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SolidWorks® 2011

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SolidWorks Motion
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Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation

300 Baker Avenue
Concord, Massachusetts 01742 USA
 © 1995-2010, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, a COMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE -
Dassault Systèmes S.A. company, 300 Baker Avenue, PROPRIETARY
Concord, Mass. 01742 USA. All Rights Reserved. U.S. Government Restricted Rights. Use, duplication, or

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disclosure by the government is subject to restrictions as set
The information and the software discussed in this document forth in FAR 52.227-19 (Commercial Computer Software -

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are subject to change without notice and are not Restricted Rights), DFARS 227.7202 (Commercial
Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software

F
commitments by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation
(DS SolidWorks). Documentation), and in the license agreement, as applicable.

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No material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or Contractor/Manufacturer:
by any means, electronically or manually, for any purpose Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, 300 Baker

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without the express written permission of DS SolidWorks. Avenue, Concord, Massachusetts 01742 USA
The software discussed in this document is furnished under a Copyright Notices for SolidWorks Standard,
license and may be used or copied only in accordance with Premium, Professional, and Education Products
the terms of the license. All warranties given by DS
SolidWorks as to the software and documentation are set Portions of this software © 1986-2010 Siemens Product
forth in the license agreement, and nothing stated in, or Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved.
implied by, this document or its contents shall be considered Portions of this software © 1986-2010 Siemens Industry
or deemed a modification or amendment of any terms, Software Limited. All rights reserved.

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including warranties, in the license agreement. Portions of this software © 1998-2010 Geometric Ltd.
Patent Notices Portions of this software © 1996-2010 Microsoft

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SolidWorks® 3D mechanical CAD software is protected by Corporation. All rights reserved.
U.S. Patents 5,815,154; 6,219,049; 6,219,055; 6,611,725; Portions of this software incorporate PhysX™ by NVIDIA
6,844,877; 6,898,560; 6,906,712; 7,079,990; 7,477,262; 2006-2010.

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7,558,705; 7,571,079; 7,590,497; 7,643,027; 7,672,822;
7,688,318; 7,694,238; and foreign patents, (e.g., EP
1,116,190 and JP 3,517,643).
eDrawings® software is protected by U.S. Patent 7,184,044;
Portions of this software © 2001 - 2010 Luxology, Inc. All
rights reserved, Patents Pending.
Portions of this software © 2007 - 2010 DriveWorks Ltd.
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U.S. Patent 7,502,027; and Canadian Patent 2,318,706. Copyright 1984-2010 Adobe Systems Inc. and its licensors.
All rights reserved. Protected by U.S. Patents 5,929,866;
U.S. and foreign patents pending. 5,943,063; 6,289,364; 6,563,502; 6,639,593; 6,754,382;
Trademarks and Product Names for SolidWorks Patents Pending.
Products and Services Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, the Adobe PDF logo,
SolidWorks, 3D PartStream.NET, 3D ContentCentral, Distiller and Reader are registered trademarks or trademarks
eDrawings, and the eDrawings logo are registered of Adobe Systems Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
For more copyright information, in SolidWorks see Help >
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trademarks and FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered

trademark of DS SolidWorks. About SolidWorks.
CircuitWorks, Feature Palette, FloXpress, PhotoWorks, Copyright Notices for SolidWorks Simulation
TolAnalyst, and XchangeWorks are trademarks of DS Products
y
SolidWorks.
Portions of this software © 2008 Solversoft Corporation.
FeatureWorks is a registered trademark of Geometric Ltd.
PCGLSS © 1992-2007 Computational Applications and
SolidWorks 2011, SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, SolidWorks System Integration, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Simulation, SolidWorks Flow Simulation, and eDrawings

Professional are product names of DS SolidWorks. Copyright Notices for Enterprise PDM Product
Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered Outside In® Viewer Technology, © Copyright 1992-2010,
trademarks of their respective holders. Oracle
© Copyright 1995-2010, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Portions of this software © 1996-2010 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Copyright Notices for eDrawings Products

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Portions of this software © 2000-2010 Tech Soft 3D.

Portions of this software © 1995-1998 Jean-Loup Gailly and
Mark Adler.
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Portions of this software © 1998-2001 3Dconnexion.

Portions of this software © 1998-2010 Open Design
Alliance. All rights reserved.
Portions of this software © 1995-2009 Spatial Corporation.
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent
JPEG Group.

Document Number: PMT1142-ENG_DRAFT

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Contents

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Introduction:

About This Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Course Design Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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Using this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Laboratory Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Training Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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Windows® 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Conventions Used in this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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Use of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What is SolidWorks Motion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What is Motion Simulation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Understanding Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mass and Inertia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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Degrees-of- Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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Constraining Degrees-of- Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Motion analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
How is motion analyzed on the computer?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Basics of Mechanism Setup in SolidWorks Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Rigid Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Fixed Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Floating Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Motors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Constraint Mapping Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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 Contents SolidWorks 2011

Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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Lesson 1:
Introduction to

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Motion Simulation

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and Forces

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Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Basic Motion Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Case Study: Car Jack Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Driving Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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Understanding Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Applied Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Force Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Force Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Case 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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Case 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Case 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Plot Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sub-Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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Resizing Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Exercise 1:
3D Fourbar Linkage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
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Lesson 2:
Building a Motion Model
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and Post-processing
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Creating Local Mates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Case Study:
Crank Slider Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
-

Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Mates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Concentric Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
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Hinge Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Point-to-Point Coincident Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lock Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Two Face-to-Face Coincident Mates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Universal Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Screw Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Point-on-Axis Coincident Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Parallel Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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 SolidWorks 2011 Contents

Perpendicular Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Local Mates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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Function Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Importing Data Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

F
Alternative Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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Plotting Kinematic Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

di RA
Absolute vs. Relative values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Output coordinate system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Angular Displacement Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Angular Velocity and Acceleration Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Exercise 2:

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Piston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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Exercise 3:
Trace Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

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Lesson 3:
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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Contact and Friction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Case Study: Catapult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Interference Detection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
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Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Contact groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Contact Friction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
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Translational Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Magnitude of Spring Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
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Translational Damper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Post-processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Analysis with Friction (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Exercise 4:
The Bug. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
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Exercise 5:
Do E

Door Closer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Lesson 4:
PR

Advanced Contact
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Contact Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Case Study: Latching Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Fixing Motion with Motors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Motor Input and Force Input Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Functional Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

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 Contents SolidWorks 2011

Force Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

STEP Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

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Contact: Solid Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Poisson Model (Restitution Coefficient) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

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Impact Force Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

F
Closing Remarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

ut
Geometrical Description of Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

di RA
Instability Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Modifying Result Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Closing Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Precise Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Integrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
GSTIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

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WSTIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

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SI2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

E
Discussion: References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Exercise 6:
Hatchback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
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Exercise 7:
Conveyor Belt (No Friction). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Path Mate Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Exercise 8:
Conveyor Belt (With Friction) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
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Lesson 5:
Curve to Curve Contact
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
y
Contact Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Case Study: Geneva Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
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Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Curve to Curve Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Solid bodies vs. curve to curve contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Solid Bodies Contact Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Exercise 9:
-

Conveyor Belt (Curve to curve contact with friction) . . . . . . . . . . . 161

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Lesson 6:
CAM Synthesis
PR

Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
CAMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Case Study: CAM Synthesis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Generating a CAM Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Trace Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Exporting Trace Path Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

iv
 SolidWorks 2011 Contents

Cycle based motion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Exercise 10:

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Desmodromic CAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Exercise 11:

e
Rocker CAM Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

F
Lesson 7:

ut
Flexible Joints

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Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Flexible Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Case Study:
System with Rigid Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

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Calculation of Wheel Input Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

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Understanding Toe Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
System with Flexible Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

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Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Lesson 8:
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Redundancies
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Redundancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
What are redundancies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Effects of Redundancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
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How are redundancies removed in the solver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Case Study:
Door Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
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Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Degrees of Freedom Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
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Total Actual and Estimated DOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Using Flexible Joints Option to Remove Redundancies . . . . . . 222
Limitations of Flexible Mates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Bushing Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
How to Check For Redundancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Typical Redundant Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
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Dual Actuators Driving a Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

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Parallel Linkages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
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Exercise 12:
Dynamic Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Exercise 13:
Dynamic Systems 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Exercise 14:
Kinematic Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Exercise 15:
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

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 Contents SolidWorks 2011

Exercise 16:
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 2 (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

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Exercise 17:
Removing Redundancies with Bushings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

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Exercise 18:

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Catapult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

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Lesson 9:

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Export to FEA
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Exporting Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Case Study: Drive Shaft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

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FEA Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262

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Load Bearing Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Mate location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

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Export of Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
SolidWorks Simulation Users Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Direct Solution in SolidWorks Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
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Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Exercise 19:
Export to FEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Lesson 10:
Event Based Simulation
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Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Event Based Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Case Study: Sorting Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
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Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Servo motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
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Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Lesson 11:
Design Project (Optional)
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
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Design Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

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Case Study: Surgical Shear - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

Problem Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
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Force to Cut the Catheter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

Self Guided Problem - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Self Guided Problem - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Problem Solution - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Creating the Force Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Force to Cut the Catheter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

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 SolidWorks 2011 Contents

Creating the Force Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Force Expression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

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IF Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Developing the Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

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Case Study: Surgical Shear - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

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Stages in the Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

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Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

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Appendix A:
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options
Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Integrator Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
GSTIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

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WSTIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

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Stabilized Index Two (SI2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Integrator Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

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Maximum Iterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Initial Integrator Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Minimum Integrator Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
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Maximum Integrator Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Jacobian Re-evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Appendix B:
Mate Friction
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Mate Friction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

Concentric (Spherical) Mate Friction Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Coincident Translational Mate Friction Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
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Concentric Mate Friction Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Coincident Mate (Planar) Friction Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
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Universal Joint Friction Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

Friction Results Reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
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viii
Contents

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SolidWorks 2011

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1
Introduction

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 Introduction SolidWorks 2011

About This The goal of this course is to teach you the basics of how to use the
Course SolidWorks Motion simulation software to help you analyze the

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kinematic or dynamic behavior of your SolidWorks assembly model.

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The focus of this course is on the fundamental skills and concepts

F
central to the successful use of SolidWorks Motion 2011. You should

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view the training course manual as a supplement to, and not a
replacement for, the system documentation and on-line help. Once you

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have developed a good foundation in basic skills, you can refer to the
on-line help for information on less frequently used command options.
Prerequisites Students attending this course are expected to have the following:
I Mechanical design experience.

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I Experience with the Windows™ operating system.
I Completed the on-line SolidWorks tutorials that are available under

st
Help. You can access the on-line tutorials by clicking Help, Online
Tutorial.
Course Design
Philosophy
E This course is designed around a process- or task-based approach to
training. Rather than focusing on individual features and functions, a
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process-based training course emphasizes processes and procedures
you should follow to complete a particular task. By utilizing case
studies to illustrate these processes, you learn the necessary commands,
options and menus in the context of completing a design task.
Recommended The recommended minimum length of this course is two days.
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Length
Using this Book This training manual is intended to be used in a classroom environment
under the guidance of an experienced SolidWorks Motion instructor. It
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is not intended to be a self-paced tutorial. The examples and case

studies are designed to be demonstrated “live” by the instructor.
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Please note, there may be slight differences in results for certain lessons
due to service pack upgrades, etc.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Introduction

Laboratory Laboratory exercises give you the opportunity to apply, practice and
Exercises expand the material covered during the lecture/demonstration portion

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of the course. They are designed to represent typical design, and
analysis situations while being modest enough to be completed during

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class time. You should note that many students work at different paces.

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Therefore, we have included more lab exercises than you can

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reasonably expect to complete during the course. This ensures that even

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the fastest student will not run out of exercise.
Training Files A complete set of the various files used throughout this course can be
downloaded from the SolidWorks website, www.solidworks.com.
Click on the link for Support, then Training, then Training Files, then
SolidWorks Simulation Training Files. Select the link for the desired

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file set. There may be more than one version of each file set available.
Direct URL:

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www.solidworks.com/trainingfilessimulation

E The files are supplied in signed, self-extracting executable packages.

The files are organized by lesson number. The Case Studies folder
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within each lesson contains the files your instructor uses while
presenting the lessons. The Exercises folder contains any files that are
required for doing the laboratory exercises.
Feature Names Throughout this course, feature names may be different from those you
obtain when doing the case studies and exercises. SolidWorks and
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SolidWorks Motion name features sequentially, (Hinge1, Hinge2, etc.)

so if you apply mates in a different order, or you delete and then
recreate a mate, your names will be different. In most cases, mates are
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referred to by their type (lock, hinge, coincident, etc.) and the
components that are mated (link, support, etc.). In addition, images are
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also included to help avoid ambiguity, but you must always check the
instructions carefully to make sure you are selecting the correct feature.
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 Introduction SolidWorks 2011

Windows® 7 The screen shots in this manual were made using SolidWorks 2010 and
SolidWorks Motion 2010 running on Windows® 7. If you are running

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on a different version of Windows, you may notice differences in the
appearance of the menus and windows. These differences do not affect

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the performance of the software.

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Conventions Used This manual uses the following typographic conventions:
in this Book

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Convention Meaning

Bold Sans Serif SolidWorks Motion commands and options

appear in this style. For example, Motion,
Delete Results means choose the Delete

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Results option from the Motion menu.

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Typewriter Feature names and file names appear in this
style. For example, Concentric.

E 17 Do this step
Double lines precede and follow sections of
the procedures. This provides separation
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between the steps of the procedure and large
blocks of explanatory text. The steps
themselves are numbered in sans serif bold.

Use of Color The SolidWorks and SolidWorks Motion user interface make extensive
use of color to highlight selected geometry and to provide you with
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visual feedback. This greatly increases the intuitiveness and ease of use
of the SolidWorks Motion software. To take maximum advantage of
this, the training manuals are printed in full color.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Introduction

What is SolidWorks Motion is a virtual prototyping tool for engineers and

SolidWorks designers interested in understanding the performance of their

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Motion? assemblies. Powered by ADAMS® technology, the industry leader for

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over 25 years, SolidWorks Motion helps you ensure that your designs

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will work and perform as expected prior to building them. By learning
how to effectively utilize the features of the user interface, you will

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have the key to unlocking a solution to the most complex mechanisms.

