Opening SolidWorks Simulation for the first time



By default, SolidWorks Simulation does not open when SolidWorks does. We can change this by going to Tools > Add-Ins, shown in Figure 5.



Figure 5. How to start Simulation SolidWorks .

The Add-Ins window, replicated in Figure 6, pops up. Check the box to the left of “SolidWorks Simulation” to enable Simulation in this instance of SolidWorks. If you want Simulation to be enabled every time you start SolidWorks, check the box to the right of “SolidWorks Simulation” as well. If this is your first time using Simulation, you may be asked to agree to an end-user license agreement.


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Defining the material For SolidWorks Simulation



Defining the material For SolidWorks Simulation Tutorials

SolidWorks is, first and foremost, a 3-D modeling tool. Look in the tutorials folder for a SolidWorks model named “glass.SLDPRT”. When you open it, it should show a wine glass, as in Figure 1. This is the model we are going to study in this tutorial. Save a copy to your Charlie account.

If you wish to practice your modeling, part of a technical drawing of this wine glass is included in Appendix A. Units are in millimeters. This should be enough information to draw your own.

Defining the material For SolidWorks Simulation Tutorials

To use the model of the glass in Simulation, we must specify the material that the model is made of. Can you guess what material we want the model to be? That’s right, glass! You can specify a material in the Feature Manager design tree on the left-side panel. There should be an icon named “Material <not specified>,” as in Figure 2. Right-click this and choose “Edit material” to be brought to the Materials window, shown in Figure 3. Glass is found in the folder SolidWorks Materials > Other Non-metals. Click “Glass,” then click “Apply” and “Close.” Your model should change from opaque grey to transparent grey, as in Figure 4.

Defining the material For SolidWorks Simulation
 Figure 2. How to change a model's material in SolidWorks Simulation



Figure 3. Materials window in SolidWorks Simulation.

Defining the material For SolidWorks Simulation
Figure 4. The glass, now shown as glass in SolidWorks Simulation Tutorial.


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Conditions in SolidWorks Simulation



This Tutorial of Conditions in SolidWorks Simulation

Some common reasons for error include making invalid assumptions, setting incorrect boundary conditions, setting incorrect material properties, and general numerical errors. As an example, let’s consider the stress analysis of a typical model. One can assume a linear stress-strain relationship before the yield strength of the material is reached. The model produces incorrect results as stress or strain increase to the point of nonlinearity on the stress-strain curve.

Conditions in SolidWorks Simulation
Setting appropriate boundary conditions SolidWorks Simulation  can be more difficult than one might first expect, and it is easy to overlook boundaries (such as the initial temperature of an object). This can result in nonsensical default values being used for the simulation. Obtaining accurate physical parameters for your materials can also be difficult, especially if you are using nonstandard or unusual materials.

FEA inherently discretizes the object being studied. The number of elements used presents a tradeoff between runtime and accuracy.

(Conditions in SolidWorks Simulation)

Before you trust your FEA results, you should plan for a significant validation process. If possible, the best place to begin the validation process is with a simple model that can be solved analytically. Check that the FEA simulation produces comparable results. For example, before looking at bending in an array of bolted-together I-beams, compare the FEA results for bending in a single I-beam to analytical results. Be sure you are using the appropriate material parameters. Another important model validation technique is to compare the FEA results to an actual physical prototype using simple stimulus, such as an impulse. Beware of making claims about the FEA model results that you cannot independently support with other analysis or measurement.


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SolidWorks Simulation



Objectives Of SolidWorks Simulation

By completing this tutorial, you will learn to conduct finite-element analysis (FEA) tests on SolidWorks models using the Simulation add-on.

SolidWorks Simulation

Introduction SolidWorks Simulation

Finite-element analysis (FEA) is useful in predicting a model’s response to various influences such as forces, torques, periodic excitations, and heat. FEA is used to analyze large or complicated models where analytical solutions are not possible. FEA software breaks the model into thousands of small tetrahedral elements and solves numerically for each one individually.

Some of the leading commercial FEA tools include COMSOL, Ansys, and SolidWorks Simulation. This tutorial covers SolidWorks Simulation because it is a comfortable environment for those who already know 3D modeling with SolidWorks. SolidWorks Simulation is primarily applicable to mechanical and thermal models. COMSOL specializes in multiphysics problems involving interaction between mechanical, thermal, and electrical behavior. Ansys also addresses mechanical and thermal simulations and has advanced capabilities required in certain fields.

This tutorial will cover three of the simulation studies available in SolidWorks Simulation:

  1. Static analysis, for Identifying stresses caused by static loading
  2. Frequency analysis, for identifying resonant frequencies and associated mode shapes
  3. Thermal analysis, for identifying heat flow through a model
Mastering these three gives you the tools and experience necessary to make use of any of the remaining simulation studies. We will use the same model, a wine glass, for each study.

Before you begin SolidWorks Simulation

On two occasions I have been asked, “Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?”...I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.
                                        Charles Babbage, Passages from the Life of a Philosopher, 1864

Since the very beginning of computing, users have been plagued by bad outputs as a result of bad inputs. FEA is particularly prone to such problems, generating pretty pictures that often have no bearing on reality. As a general rule, if you don’t know what to expect, the results you get are probably incorrect and certainly unusable.


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