Customer Training Material

Workshop 9.1
Parameter Management

Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary 2010 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. Release 13.0 November 2010

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

Goals

Customer Training Material

Goal: Use the Workbench Parameter Workspace to setup multiple scenarios to explore structural responses in the bracket shown. Material thickness will be varied in the gusset with the bracket thickness held constant then the process will be reversed.

Bracket
Gusset

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

Project Schematic

Customer Training Material

Open the Project page. From the Units menu verify:

Project units are set to Metric (kg, mm, s, C, mA, mV). Display Values in Project Units is checked (on).

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Project Schematic
1. From the Toolbox double click Static Structural to create a new system.

Customer Training Material

1.

2. RMB the geometry cell and Import Geometry and browse to Bracket.stp.

2.

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

Preprocessing
3. Double click the Model cell to open the Mechanical application. 3.

Customer Training Material

4. Set/verify the working unit system:

Units > Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA).

4.

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Preprocessing
5. Highlight the part Bracket and enter a thickness = 2mm in the details. 6. Highlight the part Gusset and enter a thickness = 1mm in the details. 7. Make both thicknesses parametric by toggling the check box.
7.

Customer Training Material

5.

6.

8. Highlight the Geometry branch and, in the Property details, toggle the Mass parameter on.
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8.
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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Preprocessing
9. Highlight the Connections branch, RMB > Insert > Connections Group.

Customer Training Material

9.

10. In the details for the connections group change the Auto Detections for Face/Edge to Yes.

10. 11. Highlight the connections group RMB > Create Automatic Connections.
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11.
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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

Environment
12. Apply constraints to the model (highlight Static Structural branch (A5):
a. Select the edge of one hole. b. RMB > Insert > Fixed Support. c. Highlight the face surrounding the fixed hole. d. RMB > Insert > Frictionless Support.

Customer Training Material

a.

b.

d. c.

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Release 13.0 November 2010

Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Environment
13. Apply Loads to the model:
a. b. c. d. Select the of the hole shown below. RMB > Insert > Force. In the Details switch to the component method. Enter a magnitude of -20 N in the X direction.

Customer Training Material

c.

d. a.

b.

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

Solution Setup
14. Insert Results (highlight Solution branch (A6):
a. RMB > Insert > Stress > Equivalent (von Mises).

Customer Training Material

a.

15. In the result detail, toggle the Maximum result as a parameter.

15.

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

Parameter Management
16. Access the Parameter Set:
a. From the schematic double click Parameter Set.

Customer Training Material

When the parameter workspace opens make sure the 2 thicknesses, the mass and the stress are all shown in the parameter list. a.

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Release 13.0 November 2010

Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Parameter Management

Customer Training Material

17. Enter thickness values as shown below. For the first 3 DPs the bracket will be held constant while the gusset thickness varies. For the last 3 the reverse will be solved.

18. Update All Design Points will instruct Mechanical to execute a solve for each scenario in the Design Point table. 18.
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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Parameter Management

Customer Training Material

Once the update process begins a message will appear as shown here. In fact the Mechanical application window will close during the update process. This is normal.

When the updates are complete the table will show calculated values for both output parameters.

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Parameter Management

Customer Training Material

19. There are several ways we can present the design point information. In this case well see how output quantities vary with each design point:
a. Highlight the output parameter Equivalent Stress Maximum (P5 here). b. Double click the Design Points Vs P5 choice in the Toolbox (again, parameter numbers will vary depending on the order of their definition).

b. a.

Repeat the above steps with the Geometry Mass parameter (P3 in this case).

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Parameter Management

Customer Training Material

20. Highlight the stress per design point chart to display (here the charts have been renamed according to their content):

20.

Stress per Design Point

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Parameter Management
21. Highlight the mass plot to display.

Customer Training Material

21.

Mass per Design Point

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Introduction to ANSYS Mechanical

. . . Parameter Management

Customer Training Material

Repeat step 19 and create a stress vs DP plot. In the properties window choose to display Geometry Mass on the right side Y axis as shown below.

Plots like this one allow us to visualize the trade off that often accompanies these kinds of choices.
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