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What is Motion A mechanism is a mechanical device that has the purpose of
Simulation? transferring motion and/or force from a source to an output. Motion
simulation is simply the study of such moving systems or mechanisms.
The motion of any system is determined by the following:

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I Mates connecting the parts
I The mass and inertia properties of the components

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I Applied forces to the system
I Driving motions (Motors or Actuators)

Understanding
E I Time
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Basics
Mass and Inertia The principle of inertia is one of the fundamental laws of classical
physics which are used to describe the motion of matter and how it is
affected by applied forces. Today, the concept of inertia is most
commonly defined using Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion, which
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states:
Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving
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uniformly straight ahead, except insofar as it is compelled to
change its state by forces impressed.
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Mass and inertia play a very important role in the simulation of

dynamic systems and are also important in kinematics. Realistic values
of mass and inertia are needed in nearly all simulations.
Degrees-of- An unconstrained rigid body in
Freedom space has six degrees-of-freedom:
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three translational and three

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rotational. It can translate along its

X, Y, and Z axes and rotate about its
X, Y, and Z axes as shown in the
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figure to the right.

5
 Introduction SolidWorks 2011

Constraining Constraints are the

Degrees-of- restrictions placed on

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Freedom a part’s movement in
specific degrees-of-

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freedom. Mates are

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connections that

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restrict the movement

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of one part with
respect to another.
Motion analysis The two equations governing three dimensional motion of a rigid body
are known as Euler’s equations.
The first equation is Newton’s second law of motion which states that

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the sum of externally applied forces on a body is equal to the rate of

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dP
change of linear momentum P, ΣF = -------- .
dt

E For bodies where mass does not change, the right hand side of the
equation simplifies to more commonly known mass times acceleration,
ΣF = ma .
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The second equation is based on the sum of the moments about the
center of mass of a rigid body due to external forces, and couples
should equal the rate of change of angular momentum H of the body.
dH
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ΣM = --------
dt
How is motion Τhe program uses the modified Newton Raphson iteration method in
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analyzed on the each time step.
computer? By taking very small time steps, the software can predict the position of
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parts at the next time step based on initial conditions or the previous
time step.
The solution must satisfy:
I Velocity of parts
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I Mates connecting parts

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I Forces and accelerations

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6
 SolidWorks 2011 Introduction

The answer is iterated until certain accuracy is reached for that time
step for force and acceleration values.

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Basics of
E The following paragraphs outline how SolidWorks Motion treats parts
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Mechanism and sub-assemblies, and how the mates directly define the motion of
Setup in the mechanism when loaded by external forces (such as gravity or
SolidWorks isolated forces) or prescribed motions (motors).
Motion
Rigid Body In SolidWorks Motion, all parts are treated as infinitely rigid. This
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means that there is no internal deflection within a part and the parts do
not deform or change shape during the simulation. A rigid body can be
a single SolidWorks part or a sub-assembly.
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There are two states of the sub-assembly in SolidWorks: Rigid or

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Flexible. A rigid sub-assembly means that the individual components

that make up the sub-assembly are assumed to be rigidly attached
(welded) to each other as if they were one single part.
If a sub-assembly status is set to flexible in SolidWorks, it does not
mean that the sub-assembly parts become flexible. This setting means
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that the root level parts of the sub-assembly are treated independently
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of each other by SolidWorks Motion. The constraints (SolidWorks

mates at the sub-assembly level) between these parts are automatically
mapped into SolidWorks Motion.
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Fixed Parts A rigid body can be treated as a fixed part or a floating (moving) part.
Fixed parts are, by definition, at absolute rest. Each fixed rigid body
has zero degrees-of-freedom. A fixed part serves as the reference frame
for the remaining rigid bodies that are moving.
In SolidWorks, any component that is fixed in your assembly is
automatically treated as a fixed part when you begin a new mechanism
and map the assembly constraints.

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 Introduction SolidWorks 2011

Floating Parts Components that move in the mechanism are considered moving parts.
Each moving part has six degrees-of-freedom.

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In SolidWorks, any component that is floating in your assembly is

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automatically treated as moving when you begin a new mechanism and

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map the assembly constraints.

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Mates SolidWorks mates fully define how rigid bodies are attached and how

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they move relative to each other. Mates remove degrees-of-freedom
from the parts to which they are attached.
When you add a mate, such as a concentric mate, between two rigid
bodies, you remove degrees-of-freedom, causing them to remain
positioned with respect to each other regardless of any motion or force

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in the mechanism.
Motors Motors can be defined for part to control its movement over a period of

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time. A motor dictates the displacement, velocity, or acceleration of a
part as a function of time.
Gravity
E Gravity is an important quantity when the weight of a part has an
influence on its simulated motion, such as a body in free fall. In
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SolidWorks Motion, gravity consists of two components:
I Direction of the gravitational vector
I Magnitude of gravitational acceleration
The Gravity Properties dialog allows you to specify the direction and
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magnitude of the gravitational vector. You can specify the gravitational

vector by entering the x, y and z values in the appropriate text box, or
by specifying a reference plane. The magnitude must be entered
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separately. The default value for the gravitational vector is (0, -1, 0),
and the magnitude is 9.81 m/s2 (or the equivalent in the currently active
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units).
Constraint One of the reasons SolidWorks Motion is such a time saving tool is that
Mapping Concept it automatically maps the SolidWorks assembly mates (constraints) to
SolidWorks Motion. There are more than 100 ways to mate or constrain
parts in SolidWorks.
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Forces When defining various Force objects in SolidWorks Motion, a location

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and/or direction has to be specified. These directions and locations are

derived from selected SolidWorks entities. The entities can be sketch
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points, vertices, edges or surfaces.

Summary This short review of motion simulation using SolidWorks Motion is
not, of course, all inclusive. It is only intended to get us started with the
hands-on lessons. As we progress through the lessons presented in the
following chapters, we will occasionally digress from software-specific
issues in order to discuss relevant motion simulation fundamentals.

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Lesson 1

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Introduction to

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Motion Simulation

E and Forces
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
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I Use Assembly Motion to animate the motion of a car jack

assembly.
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I Use SolidWorks Motion to simulate physical behavior of the car

jack and determine the torque required to lift a vehicle.
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 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

Basic Motion In this lesson, we will perform a basic motion analysis using
Analysis SolidWorks Motion to simulate the weight of a vehicle on the jack and

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determine the torque required to lift it. Engineers can then use this
information to choose the required electric motor to drive the car jack.

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Case Study: Car A mechanical jack is a device that lifts heavy equipment. The most
Jack Analysis common form is a car jack, floor jack, or garage jack which lifts
vehicles so that maintenance can be performed. Car jacks usually use
mechanical advantage to allow a human to lift a vehicle. More
powerful jacks use hydraulic power to provide more lift over greater
distances. Mechanical jacks are usually rated for a maximum lifting
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capacity (e.g., 1.5 tons or 3 tons).

Because this is our first motion analysis, no contact is used and the
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tilting motion of the jack is prevented with the help of the mates.
Problem The car jack will be driven at a rate of 100 RPM and will be loaded
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Description with a force of 8,900 N., representing the weight of a vehicle.

Determine the torque and power required to lift the load through the
range of motion of the jack.
Stages in the I Create a Motion Study.
Process This will be a new motion study.
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I Add a rotary motor.

The rotary motor will drive the jack.
I Add gravity.
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Normal gravity will be added so that the weight of the car jack
components are considered in the calculations.
I Add the weight of the car.
The weight of the car will be added as a downward force on the
Support.
I Calculate the motion.

10
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

The default analysis will run for five seconds but we will increase it
to allow the jack to extend fully.

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I Plot the results.

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We will create various plots to show the torque and power required.

F
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1 Ensure that SolidWorks Motion is

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added in.
Under Tools, Add-ins, make sure
SolidWorks Motion is checked.
2 Open an assembly file.
Open Car_Jack from the
Lesson01\Case Studies folder.

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11
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

3 Set the document units.

SolidWorks Motion uses the document units set in the SolidWorks

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document.

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Click Tools, Options, Document Properties, Units.

F
Select MMGS (millimeter, gram, second) for the Unit system. This

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will set our length units to millimeters and force to Newtons.

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12
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

4 Change to the Motion Study.

Click on the Motion Study 1 tab that appears at the bottom left-hand

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corner of the window. If this tab is not visible, select Motion Manager
on the View menu.

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13
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

Driving Motion Motion can be driven by gravity, springs, forces or motors. Each has
different characteristics that can be controlled.

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Introducing: Motors Motors can create either linear, rotary or path dependent motion or to

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prevent motion. This motion can be defined in a number of different

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ways.

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I Constant Speed

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The motor will drive at a constant velocity.
I Distance
The motor will move for a fixed distance or degrees.
I Oscillating
Oscillating motion is a back and forth motion at a specific distance

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at a specified frequency.
I Segments

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Motion profile is constructed from segments of the most commonly
used functions such as linear, polynomial, half-sine and others.

E I Data Points
Interpolated motion is driven by a tabular set of values.
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I Expression
The motor can be driven by a function created from existing
variables and constants.
I Servo Motor
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The motor used to implement control actions for the event-based

triggered motion.
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Where to Find It I On the MotionManager toolbar, click Motor .
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14
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

5 Create a Motor that drives the Screw_rod at 100 RPM.

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Click Motor on the Motion Manager toolbar.

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Under Motor Type, select Rotary Motor.

F
Under Component Direction, select the cylindrical face of the

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Screw_rod part as shown in the figure. The Motion Direction field

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will automatically populate the same face to specify the direction.
Use the Reverse Direction button to orient the motor (see the figure).
Leave the Component to move relative to field empty. This ensures
that the motor direction is specified with respect to the global
coordinate system.

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Under Motion, select the Constant speed and enter a value of

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100 RPM.
Click OK.

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Important! Make sure that the motor is oriented as shown in the figure.
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15
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

Click the graph in the PropertyManager to view the enlarged plot.

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Close the graph plot and click OK to close the Motor PropertyManager.
Type of Study.
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Make sure that the Motion Type of Study field
shows Motion Analysis.
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Gravity Gravity is an important quantity when the weight of a part has an

influence on its simulated motion, such as a body in free fall. In
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SolidWorks Motion, gravity consists of two components:
I Direction of the gravitational vector
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I Magnitude of the gravitational acceleration

The Gravity Properties allows you to specify the direction and
magnitude of the gravitational vector. You can specify the gravitational
vector by selecting the X, Y and Z direction or by specifying a
reference plane. The magnitude must be entered separately. The default
-

value for the gravitational vector is Y and the magnitude is

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9806.55 mm/sec2 or the equivalent in the currently active units.

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16
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

7 Apply Gravity to the assembly.

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Click Gravity on the Motion Manager toolbar.

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For Gravity Parameters, Direction Reference,

F
select the Y direction.

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Under Numeric gravity value, type in a value of

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9806.65 mm/sec^2.
Click OK.

Forces Force entities (including both forces and moments) are used to effect

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the dynamic behavior of parts and sub assemblies of a motion model
and are usually a representation of some external effect acting on the

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analyzed assembly.
Forces may resist or induce motion, and are defined using similar

E functions that are used to define motors (constant, step, function,

expression or interpolated).
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Forces in SolidWorks Motion can be divided into two basic groups:
I Action Forces
A single applied force or moment
representing the effect of the external
objects and loadings on the part or
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subassembly. The weight of the vehicle

applied on the car jack or an
aerodynamic force on the car body are examples of action forces.
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I Action and Reaction Forces

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A pair of forces or moments, both action and corresponding

reaction, are applied on the parts or subassemblies.
A spring force could be understood as action and reaction force
because both are acting on the same line of action and acting on the
assembly at the spring mount points. Another example would be a
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person pushing with his/her arms on the two opposing parts of an

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assembly. Such a person can then be represented in the motion

analysis by a pair of two opposing forces of equal magnitude on the
same line of action, i.e. action and reaction forces.
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Understanding A force can define load or compliance on a part. SolidWorks Motion

Forces provides the following type of forces:

17
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

Applied Forces Applied forces are forces that define loads at specific locations on a
part. You must provide you own description of the force behavior by

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specifying a constant force value or a function expression. The applied
forces available in SolidWorks Motion are the applied force, applied

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torque, action/reaction force and action/reaction torque.

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The orientation of action-only forces can be fixed or at relative to the
orientation of any part in the mechanism.

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Applied forces are used to model inputs such as actuators, rockets,
aerodynamic loads and many more.
Force Definition To define a force the following information must be specified:
I Part or parts on which the forces act.

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I Point of the force application.
I Magnitude and direction of the force.

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Where to Find It I On the MotionManager toolbar, click Force . Select Action-

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Force Direction
Only in the PropertyManager.
The force direction is based on the reference part
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you select in the Force Direction box. An
illustration below gives you the three cases on how
the force direction changes based on the selected
reference parts.
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Case 1 Direction of force is based on a fixed component.

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If fixed component is the assembly origin then the initial orientation of
the force will be held constant throughout the simulation.
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Reference Fixed Component

F1 F1
F1
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18
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

Case 2 Direction of force is based on the selected moving component,

which is also the component on which you want to apply the
force.

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If the part to which the force is applied is used as the reference datum,

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then the force will remain locked in its relative orientation to the body

F
over the entire simulation time (i.e. it will stay in alignment with the

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geometry on the body used to define the direction).

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Reference Rotating Component
F1

F1

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F1
Fixed Component

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Case 3 Direction of force is based on the selected moving component

E which is different from the component on which you want to

apply the force.
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If another moving part is used as the reference datum, the direction of
the force will change based on the relative orientation of the reference
body to the moving body. This is hard to visualize easily, but if you
apply the force on a body that is held locked in position, and use a
rotating part as the reference datum, you should see the force rotates in
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concert with the reference body.

Reference Rotating Component
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F1
F1 F1

Note Make sure that the gravity symbol shows the orientation in the
-

negative Y direction.
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19
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

8 Create a force of 8900 N to simulate the weight of the car on the

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car jack.
Click Force on the Motion Manager.

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F
For Type, select Force.

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Under Direction, select Action Only.

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Under Action part and point of application of action, select the
circular edge on component Support-1 (see image below).
For Force Direction, select the vertical edge on the Base-1
component.

