Workshop3.

2
ContactControl

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IntroductiontoANSYS
Mechanical
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Goals
Workshop3.2investigatescontactbehavioronasimpleassembly.Itismeantto
illustratehowrigidbodymotioncanoccurasaresultofimpropercontactsetup.
Problemstatement:

Themodelconsistsofasimpleassemblyfile.
Ourgoalistosetupcontactamongthepartsintheassemblyandseehownonsymmetric
loadingcaneffecttheresults.

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Assumptions
Wellassumethefrictionbetweenthearmshaftandtheholesinthesideplatesis
negligible.Wellmakethesameassumptionforthecontactbetweenthearm
shaftandthestopshaft.Finallywellassumethestopshaftisfixedtoeachofthe
sideplates.
Arm Shaft
Side Plate

Side Plate

Stop Shaft
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ProjectSchematic
OpentheProjectpage.
FromtheUnitsmenuverify:

ProjectunitsaresettoUSCustomary(lbm,in,s,F,A,lbf,V).
DisplayValuesinProjectUnitsischecked(on).

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...ProjectSchematic
1. IntheToolbox,doubleclickStatic
Structuraltocreateanewanalysis
system.
1.

2. RMBontheGeometrycelland
ImportGeometry.Browseto
Contact_Arm.stp.

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2.

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Preprocessing
3. DoubleclicktheModelcelltoopentheMechanical
application.
3.

4.

4. Set/checktheworkingUnitSystem:

Units>U.SCustomary(in,lbm,lbf,F,s,V,A)
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...Preprocessing
5. RMBtheConnectionsbranchand
RenameBasedonDefinition.

5.

Theresultiscontactregionsarenowdefined
withrespecttothepartsassociatedwith
each.Noticethetypeofcontact(e.g.
bonded,etc.)isalsoshown.

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...Preprocessing
6. Basedontheassumptionsstatedearlierchange
3ofthecontactregionstoNoSeparationas
shownhere:
a.

a. UsetheCTRLkeyandselectthe3contactregions
b.

shownhere.
InthedetailschangethecontacttypetoNo
Separation.
Eachcontactregioncouldbechanged
individually,selectingall3merelysaves
time.

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b.

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Environment
7. Fixtheassembly(highlighttheStatic
Structuralbranch(A5):

a. Selectthe2facesontheendsoftheSide
b.

Plates.
RMB>Insert>FixedSupport.

a.

b.

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...Environment
8. ApplyaforceloadtotheArmShaft:

a.
b.
c.
d.

SelecttheendlineonthetopoftheArmShaft.
RMB>Insert>Force.
IntheforcedetailschangetoComponent
Set:
Ycomponent= 10lbf (minus10)
Zcomponent=+1

a.

b.

c.
d.

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InitialSolution
9.

HighlighttheSolutionbranch(A6)and
RMB>Insert>Deformation>Total.

10. Solve(youwillseeawarningmessage
thatthemodelmaybeunconstrained).

9.

HighlighttheTotalDeformationtoview
theresult.

10.

Althoughslight,wecanseetheArmShaft is
beginningtomovesideways.Wehaveno
contactorboundaryconditiontoprevent
thismotionasitiscurrentlysetup.Ifthe
magnitudeoftheloadbecomeslarge
enough,thesolutionwillfail.

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ModifiedEnvironment
11. AddafrictionlesssupporttotheArmShaft:

a. Selectoneofthefacesontheendoftheshaft
b.

fortheArmShaft.
RMB>Insert>FrictionlessSupport.
Eitherendoftheshaftcanbechosen.

a.

b.

Africtionlesssupportprovidesaconstraint
whichisnormaltothesurface.Inthiscase
theshaftwillbefreetorotatebutcannot
moveoutofplane(inthiscasetheZ
directionisconstrained).

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ModifiedResult
Onceagainsolvethemodelandinspectthedeformations.Ascanbeseenthe
ArmShaft isnowpreventedfrommoving.

Insettingupcontactmodelsitisimportanttoassesswhatmotionshaveandhave
not,beenaccountedfor.

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