Analysis Lesson 6: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Mechanical Scenario Creation
In this lesson, learn the proper workflow to upload a SOLIDWORKS assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and perform a Mechanical Scenario Creation study using the Abaqus solver.
Open a SOLIDWORKS assembly that has not been saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Upload the SOLIDWORKS assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Save the assembly in your Collaborative space. Use an existing Bookmark. Return to your SOLIDWORKS desktop. Lock the assembly and all reference components.
Launch the Mechanical Scenario Creation App for the SOLIDWORKS task pane.
View and set Simulation study preferences and solver units. Define the Finite Element Model or FEM Rep. The FEM Rep consists of the Mesh, Material Definition and references the CAD geometry of the model. Create a Global mesh (Tetrahedron second-order elements). Create a Static Step. Apply AISI 1020 material to the bar and base plate of the assembly.
Create two virtual bolt connectors with nuts. A bolt connector joins multiple bodies together or to the ground. The bolts and nuts are not modelled. Bodies joined by the bolts and nuts should have contact interaction defined between them to prevent interference and bonding.
Create a Surface-Based contact. Surface-Based contact defines the interaction behavior between two discrete surface regions in the model.
Apply a Fixed Displacement Boundary Condition. Apply a Remote Force (1000N) to a Split Line feature.
Run the Simulation study. .Use the Physics Results Explorer App to manage results data from Simulations performed within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Create three Simulation plots: Von Mises Stress, Factor of Safety (FOS) and Displacement.
Analyze the Simulation plots. Save the Simulation study to your Collaborative space. View the items of the Simulation study saved to your Collaborative space.
Launch 3DEXPERIENCE platform and SOLIDWORKS
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is browser driven. Your existing cookies and cache determine what you will see on your computer desktop or during a SOLIDWORKS login. A full installation of SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP0 or later is required
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Start a SOLIDWORKS session from your desktop.
Double-click the SOLIDWORKS icon.
View the illustration below. Depending on your system setup, cookies, and cache, it will be different. Read the provided information.
Input the requested data. Click Accept All.
The Welcome – SOLIDWORKS dialog box is displayed.
You are logged into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Close the Welcome dialog box.
Click the 3DEXPERIENCE icon in the Task Pane. The MySession panel is displayed. This displays the two-way communication between SOLIDWORKS running on your desktop and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform running in the cloud.
In this lesson, I’m using a Collaborative space named Quick Start xDesign.
Note: If you do not see the 3DEXPERIENCE icon, click the Options drop-down arrow, click Add-Ins, check the 3DEXPERIENCE box, click OK, from the SOLIDWORKS Main menu.
Click Accept All.
Download Bolt Joints Assembly
Download the SOLIDWORKS assembly, bolt joints to follow along with this lesson.
Open the bolt joints assembly and reference components that have not been previously uploaded or saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Expand the Task Pane bar. The MySession panel displays a tree view of the active file and a list of commands that can be accessed through the Action bar and context menu. The orange save Status icon for the bolt joints assembly informs you that the assembly and the reference components on your computer have not been saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Simplify the assembly for the Simulation study.
Suppress all hardware in the assembly.
Save the assembly to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
Click Save Active Window from the Lifecycle tab in the Action bar.
The files are temporarily being saved to a local cache area. The platform is checking for out of date components, modified components from the last save to the platform, different revisions, missing components, etc. The Save to 3DEXPERIENCE dialog box and PLM attributes are displayed.
Use your existing Collaborative space.
Use an existing Bookmark. Note: if needed view 3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 3: SOLIDWORKS Bookmarks, Share and Delete.
Click the Select Bookmark down arrow.
Click Select Bookmark. The Select a Bookmark dialog box is displayed.
In the below example, I selected Design Project 104 as my bookmark.
Click Apply to All from the Select Bookmark dialog box.
Click Save from the Save to 3DEXPERIENCE dialog box.