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Note The default force direction is defined by the circular edge selected in
the Action part and point of application of action field, i.e.

st
perpendicular to the plane of the edge. Because the default direction is
correct in this case, the edge selected in the Force Direction field is not

E required and is done solely for the educational purpose.

Under Force Function, select Constant. Enter a force value of
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8900 N.
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Note Make sure that the force is directed downwards.

Click OK to close the Force/Torque PropertyManager.
9 Run the Simulation.
Click Calculate . The simulation will calculate for 5 seconds.

20
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

10 Run the Simulation for 8 seconds.

Drag the end time key to 8 seconds on the timeline and recalculate.

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Results The primary output from a motion study is a plot of one parameter

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versus another, usually time.

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Once the motion is calculated plots can be created for a variety of

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parameters. All existing plots will be listed at the bottom of the
MotionManager tree.
Plot Categories Plots of the following categories can be created:
I Displacement I Displacement

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I Acceleration I Forces
I Momentum I Energy

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I Power I Other quantities
Sub-Categories Within each of the categories, plots can be created for:

E I
I
Trace Path
Linear Displacement
I
I
XYZ Position
Linear Velocity
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I Linear Acceleration I Angular Displacement
I Angular Velocity I Angular Acceleration
I Applied Force I Applied Torque
I Reaction Force I Reaction Moment
I Friction Force I Friction Moment
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I Contact Force I Translational Momentum

I Angular Momentum I Translational Kinetic Energy
I Angular Kinetic Energy I Total Kinetic Energy
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I Potential Energy Delta I Power Consumption
I Pitch I Yaw
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I Roll I Rodriguez Parameters

I Bryant Angles I Projection Angles
Resizing Plots Plots can be resized by dragging any border or corner.

Where to Find It I Click Results and Plots on the MotionManager toolbar.

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21
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

11 Plot the torque required to lift the weight of the car.

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Click Results and Plots in the Motion manager.

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Under Result, select the category as Forces.

F
Under Sub-category, select Motor Torque.

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Under Result component, select Magnitude.

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Under Select rotational motor object to create result, select the
motor that we created (see image below).
Click OK.

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The plot of torque required appears in the graphics area.

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The required torque is about 7244 N-mm.

22
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

Note Once the Rotary Motor1 is selected, a triad is displayed in the

graphics area. This triad indicates the local X, Y and Z axes of the

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motor in which the output quantities may be displayed. In the present
case we require the plot of the magnitude which is independent of the

e
coordinate system. The post-processing is described in greater detail in

F
the next lesson.

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12 Plot the power consumed to lift a weight of 8900 N.

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We will add this plot into an existing graph. Click Results and Plots in
the Motion Manager toolbar.
Under Result, select the category as Momentum/Energy/Power.
Under Sub-category, select Power Consumption.

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Under Select motor object to create result, select the same motor
that you selected in the previous step.

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Under Plot Results, select Add to existing plot and select Plot1 from

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the pull down menu.
Click OK.
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The power consumption is 76 Watts. Based on the torque and the power
information, we can select an electric motor and use it to drive the
Screw_rod instead of a human hand.
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You can click Play to see the animation. The vertical time bar in
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both the MotionManager and the graph indicates the time.

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23
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

13 Plot the vertical position of the Support.

Click on the Results and Plots icon in the Motion Manager.

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Under Result, select the category as Displacement/Velocity/

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Acceleration.

F
Under Sub-category, select Linear Displacement.

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For Result Component, select Y-component.

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For Select two points/faces, select the top face of the support. If no
second item is selected, the ground serves as the default second
component, or the reference.
Leave the Component to define XYZ directions field empty. This
indicates that the displacement is reported in the default global

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coordinate system.

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Note The displacement is measured at the origin of the Support part file,
indicated as the small blue sphere in the above figure, with respect to
the origin of the Car_Jack assembly file. The result is reported in the
default global coordinate system.
Click OK.
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24
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

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The above graph indicates change of the global Y coordinate of the
origin of the Support part file. The displacement is therefore 51mm

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(212-161mm) in the positive global Y axis.
14 Modify the graph.

E Modify the ordinate of the graph to show the

angular displacement of the motor.
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In the MotionManager tree, expand the Results
folder. Right-click Plot2 and click Edit Feature.
Under Plot Results, Plot Results verus: select
New Result.
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For Define new result, select Displacement/

Velocity/Acceleration.
Select Angular Displacement under sub-category.
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Select Magnitude for result component.

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Select RotaryMotor1 for the simulation element.

Click OK.
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25
 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

15 Examine the graph.

The result plot is a little coarse and the data ordinate does not cover the

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full range of -180 to 180 degrees. To generate a graph with finer detail,
more data must be saved to disk.

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Introducing: Study SolidWorks Motion has its own set of properties to control the way the
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Properties study is calculated and displayed.
Study properties will be discussed throughout the book.

Where to Find It I Click Motion Study Properties on the MotionManager toolbar.

Introducing: Frames Frames per second controls how often the data is saved on the disk. The
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per Second higher the frames per second, the more dense the data recorded.

Where to Find It I In the Motion Study Properties, expand Motion Analysis and either
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type the number, use the spinbox arrows or adjust the slider.
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16 Modify Motion Study properties.

Click Motion Study Properties in the
MotionManager toolbar.
Change the Frames per second to 100.
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Click OK.
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26
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 1
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

17 Calculate the study.

Notice that we have more detail and the angular displacement is nearly

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from -180 to 180 degrees.

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18 Save and close the file.
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 Lesson 1 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Motion Simulation and Forces

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28
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 1
3D Fourbar Linkage

Exercise 1: This assembly is a simple mechanism called 3D Fourbar linkage.

3D Fourbar There are only four parts in the mechanism. The Support part is

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Linkage grounded, and the rotation of the Lever part will cause a sliding motion
of the SliderBlock part.

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LeverArm

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linkage

Support
SliderBlock

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This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Basic Motion Analysis on page 10.
I Results on page 21.
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Project The LeverArm will be simply rotated with a constant 360 deg/sec
Description angular velocity. Determine the amount of torque required to drive this
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mechanism and plot it from the motion simulation.

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1 Open an assembly file.

Open 3D Fourbar linkage from the Lesson01\
Exercises folder.
2 Verify fixed and moving components.
Make sure that support is fixed while the other
-

components can move.

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3 Motion study.
In the MotionManager, select Motion Analysis.
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The default Motion Study 1 will be used for the analysis.

4 Add gravity.
Apply gravity in the negative Z direction.

29
 Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2011
3D Fourbar Linkage

5 Define motion of the Lever Arm.

Define a Rotary Motor at 360 deg/sec.

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Tip You can enter 360 deg/sec directly into the PropertyManager and it will
automatically be converted to RPM.
6 Motion study properties.
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Set the Frames per second to 100 and drag the time key to 4
seconds.
7 Calculate the simulation.
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8 Determine the torque and power required to drive the mechanism.

Define a graph showing the moment torque and the required power as a
function of time. Define both quantities in a single graph.
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30
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 1
3D Fourbar Linkage

9 Linear velocity of the SliderBlock.

Plot a graph showing the linear velocity of the SliderBlock as a

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function of time.

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10 Modify the graph.

E Modify the ordinate of the graph to show the angular displacement of

the Rotary Motor. This way the graph will show the variation of the
SliderBlock velocity relative to the angular displacement of the
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LeverArm.
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11 Save and close the file.

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 Exercise 1 SolidWorks 2011
3D Fourbar Linkage

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 rib T
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Lesson 2

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Building a Motion Model

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and Post-processing

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Build proper SolidWorks Motion models for kinematic simulation.
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I Create local mates for a SolidWorks Motion study.
I Create and modify plots for post-processing.
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33
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Creating Local In the previous lesson, the mates created in SolidWorks were used as
Mates joints in SolidWorks Motion. If the components are not mated in

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SolidWorks, or if we wish to examine different connection types in
SolidWorks Motion, mates can be added or modified in the Motion

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Analysis.

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Case Study: In this lesson, we will setup the mechanism for the crank slider model.

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Crank Slider We will use SolidWorks mates that most closely represent the real
Analysis mechanical connections. The crank slider model is used in a variety of
engineering applications, such as a steam engine or the cylinder of an
internal combustion engine. Therefore, we will apply a motor on the
crank part, run the simulation, and then postprocess some results to
estimate the required torque.

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Crank

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Arm Mount

E Link2
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Link1
Crank
Arm
Housing
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Collar Shaft
Collar
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Problem The crank is driven at a constant angular velocity of 60 RPM.
Description Determine the torque required to rotate the crank part.
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Stages in the I Create a motion study.

Process
I Preprocessing.
Add local mates to the assembly with the motion study active.
-

I Run the simulation.

Calculate the motion.
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I Post-processing.
Plot and analyze the results.
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1 Open an assembly file.

Open 3dcrankslider from the Lesson02\Case Studies folder.

34
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

2 Examine the assembly.

SolidWorks Motion assumes that all components

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that are fixed in SolidWorks are considered to be
grounded parts, and all components that are

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floating are assumed to be moving parts.

F
Fixed
However, the movement of these parts is

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constrained by the SolidWorks mates.

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There are no mates in this assembly, but three
parts are fixed. The collar_shaft, arm_mount
and crank_housing are fixed as these are parts No
that would be connect to ground and will have no Mates
motion in the assembly.

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The remaining parts will need mates to constrain
their motion to that expected of the mechanical system.

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Mates
E Mates are used to constrain the relative motion of a pair of rigid bodies
by physically connecting them.
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Note A rigid body acts and moves as a single unit. SolidWorks components
situated at the root level are considered rigid bodies. This means that
SolidWorks and SolidWorks Motion treat subassemblies as single rigid
bodies.
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Mates can be classified into two main types:

I Mates used to constrain the relative motion of a pair of rigid bodies
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by physically connecting them. Examples: Hinge, Concentric,
Coincident, Fixed, Screw, Cam, etc.
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I Mates used to enforce standard geometric constraints. Examples:

Distance, Angle, Parallel, etc.
Below are some descriptions of some of the most commonly used mate
types. For a comprehensive understanding of all the other mates, please
refer to the SolidWorks help.
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35
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Concentric Mate The concentric mate allows both relative rotation as well as relative
translation of one rigid body with respect to another rigid body. The

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concentric mate origin can be located anywhere along the axis about
which the rigid bodies can rotate or slide with respect to each other.

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Example: Piston sliding and rotating inside a cylinder.

F
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Hinge Mate Hinge mate is essentially concentric mate with the restricted translation

st
between the two components.
In SolidWorks Motion, the hinge mate is used rather than a

E combination of concentric and coincident because the mechanical joint

is a hinge. Hinge mates are found in the Mechanical Mates tab of the
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Mate PropertyManager.
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36
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Point-to-Point This type of mate permits free rotation about a common point of one
Coincident Mate rigid body with respect to another rigid body. The origin location of this

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mate determines the point about which the rigid bodies can pivot freely
with respect to each other. Example: Ball and Socket joint.

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Lock Mate The lock mate locks two rigid bodies together so they may not move
with respect to each other. For a lock mate, the origin location and
orientation does not affect the outcome of the simulation. A real world
example of a lock mate is a weld that holds two parts together.
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Two Face-to-Face This mate allows one rigid body to translate along a vector with respect
Coincident Mates to a second rigid body. The rigid bodies may only translate, not rotate,
with respect to each other.
The location of the origin of a translational joint with respect to its rigid
-

bodies does not affect the motion of the two bodies but does affect the
reaction or the bearing loads.
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37
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Universal Mate A universal mate permits the transfer of rotation from one rigid body to
another rigid body. This mate is particularly useful to transfer rotational

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motion around corners, or to transfer rotational motion between two
connected shafts that are permitted to bend at the connection point

e
(such as the drive shaft on an automobile).

F
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The origin location of the universal mate represents the connection
point of the two rigid bodies. The two shaft axes identify the center

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lines of the two rigid bodies connected by the universal joint. Note that
SolidWorks Motion uses rotational axes parallel to the rotational axes
you identify but passing through the origin of the universal mate.

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Screw Mate The screw mate constrains one rigid body to rotate as it translates with
respect to another rigid body.
When defining a screw mate, you can define the pitch. The pitch is the
amount of relative translational displacement between the rigid bodies
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for each full rotation of the first rigid body. The displacement of the
first rigid body relative to the second rigid body is a function of the
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rotation of the first rigid body about the axis of rotation. For every full
rotation, the displacement of the first rigid body along the translation
axis with respect to the second rigid body is equal to the value of the
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pitch.
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38
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Point-on-Axis This type of mate permits one translational and three rotational motions
Coincident Mate of one part with respect to another. The translational motion between

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the parts is confined to the orientation axis. The point defines the initial
pivot location on the axis.

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Parallel Mate

E A parallel mate permits only translational motion of one part with

respect to another. No rotation is allowed.
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In the picture below, the blue x part can move relative to the ground in
the X direction. The red y part can move relative to the x part in the Y
direction. The z part can move relative to the y part in the Z direction.
Finally, the red/yellow/blue cube on the z part has a curvilinear motion
relative to the ground but always stays parallel.
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39
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Perpendicular The perpendicular mate allows both translational and rotational motion
Mate of one part with respect to another. It imposes a single rotational

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constraint on the components so that the component axes remain
perpendicular. This allows relative rotations about either z-axis, but

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does not allow any relative rotation in the direction perpendicular to

F
both z-axes.

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It is recommended that the mates are representing the real mechanical
connections as closely as possible, i.e. mechanical hinge should be

E modeled using the hinge mate and not using a combination of

coincident and concentric mates.
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Local Mates Mates created in SolidWorks can be transferred to the Motion Analysis
and used as mechanical joints. If there are no mates in the SolidWorks
assembly or if we wish to define the connections differently than the
SolidWorks mates, we can add local mates directly to the motion study.
Local mates only apply to the study to which they were added.
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To add local mates, make a motion study active and add the mates.
With a motion study active, any mate added is only applied in that
y
motion study.
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3 Verify the document units.

