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Overview
This chapter guides you through a tutorial that teaches you how to use Adams/Durability with
Adams/View.
We assume that you will work through this tutorial in sequential order. Therefore, we give you more
guidance in the beginning and less as you proceed through the tutorial. If you choose not to work through
the tutorial in sequential order, you may have to reference the beginning sections for some of the basic
concepts.
This chapter contains the following sections:
• What You Will Create and Simulate
• Starting Adams/View and Creating a Database
• Applying a Rotational Joint Motion
• Applying a Translational Joint Motion
• Setting Up Requests
• Comparing Physical Test Data with Virtual Test Data
• Conclusion
Note: Before doing this tutorial you should be familiar with the basic features of the Adams/View
interface. For information about the Adams/View interface, refer to the online help for
Adams/View.
About Adams/Durability
Adams/Durability extends the traditional test-based durability design process into the virtual world.
Using Adams/Durability, you can read and write time history information of loads, forces, and
accelerations in the following traditional formats:
• nCode’s DAC
Adams/Durability interfaces with measured load histories, such as vehicle spindle loads, and
communicates with durability analysis programs such as nSoft, FE-Fatigue, and with durability test
machines. With Adams/Durability, you can also examine stresses, strains, damage, or fatigue life on
flexible components of your virtual system.
18 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Wheel
Strut_Top
Upper_Arm
Body
Knuckle Rack
Tie_Rod
Lower_Arm
19
Learning Adams/Durability Tutorial
Note: On Windows, you may need to set the permissions to Full Control to modify the tutorial
files.
Note: The Start in text box specifies the working directory that Adams/View uses as the default
directory for reading and writing files.
4. Navigate to a drive and directory that you want to use as your working directory. If you need to
create a new directory, select the Create New Folder button, and enter a directory name.
5. Select the directory, and select OK.
This ensures that all your work gets stored in the working directory you selected.
6. Select OK.
The File Import dialog box appears.
7. Set File Type to Adams/View Command File (*.cmd).
8. Right-click the File To Read text box, and select Browse.
The Select File dialog box appears.
9. Navigate to the directory install_dir/durability/examples, and select the directory suspension.
install_dir is the directory where the Adams software is installed. If you cannot locate this
directory, please contact your system administrator.
Note: Navigating to a directory makes this new directory the default for file selection.
Adams/View reads all files associated with the model from this new directory, but does not
change the working directory for saving and writing files.
20 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Creating a Spline
In this section, you’ll create a spline to reference the RPC III file and channel arguments from a test
performed on a physical model in a test lab. You use the RPC III file physical_test.rsp, and
reference data in channel 1.
To create a spline:
1. From the Build menu, point to Data Elements, point to Spline, and then select General.
The Data Element Create Spline dialog box appears, as shown next.
22 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
For more information on the INTERP function, refer to the Adams/Solver online help.
Note: If you enter the function incorrectly, you receive an error when you select OK. Check your
function syntax carefully.
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Learning Adams/Durability Tutorial
Creating a Spline
In this section, you’ll create a spline statement to reference the file and channel arguments from a test
performed on a physical model in a test lab. You use the same RPC III file, physical_test.rsp,
but you reference data in channel 2.
To create a spline:
1. From the Build menu, point to Data Elements, point to Spline, and then select General.
The Data Element Create Spline dialog box appears.
2. In the Spline Name text box, enter .suspension.steer_data.
3. Right-click the FIle Name text box, select Browse.
The Select File dialog box appears.
4. Select the file physical_test.rsp.
This file contains physical test data from a test performed on a physical model in a test lab.
5. In the Channel text box, enter 2.
6. Select OK.
Adams/View creates a spline that references the physical test data from channel 2 in the RPC III
file, physical_test.rsp.
Note: If you enter the function incorrectly, you receive an error when you select OK. Check your
function syntax carefully.
Note: If your simulation fails, check your spline definitions and motion function expressions. For
example, make sure that you are referencing channel 2, the spline definition for
steer_data.
28 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Setting Up Requests
In this section, you will set up a virtual instrument to monitor the displacement at the
spindle_center as follows:
• Creating a New Request
• Setting Up Adams Results in DAC Format
• Simulating the Model
Note: You will receive several warning messages (spline out of range and required
extrapolation). You can ignore these messages.
32 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Note: If you don’t reset the model, then all the simulation results will not be entered into the DAC
files. Adams/View stores DAC files in the current working directory.
Adams/View can only store one channel of data in a DAC file. Therefore, in this simulation, Adams/View
creates six DAC files, one per request component. The files are named according to the DAC file naming
convention shown next:
prefix_request name_component label.dac
where:
• prefix is the prefix you specified when you set up the Adams results in the Simulation
Settings dialog box. In this case, it is suspension.
