150 ANSYS Workbench

Mechanical
tips and tricks

by Claudiu D.

1 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

© Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

 - dedicated to God -

ISBN 978-973-0-16372-8

3 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

CONTENT:

A) Index of topics.....................................................................page 7

B) Foreword............................................................................ page 13

C) 150 Hints............................................................................ page 15

D) Afterword.......................................................................... page 348

5 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

A) Index of topics:
2D FEA setup - Hint 4
3D curve from a TXT coordinate file in DesignModeler - Hint 150
Advanced Size Function - Hint 109
Analysis Settings - Hint 104
Animations - Hint 105
ANSYS Customization Tools - Hint 65
APDL commands - Hint 69
Axes orientation - Hint 86
Axes re-orientation in Joints - Hint 3
Backup - Hint 68
Beta options - Hint 57
Body Views - Hint 43
Body Views - Hint 92
Bolt Pretension - Hint 51
Breaking of contacts in Explicit Dynamics - Hint 123
Carry Over Time in solving - Hint 63
Circular Pattern in DesignModeler - Hint 121
Composite materials - Hint 81
Construction Surfaces - Hint 140
Contacts and Joints details and properties - Hint 137
Contact Sizing - Hint 38
Contact Tool as Initial Contact Result - Hint 16
Contact Tool as Solution - Hint 17

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Contact Tool Worksheet - Hint 21
Contacts between same face - Hint 76
Contacts in shell elements - Hint 88
Contacts in small size assemblies - Hint 127
Contour results - Hint 79
Convergence check - Hint 119
Convergence tool - Hint 110
Coordinate systems for rotational loads - Hint 78
Coordinate systems in nodes - Hint 61
Crack modelling - Hint 132
Cross sections library - Hint 95
Cyclic Symmetry - Hint 2
Default Solid Materials - Hint 84
Deformation and Stress in Modal FEA - Hint 147
Design Points - Hint 90
Display Solution items in nodes - Hint 13
Duplicate connections tool - Hint 73
Element Midside nodes - Hint 59
Element types query - Hint 117
Element types query - Hint 135
Enclosure of geometry - Hint 62
Energy Conservation and Energy Symmary plots in Explicit Dynamics -
Hint 115.
Energy Error in Explicit Dynamics - Hint 113.

8 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

Errors in Project Schematic - Hint 66
Face Delete in DesignModeler - Hint 143
Face splitting using Projection command in DesignModeler - Hint 145
Fatigue Tool - Hint 50
Files exchange and backup - Hint 36
Files inspection and repairing - Hint 6
Filling hollow geometry - Hint 108
Geometry and Mesh filters - Hint 130
Geometry details and properties - Hint 138
Geometry update - Hint 53
Geometry items search - Hint 120
HEX Mesh - Hint 29
Hydrostatic Fluid Element HSFLD 24x - Hint 7
Hyperelastic materials - Hint 56
Identifiers' usage for custom results - Hint 99
Images and Figures - Hint 102
Increase data requests in solution items - Hint 67
Inflation in meshing - Hint 55
Joints usage and setup for faster FEA - Hint 41
Labels and Probes - Hint 97
Legend accurate view- Hint 34
Legend visibility- Hint 87
Manage Views - Hint 15
Materials refreshing - Hint 10

9 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

Merged bodies behavior - Hint 83
Mesh metrics - Hint 72
Mesh Sizing options - Hint 144
Messages - Hint 74
Midsurface command in DesignModeler - Hint 141
Minimum Time Step in Explicit Dynamics advises for geometry
defeaturing - Hint 148
Modal analysis - Hint 111
Multiple cores and GPU acceleration - Hint 35
Multizone in Meshing - Hint 58
Named Selection - Hint 85
Named Selection from promoted tree feature - Hint 128
Neoprene Rubber properties - Hint 8
Nodal connectors - Hint 101
Nodal Coordinate Systems - Hint 139
Nodal loads - Hint 27
Node numbers display - Hint 134
Nonlinear Controls activation when the FEA is not converging - Hint
124
Nonlinear materials - Hint 45
Object Generator tool for duplicating features - Hint 136
Orientation of views shortcuts in Mechanical window - Hint 146
Parameterization of Geometry, Mesh, Loads etc. - Hint 60
Part location in Geometry branch - Hint 129

10 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

Parts manipulation in Joints - Hint 24
Pinch usage in meshing - Hint 47
Plots of multiple Solution items - Hint 23
Points coordinates - Hint 98
Press-fit/ shrink-fit contact - Hint 18
Probes deleting - Hint 131
Project Schematic customization - Hint 75
Random Colors usage - Hint 49
Reactions check in FEA - Hint 82
Redundancy Analysis - Hint 42
Remote loads and supports - Hint 94
Report publishing and customization - Hint 28
Response Spectrum results - Hint 77
Restarting failed FEA - Hint 142
Restore accidentally closed windows or toolbars - Hint 25
Results on Path - Hint 125
Rotate bodies in DesignModeler - Hint 133
Revolute Joint between parts with holes - Hint 26
Scale of solution - Hint 14
Section Planes and Coordinate Systems - Hint 64
Section Plane from Coordinate System - Hint 126
Section Planes configuration for quarter views - Hint 31
Section Planes editing - Hint 32
Section Planes usage - Hint 19