The model is directly loaded into your Collaborative space and Bookmarked on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. You return back into your SOLIDWORKS session.
View the Status column in the updated MySession panel. The Status icon displays three green check marks. This means that the bolt joints assembly and reference components in your SOLIDWORKS session are updated and saved to the platform.
The Maturity State is “In Work”. This is the default Lifecycle state after you saved the model to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The default Revision is A.
Lock the assembly and reference components. This prevents anyone in making a change to them.
Right-click bar<1>in the MySession panel.
Click Lock from the Pop-up menu. The Lock icon is displayed.
Right-click base plate<1> in the MySession panel.
Click Lock from the Pop-up menu. The Lock icon is displayed.
Right-click bolt joints in the MySession panel.
Click Lock from the Pop-up menu. The Lock icon is displayed. Note: the bolt joints assembly is selected in the MySession panel.
Launch the Mechanical Scenario Creation App
Click the center of the Compass. Launch the Mechanical Scenario Creation App. Think of this App as the SOLIDWORKS Simulation Add-in inside of SOLIDWORKS. Most of the 3DEXPERIENCE Apps run in your web browser. 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Apps perform a small installation on your windows machine. Both types of Apps are linked to your PLM data on the platform.
Drag the slider downward to view the Mechanical Scenario Creation App.
Launch the Mechanical Scenario Creation App. Note: If this is your first time using a 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation App or an update is available, download the needed App information on your computer. It is recommended to restart your SOLIDWORKS session.
This can take 10 – 15 seconds.
The 3DEXPERIENCE | SIMULIA Mechanical Scenario Creation App is displayed.
The Simulation Initialization dialog box is displayed.
Enter Bolt Connections in the Simulation title box.
Select Structural from the Analysis type drop-down box. Note: Structural enables you to perform several different types of linear and nonlinear structural analyses including static, dynamic and frequency extraction.
Enter Local Coordinate System1 for the Analysis case name.
Accept the default for Finite element model – None Selected. At this time, there is no Finite Element Model (FEM).
Click OK from the Simulation Initialization dialog box.
The Simulation study tree displays the Structural Simulation Process. Model (Geometry, Meshing (Element Family), and Property Definition). Scenario (Simulation Type, Solution Method, Element Type, Boundary Conditions, Loads, and Solver). Result (Types of plots, Animations and Tools).
Set mouse profile to SOLIDWORKS
Click your profile picture (Avatar).
Click Preferences from the drop-down menu.
The Preference dialog box is displayed. View your options.
Click the Common Preferences tab.
Click Profile.
Select a Profile from the Profile Management drop-down menu (SOLIDWORKS).
Check the solver unit for Force. A force of 2000N is applied in the study.
Expand Parameters, Measures, and Units.
Click Units.
Drag the slider downward to view the Force unit. The default solver unit is Newton (N).
Note: To modify a default unit, drag the inside and outside slider downward to locate the magnitude, select the magnitude, select the new unit from the drop-down menu as illustrated.
Click Apply.
Click OK from the Preferences dialog box.
Finite Element Model Rep
Define the Finite Element Model or FEM Rep. The FEM Rep consists of the Mesh, Material Definition and references the CAD geometry of the model.
Display the Assistant dialog box.
Right-click in the Graphics area. Click Assistant.
Click Setup from the Assistant dialog box.
Click Finite Element Model from the Commands box.
The Finite Element Model dialog box is displayed. Create is selected by default.
Enter Name. In this example, I entered Bolt joints.
Select Automatic Initialization Method for the study.
Select Selected geometries from the Mesh supports drop-down menu.
Select the Finite Element Model (FEM) geometry icon from the Geometries box.
The Body Selection dialog box is displayed. This process provides the ability to select specific geometry for analysis on an assembly.
Select the top level – bolt joints A.
Click Select from the Body Selection dialog box.
Click OK from the Finite Element Model dialog box.
