7_BRACKET

(3D Finite Element Simulation – Beam Bracket)

The function of the beam

bracket is to safely transfer
the loads from the beam to
the column. The beam
bracket consists of a seat
plate (flange) and a web
plate.

Material: Structural steel

Vertical load: 27 kN

Static Structural **

Geometry ** (Starts up Design Modeler)

 Millimeter [OK] ZXPlane > Look At Face/Plane/Sketch

Sketching > Draw > Rectangle

Impose a Symmetry Constraint about Z axis

 ISO View

Extrude > Select the Rectangle > Apply

Details of Extrude1 > FD1, Depth = 16 mm
Generate

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YZPlane > Look at face

Sketching > Draw > Polyline (closed end)

Draw the sketch with the given dimensions

 ISO View

Extrude > Apply (The active sketch is automatically selected as Geometry)

Details of Extrude2 > Direction = Both - Symmetric
FD1, Depth = 5 mm (2*5=10mm)
Generate

Display Plane (turns off Display Plane)

Blend > Fixed Radius >

Control+Select left & right bottom edges of the seat plate > Apply

Details of FBlend1 > FD1, Radius = 16 mm

Generate

Blend > Fixed Radius >

Control+Select left & right top edges of the web plate > Apply

Details of FBlend2 > FD2, Radius = 10 mm

Generate

View >  Shaded Exterior

File > Close DesignModeler (DM)

File > Save As… > 7_BRACKET_geo (7_BRACKET_geo.stp created)

Engineering Data**

View >  Outline

 Properties
 Table
 Chart
Default material properties (E=200 GPa; Poisson’s ratio=0,3; Yield strength=250MPa) are
accepted for Structural Steel.
2E11 Pa = 200E9 Pa = 200 GPa
2,5E8Pa = 250E6 Pa = 250 MPa
Return to Project.

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A4: Model** (Starts up Mechanical)
Units > Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA)

Outline > Geometry > Solid*

Details of “Solid”
Material > Assignment = Structural Steel
Nonlinear Effects = Yes
Thermal Strain Effects= Yes

(Although Nonlinear Effects and Thermal Strain Effects are turned on by default, they have
no effect, since we didn’t provide nonlinear properties and will not specify thermal loading.)

Static Structural (Right click) > Insert > Fixed Support

Select back face of the Solid > Apply

Static Structural (Right click) > Insert > Force

Select top face of the Seat Plate > Apply
Define By = Components
Y Component = –27000 N

Solution (Right click) > Insert > Deformation > Total

Solution (Right click) > Insert > Stress > Equivalent (von-Mises)
(You can alternatively insert these items using the Pull Down Menu.)

Pull-Down Menu > Tools  > Stress Tool

Mesh*
Details of “Mesh” > Sizing > Relevance Center = Medium
Mesh > Generate Mesh

Details of “Mesh” > Statistics > Nodes = 5183 Elements=2654

Solution (Right click) > Solve

Total Deformation* Max=0,10197 mm Min=0 mm

Equivalent Stress* Max=64,637 MPa Min=0,34393 MPa
Stress Tool > Safety Factor* Max=15 Min=3,8678

Details of “Stress Tool”

Theory = Max Equivalent Stress
Stress Limit Type = Tensile Yield Per Material

(Details of “Stress Tool” shows that, in this case, the Safety Factor is the ratio between the
yield stress (250 MPa) and the calculated equivalent stress. For example, for the most critical
region, the equivalent stress is 64,735 MPa, therefore the safety factor is 3,8 (250/64). )

Total Deformation*
View > Windows > Reset Layout (if necessary)
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Graphics window*

To animate results > Graph > Animation 

You may “Export Video File”.

Solution (Right click) > Insert > Stress > Error (Structural Error)
Solution (Right click) > Evaluate All Results

Structural Error* Max=0,094823 mJ Min=1,3138e-7 mJ

File > Close Mechanical

File > Save As… > 7_BRACKET_final

Improving Mesh Quality

A4: Model** (Starts up Mechanical)

View >  Wireframe

Mesh*
Mesh Control > Method (from top Menu)
Select the entire body > Apply
Details of “Automatic Method”
Definition > Method = Multizone

Mesh > Generate Mesh

Mesh* (The model is hexahedra; result of multizone)

Solution (Right click) > Solve

Structural Error* Max=0,033303 mm Min=1,3782e-9 mm (reduced)

Total Deformation* Max=0,10281 mm Min=0
Equivalent Stress* Max=65,229 MPa Min=0,16382 MPa

Buckling Analysis

Solution (Right click) > Insert > Stress > Minimum Principal
Solution (Right click) > Evaluate All Results

Minimum Principal* Max=22,531 MPa Min=-84,009 MPa

File > Close Mechanical

Drag “Eigenvalue Buckling” from the Toolbox and drop on A6: Solution

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A4: Model** (Starts up Mechanical)

Outline Tree > Eigenvalue Buckling (B5) > Analysis Settings*

Details of “Analysis Settings” > Max Modes to Find = 2

Eigenvalue Buckling (B5) > Solution (B6) (Right click) > Insert > Deformation > Total
Eigenvalue Buckling (B5) > Solution (B6) (Right click) > Insert > Deformation > Total

Total Deformation 2 *
Details of “Total Deformation 2” > Definition > Mode = 2

Control+Select “Total Deformation” and “Total Deformation 2” under Solution (B6)

(Right click) > Rename Based on Definition

Eigenvalue Buckling (B5) * > (Right click) > Solve

(Since pre-stress is used in the buckling analysis, “Static Structural” will be automatically
solved before “Eigenvalue Buckling”.)