Verify that the document units are set to MMGS (millimeter, gram,
second).
4 Create a Motion Study.
Right-click the Motion Study 1 tab and click Create New Motion
-

Study.
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Make sure that the Motion Analysis is selected as the Type of Study
in the MotionManager.
PR

40
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

5 Move components.
Move the components that are not fixed to separate the assembly. We

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are doing this only to make it easier to select faces and to keep track of
what components are mated.

e
F
ut
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or D
st
E 6 Create a local mate.
Add a mate and select Hinge from the Mechanical Mates section. For
op AS
Concentric Selections, select the two cylindrical faces of the shaft
and hole shown with red arrows. For Coincident Selections, select the
end face of the shaft and crank housing shown with the blue arrows.
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y
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-
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Click OK.

41
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

7 Warning.
Because the timeline is active, the mate changes the position of the

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crank at the starting position of the animation. This is OK for what we
are doing.

e
F
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E Click Yes.
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8 Examine the mate.
Notice that this mate is only located in the MotionManager and not in
the FeatureManager design tree.
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-
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42
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

9 Add additional mates.

Add a concentric mate between the two Link1

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spherical surfaces shown on the parts
crank
Link1 and crank.

e
F
ut
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Concentric

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10 Mate arm to arm_mount.
Add a hinge mate to connect the arm to the

E arm_mount.
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11 Mate Link1 to the arm.

This connection requires two hinge mates, one between Link1 and
y
cardian, and a second hinge mate between cardian and arm.
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-
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43
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

12 Mate Link2. Hinge

Link2 will use a hinge mate to

rib T
connect the arm. As there is no pin
going through the two holes, the

e
coincident selections will be the two

F
touching faces.

ut
Mate the other end of Link2 to the

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Concentric
pin on the collar with just a
concentric mate.
13 Mate collar to collar_shaft.
Add a concentric mate between a cylindrical surface on each part.

or D
14 Test the assembly.
Rotate the crank and make sure the components move as expected.

st
Check the FeatureManager design tree and the Motion Study tree. All
the mates should just be in the Motion Study tree.

E 15 Add gravity.
Add gravity in the negative Y direction.
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16 Calculate.
Adjust the assembly key to 5 seconds. Click Calculate Simulation .
17 Play the simulation.
Play the simulation at 25% speed.
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The crank will rock back and forth as gravity affects the components
and potential and kinetic energy are exchanged. As there is no friction,
y

the parts will continue to move without end.

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18 Set the timebar to 0s.

To add a motor at time 0s, the timebar needs to be set to 0s.
19 Add a motor.
Create a Motor that drives the crank.
Click Motor on the Motion Manager.
-

Under Motor Type, select Rotary Motor.

Do E

Under Motor Location, select the cylindrical

face of the crank part (as shown in the
PR

figure).
The default selection for the Motor
Direction is correct for this analysis. Make
sure that the motor is oriented as shown in
the figure.

44
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Under Motion, select the Motor Type as Data Points. The command
invokes the Function Builder window.

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Make sure that Value (y) and Independent variable (x) are set to

e
Displacements (deg) and Time (s).

F
ut
Function Builder Function Builder can be used to construct functional expression for

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motors and forces.
Introducing: Function Builder can build functional expressions using predefined
Function Builder Segments, imported set of discrete Data Points or mathematical
Expressions.

or D
The figure below shows the segment view of the Function Builder
window.

st
E
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-
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I Segments
In Segment view, user select both the independent (typically time)
and dependent variable (displacements, velocity or acceleration).
PR

For each specified interval, the transition from the initial to final
value is controlled using one of the predefined profiles curves. The
following profile curves have been implemented: Linear, Cubic,

45
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Quarter-Sine, Half-Sine, 3-4-5 Polynomial and others. As the

function is constructed, the graph windows show the corresponding

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variation of displacement, velocity, acceleration and the jerk (time
derivative of acceleration). Note that it is possible to save and

e
retrieve function from stored location.

F
ut
I Data Points
The discrete set of data points can be imported from a *.csv file or

di RA
entered manually. The functionality as well as the options are
similar to the Interpolated option of the input and are explained in
this lesson.
I Expression
Expression enables the construction of functions with the help of

or D
predefined mathematical functions, variables and constants, and
existing motion study results. As in both previous cases, the

st
function can be saved at a specific location. This procedure will be
used in this lesson.

E
Where to Find It I In the Motor or Force/Torque PropertyManagers, under Motor
op AS
Type or Force Function dialog select Segments, Data Points or
Expression.

20 Import data points.

Rather than type the individual values into the table, we can load them
from a file. In this case, we have an Excel file. Locate the file crank
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rotation.csv in the Case Studies folder and examine the file. It is just
two columns of numbers representing the time and displacement.
y
Click the Import Data button. Navigate to and select the crank
rotation.csv file and click Open. The values from the file are now
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inserted into the Time and Value columns.

Select Akima as the Interpolation type.

Note The Function Builder graph windows automatically updates the plots
for displacement, velocity, acceleration and jerk. The data points
-

describe linear increase of the angular displacement in time, a harmonic

motion
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PR

46
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

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e
F
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E
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Click OK to complete the definition of the profile and close the
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Function Builder.
Click OK to complete the definition of the Motor feature.
y

Rename this motor feature to Motor - crank.

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Importing Data Using imported data points, you can use your own motion data to
Points control the displacement, velocity, or acceleration of the motion. The
data points that can be imported into SolidWorks Motion must be in a
text file (*.txt) or comma separated file (*.csv) format. The file should
-

contain one data point per line. The data point consists of two values,
Do E

the time and the value at that time. Commas or spaces can be used as
separators between the values. The file is essentially free format aside
from these restriction. SolidWorks Motion allows for unlimited number
PR

of data points to be used. The minimum number of data points to be

defined is four.
The first column, Independent variable (x), in the data point template
is typically time, but other parameters such as cycle angle, angular
displacement and others can be used as well. The second column,
Value (y), is the displacement, velocity, or acceleration. These values
can be manually entered or imported.

47
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Besides Linear interpolation, two spline-fitting options are available to

smoothen out the data: the Akima spline (AKISPL) and cubic curve

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spline (CUBSPL). It is recommended that you use a cubic curve
because it will work well even if you data points are not evenly spaced.

e
An Akima curve is fast, but will not work as well if you points are not

F
evenly spaced.

ut
di RA
21 Run the simulation.
Click Calculate to run the simulation for 5 seconds.
22 Plot the torque.
Create a plot for the torque required to turn the
mechanism.

or D
Define the plot by Forces, Motor Torque and

st
Magnitude.
Select the Motor-crank for the Simulation

E element.
Click OK.
op AS
23 Examine the plot.
The plot may be improved by recording more data points by increasing
the Frames per second option in the Motion Study Properties.
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48
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

24 Plot the power.

Create a plot for the power required to turn the

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mechanism.

e
Define the plot by Momentum/Energy/Power,

F
and Power Consumption.

ut
Select the Motor-crank for the Simulation

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element.
Click OK.

or D
st
E
op AS
Note Knowing the operating RPM, torque and/or power we can select the
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appropriate motor to drive our system.

y
Power Power is the rate at which work is performed, or the amount of work
conducted in one second. Forces conduct work on distances, moments
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then on the angular displacements. For rotating motors the following

relationship therefore holds:
Power [W] = Torque [N-m] × Angular velocity [rad/sec]
The power plot in the previous figure can be easily verified. The
-

maximum torque is 10 N-mm = 0.01 N-m

Do E

Angular velocity = 360 deg/sec = 2π rad/sec

Students can easily verify this by creating the plot of the angular
PR

velocity.
The resulting maximum power is then:
Power = 0.01 × 2 π = 0.063W
The graph of the power indicates 0.06 W because two significant digits
precision is used by default.

49
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Alternative Units Often times the rating of the electric motors is expressed in maximum
power and torque. Alternative units are used frequently.

rib T
If rpm is used for the angular velocity, then:

e
Torque [N-m] × 2π × Angular velocity [rpm]

F
Power [W] = -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
60

ut
If horsepower is used instead, the following conversion can be used:

di RA
Mechanical horsepower = 33,000 lb-ft/min = 745.7W
A useful formula when computing power using mechanical horsepower
in the English system of units is the following:
Torque [lb-ft] × 2π × Angular velocity [rpm] Torque[lb-ft] × RPM

or D
Power [hp] = ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ = -----------------------------------------------
33,000 5252.1

st
While mechanical horsepower is common in some industries in the
United States (automotive industry, for example), similar measure

E called metric horsepower is used in Europe and Asia. Metric

horsepower is then defined as:
op AS
Metric horsepower = 735.5W
Because of this ambiguity in the definition of horsepower, its use today
is not recommended.

25 Add a mate.
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When we added mates to this motion study, we only added mates

essential to describing the motion. Depending on how the assembly is
built, a mate preventing the collar from rotating around the collar shaft
y

could be defined. This mate would represent the mechanical function of

the keyway.
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Add a coincident mate between one side face of the key and the
corresponding face on the keyway.
-
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50
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

26 Run the study.

Change the Frames per Second to 100, then re-calculate the study.

rib T
27 Review results.

e
The torque values are essentially the same as when we did not have the

F
coincident mate. The plot is now smoother as we have four times more
data points.

ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
Following the recommendations that all mates should represent the real
mechanical connections for the kinematic analyses, this mate defining
the keyway could be defined, even if it is not required for the actual
motion analysis.
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28 Plot reaction force.

Create a new plot to show the reaction force on
the motor.
y

Define the plot by Forces, Reaction Force, and

Magnitude.
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In this assembly, the first hinge we defined was

between the crank and crank_housing. As the
crank_housing is fixed, the mate must transmit
the reaction force.
-

Select the first hinge mate as the Simulation

Do E

element.
Because the selected mate connects two parts,
PR

there are two equal and opposite forces acting in

the mate. One of the two parts must be selected
for the plot of this force.
Select any face on the crank-1 part as the second component in the
Simulation Element field.
Click the Show vector in the graphics window checkbox.

51
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Note This mate must be selected from the Mate Group 1 folder in the
Motion Manager tree because this mate is local and is not listed in the

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FeatureManager design tree.

e
Click OK.

F
29 Warning.

ut
We will receive a warning about redundant constraints. Redundant

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constraints may have significant impact on the mate forces (forces in
the mechanical connections, defined by the mates) and will be
discussed later in the course. The resulting force obtained for this
mechanism is, however, correct as the redundancies present in this
assembly do not have any effect on the force shown in the figure below.

or D
st
E
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Click No.
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52
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

30 Review the plot.

Play the simulation and observe the reaction force vector.

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F
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When viewed from the Right view:

E
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53
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Plotting The Results PropertyManager provides access to various output

Kinematic quantities reviewed in Lesson 1. They can be requested in absolute or

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Results relative values, and with respect to another component of the assembly.
While in most situations the default output is in the global coordinate

e
system of the top level assembly, it is very easy to transform the values

F
to any other selected local coordinate system.

ut
Absolute vs. To request the plot of absolute values, select the

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Relative values component (mate, motor, part etc.) in the
Simulation Element field.

or D
st
To plot values relative to the second

E component, add this component to the

Simulation Element field.
Reference component
op AS
Note The reference component must be selected as the second in the list.
Output coordinate Typically, the results are output in the global coordinate system of the
system assembly. For some simulation components (mates and motors, for
example) the default output is, however, in the local system of the
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selected component.
To plot results in other than the default coordinate
y
system, select the desired component in the
Component to define XYZ directions field. The
values will then be transformed into the coordinate
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system of the selected part.

Note The requested output coordinate system is indicated

by the triad shown in the graphics area.
-
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54
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

In the next section four plots we will demonstrate the results in their

rib T
absolute and relative magnitudes, evaluated in both the global and local
coordinate systems.

e
F
31 Absolute result for component in global system.

ut
Create a plot for the X component of the linear displacement of arm.

di RA
Define the plot by Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, Linear
Displacement and X Component.
Select any face of the arm component for the Simulation element.

or D
st
E
op AS
Click OK.

Note If we select a face, the plot will be of the linear displacement of the
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part’s origin, indicated by a small blue sphere, with respect to the origin
of the assembly in the global assembly system.
y
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-
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Because the input was harmonic motion, the output is an oscillatory

motion.

55
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

32 Absolute result for component transformed in local system.

Create a plot for the X component of the linear displacement of arm

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transformed in its own local coordinate system.

e
Edit the definition of the previous plot and select arm as the

F
Component to define XYZ directions.

ut
Click OK.

di RA
or D
st
Local coordinate system

E Global coordinate system

of arm part
op AS
Note Note that the triad on the part arm now indicates the output local
coordinate system which is misaligned with the global coordinate
system. Further more, note that this local output system translates and
rotates with respect to the global coordinate system as you play the
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motion.
y
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-
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PR

Note The above figure shows the linear displacement of the part’s origin,
with respect to the origin of the assembly, transformed in the part’s
coordinate system. Alternatively, we can view the above graph as the
values from step 31, transformed in the coordinate system of the arm.

56
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

33 Relative result for component in global system.

Create a plot for the X component of the linear displacement of the

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arm relative to the displacement of the collar.

e
Edit the previous plot.

F
Clear the Component to define XYZ directions field.

ut
Select the collar part as the second component in the Simulation

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element field.

or D
st
E
op AS
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y
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We can see that the displacement has somewhat different oscillatory

characteristic as the displacement of the arm in the global coordinate
system (step 31). Relative result for component transformed in local
-

system.
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Note The above figure shows the linear displacement of the arm’s origin,
with respect to the origin of the collar part in the global coordinate
PR

system.

57
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

34 Relative result for component in local system.

Create a plot for the X component of the linear displacement of the

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arm relative to the displacement of the collar. Transform the results in
the local coordinate system of Link1.

e
F
Edit the definition of the previous plot and select Link1 as the
Component to define XYZ directions.

ut
di RA
Local coordinate system
of Link1 part

or D
st
E
op AS
Global coordinate system

Note Note that the triad on the part Link1 now indicates the output local
coordinate system which is misaligned with the global coordinate
system.
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y
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-
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The above plot shows the values plotted in step 33, transformed in the
PR

coordinate system of the collar.

