SolidWorks Simulation Professional 2009 Training Manual Lesson 3 Buckling Analysis Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to: ‘= Perform buckling analysis, ‘= Understand buckling load factors and decide whether the product fails in strength or stabilityLesson 3 SolidWorks Simulation Professional 2009 Training Manual ‘Buemng Anayste 44 Objectives‘SolidWorks Simulation Professional 2008 Training Manual Losson 3 Buckling Analysis Linear vs. Nonlinear Buckling Analysis Buckling Analysis, Bucking Analysis Buckling refers to sudden large displacements due to compressive loads. Slender structures, subject to axial loads, can fail due to buckling at load levels lower than those required (© cause material failure ‘Buckling can occur indifferent modes under the effect of different load levels. In most cases, only the lowest buckling load is of interest, ‘To grasp the concept of buckling, note that any structural load affects structural stiffness by adding a component commonly referred to as sess stfliness. Tensile loads induce a positive stress stfTness, which adds tothe elastic stiffness of the structure. Compressive loads induce a negative stress stiffness, which is subtracted from the elastic structural stiffness causing the structure to soften Buckling takes place when the resultant structure stiffness (a result of subtracting the stress stiffness induced by compressive load from elastic stifTness) drops to zero, The following equation describes the cancellation of resultant stiffness: [Ker 2xg[e] = 9 where Xk, is the elastic stiffness matrix; Ks is the stress stiffness matrix; 2, are eigenvalues that when multiplied by the applied load provide the critical loading; and 9, are the eigenvectors that represent the buckled mode shapes. SolidWorks Simulation offers calculations of any number of buekling, modes and associated buckling loads. ‘The first mode and its associated magnitude of buckling force is most important because buckling most often causes catastrophic failure oF renders the structure unusable, even if the structure can withstand the load in its buckled shape. [Buckling can be thought ofas a situation where a very small increase in the load causes the structure to lose its stability and collapse, A linear buckling analysis determines the eigenvalues of the structure for given loads and restraints disregarding any imperfections and nonlinear effects that always exist in real structures. Those imperfections and nonlinear effects significantly lower the real ‘buckling loads as compared to the buckling loads predicted by a linear ‘buckling analysis, For this reason, the results ofa linear buckling analysis must be interpreted with caution. ‘Nonlinear buckling analysis must be used to find accurate values of the ‘buckling load in many cases and to study post-buckling effects 45