• request name is the request name you specified when you created a new request in the
Create a Request dialog box. In this case, it is instrument.
• component label is the reserved label assigned to the six components of request data by
Adams (one of X, Y, Z, R1, R2, R3).
Therefore, the files will be named: suspension_instrument_X.dac,
suspension_instrument_Y.dac, and so on.
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Learning Adams/Durability Tutorial
Note: Virtual test data is stored in DAC or RPC III files and not in the modeling database.
However, the DAC and the RPCIII file objects are stored in the database and they
reference the virtual test data stored in the DAC and RPC III files.
Note: This becomes the default directory for any further file selections.
4. Select suspension_instrument_x.dac, and then press the Shift key and select
suspension_instrument_z.dac to select all three files.
5. Select Open.
Adams/PostProcessor enters the file names in the Files to Read text box.
6. In the DAC Object Name text box, enter instrument.
7. Select OK.
8. Set Source to DAC.
9. From the DAC list, select Instrument.
10. Select Surf.
11. From the File Data list, select REQUEST_1_X, REQUEST_1_Y, and REQUEST_1_Z, and
look at the plots.
Plotting Data
Finally, you will compare the virtual test data from your suspension model with physical test data from
the physical model of a suspension.
To plot data:
1. Set Source to RPC III.
2. Clear selection of Surf.
3. Select Clear Plot.
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Learning Adams/Durability Tutorial
Note: Since a vibration of about 10-20 Hz was not damped out in the physical test, you will notice
noise in the physical test data plots. The noise is most prevalent on the
Measure_Spindle_1 and Measure_Spindle_2 plots.
36 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Conclusion
This tutorial shows that despite minor differences, there is a good correlation between the physical test
data and the virtual test data from Adams/Durability. It also shows that the Adams model’s response to
imported physical test data matches the physical model’s response to the same data, and that the virtual
prototype is kinematically consistent with the physical prototype.
15
Modal Stress Recovery Tutorial
Overview
In this tutorial, you’ll learn to compute stresses on a crankshaft model.
The model contains one rigid body of the piston and two flexible bodies with modal stress shape
information from a NASTRAN analysis. A simulation will be performed of only the inertia effects of the
crankshaft starting at rest and ramping up to about 5000 RPM in 0.1 seconds. The goal is to determine
the maximum von Mises stress in the arm.
Stresses or strains can only be animated on flexible bodies that reference an MNF containing stress or
strain modes. For more information, see the Adams/Flex online help.
The tutorial includes the following sections:
• Importing the Model and Loading the Plugin
• Running an Analysis
• Viewing Flexible Body Stresses
• Plotting Nodal Stress
Note: On Windows, you may need to set the permissions to Full Control to modify the tutorial
files.
To load Adams/Durability:
1. From the Tools menu, point to Plugin Manager.
2. In the Load column, select the Yes check box next to Adams/Durability.
3. Select OK.
This creates the Durability menu and adds various stress and strain Plot Type menu
options for Contours in Adams/PostProcessor. You will use these commands later in this
tutorial.
Note: To automatically load Adams/Durability each time Adams/View starts up, select the Load
at Startup checkbox.
18 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Running an Analysis
Here you will run an analysis on the crankshaft model. Note that in this tutorial, the shaft and arm (biele)
are defined as flexible bodies, and the piston as a rigid body.
Piston
Shaft
Arm (biele)
To run an analysis:
1. Select the Simulation tool .
2. Set up a simulation with an end time of 0.1 second and a step size of 0.001.
3. Select the Simulation Start tool .
The model simulates, and then remains in simulate mode.
4. To return to the initial model configuration, select the Reset tool .
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Modal Stress Recovery Tutorial
Notice that the arm no longer animates in the system. Instead, the display isolates the arm. Also
note that the stress contours exhibit mostly a bending stress state in the arm: blue representing zero
stress in the middle of the arm and red representing high stress along its edges. This is consistent
with the arm’s deformation. Typically, a piston arm inside an engine primarily undergoes axial
(compression) stress due to combustion forces. But these forces are not simulated in this model.
Only the effects of inertia are being simulated.
6. Stop the animation.
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Modal Stress Recovery Tutorial
Note: If you plan to go on to the next tutorial, save the results (database) from this tutorial, or
remain in Adams/View (don’t exit).
22 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
15
nCode FE-FATIGUE Tutorial
Overview
In this tutorial, you’ll learn about modal stress recovery for fatigue life prediction (FLP) in the nCode
environment.
This chapter will not discuss the entire functionality of nCode, only those features that specifically apply
to this tutorial. For more detailed information on nCode, refer to your nCode documentation.
