresses, we need several elements along the length and width of

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the contact zone.

8 Save and Close the file.

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Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Contacts

Summary In this lesson we analyzed the simple assembly model of pliers with
various contact conditions. To simplify the geometry, the flat was
suppressed and its presence was simulated with the help of the fixed
geometry fixtures on the jaws. When the analysis was run, we saw a
maximum von Mises stress of 95 MPa. This stress is below our

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specified design strength of 138 MPa. To be sure of our stress results, a

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more refined mesh should be run to insure that the stress is converging.

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Additionally, we saw that the maximum displacement produced was
0.391mm. We used this result to change our loading application to
investigate what happens if the load was so large that the handles touch.
The contact conditions can be grouped into two distinct categories:

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component and local. Both categories were introduced and practiced in
this lesson.
The local contacts take precedence over all of the component
conditions, while all user defined component contacts take precedence
over the top assembly level component condition (essentially serving
yo E as the global contact condition for the entire assembly). While the
component contacts apply to initially touching faces of parts or
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assemblies, the local conditions may feature gaps and initial separation.
Various types (namely Bonded, Allow Penetration, No Penetration,
Shrink Fit and Virtual Wall), properties and options of the contacts
were discussed and practiced.
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A linearity principle (linear dependence of the input and output) was

used to scale the magnitudes of the loads in order to close arms of the
pliers.
Finally, the limitations of analysis with linear materials were examined
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and contact stresses were introduced.

Questions I As a review, the available component condition types are:
___________________________________________________
The available local contact condition types are:
___________________________________________________
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I The (component / local) No Penetration condition applies to the

initially touching faces only, while the (component / local) contact
PR

may feature gaps and initial separation.

I To simplify the analysis in this lesson, the flat was suppressed and a
Fixed Geometry fixture was applied on the jaws. Thus, we made
an assumption that the stiffness of the flat is ________________.
This assumption can only be made if the stiffness of the plate is
significant, relative to the stiffness of the rest of the assembly.
Can you propose a more accurate solution? (Hint: Browse through
the available connectors types in the SolidWorks Simulation
Connections folder.)

148
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 7
Two Ring Assembly

Exercise 7: Analyze a simple two ring assembly, in which the outer faces of the
Two Ring rings exert contact pressure on each other if tensile loading is applied.
Assembly This exercise will show how models with surface contact conditions
can be set up and analyzed.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Component Contact: Options on page 133.

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I Viewing Assembly Results on page 137.

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I No Penetration Local Contact: Accuracy on page 145.
I Contact Stresses on page 147.

Project A 3.5 MPa pressure load is applied to face of the plate with the U-

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Description bracket. The plate holding the large ring is held fixed. The outer faces
of the rings exert contact pressure on each other.

Partial Restraint

yo E Fixed Restraint
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Pressure Loading
No -RE

Procedure Open the existing assembly from the Exercises folder.

1 Open an assembly file.
Open TwoRingsAssem fromthe Lesson03\Exercises folder.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
Set the global system of units to SI (MKS), units of Length to mm and
Do E

Stress to N/mm^2 (MPa).

PR

3 Define a static study.

Create a Static study named Pressure Loading.
4 Apply material properties.
In the SolidWorks Simulation study tree, right-click Parts and select
Apply Material to All.
Select AISI 1020 from the solidworks material library.

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Exercise 7 SolidWorks 2013
Two Ring Assembly

5 Apply fixed restraint.

Apply a Fixed Geometry fixture to the back
face of TwoRingsPart1.

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6 Constrain TwoRingsPart2 to move in the
direction of the load.
Right-click Fixtures and select Advanced

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Fixtures.
Select Use Reference Geometry.
Select Plane2 to specify the direction of the
restraint.
Select the three cylindrical surfaces to apply
yo E boundary condition.
Activate the Displacement components Along
op AS
plane Dir 2 and Normal to plane, and set the
values to 0 mm.
Click OK.
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No -RE
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7 Apply pressure.
Apply a 3.5 MPa pressure normal to the surface of
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the TwoRingsPart2.

150
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 7
Two Ring Assembly

8 Define contact set.

Right-click Connections and select
Contact Set.
In the Contact Set PropertyManager,
select No Penetration as the desired

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type of contact.
Click one face to define it as a Set 1,

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and then click the other face to define
it as Set 2.

Note It does not matter which face is selected as Set 1 and Set 2.

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Click OK.
9 Apply mesh control.
Apply mesh control to the indicated surface on
TwoRingsPart2.
In the element size box, enter a value of 2 mm.
yo E Take all other default mesh control settings.
op AS
10 Mesh the model.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh
Parameters.
Mesh the model with the default element size. Use High quality
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elements.
11 Run the analysis.
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Exercise 7 SolidWorks 2013
Two Ring Assembly

12 Plot stress results.

We see that the maximum stress in the model is 908 MPa. This is well
above the yield strength of 351 MPa. If these truly were the in service
loading conditions, the design needs to be re-evaluated and a new
material or design should be selected.

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13 Plot Displacement Results.
The maximum displacement in this model is 0.44mm.
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No -RE
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14 Animate Displacement Results.

15 Save and Close the file.

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 rib T
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Lesson 4

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Symmetrical and Free Self-
Equilibrated Assemblies
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand symmetry.
I Displaying results using a cylindrical coordinate system.
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I Locate problems with the help of the What’s Wrong feature.

I Use soft springs and inertial relief options to eliminate rigid body
modes.
I Presenting analysis results using eDrawings.
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Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Shrink Fit Parts When parts are assembled with a shrink fit, internal forces are
developed in the absence of external forces.
Case Study: We will analyze a wheel assembly where the rim is shrunk fit onto the
Shrink Fit hub to determine the stresses caused by the shrink fit.

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A shrink fit causes stress within the parts without external forces being

e
applied to the model. The parts initially have an interference fit.

ist AF
ut
The directions of stress, strain and deformation are not plotted in
Cartesian coordinates, but rather cylindrical coordinates so that we can
determine radial, axial and circumferential (hoop) stress and
deformation.

r D DR
Project A rim with an inside radius of 121 mm [2.382 in.] is pressed on a hub
Description with an outside radius of 121.45 mm [2.391 in.].
Find the following stress results in both components:
I von Mises stress

yo E I
I
Hoop stress
Contact stress
op AS
Symmetry We can take advantage of the
multiple symmetry of this
assembly model and analyze 1/2,
1/4, or even 1/8 of the model.
t C LE

To reduce the processing time, we

will analyze a 1/8 section of the
model.
Note that an axis, Axis1, has been
No -RE

defined in the assembly. We will

use it as a reference to produce
plots of hoop stresses and contact
stresses.
Stages in the Some key stages in the analysis of this part are shown in the following
Do E

Process list:
I Symmetry
PR

Determine if the model has symmetry that will allow only a portion
of the model to be analyzed.
I Defeature
Suppress features that will not have an effect on the analysis.
I Stabilize the model
Eliminate rigid body motion.

154
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

I Define contact
Because the parts have an interference fit, we must define the
contact as a shrink fit.
I Plot results
With shrink fit analysis, we display the results using cylindrical

rib T
e
coordinates rather than cartesian coordinates.

ist AF
ut
1 Open an assembly file.
Open wheel assembly from the Lesson04\Case Studies folder.
2 Activate the configuration.
Activate the configuration called FEA. It

r D DR
unsuppresses the feature named cut 1/8
which is used for symmetry in the model.
In addition, to defeature the model, the
round features have been suppressed in
both parts.

yo E I rim
rounds
op AS
I hub
round1
round2
t C LE

Defeaturing With this modification to the CAD assembly model, we have departed
from the original CAD geometry and are now analyzing geometry
specifically created for the purpose of analysis.
Suppression of the rounds has left some sharp re-entrant edges.
No -RE

These are permissible only because we do not intend to examine

stresses along these edges or in their vicinity.

3 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.

Set the global system of units to SI (MKS), the units of Length to mm
Do E

and Stress to N/m^2.

PR

4 Create static study.

Create a static study named shrink fit.
5 Review material properties.
Notice that the Parts folder holds two icons, corresponding to the hub
and rim components of the assembly, and that the material properties
have been automatically transferred from SolidWorks.
Examine each part individually to confirm that the hub material is
Plain Carbon Steel with a yield stress of 220 MPa [32,000 psi] and the
rim material is Alloy Steel with a yield stress 620 MPa [90,000 psi].

155
Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

6 Define symmetry restraints.

We use a 1/8 section of the wheel
assembly, but want valid results for the
complete model. Therefore, we need to
simulate the remaining 7/8 of the

rib T
assembly model. Applying symmetry

e
boundary conditions to the radial faces

ist AF
created by the cut make the 1/8 section

ut
behave as if the wheel was still complete.

r D DR
Apply Symmetry boundary conditions to all the
faces that were created by the radial cut.
Symmetry boundary conditions on both sides of
the radial cut can be created in one step.
yo E Select faces from both components on both planes
of symmetry: four faces on the hub and two faces
op AS
on the rim.
Right-click Fixtures and select Advanced
Fixtures.
Select Symmetry.
t C LE

Click OK.
No -RE
Do E
PR

156
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Rigid Body Mode With the symmetry restraints applied, the model can still move in the
axial direction. Thus, one rigid body mode remains unconstrained.
To eliminate this rigid body motion, it is enough to restrain just one
vertex on each of the components (the total of two vertices) in the axial
direction. Note that each part must be constrained individually because

rib T
e
parts can slide in the axial direction; the shrink fit contact is
frictionless.

ist AF
ut
This is actually an artificial restraint simply for the purpose of
removing rigid body motion, which is not allowed in structural FEA
and causes the solver to terminate.

r D DR
Alternatively, we can use the soft spring feature which is specified in
the study properties. We will demonstrate this option in the second part
of this lesson.

7 Eliminate rigid body mode in the model.

Restrain the model by one vertex on each of the
yo E two assembly components.
Select one vertex on the rim and one on the hub
op AS
(any vertex), right-click Fixtures and select
Advanced Fixtures.
Select Use reference geometry.
t C LE

Using the fly-out menu, select Axis1 as the

direction.
Under Translations, specify that the displacement
in the direction along the axis (Axial) is equal to 0.
No -RE
Do E
PR

Now the assembly is fully restrained; it has no

unconstrained rigid body modes. Any other movement of the assembly
must be associated with the deformation.

157
Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Shrink Fit Contact Because the rim diameter is smaller than the wheel diameter, there is an
Condition interference in the SolidWorks assembly. SolidWorks Simulation
eliminates this interference by “stretching” the rim and “squeezing” the
wheel if we define the contact conditions between the interfering faces
as Shrink Fit. Shrink Fit is one of the several types of local Contact/

rib T
Gap conditions available in SolidWorks Simulation.

e
ist AF
ut
8 Explode the assembly.
The faces that are in contact are hard to select. It is easier to select them
in the exploded view.
9 Define shrink fit condition.

r D DR
Define a Shrink Fit, right-click
Connections and select Contact Set.
Select Shrink Fit, from the available Selected
Faces
types of contact conditions.
Define one contact face as Set 1 and the
yo E other face as Set 2. The order of the
faces is not important.
op AS
Click OK.
t C LE

Note Under the Friction dialog, we could specify the coefficient of friction.
In this analysis we will assume no friction.
10 Mesh the model.
Select Curvature based mesh under
No -RE

Mesh Parameters.
Create a High quality mesh with the
default settings.
Note that along the axial direction of the
two faces in contact, eight elements have
Do E

been created, which is adequate for this

particular analysis.
PR

If we expected high gradients in the

contact stress distribution, then more
elements along the contacting faces would be required to model contact
stresses.
11 Run the analysis.
Note that the solution takes longer than if the model were treated as
Bonded.

158
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

12 Plot von Mises Stresses.

Show the von Mises stress plot.
Under Settings, change the Fringe type to Discrete.
Make sure that the deformed shape is in the True scale.

rib T
Right-click the Stress-1 icon in the Results folder and select Chart

e
Options (alternatively, you can double-click directly on the legend).

ist AF
ut
Under Display Options select Defined and set the maximum stress
legend to 620,400,000 Pa, which is the yield stress of the rim material.

r D DR
yo E
op AS
t C LE

The von Mises stress results indicate that a portion of the rim
experiences stresses above the material yield stress.
No -RE
Do E
PR

159
Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Plot Results in Now we will prepare a stress plot showing hoop (circumferential)
Local Coordinate stresses. For this we must present stress results in a cylindrical
System coordinate system with the z axis aligned with the axis of the wheel
assembly.
Cylindrical Any axis defines a cylindrical coordinate system whose first direction

rib T
e
Coordinate is radial, second is circumferential, and third is axial.
Systems

ist AF
Therefore, Axis1 defines radial, circumferential, and axial directions

ut
associated with the axis position.
Using an axis as a reference redefines the meaning of the stress
components SX, SY, and SZ, which are normally associated with the

r D DR
directions of the global coordinate system.
If an axis is used as a reference, definitions of SX, SY, and SZ undergo
the following changes:
I SX becomes the stress
component in the radial

yo E I
direction.
SY becomes the stress
op AS
component in the
circumferential direction.
I SZ becomes the stress
component in the axial
t C LE

direction.

13 Set units and select axis for stress plot

No -RE

reference.
Right-click on the Results folder and select
Define Stress Plot.
Select the SY stress component.
Set the Units to N/m^2.
Do E

Under Advanced Options, select Axis1 as

the reference entity in Plane, Axis,
PR

Coordinate System.
Axis1 now defines a local cylindrical system used to plot the required
stress plot (the definition of this plot is continued in the next step).

160
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

14 Plot hoop stresses.

Because we are defining a
stress plot showing hoop
stresses, select the SY
stress component.

rib T
e
The SY stress component
points in the

ist AF
ut
circumferential direction,
which is the hoop stress.
Make sure that Average
results across

r D DR
boundaries for parts is
cleared.
Set the Deformed shape
scale to the True scale.
15 Settings.
yo E Under Settings, select Discrete as the Fringe Option.
16 Chart Options.
op AS
Under Chart Options, select Defined and set the maximum value of
the stress legend to 620,400,000 Pa [90,000 psi].
t C LE

Cylindrical System When a local cylindrical system is specified in the definition of the
Icon result plots, the familiar triad icon is replaced with a new symbol
denoting a cylindrical system.
No -RE
Do E
PR

161
Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

17 Plot contact stresses.

Use exploded view and display a plot showing the contact stress on
contacting surfaces:
Right-click the Results folder and select Define Stress Plot.

rib T
e
Display an exploded view and select Axis1 as a reference. Set the

ist AF
Deformed shape scale to True scale.

ut
Plot the SX component of stress with respect to Axis1.
The SX stress component, which corresponds to the direction normal to
the two faces in contact, is the radial direction and, hence, SX is the

r D DR
contact stress.

yo E
op AS
t C LE
No -RE

18 Plot contact pressure.

Right-click the Results folder and select Define Stress Plot.
Do E
PR

162
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Under Component, select CP: Contact Pressure.

Click OK.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E 19 Probe stress results.
op AS
To probe the stress plot for detailed stress results, right-click the plot
icon and select Probe. An undeformed plot is required if we want to
probe for detailed stress results.
Stresses on both surfaces are, of course, equal. The negative sign
t C LE

denotes stress towards the surface.

No -RE
Do E
PR

163
Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Saving All Plots Each plot created in a study can be saved individually in any of several
formats available. To view the list of available formats, right-click any
plot icon, select Save as to open the Save as window, and examine the
options in the Save as type menu.
Most likely you will find the eDrawings

rib T
e
format the most useful when
communicating the SolidWorks Simulation

ist AF
ut
analysis results.
Rather than saving result plots
individually, it is also possible to save them
in one step either in JPEG or eDrawings

r D DR
format. Right-click the study or the
Results folder to invoke the pop-up menu
and select either Save all plots as JPEG
files or Save all plots as eDrawings.
Using JPEG format, individual files will
yo E be created for each plot that has been
defined in the study. Using eDrawings format, all plots will be stored
op AS
in one file. In both cases, files will be located in the SolidWorks
Simulation report folder. (The report folder can be selected in
Simulation, Options, Default Options (New study), under Results.)
What’s Wrong Occasionally, when defining SolidWorks Simulation model or
Feature analyzing results you may notice warning symbols showing
t C LE

in Simulation Study tree.

To find out what is wrong, right-click the item under a study (in
Simulation Study tree) accompanied by the warning sign and select
No -RE

What’s wrong to open the What’s Wrong window. This window will
list a description of the problem for that item only.
You can also see a summary of all the problems in a study. Right-click
the Study and select What’s wrong to list all problems in the study.
Analysis with Earlier in this lesson, we explained that to prevent rigid body
Do E

Soft Springs movement along the axis of the assembly, at least one vertex on both
the rim and the hub must be restrained in the axial direction. Without
PR

these restraints the assembly would have zero stiffness along the axial
direction.
There are two alternative methods to prevent rigid body movements in
the model without restraining the two vertices. These are to use soft
springs or inertial relief.
Soft Springs Theoretically, we do not expect the model to sway in the axial direction
due to the action of some external loading (none that would cause such
action exists in our model). All of the loads, which are applied in the
form of the shrink fit contact condition, are inherently balanced.

164
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Finite element method, however, does not recognize this fact and a
small inaccuracy, a numerical error, or mesh asymmetry may cause the
model to displace uncontrollably in axial direction. All such cases can
be stabilized by the Soft Spring option.
When this option is activated, the model is surrounded by springs with

rib T
e
stiffness values that are negligible relative to the stiffness of the model
(see the following figure). The finite element model is then stabilized

ist AF
ut
and restrained against all rigid body motions.

r D DR
yo E
op AS
t C LE

This procedure works as long as the model is self-equilibrated, or the

net magnitude of the external load is so small that the soft springs are
able to compensate for it.
Inertial Relief Another method to prevent rigid body movements is Inertial Relief.
No -RE

Rather than adding artificial stiffness to counteract the load imbalance,

as is done using soft springs, this option adds an artificial balancing
load eliminating any load resultant along unrestrained directions.
This option should not be used with the intention to stabilize an
analysis where gravity, centrifugal or some thermal loads are defined.
Do E

In our case, both the Use soft springs to stabilize model and the Use
inertial relief solver options can be used.
PR

20 Create new study.

Duplicate the existing study shrink fit into a new study called soft
springs.
21 Suppress axial restraint.
Under the soft springs study, right-click Fixture-2 and select
Suppress to release the axial constraint.

165
Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2013
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

22 Select soft spring option to stabilize

model.
Right-click the soft springs study and
select Properties.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
Under the Options tab, activate
the Use soft springs to
stabilize model option.
Select the Direct sparse solver.

yo E Click OK.
23 Run the study.
op AS
24 Plot hoop stresses.
Plot the distribution of hoop stresses.
Set the Units to N/m2.
t C LE

Under Settings, select Discrete as the Fringe Option.

Set the maximum value of the stress legend to 620,400,000 Pa.
No -RE
Do E
PR

166
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 4
Symmetrical and Free Self-Equilibrated Assemblies

Comparing the results above with the corresponding plot in the

previous study, we see that they are indeed identical.
25 Save and Close the file.

rib T
e
Summary In this lesson, we calculated the von Mises stress, hoop stress (using

ist AF
ut
cylindrical coordinates), and contact pressure. The stress magnitude
was above the yield strength of the material for the rim, therefore we
may want to select a different material so that yielding is avoided.
Interference between assembly

r D DR
components is allowed only if a
Shrink fit condition is present in the
assembly.
The results of a study with a Shrink
fit condition are best viewed using a

yo E 1:1 scale of deformation.

To see results on contacting faces,
op AS
use exploded view.
The results for axi-symmetric parts
are best viewed in cylindrical
coordinate systems.
t C LE

This observation particularly applies to stress components other than

von Mises stress. Von Mises stress, as a scalar value, is insensitive to
the choice of reference coordinate system.
To prevent the rigid body motions the model must be stabilized in the
No -RE

axial direction. The most straight forward method is to restrain one

vertex (point) on each model in the axial direction. Alternatively, we
used the Use soft springs to stabilize the model option which
surrounds the model with a layer of soft springs to provide a minimum
stiffness in unrestrained directions.
Do E
PR

167
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

Exercise 8: In this exercise, we will analyze

Chain Link a link in a chain that is under
load. With chains, the
relationship between load and
elongation is important.

rib T
e
We will analyze the link several
times. We will start with an entire

ist AF
ut
link and see what problems
develop. Based on the results, we
will explore different solutions to get more accurate result without the
need for long solution times.

r D DR
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Symmetry on page 154.
I Rigid Body Mode on page 157.
I Soft Springs on page 164.

Project
yo E
Description
Our goal is to develop the force to elongation relationship for this
chain. We are not interested in the actual stress in the components as we
op AS
are not designing them.
All of the chain parts are made of AISI 304 steel.
Procedure Follow the steps below:
1 Open an assembly file.
t C LE

Open Roller Chain from the Lesson04\Exercises folder.

The Default configuration consists of the sprocket, pivot and several
links.
No -RE

2 Change configuration.
Make the configuration Link-full
active. This configuration shows a
single link which is really an inner
link and two halves of the outer link.
Do E

3 Create a study.
Create a static study and name it
Link-full-inertial relief.
PR

4 Apply material.
Apply the material AISI 304 steel to all the parts in the assembly.

168
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

5 Determine contacts.
There are two types of contacts in this link, No Penetration and
Bonded. All contacts between parts of the same link are Bonded. Parts
that are in contact between an inside and outside link are No
Penetration.

rib T
e
Link Plate
Link Plate
Roller
Pin

ist AF
Bushing

ut
r D DR
Inside Link Outside Link

Because of the number of contacts, we will start with a Global Bonded

contact and then add the No Penetration contacts.
yo E 6 Explode the assembly.
Exploding the assembly will make it easier to see the contact sets.
op AS
7 Add contacts.
Right-click Connections in the Simulation
Study tree and select Contact Set.
t C LE

In the Contact dialog select Automatically

find contact sets.
Under Options select Touching faces.
For Components, select the assembly, then
No -RE

click Find contact faces.

Twenty four contact sets will be found.
In Results, select all 24 contact sets. Select No
Penetration and click the Create contact sets
button.
Do E

Make sure all 24 contact sets are selected and

PR

added.
Click OK.

169
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

8 Delete contacts.
We must now remove the No Penetration contact sets for contacts that
are supposed to be bonded.
Select each contact set in turn and determine if it should be Bonded
(contact between parts in the same link assembly) or No Penetration

rib T
e
(between parts in different link assemblies or any contact with a
Bushing). Delete the No Penetration contact for contacts that should

ist AF
ut
be bonded.
When done, there will be 16 contact sets that are No Penetration. The
eight contact sets that you delete will be Bonded by the Global
Contact condition.

r D DR
Example In image 1, the contact is between the Pin and Link Plate of the same
Inside Link assembly. The No Penetration contact must be deleted as
these two parts are Bonded.

yo E In image 2, the contact is between the Pin on an Inside Link and the
Bushing from an Outside Link, so this contact does not get deleted as
it should be No Penetration.
op AS
1 2
t C LE
No -RE

Compare the resulting contact sets with the ones in study contacts
predefined.
Do E

9 Collapse the assembly.

PR

10 Apply a force.
As the main goal is to obtain a
force-elongation curve for the
chain from a linear analysis, the
actual force we apply is not
important. We could apply the
maximum force for the system,
but it is not necessary.

170
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

Subject the link to the total axial force of 400 N (apply 200 N to all four
faces indicated in the figure).
11 Boundary conditions.
This is a self equilibrated problem so theoretically, no fixtures are
required. We must however prevent the rigid body movement by

rib T
e
adding soft springs or using inertial relief, thus stabilizing the model.

ist AF
Right-click the study and click Properties.

ut
Select Use inertial relief and Direct sparse for the solver.

Note We choose the Use inertial relief option in this case because the forces

r D DR
on both sides of the chain link are balanced (equal and opposite). This
option should only be used when the applied loads are balanced. Refer
to the discussion on Inertial Relief on page 165 for additional details. In
general, the Use soft springs to stabilize model option is preferred to
stabilize the model in the absence of sufficient restraints.
Since multiple contatcs are defined in the study and the area of contact
yo E is found through several contact iterations, the Direct Sparse solver is
preferred.
op AS
12 Mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh
under Mesh Parameters.
Mesh the model using high
t C LE

quality elements and the default

mesh size.
No -RE

13 Mesh size.
Examine the mesh details.
There are over 19,000
nodes which is about
Do E

57,000 degrees of
freedom.
PR

14 Run the study.

171
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

15 Plot the displacements.

Make sure that the plot uses Automatic for the Deformed Shape.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E16 Animate the displacement.
The deformation is not perfectly symmetric.
op AS
t C LE
No -RE

This is caused by several factors:

I The mesh is not completely symmetric.
I The model is not fixed in space.
While these effects have a minimal impact on the stress results as long
Do E

as the mesh is not very coarse, the displacment results may be affected
to some extent.
PR

172
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

17 Plot the stress.

The stress plot should be symmetrical. If it is not, the reason is that the
mesh is too coarse. Stress magnitudes may vary due to mesh size and
stress concentrations.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E
op AS
Second Approach Lets solve the problem again, but this time we will use symmetry to
keep the model constrained axially.
1 Duplicate the study.
t C LE

Name the new study Link-full- restraint.

2 Edit the force.
Edit the force so that it is only
No -RE

applied to one set of faces (400 N

total force pulling the link in a
single direction).
Do E

3 Apply a fixture.
PR

Apply a Roller/Slider fixture to the

two faces where the forces were
removed.
This fixture now restraints any
movement of the faces in the X
direction. They can still move in
the plane of symmetry (Y and Z
directions).

173
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

4 Mesh.
Use the same mesh as in the previous problem which is a high quality
mesh at the default element size.
5 Select soft spring option to stabilize model.
Right-click the soft springs study and select Properties.

rib T
e
Deactivate Use inertial relief and activate the Use soft springs to
stabilize model option.

ist AF
ut
Note We activate the Use soft springs to stabilize model option in this
case because of the imbalance of the forces on either side of the chain.

r D DR
6 Run the study.

7 Plot the displacement.

We have eliminated translation in the x direction however, we now
have rotation about the x axis.
yo E
op AS
t C LE
No -RE

Since we are interested in the force-displacement plot, we need to

verify the true extension of the chain link by plotting the axial
Do E

displacement.
PR

174
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

8 Magnify the displacements, Animate.

Set the Deformed Shape for the displacement plot to Automatic.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
Note Additional rigid body translations could occur in the vertical direction
yo E where the model is stabilized with the help of the soft springs. Animate
the solution to see whether this phenomenon occurred in your solution.
op AS
9 Axial displacement.
Additional rigid body rotation may have occurred at the unconstrained
edge. The effect of the rigid body rotation can be easily seen in the plot
of axial displacements (UX). Probe on two points on the unconstrained
edge. Notice that there are two different displacement values. Without
t C LE

any rotation, we would have the same value for displacement. This
result violates our symmetry assumption.
No -RE
Do E
PR

In conclusion, the correct chain link extension cannot be determined by

this analysis as well.

175
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

Note To see how a correct axial extension of the chain link is determined,
complete this exercise.
10 Plot the stress.
Create a plot of von Mises stress.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E While displacements from the previous two approaches were affected
op AS
by the overall setup and remain undetermined, stress solution is not
affected much by this phenomenon (verify that the stress solution in
both solutions is similar). Stress accuracy, however, depends on highly
the mesh quality and can be much improved.
t C LE

Stresses Accuracy The mesh used in the previous two solutions was rather coarse to
determine accurate stress distribution. To improve the stress results, we
need to create a finer mesh.
No -RE

1 Duplicate the study.

Name the new study Link-full- fine.
2 Refine the mesh.
Re-mesh the model with high quality elements using Curvature based
Do E

Mesher and the slider set to Fine.

PR

176
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

3 Examine the mesh.

The new mesh is now fine enough to get reasonably accurate stress
results, but the number of nodes and degrees of freedom are high. With
over 119,000 nodes, we will have to solve over 359,000 degrees of
freedom. This will result in a much longer solution time.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E
op AS
t C LE

4 Do not solve.
While we could run this study, the solution time is too long. Instead we
will examine a different approach to get the small mesh size and
accurate results.
No -RE
Do E
PR

177
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

Using Symmetry By taking advantage of the symmetry, we do not have to analyze the
entire model, but instead only the smallest symmetrical element of the
model. We must however remember that it is not just the geometry that
must be symmetrical, but also the loads.
If we look for symmetry, we can see that there are three planes of

rib T
e
symmetry in this model.

ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E
op AS

If we cut the model through all three planes of symmetry, we get the
t C LE

following result which is one-eighth of the original model.

No -RE
Do E
PR

1 Change configuration.
Make the configuration Link-symmetry active.
This configuration has three assembly cuts to reduce the model to one-
eighth of its original size.

178
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

2 Create a new study.

Name the new study Link-symmetry.
3 Apply material.
Copy the material from the previous study.
4 Define contacts.

rib T
e
Using the same procedure as in step 7 and step 8 on page 170, create
the contacts sets.

ist AF
ut
You should have five No Penetration contact sets.
5 Add symmetry fixture.
Right-click Fixtures in the

r D DR
Simulation Study tree and
select Advanced Fixtures.
Select Symmetry.
Select all the symmetrical
faces (there are 13 faces).
yo E With symmetrical fixtures on
three orthogonal faces, the
op AS
model is now fixed in space
so the soft spring stabilization is no longer required.

Note In the axial direction (X-direction), the symmetry fixture is applied on

the face in the negative X-direction only. The face on the opposite side
t C LE

is used to apply the force in the next step.

6 Apply force.
Apply a force of 100 N to the
No -RE

face indicated.
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Question Why do we apply 100 N? We have one-eigth of the model, why not
400/8=50 N?
7 Mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Mesh the model using high quality elements and the default settings.

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Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

8 Examine the mesh.

We now have a mesh with elements smaller than in the fine mesh we
tried to use earlier, but the total number of nodes is now only 16,779 or
about 50,337 degrees of freedom. This is much less than the 359,000
degrees of freedom we had earlier.

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9 Run the study.
yo E10 Plot the displacement.
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The maximum displacement is now 0.00242 mm.
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No -RE
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Note that to obtain the chain axial extension, this displacement value
would have to be multiplied by a factor of two (0.00242 x 2 = 4.84e-3
mm). While this result may, under some circumstances, be close to the
real chain extension, it will be soon shown that it is still incorrect.

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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 8
Chain Link

11 Plot the stress.

We can see a stress concentration where the Pin, Bushing and Link
Plate join. To get a better look at this area we need to explode the
assembly.

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12 Explode the assembly.
If we show the mesh, we can see
that the mesh is very coarse in the
area of the highest stresses and
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that we have a stress singularity.

Any mesh refinement would
improve the stress distribution but
would not eliminate the stress
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singularity.
In a real part, there would be a
fillet and some yielding which
would redistribute the stress into
the neighboring regions of the
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elastic material. The

displacement solution would also
PR

improve only marginally.

181
Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link

13 Post processing evaluation.

Examine the displacement plot. We analyzed this assembly using
symmetry and have obtained results.
Look at the displacement plot in the Top view. Make sure the setting is
Automatic so that we see an exaggerated view of the displacement.

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Important! What is wrong with this analysis? There is something that is
fundamentally wrong with this analysis, when you think you
understand the reason that this analysis is wrong, discuss it with your
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instructor.
14 Save and Close the file.
No -RE
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182
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 9
Chain Link 2

Exercise 9: In the previous exercise, we ran an analysis that initially appeared to

Chain Link 2 give us a correct answer, but in fact had a problem because the
symmetry conditions were violated.
When we look closely at the displacement plot, faces 1 and 2 are
perpendicular because of the symmetry fixture. Face 3 is were we

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applied the force and while it is required to be parallel to the face 1, it is
not.

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3 1

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2

In this exercise, we will solve the same problem using a different

technique that will give us the correct result. Rather than applying a
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force, which allows the face to tilt, we will apply displacement to the
face and then determine the force from the solution.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open the Roller chain assembly from the last exercise.
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2 Duplicate the study.

Duplicate the study named Link-symmetry and name it Link-
symmetry displacement.
3 Remove the force.
Suppress the 100 N force.
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183
Exercise 9 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link 2

4 Add a displacement.
Right-click Fixtures in the Simulation Study tree and click Advanced
Fixtures.
Select On Flat Faces.
Select the same face that used to have the force applied.

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Enter a distance of 2.42e-3 mm for the displacement in the Normal to

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Face direction.

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No -RE

The face will now stay parallel with its original orientation; the
symmetry of the model will therefore be satisfied.
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Note The displacement of 2.42e-3 mm, an incorrect solution from the

previous exercise, is chosen because it is relatively close to the correct
PR

solution. A principle of linear dependence will be used to scale the

displacement to its correct value.
5 Run the study.
Run the study using the same refined mesh as in the previous exercise.

184
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 9
Chain Link 2

6 Display the displacement plot.

If we examine the plot closely, we can see that all the correct faces are
now orthogonal.

1
3

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2

yo E 7 Extract the force.

Right-click the Results folder and click List Result Force.
op AS
The force in the X direction is 100.18 N which is very close to the
loading force used in the last part of the previous exercise (100 N).
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No -RE
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185
Exercise 9 SolidWorks 2013
Chain Link 2

Results for full link Having used the symmetry, the results now need to be converted for the
chain full link chain model. To obtain the axial force corresponding to the full
link, the above resultant force must be multiplied by a factor of four,
i.e. 4 x 100.18 N = 400.72 N. To obtain the axial extension for the full
link, the above prescribed displacement must be multiplied by a factor

rib T
of two, i.e. 2 x 2.42e-3 mm = 4.84e-3 mm.

e
We now have the two points (these results [4.84e-3 mm, 400.72 N]

ist AF
ut
along with 0 mm, 0 N) with which we can establish the force to
elongation plot.
What is the To conclude this exercise, it remains to answer what is the correct
extension for 400 N extension of the full chain link when subjected to a load of 400 N.

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force? Using the principle of linear dependence the answer is:
u(F=400 N)= 4.84e-3 x 400/400.72 = 4.831e-3 mm.
A point with coordinates of [4.831e-3 mm, 400 N] also lies on the same
force to elongation plot.

Note
yo E Force displacement graphs are common characteristics of the chains.
The graphs always begin at a point [0 mm, 0 N] and feature a constant
op AS
slope until a point where the material exhibits significant yielding and
the force displacement relationship is no longer constant. The ultimate
strength of the chain is then defined at a force causing the chain to
break.
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8 Save and Close the file.

No -RE
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186
 rib T
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Lesson 5

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Assembly Analysis
with Connectors and
Mesh Refinement
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Analyze more complex solid mesh assemblies with various contact
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conditions and connectors.

I Use initial clearance in definitions of local No penetration contact
conditions.
I Auto-generate the local contact definitions.
Do E

I Use bolt, pin, spring and spot weld connectors.

I Analyze and judge the quality of solid finite element mesh.
PR

I Use the Remote Load feature to simplify the analysis.

I Use and define Design Check plot.
I Apply restraints and analyze results in a local coordinate system.

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Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Connecting Mate definitions in the SolidWorks assembly do not translate into

Components contact definitions in SolidWorks Simulation. Therefore, from the point
of view of SolidWorks Simulation, the components of the assemblies
are un-attached until we define the proper contact conditions or
connectors describing interactions between the assembly components.

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We use mathematical connectors instead of actual models of the
connectors to speed the analysis process as the mesh and contacts are

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reduced and solution can be found more quickly.
The main purpose of this lesson is to examine various other connectors
available in SolidWorks Simulation.

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Connectors When analyzing assemblies with connectors, we frequently do not need
to analyze the connectors itself, only the parts around the connectors.
Replacing the connector model with SolidWorks Simulation connector
speeds the analysis process as there is nothing to mesh and solve.
SolidWorks Simulation provides the following types of connectors:

yo E I
I
Rigid
Spring
I
I
Bolt
Link
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I Pin I Spot Welds
I Elastic support I Bearing
Connector Types The following table lists the available connector options:
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Connector Type Definition

Rigid Defines a rigid link between the selected faces. The connected faces do
not deform.
No -RE

Spring Connects avertex or a face on a component (or solid body) to a face or a

vertex on another component (or solid body) by distributed springs with
the specified normal and shear stiffness. The stiffness values may be
entered as distributed or total values.
The two faces must be either planar and parallel to each other, or
cylindrical and coaxial.
Do E

You can specify a pre-load for the spring connector.

PR

The following types are available:

Compression Extension
Compression only
Extension only

188
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Connector Type Definition

Pin Connects cylindrical faces of two components. The following two
options are available in the pin definition:
1. With retainer ring (No Translation). Specifies a pin that prevents

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relative axial translation between the two cylindrical faces.
2. With key (No Rotation). Specifies a pin that prevents relative

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rotation between the two cylindrical faces.
The stiffness values corresponding to the axial and rotational
directions may be specified as well. The pin material and strength
data can be specified to perform a pass/no pass pin check.

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Elastic support Defines an elastic foundation between the selected faces of a part or
assembly and the ground. The faces do not have to be planar.
A distributed stiffness at a point on the face represents the stiffness
density associated with an infinitely small area around the point.

yo E The tangential and normal stiffness components are assumed constant

and directed in the directions tangential and normal to the face at every
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point. This connector can be found in the fixture menu.
Bolt Defines a bolt connector between two components, multiple components
or between a component and the ground.
Bolts both with and without nuts are supported. Material specifications
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directly from the material libraries and various preload options are
available.
Spot weld Defines a connector simulating spot weld between two solid faces or two
shell faces.
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Edge weld Defines a connector simulating edge weld bead between two shell
features, or one shell and one solid feature.
Fillet and Groove welds, both single and double sided are available.
Link Ties any two locations on the model by a rigid bar that is hinged at both
Do E

ends.
The distance between the two locations remains unchanged during
PR

deformation.
Link does not restrict rotations at both ends.
Bearing Simulates the interaction between a shaft and a support through a
bearing.