58
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Angular Angular displacement plots can be created to measure the angular

Displacement displacement of a motor, mate, three points or one component relative

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Plots to another component. Because the angular displacement is not a
vector, only the magnitude can be plotted.

e
F
ut
The previous section introduced generation of kinematic results plots
for a component. In the next steps various post-processing plots for

di RA
other simulation elements (mates, motors etc.) will be generated. For
most of these simulation elements, the default output coordinate system
is the local coordinate system of the element.
35 Angular displacement of mate.
Create a plot for the angular displacement of the local hinge mate

or D
between the part Link1 and the cardian.

st
Define the plot by Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, Angular
Displacement and Magnitude.

E Select the local hinge mate between the Link1 and cardian for the
Simulation element.
op AS
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59
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Click OK.
Notice the triad at the location of the hinge. It indicates that the output

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coordinate system is the local system of the hinge mate. Only the

e
magnitude can be requested.

F
ut
di RA
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st
E This plot shows the vertical rotation of the Link2 part which is
op AS
approximately 2 degrees.
36 Angular displacement of motor.
To explore the other options of the angular displacement plot, we will
modify our existing plot rather than create a new plot.
In the Results folder, right-click the last plot and click Edit Feature.
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Delete the hinge mate and select the motion component Motor -
crank for the Simulation element.
y

Click OK.
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-
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PR

The plot shows harmonic motion of the motor. The angular

displacement goes from zero to +180 degrees then returns from -180
degrees. The slope of the graph is constant.

60
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

37 Angular displacement of two lines defined by

three points.
This time, we will create a plot to show the angular

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displacement between two lines defined by three

e
points.

F
Create a new plot.

ut
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Define the plot by Displacement/Velocity/
Acceleration, Angular Displacement and
Magnitude.

For the Simulation element, first select the two

or D
vertices shown, then select the edge.

st
Select Show vector in graphics window. This
will show lines between the three selected points.

E Vertex 1
op AS
Vertex 2
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Edge
y
(defining Vertex 3)

Click OK.
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61
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

38 Examine the plot.

The plot shows the angle between the line defined by Vertex1 and

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Vertex3 and the line defined by Vertex2 and Vertex3 (Vertex3
therefore defines the center point).

e
F
Notice that in the present case the limits of the angular motion is 84
degrees and 121 degrees giving the range of 37 degrees.

ut
di RA
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st
E
op AS
Angular Velocity Similarly to the angular displacement, Angular velocity plot can be
and Acceleration generated for a motor, mate and a component relative to another
Plots component. Magnitude as well as all three coordinate components are
available.
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39 Plot angular velocity and acceleration.

Generate a couple of velocity and acceleration plots on your own. Try
to plot both the absolute and relative magnitudes in both the global and
y
local coordinate systems.
40 Save and close the file.
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-
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62
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 2
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

Summary In this lesson we analyzed a 3dcrankslider assembly. While both

SolidWorks and SolidWorks Motion Simulation assemblies can be built

rib T
in many ways with various mates, the main objective of this lesson was
to show the suggested assembly building procedure for the motion

e
analysis where only kinematic results (displacements, velocities,

F
accelerations etc.) are of interest. We call this type of the analysis

ut
“kinematic analysis”. “Dynamic analysis” is then a simulation where

di RA
mate forces and their distribution throughout the assembly is required.
These later types of analyses can be more intricate since the
redundancies need to be understood and addressed (redundancies are
subject of the later lessons in this course).
It was suggested that the most suitable approach to obtain kinematic

or D
results while investing reasonable about of time in the motion assembly
building is to model the mates as closely to the real mechanical

st
connections as possible, i.e. all real mechanical hinges will be modeled
as hinge mates. This lesson also introduced the most common mate

E types and the subject of local mates. Local mates are designed within
the SolidWorks Motion Simulation tab and do not affect the original
SolidWorks assembly and the design intent in any way. This way, each
op AS
Motion Simulation study may feature its own independent mates.
While motors and forces input may be defined in many ways, this
lesson shows the procedure to control the magnitudes using the
imported data from the table. The second half of this lesson introduces
various available result quantities and shows their definitions in detail.
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-
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63
 Lesson 2 SolidWorks 2011
Building a Motion Model and Post-processing

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e
F
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64
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 2
Piston

Exercise 2: In this exercise, we will manually create local mates and run a motion
Piston simulation on a simple engine under the effects of gravity only. We will

rib T
plot the results and check the assembly for interference.

e
F
engineblock

ut
piston

di RA
conrod

crankshaft

or D
st
bearing

E This exercise reinforces the following skills:

op AS
I Creating Local Mates on page 34.
I Angular Displacement Plots on page 59.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Piston from the Lesson02\Exercises folder.
t c LE

2 Type of Study.
Select the Motion Study 1 tab and set the Type of Study to Motion
Analysis.
y

3 Verify the document units.

Verify that the document units are MMGS (millimeter, gram, second).
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65
 Exercise 2 SolidWorks 2011
Piston

4 Verify fixed and floating states of components.

Examine the assembly. Three parts are fixed and three parts are not

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fixed and not mated. MateGroup1 is empty.

e
The engineblock and the two bearings are fixed.

F
The piston, crankshaft and conrod are floating.

ut
Fixed Components Floating Components

di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
5 Move components.
Move the floating components away
from their final positions. We are doing
this just to make it easier to select faces
as we create local mates.
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y
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6 Add local mates.

Add the following local mates:
I Hinge between the crankshaft and
-

bearing<2>.
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PR

Note The second hinge mate between the crankshaft and the bearing<1>
components could have been defined as well. However, it would have
no effect on the kinematic results of this simulation.

66
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 2
Piston

I Hinge between the conrod and

crankshaft.

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e
F
ut
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I Concentric between the piston
and the cylindrical face of the

or D
engineblock (piston bore).

st
E
op AS
I Concentric between the upper
hole in the conrod and one of the wrist pin holes
in the piston. We do not have the wrist pin
modeled so we are using the concentric mate in its
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place.
y
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7 Add gravity.
Under Gravity Parameters, Direction Reference, select the Y
direction.
Under Numeric gravity value, type in a value of 9806.65 mm/sec^2.
-
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8 Motion Study properties.

Set the study properties to record 100 frames per second.
9 Run the simulation for 2.32 seconds.
PR

Make sure that the study type is set to Motion Analysis.

67
 Exercise 2 SolidWorks 2011
Piston

10 Examine the motion.

Playback the study at one-quarter speed.

rib T
The weight of the piston and conrod will cause the piston to try to move

e
to bottom dead center. As there is no friction, the model will just

F
oscillate as the total energy of the system is conserved.

ut
di RA
or D
st
E While the assembly moves freely, we cannot tell if there is interference
op AS
between the different components. In Lesson 3, interference detection
in SolidWorks Motion will be demonstrated.
11 Plot results.
Create a plot of the angular displacement of the crankshaft.
Initially, the plot may look odd, however if you examine it closely you
t c LE

can see that the component is just rocking back and forth.
y
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-
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PR

12 Angular displacement of hinge mate.

Create another plot for angular displacement of the hinge mate
between the crankshaft and bearing.

68
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 2
Piston

The plot should look the same as the previous plot for the crankshaft,
except that the values are of opposite sign and the graph begins at 0

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degrees. This is because the displacement plot for the mate, motors and
spring features are plotted at the local coordinate system by default.

e
F
ut
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st
E 13 Plot linear displacement.
Create a plot for the linear displacement of the piston in the global
coordinate system. Plot the Y-component as this is the direction along
op AS
the axis of the piston bore.
The plot shows normal harmonic motion.
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69
 Exercise 2 SolidWorks 2011
Piston

14 Transform linear displacement plot.

Transform the above linear displacement plot into the local coordinate

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system of the crankshaft.

e
As the local coordinate system of the crankshaft rotates, the values in

F
the plot are changing from positive to negative.

ut
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or D
st
E
15 Save and close the file.
op AS
Summary In this exercise you analyzed a small piston assembly. The main
objective was to practice the assembly building procedure when
kinematic results are of interest only and to plot various result
quantities.
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70
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 3
Trace Path

Exercise 3: In this exercise we will use motors that are driven by tabular data to
Trace Path have a stylus trace a path like a pen plotter.

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F
cross beam

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chassis

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pointer

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This exercise reinforces the following skills:

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I Local Mates on page 40.
I Importing Data Points on page 47.
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Procedure Open the existing assembly from the Exercises folder.

1 Open an assembly file.
Open pant1 from the Lesson02\Exercises folder.
2 Set the document units.
-

Click Tools, Options, Document Properties, Units.

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Select MMGS (millimeter, gram, second) for the Unit system.

3 New study.
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Crate a new motion study. Make sure you select Motion Analysis.

71
 Exercise 3 SolidWorks 2011
Trace Path

4 Examine the assembly.

Existing mates allow the cross beam to

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move along the rails of the chassis and the
pointer to move along the cross beam.

e
F
One mate missing is something to keep the

ut
pointer from rotating around the cross
beam.

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5 Add rotary motor.
To prevent the rotation, we will use a rotary motor.
Select Axis1 in the Pointer as the Component.

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Set the Motion to Distance and make the distance
0 degrees from 0 to 20 seconds.

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E
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6 Add linear motor.

The first linear motor will drive the cross beam along the chassis.
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Two csv files are provided in the Exercises folder, movx.csv and
movy.csv. These files have number pairs with the first number
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indicating the time and the second number representing position.

Notice that in each set of numbers, the time points are evenly spaced.
This will allow us to use the Akima interpolation type.
Add a Linear Motor.
-

Select the face shown in the image below.

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Select Data Points to open the Function Builder window.

Import Data for the Displacement (movy.csv file).
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72
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 3
Trace Path

Note Look at the triad to see that the selected face will move in the
Y direction, so we need the movy.csv file instead of the movx.csv.

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Click OK.

e
F
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7 Add another motor.
Add another linear motor to move the pointer across the cross beam
using the movx.csv file. Orient the motor in the direction of the
negative X axis.
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8 Run the study.

Run the study for 20 seconds.
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73
 Exercise 3 SolidWorks 2011
Trace Path

9 Create a path trace.

Create a new result.

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Select Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration and Trace Path.

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Select the vertex at the end of the Pointer.

F
Check the Show vector in the graphics window checkbox to see the

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star shape.

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Note The Trace Path plot will be discussed in more in detail in Lesson 6,
where it will be used to generate the profile of a CAM.
10 Save and close the file.
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Summary In this exercise you analyzed a pen assembly. The main objective of
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this exercise was to define local mate definitions and to import

tabulated data to control the motor magnitude.
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74
 rib T
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F
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Lesson 3

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Introduction to Contacts,

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Springs and Dampers

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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Check interference of components.
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I Apply contact to components.
I Specify solid bodies contact friction.
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I Add a spring with damper to the assembly.

-
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75
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Contact and In this lesson we will examine the motion of a catapult as it is loaded
Friction and throws a projectile. Some of the components in this lesson are not

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connected to the others through mates or joints but are restricted based
on their contact with other components. We will place these dynamic

e
components into our system by defining contact conditions and also

F
include friction between components.

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Case Study:

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The crank will rotate the catapult arm, through a belt and pulley, to a
Catapult position where a projectile can be loaded. The crank motion will also
be transmitted through a gear assembly to a trigger mechanism that will
release the projectile and allow the spring to push the projectile onto
the projectile holder.
When released, the counterweight will cause the arm to rotate and

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throw the projectile.

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E Catapult-Arm
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Gear assembly
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Projectile
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Counterweight
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Trigger mechanism
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Hand crank
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76
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Problem The crank will rotate 2.75 turns to load the catapult. The motion of the
Description rack will cause the trigger to release the projectile onto the projectile

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holder. The mechanism will release the arm and the counterweight will
cause the arm to throw the projectile.

e
F
Determine the torque required to rotate the crank and load the catapult.

ut
Determine the displacement and velocity and force of the loading
spring.

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Stages in the I Create a Motion Study.
Process This will be a new motion study.
I Apply friction.
Friction will be added to the existing SolidWorks mates.

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I Apply contact.
Contact will be added to the dynamic components.

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I Add a spring.
We don’t use a spring model in the motion simulation. Instead we

E I
create a motion element that mathematically represents the spring.
Apply gravity.
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The catapult operates under conditions of normal gravity.
I Calculate the simulation.

I Plot the results.

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We will create various plots to show the torque and power required.

1 Open an assembly file.

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Open Catapult-assembly from the Lesson03\Case Studies folder.
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2 Examine the assembly.

The crank rotation does two things,
it rotates the arm through the belt
and pulley and it triggers the release
of the projectile through a gear
train.
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77
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

The gear train consists of

three gear mates and a rack

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and pinion mate.

e
When the rack moves, it

F
will come in contact with

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the release mechanism and
lift the projectile holder

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door.

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st
E
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Rotate the crank to see how the mates work.

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3 Verify the document units.

Verify that the document units are set to MMGS (millimeter, gram,
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second).
4 Create a Motion Study.
Right-click the Motion Study 1 tab and click Create New Motion
Study.
Make sure that the Motion Analysis is selected as the Type of Study
in the MotionManager.

78
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

5 Add a motor.
To revolve the crank we need to apply a motor to

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the end of the shaft. We want to rotate the crank
2.75 turns in 3 seconds.

e
F
Click Motor in the MotionManager toolbar.

ut
Select the edge of the crank shaft for both the

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Motor Direction and Motor Location fields.

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st
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Select Rotary Motor for the Motor Type and Distance for the Motion
Type.
-

Type 990 deg (2.75 turns x 360 deg) for the Displacement and
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3 seconds for the Duration.

Click OK.
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6 Disable the motor.

After the motor turns for 3 seconds, we want it to hold the catapult in
the loaded position while the projectile moves into the projectile tray.
We then want the motor to disengage to allow the counterweight to
drive the catapult.

79
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

The entire simulation will run for 5 seconds, so to make it easier to

select on the timeline, click Zoom In on the lower right corner of

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the MotionManager until a little more than 5 seconds fills the time line
MotionManager.

e
F
Select the RotaryMotor1 in the MotionManager. Right-click in the

ut
timeline at 3.4 seconds and click Off. This creates a key that suppresses
the motor at 3.4 seconds so that it will have no effect after this time.

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Tip If you place the key at the wrong time, just drag it to 3.4 seconds.
7 Motion Study Properties.
Set the Frames per second to 50.
8 Calculate.

