As advanced simulation software like Abaqus becomes ever more important to developing highly competitive products, manufacturers are looking for ways to expand their FEA capabilities. Many of those manufacturers may begin by looking to hire FEA or CFD or emag simulation engineers, but this may not be the most cost-effective approach.
Mesh convergence is often overlooked when running SOLIDWORKS frequency analysis. In this tutorial, we cover what results frequency analysis gives the user as well as how increasing or decreasing the mesh density in the analysis can change the given results of the program. We also briefly cover how using draft-quality mesh instead of high-quality mesh can affect SOLIDWORKS frequency analysis results.
Topology Optimization is a technique in SOLIDWORKS Simulation that removes material from a user-defined shape or design space to maximize the the performance of the shape. Performance, in this instance, would be maximizing stiffness to weight ratio, minimizing displacement, or a combination of the two for a given set of loading conditions.
This guide demonstrates how to change and update material types in a SOLIDWORKS Simulation nonlinear study to depict more accurate stress and deformation results. The nonlinear study type focuses on the deformation that is no longer linear throughout the calculation (beyond the yield strength). While a static study is common, a nonlinear study allows users to incorporate changes to the stress-strain beyond this area.
Fatigue studies simulate the life and damage of a part or assembly due to repeated loading. SOLIDWORKS Simulation has a powerful tool called Variable Amplitude Time History Fatigue that simulates the damage due to loads of, you guessed it, variable amplitude. These studies can help to understand the expected lifetime of a design using realistic variable loads.
This article explains the options available for modifying the appearance of SOLIDWORKS Simulation Plot Legends. Legends are the color charts that appear when showing result plots. When viewing the chart, these options allow users to customize the look and have better flexibility to store these settings any time a new study is created.
In this article, we share some tips and tricks that can help speed up SOLIDWORKS Simulation analysis preparation, runtimes, and improve accuracy. The tools we show allow designers and engineers to make smart design decisions and trim down their solve time, leaving more room for other projects and improving designs even further.
Buckling is a mode of failure where sudden large displacements happen due to compressive loads. When slender structures are subjected to compressive loads, a sudden displacement can occur. This can happen even though the high stresses in the structure are well below the yield point.
When performing a Variable Amplitude Time History Fatigue Study in SOLIDWORKS Simulation, a user can view a Rainflow Matrix. What this matrix is and how it’s made may be a question you need to answer. If that is the case, look no further. Rainflow counting is used when performing Variable Amplitude Fatigue studies. In essence, Rainflow counting takes the raw load data and converts it to an equivalent set of constant amplitude stress reversals.