Problem Six: Nonlinear Analysis of a Clamp Assembly

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Problem Six: Nonlinear Analysis of a Clamp Assembly

6.1 Introduction
In this example, you will create a model of a V Clamp assembly using connections automatically generated by Femap, creating a mesh with Hex elements, and then solve the analysis using the NEi Nastran Editor.

You will work through the entire NEi Nastran analysis process, which includes: importing the geometry of the assembly, creating connections between different parts of the assembly, meshing the model, applying constraints and loads, analyzing the model using the NEi Nastran Editor, and post-processing the results.

6.2 Pre-Process the Model

You will start by importing the geometry. Because this is an assembly of parts, it is necessary to set up contacts and how the parts will interact with each other. After the connections have been made, you will mesh the model, and then add the loads and constraints.

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6.2.1 Import the Geometry

To import this file, go to File in the Femap Main Menu and select Import, and then Geometry. Navigate to the C:\Program Files\NEi Nastran Engine V101\Example Files\Tutorial Problems\Example Problem 6 folder and import the Example Problem 6.X_T file. The Solid Model Read Options dialog box will open, just click OK. Rotate the model so that you can view it in the Isometric view. (Push F8 to bring up the View Rotate dialog box.)

6.2.2 Create the Connections

You will be creating connections between the different parts of the clamp assembly. In this example, the connections will be contact conditions which NEi Nastran will use during the solving process to have the parts interact with one another Refer to Section 5.2.3 for a detailed explanation of Connections in Femap. From the Femap Main Menu select Connect, Connection Property. The Define Connection Property dialog box will appear. Be sure that the NEi Nastran tab is selected and type in General Contact in the Title field, select 1..Unsymmetric contact from the Penetration Type drop-down menu. Enter a check the Automatic checkbox for Max Activation Dist and click OK to create the connection property, then Cancel to stop creating new properties. Setting the Max Activation Dist to AUTO will limit the search area for contact which will drastically cut down on the number of elements which get generated internally. You will now set up the automatic contact between the parts of the clamp assembly. Start by going to Connect in the Femap Main Menu and then Automatic. This opens the Entity Selection Select Solid(s) to Detect Connections dialog box; click Select All, and then OK. In the Auto Detection Options for Connections dialog box click on the Property radio button and select the General Contact property from the drop-down menu. The dialog box should now have the following values selected:

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If it does not, make sure all of the above options are chosen and then click OK. When the Entity Selection Select Solid(s) to Detect Connections dialog box reappears, click Cancel. You will notice that there are new Connection Regions which are visible where the parts come together.

6.2.3 Apply the Loads

You will be defining two load sets, one with an enforced displacement on the band and the second with the original load plus an additional enforced displacement on a flange. From the Femap Main Menu select Model, then choose Load and On Surface. Enter Initial Displacement in the Title field of the New Load Set dialog box. Select OK. The Entity Selection Enter Surface(s) to Select dialog box appears. With your mouse, point to, and click, on the surface highlighted in yellow in the figure below. Click OK.

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In the Create Loads on Surfaces dialog box, type in Band Displacement for the Title. Select Displacement as the load type and enter a value of .05 in the TZ field and click OK. Click Cancel when the Entity Selection Enter Surface(s) to Select dialog box reappears.

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Because we are going to be running a nonlinear static analysis you must specify nonlinear settings. From the Femap Main Menu go to Model then choose Load and Nonlinear Analysis. The Load Set Options for Nonlinear Analysis dialog box will appear. Click on the Static radio button for Solution Type. Set the Number of Increments to 5 and the Intermediate Output Control to YES. Click OK. Setting the intermediate output to YES will output results at each increment, leaving it at the default value would give results only for the final increment.

Since the enforced displacement at the band and the nonlinear analysis options are the same for both load sets, we will create a copy of the first load set and add the additional load definition at the Flange. From the Femap Main Menu select Model, then Load and select Copy. Click OK in the Enter ID for Duplicate Load Set dialog box to specify the new Load Set ID. Click Yes when asked if it is OK to activate Load Set 2. In the Model Info tree you should see two Load Sets in the Loads Branch (click the + next to each branch as necessary). Rename the second Load set to Init + Flange Displacement. This can be done by slowly double-clicking on the load set (click once so that it is highlighted, wait a second and click again, type in the new name once the cursor is activated).

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Create a new load definition using the Model Info tree. Right-Click on the Load Definition branch in the Model Info tree and select On Surface from the context sensitive menu. In the Entity Selection Enter Surface(s) to Select dialog box select the surface highlighted below and click OK.

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In the Create Loads on Surfaces dialog box, type in Flange Displacement for the Title. Select Displacement as the load type and enter a value of .005 in the TX field and click OK.

6.2.4 Apply the Constraints

From the Femap Main Menu select Model, Constraint and select On Surface. Enter Fixed constraints in the Title field of the New Constraint Set dialog box. Select OK. The Entity Selection Enter Surface(s) to Select dialog box appears. With your mouse, point to, and click, on the 4 surfaces that make up the outer flanges and the two end surfaces of the Band (refer to highlighted surfaces in image below). Click OK.