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Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Mesh Control in In Lesson 2: we learned how to apply mesh control when analyzing a
an Assembly part. In this lesson, we will apply mesh control when analyzing an
assembly.
Once we have run the analysis, we will create a Design Check Plot to
display the Factor of Safety of the model.

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Case Study: In this case study we will analyze an assembly of a cardan joint. We

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Cardan Joint will determine the various contacts in the assembly and apply different

ut
mesh controls to different contact conditions.
We will apply external forces to the assembly that bypass existing
components using remote loads. This allows us to analyze the assembly

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faster as several components will not have to be meshed and solved.
We will use a draft (first order) mesh to get an initial solution and then
compare this with the results obtained with a high quality (second
order) mesh.
To determine the suitability of our design, we will create a Design

Problem
yo E Check plot to display the factor of safety of this assembly.
The differential assembly is used to transmit a
op AS
Statement torque from the vertical direction to the
inclined direction. The assembly is bolted to
the base plate at the four locations on the
back side of the bracket using M6 ANSI
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B18.6.7M countersink bolts. The base plate is

then bolted to a secondary structure using two
M8 counterbore bolts. The torque is generated
by applying a 2.5 N horizontal force to the
handle. (In the top view, this force is
No -RE

perpendicular to the handle arm.)

The shaft is rigidly connected to the

bottom yoke (Yoke_female) and passing
through the bottom opening on the
Do E

bracket. It is assumed that, due to

improper manufacturing and elevated
PR

temperature from the friction in the shaft/

bracket contact, this interface becomes
temporarily blocked and the shaft
consequently transfers all the torque to the
bracket. (Further increase in the torque
would loosen this connection and the joint
assembly would begin to rotate.)

190
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Furthermore, the geometry of the shaft ensures that the Yoke_female

and the RevBracket do not come any closer than the initial clearance
of 3.469 mm (see the figure above).

The goal of the analysis is to obtain the distribution of stresses and

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strains in the components of the Cardan joint and the internal forces in
the bolts required for their subsequent design. The deformations and

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stresses in the shaft, Rev Bracket, and the full-crank-assy are of no
interest at this time.

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Part 1: Draft In the first part of the lesson we will define all of the appropriate
Quality Coarse contact conditions with the help of SolidWorks Simulation Find
Mesh Analysis Contact Sets feature.

Procedure Follow the steps below:

1 Open an assembly file.
yo E 2
Open Cardan joint from the Lesson07\Case Studies folder.
Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
op AS
Set the global system of units to SI (MKS), units of Length to mm and
Stress to N/mm2 (MPa).
Store the results in the SolidWorks document folder in the results
subfolder.
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3 Activate configuration Without_crank.

This step suppresses the crank-shaft, crank-arm, crank-knob and
the Shaft.
No -RE

4 Define static study.

Define a new Static study. Name it stress analysis.
5 Assign material.
Right-click on the Parts folder and select Apply material to All.
Assign Alloy Steel material from the Solidworks Materials library to
Do E

all parts in this assembly.

6 Modify material of the RevBracket and of the base-plate.
PR

Under the Parts folder, right-click on RevBracket-1 part and click

Apply/Edit Material. Assign Aluminum 1060 Alloy to this part.
Repeat this step and assign Aluminum 1060 Alloy to the base-plate.

191
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Remote Load The Remote Load option allows the user to simplify certain
assemblies prior to meshing, often helping reduce the size of the mesh.

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Loads/Fixtures, Remote Load/Mass

I Shortcut Menu: Right-click External Loads and select Remote

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Load/Mass
I CommandManager: Simulation > External Loads > Remote

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Load/Mass
Remote Load Examine a pot supported by
Example three outriggers. A load is
applied to the tip of each

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outrigger.When analyzing an
assembly, such as this pot
with outrigger, we may not
be interested in the
deformations and stresses of
the outriggers and we wish to
yo E concentrate solely on the
analysis of the pot.
op AS
Taking advantage of the
Remote Load option, we avoid modeling the outriggers and still are
able to apply loads to the pot as if the outriggers were present.
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Instead of analyzing the assembly, we analyze the pot as a part. Using

the Remote Load menu, we apply a load to the split faces marking the
area where the outriggers are attached to the pot.
No -RE
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The point of application of the Remote Load must be defined in the

coordinate system selected in the Remote Load/Mass menu.

192
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

There are three ways in which Remote Load can be defined:

I Load (Direct transfer) is applicable if the omitted component (the
outrigger) can be assumed to be much more flexible than the
analyzed part (the pot). The load that would have been applied to
the outrigger is applied to the split faces of the pot and is expressed

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by means of equivalent loads and moments.

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I Load/Mass (Rigid connection) is applicable if the omitted

ut
component is very rigid and can be assumed to displace as a rigid
body. In this case the faces where the loads are applied are
connected by invisible rigid bars to the point of load application.

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This option also allows you to specify a remotely located, isolated
mass. This feature is useful when the gravity (or another constant
acceleration load) is included or when performing a frequency
analysis.
I Displacement (Rigid connection), the third option in the Remote
Load definition, is also applicable when the omitted component is
yo E very rigid and can be assumed to displace as a rigid body; however,
the load needs to be applied as a prescribed displacement. In this
op AS
case, the faces where the loads are applied are also connected by
invisible rigid bars to the point of the load application.

7 Define remote load.

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Because we are not interested in the stresses and the deformations of

the crank arm, shaft, and knob, we will simplify the analysis by
using a remote load feature.
Right-click External Loads and select Remote Load/Mass.
No -RE

8 Setup the remote load.

Select Load (Direct transfer) under the Type, and select the faces on
the Yoke_male knob where the torque will be transmitted.
Under the Reference Coordinate System dialog, specify User
defined and select Coordinate System 1 from the SolidWorks fly-out
Do E

menu. The remote location of the force will be specified in this local
coordinate system.
PR

In the Location dialog, enter the following coordinates:

X-Location: 57.15 mm, Y-Location: 24.6 mm, and Z-Location: 0
mm.
For the Force, specify -2.5 N in Z-Direction. The components of the
force are also specified in the local coordinate system Coordinate
System 1.
Click OK.

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Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

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Note By selecting Load (Direct transfer), we are accounting for the

possibility of having looser connections between the crank sub-
assembly and the Yoke_male part, and for the fact that the crank
shaft, arm and knob are manufactured from material that is softer
No -RE

than Alloy Steel.

9 Add Bolt Connectors.
Right-click the Connections folder and select Bolt.
Under Type select Countersink with Nut.
Do E

Under Conical Face select one of the bolt head faces.

The Circular Edge of the Bolt Nut Hole field will populate the correct
PR

edge feature automatically.

194
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Since the bolt connection

was defined using the Hole
series feature in
SolidWorks, the
specification of the M6 bolt

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is automatically transferred

e
in SolidWorks Simulation.

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Notice that Bolt Shank

ut
Diameter and Nut
Diameter parameters read
6 mm and 10 mm,
respectively. If different,

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these values can be
modified to your real
design values. Modify
these values to 6.6 mm and
9.9 mm.

yo E
op AS
Bolt Tight fit and The Tight fit option controls not only whether the bolt shank is in direct
Diameter contact with the hole, but also whether the walls of the bolt hole may
deform or not.
I If the stiffness of the bolt material is significantly smaller than the
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stiffness of the material of the bolted components, the presence of a

rather soft bolt shank will not have a substantial effect on the
deformation of the hole walls. In such a case, the Tight fit option
should be cleared.
No -RE

I If the stiffness of the materials are comparable, or the stiffness of

the bolt material is greater than the stiffness of the material of the
bolted parts, the Tight fit option should be activated.
I If the diameter of the bolt is smaller than the diameter of the bolt
hole, the Tight fit option should always be cleared. In this case, the
stiffness characteristics of the materials are not important.
Do E
PR

195
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Bolt Pre-load Bolt pre-load can be defined directly by entering an axial force or
indirectly as torque. When the torque value (T) is entered, SolidWorks
Simulation calculates the axial bolt force, which is the corresponding
bolt pre-load, using the following formula:
T

rib T
F = ------------

e
KxD

ist AF
where D is the diameter of the bolt, and K is the friction factor (also

ut
commonly known as the torque coefficient).
The exact formula for the friction factor K is rather complicated and
can be found in Mechanical Engineering Design by J.E. Shigley

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(1986). However, the value of K=0.2 is a very good approximation for
most practical cases.

10 Add material and fit.

Check the Tight Fit
check box and select the
yo E Shank Contact Faces
(see the figure).
op AS
11 Bolt material.
Under Material, select
Library. Click Select
material and specify
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Alloy Steel from the

Solidworks Materials
library.
Click Apply and Close
No -RE

the Material window.

12 Add preload.
Under Preload select Torque.
In the Torque box, enter 30 N-m. Specify the
Friction factor (K) of 0.2.
Do E

Click OK to complete the definition of this bolt

connector.
PR

196
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

13 Hole Series.
Because the bolted connections
were defined using SolidWorks
Hole series feature,
SolidWorks Simulation will

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display the following message:

e
Do you want to add bolt

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connectors to all holes in
the Hole Series? Click Yes
to propagate bolts to all
holes. Click No to add a
bolt to only the selected

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hole.
Click Yes in the above dialog
box window to automatically
generate the remaining three
bolts connecting the
yo E RevBracket and the base-
plate.
op AS
Connectors created based on
the hole series are automatically grouped in a
separate folder. Editing one connector from such
group will automatically modify the definition of the
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others. It is possible to dissolve or restore the connector series at any

point.

Note The Tight Fit option is not copied to the rest of the holes. It must be
No -RE

added manually.
14 Bolt base-plate to the ground.
Add another connector.
In the Type list select Bolt.
Under Type select Foundation Bolt.
Do E

Under Circular Edge of the Bolt Nut Hole select the edge of the hole
PR

where the bolt head would rest.

197
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Under Target Plane select PLANE2 SolidWorks feature.

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The Nut Diameter as well as the Bolt Shank Diameters will be pre-
populated based on the specifications of the bolted connection in
SolidWorks and can be modified if desired. In our case we will use the
values of 13.5 mm and 9 mm, respectively.
t C LE

Select Tight Fit and select the only cylindrical face as Shank Contact
Faces.
Specify Alloy Steel for the Material and a Torque preload of 30 N-m
with the Friction factor (K) of 0.2.
No -RE

15 Hole series.
Again, you will be asked if you would like to copy the bolt to the other
holes in the series. Click Yes to add the other bolt.

Note Again, you will have to apply the Tight Fit option manually.
Do E

16 Locate all contacts in the assembly.

From the Tools menu, select Interference Detection. Under the
PR

Options dialog, activate the Treat coincidence as interference field.

Click Calculate.

198
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Browse through and analyze the identified contact interfaces.

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Due to the significant number of the contacts the contact sets will be
generated automatically.
No -RE

17 Explode the view.

Explode the view for easier definition of the contact conditions.
18 Delete Global Contact.
To make sure that no two parts will be accidentally bonded, Global
Contact will be deleted.
Do E

This is a good habit if analyzing complex assemblies. Any mistakenly

omitted contact condition would likely result in a problem during the
PR

solution phase or visually erroneous displacement result.

Delete the top assembly component contact (Global Contact).

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Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Local Contact Sets We have deleted Global Contact to ensure that no two faces remain
accidentally bonded. In most assemblies, one type of contact (in our
case Allow Penetration) condition does not satisfy all interfaces, so we
must adjust the contact condition at each contact set that does not meet
the global condition.

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Automatically Find Automatically Find Contact Sets helps to automate the process of
Contact Sets defining contacts within an assembly.

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Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Contact/Gaps, Contact Sets
I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Connections and select Contact Sets
I CommandManager: Simulation > Connections Advisor

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>Contact Set
Use in Instructions Under Contact select Automatically find contact sets

yo E 19 Activate Advanced options of the No Penetration contact.

Edit the simulation Default Options. Under Mesh folder activate the
op AS
Show advanced options for contact set definitions option.
Right-click on the Connections folder and select Contact Sets.
20 Define local contact sets.
We will take advantage of the automatic contact generation feature in
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SolidWorks Simulation.
Right-click on the Connections folder and select Contact Sets.
No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Under Contact select Automatically find

contact sets.
Under the Options dialog, select Touching
faces.

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In Components, select the top level assembly.

e
Click Find contact sets.

ist AF
ut
All detected contact sets are listed in the
Results dialog. You can browse through and
view each by clicking on it.
Select all found contact sets under the Results

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dialog.
Under Type and Options, select No
penetration.
Under Properties activate Friction and Select
All

yo E specify the Friction Coefficient of 0.05.

Under Advanced select Surface to surface.
op AS
Click OK twice. All the contact sets will be
generated and listed under the Connections
folder.
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No -RE

Note Node to surface and Node to node, No penetration advanced

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contact options could also be used. Node to node option (global,

component or local) would, however, force the compatible mesh, while
PR

Node to surface option (local only) could result in less accurate

contact stresses.

201
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Introducing: No As specified in the statement of the problem, the geometry of the Shaft
Penetration Local ensures that the Yoke_female and the RevBracket do not come any
Contact Properties closer than the initial manufacturing distance of 3.469 mm. We will
simulate this constraint with the help of the No penetration contact
condition with Gap (clearance) settings.

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Gap (clearance) I This feature enforces the contact offset
equal only to the initial geometrical

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ut
distance between the participating entities.
The options of this feature enables the user
to select whether the initial geometrical
offset should be applied to all of the

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selected entities within a specific contact
set or only to those with the initial
separation distance smaller than the user
defined value.

yo E
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t C LE

Gap Example Let us demonstrate this feature on the following example:

No -RE
Do E
PR

I If the Always ignore clearance option is activated in the Gap

(clearance) dialog, no node along the specified source edges will
be allowed to come closer than their respective initial geometrical
separations of 3 mm and 7 mm. All the points along the source
edges will, however, be permitted to separate further.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

I If Ignore clearance if < 4 mm is specified, for example, the 3 mm

contact will behave as described above, while the 7 mm contact will
be allowed to fully close (if the appropriate load is specified).

Define a No penetration, Node to surface contact set with the edge of

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the contact face between the shaft and the Yoke_Female as the first
component and the face on the RevBracket as the second component.

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ut
Select Gap (clearance) and select Always ignore clearance.
Under Advanced select Node to surface.
Click OK.

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t C LE
No -RE
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PR

Note We specified a Node to surface contact since our first entity is an

edge. The Surface to surface option would not be appropriate in this
case.
Also, edge is used to simplify the solution. Full contact face between
the shaft and the Yoke_Female could be used as well.
The above contact condition ensures that the two entities will not come
any closer than the initial manufacturing distance of 3.469 mm, but
allows them to separate.

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Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

The last restraint must ensure that the cylindrical openings on the
Yoke_female and RevBracket remain aligned and that these two
openings remain connected for the transmission of the torque (they are
physically connected by a shaft). Without this condition, the
differential is free to rotate and our solution may fail or be inaccurate.

rib T
Instead of using a model of the shaft, we will use a pin connector.

e
In addition to providing the alignment between the holes, the pin

ist AF
ut
connector must be able to account for both rotational and axial
stiffness.
Rotational and Assuming a cylindrical shape with a constant cross-section, the
Axial Stiffness rotational stiffness can be calculated using the formula:

r D DR
JG
KROT = -------
L

4
πr
--------
where J = 2 is the polar moment of inertia for the circle with radius r,

yo E G is a shear modulus of the material, and L is the length of the shaft

connecting our two points (effective length of the shaft). Substituting
our values into the above equation, we obtain KR = 18,403 N-m/rad.
op AS
The axial stiffness of a cylindrical shaft with a constant cross-section
can be calculated using the formula:

KAXIA = EA
--------
t C LE

L
2
where E is the Young’s modulus and A = πr is the cross-sectional area
of the circle with radius r. Substituting our values into the above
equation we obtain KA = 4.3135e9 N/m.
No -RE
Do E
PR

204
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

21 Define Yoke_female and RevBracket connector.

Specify a Pin connector between the cylindrical openings of the
Yoke_female and that of a RevBracket (see the figure below).
For Connection Type, make sure that both With retainer ring (No

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e
translation) and With key (No rotation) are cleared.

ist AF
In the Advanced Option dialog, enter 4.3135e9 N/m for the Axial

ut
Stiffness and 18,403 N-m/rad for the Rotational Stiffness.
Click OK.

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yo E
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t C LE

Axial Stiffness
Rotational Stiffness
No -RE

The base-plate bolted to the ground using the foundation bolts is free
to lift up at certain locations such as between the bolts and along the
edges. To correctly simulate this behavior without the inclusion of the
additional component to model the ground, a Virtual wall, local No
Penetration feature can be conveniently used.
Do E

Introducing: Virtual Two wall types are available: Rigid and Flexible
PR

Wall, Axial and Rigid type assumes infinite stiffness and can be
Tangential Stiffness used to simulate very stiff foundation plates. If
Flexible type is requested, effective foundation
stiffness values in Axial and Tangential directions
must be specified. This approach allows users to
simulate composite foundation walls without it
being necessary to include them in the model.
Both types support Friction Coefficient and the
Gap (Clearance) contact features.

205
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Knowledge Base To determine how to calculate the Axial and

Tangential stiffness values for the virtual
wall, it is convenient to use the Knowledge
Base, which is an excellent compilation of
numerous articles with images.

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e
Expand the Analysis Research tab and
enter “virtual wall stiffness” in the Search

ist AF
ut
Knowledge Base field. The article, which is
the result of the search, gives full
explanation and a simple formula which can
be used for both single layered as well as composite foundation walls.

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Where to Find It Menu: Simulation, Research

Note Internet connection and subscription are required to access the

Knowledge Base database.

yo E 22 Virtual Wall.
Right-click on the Connections folder and select Contact Set.
op AS
For Type, select Virtual Wall.
Select the bottom face on the base-plate as the Set 1 and PLANE2 as
Set 2.
t C LE

Under Wall Type select Rigid. This option is required for the
Foundation bolt connector.
Enter 0 for the Friction Coefficient. (With Foundation bolts defined,
friction has little effect on the results of the analysis.)
No -RE

Click OK.
Do E
PR

Friction Coefficient

206
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

All of the necessary contact conditions have now been defined.

Our main concerns are the components of the differential; namely,
Yoke_male, Yoke_female, Spider, and the Pins. We will use a finer
mesh for these parts. To speed up the calculation in this lesson coarse
mesh will be used instead.

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23 Mesh the assembly.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.

ist AF
ut
Mesh the assembly with Draft quality elements. Move the Mesh
density slider to the left for a coarse mesh with Maximum element
size of 23.630mm, Minimum element size of 4.726mm, Number of
elements in a circle as 8, and Ratio of 1.6.

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The resulting mesh is shown in the figure below.

yo E
op AS
t C LE

24 Set properties of study.

No -RE

Specify Direct Sparse solver for this analysis.

Note The Direct Sparse solver is specifically chosen because we have a

larger number of contacts and connectors, but the size of the model is
still rather small. We expect this solver to be more efficient than an
Do E

FFEPlus iterative solver. In general, however, with the increasing size

of the problem, the FFEPlus iterative solver becomes more efficient
and would be our choice instead. For more information on solvers, see
PR

Appendix A.
25 Run the study.
The study may run for several minutes and then complete successfully.

207
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

26 Display and animate stress results.

Display and animate the distribution of the von Mises stresses in the
model.

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yo E We observe that the stresses in RevBracket are rather high, above the
yield strength of Aluminum 1060 Alloy (27 MPa). The stress peak is
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located at the bolt location where the stiff bolt connection condition is
applied.
27 Isolate components.
Isolate Yoke_male, Yoke_female, spider and the three PIN
t C LE

components.
28 Analyze stress results on isolated components.
Under the Chart Options make sure that Show Min/Max range on
shown parts only option box is checked.
No -RE

For better viewing explode the assembly.

Do E
PR

208
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

The stress values dropped to approximately 0.49 MPa, a value

significantly smaller when compared to the yield strength of the
material (620 MPa). It is apparent than the stress magnitudes in the
components of our interest will be rather small.
However, note that our mesh is rather coarse and that Draft quality

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elements were used. For reliable stress results, we would have to refine
the mesh and use High quality elements.

ist AF
ut
29 List Bolt forces.
Right-click on the Results folder and select List Pin/Bolt/Bearing
Force.
Select All bolts from the list.

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Examine the results.

yo E
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t C LE

Click Close.
Part 2: High In the second part of this lesson, we analyze the quality of the current
Quality Mesh mesh, generate a new High quality mesh, and post-process the results
No -RE

Analysis of the refined study.

First, let us have a look at the quality of our current mesh.

30 Analyze details of current coarse Draft mesh.
Right-click on the Mesh folder and select Details.
Do E

Mesh Details lists the

basic information about
our current mesh. Scroll
PR

all the way down and note

the three rows that provide
information about the
Aspect Ratio. (For the
detailed information on
the Aspect Ratio, consult
Appendix A.)

209
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Both the Maximum Aspect Ratio

of 35.6 and the Percentage of
elements with Aspect Ratio < 3
of 87.1 are acceptable.
The overall judgement about our

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e
mesh can be achieved by simple
visual inspection. Two Draft

ist AF
ut
quality elements per thickness of
the Yokes’ walls, as well as in
through-thickness direction in the
pins, are not enough for reliable

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stress and strain results.

Required Number In general, we would require at least four Draft (two to three High)
of Solid Elements quality elements in the through-thickness directions when stresses or
in Thin Features strains are of any concern and substantial bending or high curvature in
yo E the geometry is present. A fairly coarse mesh of the RevBracket and
the base-plate is not a major concern. We would, however, still require
op AS
a minimum of one (High quality) or two (Draft quality) elements
through the thickness. The contact interfaces do not necessarily need to
be refined any further, especially if in High quality elements, unless
contact stresses are of any importance.
t C LE

Note A requirement on the minimum number of solid elements in the

through the thickness direction can be relaxed if no significant
curvature exists and no substantial bending or torsion (compression in
nonlinear analysis) is expected.
No -RE

Aspect Ratio Plot The distribution of the Aspect Ratio in the mesh can also be displayed
graphically. This plot allows for the detection of the location of the
sliver elements with high Aspect Ratio values.
The value of the Aspect Ratio should be kept below 50 in the regions
where stresses are of crucial importance. In all other instances the value
Do E

should be limited by approximately 1000.

It is typically straight forward to rectify the high Aspect Ratio problem
PR

by applying local mesh controls to the regions in the vicinity of such

badly shaped elements.

31 Aspect Ratio plot.

Right-click on the Mesh icon and select Create Mesh Plot. Select
Aspect ratio and click OK.

210
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Edit the legend and select Show max annotation feature.

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ist AF
ut
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Note that the maximum value indicated in the plot is indeed 35.6.

yo E Annotation for the maximum Aspect ratio value shows the location
where the elements are rather sliver - bent in the sliver part of the yoke.
If the stress and strain values were of importance to us we could use
op AS
local mesh control to refine the mesh at this location.
32 Define new study.
Duplicate the study stress analysis as a new Static study named
stress analysis refined.
t C LE

33 Mesh the model.

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Mesh the assembly with High quality elements. Move the Mesh
No -RE

density slider to the right for a fine mesh with Maximum element size
of 5.908mm, Minimum element size of 1.182mm, Number of
elements in a circle as 8, and Ratio of 1.6.

Note A message appears warning you that the results will be deleted. Click
OK to proceed.
Do E

34 Examine the mesh.

The mesh now has the recommended
PR

numbers of elements in through-

thickness directions for all components.
The resulting mesh can be seen in the
figure.

211
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

35 Display the mesh details.

We note that the Maximum
Aspect Ratio decreased to an
acceptable value of 8.65 and that
the Percentage of elements with

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Aspect Ratio < 3 increased to

e
96.6.

ist AF
ut
Meshes with these parameters
can be regarded as very good.
Notice that the number of Total
nodes has increased 17 times to 50,152.

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Jacobian We have already discussed the Aspect Ratio as a measure of the mesh
quality. Aspect Ratio plot was also demonstrated in step 31 on
page 210.
Another mesh quality measure, which identifies highly curved and
yo E skewed elements is Jacobian. SolidWorks Simulation has an automatic
check of this quantity during the solution phase and the user typically
op AS
does not need to pay attention to it. However, the closer the value of the
Jacobian to 1, the better. Its value also should never be close to 0 or
negative; this may be a sign of a serious localized mesh problem. The
Jacobian is only available for high quality elements.
t C LE

36 Plot distribution of Jacobian.

Right-click the Mesh folder and select Create
Mesh Plot.
No -RE

Specify Jacobian and click OK.

Do E
PR

212
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

The maximum Jacobian value for our mesh is 23.65 which is very
acceptable.
Due to the time required, this study has been calculated and its results
can be found in the completed subfolder of the Lesson 5: directory.

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37 Save and Close the file.

e
ist AF
ut
38 Open an assembly file.
Open Cardan joint from the completed subfolder.
39 Display stress results.
We can again observe high stress concentrations in the vicinity of the

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bolts.

yo E
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t C LE

40 Isolate components.
No -RE

Isolate Yoke_male, Yoke_female, spider and the three PIN

components.
Do E
PR

213
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

41 Display von Mises stress results.

Under the Chart Options make sure that Show Min/Max range on
shown parts only option box is checked.

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ist AF
ut
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yo E We can observe a raise in the maximum von Mises stress magnitude
from 0.42 MPa to approximately 2.18 MPa. This raise, while
op AS
insignificant for the design of the components in this assembly (both
values are well below the yield strength of the material 620 MPa),
represents a significant relative increase of nearly 80%. Also, the
location of the maximum stress has changed.
t C LE

This example demonstrates that good quality mesh is a necessity if

stress are of importance to us.
We would, therefore, conclude that this assembly is designed with the
sufficient factor of safety.
No -RE

Exit Isolate.

Introducing: Factor A Factor of Safety Plot can be used to conveniently plot the
of safety plot distribution of the factor of safety in the assembly. The procedure to
Do E

create a design check plot is a wizard that uses sequential steps to

define the plot parameters.
PR

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Results folder and select Define
Factor of Safety Plot.

214
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

42 Plot a factor of safety distribution.

Right-click on the Results folder and select
Define Factor of Safety Plot.
As nearly all standards (except the ASME

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e
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, for
example) require the use of von Mises stress

ist AF
ut
for the calculation of the factor of safety,
choose Max von Mises stress in the first
window.

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Note The inequality shown in the dialog window is not the
definition of the factor of safety and the user should not be confused by
this expression. It is a definition of the von Mises yield criterion used
by the software to identify material points that experience yielding
(with factor of safety < 1). Users should ignore this expression at this
yo E time. It will become clearer as the user becomes more proficient with
the software and theory.
op AS
Click Next.
43 Specify material constant.
The second step is to specify the material
constant that will be used as a comparison
t C LE

against the von Mises stress selected in the

previous step.
Select Set stress limit to Yield strength as
No -RE

most of the standards specify the material yield

stress and the Material involved as 1060 Alloy.

Note Remember that our computations are valid

within the scope of the linear elasticity
Do E

traditionally limited by the yield stress point on

the material stress-strain curve.
PR

Also note that the bottom of the dialog in the

figure on the previous page lists the materials
used in the assembly along with their
corresponding yield strength information. The
units can be set at the top of the same dialog window.

Click Next.

215
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

44 Specify factor of safety.

The third step allows the user to specify the
quantity to plot. Select Factor of safety
distribution.
Click OK to generate the plot.

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e
45 Analyze the plot.

ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E
op AS
Change the maximum value of the legend to 100.
t C LE

We can see that the lowest value of the factor of safety, 0.05, is very
small due to the stress concentration. It is a good habit to set the lowest
value to the design value of the factor of safety, 3.5 for example.
46 Edit the plot.
No -RE

Change the lower limit of the legend to 3.5.

Do E
PR

216
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 5
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

We can see that the image did not change significantly. The red regions
indicate the parts in the model which do not pass the design factor of
safety criterion.
47 Iso Clipping.
Define an iso clipping of this plot that shows the regions where the

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e
factor of safety is below 3.5.

ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E
op AS
This plot indicates the regions that we should be concerned about
failure. Turn off the iso clipping when you are finished.
48 Isolate components.
t C LE

Isolate Yoke_male, Yoke_female,

spider and the three PIN components
and re-plot the factor of safety plot.
We can observe that the minimum
No -RE

value of the factor of safety in the

chart, 284, is very conservative.
Do E
PR

49 Save and Close the file.

217
Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2013
Assembly Analysis with Connectors and Mesh Refinement

Summary In this lesson, we analyzed an advanced solid mesh assembly with

various contact conditions and connectors. The creation of the local
contact sets was shown and practiced.
The pin connector with specified rotational stiffness was used to
simulate a real shaft. The remote load feature was used to remotely

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apply the load without a need to model the linking parts.

ist AF
We analyzed the quality of the finite element mesh and discussed the

ut
optimum size of elements with respect to the characteristic dimensions
of the model.
Finally, a new postprocessing feature, Design Factor of Safety, was

r D DR
introduced. In this lesson, we used this feature to plot the distribution of
the factor of safety and discussed various options available in the
definition of this plot type. We saw that the yoke and spider parts were
safe from failure, while the mounting bracket show a factor of safety
less than 3.5. Before making conclusions, we should investigate a finer
mesh on the bracket to see our stress results converging. We could then
yo E make a determination on whether or not we need to change materials or
design to satisfy the 3.5 factor of safety.
op AS
t C LE

Questions I The minimum number of solid elements in the through the

thickness direction is_____ if in Draft quality or_____ if in High
quality.
No -RE
Do E
PR

218
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 10
Vise Grip Pliers

Exercise 10: Analyze a vise grip with the use of several connectors and various
Vise Grip Pliers contact sets. This exercise will introduce another fixture called a hinge.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Local Contact on page 140.

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I Connectors on page 188.

e
ist AF
Problem The vise grip pliers are

ut
Statement clamping a piece of bar
stock. The pliers are set so
that they are not in the
locked position. A 225 N

r D DR
force is applied to the
handles.
All components are made
of Cast Carbon Steel.

yo E Determine the maximum stress in the assembly and if any of the parts
op AS
exceeds the yield strength.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open wrench from the Lesson05\Exercises\Vise grip pliers
folder.
t C LE

2 Change configuration.
Make the For analysis configuration active. In this configuration, the
release lever and pincap parts have been suppressed. A simplified
configuration of the screw is also used which removes the small
No -RE

chamfers and holes as they do not affect the study.

3 Set the simulation options.
Click Options from the Simulation menu. Select the Default Options
tab.
Select Units, then select SI (MKS) for the Unit system. Select mm for
Do E

Length/Displacement and N/m^2 (Pascals) for Pressure/Stress.

PR

Select Color Chart. For Number format, select Scientific (e) and 2
decimal places.
4 Create a study.
Create a static study named vise grip analysis.
5 Apply material.
Apply the material Cast Carbon Steel from the SolidWorks
Materials database to all the parts.

219
Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2013
Vise Grip Pliers

6 Simulate bar stock.

We are not interested in the stress in the piece
of bar stock, so it has been suppressed. To
simulate it, add Fixed Geometry fixtures to the
two flat faces of the jaw.

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7 Check interference.
To determine where the different components

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ut
are in contact, we can use the SolidWorks
interference detection. Click Tools,
Interference Detection in the menu.
Select the assembly file and Treat coincidence as interference.

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Three contacts are detected.
8 Evaluate the contacts.
Examine the model to determine the effects of each contact.
I Interference1 is a line contact between the screw and the end of
the center link. We will add a contact set for bonded contact
yo E between these two components because as long as the force is
applied, these two components remain in contact.
op AS
I Interference2 is between the screw and the barrel of Arm1 where
the threads engage. This contact will be handled with a help of the
top level assembly component contact (Global Contact).
I Interference3 is between two different components of Arm1 that
t C LE

do not move relative to one another. This contact will also be

handled with a help of the top level assembly component contact
(Global Contact).
No -RE

Interference1
Do E

Interference3
PR

Interference2

Close Interference Detection.

9 Set the top level assembly contact.
Confirm that the top level assembly contact (Global Contact) under
the Component Contacts folder is set to Bonded.

220
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 10
Vise Grip Pliers

10 Explode.
Explode the assembly to make it easier to select the faces and edges.
11 Add Contact.
Add a Bonded contact set between the edge of the center link and the
end face of the screw.

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ist AF
ut
Bonded

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yo E
op AS
Note Although global contact is set to Bonded, a local bonded contact may
be needed when a point or an edge is touching a face.

Introducing: Pin Pin connectors ensure that two cylindrical faces remain coaxial during
t C LE

Connectors the deformation process. The two faces are not allowed to deform and
will remain cylindrical during deformation.
The following options are available with pin connectors:
No -RE

I With retainer ring (No translation): If checked, the two

cylindrical faces will not be allowed to translate axially relative to
each other.
I With key (No rotation): If checked, this option eliminates axial
rotation of the two cylindrical faces relative to each other.
Do E

I Include mass: The mass of the pin can be included in frequency

analysis or if acceleration loads are applied in static stress analysis.
PR

I Axial and Rotational stiffness: If any of the two relative

displacements are unrestricted (axial translation or rotation), linear
stiffness values in those two particular directions can be specified.

221
Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2013
Vise Grip Pliers

If the geometrical and material parameters of the pin are known, it can
be conveniently tested at the end of the analysis. The following
parameters are needed:
I Tensile stress area: cross chord area of the pin.

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I Pin strength: Design strength for the material of the pin (typically

e
the yield strength).

ist AF
ut
I Safety Factor: Pin Design Safety Factor.
Alternatively, pin strength can be populated automatically by
specifying the material in the material dialog window.
Note Depending on the type of connector used, certain contact conditions

r D DR
have to be defined between connected components (such as
No penetration contact between two bolted parts).
We will need three pins to connect the components.
Pin 2
Pin 1

yo E
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No -RE
Do E

Pin 3
PR

222
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 10
Vise Grip Pliers

12 Add pins.
In the Simulation Study tree, right-click Connections and select Pin.
Select the inside face of the hole in the CenterLink part and the face of
the shaft in the secondGrip part.

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e
Select With retaining ring and clear With key.

ist AF
ut
Check the box for Strength Data, input 3.24 mm^2 for Tensile Stress
Area, 3.516e8 N/m^2 for the Pin Strength and 2 for the Safety
Factor.
Click Select material and select AISI 1020 steel.

r D DR
Clicks OK.

yo E
op AS
t C LE
No -RE
Do E
PR

223
Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2013
Vise Grip Pliers

13 Add additional pins.

Repeat the above procedure to add the two additional pins with the
same properties.The Tensile Stress Area for Pin 2 and Pin 3 is 7.06
mm^2 and 1.26 mm^2, respectively.

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Introducing: Spring Spring connectors are used to replace tension,
Connector compression or tension and compression

ist AF
ut
springs.

r D DR
Spring Connector Under Type, we can specify whether the spring is active
Types in both compression and tension, compression only, or
tension only.
yo E The options Flat parallel faces, Concentric
cylindrical faces, and Two locations specify the
op AS
characteristics of the spring end entities.
Spring Connector Under Options we can specify the Normal and
Options Tangential spring stiffness values. Both quantities
can be expressed as Total (N/m or lb/in), or
t C LE

Distributed in the units of (N/m)/m2 or (lb/in)/

in2, for example.
Both the Compression preload and Tension
preload can be input.
No -RE

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Loads/Fixtures, Connectors

I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Connections, Springs
I CommandManager: Simulation > Connections Advisor > Spring
Do E

Use in Instructions Select Springs from the Type list in the PropertyManager.
PR

224
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 10
Vise Grip Pliers

14 Add a spring connector.

While we do not have a spring modeled into the
assembly, we will add a connector spring to apply
the appropriate force.

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e
Right-click Connections and select Spring.

ist AF
Select Two locations. We have split faces on the

ut
appropriate features of each part to create vertices
on which to connect the spring.
Type 250 N/m for the Axial Stiffness. Select

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Tension preload force and type 5 N.

yo E
op AS
t C LE
No -RE
Do E
PR

225
Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2013
Vise Grip Pliers

15 Apply external loads.

We will have to add two opposing forces, one to the Arm1 and the
other to Arm2. As modeled, each of these components has an
appropriate face on which to apply the loads.
Apply a 100 N force, normal to the Top plane to each of the surfaces

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e
shown.

ist AF
ut
r D DR
yo E
op AS
Note Make sure that the force applied to the top handle is 100 N as a Total
force.
16 Mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
t C LE

Mesh the model using High quality elements and the default settings.
No -RE
Do E
PR

17 Run.
Run the study.

226
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 10
Vise Grip Pliers

18 Plot the stress.

We observe stresses well above the yield strength. To locate the high
stress regions more in depth stress post processing analysis is required.

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ist AF
ut
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yo E 19 Chart Options.
op AS
We would like to see if any components yield. We can change the chart
options to make the top of the scale equal to the yield stress of the Cast
Carbon Steel material. Anything that yields will then be shown in red.
Right-click the plot Stress1 and click Chart Option.
t C LE

Select Defined and type the yield stress for Cast Carbon Steel
(248,168,000 Pa) as the maximum limit of the legend.
No -RE
Do E
PR

20 Examine the plot.

There are several areas with stresses above yield. Some of these are
sharp corners/singularities. We will focus on the area where yielding
might occur at the line contact on the center link.

227
Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2013
Vise Grip Pliers

21 Isolate the part.

To get a better look at this one part, we will isolate it. Hide the stress
plot. Right-click on the center link part and select Isolate.
Create a new stress plot to visualize the stresses in the center link and
set the maximum to the yield strength of the material.