Expand the Nodes and Elements folder. View the created Tetrahedron Mesh for the two parts of the assembly.
Double-click Tetrahedron Mesh.1 from the Simulation study tree.
View the default settings in the Tetrahedron Mesh dialog box. Mesh refinement is very important in regions of high stress concentrations such as regions of contact or sharp corners. Typically a smaller element size yields more accurate results, but increases the run time. View the default Mesh size (length of one side of a tetrahedron in a mesh). View the default Absolute sag size.
Absolute sag is the difference between the face of your geometry and the highest point of your mesh element. By reducing the value, you are allowing the elements to conform to the organic shape of the geometry.
Quadratic Tetrahedron element order is selected by default.
Click OK from the Tetrahedron Mesh dialog box.
Static Step.1
Create a Static Step.
Click Static Step from the Command box.
The Static Step dialog box is displayed. Accept the defaults. Note: A Static step performs a stress analysis of a stable problem in which inertia effects are neglected. During a Static step, a time period is assigned to the analysis. This is required for cross-references to the amplitude options, which can be used to determine the variation of loads and other externally prescribed parameters during a step.
Click OK from the Static Step dialog box.
Define Material
Define AISI 1020 material to the bar and base plate of the assembly.
Click Parts from the Assistant dialog box.
Click Material Palette from the Commands box.
The Material Palette dialog box is displayed. The Material Palette enables you to browse from materials, research their attributes, compare them and apply them to components in the model.
Select All from the drop-down menu.
Enter AISI 1020 in the Filter Search box. View the results. Your material library maybe different than illustrated.
Click AISI 1020 under the Steel column.
Click the Simulation tab. The material definition in a FEA simulation specifies all of the relevant material properties and the proper material behavior (such as Density, Young’s Modulus, Thermal conductivity, 0.2% Proof Yield Stress, etc.).
Return back to the Material screen.
Drag and drop AISI 1020 on the base plate.
Click the green check mark from the Pop-up menu.
Drag and drop AISI 1020 on the bar.
Click the green check mark from the Pop-up menu.
Close the Material Palette dialog box.
Save the Simulation study.
Click the Share icon as illustrated.
Click Save. Model and Scenario data is always stored on the 3DEXPERIENCE server in your Collaborative space. Results data may be stored on the server or in a local directory on your machine. Local data is masked, encrypted and only accessible by the owner of the data.
The default option is Server on the platform. Saving the Simulation Results data from a Simulation on the server allows other users in your Collaborative space to access that data and archive the data for future reference.
Display the Assistant dialog box.
Virtual Bolt Connections
Create two virtual bolt connectors with nuts. A bolt connector joins multiple bodies together or to the ground. The bolts and nuts are not modelled. Bodies joined by the bolts and nuts should have contact interaction defined between them to prevent interference and bonding.
Click Connections from the Assistant dialog box.
Click Virtual Bolt from the Command box.
The Virtual Bolt dialog box is displayed. Default is selected.
Click the edge of the first top hole as illustrated.1 Edge (2 Edges, 2 Surfaces inferred) is displayed in the Head support box.
Select Tight Fit With Head from the Head support drop-down menu.
Select Standard Nut from the Nut support drop-down menu.
Enter 24mm for Head diameter. Enter 24mm for Nut diameter.
Enter 12mm for Nominal diameter.
Expand Construct: Deformable.
Select Rigid from the Mechanical behavior drop-down menu.
Click Update Mesh. Click OK. View the Virtual Bolt on the assembly.
Rotate the assembly to view the nut on the back side of the assembly.
Display an Isometric view of the assembly in the Graphics area.
Click Fit All In from the Action bar.
Create the second Virtual Bolt.
Click Virtual Bolt from the Commands box.
The Virtual Bolt dialog box is displayed. Default is selected.
Click the edge of the second top hole as illustrated.
