MECE3030U Computer-Aided Design

Lab 4 Manual

Objective:

Understand the types of simulations you can perform with NX Motion Simulation
Understand the Motion Simulation directory and file structure
Learn how to create a motion simulation

Process:
1.

Open ICE Assembly (you can download from Blackboard), then choose File Tab
ApplicationsMotion Simulation.

Figure 1. ICE assembly and Simulation Applications

Note: you can use Motion Simulation to simulate and evaluate mechanical systems for
things such as:

Displacements, velocities, and accelerates

Range of motion
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2.

Reaction forces, inertia forces and torques, and forces and moments transmitted
between bodies
Lock-up positions
Interference
Capture of loads for finite element modeling

Inside Motion Navigator, right click ICE assembly, create New Simulation.

2.1. First, the Environment dialog box popup. Check Kinematics as Analysis Type,
click OK. You can change the Simulation Name if you want.

2.2. The Motion Joint Wizard appears. Click Cancel.

2.3. Right click Motion 1 under Motion Navigator, create New Solution. Time is the
duration of the motion simulation in seconds, Steps is the number of iterations the
software will calculate in the given time. Make sure to choose XC direction as Specify
Direction under Gravity. Click OK. Click OK for warning

3.

We will create following Links in this step:

3.1. Link 1: choose Home TabSetup GroupLink, choose Crank 2 part for this
Link (you can change the Name if you want. For this lab, we will use default name
for all Links and Joints). Uncheck Fix the Link. Click Apply to create Link 1 and
keep Link dialog active.
Because this is a Kinematics simulation, mass properties are not required. Therefore,
for each link, use None for the Mass Properties in the Link dialog box.

3.2. Now we will create Link 2 and Link 3. Select 6 parts (Connecting Rod)
highlighted on the following picture as Link 2. Click Apply to create Link 2.

3.3. Select another 6 parts (Connecting Rod) highlighted on the following picture as Link
3. Click Apply to create Link 3.

3.4. For Link 4, uncheck all the parts except Connecting Rod and Piston Head inside
Assembly Navigator, click Piston Head and Bearing inside Piston Head
highlighted in the following picture, click Apply.

3.5. For Link 5, click Piston Head and Bearing inside Piston Head highlighted in
the following picture, click Apply.

3.6. Finally for Link 6, we will create Fix Link. Check all the parts inside Assembly
Navigator to show them on the screen. Select Cylinder Displacement part as
highlighted in the following picture. Check Fix the Link under Settings. Click OK
to finish creating Links.

4.

Now we will create the Joint.

4.1. We have already created Joint 1 (Fix Joints) when we created the Fixed Link 6.
Choose Home TabSetup GroupJoint, Joint 2 will be the Revolute Joint on
L001. Make sure you choose Revolute joint as Type. Under Action tab, select L001
(Crank 2) as Select Link, set Arc/Ellipse/Sphere Center for Specify Origin,
choose Edge in Crank 2 highlighted in the following picture, set YC-axis as
Specify Vector, under Base tab, leave it empty, click Apply to create the J002.

4.2. For Joint 3, we will create the Revolute Joint between Link 1 and Link 2. Under
Action tab, select L002(Connecting Rod) as Select Link, set Arc/Ellipse/Sphere
Center for Specify Origin, choose Edge in Connecting Rod highlighted in the
following picture (its Bearing center), set YC-axis as Specify Vector, under Base
tab, select L001 (Crank 2) as Select Link, then click Apply to create the J003.

4.3. For Joint 4, we will create the Revolute Joint between Link 1 and Link 3.
Follow Step 4.2 and select Link 3 instead of Link 2 under Select Link. For the
Specify Origin, choose Bearing Center of Link 3. (You can see Joint 3 and 4 are
located at the center of the Link 2 and 3)

4.4. For Joint 5, we will create the Revolute Joint between Link 2 and Link 4.
Follow Step 4.2 and select Link 4 as Select Link under Action group, select Link2
as Select Link under Base group. For the Specify Origin, choose Center of
Connecting Rod.

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4.5. For Joint 6, we will create the Revolute Joint between Link 3 and Link 5.
Follow Step 4.4 and select Link 5 under Action, select Link 3 under Base. For the
Specify Origin, choose Center of Connecting Rod.

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4.6. For Joint 7, we will create the Slide Joint between Link 4 and Link 6. Make sure
you choose Slide as Type. Under Action tab, select L004 (Piston Head) as Select
Link, set Arc/Ellipse/Sphere Center for Specify Origin, choose Edge in Cylinder
Displacement highlighted in the following picture, set XC-axis as Specify Vector,
under Base tab, select L006 (Cylinder Displacement)as Select Link, then click
Apply to create the J007.

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4.7. For Joint 8, we will create the Slide Joint between Link 5 and Link 6. Follow
Step 4.6 and select Link 5 instead of Link 4 under Action Group. Choose Edge in
Cylinder Displacement (Link 7) highlighted in the following picture, then click OK
to create the J008.

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5.

Now we will create Driver for this motion simulation. Choose Home TabSetup
Group Driver, select Joint 2 as Select Driver Object in Driver Object is
highlighted, set Constant under Rotation List, input Initial Velocity as 100
degrees/sec and Acceleration as 50 degree.sec^2 , click OK to finish.

6.

Right-click Solution_1 in Motion Navigation, choose Solve. Close the Information

dialog. (The simulation will need to be re-solved if there are any future changes to
links, joints, drivers.... etc.)

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7.

Choose Home TabAnalysis GroupAnimation GalleryAnimation, you can

see the result.

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