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e
We can see that the problem is the area where we have defined line
contact between the center link and the screw. This concentration

ist AF
ut
(stress singularity), i.e. unreal distribution of stresses, was subject of 3.
While it is not possible to eliminate it with the current geometry, we
could minimize its impact on the rest of the stress distribution by
refining the mesh.

r D DR
yo E
op AS
t C LE

22 Show all parts.

No -RE

Click Exit Isolate to show all the parts.

Do E
PR

228
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 10
Vise Grip Pliers

Pin/Bolt Force The pins and bolts can be quickly designed, knowing the basic loads:
shear and axial forces, bending moment, and torque. The figure below
shows the directions of these loads.

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e
Shear force

ist AF
ut
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Bending moment

Torque

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Axial force

Note The x, y, and z components are reported in the global coordinate

system. The sign of the axial force indicates tensile or compressive
force.
t C LE

Introducing: List The pin, bolt and bearing forces are calculated and displayed in tabular
Pin/Bolt/Bearing form.
Force
The dialog lets you save data as a *.csv or *.txt file, which can be
opened and edited in Excel or Notepad. Exported information can be
No -RE

used very effectively for the pin/bolt design. Provided the strength data
was entered for each pin, the software will analyze each pin
automatically.

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Result Tools, Pin/Bolt Force

Do E

I Shortcut Menu: Right-click the Results folder and click List Pin/
Bolt/Bearing Force
I CommandManager: Simulation > Results Advisor > List Pin/
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Bolt/Bearing Force

229
Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2013
Vise Grip Pliers

23 Extract the pin force.

Now that we have simplified the
analysis by suppressing the pins, we
have to extract the pin forces.

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Right-click on the Results folder
and select List Pin/Bolt/Bearing

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Force.

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The Pin/Bolt Force dialog lists all important force loads on pin
connectors.
We can examine the forces on each pin or the maximum values and
which connector they are on. The red background indicates that two of

yo E the pins are failing and one pin (green) is okay with the safety factor of
2.
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No -RE
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24 Save and Close the file.

PR

230
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 11
Lift Assembly

Exercise 11: Analyze a lift assembly, in which a weight is supported by four arms.
Lift Assembly This exercise will introduce another fixture called a hinge.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Connectors on page 188.

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I Pin Connectors on page 221.

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ist AF
Problem A scissor lift used to lift a 1,800 N.

ut
Statement weight is operated by an external
hydraulic cylinder connected to a 1800
N
slider traveling on a base.

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The load is assumed to be evenly
distributed between the two rollers
which, in turn, evenly split the load
between the arms. This way each
arm is loaded with a 450 N. force.
Find the displacements and stresses in the lift components at the
yo E collapsed position of the lift arms. We are not interested in contact
stresses in the pin joints, nor the stresses in the base.
op AS
1 Open an assembly file.
Open lift from Lesson05\Exercises folder.
Familiarize yourself with the collapsed and extended configurations
of this assembly. The goal of this analysis is to analyze the assembly in
t C LE

the collapsed configuration.

2 Activate the configuration collapsed.
The weight, hydraulic cylinder, connecting pins, and many other details
are not modeled, and the SolidWorks assembly lift depicts the scissor
No -RE

lift in a somewhat idealized way.

Do E
PR

Base
Slider

3 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.

Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and Pa (N/m^2), respectively.
4 Create study.
Create a Static study named collapsed-without base.

231
Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2013
Lift Assembly

5 Assign material properties.

Specify Plain Carbon Steel for all of the components.
6 Check for assembly interferences.

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There are only two parts in the assembly with touching faces.

Note Since we are not interested in the deformations and stresses in the base,
we will suppress this part to simplify our mesh. At the same time,
yo E however, we must correctly represent the contact condition with the
corresponding friction forces. This can be achieved by using a Virtual
op AS
wall contact condition type, introduced in Lesson 5: .
7 Exclude the base part from the analysis.

8 Update all components.

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Because the base part was suppressed

after the study collapsed-without base
was defined, we have to update the study
components.
No -RE

Right-click on the study collapsed-without base and select Update

All Components.

Note Alternatively, you can use Exclude from Analysis command which
does not require suppression of the part in SolidWorks.
Do E

9 Define Virtual wall.

Specify the bottom face on the slider as a Set 1 and the base plane as
PR

a Set 2.
Specify the Friction Coefficient of 0.1. Under Wall Type, select
Flexible.

Specify the values of 1.6537E+013 (N/m)/m2 [60.92e6 lb/in/in2] and

6.2216E+012 (N/m)/m2 [22.92e6 lb/in/in] as Axial stiffness and
Tangential stiffness, respectively.
Click OK to save the virtual wall settings.

232
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 11
Lift Assembly

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Hinge Restraint The connection between the lift arms and the base has to be simulated
as hinges.
The Hinge type of restraint suppresses radial and axial translations,
No -RE

which are defined in the local cylindrical coordinate system associated

with the cylindrical surface.
Exactly the same restraint can be defined using the On Cylindrical
Face type of restraint where we restrain the radial and axial
displacement components.
Do E

10 Define hinge restraint.

PR

Right-click the Fixtures folder

and then select Fixed Hinge.
Select the two cylindrical faces
initially connected to the base.
Click OK.

233
Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2013
Lift Assembly

Note Using the Fixed Hinge restraint, we assume that the base is rather stiff
and does not deform. If the elastic behavior of the base must be
accounted for, it would have to be included in the analysis.
11 Define Pin connectors.
Define two rigid Pin connectors between the four arms, and two rigid

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Pin connectors between the arm and slider.
For all the pins, allow the relative rotation and restrain the relative

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translation between the connected components.

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yo E
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12 Define restraint on slider cylindrical face.
To model the support offered by the hydraulic cylinder restrain the
cylindrical face on the slider in the global x- direction (in the direction
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of the piston).
No -RE
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234
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 11
Lift Assembly

Hint Utilize Use reference geometry restraint type to define this boundary
or condition.

Note By applying restraints to the entire cylindrical face we ignore the

realistic distribution of stresses between the cylinder pin and the lug.

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This modeling simplification is acceptable because we do not intend to

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investigate the contact stresses in the lug.

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The model is now fully constrained even though the assembly
components are not touching each other.
13 Apply 450 N force on link components.
Apply a downward force of 450 N to each of the four cylindrical

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openings at the free ends of the four link components. The total weight
distributed equally between all four locations is thus 1,800 N.

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No -RE
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235
Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2013
Lift Assembly

Bearing Load Applying the load to the entire cylindrical hole is an acceptable
simplification because we do not intend to analyze contact stresses
developing between the arms and roller pins.
Note that there is a more accurate way to apply load to a cylindrical
hole that still does not require contact stress analysis. It is called a

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Bearing Load.

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A load defined as a bearing load is applied to a portion of the

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cylindrical face (this requires splitting the face), and its variation is
described by a cosine function to simulate the contact pressure
distribution.

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14 Create mesh.
Mesh the model with
High quality elements
and the default settings.
15 Run the analysis.
yo E 16 Plot von Mises stress
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and resultant
displacement.
We observe that the
model is not yielding and the resultant displacements are rather small
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(the deformed shape is shown in the magnified scale).

No -RE
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236
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 11
Lift Assembly

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17 List slider lug hole
reaction force.
The reaction force in
yo E the x-direction, which
is the direction of the
op AS
hydraulic cylinder, is
approximately
6,350 N.
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No -RE
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237
Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2013
Lift Assembly

18 List contact and friction

forces.
List contact and friction
forces on the bottom face
of the slider.

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The Normal force (y-
component) is equal to

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900 N, which amounts to
half of the total load (the
second half is carried by
the two hinge restraints).

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The Friction force (x-
component) is equal to 45
N.

yo E
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Is the friction force Can you verify whether the result for the friction force, 45 N, is
correct? correct? Why?

19 Analyze deformation of slider.

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Define a new displacement plot of the slider in highly magnified scale.

(You may hide all of the remaining components in SolidWorks to view
the deformed shape more clearly).
No -RE

In the Deformed Shape dialog, un check the Show colors option.

We can see that the
middle part of the slider
detaches from the base;
the contact is provided
only by very small areas
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on both sides.
Also note that, to
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accurately model the

contact stresses, a highly
refined mesh would be
required.
20 Save and Close the file.

238
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 12
Analysis with Base (optional)

Exercise 12: The results from the previous study can be verified by running the same
Analysis with analysis with the base included in the finite element model.
Base (optional) Run the simulation again with the base included in the model and
compare the solutions to verify that the virtual wall contact condition
accurately models the real situation.

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This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Connectors on page 188.
I Pin Connectors on page 221.

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No -RE
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239
Exercise 13 SolidWorks 2013
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

Exercise 13: A tube is fabricated out of two Spot Welds

Spot Welds- sheets of galvanized steel that
Solid Mesh are joined by spot welds on
each side.
We will use FEA to

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investigate torsional stiffness
of the assembly by finding the

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torque required to twist the
tube.
The twist angle of 1o that we
will use is arbitrary. We are

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not attempting to duplicate
any real life test conditions. Spot Welds
We intend to use the results of
this numerical test to compare different spot welds configurations. The
two-piece design is the first configuration we test.

yo E This exercise reinforces the following skills:

I Spot weld on page 189.
op AS
I Cylindrical Coordinate Systems on page 160.
I Soft Springs on page 164
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Project The tube is fabricated out of two sheets of galvanized steel 1 mm

Description [0.04 in] thick. The two pieces are joined by 10 spot welds on each
side. The spot welds are spaced 25.4 mm [1.0 in] apart and the diameter
of each spot weld is 3.175 mm [0.125 in].
No -RE

Determine the torque required to twist the tube by 1o.

1 Open an assembly file.
Open tube solid located in the
Lesson05\Exercises folder.
Examine two configurations:
Do E

complete tube and half tube.

The assembly consists of two
PR

identical parts, tube 30.

Examine part model tube 30
and note a split line added to
locate the positions of spot Split Line
welds.
2 Assembly configuration.
Make the configuration complete tube active.

240
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 13
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

3 Set SolidWorks Simulation Options.

Set the system of Units to SI (MKS), the units of Length to mm, and
Stress to N/m^2.
4 Create study.
Create a study named tube solid.

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5 Review Material properties.
Verify that the material definition, Galvanized Steel, has been

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transferred from SolidWorks to SolidWorks Simulation.
6 Treat tubes as solids.
Expand the Parts folder. Right-click the tube features and select Treat
as Solid.

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Introducing: Spot Spot welds are defined by the two faces which are connected by the
Welds weld. Additionally the weld location needs to be specified on either one
of these two faces.
To specify the spot weld location you can use an assembly reference
yo E point (not a part reference point) or a vertex.
op AS
Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Connections folder and select Spot
Welds.
I CommandManager: Simulation > Connections Advisor > Spot
Welds.
t C LE

7 Define Spot Welds.

Right-click the Connections folder and select Spot Welds.
Select Spot Weld First Face, as shown in the figure.
No -RE

Then select the connected face on the other part (see the figure) as the
spot weld second face. Then select Spot Weld Locations and select
the ten vertices shown.
In the Spot weld diameter, enter 3.175 mm [0.125 in].
Do E

This way, all spot weld locations on one side are defined in a single
restraint.
PR

241
Exercise 13 SolidWorks 2013
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

Click OK.

Select 10
vertices

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yo E 8 Repeat the process for the other
op AS
side.
Similarly, apply spot welds at all the
other 10 locations on the other side
of the tube.
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No -RE
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242
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 13
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

Apply Torque We are going to apply torque to this assembly using two fixtures. On
one end the geometry will be prevented from moving in the axial and
circumferential directions. On the other end, we will apply a fixed
movement of 1 degree.

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9 Apply fixtures.
Select the Use reference geometry fixture under advanced and select

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the assembly axis as reference geometry. This way, the directions of
restraints are aligned with the cylindrical coordinate system defined by
this axis. The first component is radial translation, the second is
circumferential rotation (expressed in radians), and the third is axial

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translation.
Select the two faces on one side of the tube and restrain the
Circumferential displacement component (enter 0 rad).
Click OK.

yo E
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No -RE
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243
Exercise 13 SolidWorks 2013
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

10 Prescribe rotation at the other end.

Analogous to the previous condition, apply a 1deg (0.0174 rad)
Circumferential displacement to the two faces on the opposite end.

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11 Use soft springs to stabilize the model.
The prescribed displacements defined on both ends of the tube do not
t C LE

restrain the assembly in the axial direction. The model can move in the
axial direction as a rigid body without experiencing any deformation.
To stabilize the model, activate the Use soft spring to stabilize model
option.
No -RE
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244
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 13
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

Contact Between Before meshing the model we have to make an important modeling
Parts decision, that is, how do the two parts interact. We are going to assume
that the two halves of the tube interact with each other only through
spot welds rather than through the flange faces.
Assuming that there is no interaction other than specified through the

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spot welds conveniently simplifies the model because we do not have
to solve contact conditions. However, it is a reasonable assumption

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considering that thin spot welded sheets often “come apart” in-between
spot welds.
As a result of this decision, we model the contact condition between
touching faces of the two halves as Allow Penetration.

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12 Define Contact.
Define a new component contact of type Allow Penetration.
13 Apply mesh control.
To avoid excessive
yo E element turn angle, apply
a mesh control with the
op AS
Element size of 3.0 mm
[0.118 in] and the Ratio
equal to 1.5, to all four
rounds and flanges.
t C LE
No -RE
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245
Exercise 13 SolidWorks 2013
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

Element Turn Turn angle 45o means that one element face “wraps” over a 45o arc.
Angle Generally an element turn angle of 45o or less is preferred.
The figures below show the mesh with and without the mesh control
definitions.

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yo E No Mesh Control
Element Turn Angle 90 deg
Mesh Control Applied
Element Turn Angle 30 deg
op AS
Spot Welds - Note that the mesh has only one element across the wall thickness.
Stress Generally two layers of second order elements are recommended. One
Concentrations layer is acceptable for the analysis of deformations but may produce
high stress error in detailed stress results.
t C LE

We accept one layer of elements because we intend to use this model

for the analysis of deformations, not stresses. Besides, models with
Spot welds connectors are not suitable for detailed stress analysis.
No -RE

Spot welds connector models point to point connections, which

mathematically results in infinite stresses near the spot weld.
Models with Spot welds are suitable for analysis of deformations and
global stresses, which is our intention in this model.
Also, the model geometry would be better meshed with shell elements
Do E

than with solid elements. We use solid elements to practice Spot welds
connectors with solid geometries. Later in the course we will solve the
same model using shells.
PR

14 Mesh the model.

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Create a High quality mesh with the Mesh Density slider set to Fine.
15 Run the analysis.

246
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 13
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

16 Plot von Mises stresses.

Von Mises stress results indicate high stress near spot welds. As we
said before, any stress results near spot welds are unreliable.

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No -RE
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247
Exercise 13 SolidWorks 2013
Spot Welds-Solid Mesh

Resulting Torque To calculate the resulting torque, we first list the y-component of the
Extraction reaction force in the cylindrical coordinate system and multiply it by
the radius (see Exercise 3 for an additional example).
17 List reaction force in cylindrical system.
List the y-component of the reaction force in the cylindrical coordinate

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system defined by Axis1 (see the following figure).
The circumferential component of the reaction force is 8314.8 N.

ist AF
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Calculate resulting torque.
The average radius is 0.1265 m [4.98 in]. Therefore the resulting torque
T is:

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T = 8314.8 N x 0.1265 m = 1051.82 N-m

yo E
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t C LE
No -RE
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18 Save and Close the file.

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Note Exercise 18: Spot Welds - Shell mesh on page 308 shows how this
problem can be solved using shell elements, a distinct modeling
technique applicable to thin, sheet like structures.

248
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 14
. Bolt Connectors

Exercise 14:. In this exercise, we will use bolt connectors to replace the physical
Bolt bolts and eye bolt. With the absence of the eye bolt, the external load is
Connectors applied as a remote load.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Connectors on page 188.

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I List Pin/Bolt/Bearing Force on page 229.

ist AF
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Problem A bar is attached to a base plate with two loose fitting bolts: bolt
Statement diameter is 12 mm, hole diameter is 12.2 mm.

Eye bolt

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Base Plate Bolts

yo E Bar
op AS
The base plate is supported along both sides. The eye bolt is loaded in
vertical and horizontal directions with 1,100 N [247 lb] forces, as
indicated in the figure below. It is assumed that the eye is rather stiff
and provides a nearly rigid connection between the forces and the strip.
t C LE

Both the bar and the base plate are manufactured from steel AISI
1020.

Vertical Load
No -RE

Fixed Support 1,100 N.

Do E

Fixed Support
Horizontal Load
1,100 N
PR

Determine the maximum stress and deformation for the components.

Also determine the forces in the bolts.

249
Exercise 14 SolidWorks 2013
. Bolt Connectors

1 Open an assembly file.

Open bolt joints from
Lesson07\Exercises
folder.
The bolts, nuts and washers

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have been suppressed. This is
because in this exercise we

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will use bolt connectors. To
account for the missing eyebolt, we will apply the horizontal load as a
remote load on the cantilever beam.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.

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Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and N/m^2, respectively.
3 Create Study.
Create a static study named two bolts - torque preload.
4 Apply material.
yo E 5
Apply AISI 1020 steel as the material for both parts.
Create Bolt Connectors. Edges defining
op AS
Create two Standard bolt bolt heads
connections with nut.
Use 24 mm for the diameter
of the head and nut, and
t C LE

12 mm for the diameter of

the bolt.
Make sure that the Tight Fit
option is not checked- the
No -RE

bolts are loose fitting.

Use Alloy Steel for the Material.
Apply the Torque preload of 160 N-m [1416 lb-in] with the Friction
factor of 0.2.
Do E

Note You can verify with hand calculations that the corresponding axial bolt
preload force is 66,666N [16,860 lb]. Consequently, bolt tensile stress
PR

equals 590 MPa [96,160 psi] which is 95% of the yield strength of
Alloy Steel.
6 Show Exploded View.

250
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 14
. Bolt Connectors

7 Define Contact conditions.

For correct modeling of bolted connections
we need to define a contact condition
between the two assembly components.
Because we expect a horizontal slide along

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the interface, a local No penetration, Node
to surface or Surface to surface contact

ist AF
ut
condition is required.
Define a No penetration, Node to surface contact set between the
two components, as indicated in the figure.
8 Apply remote load.

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As mentioned in the beginning of this problem, we assume that the eye
bolt is rather rigid. Thus, use the Load/Mass Rigid connection option.
Select both the bottom and the top contact
faces as Faces, Edges or Vertices for
Remote Load/Mass. This reflects the reality
yo E in which most of the loads are transmitted
through the friction forces between the bolt
op AS
head/nut and the bar.
Apply horizontal and vertical
forces, both at a magnitude of 1,100
N, as indicated in the figure.
t C LE

Use local Coordinate System1 to

specify the location of the force (0,
0, 51 mm) and the magnitude
(1100 N, 0, 1100 N).
No -RE

9 Apply fixture.
Apply a Fixed Geometry fixture to
Do E

the two side faces on the base plate.

10 Mesh assembly.
PR

Select Curvature based mesh under

Mesh Parameters.
Create High quality mesh with the default settings.
11 Run the analysis.

251
Exercise 14 SolidWorks 2013
. Bolt Connectors

12 Review Results.
Review the area where the highest stresses are located and notice that
the size of the “hot spot” is smaller than that of the element size.
Therefore, stresses in this area are reported with a large error. Mesh
refinement would be required to obtain more accurate maximum stress

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results.

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ist AF
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yo E 13 Plot details of deformation.
op AS
Analyze the details of the
deformation in magnified scale.
It can be seen that the bar and
the base plate separate from
t C LE

each other.
14 Review bolt forces.
The axial bolt forces in Bolt Connector-1 and Bolt Connector-2 are
66,667 N and 69,057 N.
No -RE

As compared to the bolt preload of 66,666 N, the effect of the external

load is very small. A negligible change in bolt axial load is desirable if
we want to avoid bolt loosening.
Do E
PR

15 Save and Close the file.

252
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 15
Awning

Exercise 15: In this exercise, you will analyze a

Awning retractable awning.
This exercise reinforces the
following skills:

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I Pin Connectors on page 221.

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I Remote Load on page 192.

ist AF
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Problem The retractable awning in the photograph is
Description used to shield a vegetable stand from

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weather. The total area that the awning covers
is 2m^2.
Six springs are attached to the awning and
keep it in the extended position. Each spring
has a spring constant of 875N/m. In the

yo E extended position, the springs have a tension

pre-load of 45 N.
op AS
Assume that the awning is rigidly connected
to the base with a 150 N-m pre-loaded bolt.
All parts in the assembly are made of AISI 1020 steel. Consider the
pins that connect the pieces together to be rigid.
t C LE

Goal Calculate the maximum stresses and displacement in one side of the
awning assembly when it is loaded with 152mm of snow (with density
of 80 kg/m^3). With the snow on top, a 186 N horizontal load from the
fabric roll and snow weight is generated.
No -RE

Tip The awning roll is attached in the global coordinate system at

(-1259.84mm, 50.8mm, 3.175mm)
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253
254
Awning
Exercise 15

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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013

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 rib T
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Lesson 6

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Compatible/Incompatible
Meshes
yo E
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t C LE

Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand mesh compatibility in solid element meshes with
various contact conditions.
I Understand advanced incompatible mesh bonding (Mortar
No -RE

bonding) algorithm.
Do E
PR

255
Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2013
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

Compatible / In the following example, we will learn the difference between

Incompatible compatible and incompatible meshing. A compatible mesh is one
Meshing where the nodes of meshes of adjacent parts or bodies are merged to
insure bonding. An incompatible mesh results if this condition cannot
be met.

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We will use solid mesh part with unmerged bodies for this purpose.

ist AF
Case Study: In this case study, we will analyze a simplified four bladed rotor part.

ut
Rotor The blades and rotor disk are separate, unmerged, bodies. The rotor
disk is a thick part and the blades are relatively thin which presents a
problem in the way the mesh must be created in the area where the two
type bodies join.

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Project The rotor will be subjected to a rotation of 1 rad/sec, causing stress in
Description the blades. Both the rotor disk and blades are made from Alloy Steel.
Determine the maximum stress and deflection in the four-bladed rotor.

Procedureyo E To begin this analysis:

op AS
1 Open a part file.
Open rotor2a from the Lesson06\Case Studies folder.
2 Define a new study.
Create a new static study named rotor2a-compatible.
t C LE

3 Apply mesh control.

Apply mesh control with the Element size of 2.3 mm and the default
Ratio to all four blade bodies.
No -RE
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PR

256
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 6
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

Compatible Mesh When a compatible mesh is created, the parts or bodies in the assembly
are meshed so that a smooth mesh transition between any two parts is
achieved. The nodes along the interface are then imprinted one upon
another. If bonded contact is requested, the nodes are then merged to
ensure the bonding. If compatible meshing fails at some interface, the

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software will attempt to generate incompatible mesh for the two parts

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involved.

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4 Set global compatible bonding.
Edit the top assembly level component contact (Global
Contact).

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Make sure that Bonded is selected under the Contact
Type dialog.
Under Options, select Compatible mesh.
5 Mesh part.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh
yo E Parameters.
Mesh this multi body part with High quality mesh and the default
op AS
settings.
The resulting mesh can be seen below.
t C LE
No -RE
Do E
PR

Note that the mesh in the blade is rather dense and the nodes are nicely
aligned along the blade/solid interface. In fact, the nodes along this
interface are merged to ensure the prescribed bonding.
6 Hide one blade solid body.
Hide one of the blade bodies, as shown in the figure below. Display the
mesh.

257
Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2013
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

7 Examine the mesh.

A node-to node
correspondence is also forced
along the entire blade/solid
interface. The nodes are

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subsequently merged to ensure

e
the required bonding.

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While merging the nodes is the
most accurate way to ensure
the bonding between two
touching bodies in a part, or

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two parts in an assembly, it
poses additional constraints on
the mesher. All bodies and
parts must be meshed together,
causing the operation to become more complex and take longer.
8 Show the blade.
yo E Show the blade that was hidden.
op AS
9 Material.
Assign Alloy Steel to all components.
10 Fixture.
Apply a Fixed Geometry restraint on the top
face of the rotor.
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11 External Load.
Apply 1 rad/s Centrifugal load. Use Axis1 for
the reference.
No -RE

12 Run the analysis.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 6
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

13 Displacement results.
The displacement plot shows a symmetrical pattern of the deformation
with a maximum resultant displacement of 4.2 e-7 m.

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yo E 14 Von Mises stress results.
Stress distribution shows singularities in the vicinity of the blades.
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No -RE
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Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2013
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

Incompatible Mesh When the nodes of adjacent meshes cannot be merged, we have an
incompatible mesh. We can select an incompatible mesh which tells the
mesher to mesh every body/part independently and ensure the bonding
via the constraint equations (additional mathematical expressions).

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15 Define a new study.
Duplicate study rotor2a-compatible as a new study rotor2a-

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incompatible.
16 Set global incompatible bonding.
Edit the setting of the top level assembly component
contact (Global Contact) and change the Options to

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Incompatible.
17 Mesh part.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh
Parameters.
Mesh the part with the default settings.
yo E
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Automatic Switch If a compatible mesh is requested and meshing
to Incompatible fails due to the complexity of the contacts, re-
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Mesh meshing model with the incompatible mesh often

solves the problem.
No -RE
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Introducing: The option Remesh failed parts with incompatible mesh

Automatic Switch automatically re-meshes parts where compatible meshing was not
to Incompatible successful.
Mesh

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Mesh, Create Mesh and under
Advanced select Remesh failed parts with incompatible mesh.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 6
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18 Examine the mesh.

The solid bodies of the rotor and the blades are meshed independently
and the nodes along the interface are not aligned. The bonding is
ensured by means of the additional constraint equations.

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19 Run the study.

20 Displacement results.
The results are the same when compared to those obtained in the study
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with the compatible mesh.

No -RE
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Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2013
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

Incompatible SolidWorks Simulation features several bonding algorithms when

Bonding Options handling the bonds between bodies with an incompatible mesh. These
options can be accessed in the study properties. In this section, we will
discuss these options and their advantages and disadvantages.
Simplified Bonding When Simplified is selected, the traditional (node base) bonding

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algorithm is used. The source body is represented using its nodes, while
the target is represented through the element faces (target must always

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be a face). However, depending on the density of the source mesh, not
all target element faces may participate. This may lead to a generation
of “patched” contact.

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yo E In the figure above we try to demonstrate a traditional, node based
incompatible bond between an edge (source) and a face (target). Only
op AS
the elements where a node uniquely lies on their faces will participate
in the contact. This leads to a patched description of the contact which
may lead to less accurate results.
More Accurate When the More accurate (slower) option is used, source entities use
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(Mortar) Bonding full description of the geometry including edges (faces) between the
nodes. This leads to a complete and accurate description of both the
source and the target.
No -RE
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In the figure above the entire edge (continuos description) of the source
as well as the faces of the touching target elements form the contact set;
PR

This description is more accurate but requires longer solution times.

In general, when incompatible contact is used the size of the elements
defining the source and the target should be compatible and the More
accurate (slower) option should be used.
Automatic When the Automatic option is selected, the software will decide which
is the most appropriate bonding type with respect to the model and
solution times. It is suggested to leave this option as the default
bonding type.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 6
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

21 Simplified bonding.
In the study Properties activate the Simplified bonding option.

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22 Run the study.
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23 Displacement results.
The results are significantly different to those obtained in the study
with the compatible mesh, automatic bonding.
No -RE
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24 Save and Close the file.

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Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2013
Compatible/Incompatible Meshes

Discussion The interface on two of the blades is not properly bonded due to the
simplified bonding algorithm. There are two reasons for this. First of
all, the mesh sizes are very different between the two bodies.
Additionally, the simplified bonding algorithm failed to accurately
bond the two bodies. To obtain the correct solution, More accurate

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(Mortar) bonding must be used. By default Automatic bonding treats

e
this contact correctly.

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Summary In this lesson we showed the difference between the compatible and
incompatible meshing approach for solid element meshes.
Compatible mesh is somewhat more accurate along the interface
because a node to node correspondence between the meshes is forced

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or the two corresponding nodes are directly merged. However it puts
additional strain on the mesher and the meshing process may take
longer to complete.
Incompatible meshing procedure generates mesh for each part
independently which then reduces the time necessary for completion.
yo E The contact condition is then ensured by the additional constraint
equations (Bonded contact). If possible, incompatible bonded contacts
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should feature elements of comparable sizes.
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No -RE
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Lesson 7

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Analysis of Thin Components

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Create a mid-plane shell element mesh.
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I Create a shell mesh from selected surfaces.

I Perform structural analyses and analyze results using shell elements
on parts.
No -RE

I Evaluate mesh adequacy to model stress concentrations.

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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Thin To this point, we have used solid tetrahedral elements to mesh our
Components models. These work fine when the model does not have a thin cross
section, but when one dimension is much smaller than the other two,
such as in sheet metal parts, solid meshes can take a long time to solve.
To mesh a model properly with solid elements, we would need to place

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at least two layers of tetrahedral elements across the thickness. Such a
mesh calls for a very small element size to fit across the thin section of

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the model. These small elements are unnecessary in the other
directions, so the mesher creates a lot more elements than are necessary
for an accurate solution in those direction. Consequently, the large
number of elements requires far more time to be created by the mesher

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and also requires a lot more time to evaluate the solution.
Case Study: Shell mesh can be generated on faces of solid bodies or on surfaces. In
Pulley such situations, all of the model boundary conditions and loads must be
applied on the edges of the solid bodies or directly on the surfaces.
If sheet metal features are used in the assembly, shell mesh is
yo E automatically generated on the midplane. Furthermore, all restraints
and loads are correctly determined using the solid geometry directly.
op AS
This lesson contains two case studies. The first shows how to model
using shell elements when surface is used, the second then
demonstrates the analysis with the sheet metal part. It is strongly
recommended that both case studies and the following exercises are
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completed to fully understand shell modeling in SolidWorks

Simulation software.
In this lesson, we analyze a stamped steel pulley used as an idler in an
automotive belt drive.
No -RE

Because one dimension of the pulley geometry, its thickness, is much

smaller that the other dimensions, meshing this geometry with solid
elements will create a very fine mesh. We will first use solid elements
to see the problem, then we will use shell elements and compare the
results.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Project A belt exerts a vertical resultant force of 500 N on the pulley. From this
Description we can calculate that the belt force is equal to 353.55 N based on
equilibrium.
Determine the deformations and stresses that develop in the pulley.

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yo E
Part 1: Mesh We will first analyze the pulley using solid elements, just as we have in
op AS
with Solid previous lessons.
Elements We can take advantage of the symmetry of the geometry, loads, and
restraints by analyzing one half of the pulley while simulating the
missing half with symmetry boundary conditions.
t C LE

In this case, the pulley is simple enough to analyze without using

symmetry. Idealizations, such as using shell elements in place of solids
and using one half of the model in place of the whole model, are
utilized here only as a learning example.
No -RE

Procedure Follow the steps below to analyze the pulley with a solid mesh:
1 Open a part file.
Open pulley located in the Lesson08\Case Studies folder.
Split lines define a face extending over a 90° section of the pulley. This
Do E

area is where we apply a belt load as pressure exerted on the pulley.

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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

2 Make symmetry cut.

Activate the configuration called FEA.
3 Create new study.
Create a new static study named
pulley solids.

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4 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
Set the global system of units to

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SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and N/mm2 (MPa),
respectively.

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Store the results files in the results folder in the SolidWorks document
folder.
5 Apply fixed restraint.
Select the face on the outside semi-cylindrical face
and apply a Fixed Geometry restraint.

yo E
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Symmetry Fixtures Symmetry fixtures simulate the half of the pulley that is missing from
the model. The fixture will prevent any displacement across the plane
of symmetry but can allow displacements on the plane of symmetry.
No -RE

Alternatively, rather that applying a Symmetry fixture to a face, we can

apply the same condition manually to either one of the two edges of
this face. The restraint will still be transferred to the edge of the surface
that is meshed with shell elements. See the discussion in the second
part of this lesson for more information on symmetry restraints.
Do E

6 Apply symmetry restraint. Faces with symmetry

Select the two faces in the plane of boundary conditions
PR

symmetry, and apply a Symmetry

fixture.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

7 Define pressure load.

Right-click External
Loads and select Pressure,
and then select Normal to
selected face.

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Select the face upon which
the pressure load needs to be

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applied, and define a
pressure load equal to 0.2
MPa (200,000 Pa).
Click OK to save the

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definition.

Note Notice that we do not load the model by the forces in the belt. Rather,
we apply a pressure value simulating the presence of the belt.
Also, you may ask how we know that this 200,000 Pa pressure results
yo E in the desired 500 N reaction force in the vertical direction. A linear
static analysis with an arbitrary magnitude of the pressure was run
op AS
ahead of time. Based on the reaction force magnitude obtained in this
study, we were able to scale the pressure to 200,000 Pa to obtain the
500 N vertical reaction. We already used a similar proportionality in
Lesson 3: .
8 Create mesh.
t C LE

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.

Mesh the model with High quality elements and the default settings.
9 Examine the mesh.
No -RE

There is only one element

across the thickness of the
model. From the mesh details,
we can see that there are 9,582
elements and 19,378 nodes.
Do E
PR

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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

10 Run the analysis.

Note You can merge these two steps, mesh and run, if you select Run (solve)
the analysis in the Options dialog of the Mesh command.
11 Plot von Mises stresses.

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The maximum stresses on the outside and inside faces of the solid

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pulley are approximately 65.7 MPa and 81.3 MPa.

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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Note, however, that this mesh

features one element through
the thickness while two layers
of high quality elements are
recommended as a minimum.

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Part 2: Refined Now we will refine the mesh so that we have two layers of elements
Solid Mesh across the thickness of the material and then compare the results with

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the previous analysis.
1 Create new study.
Duplicate the pulley solids study and name the new study pulley
solids dense.

yo E 2 Mesh the model.

Select Curvature based mesh
under Mesh Parameters.
op AS
Mesh the model with a Maximum
element size and a Minimum
element size of 1.1 mm.
Additionally, use 8 as the
t C LE

Minimum number of elements

in a circle and 1.5 as the Ratio.
This element size ensures that
two layers of elements are placed
No -RE

across the wall thickness, which

is 2 mm.
This mesh will take considerably
longer to create, on the order of 15 times longer.
3 Examine the mesh.
Do E

This time we have 208,370 elements and 336,174 nodes (987,978

DOF).
PR

4 Run the analysis.

Because of the large size of this mesh, we need to change to the
iterative solver. Right-click the study and select Properties. Select the
FFEPlus solver.
Run the study.
Even using the iterative solver, this solution will take much longer to
run.

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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

5 Plot von Mises stresses.

Create a von Mises stress plot.

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No -RE

The maximum von Mises stresses on the outside and inside faces are
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62.7 MPa and 87.0 MPa. The dense solid element mesh reports a more
“regular” shape of the stress concentration.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Solid vs. Shell Using the solid mesh required a very long mesh and solution time to get
an answer that we could be confident with in this relatively simple
model. If the wall thickness had been even thinner, the solution could
take several hours, which would be unacceptable for a part of this
simplicity.

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Now that we have done a solid mesh, we will construct a shell mesh
using two distinct modeling techniques:

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I Shell mesh using mid-surfaces
I Shell mesh using outside/inside faces of solid bodies
Creating Shell Shell elements can be created on surfaces, faces of solid bodies or for

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Elements sheet metals parts. In the following study, we will create mid-plane
surface to act as our shell sheets.

Part 3: Shell The pulley does not feature any mid-plane surface. We must therefore
Elements - Mid- first create surfaces that will be used as our shell sheets.
yo E
plane Surface
op AS
1 Create mid-plane surface.
Click Insert, Surfaces, Mid-surface from the menu.
2 Select surfaces.
Select the face on the
outside as Face 1 and
t C LE

the matching face on

the inside as Face 2.
Select Knit surfaces to
make sure the
No -RE

command will create a

single surface.
Continue selecting
faces until entire
midplane is created.
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Click OK.
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Tip Click Find Face Pairs to find the faces automatically.

273
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Note The mid-surface location for the shell mesh is the most desirable. In
some situations, however, extraction of the midplane is too difficult or
not convenient. In such cases the shell mesh can be placed on either the
outside or inside face of the solid geometry. Because shell elements are
suitable for thin structures, the difference in results due to the different

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position of the shell is rather small. Students should complete Exercise

e
17: Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces on page 304 to verify the

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above in the case of the pulley model

ut
3 Create study pulley shells -midplane.
For now, let us skip the definition of loads and fixtures and go directly
to the mesh creation.

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Introducing: In parts and assemblies, there may be more components than we are
Exclude from interested in analyzing or we may want to limit the scope of the
Analysis analysis to only certain components. Exclude from analysis essentially
suppresses the component from the analysis.

yo E
Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click a part, body or surface in the
Simulation Study tree and click Exclude from Analysis.
op AS
4 Exclude Solid body.
We have a solid body and a surface body, but we only want to analyze
the surface body. To do this we must exclude the solid body that is not
t C LE

to be analyzed.
In the Simulation Study tree, expand the pulley folder and right-click
the solid body, then click Exclude from Analysis.
No -RE

Note Notice that when we exclude the solid body, it is also hidden in the
graphics window. Since we are using shell elements that are defined by
surface geometry, we only want to select the surface geometry to apply
our loads and restraints.
Do E
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Thin vs. Thick I Thin shell element technology assumes that the cross-section
Shells perpendicular to the midplane remains straight and also
perpendicular to the midplane at the end of the deformation
(Kirchhoff theory). As a consequence, this shell element ignores the
shear deformation and stress in the through-thickness direction.

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Thin, membrane-like structures with the span to thickness ratio

e
larger than 20 can be accurately modeled using this element.