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Click Calculate and observe the motion.

st
Notice that as specified, motor rotates the crank by 2.75 turns in
3 seconds. From 3 to 3.4 seconds the motor keeps the crank, as well as

E the arm, stationary and ready to launch. Finally it disengages at

3.4 seconds when the mechanism begins to move in not specifically
defined motion. A few key elements must still be added to the motion
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model, however.
9 Analyze the motion.
In the MotionManager, right-click Orientation and Camera Views
and click Disable Playback of View Keys.
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Change to the Front view and zoom in on the left end of the assembly.
Play the simulation in slow motion again and notice that the two
y
triggers move through each other.
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To stop this, we must add contact between them. Before defining

contact, we will however introduce a feature which can be used to
detect the interference automatically.

80
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Interference The Interference Detection tool in SolidWorks will detect interference

Detection between components. However, it will only detect interference for a

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single static position of the components.

e
In SolidWorks Motion, interference can be detected for the motion path

F
of each component.

ut
Where to Find It I Right-click on the top level component in the MotionManager and

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select Check Interference.

10 Check Interference.
In the MotionManager, right-click the Catapult-assembly and click
Check Interference.

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Select the two triggers and click Find Now.

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11 Examine the results.
The two triggers interfere starting at Frame 132 at time 2.620 seconds

E and remain that way until the last frame.

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Select the first interference and click Details. We

can now see the location and amount of
interference.
-
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Close the dialog Find Interferences Over Time.

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81
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Contact Contacts can be defined between multiple bodies or curves to prevent

penetration. In this lesson we will only learn how to define the contact

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between solid bodies and discuss friction. A more detailed discussion
on the definition of contacts and its parameters will be presented in the

e
next lesson.

F
ut
Introducing: Contact is used to define the way bodies react with each other. Within
Contact the contact definition, we can control the friction and the elastic

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properties between the bodies.

Where to Find It I Click Contact on the MotionManager toolbar.

12 Add contact.

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In the MotionManager toolbar click Contact .

st
Select the two Projectile holder trigger parts.
For Contact Type select Solid Bodies.

E We will keep all contact parameters except friction

at their default values - they are the subject of
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Lesson 4.
Make sure that Material PropertyManager is
checked and select Steel (Dry) for both materials.
We will run the simulation without considering the
friction between these two parts. Clear Friction.
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Click OK.
13 Calculate.
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14 Examine the trigger.

When the simulation runs, the trigger on the rack
mechanism will now contact the trigger on the
projectile holder door and lower it.
-

Contact groups Contacts between the bodies can be defined in a multiple separate
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definitions (each for two bodies only), or in one (or a few) definition
with all bodies included in a single (or a few) definition only. The later
one will consider contact between all selected bodies, thus
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automatically generating multiple contact pairs. While this procedure is

easy to define, considering contact for all pairs can be computationally
demanding.

82
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Contact definition with contact groups ignores contact between parts in

the group, but considers contact between all combinations of pairs of

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bodies across the groups. It is possible to define a maximum of two
contact groups.

e
F
Introducing: Contact groups enable to place contacting bodies in two separate
Use contact groups

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groups. All contact combinations across the two groups are considered
only.

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Where to Find It I Click Contact on the MotionManager toolbar. Under
Selections, check the Use contact groups check box.

15 Additional contacts.

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The following additional contacts have to be defined:

st
I projectile - projectile holder door
I projectile holder - projectile

E
I projectile holder pusher - projectile
Using the procedure outlined in the previous steps, three separate
definitions would have to be created. Instead, using the contact groups
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one single definition will suffice in this case.
Create contact definition. Under Contact Type
select Solid Bodies, for Material select Steel
(Dry) and clear Friction.
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Under Selections check Use contact groups.

Select Projectile in Group1 and projectile
holder, projectile holder door and projectile
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holder pusher in Group2.

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Click OK.
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Note The PropertyManager indicates that three contact pairs will be

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considered for the calculation.

83
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Contact Friction When defining contact, there are three friction options which can be
used depending on the model.

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I Static

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I Kinematic

F
I None

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Once you decide what friction types to include in your contact, you

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must evaluate the static and/or kinematic velocity and friction
constants.
Coulomb friction forces are calculated based on two different
coefficients - static and kinematic.
Static Coefficient The static coefficient is the constant used to calculate the force

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necessary to overcome friction when a body is at rest.

st
Kinematic The kinematic coefficient is the constant used to calculate friction
Coefficient forces once the body is no longer at rest.

E In reality, the static friction transition velocity is zero, but numerical

solvers, such as SolidWorks Motion, require that a non-zero value be
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specified to avoid singularity at the origin. More specifically, when a
part is in transition from a negative to positive velocity, and when the
velocity is zero, the force magnitude cannot instantaneously transition
from a positive to negative value.
Therefore, the graph Static
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shows how Kinematic

SolidWorks Motion
resolves this issue— Force (N)
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the user specifies a
static and kinematic
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transition velocity
where the friction 0.102 mm/sec. 10.16 mm/sec.
coefficients are used. Velocity (mm/sec.)
From there,
SolidWorks Motion fits a smooth curve to solve for the friction force.
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In the graph above, the default friction parameters for dry steel in
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contact are used.

I Static Friction Transition Velocity: vs = 0.102 mm/s.
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I Kinematic Friction Transition Velocity: vt = 10.16 mm/s.

I Static Friction Coefficient: 0.30.
I Kinematic Friction Coefficient: 0.25.

Where to Find It I In the PropertyManager for Contact, select Friction.

84
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

16 Additional contact set.

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Create a contact set between:

e
I projectile

F
I Catapult-Arm

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Under Material select Steel (Dry).

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Make sure that Friction is checked.
Uncheck Material and change the values for the
Dynamic Friction Coefficient and Static
Friction Coefficient to 0.15 and 0.2, respectively.
Click OK.

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st
E
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Note Unchecking Material opens up the Friction dialog fields for editing.
The contact characteristics in Elastic Properties, determined by the
selection in the Material dialog, remain unchanged. Elastic Properties
are discussed in Lesson 4.
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Translational A translational spring represents the displacement dependent force

Spring acting between two parts over a distance and along a particular
y

direction.
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When defining a spring, you can readily change the force-displacement

dependency from linear to another predefined relationship by selecting
the function type from a list. This allows you to select the relationship
between the force and displacement. The following force-displacement
relationships are supported in SolidWorks Motion:
-

X, X2, X3, X4, 1/x, 1/x2, 1/x3

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You specify the location of the spring on two parts.

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85
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

SolidWorks Motion calculates the spring force based on the relative

displacement between the two parts, the stiffness of the spring and the

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fabrication or free length.

e
F
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st
E When the spring force is negative, the spring is in a stretched position
relative to the free length.
Spring forces become ill-defined if the end points become coincident
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Note
because of undefined direction.
Magnitude of The magnitude of the spring force is based on the stiffness and initial
Spring Force force.
The spring relationship can be written as:
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F = -K (X - X0)n + F0
Where:
y

X= Distance between the two locations that define the spring

K= Spring stiffness coefficient (always > 0)
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F0 = Reference force of the spring (preload)

n = Exponent. For example, if spring force = KX2, then n = 2. Valid

values for the exponent n are: -4,-3,-2,-1,1,2,3,4.
X0 = Reference length (at preload, always > 0)
-
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I Positive force repels the two parts.

I Negative force attracts the two parts.
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Note To create a spring that exhibits non-linear force properties not

supported in the spring definition, you must use an action-reaction
force where you can enter a non-linear force equation.

86
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Introducing: Spring Both linear and torsional springs can be added between components.
Both the Exponent of the spring force expression (linear to ± 4) and

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Spring Constant can be specified.

e
Where to Find It I Click Spring on the MotionManager toolbar.

F
Translational A translational damper is considered a resistive element used to

ut
Damper “smoothen” out oscillations encountered due to outside forces.

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Typically, dampers are used in conjunction with springs to “dampen”
out any oscillations or vibrations created by the spring.
In the real world, bodies and even springs have built in structural
damping, and the damper element can be used to represent this. The
force created by a damper is dependent on the instantaneous velocity

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vectors between the two defined endpoints.

st
Note To create a damper that exhibits non-linear force properties not
supported in the Damper definition, you must use an action-reaction

E force where you can enter a non-linear force equation based on the
velocity between the two points of the force entity.
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For the translational damper element, the force equation is pre-defined
as F = c × v n where c is the user defined damping coefficient, v is the
relative velocity between two end points and n is the exponent. For
example, if damper force = -c*v2, then n = 2 (valid options are -4,-3,-
2,-1,1,2,3,4).
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The Damper can be added between components in a mechanism.

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Introducing: Damper
Additionally, both linear and torsional springs can have damping
properties that act as the combination of spring and damper together.
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Like springs, both the Exponent of the damper force expression

(linear to ± 4) and Damping Constant can be specified.

Where to Find It I Click Damper on the MotionManager toolbar.

87
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

17 Add a spring.

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To move the projectile into position on the
Catapult-Arm, we must add a spring. The spring

e
will have a pre-load to hold the projectile against

F
the back of the projectile holder door. When

ut
the door drops, the projectile is pushed into

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position.
Click Spring on the MotionManager toolbar.
Select the two faces shown below.

or D
st
E
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Set the Spring Parameters as shown to create a linear spring with a
Spring Constant of 0.15 N/mm and the Free Length of 13mm.
Select Damper and add a Damping Constant of 0.01 N/(mm/s).
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For Display set the Coil Diameter to 4.00mm, 5 turns and a Wire
Diameter of 0.5mm.
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Note The values entered in the Display area are only used as graphics
parameters.
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Click OK.
18 Calculate.
When the simulation solves, the projectile flies off into space and arm
does not release and the counterweight does not stay level. This is
-

because we are still missing a key element, gravity.

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19 Add gravity.
Add gravity to the assembly.
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20 Calculate.
This time the arm is cranked down to the loading position and is held
there by the motor while the trigger releases the door and the projectile
is pushed onto the arm by the spring. At 3.4 seconds, the motor turns
off and the gravity on the counterweight swings the arm and launches
the projectile.

88
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

Post- Now that the simulation is calculated, we can create plots for the
processing different parameters we are interested in.

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21 Motor torque.

F
Create a new plot.

ut
Define the plot using Forces, Motor Torque and Magnitude.

di RA
Select the RotaryMotor as the rotational element.

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st
E
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We observe that the top torque magnitude reaches approximate 7 N-
mm.
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89
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

22 Spring displacement.
Create a new plot.

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Define the plot using Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, Linear

e
Displacement and Magnitude.

F
Select the Linear Spring as the simulation element.

ut
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st
E
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The spring expands from 6 to 13 mm. In the setup of the problem, we
specified the length of the uncompressed spring as 13 mm.
23 Spring velocity.
Create a new plot.
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Define the plot using Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, Linear

Velocity and Magnitude.
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Select the Linear Spring as the simulation element.
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-
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From the plot, we can see that the spring reaches a top speed of 91 mm/
sec.

90
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 3
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

24 Spring force.
Create a new plot.

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Define the plot using Forces, Reaction Force and Magnitude.

e
Select the Linear Spring as the simulation element.

F
Click OK.

ut
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25 Warning.
Similarly to Lesson 2, we will receive a warning about redundant
constraints. Redundant constraints may have significant impact on the
mate forces (forces in the mechanical connections, mates, defined by
the mates) and will be discussed later in the course. The resulting force
obtained for this mechanism is, however, correct.

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st
E
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Click No.
26 Review the plot.
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From the plot we can see that the maximum spring force is 1 N.
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We can see that the spring only pushes the projectile for about
0.1 seconds.

Analysis with In this part we will study the effect of contact friction on the motion of
Friction the projectile. We will use the study we have just done and add friction
(Optional) between the projectile and the projectile holder.

91
 Lesson 3 SolidWorks 2011
Introduction to Contacts, Springs and Dampers

27 Duplicate the study.

Duplicate the existing motion study and name it Larger Friction.

rib T
28 Add friction.

e
Edit the group contact set containing the projectile and projectile

F
holder. Activate Friction with the default values for Steel (Dry).

ut
29 Motion study properties.

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Under Motion study Properties set Number of Frames to 100.
Click the Advanced Options button and change the Integrator Type
to WSTIFF.

Note Integrators are discussed in detail in Lesson 4.

or D
30 Run the simulation.

st
31 Animate results.
Animate the results and

E notice that the projectile

would not slide onto the arm
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due to the added friction.
32 Save and close the file.
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y

Summary In this lesson we analyzed a catapult assembly. The main objective was
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to rotate the arm to the position where a projectile can be loaded, then
release the arm and eject the projectile. The following features were
used and explained in detail: interference check through the computed
time steps, definition of the spring and damper and the specification of
the solid body contact with the contact groups. Because the parameters
of the contact setup are subject of Lesson 4, this lesson only introduced
-

the procedure to define the contacts with friction. Both static and
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kinematic friction types were introduced and shown. This assembly

also features multiple gear mates.
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92
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 4
The Bug

Exercise 4: In this exercise, we will use a mechanical bug with an oscillating motor
The Bug to demonstrate the effects of friction on the movement of parts. We will

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run the study twice, first without friction and then with friction.

e
F
ut
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st
E This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Contact Friction on page 84.
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1 Open an assembly file.
Open Bug Assembly file from the Lesson03\Exercises folder.
The assembly consists of a flat plate and a two piece mechanical bug.
The intent is to have the movement of the leg move the bug along the
plate. There is a Coincident mate between central planes on the Base
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and Plate to keep the Bug moving down the middle of the Plate.
2 Verify the document units.
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Click Tools, Options, Document Properties, Units.
Verify that MMGS (millimeter, gram, second) is selected for the Unit
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system.
3 New study.
Crate a new motion study. Make sure you select Motion Analysis.
4 Add gravity.
Add gravity in the negative Y direction.
-
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5 Add contact.
Using contact groups, add solid body contact between the Plane and
the two parts of the bug (Leg and Base).
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Select Rubber (Dry) for the material.

Clear Friction.

93
 Exercise 4 SolidWorks 2011
The Bug

6 Add a motor.
Add an oscillating Rotary Motor to

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the Leg. Attach the motor to the
edge shown and set the motor to

e
move 30 degrees at 5 Hz.