Total Deformation - Mode 1 *

(The “Load Multiplier” can be viewed as a safety factor. It predicts that 203 times of design
load will initiate a buckling. The structure is safe! )

Total Deformation - Mode 2 *

File > Close Mechanical

File > Save As… > 7_BRACKET_buckling

Surface Model

A1: Static Structural (Right click) > Duplicate

Rename “Copy of Static Structural” as “Surface Model”

C3: Geometry ** (Starts up Design Modeler)

Manual Face Selection

Pull-Down Menu > Tools  > Mid-Surface

Select one bottom face of the seat > > Control+Select the top face of the seat

Select other bottom face of the seat > > Control+Select the top face of the seat

Select one face of the web > > Control+Select the other face of the web

Apply > Generate

File > Close DesignModeler (DM)

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Automatic Face Selection
A1: Static Structural (Right click) > Duplicate
Rename “Copy of Static Structural” as “Surface Model2”

C3: Geometry ** (Starts up Design Modeler)

Pull-Down Menu > Tools  > Mid-Surface

Details of MidSurf1 > Selection Method = Automatic

Minimum Threshold = 10mm
Maximum Threshold = 16mm
Find Face Pairs Now = Yes
Face Pairs = 3
Generate

Tree Outline >  1 Part, 2 Bodies > Solid > Surface Body * (1st body)
(Right click) > Rename as “Seat”

Tree Outline >  1 Part, 2 Bodies > Solid > Surface Body * (2nd body)
(Right click) > Rename as “Web”

(Make sure that the thicknesses are 16mm and 10mm)

File > Close DesignModeler (DM)

C4: Model** [Yes] (Starts up Mechanical)

Outline > Static Structural (C5) > Fixed Support*

Control+Select the back Edges > Apply

Outline > Static Structural (C5) > Force*

Control+Select the top Faces of the Seat > Apply
(Note: Y Component = -27000N is still valid)

Mesh*
Details of “Mesh” > Sizing > Relevance Center = Coarse
Mesh > Generate Mesh

Details of “Mesh” > Statistics > Nodes = ??? Elements= ???

Pull-Down Menu > View  > Thick Shells and Beams

Solution (Right click) > Solve

Reference:

Huei-Huang Lee; Finite Element Simulations with ANSYS Workbench 14, SDC Publications,
2012. (p.164 & p.201)
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 TECHNICAL INFORMATION
MultiZone Mesh Method
The MultiZone mesh method is to decompose a non-
sweepable body into several sweepable bodies and
then apply Sweep method on each of bodies.
The MultiZone mesh method, which is a patch
independent meshing technique, provides automatic
decomposition of geometry into mapped (sweepable)
regions and free regions. When the MultiZone mesh
method is selected, all regions are meshed with a pure hexahedral mesh if possible. To handle cases
in which a pure hex mesh will not be possible, you can adjust your settings so that a swept mesh will
be generated in structured regions and a free mesh will be generated in unstructured regions.
MultiZone automates the geometry decomposition and generates the pure hex mesh.

Buckling Analysis
Using ANSYS Workbench Simulation functionality
provides many tools to aid users in solving geometric
instability problems, ranging from linear (eigenvalue)
buckling to nonlinear, post-buckling analyses.
Eigenvalue buckling analysis is a good approximation
technique that, although less precise than nonlinear
buckling analysis, is a relatively quick and easy way to
determine, for example, critical loads that induce
buckling and possible buckling modes (that is, the
different ways the structural member can deform).
The solution time for eigenvalue buckling typically is
significantly faster than a nonlinear buckling analysis, meaning that a great amount of useful
information comes at a relatively cheap computational price.
ANSYS Workbench Simulation allows users to easily set up eigenvalue (linear) buckling analyses. First,
a user must set up the loads and boundary conditions under a Static Structural analysis branch. Then
the user must add a second analysis branch, Eigenvalue Buckling. In this step, the Initial Conditions
branch references the Static Structural branch, so that loads, boundary conditions and the stress state
of the system can be obtained. Under the Analysis Settings branch, the user can request any number
of buckling modes. While the default is to solve the first buckling mode, the author recommends
solving for three or more buckling modes in order to verify whether or not there may be multiple
buckling modes that could be triggered. After solution, the buckling mode shapes and load multipliers
can be reviewed. The magnitude of all of the loads defined in the Static Structural branch multiplied
times the load multiplier provides an estimate of the critical load.

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