1 Edge (2 Edges, 2 Surfaces inferred) is displayed in the Head support box.
Select Tight Fit With Head from the Head support drop-down menu.
Select Tight Fit With Nut from the Nut support drop-down menu.
Enter 24mm for Head diameter.
Enter 24mm for Nut diameter.
Enter 12mm for Nominal diameter.
Expand Construct: Deformable.
Select Rigid from the Mechanical behavior box.
Click Update Mesh.
Click OK from the Virtual Bolt dialog box. View the second Virtual Bolt on the assembly.
View the created Connections in the Simulation study.
Surface-Based Contact
Create a Surface-Based Contact between the base plate and the bar.
Click Interactions from the Assistant dialog box.
Click Surface-Based Contact from the Commands box.
The Surface-based Contact dialog box is displayed. Surface-based contact defines the interaction behavior between two discrete surface regions in the model.
Click the Face Selection Pop-up filter.
Click the top face of the base plate. 1 Face is displayed in the Main box.
Click inside the Secondary box.
Rotate the assembly to view the bottom flat face of the bar.
Click the Face Selection Pop-up filter.
Click the bottom flat face of the bar. 1 Face is displayed in the Secondary box.
Check the Tie surfaces box. This option ties together surfaces that are within the tolerance that you specify for the duration of the simulation; that is, no relative motion between the surfaces occurs at contacting interfaces. The default tolerance value is 5% of the characteristic element length.
Click Compute tolerance from geometry.
Expand Advanced.
Select Node to Surface from the Discretization method box. Node to Surface constrains secondary nodes not to penetrate into the main surface; however, the nodes on the main surface can penetrate into the secondary surface. Accept the default Extension zone.
Click OK from the Surface-based Contact dialog box.
The Interaction is created and displayed in the Simulation study tree.
Create a Boundary Condition
Click Boundary Conditions from the Assistant dialog box.
Click Fixed Displacement from the Commands box.
The Fixed Displacement dialog box is displayed.
Click the Face Selection filter from the Pop-up menu.
Click the front flat face of base plate as illustrated. 1 Face is displayed in the Support box.
Rotate the assembly to view the back flat face to base plate.
Click the back flat face of the base plate as illustrated. 2 Faces are displayed in the Support box.
Click X, Y, Z in the Translation box.
Click X, Y, Z in the Rotation box.
Global is selected by default. Global aligns the local feature triad with the Global coordinate system.
Click OK from the Fixed Displacement dialog box.
Apply a Remote Force
Apply a Remote Force of 1000N to the Split Line feature at the end of the bar. A remote force is a translational load applied in a single direction.
Display an Isometric view.
Expand Force under the Loads tab from the Action bar.
Click Remote Force from the Pop-up menu.
The Remote Force dialog box is displayed.
Click the Split Line feature on the bar as illustrated. 1 Face is displayed in the Support box.
Enter 1000N for Force Y. Note the upward direction.
Click OK from the Remote Force dialog box.
Simulate
Run the Simulation study.
Click Simulate from the Assistant dialog box.
Click Simulate from the Commands box.
The Simulate dialog box is displayed.
It is recommended to run the Simulation using Local interactive. Local interactive is set by default using an embedded license. The Simulation is executed on your computer and the user interface is locked while the Simulation is in process.
With an Educational license, up to 4 physical cores are supported. Overwrite previous is selected by default. Note: Editing Units is only necessary if you plan to export an input file from Abaqus/CAE.
Click OK from the Simulate dialog box.
Click Close from the Simulation Status dialog box.
Close the Assistant dialog box
Results
View the results. The Von Mises Stress contour plot is displayed by default.
In this example, use the results plots for the Von Mises stress, Displacement and Factor of Safety (FOS). Verify that the Von Mises stresses do not exceed the material’s yield strength. For most metals, the yield strength is defined as the stress point at 0.2% strain offset. For AISI 1020 steel this is (3.516 × 108N/m2).The maximum Von Mises stress (3.29 × 108N/m2) is below the material yield strength of (3.516 × 108N/m2 ).Basics of Stress Limits for 3DEXPERIENCE – YouTube
Click a point on the model as illustrated. The mouse cursor automatically acts as a probe.