F
ut
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7 Calculate.
Calculate the analysis for
2 seconds.

or D
While the motor oscillates properly,

st
without friction, the bug does not
move.

E
8 Add friction.
Edit the two contacts and select Friction. The dynamic friction
coefficient will be set to that of the specified material (Rubber (Dry)).
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Select static friction and use the default values.
9 Re-calculate.
Run the analysis for 20 seconds.
With friction added, the bug will move along the plate.
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10 Save and close the file.

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Summary In this exercise you analyzed a small assembly called bug. The main
objective was to see the effect of the friction model in the contact
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specification. While in the model without friction the bug assembly

does not move, addition of the friction come close to reality – the bugs
moves along the base plane.
-
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94
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 5
Door Closer

Exercise 5: In public buildings such as schools

Door Closer or offices, door closers are often

rib T
added to non-motorized swing
doors to ensure that the doors

e
automatically close after use. To

F
ensure that the doors do not close

ut
too quickly and slam, a spring

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damper is added to the interior of
the door closer.

or D
Door Closer In this exercise, we will use the Motion Manager to add an internal
Analysis

st
spring and damper to the door closer. We will then use SolidWorks
Motion to plot the effect of the spring and damper on the door's
behavior and adjust the parameters to achieve the desired result.

E This exercise reinforces the following skills:

op AS
I Translational Spring on page 85.
I Translational Damper on page 87.
Procedure Open the existing assembly from the Exercises folder.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open door from the Lesson03\Exercises folder.
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2 Verify the document units.

Click Tools, Options, Document Properties, Units.
y
Verify that MMGS (millimeter, gram, second) is selected for the Unit
system.
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3 New study.
Crate a new motion study. Make sure you select Motion Analysis.
-
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95
 Exercise 5 SolidWorks 2011
Door Closer

4 Create a linear spring.

Define a Linear Spring between the gas-piston and gas-cylinder.

rib T
Use the circular edges as indicated in the figure. You must select the
edges and not the faces or else the software does not use the center. The

e
spring must be aligned with the cylinder.

F
Use 1 N/mm and 180 mm for the Spring Constant and the Free

ut
Length, respectively.

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Use 5 N/(mm/s) for the Damping constant. Input appropriate values
in the Display PropertyManager.
Edges for the
spring definition

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E
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Note It may be necessary to change the transparency of the door closer's
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gas cylinder in order to select the interior parts necessary to define

the linear spring.
Click OK.
y

Note The damper is used to prevent doors from slamming shut due to the
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force of the spring.

5 Run the Motion Analysis.
Run the analysis for 40 seconds.
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96
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 5
Door Closer

6 Plot door velocity.

Create a plot of the door (center of mass) velocity magnitude.

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e
F
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st
E Notice that the door closes too quickly (within approximately 24
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seconds) and passes through the door frame before coming to a
complete stop.
We do not wish to close the door so quickly. Furthermore, we do not
want the door to actually pass through the door frame and open on the
opposite side. To solve this, we need to redefine the spring and damper
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constants.
7 Duplicate the study.
y

Note It is possible to simply change the constants in the Motion Study we

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just created. However, we want to be able to compare results from the

two constant settings. Therefore, we will duplicate the initial Motion
Study and make modifications to the duplicate study.
8 Redefine the spring with damper.
Increase the Spring Constant value from 1.00 N/mm to 2.00 N/mm.
-

Increase the Damping Constant value from 5.00 N/(mm/s) to

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10.00 N/(mm/s).
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97
 Exercise 5 SolidWorks 2011
Door Closer

9 Calculate the Motion Analysis.

Calculate and plot the door velocity.

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e
F
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st
E10 Compare results.
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Clicking either of the motion studies we just completed will enable you
to compare the results from both studies. You can observe that in the
second study, the door closes slower and comes to a complete stop
without actually passing through the frame.

Conclusion From the data in the two simulations, we can determine the appropriate
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spring and damper constants for the door to close as desired and
without slamming.
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Summary In this exercise you analyzed a door assembly. The main objective was
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to practice the definition of the spring and damper to model the door
closer and to find an optimum spring and damper parameters to close
the door slowly without it passing through the frame.
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98
 rib T
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F
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Lesson 4

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Advanced Contact

st
E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand the definition as well as the description of contacts.
t c LE

I Use expressions to prescribe the magnitude of forces and motors.

I Analyze some causes of the incorrect solution or a contact solution
y
failure.
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I Use alternative numerical integrators.

-
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99
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

Contact Forces The objective of this lesson is to get familiar with the definition of solid
body contacts, as well as understanding their limitations and use in

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SolidWorks Motion. The expressions utilizing various mathematical
functions prescribing displacements and other study features will be

e
introduced. Contact force as the latch closes and the force needed to

F
close the latch will be extracted; accuracy of the contact force will be

ut
discussed as well.

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Case Study: In this assembly, an
Latching over-center latch is
Assembly used to hold the
Carriage part against
a spring.

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Problem For the latching mechanism, determine:
Description I The contact force generated on the Spring Lever and Keeper as
the latch closes.
I The forced needed to close the latch.
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1 Open an assembly file.

Open Full Latch Mechanism. from Lesson04\Case Studies
y
folder.
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2 Examine the assembly.

The assembly has several mates however not all components have
enough mates to allow the parts to move based on the mechanical
motion of the final assembly.
The Carriage part is concentric to the center spindle, but can rotate
-

through the side spindles.

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100
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Three components of the latch, knurled_pin, spring and Series

Lever are not restrained laterally.

rib T
e
F
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di RA
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st
3 Verify the units.
Verify that the document units are set to MMGS.

E 4 Create a new Motion study.

Name the study Tessellated geometry and set Type of Study to
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Motion Analysis.
5 Center the latch.
Add a Coincident mate
between the Front planes of
the Base and Series Lever.
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This is a local mate. If you select the Model tab in the MotionManager,
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the Series Lever can still move.

We could add another mate to restrict the motion of the J_Spring. In
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the next few steps we will practice an alternative approach to constrain

the motion of free parts.

Fixing Motion with An alternative approach to additional mates is the addition of a motor.
Motors The advantage of such an approach may not be immediately apparent,
but we will use it in this motion model.

101
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

One reason for using a motor instead of a mate is that it does not
introduce additional constraints to the motion model and helps to

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reduce the number of the redundant constraints. Redundant constraints
will be discussed in Lesson 8: Redundancies.

e
F
ut
6 Restrict the linear translation of the latch.
Create a Linear Motor.

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Attach the motor to the face shown.
For Motion, select Distance and set it to 0 mm.
Set the Start Time to 0s and the Duration to 3.5s.

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102
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

7 Restrict rotation of the Carriage.

Create a Rotary Motor.

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Attach the motor to the edge shown.

e
For Motion, select Distance and set it to 0 deg.

F
Set the Start Time to 0s and the Duration to 3.5s. The simulation will

ut
run for 3.5 seconds, so this motor will stop the Carriage from rotating

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during the entire simulation.

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st
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Motor Input and SolidWorks Motion allows you to set the motor input to a number of
y
Force Input Types different types. We have used Constant Speed, Distance and Data
Points in most of our lessons thus far, but Expression, Oscillating
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and Segments are also available.

Expression lets us to define a profile that dictates the motion of the
motor with a help of various mathematical functions.
Functional You can use functional expressions to define magnitudes of input used
-

Expressions in:
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I Motors
I Forces
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Functions can depend on time or other system states, such as

displacement, velocity, and reaction forces and may be composed of
any valid combination of simple constants, operators, parameters, and
available supported solver functions such as Step (STEP) and
Harmonic (SHF), for example. For a detailed list of functions and its
syntax, please refer to the on-line help.

103
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

The following is a list of accepted functions:

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Function Definition

e
ABS Absolute value of (a)

F
ut
ACOS Arc cosine of (a)

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AINT Nearest integer whose magnitude is not larger than (a)

ANINT Nearest whole number to (a)

ASIN Arc sine of (a)

ATAN Arc tangent of (a)

or D
ATAN2 Arc tangent of (a1, a2)

st
COS Cosine of (a)

E
COSH Hyperbolic cosine of (a)

DIM Positive difference of a1 and a2

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EXP e raised to the power of (a)

LOG Natural logarithm of (a)

LOG10 Log to base 10 of (a)

MAX Maximum of a1 and a2

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MIN Minimum of a1 and a2

MOD Remainder when a1 is divided by a2

y

SIGN Transfer sign of a2 to magnitude of a1

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SIN Sine of (a)

SINH Hyperbolic sine of (a)

SQRT Square root of a1

STEP Smoothed step function

-
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TAN Tangent of (a)

TANH Hyperbolic tangent of (a)

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DTOR Degrees to radians conversion factor

PI Ratio of circumference to diameter of a circle

RTOD Radians to degrees conversion factor

TIME Current simulation time

IF Defines a function expression

104
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Force Functions There are five types of force functions that can be used to define the
force:

rib T
I Constant: Sets a constant value.

e
I Step: Defines a step by an Initial Value, Start Time, Final Value,

F
Final Time.

ut
I Harmonic: Defines the value by Amplitude, Frequency, Average

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and Phase Shift.
I Segments: Defines the value by combining segments of the most
commonly used functions such as linear, polynomial, half-sine and
others.

or D
I Data Points: Takes the values from a table of data points and
interpolates a spline between the data points.

st
I Expression: Defines the value using a formula.
STEP Function

E A STEP function prescribes the given quantity (displacement, velocity,

acceleration or force magnitude, for example) between two values with
a smooth transition. Before and after the transition, the displacement,
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velocity or acceleration magnitude is constant.
For example, consider the
illustration at the right where:
d0 = Initial value of displacement
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d1 = Final value of displacement

t0 = Start step time
y

t1 = Final step time

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105
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

8 Create a rotary motor to drive the latch.

rib T
Hide the J_Spring.

e
In the Motion Manager, click Motor .

F
Under Motor Type, select Rotary Motor.

ut
Under either the Motor Location or Components/Direction fields,

di RA
select Axis1 of the Series Lever as indicated in the figure. This motor
will simulate the action of the hand operating the Series Lever to open
and close the latch.

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t c LE
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Under Motor Type, in the Motion field, select Expression. The

command brings up the Function Builder window.
9 Build motor expression.
In the Function Builder, make sure that the Expression button is
selected.
-

Select Mathematical Functions for the input type and double-click

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STEP(x,x0,h0,x1,h1) to insert the step function.

Modify the functional expression to read STEP(TIME,0,0D,1,90D).
PR

Note The TIME variable can be typed in or inserted by chancing the input
type to Variables and Constants and double-clicking TIME.
Complete the expression to its final form:
STEP(TIME,0,0D,1,90D)+STEP(TIME,1.5,0D,3,-90D)

106
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Note The Function Builder graph windows will update the plots for
displacement, velocity, acceleration and jerk automatically.

rib T
e
F
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E
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Click OK to complete the definition of the expression and close the
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Function Builder.
Click OK to complete the definition of the Motor feature.
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107
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

Note The above expression is a

combination of two step functions. STEP(TIME,0,0D,1,90D)

rib T
The first rotates the Series Lever

e
component by 90 degrees between 0

F
and 1 second and then it keeps the
1.0 sec

ut
vertical position for 0.5 seconds until

di RA
the time 1.5 seconds.
At time 1.5 seconds, we add the STEP(TIME,1.5,0D,3,-90D)
second step function which changes
the rotational displacement back to
zero between the 1.5 and 3 seconds. 1.5 sec

or D
Both functions as well as the
combination (the final motion of the

st
Combined
Series Lever) are shown in the
figures.

E
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3.0 sec

10 Define Spring and

Damper.
We now need to define
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a spring with a damper

which generates
tension to keep the
y

latch pulled tight.

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In the Motion Manager,

click Spring .
Choose a Linear
Spring with a spring
constant of 10 N/mm,
-

and create the spring at

the locations shown in
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the figure below.

Keep the Free Length
PR

at its default value.

Turn on the linear
Damper and specify a
magnitude of 0.10 N/(mm/s).
Notice that the free length of the spring is automatically populated into
the Free Length field.
Click OK.

108
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Contact: Solid Contacts are defined between two or more bodies or two curves (a

rib T
Bodies contact pair). During the definition of the contact between solid bodies,

e
whatever feature you pick on the parts, the corresponding body will be

F
selected (and used for the contact analysis). During the solve, the

ut
software calculates at each frame the bounding boxes of the parts

di RA
interfere. As soon as it is the case, a finer interference calculation is
done between the two bodies and from the center of gravity of the
interference volume, an impact force is computed and applied on both
bodies.
This procedure is schematically shown in the figure below.

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st
E 1. 2. 3. 4.
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To understand the contact treatment in the SolidWorks Motion, we first
need to reiterate the very original assumption of this modulus: all parts
participating in the motion simulation are rigid. Contact conditions are
used to simulate impact of the two or more colliding parts (which are
not rigid in real life). Nearly without exceptions all impacts feature
t c LE

high relative velocity, which result in elasto-plastic deformations with

severe localized strains and significant changes in the local geometry
y
(geometry of the contact region). Approximations are therefore
necessary.
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SolidWorks Motion allows for the specification of the contact

parameters using two distinct approaches: Impact properties (Impact
force model) and Restitution coefficient (Poisson model).
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109
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

Poisson Model Restitution coefficient (Poisson model): Poisson model is based on the
(Restitution utilization of the restitution coefficient e is defined in the following

rib T
Coefficient) relationship:

e
v′ 2 – v′ 1 = e ( v 1 – v 2 )

F
Where v1 and v2 are the

ut
v1’ v2’
velocities of the spheres

di RA
before the impact and v1’ and
v2’ are the velocities after the
v1 v2’

impact. The bounding values

of this coefficient are (0;1),

or D
where 1 indicates perfectly
elastic impact where no

st
energy is lost, while 0 indicates perfectly plastic impact where the parts
adhere after the impact and maximum possible energy is lost.

