SolidWorks Lesson Template for Teachers to Contribute Cover Sheet for Exemplary Lessons/Units Project Faculty Member Name:

Emmanuel Enemuoh Date: 8/20/06 Organization: University of Minnesota Duluth Title of Lesson/Unit: Fracture Mechanics of 1020 Steel Using SolidWorks and CosmosWorks ______________________________________________________________________ Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) STEM Concepts Addressed: This lesson explores the use of SolidWorks and CosmosWorks to model and study fundamentals of fracture mechanics. This lesson will be part of Introduction to Material Science course taught at Sophomore/Junior Years at college level. The class will first find the results by conventional analytical methods and then we will find them using CosmosWorks (finite element analysis). Length of instruction period: 50 minutes How many periods needed to implement lesson unit: 1 Grade Level(s) for use: college Objectives: 1. Learn to calculate maximum stress in a flat plate of finite width with a side crack and is simply loaded in tension (open mode). 2. Learn to calculate stress for a flat plate that is loaded in simple tension. 3. Learn to calculate factor of safety for the same specimen. 4. Learn to conduct the same analysis using CosmosWorks. 5. Compare analytical and numerical results of computed stresses. 6. Learn the effects of changing notch dimensions. Since most products are not perfectly made without surface roughness or defects, engineers will often need to determine maximum stress in parts with notches to find if they are safe. Brittle fracture of normally ductile materials has increased the need for a better understanding of the mechanisms of fracture. Fracture mechanic allows quantification of the relationships between material properties, stress level, the presence of crack-producing flaws, and crack propagation mechanisms. The measured fracture strengths for most brittle materials are significantly lower than those predicted by theoretical calculations based on atomic bonding energies. Let us look at an example of flat plate illustrated in Figure below.

Flat Plate with finite width, thickness = 20 mm. All dimensions are in millimeter. The flat plate of finite width having a through circular side notch is loaded in simple tension as shown in the Figure above. Maximum stress occurs at the tip of notch due to stress concentration. Stress concentration is a function of shape of the notch and size of notch as illustrated below. The ratio of maximum stress at the notch tip to the stress in the material is called stress concentration factor, Kt. We can calculate these values for the above case with the following equations:
max
a = 2 0 t
1/ 2

F a = 2 A t
1/ 2

1/ 2

a K t = max = 2 0 t yp Fs = max

max is the maximum stress at tip of the notch. 0 is the stress in the material due to applied load F, away from the notch. F is the applied tensile load. A is the cross sectional area of plate. Kt is the stress concentration factor. a is the length of crack (radius of notch) t is the radius of curvature of crack (1 for circular notch). Fs is the factor of safety. Note these equations are only valid for the case shown and for a steady load F. Materials: SolidWorks, paper and pencil, calculator.

Procedures: Consider a flat plate of finite width 300 mm, thickness 20 mm, and length 400 mm. The plate is made from alloy steel (AISI 1020) and has modulus of elasticity = 200 GPa, and a yield strength = 351 MPa. The plate is loaded in tension with 900 KN. Analyze the Plate using Equations: Determine maximum stress at notch tip with the previously given equations as follows: 1/ 2 1/ 2 a F a = 2 0 = 2 A t t
900000 N 2 = 2 2 6000mm 1 = 424.3 N / mm 2
1/ 2

max max max

Determine engineering stress in plate away from the notch with the previously given equation: F 0 = A 900000 N 0 = 6000mm 2 0 = 150 N / mm 2 Determine stress concentration for the specified material condition:

Kt = Kt =

max 0

424.3MPa = 2.83 150 MPa This means that the stress induced by 900 KN tensile load on the plate is amplified by a factor of 2.83 at the circular notch tip.
Fs = Fs =

yp max

Determine plates factor of safety with the specified alloy steel (AISI 1020):

351MPa = 0.83 424.3MPa

We will now draw the plate with Solid Works and solve for the above results using COSMOSWorks. No calculations are needed with this finite element analysis program.

Draw the plate with SolidWorks: 1. Click New on the Standard toolbar. 2. Click Part, and then click OK. 3. Click Options on the standard toolbar. 4. Click the Document Properties tab. 5. Click Units. 6. Select MMGS (millimeter, gram, second) and click OK. 7. Click Extruded Boss/Base on the Features toolbar. 8. The Front, Top, and Right planes appear. Select the Front plane. The display changes so that the Front plane is facing you. The Sketch toolbar commands appear in the CommandManager, and a sketch opens on the Front plane. 9. Click Rectangle on the Sketch toolbar. 10. Move the pointer to the sketch origin. . 11. Click the origin, and then move the pointer to create a rectangle approximately 300mm wide by 400mm high. 12. Click again to complete the rectangle. You do not have to be exact with the dimensions; you will use the Smart Dimension tool to dimension the sketch. 13. Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar. 14. Click the bottom edge of the rectangle, and then click where you want to place the dimension. 15. Be sure Smart Dimension is selected and click the right edge of the rectangle, then click to place its dimension. 16. Double-click the base dimension. The Modify dialog box appears. The current dimension is highlighted. 17. Set the value to 300, and then click OK. 18. Double-click the height dimension and change its value to 400. 19. Click circle on the sketch toolbar.