View the Von Mises Stress at that point. A Pop-up menu is displayed.
Click the Show Min/Max Values icon.
Click the Hide Max or Min values and close icon.
Display the Factor of Safety (FOS) contour plot next to the Von Mises Stress contour plot.
Click the Changing Plot combo icon to display multiple plots.
Create the Factor of Safety (FOS) contour plot.
View the results.
The FOS plot displays how close a material is to yielding. The factor of safety is calculated by dividing the material’s Proof (Yield) Strength by the Allowable stress.
The FOS plot has a maximum limit of 2 by default. Regions of the model with a FOS larger than 2 are displayed in gray. Regions of the model with a FOS less than 1, develop stresses above the material’s yield strength under the current loading conditions.
The smallest factors of safety occur in the localized regions where the highest Von Mises stresses occur.
Create a Displacement contour plot. Note: In SOLIDWORKS Simulation the URES Resultant Displacment and the Displacement in 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation represent the same displacement components. Displacement Component 1, 2 and 3 in 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation represent the same displacement components as UX, UY and UZ in SOLIDWORKS Simulation.
Save and Close
Save the Simulation study.
Click the Share icon as illustrated.
Click Save. Model and Scenario data is always stored on the 3DEXPERIENCE server in your Collaborative space.
Results data may be stored on the server or in a local directory on your machine. Local data is masked, encrypted and only accessible by the owner of the data.
Close the Simulation study.
Click Close on the Bolt Connections tab.
The below items from the Simulation study are saved in the Collaborative space on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
We are finished with this lesson.
Academic Community: After you create a 3DEXPERIENCE ID, Educators, can get more information on xDesign and SOLIDWORKS. Request to join the 3DEXPERIENCE Academic Community for free at go.3ds.com/academiccommunity.
Student Community: Students, join the student community for free at go.3ds.com/studentcommunity. Check out great posts on Mechanism Mondays, FEA Fridays, Solid Saturdays (animations), Formula Student and Formula SAE exercises.
Additional Lessons in 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Series:
Analysis Lesson 1: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation for Diving Board
Analysis Lesson 2: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Linear Structural Validation Part 1
Analysis Lesson 3: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Linear Structural Validation Part 2
Analysis Lesson 4: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Linear Structural Validation for Assembly
Analysis Lesson 5: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation Structural Model Creation
Additional Lessons in this series on 3DEXPERIENCE Works:
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 1: Getting Started with SOLIDWORKS and the Platform
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 2: SOLIDWORKS and Save and Revision
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 3: SOLIDWORKS and Bookmarks, Share and Delete
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 4: SOLIDWORKS and Lifecycle Maturity States
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 5: SOLIDWORKS, Collaborative Space and Bookmarks
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 6: SOLIDWORKS with Search Tools
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 7: SOLIDWORKS with 3DPlay
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 8: SOLIDWORKS with 3DDrive
3DEXPERIENCE Works Lesson 9: SOLIDWORKS and 3DSWYM
3DEXPERIENCEWorks Lesson 10: SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation
Additional Lessons in this series on SOLIDWORKS xDesign:
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #1: Getting Started
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #2: Mouse Control and Collaborative Space
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #3: Sketch Planes
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #4: Create A Dashboard
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #5: Views and Orientations
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #6: Importing Files and Using Bookmarks
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #7: Assemblies
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #8: 4Bar Linkage and Kinematics
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #9: External References and Copy with Mates
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #10: Sketching, Constraints and Dimensions
SOLIDWORKS xDesign Lesson #11: Sketch Based and Applied Features
Design well, Marie
Marie Planchard