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I Thick shell element technology assumes that the cross-section
perpendicular to the midplane remains straight after the
deformation takes place, but it is no longer perpendicular to the
deformed midplane (Mindlin theory). As a consequence, this

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element assumes constant distribution of the shear deformation in
the through-thickness direction. Thicker shells where shear effects
become noticeable can be accurately modeled using this element.
THIN THICK
BEFORE
DEFORMATION

yo E MIDPLANE
op AS
AFTER
DEFORMATION
t C LE

In both cases the distribution of the normal bending stresses can be

seen as linear.
No -RE

LINEAR DISTRIBUTION OF IN-PLANE STRESS IN

BOTH THIN AND THICK SHELL
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5 Define the shell.

Select the midplane surface body. Right-click
PR

either selected body and click Edit Definition.

Select Thin and set the thickness to 2 mm.
Click OK.

275
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

6 Mesh control.
Apply a mesh control on the rounded face
(see the figure) with the Element size of 1.5
mm. Keep the Ratio at its default value of
1.5.

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7 Create mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Create a High quality mesh with the default settings.

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The resulting mesh can be seen in the following figures.

yo E
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8 Examine the mesh.
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The Mesh colors section indicates that the shell bottom faces are
marked with an orange color. The shell top faces assume the part color,
gray in this case. This fact is very important in the postprocessing
phase.
No -RE

Furthermore, we see that the inside and outside are colored uniformly
(i.e. gray and orange colors do not alternate on any side). Such aligned
shell mesh is required for correct postprocessing.
Do E
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Shell Mesh Colors Shell elements have a top and bottom side. To indicate the side, the
mesh is color coded with the top and bottom being shown in different
colors.
To obtain proper results, all the mesh elements must be aligned
properly with the tops on one side and bottoms on the other.

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Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Options, System Options, General.

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No -RE

Changing Mesh In some cases, however, we may wish to change the mesh orientation
Orientation or the shell mesh may not to be aligned at the end of the meshing phase.
In such cases, the mesh need to be aligned manually. We can practice
Do E

flipping the top and bottom of the shell mesh with our current mesh.
PR

277
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

9 Flip the mesh on one face.

Left-click on the face indicated in the
figure.

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Right-click on Mesh and select Flip shell

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elements.

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The result of this operation can be seen below.
t C LE
No -RE

We can see that the colors are not uniform and the shell mesh is
misaligned. While the finite element computations would be correct
with such misaligned mesh, the postprocessing would show
Do E

meaningless results along the lines of misalignment.

PR

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Shell Element Before proceeding further, we need to explain why shell element
Alignment alignment is important. Shell elements can model bending; therefore,
most often, different stress results are reported at the top and bottom of
shell elements.
Using the postprocessing options

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for shell elements, we can choose
to display the stresses on the top

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or bottom. Additionally, stress
distribution in the through-
thickness direction can be
divided into two components:

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bending and membrane. All
four options are demonstrated in
the figure to the right.
Let us depart for a moment from the
pulley and examine a rectangular
cantilever beam meshed with
yo E misaligned shell elements.
op AS
Say we want to display the P1
stress (maximum principal stress)
at the top of the beam.
t C LE

Because the shell element

orientation in the model is
inconsistent, the stress plot is in
No -RE

error.
Now, instead of the P1 stress, we
plot the von Mises stress.
The fact that the plot is erroneous
again becomes obvious along the
Do E

line of misalignment.
This error is because stresses are
PR

averaged before the von Mises

stress is calculated. Averaging
between the results on the top and the results on the bottom of the shell
elements across the misalignment line results in nearly zero stress.
Having explained the importance of shell element alignment, we now
return to the pulley lesson.

279
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Automatic Shell This option automatically aligns the surface of the generated shell
Surface Re- mesh.
alignment

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Options, Default Options

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10 Align mesh.
Flip the mesh so that the bottom of the shell mesh faces the inside of
the pulley model. Make sure that the mesh remains aligned, i.e. colors
t C LE

on both the inside and outside must remain uniform.

The resulting mesh can be seen in the following figure.
No -RE
Do E

Note Provided that the mesh is aligned, there is no need to flip the mesh. In
PR

our case, we flipped the entire mesh so that the bottom of the shell
mesh coincides with the inside of the pulley. The postprocessing then
becomes more intuitive.
11 Display shell thickness.
Right-click on Mesh and select Render shell
thickness in 3D (slower).

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Render shell It is possible to display the mesh and

thickness in 3D results for shells as surface bodies or as a
3D representation of the shell body.
Displaying the mesh or results on the 3D
representation may take longer for models

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with a large number of shells.

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Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Options, Default Options, select Mesh and
activate Render beam profiles and shell thicknesses.
I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Mesh and select Render shell

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thickness in 3D.

12 Add a pressure load.

Apply a pressure of 0.2 MPa (200,000 Pa) to
the surface of the pulley where the belt would
make contact.
yo E
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No -RE

13 Add fixtures.
Add a Fixed Geometry fixture to the surface
where the pulley contacts the shaft.
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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Note Fixed Geometry is used because shell elements have both translational
and rotational degrees of freedom. Immovable would only constrain the
translations.
14 Apply symmetry restraint.
In the case of the shell mesh using surfaces mesh type, the symmetry

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condition must be specified manually.
Apply Fixtures, Advanced Fixtures, Use reference geometry type.

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Select all the edges located on the symmetry plane.

Tip Right-click on a particular edge and click Select tangency.

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Select Right plane as your reference entity.
Enter 0 mm in the Normal to Plane field under Translations.
Enter 0 rad in both Along Plane Dir 1 and Along Plane Dir2 fields
under Rotations.
Click OK to save this fixture.
yo E
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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Applying To illustrate a rule for applying symmetry boundary conditions,

Symmetry consider a point on the plane of symmetry. Any displacement that
Restraints moves the point out of this plane must be restricted. Furthermore, any
rotation that inclines the plane of the cut from the plane of symmetry

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must be restricted as well.

ist AF
The following table summarizes symmetry boundary conditions in the

ut
three principal planes.
Symmetry Boundary Conditions
Plane of Symmetry

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xy yz xz
x translation free constrained free
y translation free free constrained
z translation constrained free free
yo E x rotation constrained free constrained
op AS
y rotation constrained constrained free
z rotation free constrained constrained
t C LE

15 Define material.
Make sure the material AISI 1020 is applied to the mid-surfaces.
16 Run the analysis.
This analysis will run very quickly.
No -RE
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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

17 Plot von Mises stresses.

Display the distribution of the von Mises stress.
Edit the definition of the plot to make sure that
the results correspond to the Top face of the shell
mesh.

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Analogously, define a new plot for the
distribution of the von Mises stresses on the

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Bottom of the shell mesh.

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Top

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Bottom
No -RE
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We observe that the maximum von Mises stresses on the top and
bottom of the shell mesh are 64.5 MPa and 80.6 MPa, respectively. The
comparison of all of the results is shown at the end of the next section.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

18 Plot von Mises stress on shell thickness.

Create a new von Mises stress plot. Under
Advanced Options, select Render shell
thickness in 3D.
Analogously, define a new plot for the distribution

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of the von Mises stresses on the Bottom of the
shell mesh.

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No -RE

In this plot, the stresses on the top and the bottom of the shell are
plotted on a 3D representation of the shell body. Using the Probe tool,
the stess values on the top and bottom can be obtained at any location
on the shell. These values correspond to the stress values on the top and
bottom surface stress plots created individually in the previous step.
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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

19 List reaction forces.

Right-click the Results folder and select List Result Force.
Select the supported face.
Set the Units to SI and hit the Update button.

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The Reaction force (N) and Reaction moment (N-m) dialogs show

e
the reaction resultants for the selected face in the global cartesian

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coordinate system.

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No -RE

20 Examine the results.

We observe, for example, that the global y and x components of the
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reaction force resultant are approximately 250 N and 117 N,

respectively.
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The reaction moments resultants about the x axis is -0.73 N-m.

Note that 250 N vertical resultant force for half of the pulley
corresponds to the 500 N vertical reaction for the entire model.
The moment reactions reflect the fact that the pulley or the load is
asymmetrical with respect to the xy and xz planes. As expected, the
resultant reaction moment about the global z and y axes are nearly zero,
i.e. the pulley as well as the load are symmetrical with respect to the yz
plane.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
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Deformed Results Deformed Plot displays toggles between the deformed and undeformed
geometry of the SolidWorks model.

Where to Find It I CommandManager: Simulation >Deformed Results to toggle

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between deformed and undeformed plots.

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21 Animate deformation plot.
To verify that the symmetry boundary conditions are correct, animate
the deformed geometry plot.
Double-click the Displacement plot to make it active.

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Make sure Deformed Result is selected in the
CommandManager.
Show the undeformed shape
yo E over the deformed geometry.
Right-click the
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Displacement1 plot and
select Settings. Select
Superimpose model on the
deformed shape. Adjust the
Translucent slider to see both
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shapes.
22 Animate the plot.
Observe that the edge where
the symmetry boundary
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conditions were applied remains in its original plane (remains flat)

while the pulley is deforming.
The best way to report such results is to save the animation file in AVI
format.
23 Save and Close the file.
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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Shell Mesh Using In Exercise 17: Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces on page 304 you
Outside Face will solve the shell problem using the outside faces of the pulley and
compare the results with the three pulley studies in this lesson. It is
recommended that you complete this exercise to fully understand shell
modeling in SolidWorks Simulation.

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Results The following table compares the displacement and stress results from
Comparison the four studies that we solved in this lesson.

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Displacement von Mises
Study D.O.F.
[mm] Stress [MPa]

pulley shells -

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midplane 0.306 80.6 (bottom) 31,236

pulley shells -
outer faces * * *

pulley solids 0.316 81.3 55,449

yo E pulley solids
dense 0.318 87.0 987,978
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Note The values for the pulley shells - outer faces study will be
computed in Exercise 17: Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces on
page 304. Once you complete the exercise, fill in the remaining values
in the table.
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Computational The summary table also lists the number of degrees of freedom in each
Effort model. While the model is open, locate the file with the OUT extension
in the SolidWorks Simulation database to view this information. The
No -RE

number of degrees of freedom can be used as a measure of

computational effort required to obtain the solution. Lower
computational effort is directly related to the time and cost required to
run a study.
Note that the models produce practically identical displacement results.
Do E

Compare the number of DOF for the pulley solids and pulley solids
dense studies to see that the dense model is 18 times larger. The stress
PR

results of both solid models are within 5%, demonstrating that the
model with two layers of elements is not really necessary in this case.
The reason for the 8% maximum difference in the stress results
between shell and solid models is that shell elements can not account
for the shift of the neutral bending layer towards the inside of the pulley
curvature.
We must then conclude that solid elements provide more accurate
results when analyzing models with highly curved walls in bending.

288
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Case Study: Working with shell elements simplifies significantly for the sheet metal
Joist Hanger features.
In this case study, we will analyze a sheet metal part used to support
floor joists in buildings. Each floor joist is supported at each end by a
joist hanger, so we can use symmetry to analyze one hanger with only

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half of the beam.

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Project The back face of the joist
Description hanger is nailed to a wooden
header. Each joist is
supported by a joist hanger at
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each end and nailed in

position.
Calculate the maximum
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stress and displacement on

the joist hanger and joist.
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1 Open an assembly file.

Open Floor Joist for Analysis located in the Lesson08\Case
Studies folder.
This assembly has one joist hanger with only half of the beam.
2 Create a study.
Create a new static study named floor joist.

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Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

3 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.

Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and N/m2 (Pa), respectively.
Store the results files in the results folder in the SolidWorks document
folder.

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4 Add material.

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Add the material Galvanized Steel to the joist hanger.

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5 Add material.
Add new custom material for the wooden beam. Wood is not isotropic
(the same material properties in all directions) but rather orthotropic
(material properties are different in each perpendicular direction), so

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we will have to define a custom material and some custom properties.

Note In reality, wood is a rather complex material for which orthotropic

description is not exactly correct. Modeling wood as orthotropic
material is therefore a common engineering simplification giving

yo E acceptable results.
Select Linear Elastic Orthotropic for the Model Type. We can now
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define the material constants in three perpendicular directions oriented
with respect to the selected reference geometry.
Select the Front plane as reference geometry. In this case, this
selection makes the global coordinate x, y, z axes coincide with the x, y,
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z axes in the Material dialog window. Global x coincides with the

width, y with the height and z with the length of the beam.
Enter the following values for Elastic Modulus, Poisons ratio, Shear
modulus, and Mass density. Enter 50 N/mm^2 for the Yield
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strength.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

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Click OK.

Note Make sure that correct material data is entered in correct units of N/
mm^2 (MPa).
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6 Set global contact.

Edit the top level assembly component contact (Global Contact) and
change it to No Penetration.

Note The component contact handles this situation because the faces of the
No -RE

solid components are touching. In general, contacts in meshes with

gaps must be specified with the help of the local contact conditions.
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291
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

7 Add fixtures.
The hanger is nailed to the header beam. Add
Fixed Geometry restraints to the eight
cylindrical holes on the back face of the hangers.
Because we have a sheet metal part, be sure to

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select the faces and not the edges of the holes.
The fixture will automatically map to the shell

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edge.

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yo E 8 Add symmetry boundary condition.
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Add a Symmetry fixture on the end of the beam.
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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Effect of the nails At this point a decision on the stiffness of the joint must be made. The
side nails between the beam in the joist certainly add some stiffness to
the joint. However, because the beam is placed in the joist before the
nails are applied, nearly all of the load in the vertical direction is
transferred into the joist through the bottom load bearing face. Nails

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then add some stiffness reducing the actual deflection of the wooden

e
beam: this is, however, not the subject of this lesson. Our objective is to

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assess the performance of the joist; transferring all the load then

ut
provides more realistic and also conservative solution.

9 Add external loads.

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Add a 500 N force to the top face of the beam. Because we are
analyzing only half of the beam, the total load on the beam then
represents 1,000 N.

yo E
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No -RE

10 Mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh under
Mesh Parameters.
Mesh with the element size created
with the slider all the way to the right.
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Use a Draft quality mesh.

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Under Advanced, select Render

shell thickness in 3D.
The beam will have solid elements and
the hanger will mesh with shell
elements because it is a sheet metal
part.

293
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Note Notice that the surface generation in SolidWorks is not necessary; sheet
metal parts are meshed with shell elements automatically.
11 Run.
Run the study. Specify Direct Sparse solver.

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Note Since component contatcs are defined in the study and the area of

e
contact is found through several contact iterations, the Direct Sparse

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solver is preferred.
12 Plot results.
We can observe that the maximum stress of 212 MPa is above the yield
strength of the joist hanger material (204 MPa). To understand the

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stress distribution correctly we will analyze the hanger alone.

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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

13 Display Stress on hanger.

Edit the stress plot, under Advanced Options,
select Show plot only on selected entities. Set
the filter to Select bodies for plot and click on
the hanger part.

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We can observe that four support openings are
exhibiting the stress peaks. As was shown in

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Lesson 2: , these values are somewhat unreal and
potential yielding with finer mesh can be ignored.
More detailed analysis may be required.
The high stress on the flat load bearing face is of

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some concern; its value (84 MPa) is however,
still below the yield. Also, applications of the
nails (which were excluded from this analysis)
would help somewhat to redistribute the load
more evenly, thus reducing the stress a little.

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No -RE
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Note Either side of the shell can be selected since a sheet metal has been
selected.
14 Save and Close the file.

295
Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2013
Analysis of Thin Components

Summary The pulley case study introduces us to shell elements and familiarizes
us with concepts such as shell element thickness and orientation.
The shell mesh using mid-surfaces modeling technique was introduced
and used to build the finite element model.

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In modeling thin objects, shell mesh can also be placed on the outside

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or inside faces of the solid bodies. The difference between the mid-

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surfaces and either the outside or inside faces of the thin solid bodies is

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in general small. If the difference reaches significant levels, shell
modeling then becomes inadequate and solid elements should be used
(i.e. the parts are too chunky for shell elements). Students should
complete Exercise 17: Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces on

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page 304 to verify that both approaches yield comparable results for
structures with small thickness.
Symmetry boundary conditions were used in both modeling
techniques. Manual application of this restraint was introduced and
practiced as well.
yo E The concept of mesh adequacy was also addressed, and the results and
modeling differences between shell and solid element models were
op AS
discussed. It was concluded that solid elements may produce results
that are slightly more accurate than those produced by shell elements,
provided the solid mesh is sufficiently fine. This can, however, lead to a
substantial increase in the problem size which may become intractable.
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It was also shown that shell mesh may be generated on the faces of the
solid bodies or surfaces. Sheet metal parts are mesh with shell elements
automatically.
No -RE

Tip To model a sheet metal part as solid, i.e. to mesh it with solid elements
instead, right-click the surface feature in the FeatureManager design
tree and click Treat as Solid. In general this is, however, not desirable.
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296
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 7
Analysis of Thin Components

Questions I When a model contains sheet metal features, the corresponding

shell mesh will be formed automatically on the (outside face/
midplane/ inside face) of the sheet metal. The thickness of the shell
features (must/may not) be specified manually.
I When creating shell mesh manually, ideally it should be defined on

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the (outside face/ midplane /inside face). Placing them on the
(outside face/ midplane /inside face), results in acceptable

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difference of (0.0001%/a couple of percent/ tens of percent). If the
error is significantly larger, shell elements are not suitable for such
structure and solid elements should be used instead.
I Shell elements can be used to mesh thin sheet like components. The

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characteristic span length vs. thickness ratios indicating when to
use solid, thin, or thick shells are.
L
solid elements: --- <
t

L
thick shells: ≤ --- ≤
yo E thin shells:
t

L
≤ ---
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t

I The figure below shows a flat plate with a thickness t=5mm, and
planar dimensions of a=200mm and b=75. The bold and dashed
lines indicate simply supported (hinged) and free edges,
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respectively. The best element type fit for this structure is solids/
thick shells/ thin shells.
Simply supported edge
No -RE

b=75mm
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Free edge
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a=200mm

I To accurately model the stress and strain gradients when using solid
mesh, a minimum of_____Draft quality or _____ High quality
solid elements should be required in the through the thickness
direction.
I If a sufficient number of elements is generated, (solid / thick shell /
thin shell) elements will always provide the most accurate solution.
We sacrifice a little accuracy by using shell elements to mesh thin
features because______.

297
Exercise 16 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

Exercise 16: Analyze a sheet metal bracket. The analysis will use shell elements.
Bracket This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Creating Shell Elements on page 273.
I Shell Element Alignment on page 279.

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Project A sheet metal bracket has been designed to support a side load of 450 N

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Description [101 lb] applied in the x-direction of the global coordinate system.

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We consider two design configurations:
I One without any welds
I One with welds connecting the miter flanges

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Compute and compare the maximum displacements and maximum von
Mises stresses for these two configurations.
1 Open a part file.
Open horseshoe located in the Lesson08\Exercises\Bracket
folder. Examine the two configurations:
yo E I no welds  with welds
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In the with welds configuration, a total of eight extrusions have been
added to connect the mitre flanges.
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No -RE

no welds with welds

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Part 1: Analysis of The first analysis will be without the welds that would stiffen the part.
Bracket With No
Welds
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2 Activate the no welds configuration.

3 Create study.
Create a static study named no welds analysis.
4 Define material properties.
Assign Galvanized Steel to the part.

298
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 16
Bracket

5 Create mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh
under Mesh Parameters.
Specify High quality elements and
the default settings.

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Note Shell mesh should be consistently aligned to ensure correct stress
averaging along the boundaries’ separating faces.
6 Fix the edges.
Select the end faces on both sides of the bracket
and apply a Fixed Geometry restraint.

yo E
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7 Apply 450 N force.
Apply a 450 N forces to the top
face of the bracket, as indicated
in the figure.
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No -RE
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Moment Load The Force definition window also allows you to apply a load in the
PR

form of moment.
This option is possible because shell elements have six degrees of
freedom (three translational and three rotational) and, thus, can be
loaded with either a force or a moment.

299
Exercise 16 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

8 Run the analysis.

9 Plot von Mises stresses on both faces.

The stress plot indicates that the outside face is yielding at the sharp re-

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entrant edges of the sheet metal bracket. As you recall however from
Lesson 2: , the numerical values of these stress results are meaningless,

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as they are singular at these locations.

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Outside Face
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No -RE

Inside Face
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300
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 16
Bracket

The stress results are

meaningful at a certain
distance from the source of
the singularity. See Lesson 2
on page 85 for the detailed

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discussion of this

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phenomenon.

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10 Plot displacement results.
We observe the maximum resultant displacement of approximately
1 mm [0.04 in].

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No -RE

Part 2: Analysis We will run the analysis again to see how much stiffer the part is when
Do E

With Welds the flanges are welded together.

1 Activate the with welds configuration.
PR

2 Create new study.

Create a study named with welds analysis using the same study
options as in the previous analysis.
3 Copy external loads and fixtures.
Even though the study no weld analysis is inactive, you can copy
external loads, fixtures and material.

301
Exercise 16 SolidWorks 2013
Bracket

4 Mesh the model and align shell elements.

Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Use High quality elements with the default settings.
5 Run the analysis.

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6 Plot von Mises stresses.

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The maximum von Mises stress results are not easily comparable

ut
because of stress singularity in the model without welds.

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yo E Outside Face
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Inside Face
No -RE
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302
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 16
Bracket

7 Plot resultant displacements.

Comparison of the resultant displacements between the model without
welds and the model with welds shows a reduction of the maximum
displacement from 1 mm [0.04 in.] to 0.04 mm [0.0017 in].

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yo E
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8 Save and Close the file.
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No -RE
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303
Exercise 17 SolidWorks 2013
Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces

Exercise 17: The mid-surface location for the shell mesh is the most desirable. In
Shell Mesh some situation however, extraction of the midplane is too difficult or
Using Outer/ not convenient. In such cases the shell mesh can be placed on either the
outside or inside face of the solid geometry. Because shell elements are
Inner Faces
suitable for these structures, the difference in results due to different

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position of the shell is rather small.

e
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Creating Shell Elements on page 273.
We will set up a new study with the shell mesh created on the outside
faces of the solid model and compare the results with those obtained in

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the previous lesson. We must apply the external loads, fixtures and
materials again because we are using different position for the shell
mesh. The setup steps are only outlined below as they are the same as
in the previous example.
1 Open the part file.
Open Pulley used in the Lesson 7: case study.
yo E 2 Define new study.
Define a new Static study named pulley shells - outside face.
op AS
3 Hide and exclude mid-surface.
Hide and Exclude from Analysis the surface feature used in the lesson
case study.
t C LE

Make sure that the solid body is shown.

4 Define shells.
Right-click on the SolidBody in the pulley folder and select Define
Shell By Selected Faces.
No -RE

Select all faces on the outside of the pulley.

Specify Thin shell with the Thickness of 2 mm.
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5 Apply material.
Apply the material AISI 1020 steel to the offset surfaces.

304
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 17
Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces

6 Apply fixed restraint.

Apply a Fixed Geometry
fixture to the outside semi-
cylindrical face, as indicated
in the figure.

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Important! All boundary conditions and loads must be applied on the face where
the shell mesh feature was defined; in our case the outside face.
7 Apply symmetry
yo E restraint.
Manually create a
op AS
symmetry fixture on the
outside top edges of the
pulley, as indicated in the
figure.
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No -RE

Hint Review the case study used in the lesson for the specification of the
symmetry boundary condition on surface feature.
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8 Apply pressure.
Apply a pressure of 0.2 MPa
PR

(200,000Pa).
Note that the pressure must be
applied on the outside face
where the shell feature was
defined.

305
Exercise 17 SolidWorks 2013
Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces

9 Apply mesh control.

Apply a mesh control with a
Element size of 1.5 mm to the
rounded face, as indicated in the
figure. Keep the Ratio at the

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default value of 1.5.

e
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10 Mesh the model.
Select Standard mesh and mesh
the model with High quality
elements and the global Element

yo E size of 4.5 mm and a Tolerance

of 0.225 mm.
op AS
Make sure that the shell mesh is
aligned. To be consistent with the
first part of this lesson, orient the mesh so that the bottom of the shell
mesh coincides with the inside of the solid pulley.
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11 Run the analysis.

12 Plot von Mises stress.

Plot the von Mises stresses on both the bottom and the top of the shell
No -RE

mesh.
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306
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 17
Shell Mesh Using Outer/Inner Faces

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yo E 13 Examine the plots.
We can see that the maximum von Mises stresses on the top and
op AS
bottom are 67.46 MPa and 83.7 MPa, respectively. These values are
very close to the results obtained in the lesson, where the mesh was
located exactly at the midplane.
In many applications, the midplane extraction is not a trivial process.
Given the fact that shell mesh is applicable to thin sheet-like structures,
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the above modeling error is rather small and commonly acceptable.

14 Save and Close the file.
No -RE
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307
Exercise 18 SolidWorks 2013
Spot Welds - Shell mesh

Exercise 18: We will now return to Exercise 13: Spot Welds-Solid Mesh on page 240
Spot Welds - where we practiced the use of the spot welds. We will now compare the
Shell mesh results of that exercise with the results of a study using shell elements.
This study will also show the use of spot welds for shell sheets that are
not in direct contact.

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1 Open an assembly file.
Open tube solid located in the Lesson08\Exercises folder.

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For the result comparison purposes this assembly contains the results of
Exercise 13: Spot Welds-Solid Mesh on page 240, where this problem
was solved using the solid elements.

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2 Create new study.
Duplicate the study tube solid and name it tube shells.
3 Treat tubes as sheet metal.
Right-click on both bodies in the Parts folder and select Treat as
Sheet Metal.This will define them as shells and their thickness will
automatically transfer from SolidWorks.
yo E 4 Assign materials.
Make sure that Galvanized steel is assigned to both sheets.
op AS
5 Re-Mesh the assembly.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh Parameters.
Create High quality mesh with the default settings.
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6 Apply soft springs and specify direct sparse solver.

7 Run the analysis.

No -RE

8 List reaction force and calculate torque.

Using the identical procedure as in Exercise 13: Spot Welds-Solid Mesh
on page 240, list the circumferential component of the resultant
reaction force and compute the resultant torque.
Compare your answer with the results obtained in Exercise 13: Spot
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Welds-Solid Mesh on page 240.

9 Save and Close the file.
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308
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 19
Edge Weld Connector

Exercise 19: A segment of piping system,

Single sided
Edge Weld welded at several locations, is fillet weld
Connector to be tested on the extreme Single sided
groove weld
loads: 3.5 mm vertical and 1o
degree torsional

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displacements applied at the
end of the segment.

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We will use FEA and the edge
weld connector to simulate
this problem. The size of the
edge weld beads will also be

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Double sided
designed. 3.5mm vertical and fillet weld
1 degree rotational
prescribed displacements

This exercise reinforces the following skills:

I Edge weld on page 189.
yo E I Cylindrical Coordinate Systems on page 160.
op AS
Project A segment of the piping system manufactured from 5mm thick AISI
Description 1020 steel sheets is anchored to a solid steel wall. The other side of this
segment, modeled as free, is loaded with a 3.5 mm vertical and 1o
rotational displacements applied at the free edge. These loads are
known as the most extreme conditions to which the system can be
t C LE

exposed at this location. The components are connected using fillet and
groove welds, as indicated in the above figure.
Determine the optimum size of the weld beads at all three locations.
No -RE

1 Open an assembly file.

Open Pipes located in the Lesson08\Exercises folder.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation Options.
Set the system of Units to SI (MKS), the units of Length to mm, and
Stress to N/m^2.
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3 Create study.
Create a study named extreme loading.
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4 Review Material properties.

Verify that the material definition, AISI 1020 Steel, has been
transferred from SolidWorks to SolidWorks Simulation.

309
Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2013
Edge Weld Connector

Introducing: Edge Edge welds can be defined between two shell bodies, or one shell and
Weld one solid body. The terminated part must always be represented by
shell body. The edge weld beads are defined by the two faces which are
connected and the edge on the terminated part representing the location
of the bead. Electrode type, weld strength and the estimated weld size

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must be specified manually or taken from the library.

e
Shortcut Menu: Right-click Connections, Edge Weld.

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Where to Find It I

ut
I CommandManager: Simulation > Connections Advisor > Edge
Weld.

5 Define shells.

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Define Thin shells for the pipe and the supporting sheet. Specify
Thickness of 5 mm.

yo E
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6 Define Edge Weld.

First, we will defined the edge weld bead between the first section of
the pipe and the solid component representing the stiff steel wall.
Right-click the Connections folder and select Edge Weld.
No -RE

Under Weld Type select the Fillet, Single-Sided.

For Face for Set 1, select the face of the terminated component, as
shown in the figure below.
For Face for Set 2, select the face of the second component (in this
Do E

case face of the solid component).

For Intersecting Edges, select the weld bead location on the first
PR

terminated component.
Specify the weld to be on side 1 under Weld Orientation. This will
place the weld on the top surface of the shell

310
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 19
Edge Weld Connector

Note If we specified the weld to be on side 2, it would be on the bottom

surface of the shell. Be sure to check the mesh to make sure the top and
bottom are defined correctly.
Under Weld Sizing, Select the American Standard.
Select E60 for the Electrode and enter 4 mm for the Estimated weld

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size. Keep the default settings for Safety Factor.

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The Weld strength field is populated automatically based on the
selected electrode.
Click OK.

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No -RE
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Note For the custom electrode properties select Custom Steel or Custom
Aluminum under Electrode.

311
Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2013
Edge Weld Connector

7 Repeat the process for the remaining two edge welds.

Similarly, create one Fillet, Double-Sided and one Groove, Single-
Sided edge welds as indicated in the figure below.
Use the same properties as specified in the previous step.
For the groove weld, specify the location on side 1.

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Fillet, Double-Sided
yo E edge weld
Groove, Single-Sided
op AS
8 Apply fixtures.
Apply Fixed Geometry fixtures to the four
faces of the rigid steel wall and to the
bottom edge of the supporting sheet, as
indicated in the figure.
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No -RE

9 Prescribe displacements.
Using Use Reference Geometry fixture type
prescribe 3.5 mm vertical displacement to the end
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edge, as indicated in the figure.

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312
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 19
Edge Weld Connector

Using Use Reference

Geometry fixture type
prescribe 1o (0.0175 rad)
rotational displacement to
the edge of the pipe. Use the

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cylindrical face as a

e
reference and make sure

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that the direction of the

ut
rotation is the same as
shown in the figure.

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yo E 10 Mesh.
op AS
Mesh the assembly with the High quality mesh of the default size.
11 Check shell orientation.
We specified the welds on side one (top of the shell). We need to make
sure the shell is aligned properly. If necessary, flip the shells to be
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aligned as shown in the figure below.

No -RE
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12 Run.
Run the simulation.
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Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2013
Edge Weld Connector

13 Resulting displacements.
Create the plot of the resultant displacements.

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Note
yo E The following post processing options for the edge weld are only
available for Simulation Professional.
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14 Post process the edge welds.
Right-click the Results folder and select List Weld Results.
Under Selection dialog select SI for the Unit and All edge welds for
the Type.
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The table above shows all of the resulting weld forces for all welds in
the model along with the computed minimum weld sizes.
Notice that the edge weld between the pipe and the supporting sheet is
plotted green, while the remaining two are red. This result indicates
that the estimated weld size (4 mm) entered in step 6 Define Edge Weld.
on page 310 is sufficient for the middle weld, while the other two need
attention.

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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 19
Edge Weld Connector

15 Edge weld connector 1.

Under Type select Edge Weld Connector-1.

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e
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Note that the maximum of the Weld size (mm.) row indicates the
required weld size of 9.76 mm, which is significantly larger than the
estimated weld size of 4 mm. The weld is therefore plotted in red.
yo E The yellow sphere and the red arrow in the above figure indicate the
origin and the orientation of the weld bead.
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Click the Plot button to see the variation of the required weld size as a
function of the weld bead.
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Click OK to close the Edge Weld Results dialog.

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Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2013
Edge Weld Connector

16 Weld Check Plot.

Right-click the Results folder and select Define Weld Check Plot.
Click OK.

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The dialog window provides easy overview of the welds while the
transparent plot indicates all welds in the assembly. Again, welds beads
in red color need attention because their estimated size was not
yo E sufficient.

The European Standard for evaluating welds is also available. It is

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Tip
recommended to investigate the results available when using this
standard. Additional information about weld sizing is also located in
the Help menu.
17 Save and Close the file.
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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 20
Container Handle Weld

Exercise 20: In Container Handle on Double-sided

Container page 84, we assessed the design Fillet welds
Handle Weld of the waste container handle.
In this exercise you will size the
double-sided fillet welds

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connecting the container handle

e
to the two square base plates.

ist AF
ut
All necessary information Base plates
required for this task can be
obtained from the text of the assignment in Exercise 3: Container
Handle on page 84.

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The base plates, welded to the container webs, can be assumed as
rigidly fixed.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Create mid-plane surface. on page 273.
I Exclude from Analysis on page 274.
yo E I
I
Thin vs. Thick Shells on page 275.
Define the shell. on page 275.
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I Edge weld on page 189.
Procedure The assembly for this study is located in the Exercises folder. Choose
the most suitable location of the shell feature.
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Exercise 20 SolidWorks 2013
Container Handle Weld

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Lesson 8

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Mixed Meshing
Shells & Solids
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Construct good quality mesh with the appropriate mesh controls.
I Set up various shell to shell and shell to solid contacts in mixed
mesh assembly.
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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Mixed Meshing There are many cases where a model has both thick and thin sections.
Solids and In these cases, the mesh needs to be a combination of both solid and
Shells shell elements.
In this lesson we will use the mixed mesh capabilities of SolidWorks
Simulation to construct a mesh where solid elements “coexist” with

rib T
e
shell elements in the same study. However, we will see that it takes
extra efforts to ensure mixed mesh connectivity.

ist AF
ut
You will recall from the first lesson that nodes of a solid element have
three degrees of freedom, meaning that node displacement is fully
described by three translational components. You will further recall that
nodes of a shell element have six degrees of freedom. Displacement of

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a shell element node is described by three translational components and
three rotational components.

y Y

yo E ROT Y

ROT X
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ROT Z

X
z x Z
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DEGREES OF FREEDOM OF DEGREES OF FREEDOM OF

A NODE OF A SOLID ELEMENT A NODE OF A SHELL ELEMENT

We usually show these displacement components (or degrees of

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freedom) as aligned with global coordinate system. However, degrees

of freedom may be presented in any coordinate system.
Because nodes of solid elements do not have rotational degrees of
freedom as compared to nodes of shell elements, an attempt to connect
shell and solid elements results in an unintentional hinge along the
common edge.
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320
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

The rotational degrees of

freedom of shell element
nodes have nothing to “hold
on to” at the interface with Hinge Shell Elements
solid element nodes.

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Therefore, these rotations

e
remain unconstrained,

ist AF
forming a hinge along the

ut
connecting edge.
With a hinge joint present,
we have a discontinuous
Solid Elements

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displacement field
(discontinuity of rotations)
and possible rigid body nodes in the model.
The incompatibility between shell and solid elements that lead to
unintentional hinges is not specific to SolidWorks Simulation. It occurs
in any FEA software every time we try to connect elements of different
yo E type having nodes with different numbers of degrees of freedom.
op AS
Bonding Shells As a consequence of the element type incompatibility, the shell and
and Solids solid portions of the mesh remain completely detached. The software
enforces auto-bonding between a face or an edge of shell and a solid
through multi-point constraints internally when the mesh is not
compatible. In some special cases, it is best practice to define proper
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local bonded contact sets along all connecting edges and faces.
Mixed Mesh: Mixed meshing is available for static, frequency, buckling, thermal,
Supported nonlinear and linear dynamic studies.
Analysis Types
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Case Study: This case study will involve the analysis of a pressure vessel. It consists
Pressure Vessel of some thin wall elements such as the vessels shell. It also has thick
walled elements such as the flanges.
In this case study, we will prepare the shown pressure vessel for the
analysis (mesh, loads, contacts and supports) and solve a simplified
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static analysis. No conclusions on the design safety and similar topics

will be made. This is the subject of Lesson 11 in SolidWorks Simulation
PR

Professional training manual, where ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel

Code governing the design of pressure vessels is discussed and utilized.

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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Project A pressure vessel manufactured Top head

Description from low alloy carbon steel SA
515, grade 60 shown in the figure Manhole nozzle
is to be analyzed. The vessel is
orientated vertically and

rib T
supported on four lugs (see the

e
figure) with slotted holes

ist AF
allowing the vessel to expand

ut
Vessel
freely in the radial direction Section 1
(detailed lug subassemblies are
not needed for this analysis and Small Steam inlet
are not included in the model). nozzle

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The maximum operating
pressure load for the vessel is
165 psi at a temperature of 700° Vessel
F. Besides pressure no other Section 2
loads are considered in this

yo E analysis.
Lug
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Bottom head

Analyze the Before proceeding, we need to analyze each subassembly and decide
Assembly upon the appropriate mesh type.
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I Pressure vessel body, top

and bottom heads: The
thickness of the vessel body
manufactured from 0.5 in
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carbon steel is very small

compared to the outside
vessel diameter of 56 in.
Therefore shell elements
will be used for these
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components.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
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I Nozzles: The Steam inlet nozzle shown in the above figure is

manufactured from the same grade carbon steel piping with a 1 in
wall thickness and the outside diameter of 24 in. The Manhole
nozzle is manufactured from typical piping with wall thickness of
0.1875 in and a 20 in diameter. The lug support reinforcements as

rib T
well as pipings have a thickness of 0.25 inches which is very small

e
relative to the diameter of the lug pipings. Shell elements will

ist AF
therefore be used for the modeling of all nozzles and their

ut
reinforcements.
I Nozzle flanges and the Manhole cover: Nozzle flanges are not
very thin and may be exposed to significant bending moments
(especially the manhole nozzle flanges). The Manhole cover is

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also relatively thick and is bolted to the flange. Solid elements will
therefore be used to study the accurate stress results at these
locations.

