9.

0 New Features

Workshop 2
Spotwelds

Large Deformation Analysis of thin plate assembly

spotwelded together
 ANSYS v9.0
Spot weld
Workshop

Goal
• Build spotwelded assembly, run and 4.00
post process a large deflection analysis. Displacement
0.50 dia
Model Description Spot weld

• 3D model of three plates spot welded

together. 12 deg
– 12 Degree sector with two symmetry planes sector
– Three Plates meshed with SHELL181
Fixed

15.00 R
14.00 R
12.9 R

Spot weld
0.15 0.10 Typ
October 1, 2004
Inventory #002157
© 2004 ANSYS, Inc. 9.0 New Features WS2-2
 ANSYS v9.0
… Spot weld Workshop

Steps to Follow:
Start an ANSYS interactive session and open (or read in) the input file named
“spotweld.inp”. You might need to set your “Files of type: = (*.*)
Use the GUI menu method:
Select the Open ANSYS File ICON…
• Select the file “spotweld.inp”
• Click OK

Or Command Input Method

/INPUT, spotweld.inp

Note: This file consists of APDL input which will

automatically erase any currently active database
and change the jobname to “spotweld”. It will then
generate the geometry, define the materials and
apply boundary conditions and loads to begin the
current exercise.

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… Spot weld Workshop

Review the Model:

Before proceeding, become familiar with the geometry, mesh, element type, material,
BCs and load specifications for this model. It remains to join the three parts together
at areas 7, 2 and 12, with a 0.50 inch diameter spot weld using the prescribed hard
point location illustrated in figure to the right as the starting point.

Hard point for starting location of spot weld

Note: One hard point (keypoint #33) has already been created at the location defining the centerline of the
spot weld. This hard point is associated with the top plate (area# 7). The node (#393 in 9.0) associated
with this hard point has been parameterized with the name “SW_NODE” for convenience.

Confirm this by listing parameters with *STAT.

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… Spot weld
Workshop

Create Spot Weld

Enter the Preprocessor and create the spot weld
between first two plates.
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Elements
>SpotWeld > Create New Set > By Area…
Pick or enter area “7” and then area“2” as the first two areas
to be welded.
Pick or Enter node to spot weld “SW_NODE:”
Note: The order in which the area numbers are entered will
effect the way the spot weld is created. Recall area #7 already
has a node (SW_NODE) defined at the desired start location
of the spot weld. For this reason, area #7 needs to be entered
first . If the areas are entered in reverse order (2, 7), then the
student will receive the following warning:

With the area entry (2,7), ANSYS will associate node #393
with area #2 and create a second node on area #7 which is
coincident with node 393. Hence, the warning message. October 1, 2004
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© 2004 ANSYS, Inc. 9.0 New Features WS2-5
 ANSYS v9.0
… Spot weld
Workshop

Create Spot Weld (cont’d)

Enter Element Component Name “sweld1”
Enter SpotWeld radius “0.50”
[OK]
Note: ANSYS has now created a contact pair for the two surfaces.
(areas 7 and 2). Each contact pair contains one node-to-surf
contact element (CONTA175) defined at the spot weld node
associated with area 7 (#393) and a newly created node
associated with area #2. This new node was located by a normal
projection at node 393 from area 7 onto area 2. Target elements
were overlaid fully or partially on each surface. Only the surface
nodes that fall within a sphere of radius, called a search radius,
with its center at the original position of the corresponding spot
weld node are used to form target elements. The search radius
can be user defined but must be larger then the spot weld radius.
The default search radius is four times the spot weld radius.
For each spot weld surface, ANSYS will build 6 force distributed
constraint equations through a contact pair. The spot weld radius
determines the influence range of the constraint equations. Each
spot weld node couples with a group of nodes on the
corresponding surface within the radius.
The spot weld nodes associated with each surface are tied
together with rigid MPC184 elements.
Refer to ANSYS output for a summary of elements created

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… Spot weld
Workshop

Add third surface to spot weld

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create >
Elements >SpotWeld > Add more Surfaces > By Areas…
Pick or enter area “12”.
[OK]
[OK]

Note: A maximum of
11 surfaces can be
included in one spot
weld assembly

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… Spot weld
Workshop

Review the newly created spot weld specifications

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Elements
>SpotWeld > List …

You can also enter the contact manager to review the

contact pairs created for each surface and/or to plot the
pairs altogether or individually.

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… Spot weld
Workshop

Review “Basic” solution control options

These specifications are not defaults, but were
set via APDL commands when input file was
read into ANSYS Session.
Main Menu > Solution > Analysis Type > Sol’n Control
• Select tab: “Basic”
• Analysis Options = Large Displacement Static
• Time at end of loadstep = 4 (Total displacement)
• Number of substeps = 10
• Max no. of substeps = 25
• Min no. of substeps = 5
• All solution items
• Write every substep
• [OK]

Run the Solution

Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS
• [OK]
OR enter the following commands:
/SOLU
SOLVE

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… Spot weld
Workshop

After the run is finished, post process results…

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 ANSYS v9.0
… Spot weld
Workshop

Additional Features:
The Spot weld assembly can also be created, listed and deleted with the following commands:
SWGEN,sweld1,0.50,7,2,sw_node,, !Generates spot weld between first two surfaces (7 and 2)
SWADD,sweld1,,12 !Adds surface 12
SWLIST !Lists spot weld specifications and reactions (after solution is complete)
SWDEL,sweld1

By default, ANSYS connects each surface together by creating MPC184 rigid link elements between the spot weld
nodes. A flexible weld can be created if the active element is a BEAM188 with a circular cross section prior to weld
creation. You must define the material properties for the BEAM188 and define the geometry of the beam section using
section definition tools (SECTYPE and SECDATA commends) in advance of weld creation. Below is an example APDL
script for creating the same spot weld in this workshop model using flexible BEAM188 elements. After the solution
run, corresponding results in the flexible spot weld are conveniently summarized in the SWLIST and are also available
in the traditional ETABLE for BEAM188.
/PREP7
MP,EX,2,28e6
MP,PRXY,2,0.3
SECTYPE,2,beam,csolid
SECDATA,0.25
ET,2,188
TYPE,2
Stress calculations in spot weld
MAT,2 are added when BEAM188 is
SECNUM,2 active prior to spot weld creation
SWGEN,sweld1,0.50,7,2,sw_node,,
SWADD,sweld1,,12
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© 2004 ANSYS, Inc. 9.0 New Features WS2-11