The following sections are included:
• Getting Started
• Exporting for nCode
• Starting nCode and Setting the Working Directory
• Specifying the FE-Fatigue Options
• Viewing FatFE - Material Input
• Analyzing Current Job
• Viewing nCode FATIGUE Results in Adams
Getting Started
Before starting this tutorial, you must complete the procedures in Importing the Model and Loading the
Plugin and Running an Analysis.
18 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Note: If you don’t have nCode but want to try displaying fatigue results, use the sample universal
files Biele.unv and Shaft.unv provided in the directory,
/install_dir/durability/examples/engine. Skip the following procedures
and start in the section, Viewing nCode FATIGUE Results in Adams using these sample
universal files.
6. Select OK.
7. Complete the Advanced Options dialog box as shown below
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nCode FE-FATIGUE Tutorial
8. Select OK.
Next, nCode will search for a load association file for this job (shaft-skin.laf). It is an
ASCII file relating to each unit load (stress) case in the FES file to a DAC file of the load time
history.
If this Adams/Durability-generates file exists, the following message window appears
:
Note: If you encounter error messages here, you may need to check the path of your working
directory. Refer to Starting nCode and Setting the Working Directory.
3. Select OK.
4. If you do not have a local materials database for FE-Fatigue, nCode warns you that a copy of the
central database will be made to the local area. Select OK to continue.
The FATFE - Partial to Full FES Completion - Material Input dialog box appears.
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nCode FE-FATIGUE Tutorial
3. Select OK.
The Material Input dialog box appears as shown below:
24 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
4. Select OK.
A message window appears asking if you want to begin the analysis.
5. Select Yes.
The Analysis Form dialog box appears.
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nCode FE-FATIGUE Tutorial
Starting Analysis
To analyze the current job:
1. Complete the Analysis Form dialog box as shown below
:
2. Select OK.
The Results Filename Entry dialog box appears.
3. Complete the Results Filename Entry dialog box as shown below:
26 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
4. Select OK.
As the analysis runs, a dialog box displays the progress.
11. Notice that the contours of the shaft and legend are updated with the life of the component.
Here, life is represented in number of repeats and 1x1020 is considered infinite life in FE-Fatigue.
Infinite life is predicted for the component, except at the two damaged points on the shaft, and
where the arm connects to the shaft.
15
MSC.Fatigue Tutorial
MSC.Fatigue Tutorial
16 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
Overview
In this tutorial, you will perform modal stress recovery and fatigue analysis using:
• MSC.Patran
• Adams
• MSC.Nastran
• MSC.Fatigue
This chapter will not discuss the entire functionality of these products, only those features that
specifically apply to this tutorial. For more detailed information, refer to your specific product
documentation.
The following sections are included:
• About the Model
• Part 1 - Mode-Shape Analysis
• Part 2 - System-Level Simulation
• Part 3 - Fatigue Life Calculation
The following operation automatically separates shells from solids. This will be handy during the
fatigue analysis process in Part 3 - Fatigue Life Calculation.
6. From the Group menu, select Create.
7. Set Method to Property Type.
20 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
The stresses you are viewing are not actual stress values sustained by the component, but modal
stress shapes. Later in this tutorial, these stress shapes will be combined with results from Adams
to obtain actual stress values. This process is called modal stress recovery (MSR).
4. Close the MSC.Patran session by closing the MSC.Patran window or by selecting File and then
Quit.
By default, MSC.Patran saves all databases.
22 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
• To rotate the view: Press r on the keyboard, and then rotate while pressing left mouse button.
• To translate: Press t.
• To zoom: Press w.
2. To replace the rigid LCA with a flexible LCA, from the Build menu, point to Flexible Bodies,
and then select Rigid To Flex.
3. In the Alignment tab, select the rigid part you want to replace and the MNF as follows:
• Current Part: RB2_left_lca_59
• MNF File: left_lca_0.mnf
• To select the rigid body to be replaced, right-click the Current Part text box, point to Part,
and then select Pick. Using your mouse, click on the lower left suspension arm.
To browse for the MNF, right-click the MNF File text box, and then select Browse.
The flexible body defined in the .mnf is already correctly positioned so this is all you need to do
in the Alignment tab.
4. Select the Connections tab.
The table displayed compares the connection points on the flexible body with the connection
points on the rigid body. In the Distance column, you will notice that there is a small offset for
the four bushing connection points.
You want to keep the bushings at the point where they where originally defined in the rigid model.
5. Click on the first table row, and then select Preserve location.
6. Repeat the previous step for rows 2 through 4 of the table.
24 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
7. Select OK.
The rigid part is now replaced by the flexible body as defined in the .mnf. The flexible body is
connected to the frame, knuckle, and damper in the same way as the rigid body.