Procedure Due to the time required to set up the study some of the study
yo E components as well as contacts have already been defined in study
partially completed. We will make use of them during the study
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setup procedure.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Pressure Vessel located in the Lesson09\Case Studies
folder.
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The model already contains study partially completed with many

steps partially completed. Continue working with this study.
2 Verify the default units.
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Verify that the English (IPS) are set as the default unit system. Make
sure that in is used for Length/Displacement and psi for Pressure/
Stress.
3 Explode.
Explode the assembly to make it easier to see the individual
components.
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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Preparing the Before beginning the analysis, we decided which features we wanted to
Model be meshed as shell elements and which would be solid elements.
SolidWorks Simulation can generate shell mesh on either surfaces or
faces of the solid bodies. To place the shell mesh on the mid-surface, a
preferred location for the shell mesh, additional surface features must

rib T
be generated in each part file; this procedure can be time consuming.

e
Alternatively, we can place the shell mesh on the outside/inside faces of

ist AF
the solid bodies. We can then offset the shell so that it is recognized on

ut
the mid-surface of the body. This approach will be favored in the
present case because it eliminates the need to generate additional mid-
surfaces.

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In the following steps, we will define the thickness for the shell
elements.
Introducing: Shell If it is inconvenient to create the mid-surface within
Offset the solid body for the definition of the shells, you
can choose to create the shell on the surface of the
solid body and then offset the shell so that the
yo E software recognizes it as a mid-surface.
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In the Shell Definition property manager, you
specify the location of the shell by selecting a
surface as the reference geometry. You then specify if you have
selected a mid-surface, top surface, or bottom surface. If a top surface
is selected, the shell will be located at a distance of half the thickness
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below the selected surface. Likewise, if the shell is defined as a bottom

surface, the shell will be located at a distance of half the thickness
above the selected surface. Additionally, if your shell should exist at
some other distance away from that surface, you can select Specify
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Ratio.

Important! You must be careful when specifying top, bottom, or offset because the
mesh will ultimately define the shell location based on what is the shell
top or bottom.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
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4 Vessel body shell.

Right-click on the
corresponding solid
bodies in the Simulation

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study tree and select

e
Define Shells By

ist AF
Selected Faces.

ut
Then, select the outside
faces and specify Thin
shell formulation with a

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Thickness of 0.5 in.
Select the Bottom
surface as the Offset.
When we mesh the model,
we must insure that this
surface is in fact the
yo E bottom.
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The rest of the shell features was already defined beforehand.

Note Both head shells consist of a

2:1 elliptical and 2 in straight
sections, as recommended in
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the ASME Boiler and

Pressure Vessel Code. Make
sure that both faces are
selected in the definitions of
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the vessel head shells.

The remaining components in
the manhole area, Manhole
cover and the Manhole nozzle flange will be meshed using solid
elements, as decided in the beginning of this lesson.
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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Material The data for SA 515, grade 60 carbon steel material can be obtained
directly from the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section II,
Part D- Properties and is summarized in the table below.

Ultimate Tensile strength 60,000 psi

rib T
(room temperature)

e
Yield tensile strength 32,000 psi

ist AF
ut
(room temperature)
Mean coefficient of thermal 7.6e-6 /°F
expansion (70° F - 700° F)

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Thermal conductivity (700° F) 5.56e-4 Btu/(s-in-F)
Young’s modulus (700° F) 25.3e6 psi
Poisson’s ratio 0.33
Specific heat 0.09 Btu/(lb-°F)

yo E Alternatively the material data can also be found from other sources
(see the discussion below).
op AS
Steel Identification Some steel types may be identified using different systems (or
Systems standards), each with different nomenclature. We use SA 515, grade 60
specification typical in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.
Section II, Part D- Properties lists basic material constants as functions
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of temperature and provide alternate information on the alloy

identification. For SA 515, grade 60- the code lists an alternative
identification UNS # K02401.
UNS Index The Unified Numbering System (UNS) was created by a joint effort of
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Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and ASTM. Its goal is to

provide a unique identifying system for metals and alloys.
Other Indices Many indices for steel identification exist. For example, American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American Iron and Steel
Institute (AISI), Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), Euronorm and
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many others. Ask your instructor about the standards common in your
geographical region.
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Introducing: We can also use SolidWorks Simulation Research to find the

Analysis Research corresponding material data. Analysis Research can search both the
analysis data base and Matweb. Once Research is selected, a new
Analysis Research tab will appear in the Task Pane.

Where to Find It I Menu: Simulation, Research . Select the Analysis Research tab
.

326
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

5 Search for material properties.

In the Simulation menu, click Research. In
the Analysis Research dialog, enter
K02401 in the Search Matweb field and

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click OK.

e
The search results return the information for

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ASTM A284 Steel, grade C which is an
alternative identification for UNS # K02401
carbon steel.
The following are the material data obtained from the Matweb

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database:

Ultimate tensile strength 60,200 psi

Yield tensile strength 29,700 psi

yo E Bulk modulus K

Shear modulus G
20,300 ksi
11,600 ksi
op AS
Density 0.284 lb/in3

Note We will use the data from the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
for our simulation. (The yield strength listed above is slightly smaller
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than the value listed in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.)
However, each engineer is responsible for collecting their own reliable
material data.
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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Bulk and Shear We are familiar with the elastic modulus E (Young’s modulus) and the
Moduli Poisson’s ratio ν as constants required to characterize linear elastic
material. Bulk (K) and shear (G) moduli are alternative material
constants and are related to E and ν as follows:

rib T
9KG 3K – 2G
ν = ---------------------

e
E = ------------------
3K + G 6K + 2G

ist AF
ut
Note These relations hold for the traditional 3-dimensional isotropic analysis
only. If other special analysis dimensions are used, modified equations
have to be used.
Out of all four linear elastic material constants (E, ν , G and K) a

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combination of any two is unique. The remaining two constants can be
evaluated using the above relations.
Substituting the data for the bulk and shear moduli for our material we
obtain 29,232 ksi and 0.26 for the Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio,
respectively. Again, for our simulation we will use the material data
yo E provided by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.
op AS
6 Create custom material.
Right-click the Parts folder and select Apply Material to All.
In the Material window create a new category Lesson 9 materials,
and add a new material SA 515, grade 60. Enter the material properties
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provided my the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code shown in the
figure below.
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Click Apply and Close.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Bonding Entities Entities with clearance between them must be always bonded using
with Clearance local Bonded contact set.
Shell Face to Shell Face to face bonded contact between two shells is always incompatible
Face Bonding and will be automatically enforced if the faces are planar and touching.
The user needs to manually define bonding for touching non-planar

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e
faces that are meshed with shell elements. Compatible meshing with
global bonding will be effective for two shells that directly share an

ist AF
ut
area created using split lines.

7 Manhole nozzle reinforcement

vs. Vessel section 1 contact.

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Create a local Bonded contact
between the two outer top edges on
the Manhole nozzle
reinforcement and the Vessel
section1 shell.

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Note Use the large face of the vessel as Set 2. Also, since a clearance exists
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between these shell features, incompatible meshing is default for this

interface.
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Shell Edge to Shell Whenever the shell edge coincides with the split line on the shell face,
Face Bonding no local bonding is required. The top level assembly component
(Global Contact) compatible bonding condition ensures that the
interfacial nodes are merged. Additionally, auto-bonding will be
enforced if the shell edge and solid face/shell face are part of a local
component contact definition. The criteria for bonding are determined
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by taking the shell thickness into consideration.If there is a clearance

between the edge source and the face target, local bonding must be
PR

defined.

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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

8 Vessel section 1 to Manhole

nozzle contact.
Define a local Bonded contact
between the outer edge on the

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vessel opening and the Manhole

e
nozzle shell.

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9 Manhole nozzle
reinforcement to Manhole
nozzle contact.
Specify local Bonded contact
yo E between the edge of the
Manhole nozzle
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reinforcement and the
Manhole nozzle.
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Shell to Solid The majority of the interfaces featured in our model represent shell to
Bonded Contact solid contact type. If there is a clearence between the shell and solid, it
is best practice that local bonded contact is created. Also, a shell entity
(face or edge) must be Set 1, while faces on the solid components must
be Set 2.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
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10 Manhole nozzle flange to

Manhole nozzle contact.
Specify local Bonded contact.
Use the nozzle shell face as

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Set 1 and the solid face of the

e
flange as Set 2.

ist AF
ut
Note The remainder of the bonded
contacts in this study was
already defined beforehand.

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11 Manhole cover to Manhole nozzle flange connection.
Since we practiced the definition of the bolted connections in the
previous lessons, all of the bolted connections have already been

yo E defined in this study.

12 Manhole cover to Manhole
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nozzle flange contact.
Define No penetration, Surface to
surface contact between the
Manhole cover and the top face of
the Manhole nozzle flange as
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shown in the figure. Make sure that

Gap (clearance), Always ignore
clearance option is selected.
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Note The gap (clearance) contact

option must be used because the
gasket between the Manhole
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cover and the Manhole nozzle

flange is not modeled, creating
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an empty space.

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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

13 Lug supports.
Lugs are connected to the
pressure vessel using
slotted bolt connections
(not modeled) allowing for

rib T
the radial displacements of

e
the pressure vessel wall.

ist AF
This way no unnecessary

ut
stresses due to the supports
are generated in the vessel.

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yo E
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Use Right assembly plane as reference and restrain the two in plane
translations on the two lug supports parallel to the Right plane (Lug
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<1> and Lug <3>).

14 Constrain other lugs.

Constrain the other two lugs in the same way with the Front plane as
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the reference.
15 Create mesh.
To begin the meshing phase let us mesh the model with Draft quality
elements. Use the Standard mesh with the Global size of 2.711 in.
The creation of the mesh fails and a message is shown:
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Mesh creation failed for the following 1 parts:

Manhole cover-1
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You can start Failure Diagnostics by right clicking the mesh

icon in the Feature Manager and selecting Failure Diagnostics
from the menu.
This can happen often if no local mesh controls are used in complex
assemblies.
Click Mesh Failure Diagnostic in the window.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Failure When meshing fails, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the

Diagnostics cause. The Failure Diagnostics tool is used to help locate the problem.

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Mesh folder and click Failure
Diagnostics

rib T
Meshing Small

e
In most cases when a difficult meshing problem occurs a small feature
Features (or proximity of small features) exists in the assembly (or part). To

ist AF
ut
successfully mesh such regions, correct local mesh controls must be
applied.

16 Analyze mesh failure.

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The Failure Diagnostics indicates that the
mesh has failed on one of the faces of the
Manhole cover part.
Select the face to see where the mesh has failed.

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We can see that the mesh has failed on the face

with the bolt holes. Elements cannot be jammed
in between the bolt holes and the lip on the
manhole cover.
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The failure diagnostics gives us some options on

how to deal with this failure. We will try to apply
PR

a mesh control to this face.

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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

17 Apply Mesh Control.

With the Face-1 selected in the Failure
Diagnostics, select Mesh Control.
Enter an Element Size of 1.5 in and click Create
Mesh in the Mesh Control PropertyManager.

rib T
e
Click Yes on the message window displayed.

ist AF
ut
The failed part meshes immediately.

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yo E
Important! When using the Failure Diagnostics, only the failed parts are re-
meshed. This can save a significant amount of time since the computer
op AS
does not have to re-mesh all of the geometry.

Incremental Incremental meshing allows you to mesh components individually

meshing without having to mesh the whole assembly saving computational
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effort.When meshing fails for certain components, you can remesh only
the failed components. The existing mesh for the rest of components
remains intact. Bodies with an existing mesh can also be remeshed
individually without affecting the global mesh. The selected entities are
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meshed using the Curvature based mesher and are bonded using the
incompatible option.

Note The Incremental meshing functionality is available only in the

SolidWorks Simulation Professional module.
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18 Apply mesh controls to the remaining components.

Mesh controls would have to be applied on other remaining
PR

components of interest (nozzles, flanges, and nozzle to vessel

junctions).
All the remaining components mesh controls have been defined
beforehand.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

19 Examine the mesh.

This step completes the definition of the mixed mesh and all the
appropriate contact conditions. Notice that the resulting mesh is
incompatible even though, under the global bonding menu, compatible
mesh was requested.

rib T
e
As no two faces or edges touch, mesh compatibility is not possible.
Lesson 6: explains that the compatibility settings applies to initially

ist AF
ut
touching faces only. Further more, solid to shell interfaces are always
meshed incompatibly.

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20 Check shell alignment.

Remember when we defined the shell, we said that it was located on the
bottom of the face. If we notice the mesh, the shell bottom is
represented as an orange color. If we had defined the shells on the top,
we would have to flip the shell elements so that the tops were shown on
the outside of the vessel.
21 Explode.
Explode the assembly to make it easier to select components and faces.

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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

22 Hide the mesh.

23 Internal pressure in vessel and the

nozzles.
Apply a 165 psi Pressure load on all

rib T
vessel and nozzle shells.

e
ist AF
ut
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Note Make sure the pressure arrows point outwards to simulate internal
pressure.
24 Internal pressure on
Manhole cover.
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Apply a 165 psi Pressure on

the raised face of the
Manhole cover.
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25 Study properties.
Select the Direct Sparse solver.

Note Since multiple contatcs are defined in the study and the area of contact
is found through several contact iterations, the Direct Sparse solver is
preferred.

26 Run the study.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

27 Resulting displacements.
We can observe the maximum displacements of approximately 0.19 in
[4.95 mm], a fairly small amount given the vessel diameter of 56 in.

rib T
e
ist AF
ut
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28 Von Mises stresses.
The maximum stress of approximately 62.4 ksi [430.4 MPa] occurs in
the support lug location.
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Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2013
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Zoom in and analyze the location

of this maximum.
The stresses are localized along
the bonded interface. Due to the
incompatible bonding interface,

rib T
e
large size and draft quality of the
mesh, the stresses reach

ist AF
ut
unrealistically large values along
these bonded edges. The ASME
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
treats these localized stress

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concentrations in a special way.
This area is the subject of Lesson
11 of SolidWorks Simulation Professional training manual.
In this study we are interested in the resultant contact force that would
be used for the design of the weld rather than stress values, which are
highly localized in this region.
yo E 29 Save and Close the file.
op AS
Note As was mentioned at the beginning of this lesson, no conclusions on the
vessel design will be made. An example of the vessel analysis with
regards to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is shown in
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Lesson 11 of the SolidWorks Simulation Professional training manual.

No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 8
Mixed Meshing Shells & Solids

Summary In this lesson we practiced a design of the mixed finite element mesh
with a combination of the solid and shell elements.
The pressure vessel assembly featured multiple shell to shell and shell
to solid bonded interfaces. Due to the nature of the shell modeling
clearances (gaps) were created between various components. This is

rib T
e
overcome by generating incompatible meshes where nodes along
bonded interfaces are not merged, but rather constrained by the

ist AF
ut
additional equations. It was shown that local bonded contact is
necessary to properly bond mixed interfaces and interfaces with
clearances.
An example of the procedure for the mesh design and a failure

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diagnostics was shown. Very small features, or rather small proximity
of the features in the model may cause meshing problems. Proper mesh
controls applied on such features are necessary.
No conclusions were made on the design of the pressure vessel. To
make conclusions on the design, we would need to refer to the ASME
yo E Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code that deals with the stress
concentrations. This area is the subject of Lesson 11 of SolidWorks
op AS
Simulation Professional training manual.

Questions After generating all bonded contacts and successfully meshing a

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I
complex assembly you attempt to solve the analysis. The solver
displays the following error message:
No -RE
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Frequently some of the bonded contacts are defined incorrectly or

not at all as it is easy to unintentionally forget to define some of the
PR

contacts. Lack of proper fixtures or bonded contacts makes models

unstable, resulting in the solver displaying the above message.
Propose a solution how to locate missing/incorrect restraints or
bonded contacts.
I A bonded contact between the shell and solid components (does /
does not) require a local bonded contact condition.

339
Exercise 21 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Mesh Analysis

Exercise 21: In this exercise, we will analyze a pump impeller that requires a mixed
Mixed Mesh mesh due to the differences in thickness between the blades and the
Analysis hub.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Mixed Meshing Solids and Shells on page 320.

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I Bonding Shells and Solids on page 321.

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I Define the shell. on page 275.

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I Shell to Solid Bonded Contact on page 330.

Project A water pump impeller operates

Description at 2000 rpm. Analyze the

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impeller to determine the
deformation of the blades and the
stress magnitudes.
The centrifugal force in this case
doesn’t have a significant impact
yo E on the results of this analysis and
will be neglected.
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1 Open a part file.
Open Impeller01 from the
Lesson09\Exercises folder.
2 Create study.
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Create a Static study named

centrifugal 01.
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3Apply Fixtures.
We assume that a solid circular
shaft is rigidly connected to the
impeller. Therefore, to simulate a
presence of the shaft, apply
FIxed Geometry boundary
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condition to the cylindrical face

shown in the figure.
PR

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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 21
Mixed Mesh Analysis

4 Apply force load.

Apply a 8.9 N Normal force
on each of the blades. Make
sure the force load points in
the correct direction (see the

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figure).

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Note The pressure resultant force was computed using SolidWorks Flow
Simulation software for this problem.
5 Shell surfaces.
yo E Define 16 shell features
representing the blades of the
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impeller. Specify Thin shell
formulation with a Thickness of
1 mm.
6 Apply Material.
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Assign Chrome Stainless Steel

to all the components.
7 Apply Mesh control.
For more accurate resolution of
No -RE

the bonded contact between the

shell features and the solid body
of the impeller, specify a local
mesh control on the blade edges.
Use the Element size of 2.5 mm
with the Ratio equal to 1.2.
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8 Blades to the impeller body

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bonding.
Specify local Bonded contact
between the blade edges and the
body of the impeller. Use the 16
lower edges on the blades as Set 1
and the top face on the body of the
impeller as Set 2.

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Exercise 21 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Mesh Analysis

Note The global bonded contact setting is not important. As explained in

Lesson 8: , shell edge and solid parts bonding require local contact
conditions.
9 Create Mesh.
You may now create a Draft quality

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Curvature based mesh with the
default settings.

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10 Study properties.
Select the Direct Sparse solver.
11 Run analysis.

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12 Radial displacement.
To view radial displacement results, construct a plot showing UX
component displacement. Use the Axis1 of the model as a reference
so UX becomes the radial component of displacement.
We can observe a radial displacement of -9.34e-4 mm at the tips of the
yo E blades.
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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 21
Mixed Mesh Analysis

13 Von Mises stress.

To plot von Mises stress we don’t need to use any reference geometry
because von Mises stress is a scalar stress measure.
To better picture stress results around the support, use a section view.
We can observe a very small von Mises stress value of 3.51 MPa

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depicted in the figure below. The stresses along the blade bonded to the
impeller are localized; the actual stress magnitude along the bonded

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edges would be different due to the presence of the weld.
While stresses are rather small, displacements results are important due
to the pump manufacturing clearances and effectiveness.

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To obtain accurate results, finer mesh and high quality elements need to
be used. Such detailed analysis on the entire model may take a
significant amount of time, circular periodicity of the model can be
No -RE

used to simplify the problem.

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PR

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Exercise 21 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Mesh Analysis

Circular Symmetry Any model which can be generated by revolving its part about an axis
is said to be rotationaly periodic. All such components can be
conveniently analyzed with the help of the circular symmetry boundary
condition. Similarly, any model that can be generated by revolving a
sketch about an axis is said to be axi-symmetric. Circular Symmetry

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restraint should be used for analyzing an axi-symmetric model that

e
would have tangential loading such that the cut planes can deform

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normal to the plane such as fan blades. In case of an axi-symmetric

ut
model and radial loading, Symmetry restraint should be used.

14 Activate configuration periodicity.

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15 Study.
Define a new Static study named periodicity.
16 Exclude surface bodies
Exclude all surface bodies except SurfaceBody 4.

yo E 17 Simulate shaft.
Apply Fixed Geometry restraint on the remainder of the cylindrical
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face.
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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 21
Mixed Mesh Analysis

18 Simulate circular
periodicity.
Apply Circular Symmetry
fixture on the pair of faces
exposed by the cut. Use

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Axis1 as a reference Axis.

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Note You must select a pair of two
faces where one can be
created by the rotation of the
first face about the reference

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axis (in this case Axis1, for
example).

yo E
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Specify the same Circular Symmetry conditions for the remaining two
pairs of impeller faces exposed by the cut.
t C LE
No -RE

19 Shell feature.
Do E

Define one shell feature in contact with the solid part isolated by a cut.
Specify Thin shell formulation with a Thickness of 1 mm.
PR

Exclude the unused blades from the analysis.

20 Apply load.
Apply an 8.9 N Normal force to the shell feature. Make sure the
orientation of the force is the same as in the analysis of the entire
model.
21 Material.
Assign Chrome Stainless Steel to both solid and shell features.

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Exercise 21 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Mesh Analysis

22 Mesh control.
Apply a local mesh control along the lower
blade edge in contact with the impeller face.
Use 2 mm for the Element size and 1.2 for
the Ratio.

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23 Blade to impeller bonding.
Similarly, create Bonded contact between the
lower edge on the blade and the top face of the
impeller.

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24 Create mesh.
Select Curvature based mesh under Mesh
Parameters.
No -RE

Mesh the model with the High quality

elements and the default settings.
25 Study properties.
Select the Direct Sparse solver.
26 Run analysis.
Do E

Notice how quickly the study completes even

when High quality elements are used.
PR

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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 21
Mixed Mesh Analysis

27 Radial displacement.
We can observe that the radial displacement, at the indicated tip of the
blade, changed to -9.20e-4 mm, which indicates a slight decrease
compared to the radial displacements obtained from the full model. The
difference is due to the high quality elements and finer mesh settings.

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You may try to generate a draft quality coarser mesh with the same

e
parameters that were used in the analysis of the entire model to verify

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that results agree well.

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28 Von Mises stress.
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We also observe that the location as well as the maximum of the von
Mises stress changed.
No -RE
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29 Save and close the file.

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Exercise 21 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Mesh Analysis

Summary In this model, we analyzed the stresses and displacements on the

impeller. Typically, an impeller like this is loaded cyclically (i.e.
dynamically). To continue this analysis, one would want to solve for
the natural frequencies of the systems to verify that any locaing
frequencies will not affect the dynamic response. This could be done

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using SolidWorks Simulation Professional. Additionally, a dynamic

e
study could be utilized to solve the full dynamic solution. This could be

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done with SolidWorks Simulation Premium.

ut
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No -RE
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348
 rib T
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Lesson 9

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Mixed Meshing
Solids, Beams & Shells
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Construct a mesh with beam, shell and solid elements.
I Edit beam joints to add/remove beams from a joint (Exercise 23)
No -RE

I Set up various shell to beam and shell to solid contacts in mixed

mesh assembly.
I Display the results obtained with beam elements.
Do E
PR

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Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Mixed Meshing To this point, we have used two types

of elements to mesh our models. For
most thick bodies we used solid
elements. When the structure became
thin in one direction, such as a sheet

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metal part, we used shell elements to

e
avoid creating a very large number of

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ut
elements. When the part becomes thin
in two directions we use beam
elements.
In some structures, we may have a

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combination of geometry that is best
analyzed with beams for weldments,
solid elements for thick components
and shell elements for thin
components.

yo E
Case Study:
Model courtesy of Tamoz, spol. s r. o.

In this case study, we will analyze the base of the particle separator.
op AS
Particle The base consists of a weldment with various gussets. The particle
Separator separator uses a combination of geometry that will require use of beam
elements for the weldment base and shell elements for the various
plates and the body of the separator. The weldment lends itself to
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analysis with beam elements, while the cross gussets are thin sections
that are best analyzed with shell elements.
Project The loads on the support frame consist of the weight of the particle
Description separator structure itself that will be applied using gravity. An
No -RE

additional load of 150 N will be applied to the front of the structure in

the downward direction to simulate the presence of an additional
component that will be attached to the separator. Finally, on the intake
of the particle separator, loads of 75 N and 45 N will be applied to
simulate additional loading that the separator might experience during
installation.
Do E

Element Choices The frame can be analyzed using both solid and shell elements, but
both would result in an excessive number of elements. Also, the
PR

construction of the mesh along with the corresponding contact

conditions may take some time. In this lesson, we will use beam
elements for the weldment structure which will allow us to greatly
simplify the model with a minimum sacrifice on the side of the
accuracy.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Beam elements Beams are another class of structural elements where all of the cross-
sectional characteristics are accounted for during the derivation of the
element stiffness matrix. As a beneficial consequence, these cross-
sectional characteristics do not need to be reflected in the finite element
mesh, thus, greatly simplifying the model preparation and analysis.

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In general, the beam element has two nodes with six degrees of
freedom in each node. For more information, consult the Introduction:

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chapter of this manual.
Stages in the I Create beam elements
Process When weldments are analyzed, beam elements will be created
automatically.

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I Calculate joints
The existing joints between elements are created.
I Merge joints that are too close
The joints are reviewed to determine if joints are too close to each
other. Joints can then be merged to get a better mesh.
yo E I Specify joint types
The number of degrees of freedom at each joint is specified.
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I Apply fixtures and loads
The exterior constraints and forces are applied.
I Mesh the model
A beam mesh is created.
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I Run the analysis

The study is run in the same way as any other mesh.
I Plot and analyze the results
No -RE

Examine the analysis results and determine further action.

1 Open an assembly file.

Open particle separator 450 located in the Lesson10\
Case Studies folder.
Do E

Examine the assembly to familiarize yourself with the components.

2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
PR

Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and N/m^2, respectively.

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Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

3 Naming convention.
For clarity, we will identify some of the
parts by the names we will use in the Separator body
following steps.
4 Static study.

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Continue working in the static stress
Mounting bracket
study. Some features in this study have

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been completed beforehand to save time.

Cross Gusset

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yo E Feet
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5 Examine the parts folder.
There are four types of parts/bodies in
the folder.
Shell
t C LE

The three cross gussets, located where

the diagonal braces cross, are modeled Solid
as solid bodies. They will be meshed as
shell elements on the outer face of the
No -RE

solid bodies.
The four feet on the end of each leg are Beam
modeled as solids and will use a solid
mesh.
The remaining parts on the frame are all
Do E

weldment parts and will be meshed as Shell

beam elements.
PR

All components of the particle body are

modeled as solids, but will be meshed
with shells.
Four mounting brackets are modeled as Solid

solid components.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

6 Cross gusset plates.

Define shells for the three Cross Gusset
plates. Use the outside faces of the solid
bodies, and specify Thin shells with the Shells
Thickness of 5 mm.

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7 Shell definitions and bonding for the separator body.
All shells and bonding conditions for the separator body have been

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defined beforehand.
8 Solid parts.
The fourparts named Feet are thick solids. We will not do anything
with them in the tree and they will mesh as solids.

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The four Mounting Brackets are solid bodies. The bonding with the
separator body has already been defined.
9 Exclude unused surfaces.
The three surfaces in the Cyclone
Particle Separator subassembly are
yo E used for the design of the particle
separator body only. They will be
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therefore excluded from the meshing
phase and the simulation.
Exclude from Analysis the three
indicated surfaces.
t C LE

Beam Mesh To mesh any extruded or revolved

No -RE

solid feature with beam elements,

right-click on the feature and select
Treat as Beam. The icon in the
parts folder will then indicate
the beam mesh.
Do E

Similarly, to mesh any beam feature (for

example weldments) as solid, right-click
PR

on the feature and selected Treat as Solid.

10 Weldment parts.
All the remaining parts are part of the weldment that we will mesh
using beam elements.
Select all the remaining parts, then right-click and select Treat
selected bodies as beams.

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Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

11 Examine the Parts folder.

The Parts folder should look as below:

Solid bodies

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Solid bodies of the separator
body modeled as shells

Surfaces Excluded from

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analysis

Beams

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Solid bodies of the cross gussets
modeled as shells

Solid bodies
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12 Apply material.
Apply the material AISI 1020 Steel to all the parts and bodies.
No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Beam Joints: All of the beam cross-sectional Joint 2

Locations characteristics are already included as Joint 1
parameters during the derivation of the
beam element stiffness matrix. The
resulting mesh is, therefore, made out

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of lines connected by joints. The

e
example of such lines representing the

ist AF
beams in our model is shown in the

ut
figure.
The joints define the straight or curved
segments that will be meshed with

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beam elements. While the detection of
the joints is automated in SolidWorks
Simulation, the relative position of
some joints may be too close and we
may wish to merge them, i.e. merge two
segments into one. In the figure, the
yo E joints 1 and 2 are relatively close and
might be merged.
op AS
Sometimes the automatically generated joints must be modified
manually.
Beam Joint Types Each beam end point features six degrees of
freedom that may be restrained or released to
t C LE

reflect various structural connection

configurations. SolidWorks Simulation offers
the following options to connect the end point
of the beam element to the joint:
No -RE

I Rigid - All six degrees of freedom are

tied to the joint. This connection type
transfers all force as well as all of the
moments from the beam element to the
joint (and vice versa).
Do E

I Hinge - Only three degrees of freedom are tied to the joint. The
connection is not able to transmit the moments from the beam to the
PR

joint (and vice versa).

I Slide - The end can translate freely and does not transfer forces to
the joint.
I Manual - A custom designed connection type can be generated.

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Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Section Properties All beam properties are computed

automatically from the solid geometry. The
beam section properties calculated by the
program can be overwritten with user-
defined values in the Section Properties

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dialog.

e
I Torsional Constant- This is a

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geometrical property of the beam’s cross
section and determines its stiffness in
torsion. Torsional stiffness constant is
calculated by the program. The values for

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commonly used beam cross-sections are
available in literature (see Formulas for Stress and Strain, Roark
and Young, Chapter 9, Table 20, for example).
I Distance for Maximum Shear- Distance from the center of the
section to the point of maximum torsional shear .

yo E I Shear Factor in direction 1- Shear factor to account for non-

uniform shear stress in direction 1 of the beam coordinate system
op AS
I Shear Factor in direction 2- Shear factor to account for non-
uniform shear stress in direction 2of the beam coordinate system

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click a beam element in the Simulation Study
Tree and click Edit Definition.
t C LE

I To see the shear center line of a beam, right-click Joint group and
select Edit. Under Results, select Display shear center.

13 Edit joints.
No -RE

Once we designated a body to be treated as

a beam, a new item appeared in the
Simulation Design Tree called Joint
group.
Right-click the Joint group and click
Edit.
Do E

For Selected Beams, select All.

PR

Click Calculate.
The joints computed with the default
settings can be seen in the figure.
Click OK.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Connected and The beam joints are show as yellow or magenta

Disconnected spheres.
Joints
I joints are connected to two or more beam
members.

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I joints are connected to a single member

e
only and are therefore disconnected from the

ist AF
other beams. Such nodes may need to be

ut
manually connected to the adjacent beams
elements or bonded to other parts.

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Sphere Diameter By default, the software creates a joint between two beams touching
Defining Beam end-toend (clearence is zero). It is, however, possible to modify the
Joint diameter of a hypothetical sphere defining the joint. All beam ends
within such hypothetical sphere will form a new joint.
yo E
Introducing: Treat
as Joint for
I
I
equal to zero: Creates a joint when beam ends are touching.
less than:Beams ends within such clearance will be included in
op AS
Clearance one joint definition. Keep modified joint on update must be
checked to retain the newly computed joints.

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Joint Group in the Simulation Study
tree and select Edit. Under Selected Beams select Treat as joint
t C LE

for clearance option.

14 Bond diagonals to gussets.

Add a Bonded contact between
No -RE

each set of two diagonal braces

and the cross gusset.
Do E
PR

Note Make sure that you select the outside face of the cross gusset solid body
used for the shell definition (step 6).
15 Explode the assembly view.
The exploded view will make it easier to create the contact sets
between the sheet metal corner gussets and the frame elements.

357
Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

16 Bond Mounting Brackets to frame.

Use bottom face of each Mounting Bracket to bond it to the top
beams of the frame, as shown in the figure below.

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17 Collapse the assembly.

yo E 18 Add fixtures.
Add Fixed Geometry Fixtures to bottoms
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of four feet.
t C LE

Applying Loads The beams button allows us to apply the loads directly on the
structural members. It is also possible to apply loads directly onto the
joints or on faces, edges, or vertices of extruded bodies.
No -RE

19 Apply External Loads.

Apply a 150 N vertical load applied on the
indicated beam to simulate the additional
weight of the component that may be added to
Do E

the structure at a later time.

PR

Note The distributed load is applied on the horizontal beam where no

diagonal braces are present.

358
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Apply 75 N and 45 N forces located

at the back face of the inlet. 75 N

These loads can be generated during

the assembly phase.

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45 N

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Note The forces must be applied on the faces used to define the shell
features, as shown in the figure.
20 Gravity load.
Specify gravity load in the global positive Z direction.
21 Apply mesh control
yo E to beams
Click on Beams under
op AS
Selected Entities and
select the four
horizontal beams.
Select Element size
t C LE

and enter a value of 5

mm.
No -RE
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359
Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

22 Mesh.
Mesh the assembly using High quality
elements. Use the Standard mesh with the
element Global Size of 25 mm.
23 Examine the mesh.

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You can see the three different mesh
element types.

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No -RE
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360
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Render Beam It is possible to display the mesh and results for beams as cylinders
Profile (simplified representation) or the actual beam profiles. Displaying the
mesh or results on the beam profiles may take longer for models with a
large number of beams.
When this option is selected in the

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stress plots, the stresses are calculated
and displayed through the beam cross-

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section. This is a more accurate
representation of the stress profile.
With this option cleared, only the
highest magnitude stress at the

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extreme fiber of each beam is
displayed..

Where to Find ItWith I Menu: Simulation, Options, Default Options, select Mesh and
activate Render beam profile.
I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Mesh and select Render beam
yo E profile.
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24 Align the mesh.
Make sure that the shell top and bottom are aligned and consistent. This
step is important for the correct postprocessing.
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No -RE
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Note The default shell mesh alignment shown on the left image may vary.
Align the mesh as shown in the right image.
PR

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Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Beam imprint When the beam joint is bonded to a solid or shell face, the mesher
creates an imprint of the actual beam cross-section on the touching
face. This generates a more realistic representation of the joint leading
to better results at the beam-solid/shell interface. Additional elements
are created in the area of the imprint and the beam joint is connected to

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all the elements inside the imprinted area. In case the beam's cross-

e
section is not entirely on the touching face, the imprint is created based

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on the partial touching cross-section.

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25 Run.
Run the study.

26 Displacement Plot.
No -RE

Examine the displacement plot. The

maximum displacement of 0.14 mm at
the inlet location is rather small.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

27 Stress plot.
The initial stress plot will show the
Von Mises stresses in the solids and
shell.
Right-click on Stress1 and go to

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Settings. Set Boundary Options to
None and select Superimpose

ist AF
ut
model on the deformed shape.
Click OK.
The maximum reaches approximately
11.93 MPa and is located in the

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Mounting Bracket where the
vertical load is applied.
Because this stress maximum is
located at the junction of the bracket
and shell, detail analysis of this
yo E connection may be required.
Also, review of the stresses on both the top and the bottom faces of the
op AS
shell elements is needed.

Note This plot only shows the stress distribution on the solids and shells. We
will next see the stress distribution in the beams.
t C LE

28 Redefine the stress plot.

Right-click the plot Stress1 and
click Edit Definition.
Select Beams to show the stress in
No -RE

the beam elements.

From the list, select Axial.
The maximum tensile stress of 1.06
MPa is in one of the diagonal
braces whereas a compressive stress
Do E

of -1.5 MPa is induced in two of the

legs.
PR

Note Again, this plot only shows the stress distribution in the beams.

363
Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Cross-section 1st To post-process the bending component of the normal stress, 1st and
and 2nd Directions 2nd directions must be specified.
1st direction is defined along the longest side of the cross-section, and
2nd direction is perpendicular to it.

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29 Additional stress plots.
Define two new stress plots to show the bending in directions 1 and 2.
Render beam profile should be selected.
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No -RE
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Maximum bending stresses are 4.97 MPa and 5.37 MPa .

364
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

30 Highest axial and bending.

Edit any of the plots and
select Axial and bending.
This will show the combined
stress from axial and bending

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in both directions. The

e
absolute maximum combined

ist AF
stress in any of the beam

ut
elements is 6.72 MPa.

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Bending Moment More experienced users may produce a plot of the bending moment and

Diagrams
yo E
and Shear Force shear force diagrams. They can be used to study how the internal
bending moments and shear forces vary along the beam, or for the
op AS
subsequent design of more complex composite beam members.

Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click Results folder and select Define
Beam Diagrams.
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No -RE
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Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2013
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

31 Show Bending moment

diagram.
Right-click on the Results
folder and select Define

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Beam Diagrams, under

e
Display select Moment in

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Dir1. Specify the units of

ut
N-m.
Under Selected Beams
click Select and select the

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beam shown in the figure.
32 List Beam Stress.
Right-click on the Results
folder and select List
Beam Forces.

yo E Under List select

Stresses, set the units to
SI and click OK.
op AS
The List Stresses dialog window shows a complete list of maximum
(minimum) normal and shear stresses for all beam elements.
33 Save and Close the file.
t C LE
No -RE
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PR

366
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 9
Mixed Meshing Solids, Beams & Shells

Summary In this lesson, we analyzed a support frame model. Since all the
structural members were thin and long, we used beam elements. Their
use can greatly simplify the analysis and make the computations
significantly faster.
The model preparation consists of beam element and joint definition

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steps, both of which are automated in SolidWorks Simulation.
Sometimes manual editing of the automatically generated joints may be

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required . If any two joints are generated too close, relative to the
position of the remaining joints, they may be merged.
Because beam elements feature six degrees of freedom at each end,
various possibilities for the joint / beam element connection exist.