20. Select the center approximate on the middle of front edge of the rectangle. Complete the circle approximately 20mm radius. You do not have to be exact with the dimensions; you will use the Smart Dimension to dimension the circle. 21. Click Smart Dimension on the Sketch toolbar, then click the circle and change to 20 mm radius. 22. Click on trim entities on the Sketch toolbar, and then select trim to closest. 23. Select the parts of the circle to trim to get your final notch on the plate. 24. Click Exit Sketch on the Sketch toolbar. The Extrude PropertyManager appears in the FeatureManager design tree (left panel); the view of the sketch changes to trimetric, and a preview of the extrusion appears in the graphics area. 25. In the PropertyManager, under Direction 1: Set Depth to 20 mm. 26. Click OK to create the extrusion. 27. Click Zoom to Fit on the standard toolbar to center the sketch. The flat plate should look as follows:

Analyze the Flat Plate using COSMOSWorks: Note: Before you complete this part you should configure your COSMOSWorks to show up on your SolidsWork main menu. The process of completing numerical analysis involve seven steps: Study definition, material application, load and restraint specification, mesh creation, running the analysis, plotting results, and description of results. To define study 1. Click Study on your COSMOSWorks tool bar from SolidWorks standard toolbar.

2. Define your study as follows; Study: Stress Intensity Factor, Analysis Type: Static, and Mesh type: Solid Mesh.
To Assign material AISI 1020 to plate 3. Click Select Material from COSMOSWorks tool bar. 4. Select :From Library Files, Pick Steel-AISI1020, and Change Units: SI To define load and restraint 5. Click Load/Restraint from COSMOSWorks tool bar. 6. Select Restraint, then select the bottom face of the plate. Under type, select fixed. 7. Select Load, and then select the Top face of the plate, Apply normal force, change units to SI, then enter -900000 N. The ve sign will change the direction of the load to open mode loading. See Figure below for the plate that has been completely restrained and loaded.

To mesh the part: 8. Click Mesh, and then Create from COSMOSWorks tool bar. 9. Accept the default mesh parameters which are 4.7 mm element size and .23 mm tolerance. Click ok. 10. To see mesh right click on mesh icon on COSMOSWorks Manager on left. Then select show mesh. See figure below.

To analyze the part: 11. Click Run from COSMOSWorks tool bar. The analysis begins and a progress indicator appears. If there is no error analysis complete message will appear. To Plot Results 12. Click Plot Results, then Stress from COSMOSWorks tool bar. 13. Select type of analysis: for this case choose Von Mises Stress. 14. Select units: N/mm2 for this study. 15. Click ok. COSMOSWork generates the stress distribution plot. See below

COSMOSWorks generates the stress distribution plot.

The stress bar shows three important stress levels on the plate with color gradient. The Maximum stress is 411.2 MPa; the yield strength is 351 MPa. And the average stress away from the notch of about 180 MPa. Note that the maximum stress, shown is red, is 411.2 MPa, in close agreement with the calculated value of 424.3 MPa. The maximum stress also occurs at the tip of the notch as predicted. The factor of safety is also very close to the computed. Analyze the Plate with increase in notch radius using COSMOSWorks: Analyze the same plate and properties. And change the radius of the notch to 30 mm. This is easily done by simply changing the radius on the present drawing: 1. Double click Extrude 1 on the Feature Manage Toolbar (left side of screen. 2. Double click the 20 mm circle dimension, change it to 30 mm and press enter.

3. Click Rebuild on the standard toolbar. The notch is redrawn 4. Click COSMOSWorks and repeat the above COSMOSWorks analysis. The following results should appear: The maximum stress has increased to 460 MPa. This is as expected from the relationship given previously above. The stress intensity will increase with increase in crack length.

Assessment: With the properties the same, change the notch radius. Determine the maximum stress and factor of safety. Re-compute analytically and compare your results. Bonus: Change the shape of the notch from circular notch to an elliptical notch to simulate sharper crack tip. Analyze again for maximum stress and factor of safety on the plate analytically and numerically. Resources Used: SolidWorks Online Tutorials Copyrighted Materials: SolidWorks

10