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In the Create Constraints on Geometry dialog box click on the Fixed radio button and select OK. NOTE: When using enforced motion as a load, it is okay, and in some solvers required, that the nodes be constrained in the DOF that they are being loaded in.

6.2.5 Mesh the Model

You specify different mesh sizes for different solids in the model and Hex Mesh the solids separately so that the Flange solids are merged at the interfaces properly. In the Geometry branch of the Model Info tree, right-click on 4..Band and select Mesh Size from the context sensitive menu. In the Automatic Mesh Sizing dialog box click on the Hex Meshing radio button, specify an Element Size 0.1 and click OK.

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In the Geometry branch of the Model Info tree, highlight all solids but the 4..Band. To do this, click on 1..V Retainer 1, then hold Shift on your keyboard and click on 8..Flange 2B. This will have highlighted all 8 solids. Now click ON Ctrl on your keyboard and click on 4..Band. This will deselect solid 4, but keep all other solids highlighted. Right-click on any of the highlighted solids and select Mesh Size from the context sensitive menu. In the Automatic Mesh Sizing dialog box click on the Hex Meshing radio button, specify an Element Size 0.22 and click OK.

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Go to Mesh, then Geometry and select HexMesh Solids. In the Entity Selection Select Solid(s) to Mesh dialog box click on the Select All but then click OK. Femap will prompt you to make a material to be used for all of the selected solids by opening the Define Material ISOTROPIC dialog box. When this opens, click on the Load button. Select AISI 4340 Steel from the list in the Select from Library dialog box and then click OK, and then OK again in the Define Material ISOTROPIC dialog box. In the HexMesh Solids dialog box click OK. The model is now meshed. Push Ctrl+Q or click and this will bring up the Visibility dialog box. In the Entity/Label tab click the All Off button and then check the Element box located in the Mesh field. Now click Done. NOTE: The Loads and Constraints are still applied to the model, they are just no longer visible. If you want to turn them on to verify they are there, simply use Ctrl+Q again and press the Load/Constraint On button and then Done.

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The model is now ready to be analyzed.

6.3 Run the Analysis

Femaps analysis manager stores the options for creating an input file for a solver (an analysis set). It can launch the NEi Nastran Editor or another solver that has been set up to run on the same PC. The analysis sets are stored with the Femap model file, and can also be stored in a Femap library that can be accessed from different model files. To create the analysis set to solve the model, start by going to Model in the Femap Main Menu and then select Analysis. In the Analysis Set Manger dialog box, click the New button. Enter V Clamp Assembly for the Title, for the Analysis Program choose 31..NEiNastran and for Analysis Type choose 10..Nonlinear Static.

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Click Next four times to get to the Nonlinear Control Options dialog box, check the Use Load Set Options checkbox and click OK.

In the Analysis Set Manager, click on No Cases Defined to highlight it, then click on the MultiSet button.

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In the Entity Selection Select Constraint Set(s) to Generate Cases dialog box, click OK to select the one constraint set defined in your model. In the Entity Selection Select Load Se(s) to Generate Cases dialog box, choose Select All to select the two load sets you have defined in your model and click OK. Two separate cases will be created, each with a separate load set. Click Analyze in the Analysis Set Manager dialog box, and then enter a name for the file to be saved and click Write. Once the Editor has finished, the analysis may reveal Warning Messages, Warning G3051: MODIFYING POSITION OF SLAVE GRID 531 ON Contact ELEMENT 2. Click Continue and the results will be loaded into Femap.

6.4 Post-Process the Results

For this example, you will display the Deformed Shape and Contour Plot of the Solid von Mises Stress; in addition, you will also animate your results. To begin, push the F5 key to bring up the View Select dialog box. Click the Deform radio button in the Deformed Style box. This will show the deformation of the model in the contour plot. Click the Contour radio button in the Contour Style box. This will activate the color contour plot.

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Now click on the Deformed and Contour Data button. In the Select PostProcessing Data dialog box choose 10..INCR 5, LOAD=2.0 in the Output Set field and under the Output Vectors filed choose 1..TOTAL TRANSLATION under Deformation and 60031..SOLID VON MISES under Contour.

Click OK in all boxes. If you do not have the Post Toolbar present, go to Tools from the Femap Main Menu, then Toolbars, and then Post. This brings up the Post Toolbar. Click the Post Options icon (as shown below) from the Post Toolbar and select Actual Deformation from the drop-down list. This can also be accomplished by pressing the F6 key or using View, Options menu. From here, select PostProcessing as the category and highlight Deformed Style in the Options list. Now uncheck the % of Model (Actual) box and then OK.

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Your model should now look like the one below:

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To animate the model press the F5 key. Instead of having Deform in the Deformed Style filed choose Animate-MultiSet. Now click on the Deformed and Contour Data button. Under Output Set, choose 1..INCR 1, LOAD=0.2, and 10..INCR 5, LOAD=2.0 under Final Output Set. Now click OK in both dialog boxes.

Your model should be animating. To stop the animation, push the F5 key and click the Deform button in the Deformed Style field and then OK. Again, you can perform some other postprocessing commands on this model, then save the model. This is the end of the example. Save your model.

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