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We usually show these displacement components (or degrees of
freedom) as aligned with global coordinate system. However, degrees
of freedom may be presented in any coordinate system.
Because nodes of solid elements do not have rotational degrees of
freedom as compared to nodes of shell elements, an attempt to connect
yo E shell and solid elements results in an unintentional hinge along the
common edge.
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To make final conclusions on the analysis, it could be important to
review the stresses at the joint locations. Due to the limitations of the
bonding between beam/shell and solid, the software does not produce
an accurate result at the interface. A model with only solids could be
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run to better investigate the stresses at these locations.

Questions I How many degrees of freedom does each node of a beam element
No -RE

have? How are beam elements different from solid and shell
elements?
I What is the difference between beam elements and truss elements?
I For a beam element to produce acceptable results, the length of the
beam should be ______ times larger than the largest dimension of
its cross-section.
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I The bending stresses plotted on the 3D profile of a beam element

(can/cannot) show variation through the thickness.
PR

367
Exercise 22 SolidWorks 2013
Beam Elements

Exercise 22: The simplified model of a Defective weld

Beam Elements conveyor frame (shown
in the figure) is
manufactured from Plain
Carbon Steel with all the Moment

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joints welded. Foundation

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During the inspection, it

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was found that the weld at
the indicated joint
became defective and was
not capable of

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transmitting the
moments.
In this exercise you will analyze the frame when subjected to the
extreme operating loading conditions (combination of an isolated force
and a moment).

yo E All six legs of the frame are bolted to the ground but only the two
inclined legs can actually transmit the moments to the floor.
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This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Mixed Meshing on page 350.
I Beam elements on page 351.
I Beam Joint Types on page 355.
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I Bending Moment and Shear Force Diagrams on page 365.

I Applying Loads on page 358.
No -RE

Procedure Follow the steps below:

1 Open a part file.
Open Conveyor Frame located in the Lesson9\Exercises folder.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
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Stress to mm and N/m^2, respectively.

3 Create new study.
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Create a new static study named frame.

368
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 22
Beam Elements

4 Beam elements.
Expand the folder Conveyor Frame
and you can see that all the solid bodies
of the weldment have a beam icon .
Right-click the Cut List folder and

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select Delete. All the beams are now in
the Conveyor Frame folder.

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The sixteen beam elements were
automatically generated because the part
file was a weldment.

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There is also an additional folder called
Joint group .

Slenderness ratio Beam elements are typically used to

represent long, slender components. For the
yo E beam formulation to produce acceptable
results, the length of the beam should be 10
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times larger than the largest dimension of its
cross section.
The software automatically detects the ratio
and warns the user about the beams having a slenderness ratio of less
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than 10.

5 Specify material.
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Assign Plain Carbon Steel for all beam elements.

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369
Exercise 22 SolidWorks 2013
Beam Elements

6 Review the calculated joints.

Right-click on the Joint group folder and select
Edit. Under Treat as joint for clearence, select
less than, keep the default value and click
Calculate. The automatically calculated joints

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will show on the screen.

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If needed, the joints may be modified and re-calculated. In this exercise
this step is not required.
7 Define faulty weld joint.
The faulty weld in the indicated joint eliminates the possibility to
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transfer moments between the beam element and the joint. The moment
ties can be released by specifying the pin connection type.
Under the Conveyor Frame folder, right-click on the beam element
corresponding to the inclined member with the faulty weld and select
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Edit definition.
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370
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 22
Beam Elements

8 Create a hinge.
The two end points are graphically shown as red and blue circles.
Select Hinge for the upper connection between the joint and the beam.
Click OK to confirm the settings.

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9 Restrain the vertical legs.

Apply an Immovable fixture to the bottom joints on all four vertical
legs.
No -RE
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371
Exercise 22 SolidWorks 2013
Beam Elements

10 Restrain the inclined

legs.
Apply a Fixed Geometry
restraint to the bottom
joints on the two inclined

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legs.

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11 Apply loads on top
beams.
Right click the External
Loads folder and select
Force.
Under Selection click
yo E Beams then select the
two beams shown.
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Apply 67,000 N [15,062
lb] force in the Normal to
Plane direction (with
reference to the Top
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plane). Select Reverse

direction.
Click OK.
No -RE

12 Define loads on corner

joint.
To apply a force or
moment directly into the
joint click the Selection
(Joints) button in the
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Force menu (see the

figure).
PR

Apply a 45,000 N
[10,116 lb] force and a
2,260 N-m [20,000 lb-in]
moment to the corner
joint. The force and the
moment are oriented in
the Normal to Plane and
Along Plane Dir1
directions with reference
to the Front plane, respectively.

372
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 22
Beam Elements

13 Mesh the model.

Mesh the model with the default element size.

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yo E 14 Run the analysis.
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Notice how quickly the study completes. If solid or shell elements were
used instead, the computations would take considerably longer.
15 Plot resulting displacements.
Define a RES: Resultant displacement plot.
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Zoom closer to the section where both inclined members connect to the
top of the frame. Notice that the member with the faulty weld rotated at
the joint location, while the other member remains perpendicular
irrespective of the structural deformations. This indicates that the faulty
No -RE

weld connection does not transmit moments, indeed.

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PR

373
Exercise 22 SolidWorks 2013
Beam Elements

16 Plot axial normal stress.

Define an Axial stress plot.
The Axial stress plot indicates a component of normal stress evenly
distributed across the cross-section of the beam element caused by
normal (axial) force. We observe a maximum tensile value of

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approximately 15.3 MPa (2.22 ksi).

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17 Plot normal stress due to bending.
Define Bending in DIR1 and Bending in DIR2 stress plots.
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No -RE
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Direction 1
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374
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 22
Beam Elements

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Direction 2

These plots indicate the maximum and minimum values of the normal
stress (extreme fibers location) caused by the bending moments. We
can observe a significantly greater value (than in the Axial stress plot)
yo E of 565 MPa [-82.5 ksi] .
A total normal stress experienced by a cross-section is equal to the sum
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of the axial and bending components: the hightest axial and bending
stress plot.
18 Plot the extremes of the total normal stress.
Define an Axial and bending stress plot.
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This plot adds the Axial and the Bending in local direction2 normal
stresses. It is the plot of the most extreme normal stress experienced by
the beam cross-sections.
We can see that the maximum tensile stress of 464 MPa [67.4 ksi]
No -RE

significantly exceeds the yield strength of Plain Carbon Steel 220.6

MPa (32 ksi).
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PR

375
Exercise 22 SolidWorks 2013
Beam Elements

19 Plot bending moment diagrams.

Right-click the Results folder and select
Define Beam Diagrams.
Under Display select Moment in Dir 1 and the
units of N-m.

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Under Selected Beams,

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click Select and pick the

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inclined beam with the
faulty weld.

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yo E Click OK to plot the diagram.
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No -RE
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We can see a linear variation of the bending moment in the elemental

PR

direction 1. Note that the moment at the faulty joint is zero.

The large negative value of -336 N-m then corresponds to the moment
along the elemental direction 1 transmitted to the floor.

376
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 22
Beam Elements

20 List beam stresses.

Right-click on the Results folder and select List Beam Forces.
Under List select Stresses, set the units to SI and click OK.

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The List Stresses dialog window shows a complete list of maximum
(minimum) normal and shear stresses for all beam elements.
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377
Exercise 22 SolidWorks 2013
Beam Elements

21 List reaction forces.

Right-click on the Results folder and select List Result Force.
Select the four joints at the bottom of the vertical legs and click OK.

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No Reaction Why is the reaction moment zero at the joints at the bottom of the
No -RE

Moment vertical legs?

22 Save and Close the file.

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378
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 23
Cabinet

Exercise 23: Analyze a cabinet with an applied load.

Cabinet This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Beam elements on page 351.
I Beam Joints: Locations on page 355.

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I Connected and Disconnected Joints on

e
page 357.

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I Applying Loads on page 358.

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Project
yo E A cabinet manufactured from
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Description Aluminum 5052 H32 is loaded by an
isolated 4,450 N [1000 lb] force and
two 4,450 N [1,000 lb] loads distributed
along the two corner beams of the
cabinet, as shown in the figure. All
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other loads and masses (such as shelf

loads, etc.) are not included in this
analysis to keep the model simple. The
bottom of the cabinet, along with the
No -RE

pedestal, are bolted to the floor.

Compute the factor of safety of the
model.
Do E
PR

1 Open an assembly file.

Open Cabinet Assy located in the Lesson10\Exercises folder.
2 Create study.
Create a Static study named stress analysis.
3 Define shell thicknesses.
Using the inside faces, define shells for the gusset plates and skins of
the cabinet. Specify Thin shell with the Thickness of 2.54mm [0.1in].

379
Exercise 23 SolidWorks 2013
Cabinet

4 Define beam joints.

Right-click on the Joint group folder
and select Edit.
At each of the eight corners, there
should be either one or two joints,

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connecting all of the beams that
converge on that corner. See the

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figure.

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Note Joints identified as yellow spheres are attached to a single member.
Violet color identifies the joints which connect at least two beam
members.
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The joints can be merged by entering a user-

defined value through Treat as joint for
clearence.
Select less than and enter a value of 0.1 m.
No -RE

Click Calculate to update the joint definitions.

Click OK to complete the definition of the
joints.
This will generate eight joints at the eight
corners.
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380
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 23
Cabinet

Tip Optionally, the joints can also be merged by adding or removing a

beam member. Right-click each joint to examine the components that
form the joint.
In the Select Joint Members window, click the components in the
graphics window to add or remove them from the joint.

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To save the new joint definition, close the Select Joint Members
window. Make sure Keep modified joint on update is selected and

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click Calculate.
Repeat the procedure for all the joints that need to be merged.

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No -RE

5 Assign materials.
Specify Aluminum 5052-H32 for all Solids, Shells and Beams.
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381
Exercise 23 SolidWorks 2013
Cabinet

6 Bond skins to the cabinet frame.

Specify Bonded contact condition between the frame beams and the
skin shell on the left hand side, as shown in the figure.

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Click OK.
Note
yo E To select Beams for the Set 1, click the Beams under Type.
Repeat the definitions of the bonded contacts between the beams and
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the skin shells for the right, back, and top sides of the cabinet.
7 Bond gusset plates to the cabinet frame
Define bonded contacts between the beams and the gusset plates on the
right and left sides.
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8 Bond frame bottom beams to the frame bottom plates.

The two solid frame bottom plates must be bonded to the two frame
beams.
No -RE

Frame Plates
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These contacts have been defined in the Completed contacts study.

Copy all the contacts from the Completed contacts study into our
current study, stress analysis.

382
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 23
Cabinet

9 Contact between Base and the frame.

The frame side plates and the Base are bolted to the floor. For
simplicity we will model this contact as bonded. Bond the circular
edges of the bolt holes on the frame side to the top face of the base.

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10 Fix the Base.
Apply a Fixed Geometry fixture to the
yo E cylindrical faces of the four holes in the
Base.
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11 Frame plates vs. base contact.

Specify No penetration, Node to
Surface contact between the bottom
faces of the frame plates and the
base, as shown in the figure.
No -RE
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Note We use the Node to Surface formulation here because the parts are
initially touching and we expect little or no sliding between the two
PR

bodies.

383
Exercise 23 SolidWorks 2013
Cabinet

12 Concentrated joint load.

Apply a 4450 N [1000 lb]
concentrated vertical force
to the top corner beam
joint, as shown in the

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figure.

e
Make sure to select

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Selected direction to
define the force on the
joints.

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Note In mixed mesh analysis the Force can be applied to the faces, edges or
vertices of the solid components or shells, beam joints and along the
length of the beam components.
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No -RE
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384
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 23
Cabinet

13 Distributed beam load.

Apply 4450 N [1000 lb]
distributed vertical load
on the two beams
indicated in the figure.

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14 Apply mesh control on gusset plates.
Apply mesh controls to the inside face of the gusset plates using 38.1
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mm for the local Element size, 1.5 for the Ratio.

15 Create mesh.
Create a High quality Curvature based mesh
with the following
No -RE

parameters: Maximum element size =

111.37mm, Minimum element size = 5mm, Min
number of elements in a circle = 16, and
Element size growth ratio = 1.6. .
Do E

Make sure that the shell tops and bottoms are

consistent.
PR

385
Exercise 23 SolidWorks 2013
Cabinet

16 Mesh details.
Show the mesh details.
Combined mesh with beams,
shells and solids resulted in
approximately 39,000 nodes.

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17 Run the study stress
analysis.

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18 Plot von Mises stress.

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It can be seen that the maximum von Mises stress in solid and shell
No -RE

feature, 79.52 MPa, is at a sharp corner. This is an area of singular

stress and can be ignored. There is also some high stress in the gusset
plates and vicinity of the holes that are bonded to the bottom plate (you
can verify that both the Top and the Bottom indicate identical
maximum value).
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PR

386
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 23
Cabinet

19 Plot beam stresses.

Edit the definition of the stress plot and select Beams. Select Axial
and Bending as the Beam Stress. Select the Render beam profile
option.

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The highest axial and bending stress plot in beam elements indicate a
maximum stress of 39.45 MPa. We can therefore conclude that the
factor of safety in strength is approximately 195 MPa/39.45 MPa = 4.9
(195 MPa is the yield strength of the Aluminum 5052 H32). This result
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indicates that the cabinet frame is designed with sufficient factor of

safety.
20 Plot resultant displacements.
No -RE
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PR

The maximum displacement of the cabinet is approximately 0.98 mm.

21 Save and Close the file.

387
Exercise 24 SolidWorks 2013
Frame Rigidity

Exercise 24: In this exercise, you will calculate

Frame Rigidity the torsional rigidity (i.e. applied
torque divided by radial
displacement) of a car frame.
This exercise reinforces the

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following skills:

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I Cylindrical Coordinate

ut
Systems on page 160.
I Beam elements on page 351. courtesy of:
I Beam Joints: Locations on Stephen Maxfield, University of Wisconsin
page 355.

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Problem There are many ways to measure the torsional rigidity of a frame. In
Description one experiment, the front and rear wheels are mounted on beams. The
suspension components are assumed to be fixed so that all of the load
applied is transferred to the frame itself. The rear of the vehicle is held
stationary (fixed) while a load is applied to the beam with the front
yo E wheels to simulate the torque as shown in the figure below.
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Force Force
No -RE
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388
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 24
Frame Rigidity

Loading Remember, all of the components aside from the frame are assumed to
Conditions be rigid. This means that the full loading must be transferred to the
frame itself. Since we will assume the response of the frame is linear,
any loading magnitude will be sufficient to calculate the torsional
rigidity.

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Goal With the proper boundary and loading conditions, calculate the

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torsional rigidity:

ut
TorqueLoad
TorsionalRigidity = --------------------------------------------------
AngularDeflection

Remember, the angular deflection result is given as the angle of

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deflection (in radians) times the radial distance away from the axis.
The part for this exercise is located in the Lesson01\Exercises
folder.

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389
390
Exercise 24
Frame Rigidity

PR
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No -RE
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SolidWorks 2013

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 rib T
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Lesson 10

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Submodeling

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand and use the Submodeling feature to analyze structural
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details.
I Post-process results on submodel.
No -RE
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391
Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

Submodeling Submodeling can be conveniently used to isolate a specific area of a

Basics larger structure and simulate it in greater detail. Submodeling is done in
two steps. In the first step, you need to solve the full structure with a
relatively coarse mesh. This study, referred to as the parent study, must
provide reliable solution for displacements. It is likely, however, that

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stresses will not be as accurate, especially in the complex structural

e
details such as joints. In the second step you will define a group of

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bodies, thus forming a submodel with the displacement boundary
conditions transferred from the parent study. This will ensure that the
boundaries of the submodel in the child study deform exactly the same
as the corresponding locations of the structure in the parent study.
Reduced size of submodel then allows you to refine the mesh in the

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critical regions in order to obtain reliable stress results.

Parent Study The parent study must meet certain conditions in order to proceed with
the submodeling study:
I The parent study must be static or nonlinear static with more than
yo E I
one body and not be the submodeling study itself.
The parent study cannot be a 2D simplification study.
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I The selected bodies that compose the submodel may not have the
No penetration contact with unselected bodies that result in contact
pressure across the cut boundary.
I The selected bodies that compose the submodel may not share
connectors with unselected bodies.
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Body not suitable for submodeling

No -RE

No penetration contact and connectors

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I The cut boundary of the submodel cannot cut through a bonded

contact defined by either beam-to-beam or shell edge-to-shell edge
PR

joints.
I The boundaries of the submodel must be adequately far from stress
concentration areas.

392
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 10
Submodeling

Case Study: A simple scaffolding Stand

Scaffolding model consists of one Platform with
horizontal platform with wooden flat

wooden flat, two stands

and two side braces. The

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horizontal platform is

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positioned somewhat off

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the center line to
simulate some
assembling
imperfections. All
structural components Brace

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are connected by
positioning the corresponding connecting brackets onto the tubing of
the stands; the securing bolts and safety pieces are not part of this
model. It is assumed that only the no penetration contact exists between
the connecting parts of the structural components. All components are

yo E manufactured from AISI 304 steel, the wooden flats are made of pine
wood.
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Project The assembly features numerous connections and joints. Meshing all
Description these features in the top level assembly model would result in very
large mesh and significant computational times. Using the submodeling
feature, analyze stresses in the connection indicated in the figure below.
Decide, whether the bracket connecting the top platform to the stands
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passes the yield strength criterion.

No -RE
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PR

Stages in the The basic steps of a design scenario are:

Process I Define parent study.
Define fixtures, loads and mesh in the parent study with all the
assembly components included in the model.

393
Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

I Define submodeling study.

Decide, what components to use in the submodeling study. Then
create a submodeling study with fine mesh providing reliable stress
results.
I Analyze the results.

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Review the available output to determine whether the bracket
indicated in the above image passes the yield strength criterion

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(FOS=1).

Part 1: Parent For the parent study, you will use the entire assembly model.

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Study
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Scaffolding located in the Lesson10\Case Studies folder.
2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.
Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
yo E 3
Stress to mm and N/mm^2(MPa), respectively.
Review the static study Parent.
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Most of the study features in the parents study were defined
beforehand.
The four foot subassemblies were excluded from
analysis, and were replaced with the Fixed
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Geometry fixtures on the bottom of stands.

No -RE

The tubing of the two side brace subassemblies are modeled using the
beam elements. To simplify mesh, the corner gussets are excluded from
analysis and are simulated with the help of the beam joints.
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No penetration
contacts

Suppressed corner
gusset, Beam joint

394
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 10
Submodeling

Braces rest atop the horizontal tubing of the two stands; this
connection is simulated using already defined no penetration contacts.
The middle plates on the Braces are welded to
the diagonal tubings. This connection is
simulated with the bonded contacts.

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The assembly also features splits
necessary to define the submodel.

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Split features

4 Exclude wooden flat.

The wooden flat is not crucial for the results of this simulation and will
be excluded from analysis.
Exclude from Analysis the four bodies in the flat^Platform folder of
yo E 5
the Simulation feature tree.
Assign the material.
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Specify AISI 304 Steel to all the components.
This material has a yield strength of 206.8 MPa.
6 Define contact between Platform frame and Stands.
The Platform frame brackets are freely set atop the horizontal
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tubings of the Stands. Their interaction will be simulated with the No

Penetration contacts.
Define No Penetration contact
No -RE

between the Platform frame

brackets and the corresponding
horizontal Stand members (see the
figure).
A total of four contacts should be
defined.
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395
Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

7 Define vertical load.

Define a 10,000 N, Total, vertical force on the top faces of the
Platform frame members.

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8 Define horizontal concentrated force.
Define a 500 N force concentrated at the indicated joint location. The

yo E force is applied on the circular edge of the joint geometry.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 10
Submodeling

Note Alternatively, you can apply the force into the beam joint or on any
other geometrical feature in the vicinity of the joint. Because the parent
study does not study the details of the joints, application of the force
has a few possible scenarios.
Because the parent study does not solve stresses in the details of the

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joint geometry, application of the forces can benefit from some level of
freedom.

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9 Define gravity.
Define Gravity in the negative Y direction.
10 Define stabilizing fixtures.
Because the side Braces and the Platform are freely positioned on the

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tubing of the Stands, they are free to displace in the Z direction. We
need to stabilize the parent simulation in this direction.
Restraint displacements in the Z direction. Use the Use Reference
Geometry fixture type and apply it on vertices of the six indicated
brackets. (It does not matter specifically which vertices you use.)
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11 Define mesh controls.

Define a mesh control on the two brace middle plates. Use 18.4mm for
Element Size, and 1.5 for Ratio.
Also define a mesh control on the four vertical tubings of the Braces.
Use 30 for Number of Elements.

397
Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

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Note Both of the above mesh controls are defined to improve the resolution
of the bonded contacts.
12 Create mesh and Run.
Create High quality, Curvature based mesh with the default
yo E parameters.
Run the study. It takes about six minutes to solve on the 2.67 GHz, i7
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processor computer.
13 Review stress results in solids.
Define VON: von Mises Stress plot for Solid and Shells.
Under the plot Settings, activate the Show max annotation
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checkbox.
No -RE
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398
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 10
Submodeling

The maximum stress in the solid components, 226 MPa, is located at

one of the Platform brackets. This stress is above the yield strength of
the material.
Because the parent study was purposely mesh with the coarse mesh
settings, we can already conclude that this result is not reliable. The

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submodeling study will likely provide different picture of the stress
distribution.

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14 Review stress results in beams.
Define VON: von Mises Stress, Axial and bending plot for Beams.
Under the plot Settings, again activate the Show max annotation
checkbox.

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The maximum stress in the beam components is only 16.1 MPa. This is
significantly below the yield strength of the AISI 306 steel.
15 Save results.
No -RE

Save the results, but keep the model open.

Part 2: Child Child study will simulate behavior at the joint location identified at the
Study beginning of the lesson.
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1 Create submodeling study.

Right-click on the study Parent and select Create Submodeling
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Study.
Unless disabled, an information window shown in the figure below will
open. This window will list all limitations of the submodeling
technique in this release of the software.

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Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

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Most of the important limitations were already discussed at the
beginning of this lesson.
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Click OK to dismiss this window.

Selecting In general, the further you go from the critical detail (i.e. the more
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Components for components you include in your submodeling study), the better.
Submodeling However, this way, you will also create larger model that will take
more time to solve. Hence, some reasonable engineering judgement is
necessary. Since the primary interest in this study is the bracket, we
need to select a few neighboring components as well.
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2 Select components for the submodeling study.

Zoom onto the corner indicated
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at the beginning of the lesson

and select the components
forming the joint (see the
figure).

400
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 10
Submodeling

Alternatively, you can select the same

components from the Bodies List of the
Submodel dialog in the Define Submodel
property manager.

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Click OK.

Note It may take a minute or two for the computer to create the submodeling
study.
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Submodel Fixtures Because the submodel solution is a subset

of the solution from the parent study, all
fixtures are transferred directly from the
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parent study and its result, and can not be modified. This also implies
that no additional fixtures can be defined in the submodel study (Hide
All and Show All are the only commands available under the Fixtures
folder).
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3 Review the fixtures in the Submodel study.

All fixtures are transferred directly from the parent study.
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Displacement from parent fixture contains displacements of the four

exposed cross-sections transferred from the parent study.
Reference Geometry contains the prescribed displacement restraining
the bracket from displacing in the Z direction.

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Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

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4 Review the loads in the Submodel study.
All loads are transferred directly from the parent study.

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Gravity and Force on the top face of the Platform beams are
transferred from the parent study.

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5 Apply mesh controls.

Apply 0.5mm mesh controls
with the default Ratio on the
0.5mm control on
face of the bracket in contact the bracket face
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with the tube.

Apply a default mesh control
Default control on
on the body of the horizontal the tube body
tube in contact with the
bracket.
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6 Create mesh.
Create High quality,
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Curvature based
mesh. Use the
default mesh
parameters.
Notice that the Default control on
the tube body
resulting mesh has
focused refinement
on the bracket in
contact with the tube.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 10
Submodeling

7 Run study.
The study takes about 5 minutes to solve on 2.67 GHz i7 processor
computer.
8 Review stress results.
Define Nodal, VON: von Mises Stress plot. Set MPa as Units.

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Under the plot Settings, activate the Show max annotation checkbox
and change the legend Max value to the material yield strength, 206.8

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MPa.

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The maximum stress in the bracket jumped to 457.1 MPa, well above
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the material yield strength, 206.8 MPa. Probing results reveals that
yielding material extends about two layers of elements into the bracket.
9 Plot elemental stress.
Edit the plot created in the
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previous step, and under

Advanced Options, change it
from Nodal Values to Elemental
Values.
It can be seen that the elemental
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stress distribution also shows

values above the yield as far as two
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element layers from the contact

location.
The indicated yielding is not critical, and would probably not cause
anything beyond local material deformations. Such locally yielding
bracket would, however, change its shape and further deform during
repetitive use. Further more, it could be subject to fatigue failure. It
would therefore be safer to increase the bracket thickness and reduce
the stress in the material, especially given the fact that the connection
brackets are fairly small, but safety critical components.

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Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2013
Submodeling

10 Plot energy norm error.

The plot shows practically
no error in the critical
region. This suggests that
the stress results are likely

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reliable.

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Remember, however, that

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to prove the stress
reliability, one would have
to study the convergence of
stresses with various mesh

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refinement.

11 Save and Close the file.

Summary yo E This lesson introduced the submodeling feature that allows users to
study detailed stress distributions in complex regions such as joints,
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without need to generate fine mesh the entire assembly. The procedure
is divided in two steps.
In the first step, the entire assembly is meshed with coarser mesh
settings to save the computational time. Coarser mesh will likely not
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provide reliable stress details in complex regions such as joints, but

must provide reliable displacements.
In the second step user selects bodies in the vicinity of the critical
region and defines a submodeling child study. All loads and fixtures are
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automatically transferred from the parent model to the child study. User
only needs to create fine and detailed mesh and run the calculation.
Because the calculation is performed on a significantly smaller
submodel, the computational time will be significantly smaller while
the results quality in the studied region will significantly improve when
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compared to those from the parent study.

Questions I What is submodeling? What are some of the benefits of
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submodeling?
I The selected bodies that compose the submodel (may/may not)
have No penetration contact with unselected bodies that result in
contact pressure across the cut boundary.
I How are the loads defined in a submodeling (child) study?.

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Lesson 11

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Design Study

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand and use the Design Study to analyze trends when
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specific parameters are varied.

I Find optimum value of some design parameters.
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405
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

Design Study Design studies can be conveniently used to analyze an assembly in

which the loads, geometry or material constants are to be treated as
design variables. Results, such as displacements or stresses, can then be
graphed as functions of the design variables. Design studies are used to
run multiple studies with the intent of determining trends that can be

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used to make important design decisions, or to fully optimize the

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design.

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Note that the automatic optimization feature of the Design Study is
available in the SolidWorks Simulation Professional module.
Case Study: The vehicle suspension
Suspension assembly can be subjected to

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Design a multitude of loading
variations during its operating
conditions. We will use a
design scenario to test the
assembly under several

yo E different conditions so that

we optimize the size of the
parts.
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Project Analyze the suspension assembly when subjected to the following four
Description conditions:
1. stationary vehicle
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2. vehicle moving at constant acceleration on a smooth road

3. vehicle moving on a bumpy road
4. vehicle moving at a constant speed on a smooth road and turning on
a banked road
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All of the suspension components are manufactured from Alloy Steel.

The goal of the analysis is also to adjust the thickness of the lower arm
to a value that will result in a Factor of Safety of 1.3 or better.
Stages in the The basic steps of a design scenario are:
Process
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I Specify the parameters.

Determine which parameters will be varied in each scenario.
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I Create a table defining the values of the variables for the design
studies.
I Analyze the results.
Review the available output to determine the necessary changes.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

Part 1: Multiple For the first design study, four sets of loads will be applied to the axle
Load Cases of the suspension. There will be both a vertical and lateral load.
1 Open an assembly file.

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Open suspension located in the Lesson11\Case Studies folder.

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2 Set SolidWorks Simulation options.

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Set the global system of units to SI (MKS) and the units of Length and
Stress to mm and N/mm^2(MPa), respectively.
3 Create new study.
Create a new Static study named Multiple loads.

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Note The spring is missing from the assembly. We will simulate the spring
using connectors.
4 Assign the material.
Specify Alloy Steel to all the components.

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This material has a yield strength of 620 MPa.
Define Fixed Hinge fixtures.
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Define five Fixed Hinge fixtures as indicated in the figure.
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407
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

6 Define a spring connector.

The Spring connector been defined beforehand. Copy it from the study
partially completed to this study Multiple loads.

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7 Pin connectors.
All of the pin definitions have been defined beforehand. Copy all pin
definitions from the study partially completed to this study Multiple
loads.

yo E
Design Studies Design studies can be conveniently used to analyze an assembly in
which the loads, geometry or material constants are to be treated as
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design variables. Results, such as displacements or stresses, can then be
graphed as functions of the design variables.
A design study is defined in two steps:
1. A list of the parameters (design variables) must be specified.
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2. A design study is created in which scenarios (combinations) of the

parameters along with their numerical values are specified.

Where to Find It I Menu: Insert, Design Study, Add.

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I CommandManager: Evaluate > Design Study.

Parameters Parameters, or design variables, are quantities which can be varied in

the design study to investigate the behavior of the assembly. They are
also used in the Optimization module to optimize the design with the
specified set of the design constraints. (Optimization module is part of
the SolidWorks Simulation Professional module.) A multitude of the
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parameter types is available: loads, geometrical features, material

constants, and others.
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Where to Find It I Menu: Insert, Design Study, Parameters.

I CommandManager: Evaluate > Design Study > Parameters.
Note In some cases, such as when a load or a material constant is used as a
parameter, a definition of the load or of the material constant must be
linked to the corresponding parameter. This intermediate step will be
practiced in this lesson.

408
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

8 Define the Vertical and Lateral forces.

Apply force on the cylindrical face, as indicated in the figure. Use the
assembly Front plane as a reference.

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9 Add a parameter..
In the Normal to Plane field,
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select Link value (see the

figure above).
In the Select Parameters
dialog window, select Edit/
define to create a parameter
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for this direction of the force.

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409
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

10 Specify load parameters.

The design study will consist of multiple loading conditions
corresponding to various vehicle travel scenarios.
The Parameters window opens automatically.
Type Vertical as Name and select Simulation under Category.

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Under Value, enter 225. The Units field displays N automatically as the

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Force/Torque is being defined in SI units.
Define the second parameter named Lateral with 0 N as the Value.
Click OK to close the Parameters dialog window.

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Note Two Force parameters have been defined in this step: Vertical and
Lateral.
11 Link values.
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From the Select Parameters

window, select Vertical to link
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this parameter to the

corresponding component of
the force.
Click OK to close the Select
Parameters dialog window.
Notice that the user defined
value of 225 N is shown in the appropriate field with a distinct
background color.

410
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

12 Link the other load.

Link the Along Plane Dir 2 force component to
the parameter Lateral.
Both load components are now linked to the
parameters controlling their magnitudes.

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Click OK to exit the Force/Torque definition.

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13 Refine mesh at higher curvature regions.
All of the mesh controls have been defined beforehand. Copy all mesh
controls from the study partially completed to this study Multiple
loads..

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14 Mesh the assembly.

Create a High quality mesh with the default settings using the
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Curvature based mesh.

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15 Run static study Multiple loads.

Run the analysis and note that the solver issues a warning about large
displacements.
Click No. The analysis will then complete.
While running static study is not required at this stage, it is
recommended in order to verify the study setup.

411
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

16 Create a design study.

Click the Design Study icon on the Evaluate tab of the
CommandManager.
Alternatively, select Design Study from the Insert menu.

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Rename the Design Study 1 to Multiple Loads - Design Study.

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The Design Study interface opens up in the lower half of the screen. It

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offers two view styles:
I Variable View, where parameters can be entered in other than table
form.
I Table View, where a discrete set of values for each variable is

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shown.
17 Select Variables and enter their values.
In the Variable View, under Variables, select the parameter Lateral.
From the pull down list specify Discrete Values and enter the values 0
N, 60 N, 72 N and 115 N, separated by commas, as shown in the figure

yo E below.
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Switch to the Table View and include the second parameter named
Vertical. Enter the values of 225 N, 185 N, 385 N and 900 N in the
table.
Make sure that all four scenarios are checked. Unchecking a specific
scenario excludes this combination of the design parameters from the
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design study.
Uncheck the Optimization check box.
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412
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

Note Check box for Optimization is available only in the SolidWorks

Simulation Professional module.
Each Scenario represents a load case corresponding to the specific
vehicle travel conditions:

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I Scenario 1 corresponds to the loading when a vehicle is stationary
[-225 N Vertical, 0 N Lateral].

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I Scenario 2 to a vehicle moving at constant acceleration on a smooth
road [185 N Vertical, 60 N Lateral].
I Scenario 3 to a vehicle moving on a bumpy road [385 N Vertical, 72
N Lateral].
Scenario 4 to a vehicle moving at constant speed on a smooth

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I
curving and banking road [900 N Vertical, 115 N Lateral].

Design Study The Design Study automatically generates and runs multiple studies
Results corresponding to each Scenario (parameter combination). Full results

yo E from all scenarios are saved. As the amount of data can become
excessive, attention should be paid to the size of the model and the
number of the scenarios. All results are reported at specified sensors.
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18 Sensors for the global results.
Result quantities are defined through the sensors. For the global results,
monitoring the extremes for the entire model, Model Max sensors will
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be specified.
In the FeatureManager add a Simulation Data
sensor for VON:von Mises Stress. Under
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Properties select N/mm^2 (MPa) and Model Max.

Similarly, add a Model Max sensor for the URES:
Resultant Displacement. Select mm for the Units.
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413
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

19 Sensors for the local results.

Additional sensors must be specified at locations where results need to
be reported and graphed. In our case, we will compare hub
displacements from each design scenario.
In the FeatureManager add a Simulation

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Data sensor for VON:von Mises Stress.
Under Properties select N/mm^2 (MPa)

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and Max over Selected Entities. Delete
suspension.SLDASM and select the
vertex indicated in the figure.
Similarly, add a Max over Selected

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Entities sensor for the URES: Resultant
Displacement. Select mm for the Units.

yo E 20 Result quantities.
Selected sensors defining the
global and local results must be
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included in the design study.

Under Constraints, select all specified sensors. For all select Monitor
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Only and specify study Multiple Loads.

Note Study selected in the above pull down menu associates our design study
Multiple Loads - Design Study with the static study Multiple
Loads.
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Design Study The design study can be run using two different options, Fast results
Options and High quality.
I Fast results: Scenarios, algorithmically selected from the active
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scenarios are calculated only. The results for the remaining (not
calculated) active scenarios are obtained using the interpolation. It
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is possible to additionally calculate the interpolated scenarios in

order to obtain their precise solution. This option is typically used
with larger number of scenarios where considerable time would be
required otherwise.
I High quality: In this option all active scenarios are calculated. If
the number of the scenarios is significant, this option may lead to a
significant computation time.

Where to Find It I In the Design Study click the Design Study Options button .

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

21 Design Study options.

Click on the Design Study Options button .
Make sure that High quality option is selected.

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22 Run Design Study.
Click the Run button.

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Note Make sure that the Optimization check box is unchecked.
23 Analyze global extreme results.
Global results are shown in the Design Study dialog when the study
completes.
yo E Results sliders
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We can see that the last study (Scenario 4) reports the largest magnitude
for the von Mises stresses 654.53 MPa. The resulting displacements
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reaching the value of 26.38 mm is also the largest in Scenario 4. Thus,

we can conclude that the last study, Scenario 4 (corresponding to the
loading when the vehicle travels at a constant speed on a smooth,
curved and banked road), represents the most extreme case and the
shock assembly will be designed to withstand this loading.
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Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

24 Plot stress results.

The complete results for all scenarios are saved on the disk and can be
accessed through the results sliders or by selecting the desired column,
as shown in the above figure.
Expand the Results and Graphs folder of the Multiple Loads -

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Design Study study and Show the VON: von Mises Stress plot.

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We see that the von Mises stress in the Scenario 4 exceeds the yield
strength of Alloy Steel 620 MPa.
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The four design scenarios could be easily specified as four unique

studies. The advantage of the design study becomes more apparent if
the number of scenarios (in this example, load cases) increases.
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Part 2: Because Scenario 4 was identified as the worst load combination, the
Geometry assembly geometry will now be modified with the help of design
Modification scenarios. A safety factor of 2 on von Mises stresses and the maximum
resultant displacement of the hub component equal to 23 mm will be
required.
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25 Switch to static study.

Switch to Multiple loads static study.
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Note Note the additional folder Parameters in the static

study FeatureManager. This folder becomes
accessible after the initial parameters definition (steps
9: to 12: ).

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

26 Define geometrical parameter.

Define an additional geometrical parameter that will be used in this
study.
Go to the View pull-down menu and select All Annotations.
Right-click on the Parameters folder and select Edit/Define.

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In the Parameters dialog window, enter Arm_thickness as Name and

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select Model dimensions as Category.

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Click on the 3 mm dimension (in Extrude2) identifying the thickness

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of the lower arm.

The dimension D2@[email protected] will then be shown in the
Model dimension field.
Click OK to close the Parameters window.
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27 Modify the load.

Edit the force definition and unlink the values of
the force components from the parameters.
Enter a value of 115 N [25.9 lb] in the Along
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plane Dir2 field and 900 N [202 lb] in the Normal

to plane field. This corresponds to the worst
loading case in which the vehicle travels at a
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constant speed on a smooth, curved and banked road (Scenario 4 in the

previous design study).
Click OK.

417
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

28 Define new Design Study.

Follow the steps 16 to 20 and define a design study with a single
parameter Arm_length, Range with Step with Min:1.5 mm, Max: 8
mm and Step: 0.5 mm.

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Use identical sensors for both the global and local results.
29 Design Study options.
Set the design study quality to Fast Results.

Note yo E The Fast results option calculates only algorithmically selected active
scenarios. In our case, only four of the scenarios will be solved.
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30 Run design scenario.