To verify that the flexible LCA is correctly connected to the rest of the model:
1. From the Tools menu, select Database Navigator.
2. Select Topology By Parts.
3. Select the flexible LCA, .ATV_4poster.RB2_left_lca_59_flex.
It should be connected to the frame using two bushings, and to the damper (shock) and knuckle
with one bushing each.
4. Close the Database Navigator.
25
MSC.Fatigue Tutorial
Note that default damping is usually not useful, especially not in this case. If you used default
damping here, you would get a 10% damping ratio for mode 7, which is too much considering the
component is made of steel.
4. Select OK to save all modification and close the Flexible Body Modify dialog box.
• In the Camera tab, set Follow Object to RB1_frame_57 (the frame). Lock the rotations.
• Zoom in on the flexible LCA and orient the display so that you are looking at the bottom
surface of the LCA.
8. Animate by pressing the Play button.
9. Reset the animation.
10. To create a table that lists the three most critical areas of the LCA, from the Durability menu,
select Hot Spots Table, and then specify the following:
• Body: RB2_left_lca_59_flex (right-click in text box, point to body, and then select Pick or
Browse)
• Analysis: Last_Run (right-click in the text box, point to Analysis, point to Guesses, and then
select Last_Run)
• Type: Maximum Principal Stress
• Radius: 30.0
• Count: 3
11. Select Report.
When the calculation is complete, Adams/Durability displays the Hot Spots table as shown in the
following figure. The hottest spot is located around node 2990, which is located on the bottom
surface of the LCA, close to the cross-beam connection.
12. Close the Hot Spots Information dialog box.
5. Enter fat_left_lca for the jobname for the fatigue jobs in MSC.Patran. All fatigue-related files
will have this prefix.
The bottom section of the MSC.Fatigue dialog box contains the five steps to complete your
fatigue job:
• Three inputs - Solution Parameters, Material, and Loading
• Job control - Used to submit and monitor fatigue jobs
• Results - Used to postprocess fatigue results
6. Select Solution Params and complete the dialog box as shown next
32 Getting Started Using Adams/Durability
The Certainty of survival is set to 99%, indicating the highest conservatism in material properties
scatter.
The design life is the number of repetitions this part is expected to withstand without failure.
MSC.Fatigue will perform an additional analysis to assess the load scaling factor to reach a given
target life. A design life of 60000 is derived from a simple assumption that under the given loading
condition, the target life is around 10,000 km and that the 10-second repetition was performed at
an average speed of 60 km/h.
7. Select OK to close the Solution Parameters dialog box.
8. Select Material Info.
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MSC.Fatigue Tutorial
MSC.Fatigue offers a built-in library with more than 200 predefined materials. You can select
multiple materials for the same run and access advanced material options, such as temperature
dependency.
9. Click in the first cell of the spreadsheet (Material) and scroll through the available material list
below it. Select MANTEN_SN (carbon wrought steel).
10. Select No Finish and No Treatment.
11. Set Region to Membrane.
The region is the part of your model that will be analyzed. As mentioned previously, you are only
interested in the surface element and you will use the previously created Membrane group as the
target region.
12. Keep the defaults for all remaining fields, and then select OK.
• The 40 files start loading. Select More enough times to make sure all load channels are
loaded.
4. Select End.
The PTIME dialog box shows that you have 40 .dac files.
5. Select exit, and then select OK to close the PTIME-Database Options dialog box.
6. In the Loading Information dialog box, perform the following:
• Set Number of Static Load Cases to 40. Be sure to select Enter on your keyborard after
setting this value. Doing so will update the number of rows in the spreadsheet from 1 to 40.
• Select Fill Down OFF and the option changes to Fill Down ON.
• Select the first cell in the Load Case ID column.
• Select Get/Filter Results to open the Results Filter dialog box.
• To access all available results in the database in the Results Filter dialog box, select Select All
Results Cases, and then select Apply.
7. Select the first available results loadcase (… Mode 1…) in the Select a Results Load Case list.
8. From the Select a Stress/Strain Tensor list, select 1.1 – Stress tensor.
9. Select Fill Cell to populate the Load Case ID column.
10. Make sure the first cell in the Time History column is selected to populate column 2.
11. Select ATV_4POSTER_01.DAC from the Select a Time History list.
Your spreadsheet should look similar to the image shown below.
12. Leave the remaining default values, and then select OK.
You can check the status by accessing Job Control Action Monitor Job, and then
periodically selecting Apply.
When completed, the status window displays the following message:
Safety factor analysis completed successfully.
If you receive the message ERROR: cannot communicate with Queue Manager,
MSC.Patran is trying to run MSC.Fatigue through the Analysis Manager without a defined
environment. A workaround is to deactivate the Analysis Manager using the MSC.Patran
command analysis_manager.disable(), and then resubmit the job.