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Selection of overimposed geometry features - Hint 106
Selection type change - Hint 39
Sever restart - Hint 103
Shear diagrams for beam problems - Hint 5
Shell elements orientation - Hint 11
Shell extraction - Hint 12
Sketch copy and re-usage - Hint 100
Solution on different local Coordinate Systems - Hint 93
Solution Output plots, optimal view - Hint 30
Solve faster - Hint 33
Solve FEA with progressing contact statuses - Hint 40
Solving interruption - Hint 46
SpaceClaim usage in 3D modeling - Hint 9
Sphere of Influence in Meshing- Hint 20
Stiffness behavior - Hint 70
Stress Error tool - Hint 91
Surface body creation - Hint 54
Surface selections propagation - Hint 37
Sweepable Bodies and Mappable Faces - Hint 22
Temporary FEA Files - Hint 1
Thermal effects in Structural FEA - Hint 149
Time Increment plot - Hint 112
Toolbars activation - Hint 44
Transient vs. Static FEA comparison - Hint 80

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Units Systems - Hint 107
User Defined Results - Hint 89
Viewports - Hint 48
Virtual Topology - Hint 96
Visibility of Solution - Hint 71
Welding Points - Hint 52

13 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

B) Foreword

This is a unique book, coming from lots of years of working in ANSYS

Workbench, a compilation of hints on how to improve, ease, and quicken your
FEA practice.

We recommend reading and browsing it entirely, because even if some

ideas may seem familiar to you, we are sure that you will be pleasantly
surprised of hints that you didn't know them until now.

After having finished reading it, keep it close to you, because you will
surely need it.

Even though a few tutorials are used to illustrate some examples, it is not
a tutorial manual. We have already posted many tutorials on
expertfea.com/tutorials.html and we will post more.

We tried to bring only original content, and we succeeded in 99%, but it is

possible that a few paragraphs are inspired from Internet and we acknowledged
that by thanking to our colleagues in the Afterword section of the book.

Because ANSYS Inc. continuously improves their software, we will update

this book, and release new enriched editions very often.

Thank you for your purchase and happy reading!

15 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

C) Hints
Hint 1. If you have problems with HDD space, move the solving folder to where
you have enough space.

From the main window, go to Tools, Options...

Project Management, File Locations and Folder for Temporary Files.

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Hint 2. When having revolute parts and cyclically symmetrical BC's and Loads,
consider using Cyclic Symmetry from DesignModeler or Mechanical Window.

Browse for wedge.x_t. Right click Coordinate System, Insert, Coordinate System.

Type = Cylindrical; Geometry, select the outer cylindrical face, Apply.

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This is the result.

Click Symmetry from Model toolbar.

Right click Symmetry, Insert, Cyclic Region.

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ANSYS already found the cylindrical coordinate system we just created.

This is the successful result, marked with a green check sign.

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After the solving is finished, the FEA will show the full cylinder, comprised of
several slices, depending on their angle.

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Hint 4. When performing 2D analysis, change this property before entering
Model or Setup.

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27 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com
Hint 8. When using the default Neoprene Rubber, insert Density and Poisson
Coefficient .

These are the default properties for the Neoprene Rubber in ANSYS.

Brwose for wedge.x_t. Assign the material to a part to perform a simple FEA.

43 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

Apply a Pressure on the top face and a Fixed Support on the bottom face. Assign
some Solution items, such as Stress and Deformation. We observe question
marks signaling a problem.

For a proper orientation of the Coordinate System, select it and at origin; Define
By, Geometry Selection; Geometry, select the outer cylindrical face, Apply.

44 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

This is the result; right click Solution, Solve.

At the bottom we get these messages, showing that Neoprene Rubber is missing
some data. Go to Engineering Data.

Having Neoprene Rubber selected, double click Density from Toolbox and insert
950 as value.
45 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com
Having Neoprene Rubber selected, double click Isotropic Elasticity from
Toolbox, Linear Elastic and insert 0.08 MPa and 0.499 as seen.

Refresh Project, Return to Project.

Now the question marks have disappeared and we can successfully re-run the
FEA.

46 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

This is the solved FEA.

47 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com

Hint 11. When meshing with shell elements, check element direction (Top,
Middle or Bottom), to avoid interferences or gap, if the mesh protrudes more or
less than desired.

Browse for carbody.x_t. We have this geometry of thickness 10 mm that needs

to be meshed with shell elements; the default side/ direction of meshing is
Offset Type: Middle.

This is the mesh for Middle side. Observe the interference.

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Change Offset Type: Top.

This is the mesh for Top side. Observe the interference.

56 © Oct. 2014, expertfea.com