Note Make sure that the Optimization check box is unchecked.

31 Review global extremes of the results.
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Use the slider to view the results from the last Scenario in the column
titled Current.
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We observe that the maximum value of the von Mises stresses was
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reduced to 480.7 MPa. This is still not within our factor of safety. We
would want to investigate the design to see what is causing the high
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stresses.
The maximum resultant displacement has reduced to 23.9 mm.

Note Notice that only four scenarios, with results in black font, were
calculated. The remaining activated sets with the numbers in gray font
show results obtained using the interpolation. If precise results for the
interpolated scenario are required, calculation need to be requested.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

32 Calculated interpolated scenario.

In the Results View tab right-click on the Scenario 2 column and select
Run. The scenarios will then be computed.

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The result numbers for this scenario will then change font color from

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gray to black, indicating the fact that the scenario is now calculated.
Because we want to see all scenarios calculated in this study, the study
will be recalculated with High Quality settings.
33 Change properties and re-calculate.
Change the study quality to High Quality.
yo E Click the Run button to compute all 14 activated scenarios.
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34 Display von Mises plot.
Show the von Mises stress plot for the last scenario (Scenario 14) when
the thickness of the lower arm was 8 mm.
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We can see that the new maximum von Mises stress value of
480.9 MPa. Notice, also, that the location of the maximum stress
shifted to the fillet on the plunger. Varying model dimensions caused
the stresses to redistribute as the stiffness of the components change
relative to each other.

419
Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

Design Study Design Scenario results can be shown in a graph form to identify the
Graph trends more easily. Multiple results can be shown in the same graph by
selecting the different locations established when setting up the
scenarios.

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Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click the Results and Graphs folder and

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select Define Design History Graph

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I Simulation toolbar: Click Define Graph

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35 Graph the global extreme for von Mises
stresses.

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Right-click on the Results and Graphs folder
and select Define Design History Graph.
Under the Y-Axis select Constraint, and the
sensor monitoring the model maximum for stresses
(in our case this sensor was named Stress1).

yo E Under Extra Location leave the field blank. This

way the global results will be graphed.
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Click OK to show the graph.
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The above graph shows the variation of the global extreme value of the
von Mises stress with the thickness of the lower arm.
We observe that any increase in the thickness of the lower arm above 4
mm does not deliver any substantial decrease in the global von Mises
stress magnitude (the maximum value location shifted from the lower
arm to the Plunger). We can, therefore, conclude that the thickness of
4 mm is optimal.

420
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 11
Design Study

At Arm_thickness = 4 mm, the global extreme of von Mises stress

reached approximately 492 MPa, which is 79% of the Alloy Steel yield
strength (620 MPa [90 ksi]). Any further increase in the arm thickness
does not significantly reduce the maximum stress. If we need to
achieve a larger factor of safety, other design modifications must be

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investigated.

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36 Save and Close the file.

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Note Alternatively, we could analyze the variety of material combinations
used for different parts in this assembly. Using the identical procedure
that was practiced in this lesson, we would first define the parameters

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for the material properties (such as Young’s modulus or Yield strength).
Then, we would define a design study in which the combinations as
well as the numerical values of the material parameters would be
specified.

Summary yo E This lesson introduced and practiced the design study that allows the
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user to study various trends in the design when specific design
parameters are defined. This feature has many practical applications,
some of which were practiced in this lesson. Namely, it was used to
study load cases simulating various travel conditions of a small vehicle
and to find an optimum value of the thickness of one of the suspension
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components.
The design study is defined in two steps:
First, a list of the parameters (design variables) must be specified. A
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multitude of parameter types is available: loads, geometrical features,

material constants, and others.
Second, a design study in which scenarios (combinations) of the
parameters along with their numerical values are created.
It is apparent that if an optimum combination of a larger number of
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design parameters is desired, the process may be rather lengthy and

cumbersome. In such case, a full automatic Optimization feature of the
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design study, available in the SolidWorks Simulation Professional

module, should be used.
In our model, we saw that with an arm thickness of 4mm, we fall below
the yield strength of the material. This is the thinnest we can make the
arm without doing any permanent damage.

421
Exercise 25 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

Exercise 25: In this exercise, a design scenario will be created to determine the
Design Study distance between two supports that minimizes the deflection in the
plate.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Design Study on page 406.

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I Design Studies on page 408.

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I Design Study Results on page 413.

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I Design Study Graph on page 420.

Project A rectangular platform made of

Description Nylon 6/10 plastic material, is

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supported by two steel rods
protruding through the platform
width.
The rods are suspended by short
links, which themselves are pin-
yo E supported. The distance
between the pins attached to the
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platform may change when the platform experiences deformation.
This type of support makes it possible to use linear analysis for the
study of deflections and stresses of the platform.
The platform assembly is
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Support
subjected to an acceleration of
100 G. Pin

We can assume that the steel

rods are rigid and that we are
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not interested in the contact

stresses between the pins and Rod

the platform. These

assumptions allow us to exclude Link
the rods from the analysis
model.
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Since the rods are represented by properly applied supports, the

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analysis is conducted using the SolidWorks part file platform, rather

than the assembly file platform assembly.
Find the distance between the two steel pins that minimizes the
platform deflection.

422
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 25
Design Study

1 Open a part file.

Open platform located in the Lesson11\Exercises folder.
2 Show feature dimensions.
In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Annotations and select
Show Feature Dimensions.

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Note In this exercise, we take advantage of platform double symmetry to

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analyze one quarter of the model.
3 Make symmetry cut.
Unsuppress the feature called double symmetry.
4 Create a study.

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Create a static study named 100G.
5 Define parameters.
In the Insert menu, select Design Study, Parameters. (Alternatively,
you can click Parameters on the Evaluate tab).
Define a distance parameter.
yo E Select the 400 mm dimension that defines the distance between the two
hinges.
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6 Material.
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Specify Nylon 6/10 material from the Plastics folder.

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Exercise 25 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

7 Fixtures.
Apply symmetry boundary conditions to the two faces created by the
cut.

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8 Define restraint to
simulate rod support.
Apply a Fixed Hinge

yo E fixture to the cylindrical

face as indicated in the
figure.
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9 Apply gravity load.

To apply a gravity load, right-click External Loads and select
Gravity.
Select the Front plane as the reference to define the direction of
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gravitational acceleration. Make sure the Unit field is set to SI.

Enter 981 m/s^2 (this value is one hundred times the gravitational
acceleration) in the direction normal to the Front plane in negative Z
direction.
Click OK.
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Note Mass density is a required material property when using gravity

loading.

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SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 25
Design Study

10 Mesh the model.

Create a High quality mesh with the default settings using the
Curvature based mesh.
11 Define design study.
Define a design study with 10 scenarios for the following values for the

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parameter distance: 475, 425, 375, 325, 275, 225, 175, 125, 75, and
25 mm.

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12 Results specification.
Monitor the global maximums for the stress and the resultant
displacement, and the local results for the same quantities at the two
vertices indicated in the figure below.

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13 Run design study.
Use High Quality.
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14 Results.
Examine the global maximums for the von Mises stress and the
resultant displacement, and review the local stresses and resultant
displacements for the Vertex1 and Vertex2.
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Exercise 25 SolidWorks 2013
Design Study

15 Graph results at global max and Vertex1 locations.

Define design history graphs for the variation of the von Mises stress
and the resultant displacement.

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We observe that both the von Mises stresses and the resultant
displacements are minimized when the distance between the two
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supporting rods is 275 mm. (Set 5). The corresponding values are
4.7 MPa and 0.36 mm.
16 Save and Close the file.

426
SolidWorks 2013 Exercise 25
Design Study

Limitations of At the beginning of this exercise, we stated that the platform was
Linear Analysis suspended by floating links. The links themselves are pin-supported
and rotate about supporting pins. For this reason, the distance between
the rods may change when the platform experiences deformations
under the prescribed load.

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Consequently, in the assumption of small displacements, a platform
suspended by floating links does not develop any tensile stresses. It

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resists the load only with bending stresses.
Link can rotate about this pin

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If the links are rigidly supported and the rods are unable to move closer
together, tensile stresses develop in addition to bending stresses.

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These tensile stresses, also called membrane stresses, are the result of
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deformation and significantly increase the platform stiffness.

Question: What does this have to do with linear analysis?
Answer: Linear analysis assumes that the structure stiffness does not change
with deformation, and the solution is based on the original stiffness
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calculated before any deformations occurred.

Therefore, linear analysis cannot account for additional stiffness
created by membrane stresses that develop during the deformation
process.
Even if we intended to model rigid hinges, the results would still have
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pertained to floating hinges and the platform stiffness would have been
underestimated.
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To differentiate between floating and rigid hinges we use nonlinear

geometry analysis, which is available in SolidWorks Simulation
Premium.

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428
Design Study
Exercise 25

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SolidWorks 2013

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Lesson 12

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Thermal Stress Analysis

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Perform a static analysis with a temperature load.
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I Define temperature dependent material properties.

I Use sensors to retrieve results at desired locations.
I Use soft springs option in thermal stress analysis.
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I Save the deformed shape of the model.

I Examine results in local coordinate systems.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

Thermal Stress The heating or cooling of bimetallic parts create internal stresses due to
Analysis the difference in expansion coefficients in different materials. In this
lesson we will determine the stress and deformation that results from
heating a bimetallic part.
Case Study: Due to the difference in the coefficients of the thermal expansion of

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Bimetallic Strip aluminum (200 W/m K) and nickel (43 W/m K), the bimetal will
deform with temperature changes. In this case study, the stress will be

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zero at room temperature.
Project An aluminum strip, glued with a
Description nickel strip into a bimetal
assembly, is at room temperature

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25°C (77°F). Without any Aluminum
constraints on its deformation, the
bimetal strip is then heated to
280°C (536°F).
Nickel
Determine the deformations that
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expansions of aluminum and nickel, and the minimum required
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strength of the bonding glue material.
Also required is that the numerical simulation be followed by an
experiment. Six tensometers, oriented along the longitudinal direction,
will be attached to the surface of the tested model (three on the top of
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each part) as shown in the figure to measure the surface deformation.

To allow for the correlation between the numerical and experimental
data, sensors will be defined in the same locations in the finite element
model.
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The deformed assembly will then be saved as a SolidWorks model for

further design applications.

Procedure Proceed as indicated in the following steps.

1 Open an assembly file.
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Open bimetal located in the Lesson12\Case Studies folder.

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2 Create study.
Create a static study named bonded.
The Ni and Al properties are automatically transferred from the
SolidWorks assembly.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

Material Properties Because the model is exposed to an elevated temperature, the material
constants have to be modified accordingly. The following two tables
show the dependence of the material constants on the temperature.

Variation of SIGYLD [Pa] on temperature

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Room 100°C 204°C 260°C 316°C

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Inconel 702

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406.9e6 - 356e6 - 326e6
Nickel Alloy
2014 - T6
378.6e6 330.5e6 210e6 119.8e6 44.4e6
Aluminum Alloy

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Variation of EX [Pa] on temperature

Room 100°C 204°C 260°C 316°C

Inconel 702
229.9e9 - 223.4e9 - 205e9
Nickel Alloy
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71.9e9 70.6e9 64.1e9 50.8e9 50.5e9
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Aluminum Alloy

3 Create custom material properties for Ni strip.

Right-click on the body ni-2 (under the folder Parts) and select Apply/
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Edit Material.
The material dialog window displays default Ni material constants at
room temperature. Because the materials in the default library can not
be edited, we will copy the Ni material into a new custom library
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named Lesson 12 materials.

Right-click on Custom Materials folder and
select New Category.
Name the new catergory Lesson 12
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materials.
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431
Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

Copy and Paste Nickel from SolidWorks

Materials, Other Metals, into our newly
created category Lesson 12 materials.
Edit Nickel, select the Tables & Curves tab
and Elastic Modulus in X vs Temperature

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under Type.
Select oC and N/m^2 under the Table data

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section.

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4 Enter data.
yo E Enter the available data points from the table above defining the
dependence of the Young’s modulus on temperature for Inconel 702
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Nickel Alloy.
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To add a new line in the Table data definition, double-click on the last
row.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

5 Enter data from Excel.

In some cases, the number of data
points can be excessive. In
SolidWorks Simulation, the data
can be conveniently copied from

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other programs such as Excel.

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Continue editing Nickel and under Type, select Yield Strength vs
Temperature, set the Units to oC and N/m^2 (Pa).
Open the Excel file
materialdata.xls located

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in the lesson directory, and
navigate to the sheet with
the Inconel 702 Nickel
Alloy data. Right-click on
the corresponding data and
select Copy.
yo E Paste (CTRL-V) the data
into the Table data area of
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the Material dialog window.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

6 Make the properties temperature dependant.

Select the Properties tab. Under the Value column, click on the
corresponding cells for Elastic modulus and Yield strength, and
select Temperature dependent.
Notice that the cells for Elastic modulus and Yield strength under the

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Value column show Temperature Dependent.
Click Apply and Save to confirm the definition of the Inconel 702

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Nickel Alloy properties and save the database.

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Note We will assume that the thermal expansion coefficient remains constant
in a given temperature range.
7 Assign material to Al strip.
Follow the procedure above and assign the temperature dependent
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material constants (Yield Strength and Elastic Modulus) for 2014-T6

Aluminum Alloy. The data can be again found in the
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materialdata.xls Excel file located in the lesson directory.

8 Global Contact.
The default top level assembly contact (Global Contact) condition is
set to Bonded. As we analyze glued components, bonded contact is
appropriate.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

9 Define sensors on Al strip.

In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click
the Sensors folder and select Add Sensor.
For Sensor Type, select Simulation Data.

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For Data Quantity, select Workflow

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Sensitive.

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Select the three sketch points on top of the Al strip, then select OK.

Aluminum

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Sensors

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Nickel
Sensors
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Rename this set of sensors to Al_sensors.

10 Define sensors on Ni strip.
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Follow the procedure above to define three sensors on the Ni strip.

Name this set of sensors Ni_sensors.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

11 Apply temperature load.

Right-click External Loads and select Temperature. Use the
SolidWorks fly-out menu to select both components.
Enter a temperature of 280°C. This definition states that the
temperature of both assembly components is uniformly elevated/

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lowered to 280°C from the reference temperature at zero strain.
Click OK.

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12 Define zero strain
temperature.
Right-click the bonded
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study folder and select

Properties.
Select the Flow/
Thermal Effects tab.
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In the Thermal options

area, select Input
temperature (this is the
default choice). The
input temperature is the
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280°C that we defined

earlier.
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Enter 25°C as the Reference temperature at zero strain. This

temperature corresponds to the room temperature, and we assume that
no strain exists in the model at this temperature, due to the structural
loads and boundary constraints.

436
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

Importing Temperature loads can be also imported from the SolidWorks

Temperatures Simulation thermal study or directly from the CFD (Computational
Fluid Dynamics) simulation in SolidWorks Flow Simulation.

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For the stress analysis it is also possible to import the distributions of

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the fluid pressures from SolidWorks Flow Simulation.

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13 Stabilize the model.
Because the strip’s deformation should be unconstrained, we cannot
apply an external boundary condition. Since the model is in the state of

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thermodynamic equilibrium and is not subjected to any external force
loads, we can use the soft spring option to stabilize the model.
Select the Options tab.
Select Use soft spring to
stabilize model.

yo E Click OK.
14 Mesh the model.
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Create a High quality mesh with
the default settings using the
Curvature based mesh.
This element size creates two
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layers of elements through the

thickness of each part.
15 Run the analysis.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

16 Plot displacements.
Plot the resultant displacements (in 1:1 deformation scale).
The maximum displacement at the tip of the bimetallic strip is 0.59 mm
[0.023 in].

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yo E 17 Plot von Mises stress results.
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Examine the results. There appears to be very high stress at the junction
of the two materials.
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438
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

Averaging Stress This stress plot can be misleading. As we learned in Lesson 1: , the von
Mises stresses are obtained by averaging the stress values extrapolated
to the nodes from all the adjacent elements. In this case, the stresses at
the interface are averaged between two distinct parts. To obtain the
correct distribution of the von Mises stresses, we have to disable the

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averaging across the part boundaries.

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18 Edit the plot.
Right-click on the stress plot and select Edit
Definition.
In Advanced Options, clear Average results

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across boundary for parts.
The new von Mises plot above shows the correct distribution. We can
see that with the averaging across the boundaries option disabled, the
maximum value jumped to approximately 264 MPa [38.2 ksi] in some
interface regions.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

19 Stress on individual parts.

To view the maximums in each of the two parts separately, isolate the
components in SolidWorks and plot the distribution of the von Mises
stress for the displayed part only.
Display the extreme values for the shown parts. In Chart Options,

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select Show min annotations, Show max annotations, and Show
Min/Max range on shown parts only options.

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Aluminum part

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Nickel part
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440
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

20 Examine the plots.

We can see that the maximum von Mises stresses in the Aluminum and
Nickel Alloy parts are 121 and 264 MPa respectively. The stress in the
Aluminum part is well above the corresponding yield strength at 280°C
(93 MPa) whereas the Nickel part is below (335 MPa at 280°C ). This

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indicates that one of the parts is yielding.

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The accurate solution to the above problem can, therefore, be obtained

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using a nonlinear modulus of SolidWorks Simulation Premium, where
full stress-strain curves for the given alloys would have to be specified.
We will ignore the fact that one of the parts is yielding and continue
with the lesson. In the next part, we would like to analyze the interface

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layer and find the minimum required strength of the bonding material.
21 Show strain results at the sensor locations.
Define a new strain plot for the ESPX: X Normal strain component.
Right-click on the newly defined strain plot and select List selected.

yo E Select From sensors under Options and Al sensors under Results.

These are the probes for the Aluminum strip.
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The normal strain values will be listed in the table and shown on the
model.
Note that the buttons under Report Options let you graph the results at
the sensor locations or save them in.cvs file for further processing.
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Also, it is possible to include the results at all sensor locations in the

study report.
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441
Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

22 Plot distribution of normal stress SX.

Define a new stress plot for the SX: X Normal stress component. In
exploded view, analyze the through-thickness variation of the SX
normal stress.

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Important
yo E Similarly to the von Mises stress plot, deactivate Average results
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across boundary for parts option.
23 Graph stress through the thickness.
Use the Probe feature to path plot the variation of the SX stress through
the thickness.
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Ni (interface)

Al (top)
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Ni (bottom)
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Al (interface)

442
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

Interpret the Results The results and the graph above indicate the following variation of SX.

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We observe that at the interface the normal stresses change abruptly
from -96 MPa (compression) in Aluminum to 147 MPa (tension) in
Nickel. Furthermore, we can observe three neutral axes (planes) where
the normal stresses are at zero. Two of these axes (planes) are clearly
yo E indicated in the figure. The third axis coincides with the interface
plane, where the normal stresses change abruptly from -96 MPa
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(compression) in Aluminum to 147 MPa (tension) in Nickel. All three
locations are accompanied by the local extremes of shear stress that
may delaminate the glued strips (see the figure above).
Since our main goal is to obtain the required strength of the bonding
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material, we will focus on the interface location. The bonding material

must be capable of resisting the shear stress at the Aluminum/Nickel
interface.
Reviewing the Interpretation of FEA Results on page 17 of the
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Introduction reveals that we must plot the τxy component of the stress.
This corresponds to the TXY: Shear stress in the Y dir on YZ plane
component.
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443
Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

24 Plot interface shear stress.

Define a new plot of TXY: Shear stress in the Y dir on YZ plane
stress. Display the plot in the exploded view and, under Settings,
Fringe Options select Discrete.

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We can observe that the interface shear stress on the side of Aluminum
and Nickel are identical, i.e. the equilibrium is satisfied. The discrete
plot conveniently shows that the maximum value of shear stress
(ignoring the localized stress concentrations at the tip of the straight
No -RE

section) equals approximately 13 MPa. This would be the minimum

required strength of the glue in shear for this application.
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444
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

Question We concluded that the minimum required strength of the glue is

approximately 10 MPa. Inspection of the τxy plot above shows that the
bent part should experience much larger shear stress. Why?
For the answer review the following section.

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Examining τxy in the previous figure is referencing the global coordinate system.

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Results in Local In the bent section, the global x, y and z axes are no longer aligned with

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the interface geometry. In other words, the τxy distribution in the bent

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Coordinate
section no longer represents the interface shear stress.
Systems
(Optional) For the correct representation of the interface shear stress in the bent
section, we have to switch to the appropriate coordinate system aligned

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with the geometry.

25 Interface shear stress at the bent location.

Create a Discrete τxy plot with Axis1 used as a reference. Axis1
defines a local cylindrical coordinate system aligned with the geometry
of the bent section.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

Shear Stress in In the cylindrical coordinate system, the r, θ , and z sequence of

Cylindrical coordinate axes corresponds to the x, y, and z sequence in the Cartesian
Coordinates coordinate system. By specifying τxy in the plot definition dialog with
Axis1 specified as a reference, we request a plot of τrθ , which is the
interface shear stress.

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The above plot of the interface shear stress shows that the bent section
experiences similar shear. The indicated value is approximately 11

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MPa. As this is greater than the value of 10 MPa obtained from the
straight section, we conclude that this is the minimum required shear
strength of the bonding material.
Since the bonding material will also have to resist the normal stress we

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would have to verify the interface normal stress in the proper
coordinate systems. It can be checked that this stress is significantly
smaller in this case (approximately 5MPa) and will not govern.

Saving Model in
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its Deformed
We end this lesson by saving the deformed shape as a new SolidWorks
model so that it can be used as an assembly component to check for
interference, and so on.
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Shape
1 Create new body from deformed shape.
Right-click on the Results folder and select Create Body from
Deformed Shape.
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Click the Save as New Part button and enter

Deformed bimetal as the Part name.
Click OK.
2 Open the new body in the SolidWorks
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environment.
In the options area of the SolidWorks File, Open
window and select the saved Deformed bimetal.sldprt file.
Click OK.
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The deformed geometry model appears as an imported feature in the

SolidWorks FeatureManager. The deformed shape can now be
examined with the standard SolidWorks tools.
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3 Save and Close the file.

446
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 12
Thermal Stress Analysis

Summary A simple bimetal assembly was analyzed when subjected to the

elevated temperature. To eliminate the effect of absent external
supports, the Use soft springs to stabilize model option was used.
At elevated temperatures, the values of some of the material properties
may vary considerably. In this lesson, we practiced the definition of the

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temperature dependent yield strength and Young’s modulus.

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The main goal of the lesson was to obtain the minimum required bond

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strength of the interface glue. To obtain this value, a complex
distribution of the normal stress SX was studied, and the definition of
the neutral axes (planes) was introduced. Furthermore, the
corresponding component of the shear stress was plotted.

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In the bent section, the curved geometry required the introduction of
the local cylindrical coordinate system. The interface shear stress was
then plotted with respect to this local coordinate system.
Since the experimental verification of the numerical results was
required a set of sensors was defined to extract the deformation results
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Lastly, exporting of the deformed geometry as a VRML file was shown
and discussed.
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Lesson 12 SolidWorks 2013
Thermal Stress Analysis

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Lesson 13

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Adaptive Meshing

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Use and understand the h-adaptive solution method.
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I Use and understand the p-adaptive solution method.

I Compare results obtained using h-adaptive and p-adaptive solution
method.
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I Use symmetry boundary conditions.

I Use the Graph tool.
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449
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

Adaptive Through the previous lessons, we have manually refined the mesh to
Meshing improve the accuracy of our results. In this process, we have examined
the model and then the results to determine the refinements necessary
to get accurate results. Two new solution methods called h-adaptive
and p-adaptive will be used in this lesson that will automate the

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process.

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Case Study: A cantilever bracket will be

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Support analyzed using the different
Bracket meshing techniques.
Symmetry boundary conditions
will be used to reduce the

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analysis to only half the model,
resulting in a faster solution.
First we will create a mesh
using the same method used in
previous lessons. This will be
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results of the standard study
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will serve as a basis for
comparison between the three
different solution methods used
in this lesson:
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1. Standard solution
2. h-adaptive solution
3. p-adaptive solution
Project A cantilever bracket is
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Description supported along the face at the

Load
back side.
A load of 22,000 N [4,946 lb] is
uniformly distributed to the
Support
split face that surrounds the
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cylindrical hole.
Determine the location and
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maximum magnitude of von

Mises stresses.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

Procedure Proceed as indicated in the following steps.

1 Open a part file.
Open support bracket located in the Lesson13\Case Studies

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folder.

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2 Activate symmetry configuration.

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Activate the configuration called symmetry.

Geometry The bracket geometry has been defeatured to make meshing easier; the
Preparation external cosmetic fillets have been suppressed. While these details do

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not complicate this model to the point of preventing us from meshing
or solving it, we use the model with suppressed features to emphasize
the fact that defeaturing is often necessary for more complex models.
Symmetry Due to the symmetry of the bracket geometry, loads, and supports, we
can simplify the finite element model by analyzing only one half of its
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3 Define a study.
Define a static study named standard.
This study will provide results that will serve as reference when
comparing different solution methods. The study name standard
reflects the fact that we use a “regular” solution method where mesh
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does not change during the solution process. This is how we have
solved all previous lessons in this training manual.
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The material properties (AISI 304) were defined earlier in SolidWorks

and have been transferred automatically to SolidWorks Simulation.

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Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

4 Apply load as a force.

Apply 11,000 N [2,473 lb.] force
to the split face around the hole.
Note that only one half of the
force magnitude must be applied

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because the model represents only

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one half of the geometry.

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5 Apply Fixed Geometry
fixture to the back face.

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6 Apply Symmetry Boundary

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Conditions.
Apply Symmetry boundary
conditions on the faces
exposed by the cut.
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452
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

7 Mesh the standard study.

Create a High quality mesh with the
default element size using the
Curvature based mesh.
Since no local mesh control was

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defined, the element size is uniform.
8 Run the analysis.

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Run the solution for the standard
study.
To verify that the symmetry boundary
conditions work as expected, animate one of the results plots. While the

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model deforms, verify that the faces with symmetry boundary
conditions applied to them remain flat and there is no movement of
these faces in the direction normal to the plane of symmetry.

Method yo E
h-Adaptive Solution Before we explain the h-adaptive solution method, recall that any
solution obtained using the Finite Element Analysis depends on how
the analyzed model has been meshed.
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We may re-phrase the above observation to say that the FEA data of
interest depends on the choice of discretization. Thus, changing the
mesh parameters (global or local mesh controls) will affect the FEA
results. This is because different meshes (different choices of
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discretization) will cause different discretization errors.

Discretization errors can be estimated by making systematic changes to
the mesh and studying the impact of these changes in the area of
interest. This process is called “convergence process”.
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One way to make systematic changes to the mesh is to modify the

element size through mesh refinement. Because h denotes the
characteristic element size, the convergence process through mesh
refinement is called “h convergence process”. In this process, the size
of the elements is gradually reduced.
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We have already conducted the h convergence process in Lesson 1:

and Lesson 2: .

453
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

In Lesson 1: , we refined the model uniformly, meaning the entire

model was meshed with the same element size. That size was reduced
in different studies. In Lesson 2: , we used mesh controls to refine the
mesh only in areas where we deemed it necessary.
The convergence process we conducted in Lesson 1: and Lesson 2:

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required us to define several studies with different meshes, run the
analysis, and summarize the results. These were informative but rather

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tedious exercises.
Using the h-adaptive solution method we will automate the
h convergence process.

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h-Adaptivity We will analyze the same bracket, with the same material fixtures and
Study loads using an h-adaptive solution.
1 Create new study for h-adaptive solution.
Duplicate the study standard into a new study and name it
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h adaptive.
Set h-adaptive solution parameters.
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Right-click h-adaptive study and select Properties.
Select the Adaptive tab.

Note The Adaptive solution tab is available only for static analysis and solid
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mesh elements.
Under the Adaptive
method option, select h-
adaptive.
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Under the h-Adaptive

options, accept the default
value for Target accuracy.
Also, accept the slider
location at the center for
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Accuracy bias.
In the Maximum no. of
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loops box, enter 5.

Select the Mesh
coarsening check box.
Click OK.

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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

h-Adaptivity What is going to happen when we solve the study with the above
Options settings?
SolidWorks Simulation will solve the same model several times, each
time using more refined meshes. The mesh refinements will be
performed automatically, no user intervention is required.

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How many mesh refinements will be performed?

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Considering that we have set the Maximum number of loops to 5,
SolidWorks Simulation will solve for the original mesh and then
perform several other mesh refinements. Looping will terminate when
Target accuracy is obtained or if the Maximum number of loops is

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reached. Maximum number of loops of 5 means that the solution
may consist of a maximum of six steps: the original mesh and five
refinements.
Target accuracy is the accuracy of strain energy norm (RMS strain
energy) in the model. We set it at 98% which means that looping stops
if the difference in the strain energy norm between the two consecutive
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Target Accuracy
loops drops below 2%.
The Target accuracy is based on the total strain energy in the model.
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This is a global measure of the discretization error. As such, it is largely
insensitive to localized errors, even if those errors are high.
Accuracy Bias To account for the local errors, looping is also controlled by an
Accuracy bias.You can move the Accuracy bias slider to the left
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(Local) to instruct the program to concentrate on getting accurate peak

stress results, meaning that local areas with high strain energy errors
will receive “preferential treatment” (mesh will be highly refined in
those areas). Or, you can move the slider to the right (Global) to
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instruct the program to compute overall accurate results with respect to

lower strain energy errors. We do not have explicit control over the
magnitude of local strain energy error.
From Lesson 2 you will recall that stress singularity occur at the
locations of concentrated forces and sharp re-entrant corners. The
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stresses at these locations diverge to infinity as smaller mesh elements

are used.
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Therefore, for models with such singularity, it is recommended to move

the Accuracy bias slider to the right (Global). This way high, but
localized, strain energy errors will be ignored; the solver will not adjust
mesh refinement pattern to reduce these errors.

455
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

Local Accuracy bias usually produces results faster than Global

Accuracy bias.

De-refined

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Refined

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De-refined
Original mesh Mesh after completion of
h-adaptive solution

When h-adaptive solution is used, you can start with a coarser original
mesh size. This mesh is a starting point and SolidWorks Simulation
yo E refines it as needed during the solution process. Additionally during the
mesh refining process, the mesh may be “de-refined” if Mesh
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coarsening is selected, as it has been in our study.
The mesh may become coarser in some locations if the h-adaptive
solver decides that the initial user defined mesh is “too fine”, meaning
it is excessively refined giving low stress gradients in these locations.
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The mesh is not refined uniformly but only where needed to keep strain
energy errors low. We may say that mesh adapts to the stress patterns.
This gives the “adaptive” name to h-adaptive solution method.
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3 Create mesh for h-adaptive study.

Mesh the model with the mesh density
slider set to Coarse. Make sure High
quality elements are used.
This mesh is not acceptable for standard
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solution techniques because there are

not enough elements to capture the
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complex stress gradients around the

fillets.

4 Run the h-adaptive study.

Run the solution for the h-adaptive study. The solution progresses in
steps corresponding to the number of mesh refinements.
To help re-visualize the stress results, the regions where the material
yields will be plotted in a distinct color.

456
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

5 Set distinct color for yielding regions.

Select Option from the Simulation menu. Select the Default Options
tab. Select Color Chart under Plot.
Select Specify color for values
above yield for von Mises plot

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feature. The default color is gray.
Click OK.

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6 Plot von Mises Stress.
Define a new von Mises stress plot. Under Settings, select Mesh for

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the Boundary options.

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The stress plot shows the maximum von Mises stress of 227 MPa
[33 ksi], which slightly exceed the yield strength of AISI 304 steel.
Note that the yielding regions are shown in a distinct color.
Displaying mesh superimposed on the plot confirms that the mesh has
indeed been refined where stress concentrations are located and de-
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refined in “quiet” portions of the model.

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457
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

h-Adaptive Plots Any plot (stress, displacement, strain, and so on) in the results folders
of the h-adaptive study displays the final result, or the last performed
step of the h-adaptive solution process. In addition to displaying the
final plot results, we can also access the history of the iterative solution.
Convergence To visually see how well the solution is converging, we can use a

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Graph convergence graph.

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Where to Find It I Shortcut Menu: Right-click on the Results folder and select Define
Adaptive Convergence Graph.
I Menu: Simulation, Results Tools, Convergence Graph.

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7 Create convergence graph.
Right-click on the Results folder and select
Define Adaptive Convergence Graph.
Under Options, select Maximum von Misses
stress. Clear Target Accuracy.

yo E Click OK.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

Review h-adaptive Let us review the graph and make a few observations about the h-
Solution adaptive solution.
I The h-adaptive iterations went through all five steps: the first using
the original mesh and the next four steps with automatically refined
meshes.

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I In each loop the mesh is refined further.

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I The maximum number of loops (5) has been reached. Because no

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convergence confirmation message was displayed at the end of the
process the required strain energy error of 2% was not achieved.
I The stress units in the graph are N/m^2, regardless of what units are
used in the model.

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We now wish to continue with the iterative procedure to reduce the
strain energy error below the requested 2%.
8 Continue running the analysis.
Run the study h-adaptive again.
Note
yo E The last results and mesh from the previous iterations are now the
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initial configuration for new h-adaptive iterations.
At one point we get the following message:
Analysis has satisfied the current h-Adaptive accuracy of
98.0334 percent. You may increase target accuracy to re-run.
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The convergence criteria has now been met.

9 Plot von Mises stress.
The maximum stress increases from 227 to 229.3 MPa [33 ksi to 33.25
No -RE

ksi]. The difference in stresses is therefore minimal in this case.

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459
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

10 Create convergence graph for Maximum von Mises stress.

Counting the number of data points we see that the h-adaptivity
iterations had to go through seven loops to achieve the desired accuracy
of 2%.

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460
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

Strain Energy The 2% strain energy error we specified in the properties of the h-
Error is NOT adaptive study is not the stress error.
Stress Error If we are interested in von Mises stress, why can’t we specify the error
in terms of von Mises stress? In other words, why don’t we use von
Mises stress rather than the total strain energy as a convergence

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criterion?

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The reason why the total strain energy is used as a convergence

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criterion is because the total strain energy (“total” means in the entire
model) always shows monotonic convergence without local “plateaus”,
which might lead to premature termination of the convergence process.
Also, recall the local stress singularities phenomenon analyzed in

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Lesson 2. In this case the stress diverges and convergence could not be
achieved.
Review displacement results of study h-adaptive before proceeding.
p-Adaptivity Having obtained a solution with the h-adaptive solution method we
Study now solve the same model using the p-adaptive solution method.
yo E P-adaptive solution requires the use of a different type of finite
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element called p-element. Before we begin, we need to explain what p-
elements are and what they do.
p-Adaptive In Lesson 1, we said that SolidWorks Simulation uses three types of
Solution Method elements: tetrahedral solids, triangular shells, and beams. Each can be
defined as either a:
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I First order element (draft quality).

I Second order element (high quality).
First order elements model a linear (or first order) displacement and
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constant stress distribution, while second order elements model a

parabolic (second order) displacement and linear stress distribution.
We now have to amend the above paragraphs. Besides first and second
order solid tetrahedral elements, SolidWorks Simulation also has
higher order tetrahedral solid elements (up to the 5th order) meaning
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that a polynomial of the 5th order can be used to model a displacement

field inside the element, along its faces and edges. These elements are
PR

available when the p-adaptive solution method is used.

The order of elements used in the p-adaptive solutions is not pre-
defined, but can be upgraded automatically during the iterative solution
process without our intervention. These elements with upgradeable
order are called p-elements.

461
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

1 Create p element study.

Duplicate the study h adaptive into a new study named p adaptive.
2 Define p-element method and its options.
To utilize p-elements in the analysis, right-click the p elements study
folder and select Properties.

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Select the Adaptive tab, then select the p-adaptive. This option is
available only for static analysis and only when using solid elements.

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No -RE

Set Starting p-order to 2, which means that all elements are first
defined as second order elements.
Set Maximum p-order to 5. The p-adaptive solution runs in iterations,
called loops, and with each new loop, the order of elements increases.
The highest order available is the 5th order, but the actual highest order
Do E

we use can be lower and is defined by Maximum p-order.

Set Maximum no. of loops to 4.
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Under p-adaptive options, in the change is text box, enter 0.05.

Click OK.
Looping continues until the change in Total Strain Energy between the
two consecutive iterations is less than 0.05%, as specified in the
p-adaptive options. If this requirement is not satisfied, then looping
stops when the elements reach the highest available order, which in our
case is the 5th order. Note that it takes four iterative loops to reach a 5th
order element. Investigate other choices in the p-adaptive options area.

462
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

Why are we specifying this high accuracy requirement (0.05%) for the
total strain energy error? Actually, we do not expect that the solution
will satisfy this requirement. We want to force the solver to complete
all four steps so we can analyze graphs consisting of four, rather than
two or three points.

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The p-adaptive solution process is conceptually similar to the already
performed h-adaptive iterative process of mesh refinement. Both add

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degrees of freedom to the model, one by mesh refinement, the other by
element order upgrade.
The difference between h-adaptive and p-adaptive solution methods
is that, in h-adaptive, mesh changes while element order stays the

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same, while in p-adaptive, mesh stays the same but element order
changes.

h vs. p Elements Let us pause to explain some terminology:

Question:
Answer:
yo E Why are upgradeable elements called p-elements?
The iterative process that we are currently discussing does not involve
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mesh refinement. While the mesh remains unchanged, the element
order changes from the initial 2nd order all the way to 5th order (or less
if the convergence criterion is satisfied sooner).
The element order is defined by the order of polynomial functions that
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describe the displacement field in the element. Because the polynomial

(p) order experiences change, the process is called the p convergence
process, and the upgradeable elements we use are called p-elements.
Question: Why is the p convergence process called a p-adaptive solution, and
No -RE

what exactly does “adaptive” mean?

Answer: Adaptive means that not all p-elements are necessarily upgraded during
the solution process.
Indeed, as you see in the p-adaptive options area, Update elements
with relative Strain Energy error of _% or more means that only
Do E

those elements not satisfying the above criterion are upgraded. We say,
therefore, that element upgrading is “adaptive”, or driven by the results
PR

of consecutive iterations.
This is in close analogy to h-adaptive solution (performed earlier in
this lesson), where the mesh was refined during consecutive loops.
We are now sufficiently familiarized with p-elements to proceed with
p-adaptive solution.

463
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

3 Create mesh.
Right-click Mesh and select Create Mesh.
Under Advanced, select At nodes for Jacobian points.

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4 Mesh the model and run the

e
analysis.
Create a High quality mesh using the

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Curvature based mesh intended for
p-elements with the mesh density
slider set to Coarse.
Considering that a p-adaptive

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solution is used, we can manage with
a coarser mesh.
Select Run (solve) the analysis to
combine the mesh and run steps into
one.
Note yo E This mesh would not be acceptable for use in the standard study
because there are not enough elements to capture the complex stress
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field, especially near the rounds. Using higher order p-elements,
however, is equivalent to refining an h-element mesh, so that even this
coarse mesh delivers accurate results.
5 Run.
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When the analysis runs, the solution progresses in steps corresponding

to the number of element-order upgrades.
6 Display von Mises stress plot.
Now that we have solved the study with p-elements, we display a von
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Mises stress plot.

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464
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

To set the plot settings, right-click the stress plot and select Settings.
Select Discrete for the Fringe options and select Mesh for the
Boundary options.

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yo E The resulting stress plot shows a maximum von Mises stress of
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207 MPa [30.0ksi], which is just above the yield stress of AISI 304.
Note Any plot (stress, displacement, strain, and so on) in the results folders
of the p elements study displays the final result, or the last step of the
p-adaptive solution process. In addition to displaying the final plot
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results, we can also access the history of the iterative solution.

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465
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

7 Create a convergence graph.

Right-click the Results folder and select Define
Adaptive Convergence Graph.
Because we are primarily interested in the
maximum von Mises stress, select Maximum von

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Mises stress in the Options.
Click OK.

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8 Review the graph.

Let us review the graph and make a few observations about the p-
No -RE

adaptive solution.:
I The p-adaptive iterations went through all four steps: the first
using the second order elements, and the next three with higher
order element up to the 5th order.
I The 0.05% strain energy error we specified in the properties of the
Do E

p-adaptive study is NOT stress error.

I The maximum strain energy error of 0.05% has not been achieved
PR

and we would have to continue with the iterations further to reduce

the error. (The maximum element order is limited by 5, however.)
I The stress units in the graph are N/m2. SI units are internally used
by SolidWorks Simulation for calculations, regardless of what units
are used in the model.
9 Save and Close the file.

466
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

Method Now, let us summarize the results of all three studies executed in this
Comparison lesson. Recall that information on the number of degrees of freedom is
taken from the OUT file corresponding to the given study in the
SolidWorks Simulation data base.

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Max. von
Max. resultant
Solution type Mises stress # D.O.F.
displacement

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[psi]
Standard 0.427 mm 207.5 MPa 37479
[0.0168 in] [30,094 psi]

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h-adaptive 0.428 mm 229.3 MPa 75225
[0.0168 in] [33,254 psi]
p-Adaptive 0.428 mm 207.9 MPa 42801
[0.0168 in] [30,150 psi]

yo E Displacement results are practically the same. Stress results are within
9%. Considering that a highly concentrated stress is rather difficult to
model with any solution technique, this accuracy is satisfactory.
op AS
Standard solution appears to be the most economical; it had the shortest
solution time.
Having completed the exercise with three solution methods, we note
that h-adaptive and p-adaptive solution methods are very close,
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conceptually. Upgrading the element order in the p convergence

process adds degrees of freedom to the model, which is a direct analogy
to adding degrees of freedom by mesh refinement in the h convergence
process.
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This explains why we can use a coarse mesh for both h-adaptive and
p-adaptive solution. The degrees of freedom that are “missing” in the
initial mesh are added in the process of iterative solution either by mesh
refinement or by element order upgrade, and produce an analogous
effect to using a standard solution technique with properly refined
Do E

mesh.
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467
Lesson 13 SolidWorks 2013
Adaptive Meshing

h vs. p The following table summarizes the differences between h-adaptive

Elements - and p-adaptive solutions.
Summary

Solution type

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h-adaptive p-adaptive

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Element 2nd order, does not Changes during the
order change during the solution process from 2nd
solution. to max. 5th to satisfy the
accuracy requirements.

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Mesh Mesh is changed by Mesh does not change.
adaptivity refinement (both element
size and location of Element order adapts to
refinement) and adapts to the pattern of stress
the pattern of stress distribution found in the
yo E distribution found in the
model. High stress
model. High stress
gradients are meshed with
op AS
gradients are meshed with higher element order.
more refined mesh.
Global Total Strain Energy Total Strain Energy, or
error (called Target accuracy) RMS Resultant
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control Displacement, or
RMS von Mises stress
Local Local strain energy Local strain energy
error (called Accuracy bias)
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control
Unlimited: Four:
Maximum The study can re-run The first one with 2nd
number of repeatedly until the order elements, the last
loops desired accuracy level is one with 5th order
Do E

reached. elements but, mesh can

be refined then re-run.
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468
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

Which Solution I The standard solution using h elements?

Method is Better? I The h-adaptive solution using h elements?
I The p-adaptive solution using p elements?
Generally, with the standard solution method using second order

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elements, we obtain a reasonably accurate solution within a reasonably

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short time.

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Experience indicates that the standard solution method utilizing second
order elements offers the best combination of accuracy and
computational efficiency.
For this reason, the automesher in SolidWorks Simulation is tuned to

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meet the requirements of an h-element mesh intended for the standard
solution method.
Both h-adaptive and p-adaptive methods involve iterative solutions
that stop either when the accuracy requirement has been satisfied or
when the maximum allowed number of iterations has been reached. In

yo E this lesson, we requested a very low error to make sure that the solver
goes through the maximum number of iterations. This way we obtained
solutions with low, but not explicitly known, error.
op AS
Try running h-adaptive and p-adaptive studies again with relaxed
accuracy requirements so that the solver does not use up all available
loops.
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If the convergence graph shows:

I less than six iterations have been performed for h-adaptive solution
or...
I less than four iterations have been performed for p-adaptive
No -RE

solution,
then this means that the solution has stopped because your accuracy
requirements have been satisfied and not because the maximum
number of loops has been reached.
Summary
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Both h-adaptive and p-adaptive solution methods are significantly

more time-consuming. Therefore, these solution methods are reserved
for special cases where the solution must have narrowly specified
PR

accuracy.
The adaptive solution methods are also great learning tools, leading to a
better understanding of element order, the convergence process, and
discretization error. For this reason, you are encouraged to repeat some
of the lessons presented in this course using the adaptive solution
technique of your choice.

469
470
Lesson 13
Adaptive Meshing

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SolidWorks 2013

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 rib T
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Lesson 14

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Large Displacement Analysis

yo E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand the difference between geometrically nonlinear (large
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displacement and geometrically linear (small displacement)

analyses.
I Perform geometrically nonlinear (large displacement) analysis.
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I Assess limitations of the linear material model.

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471
Lesson 14 SolidWorks 2013
Large Displacement Analysis

Small vs. Large As explained in the beginning of this course, SolidWorks Simulation
Displacement computations are limited to the small displacement class of problems
Analysis (geometrically linear analysis). In this lesson, we will show that this
limitation is actually not present and SolidWorks Simulation is capable
of solving large displacement, nonlinear problems as well.

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In small displacement analysis, it is assumed that the shape of the
model before and after the deformation took place is nearly identical.

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Consider a cantilever beam loaded by a pressure, as shown in figure a
below. First, let us assume that our load is small in relation to the
stiffness of the beam, resulting in deformations that are barely
noticeable (figure b). The stiffness of the deformed beam, [ K 1 ] , which

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is a function of geometry and the material, will be nearly identical to
the original stiffness of the undeformed beam, [ K ] .
We can conclude that [ K ] ª [ K 1 ] , and that the linear elastic solution
[ K ] { u } = { F } is valid as long as the above assumption is acceptable.

yo E a.
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b.
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c.
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If the same beam is loaded with a significantly larger pressure, its

deformation will become large. Because of the significant change in the
geometry, the stiffness of the this beam, [ K 2 ] , is considerably different,
and the linear elastic solution is no longer acceptable.
Do E

Cases b and c are commonly referred to as small displacement and

large displacement problems, respectively.
PR

Large displacement problems are of a nonlinear nature. They are

significantly more complicated because they require a gradual increase
of the load in small increments and elaborate iterational schemes to
converge the solution to the equilibrium. They are very sensitive to the
selection of the various analysis parameters and their solution requires
some experience.

472
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 14
Large Displacement Analysis

Case Study: A u-shaped clamp will have a force applied to one side while the other
Clamp side remains fixed. For small applied forces, the clamp will still retain
its u-shape. If the force is larger, the ends of the clamp will get closer
together or touch which will require a large displacement analysis.
We will analyze the clamp using both small and large displacement

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methods and compare the results.

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Project A clamp is bent with a

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Description 14,000 N [3,147 lb.] force
applied to one arm while
the other arm rests on a
rigid support (such as a

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steel block or concrete
foundation).
It is known that this load
deforms the clamp
significantly and brings
yo E both of the arms in contact.
Determine whether this load causes the arms to touch and if the clamp
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remains permanently bent after removal of the load.

Part 1: Small First, we will attempt to solve this problem as linear, with the
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Displacement assumption of small displacements.

Linear Analysis
1 Open an assembly file.
Open clamp located in the Lesson14\Case Studies folder.
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2 Define study.
Define a Static study named small displacements.
3 Review material properties.
The material properties of Alloy Steel are automatically transferred
from SolidWorks.
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4 Apply restraint.
Locate the two faces created by the split
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lines on the outside of the arms.

Apply Fixed Geometry restraint to one
face.

473
Lesson 14 SolidWorks 2013
Large Displacement Analysis

5 Apply force.
Apply a 14,000 N force normal to the other
face.

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6 Define surface contact set.

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Define a No penetration, Node to Surface
contact set between the two small faces at the end
of the clamp arms.
7 Mesh assembly.

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Mesh the assembly with High quality elements
and the default settings using the Curvature
based mesh.
8 Specify Direct Sparse solver.
Direct sparse solver is considerably faster for this type and size of
yo E 9
problem.
Run the analysis.
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SolidWorks Simulation solver detects the large displacements in the
model and issues a warning.
Excessive displacements were calculated in this model. If
your system is properly restrained, consider using the Large
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Displacement option to improve the accuracy of the

calculations. Otherwise, continue with the current settings
and review the causes of these displacements.
Click No to complete the analysis as linear with small displacements.
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10 Plot resultant displacements.

Create a URES: Resultant displacement plot in True deformation
scale.
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SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 14
Large Displacement Analysis

11 Examine the model.

A quick review of displacement results reveals that
the loaded arm has overextended the fixed arm.
Obviously, this result is incorrect.

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Results The ignored warning of the solver along with the incorrect
Discussion displacement results are sufficient reasons to invalidate the produced
results. Therefore, we do not have to analyze the stresses.
Contact Solution In small displacement analysis, the normals to the contact areas do not

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in Small and Large change directions during the loading. This implies that the direction of
Displacement the normal and friction forces remains fixed as well.
Analyses Contrarily, in the large displacement analysis, the directions of the
normal and friction forces are updated during the deformation process.
Because of the potential significant displacements and sliding in the

yo E contact regions during the large displacement analysis, the Node-to-

node (No penetration) contact option should not be used.
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For more information on the contact solution in a geometrically
nonlinear analysis, consult the SolidWorks Simulation Premium:
Nonlinear training manual.
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Part 2: Large To obtain the correct solution, we must use large displacement
Displacement formulation.
Nonlinear
Analysis
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1 Create new study.

Duplicate the study named small displacements into a new study
named large displacements.
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475
Lesson 14 SolidWorks 2013
Large Displacement Analysis

2 Set study properties.

Right-click study large displacements
and select Properties. Select the Options
tab and then select Large displacement.
Click OK.

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3 Run the analysis.
Note that the solution takes significantly longer due to the extra time
yo E required to increment the load in steps, as discussed earlier.
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4 Plot resultant displacements.
Plot the distribution of URES: Resultant displacements.
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5 Examine the model.

We can observe that the detail of the
displacements at the tip location is what we would
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expect, i.e. the tip edges of the contact surfaces are

nearly touching.

476
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 14
Large Displacement Analysis

6 Plot von Mises stresses.

Stress results are also consistent with what we expect to see in a
bending problem such as this.

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7 Analyze the results.

yo E There is no high stress shows in the contact region because the mesh
size is too large to capture these localized contact stresses.
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Observing that contact area is very small (in fact, the solution presents
it as a line contact) we conclude that our choice Node to surface
option in No penetration contact set definition is correct.
While stress results obtained using the large-displacement contact
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option are generally correct, a closer examination reveals some

problems.
Additionally, the stresses are well above the yield strength of the
material, however this lesson is for demonstration purposes only.
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8 Save and Close the file.

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477
Lesson 14 SolidWorks 2013
Large Displacement Analysis

Permanent It is evident that significant portions of the clamp experience stresses

Deformation above the yield stress. Therefore, after the load is removed, the clamp
will not return to its original shape.
This is as far as we can take this problem using a linear material model
(the large displacement analysis is geometrically nonlinear, but the

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material model is linear elastic).

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To determine the shape and residual stresses in a permanently deformed

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clamp after the load has been removed, the analysis must include a
nonlinear material model. This option is available in SolidWorks
Simulation Nonlinear modulus which is part of the SolidWorks
Simulation Premium suite.

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SolidWorks The presence of a geometrically nonlinear solver (large displacement
Simulation option) in SolidWorks Simulation provides the user with the very
Premium powerful feature to solve problems out of the scope of the
geometrically linear static study. However, the solution of these
problems in general requires the correct setup of various parameters
yo E and solver options. Because a large displacement option of SolidWorks
Simulation uses a predefined set of parameters, its solution success is
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limited.
All of the features and options of the advanced nonlinear solver are
available in SolidWorks Simulation Nonlinear modulus which is part of
the SolidWorks Simulation Premium suite. Furthermore, multiple
advanced material models are available in SolidWorks Simulation
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Premium only. Users who wish to take their SolidWorks Simulation

expertise to the next level are encouraged to inquire about SolidWorks
Simulation Premium suite and to take a SolidWorks Simulation
Premium: Nonlinear training course.
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478
SolidWorks 2013 Lesson 14
Large Displacement Analysis

Summary In this lesson, we ventured into the next level of FEA analysis and
discussed and practiced the basic characteristics of the geometrically
nonlinear (large displacement) analysis. The limitations of the
geometrically linear (small displacement) analysis were discussed as
well.

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We first attempted to solve the problem using a small displacement
formulation, but erroneous displacement results indicated the need to

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consider this analysis as a large displacement problem.
In the large displacement problem, the load was applied in steps and the
model stiffness was updated during the deformation process. This
process took longer to solve, but was required to obtain accurate

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results.
Stress results indicated that the clamp will remain permanently
deformed after the load has been removed, but for a quantitative
analysis of this deformation a nonlinear material analysis would be
required.
yo E Finally, the significance of a SolidWorks Simulation Premium suite
upgrade for users interested in nonlinear FEA was discussed.
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Questions I SolidWorks Simulation suite computations (are / are not) limited to
small displacement analyses only.
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I SolidWorks Simulation suite computations (are / are not) limited to

models that experience stresses below the material yield strength.
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479
Lesson 14 SolidWorks 2013
Large Displacement Analysis

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480
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Appendix A

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Meshing, Solvers, and
Tips & Tricks
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481
Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Meshing Meshing, more precisely called discretization, is what converts a

Strategies mathematical model into a finite element model ready for solution.
As a finite element method, meshing accomplishes two tasks. First, it
replaces a continuous model with a discrete one. Meshing, therefore,
reduces the problem to one with a finite number of unknowns suitable

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for solution with an approximate numerical technique. Second, it
represents the desired solution (e.g., displacements or temperatures)

ist AF
ut
with an assembly of simple polynomial functions defined individually
for elements. See the Introduction to FEA section of the manual for a
description of this process.
For the user, meshing is a necessary step towards the problem solution.

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Many new FEA users expect meshing to be a fully automated process
requiring little, in any, input from the user. With experience comes the
realization that meshing is often a demanding task.
The history of development of commercial FEA software witnessed
many attempts to make meshing invisible to FEA users, but this has not
yo E been a successful approach.
While the meshing process has been simplified and automated, it is still
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not a “hands-off” task that runs in the background. As FEA users, we
require a means to interact with the meshing process.
SolidWorks Simulation finds the fine balance by isolating us from
those issues that are purely meshing-specific, but providing us control
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over meshing when needed.

Geometry Ideally, we use SolidWorks geometry, toggle to SolidWorks
Preparation Simulation, where we define the type of analysis and material, apply
external loads and fixtures, and then we mesh the geometry and obtain
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the solution.
This approach works well for simple models. More complex geometry
requires preparation before it can be meshed. In the process of
geometry preparation for FEA, we depart from manufacturing-specific,
CAD geometry and construct geometry intended specifically for
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analysis. We call this geometry FEA geometry.

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482
SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

We differentiate between CAD geometry and FEA geometry based on

their different requirements:

CAD Geometry FEA Geometry

Must contain all information Must be meshable

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necessary for manufacturing

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Must allow for creation of a mesh
that will correctly model the data
of interest
Must allow for creation of a mesh

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solvable within a reasonable time

Often CAD geometry does not satisfy the requirements of FEA

geometry. CAD geometry serves as a starting point in the process of FE
model preparation, but is only seldom used for FEA without
modifications.
yo E We now describe several actions performed on manufacturing-specific,
CAD geometry in order to convert it into FEA-specific geometry.
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Defeaturing CAD geometry contains all the
features necessary to make a part.
Many of those features are
unimportant for analysis and should be
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suppressed prior to meshing.

At best, leaving such features results
in an unnecessarily complicated mesh
and a long solution time. At worst, it
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may prevent the mesher from completing its task.

Of course, determining which features to exclude and which to include
in the FE model requires careful engineering judgment. The small size
of a feature as compared to the overall size of the model does not
always justify its exclusion. For example, very small internal fillets
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should be retained in the model if the objective of the analysis is to find

stresses in the area of the round.
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483
Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Idealization Idealization modifies CAD geometry more substantially than

defeaturing. Idealization may, for example, involve converting 3D,
solid-CAD geometry into surface geometry suitable for subsequent
meshing with shell elements.
SolidWorks Simulation can automatically create shell elements if the

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geometry was modeled as sheet metal in SolidWorks. If the part was
modeled as a solid body, however, surfaces must be created in the

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SolidWorks model so that shell elements can be created.

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yo E CAD geometry meshed
with solid elements
Idealized geometry meshed
with shell elements
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Note that idealization creates an abstract geometry (zero thickness
surface) suitable exclusively for analysis.
Clean-up Clean-up refers to issues of
geometry quality that must be dealt
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with to enable correct meshing.

Clean up
Geometry that is adequate for
manufacturing purposes may
contain features that either do not
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mesh or force the mesher to create a

large number of elements or create
distorted elements. Examples
include very short edges and/or faces. Those small features must be
removed or the automesher tries to mesh them.
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Mesh creation may also fail because of quality issues, including

multiple entities, floating solids, and other quality problems.
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To avoid creating elements with tangent edges (see Mesh Quality later
in this appendix), geometry faces may have to be merged.

484
SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

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Before merging After merging

Mesh Quality Creating a solid-element mesh can be likened to a process of filling up

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a volume with tetrahedral elements, while creating a shell-element
mesh can be likened to filling up a surface with triangles.
Recall from the Introduction to FEA section of this manual, that in the
vast majority of problems, the second-order, tetrahedral elements and
second-order, triangular elements map to curvilinear geometry and are
yo E much easier to work with when meshing and analyzing.
This observation exemplifies the fact that elements experience
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distortion during meshing, which brings us to the issue of mesh quality.
While elements are almost always distorted in the process of mapping
to geometry, excessive distortion leads to element degeneration.
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Mesh degeneration can often be prevented by controlling the default

element size or applying local mesh or component controls. We have
practiced mesh controls in many lessons. Now we discuss the most
important forms of element distortion.
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Aspect Ratio Numerical accuracy is best achieved by a ASPECT RATIO

Check mesh with uniform, perfect, tetrahedral inscribed / circumscribed circles

or triangular elements whose edges are

equal in length. For a general geometry, it
is not possible to create a mesh of
perfect, tetrahedral elements. Due to
Do E

small edges, curved geometry, thin

features, and sharp corners, some of the
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generated elements can have some edges

much longer than others. When the edges
large radius
of an element become much different in AR
small radius
length, the accuracy of the results
deteriorates.

485
Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

The aspect ratio of a

perfect, tetrahedral
element is used as the
basis for calculating
aspect ratios of other

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elements. The aspect

e
ratio of an element is Correct element shape Excessively distorted
elements

ist AF
defined as the ratio

ut
between the longest edge and the shortest normal dropped from a
vertex to the opposite face normalized with respect to a perfect
tetrahedral. By definition, the aspect ratio of a perfect tetrahedral
element is 1.0. The aspect-ratio check is automatically used by the

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program to check the quality of the mesh and assumes straight edges
connecting the four corner nodes.
As part of the aspect-ratio check, SolidWorks Simulation performs an
edge-length check, a radius of inscribed and circumscribed radius
check and a length of normals check.
yo E ASPECT RATIO
edge length checks
ASPECT RATIO
edges/face normal ratio
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long edge length
AR
short edge length
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long edge longest normal

AR
shortest normal
short edge
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This aspect-ratio measure does not

recognize “flat” elements as bad.

Jacobian Check Second-order elements map to curved geometry much more accurately
than linear elements of the same size. The mid-side nodes of the
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boundary edges of an element are placed on the actual geometry of the

model. In sharp or curved boundaries, placing the mid-side nodes on
PR

the actual geometry can result in generating distorted elements with

edges overlapping each other.
The Jacobian of an extremely distorted element becomes negative. An
element with a negative Jacobian causes the analysis program to stop.
The Jacobian check is based on a number of points located within each
element. SolidWorks Simulation gives you a choice to base the
Jacobian check on 4, 16, or 29 Gaussian points or At Nodes.

486
SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

The Jacobian ratio of 1.0 is given to a parabolic, tetrahedral element

with all mid-side nodes located exactly at the middle of the straight
edges. The Jacobian ratio increases as the curvatures of the edges
increase. The Jacobian ratio at a point inside the element provides a
measure of the degree of distortion of the element at that location.

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SolidWorks Simulation calculates the Jacobian ratio at the selected

e
number of Gaussian points for each tetrahedral element.

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JACOBIAN CHECK

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Correct element Self-intersecting element

yo E It is generally the case that a Jacobian ratio of 40 or less is acceptable.

SolidWorks Simulation adjusts the locations of the mid-side nodes of
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distorted elements automatically to ensure that all elements pass the
Jacobian check.
Even if this check of mesh quality does not issue warnings, avoiding
elements that are too “concave” is generally good practice. This can be
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accomplished by using mesh controls or adjusting the global element

size.

Note SolidWorks Simulation tries to

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place two elements over a 90° arc.

This, combined with global
elements that are too large, may
lead to very small elements placed
next to large elements.
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Too rapid a transition

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in element size

487
Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

If arc is larger than 90°, one

element is placed over the arc
leading to the creation of elements
with “concave” faces.

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Concave elements

Applying mesh controls (here to the

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round face) allows for the creation
of a correct mesh.

yo E Correct mesh
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Mesh Controls We have practiced the use of mesh controls in many lessons. For easy
reference, we review them now.
Generally, mesh controls can be applied to faces, edges, vertices, and
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assembly components.
Mesh control applied to:
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Faces Edges Vertices

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SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

The definition of mesh controls applied to a part consists of specifying

the following:
I Element size on the selected entity
I Ratio of element size between the layers

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Element size ratio between layers = 1.5 Element size ratio between layers = 1.1

The definition of mesh controls applied to a component consists of

yo E specifying the Component significance, which instructs the mesher,

based on the position of the slider, to use a different element size for
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each selected component.
The left end of the slider corresponds to using the default global-
element size of the assembly. The right end of the slider corresponds to
using the default element size if the component is meshed
independently.
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Low component significance High component significance

If the option Use the same element size is selected, then all selected
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components are meshed with the same element size as specified in

Mesh Control window.

489
Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Automatic Trials Many meshing problems can be solved by

for Solids using a smaller element size. Using a smaller
element size, of course, results in longer
solution times.
To find the largest element size that still meshes, we can use

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Automatic trials for solids, specified in the advanced meshing
options.

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Automatic looping instructs the mesher to automatically mesh the
model again using a smaller, global element size. You control the
maximum number of trials allowed and the ratio by which the global
element size and tolerance are reduced each time.

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Meshing Stages Meshing proceeds in three steps:
I Evaluating the geometry
I Processing the boundary
I Creating the mesh

yo E Meshing problems may arise at any step.

During the first step, evaluating the geometry, SolidWorks Simulation
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checks the geometry imported from SolidWorks. Geometry import is
completely transparent to the user.
The actual meshing of a solid component consists of two phases. When
processing the boundary, the mesher places nodes on the boundary.
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This phase is called surface meshing. If this phase is successful, the

third phase, creating the mesh, starts as the volume is filled with
tetrahedral elements.
If meshing fails when evaluating the geometry, the most likely cause is
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a geometry error. To verify if geometry error is the cause, export the

geometry as an IGES to see if the error message, “Failed to process
trimmed surface entity” is displayed. If this message appears, send the
part to SolidWorks support for diagnosis of the geometry problem.
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SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Failure When meshing fails, SolidWorks Simulation displays a message and

Diagnostics stops unless the automatic mesh looping is active. A failure diagnostics
tool is provided to help you locate and resolve solid-meshing problems.
The Failure Diagnostics PropertyManager lists the components, faces,
and edges that fail. It also highlights the failed entities in the model

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window.

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To review the entities that prevented successful meshing, right-click

ut
Mesh and select Failure Diagnostics.

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The offending entities are listed in Failure Diagnostics window and

highlighted in the graphics window and the study tree.

491
Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Tips for Meshing Check for underdefined sketches.

Parts Use SolidWorks Utilities to find sliver faces, knife edges, and so on.
For meshing failures on faces, create a shell study and select only the
failed face. Then try various element sizes until that face meshes.

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If the mesh failure diagnostics do not provide enough information to
determine the exact location of the problem, successively cut portions

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off the model to isolate the region of failure, or roll back the
SolidWorks models until the model meshes.
Tips for Meshing Select Tools, Interference Detection to determine where parts
Assemblies interfere and where faces touch (coincident). Remember that

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interference is allowed only if the shrink fit contact condition is
defined.
Do not model line contact (such as a cylinder tangent to a plate) or
point contact (such as the top of a cone touching a plate) between
assembly components. The area of contact should be > 0.

yo E Note that when SolidWorks Simulation meshes an assembly,

“imprints” are made on all touching faces, allowing the nodes from
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both components to align.
If bonded contact conditions have been defined, then the same node is
shared by both components. If node to node or surface conditions have
been defined, two coincident nodes are created and joined by gap
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elements. Gap elements remain invisible to the user.

Note that the color of the imprint in the following illustration has been
modified in a graphics program to make it clearly visible.
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Imprint

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SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Beware of imprints that cause sliver faces, thin annular faces, or faces
with multiple “lobes” connected by thin sections.

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Thin section Sliver face

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Tips for Using Shell meshing uses only the surface meshing phase; no volume filling
Shell Elements occurs.
Although the use of shell elements results in a simpler model that
solves faster than a corresponding solid-element model, preparation of

yo E a shell-element mesh is more time consuming as compared to a solid-

element mesh.
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Meshing in mid-planes often results in disjointed meshes.
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If surface geometry is to be meshed, split lines may be used where

surfaces meet to ensure alignment of the nodes and, consequently, mesh
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compatibility. However, incompatible mesh with misaligned nodes is

also allowed!
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Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

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No split lines Incompatible mesh

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Split lines added Compatible mesh

Hardware Meshing is the most critical step on the way to obtaining a solution.
Considerations The maximum mesh size, meaning the smallest, element size that can
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in Meshing be used, depends on the amount of random access memory.

While the simple rule “the more the better” applies, we recommend at
least 2 GB for working with real-life, complex models.
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SolidWorks 2013 Appendix A
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Solvers in Having successfully meshed the model we are only one step away from
SolidWorks obtaining a solution.
Simulation Generally, if a model can be meshed, it will solve; solving is a less
critical step than meshing.

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However, several problems can arise. The solver may find problems

e
with model definition, such as no definition of material or loads. The

ist AF
kinds of issues that prevent solution depend, of course, on the type of

ut
analysis (static, frequency, and so on).
The solver may also detect rigid body motions due to insufficient
restraints. Rigid body motions can be dealt with using solver options,

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such as Use soft spring to stabilize model or Use inertial relief.
Available solver options depend on the type of analysis.

Static analysis Frequency analysis Buckling analysis

Soft springs Soft springs Soft springs
yo E In-plane effects In-plane effects
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Inertial relief

The meshed model is presented to the solver in the form of a large

number of linear algebraic equations. Those equations can be solved
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with two classes of solution methods: direct and iterative.

Direct methods solve the equations using exact numerical techniques.
Iterative methods solve the equations using approximate techniques
where, in each iteration, a solution is assumed and the associated errors
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are evaluated. The iterations continue until the errors become

acceptable.
SolidWorks Simulation offers two solvers types:
I Direct Sparse solver
I FFEPlus (iterative)
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Appendix A SolidWorks 2013
Meshing, Solvers, and Tips & Tricks

Choosing a In general, all solvers give comparable results if the required solver
Solver options are supported. While all solvers are efficient for small problems
(25,000 degrees of freedom or less), big differences in performance
(speed and memory usage) occur in solving large problems.
If a solver requires more memory than available on the computer, the

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solver uses disk space to store and retrieve temporary data. When this
situation occurs, a message appears saying that the solution is going out

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of core, and the solution progress slows down. If the amount of data to
be written to the disk is very large, the solution progress can be
extremely slow.
The following factors help you choose the proper solver:

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I Size of the problem
In general, FFEPlus is faster in solving problems with degrees of
freedom (DOF) over 100,000. This solver becomes more efficient
as the problem gets larger.
I Computer resources
yo E The Direct Sparse solver, in particular, becomes faster with more
memory available on your computer.
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I Analysis options
I Element type
I Material properties
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When the moduli of elasticity of the materials used in a model are

very different (like Steel and Nylon), iterative solvers are less
accurate than direct methods. The Direct Sparse solver is
recommended in such cases.
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A solver can be selected

in the study properties.
Since the choice of the
most suitable solver
requires some
experience, an automatic
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selection has been

implemented as well.
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Use this option if you

are not sure which solver
is best suited for your
analysis.

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Customer Help and
Assistance
Appendix B

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Appendix B SolidWorks 2013
Customer Help and Assistance

Customer Help SolidWorks Simulation features extensive apparatus to help you with
and Assistance various information needs.
SolidWorks Nearly every dialog window contains a help icon. Use this as your
Simulation Help initial help option. Here you will find answers to most of the common
questions relevant to the desired topic or SolidWorks Simulation

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function.

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The above figures show how to access SolidWorks Simulation help

files from the most common dialogs that you may encounter in
SolidWorks Simulation.
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SolidWorks 2013 Appendix B
Customer Help and Assistance

Online Resources Select Research on the Simulation menu to

display the Analysis Research tab in the Task
Pane.
This area contains countless resource information
in organized and accessible form. The

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functionality of some of the links in the Analysis
Research dialog is described in the following

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text.

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I Search Knowledge Base
This database contains numerous targeted, well-organized and
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maintained articles on various topics in analysis theory, SolidWorks

Simulation usage and troubleshooting, licensing, and many other
practical areas. We strongly encourage users to use this feature as often
as possible. Valid subscription and internet connection are required to
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access this information database.

I Search Matweb
A search query in this field will take you directly to the free online
material database matweb.com (free Premium membership is also
available). Internet connection is required to use this feature.
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I Downloads
The latest upgrades and service packs (SP) can be downloaded from the
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web download page that can be accessed via this feature.

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Appendix B SolidWorks 2013
Customer Help and Assistance

Customer Support Complete customer account information and customer service and
Portal maintenance links can be accessed via the Customer service portal
accessible from www.solidworks.com website. The portal allows you
to submit service and enhancement requests, search the knowledge
base, view the information on the online seminars and various

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discussion forums and much more.

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Customer Phone Subscription customers have access to the dedicated phone and email
Support technical support. Please contact your local reseller for the local
technical support telephone number and email address. A customer
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serial number is always required.

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 Index

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A component options 140 fixtures 34
activate SW configuration 96 contact set 142, 151 definition 42

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adaptive meshing 450 free 141 symmetry 268
analysis process 24 large displacement contact 475 flow/thermal effects tab 436
analysis research 326 local contact sets 200 force type 38
animate plot 58 local options 140
annotating plots 138 no penetration 141, 145 G
artificial restraints 157 shrink fit 141, 158 gap analysis 130
aspect ratio 485 surface contact 474 geometry preparation 482
aspect ratio plot 210 virtual wall 141 gravity load 424
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automatic looping 490
averaging stress 439
axial stiffness 204
contact stress 147, 162
convergence 64
convergence graph 458
H
h-adaptive 453
op AS
copy parameters 61 accuracy bias 455
B create study 32 solution parameter 454
beam elements 351 Curvature Based Mesh 43 target accuracy 455
beam joint types 355 customer support portal 500 Hoop Stress 161
beam joints 355 cylindrical coordinate system 160
bearing load 236 I
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bending moment diagram 357, 365 D idealization 484

bolt force 229 defeaturing 155 importing temperatures 437
bolts define force 39 inertial relief 165
pre-load 196 design check plot 214 iso plots 52, 59
tight fit 195 design scenario 393, 406, 408, 414
bonded 141 graph 420 J
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bonded contact 255 jacobian 212

bonding E jacobian check 486
shell edge to shell face 329 Elastic 189
shell face to shell face 329 element types 10 K
shell to solid 330 element values 50 knowledge base 206, 499
boundary conditions 103 elements
bulk modulus 328 first order shells 13 L
first order tetrahedral 11 large displacement 471
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C second order 12 local contact options 141

CommandManager 27 second order shells 14 local contact sets 200
component external loads 38, 42 Local mesh control 91
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local options 141 local mesh refinement 90

connector F
bearing 189 failure diagnostics 333, 491 M
bolt 189 find contact sets 200, 357 material 326
elastic support 189 fixture type material properties 42
link 189 circular symmetry 34 assigning 32
pin 189, 221 fixed geometry 34 thermal 431
rigid 188 hinge 34 materials
spot weld 189 on cylindrical face 35 apply to assemblies 131
spring 188, 224 on flat face 35 Matweb 499
contact 130 on spherical face 35 Maximum element size 43
bonded 141 roller/sliding 34 mesh
bonding shells and solids 320–321, symmetry 34 aspect ratio 210
367 use referene geometry 35

501
Index SolidWorks 2013

compatible 257 R thermal stress analysis 430

compatible/incompatible 255–256 remote load 192 thin components 266
control 86, 90 reports 67 treat as solid 296
controls 488 Restraint Type 34
details 63 restraint types 34 U
display/hide 46 result folder 28 units 19
incompatible 260 results 95 UNS index 326

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jacobian 212 rigid body mode 157

e
local mesh refinement 90 rotational stiffness 204 V
quality 46, 485 run analysis 47 virtual wall 141

ist AF
ut
ratio 44 Run Analysis After Meshing 270 Von Mises Stress 17
required elements 210
shell elements 273 S W-Z
thin vs. thick elements 275 saving all plots 164 zero strain temperature 436
mesh control 86 saving deformed model 446
mesh control symbols 91 section plot 52, 59, 145

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Mesh Density 43 set mesh options 45
mesh details 63 shear force diagram 357, 365
meshing 43 shear modulus 328
adaptive 450 shell elements 273, 493
automatic looping 490 shell meshing
beam elements 351 automatic surface alignment 280
h vs. p elements 461, 463 shell mesh alignment 277, 279
h-adaptive 453 thin/thick shells 275

yo E
hardware considerations 494
mixed 320, 350
p-adaptive 461
show plot 47
shrink fit 154
shrink fit contact 141
op AS
shell elements 493 simulation interface 26
stages 490 simulation options 28
strategies 482 simulation study tree 26
Minimum element size 43 simulation toolbar 27
Minimum Number of Elements in a singularities 95
Circle 44 soft springs 164
mixed meshing 256, 320, 350 SolidWorks 5
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moment load 299 solvers 495

multiple studies 52, 61 spot weld 189
spring connector options 224
N steel identification systems 326
nodal values 50 strain plot 59–60
nodal vs. element stresses 49 stress
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averaging 439
P contact 147
p-adaptive 461 principal 18
Parameters 408 stress singularities 95
permanent deformation 478 studies
pin force 229 create 61
plot settings 29 multiple studies 52
plots renaming 31
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bending moment 357, 365 symbols

design check 214 cylindrical system icon 161
editing 48 display/hide 35, 41
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iso 52, 59 fixture 37

modify result plots 50 joint 353, 357, 369
result 47 mesh control 91
save all 164 size and color 41
section 52, 59, 145 symmetry 154
shear force 357, 365 symmetry fixtures 268
postprocessing 47
preprocessing 31 T
Pressure Load 269 tangential stiffness 205
principal stresses 18, 98 temperature load 435–436, 441
probe 52 temperatures
importing 437
thermal material properties 431

502