E The restitution coefficient is geometry dependent and spheres in the

above illustration are used for the demonstration purposes only.
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Poisson model does not require specification of the damping coefficient
(as is the case of the Impact force model, discussed below) and does
account correctly for the energy dissipation. The use of this model is
therefore recommended if energy dissipation is of the great importance
in the simulation. Also, determination of the Poisson model parameters,
t c LE

restitution coefficient e, is more straight forward than in the case of the

Impact force model; in many instances, the restitution coefficient can
be measured using the standardized methods (see ASTM F1887-98
y
Standard Test Method for Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution
(COR) of Baseballs and Softballs, for example) or found in various
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tables. This model is not suitable for the persistent impacts (impacts,
where contact is developed for a prolonged periods of time); Impact
force model should be used instead in these situations.
Impact Force Impact properties (Impact force model): Impact properties in
Model SolidWorks Simulation allow for the calculation of the contact force
-

using the following expression:

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e
F contact = k ( x 0 – x ) – c • v
PR

where k represent the stiffness of the contact, e is the elastic force

exponent, and c is the damping coefficient (cmax) is then the maximum
possible damping coefficient). As in the case of the restitution
coefficient, these parameters are both material and geometry dependent
and can not be apparently found in the material tables. The following
sections describe the Impact force model parameters in more detail.

110
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Stiffness k To correctly determine the stiffness, possible solution is to model the

configuration of the contact in SolidWorks Simulation finite element

rib T
software, apply any force in the direction of the impact and solve for
the displacements. Stiffness can then be readily obtained from the force

e
magnitude and the resulting displacements. A figure below

F
demonstrates the impact configuration of two spheres meshed in

ut
SolidWorks Simulation software.

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t c LE

In many instances, the elastic solution can be found in various

engineering publications. It is apparent that the computation of the
y
contact stiffness k can be a daunting task and simplifications have to be
introduced.
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Exponent e This parameter controls the degree on nonlinearity in the elastic force;
e=1 then constitutes a linear elastic force.
Damping When two objects collide and deform, portion of the kinetic energy is
Coefficient c and consumed on the plastic deformation, heat and similar phenomena.
Penetration d Approximately, this value can be obtained from the results of the
-

nonlinear dynamic solution (of the above problem of the two spheres,
Do E

for example) with advanced material models. Utilizing this procedure

is, however, unrealistic and simplifications are necessary. It is assumed
PR

that the damping coefficient (a measure of the capacity to dissipate

energy) increases from zero (at the beginning of the impact) to its
maximum value cmax, when certain specified deformation is achieved;
we call this deformation value penetration d. For any deformation
larger than the penetration d, the damping coefficient is constant and
equal to cmax. A typical value for the maximum damping coefficient
cmax is 0.1% - 1% of the contact stiffness k.

111
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

Closing Remarks It is now apparent that the determination of the above parameters is
non-trivial, time consuming and significant simplifications have to be

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introduced. A corollary of the foregoing is that the solution of the
collision characteristics (impact forces, accelerations of the impacting

e
regions and etc.) can only be approximate. Their accurate magnitudes

F
can only be determined by more advanced computational methods,

ut
such as nonlinear dynamic solutions using SolidWorks Simulation

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Premium package, which can be computationally very demanding.
It is important to clarify that for the purpose of this section, impact
force and the acceleration of the impacting regions terms represent the
contact quantities at the onset of the contact where severe deceleration
forces are encountered, i.e. impact or collision. The duration of these

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collisions is typically very short. After a certain time, when the
impacting or colliding components are touching and the dynamics

st
aspects of the solution is less important, contact forces are accurate and
can be extracted from SolidWorks Motion. This is demonstrated at the

E end of this lesson.

In conclusion, if an important objective of the motion simulation is to
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obtain the impact quantities (impact force, impact region acceleration
etc.), time needs to be invested in the determination of the above
parameters, or more advanced analysis type must be carried out.
Typically, users are not interested in the accurate impact region results
but rather they need to determine the kinematics or dynamics of large
systems. Approximate values are then used for the contact
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characteristics and accurate solution of the system kinematics and

dynamics can be carried out efficiently.
y
To assist users with the impact characteristics, SolidWorks Motion
contact library features approximate values for some contact material
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configurations (note that the geometry is not clearly defined). You may
use these values as a base line if the material composition of your parts
participating in the contact is similar. However, if more accurate impact
solution is needed, correct impact parameters have to be determined.
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112
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

11 Define contact between latch and latch keeper.

rib T
In the Motion Manager, click Contact .

e
Under Contact Type select Solid Bodies.

F
Select the latch arm (J_Spring), the latch lever (Lever), and the latch

ut
keeper (keeper).

di RA
Select Specify Material to allow us to define the impact parameters.
Select Steel (Dry) from the list for both materials. Keep the Friction
on at its default values.
Here we are trying to make the impact more realistic by simulating two
hard metals colliding. As discussed above, the elastic properties of the

or D
contact are only approximate. More realistic values would be required
for a contact region solution (contact reliable force and acceleration of

st
the contact region).

E
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t c LE
y
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Click OK.
12 Define gravity.
-

Define gravity in the negative X direction.

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113
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

13 Motion analysis Properties.

Verify that Frames per second is set at the

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default value of 25.

e
In the Motion Study Properties, set the 3D Contact

F
Resolution slider all the way to the left, to its
lowest resolution setting.

ut
di RA
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E
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Note The contact resolution parameters are explained in the discussion
below.
14 Run the simulation for 3.5 seconds.
Notice that the solution was achieved, but
is incorrect. The Spring passes through the
t c LE

other components without developing any

of the specified contacts. There can be a
few reasons for such behavior:
y
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I The time step of the integrator (solver) is too large, in which case
the contact is not even detected.
I The accuracy setting is too high or too low.
-

I The geometrical description of contact is insufficient.

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In the present case it is the last one causing the incorrect solution.
PR

114
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Geometrical SolidWorks Simulation treats the geometries of the contacting solid

Description of bodies in two distinct ways:

rib T
Contacts I Tessellated geometry

e
The surfaces of the contacting bodies are meshed with the triangular

F
elements to simplify the description. The density of the mesh, i.e. the

ut
contact geometry resolution, is controlled with the 3D Contact
Resolution parameter in the study properties. Because this description

di RA
is very efficient, yet typically sufficient to obtain accurate solutions,
tessellated geometry is the default choice. Very coarse description may
result in inaccurate solution or even failing to develop the contacts.
This is also the cause of the solution failure in the present case.
I Precise geometry

or D
If the tessellated geometry description if not sufficient (solution is not

st
sufficient or can not be obtained), Use Precise Contact option can be
used instead. Exact description of the bodies’ surfaces is then used.
While this is the most accurate description, it can be computationally

E expensive and should be used with caution. Use this option if your
contacting bodies feature complex or point like geometries.
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Examples of the tessellated geometries at two resolution levels as well
as the precise geometry are shown below.
t c LE
y
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115
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

15 Adjust the Study Properties.

rib T
Improve the accuracy of the tessellated data.

e
In the MotionManager click Motion Study

F
Properties .

ut
Move the 3D Contact Resolution slider to the

di RA
right to a value of 94.
Click OK.

or D
st
E
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16 Run the simulation.
Notice that the computation is noticeably slower.
t c LE

The simulation will fail and display the following message:

y
The solver failed to converge. Possible causes are:
1. The solver is failing to achieve the specified accuracy.
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Relax the Accuracy setting in Motion Analysis Properties.

2. If parts in the model are moving quickly, evaluate the
Jacobian more often.
3. The mechanism may be getting locked. Start the
simulation with a different initial configuration or change
you motors to get valid motion.
-

4. If the failure is happening right at the beginning of the

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simulation, use a smaller Initial Integrator Step Size.

5. Try to use a stiff solver like ‘WSTIFF’.
6. Try to avoid sharp discontinuities in the model like
PR

sudden motion changes, force changes or mate activation/

deactivation.
7. You may have motors with very high speeds. Try to
reduce the motor speed.
8. Make sure that only one motor is driving a given
component at any time.

116
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

After reviewing the message, there are some possible problems. The
first possible problem is item 1, where the solver is failing to achieve

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the specified accuracy. We will try decreasing the accuracy of the
solution.

e
F
The second message suggests that if the parts move too quickly, the

ut
Jacobian should be evaluated more often. Since the Jacobian setting is
already at its maximum value, we will achieve this by also reducing the

di RA
Maximum Integrator Step Size in the Advanced Options of the
Motion Study Properties.
The point where the solution fails is when the latch reaches the over
center point because of instability in the solution.

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17 Adjust the study properties.
We will reduce the accuracy in order to let the

st
solver handle the over center solution.
In the MotionManager click Motion Study

E Properties .
Reduce the Accuracy to 0.001.
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Set the Frames per second to 120 to save more
instances of data on the disk.
Click Advanced Options and reduce the
Maximum Integrator Step Size to 0.001.
t c LE
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Click OK to close the Advanced Motion Analysis Options.

Click OK to close the Motion Study Properties.

117
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

Accuracy and the Maximum Integrator Step Size parameters have

significant impact on the contact solution and should be used first when

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contact solution problems occur. To read more about the advanced
motion analysis options, integrators and their options, refer to Appendix

e
A: Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options.

F
ut
18 Run the simulation.
This time the simulation will run, but it may take several minutes to

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complete.
19 Animate.
Play the animation and zoom in on the latch mechanism.
Notice that when the latch is closed, there is a small oscillation because

or D
all the energy is not being damped. This does not happen in the
physical model and is a sign that the damping values used in this

st
simulation can be increased to represent the real situation more closely.

Instability
Points E Instability points can be defined as instances where self equilibrated
structure does not move, however a small impulse in either direction
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will result in rapid motion during which the stored elastic energy is
rapidly transformed in kinetic energy. Such instances are difficult to
overcome numerically. This point is featured in our solution and the
solver is expectedly facing difficulties. Also, notice the time required
for the solution to complete.
t c LE

20 Plot contact forces.

Plot the contact forces between the
y

latch and the keeper.

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Create a new plot.

Define the plot using Forces,
Contact Force and Magnitude.
Select the two faces shown.
-

Tip To make it easier to select the faces, move the timeline to a position
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where the components are in the position shown.

PR

118
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

21 Examine the plot.

We can observe that the graph exhibits significant oscillations with

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apparently unbounded peaks. This interval (approximately 2.85 to 3.5
seconds) corresponds to the small oscillations observed when the latch

e
mechanism is closed, discussed in Step 19. Each one of those peaks

F
correspond to an impact (or collision) force, magnitude of which

ut
depends nearly exclusively on the contact stiffness characteristics.

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Because these are highly approximate, the peaks of the impacts forces
in this interval should be ignored.

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st
E
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t c LE

Modifying Default plots are created with the X axis showing the duration of the
Result Plots simulation and the Y axis scaled to the maximum value of the variable
being plotted. There are times when we want to scale the plots
y
differently.
Introducing: Chart Almost all aspects of a plot can be modified, from the titles, to
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Properties background color to axis values and titles.

Where to Find It I Right-click on the time in the plot and select Chart Properties.

22 Modify the plot.

-

Right-click on the X axis of the plot and click Axis Properties. Select
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the Scale tab.

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119
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

Clear End Point and type 3 for the new value of the end point of the
X axis.

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
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st
E Use the same procedure to change the Y axis to a maximum value
of 50.
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23 Examine the plot.
We have a very sharp peak at 0.5 seconds (point 1) where the spring
hits the carriage. Because the peak is so sharp, and the contact force at
this instance qualifies as an impact (or collision) force, we do not know
how accurate this data is. We would need accurate contact elasticity
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parameters and more data points to get better accuracy and understand
this impact force.
Just before 2.5 seconds (point 2), the latch reaches the over center point
y
and we see the maximum contact force of about 36 N. This solution is
reliable and its dependence on the contact parameters is significantly
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smaller than at point 1.

2
-
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1
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120
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

24 Data points.
Right-click on the curve and click Curve Properties. Select the

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Marker tab.

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Select Symbol, then OK.

F
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25 Examine the plot.
Move you cursor over the data points and the callout will show that the
maximum value is 36 N at 2.42 seconds.
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121
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

26 Plot closing torque.

Create a new plot.

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Define the plot using Forces, Motor Torque and Magnitude.

e
Select the RotaryMotor that closes the latch as the Simulation

F
element.

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Again, we observe similar peaks after approximately 2.85 seconds.
These peaks should be ignored for the reason specified in the previous
steps.
27 Modify the plot.
Modify the plot to show the first 3 seconds and a maximum magnitude
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of 200 N-mm.
28 Examine the plot.
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We can see a maximum torque of 96 N-mm at about 2.10 seconds.
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122
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

Closing Force Having the torque to rotate the latch, we can determine the force
required by dividing the torque by the distance over which the closing

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force acts.

e
F
29 Determine the distance.

ut
Click Measure on the Tools
menu.

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Measure the distance between the
end of the latch and the axis on
which the motor acts.
30 Required force.

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The required force is:
96 N-mm / 25.04 mm = 3.83 N.

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E
Precise Contact Using precise contact instead of tessellated geometry should result in a
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more accurate solution, but with a penalty of additional solution time.
We will now solve the problem again with precise contact and compare
the results.

1 Create a new study.

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Duplicate the existing study. Right-click the tab for the study
Tessellated geometry and click Duplicate.
y
Name the new study Precise geometry.
If we experience sudden changes in forces or motions more accurate
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solution can be obtained using WSTIFF integrator where the integrator

coefficients are adjusted based on the current step size. The discussion
below describes all integrator types available in SolidWorks Motion
and states when they should be used.
-

Integrators A set of coupled differential and algebraic equations (DAE) define the
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equations of motion of a SolidWorks Motion model. A solution to these

equations is obtained by integrating the differential equations in such a
PR

way that the algebraic constraint equations are also satisfied at every
time step. The speed of the solution depends upon the numerical
stiffness of these equations; the stiffer the equations the slower the
solution.

123
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

A set of ordinary differential equations are characterized as numerically

stiff when there is a wide spread between high and low frequency

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eigenvalues, with the high-frequency eigenvalues being overdamped.
Special efficient integration methods are required to solve numerically

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stiff differential equations because usual methods for solving

F
differential equations perform poorly and are too slow.

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The SolidWorks Motion solver offers three stiff integration methods for

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computing motion.
GSTIFF The GSTIFF integration method developed by C. W. Gear is a variable
order, variable step size integration method. It is the default method
used by the SolidWorks Motion solver. The GSTIFF method is a fast
and accurate method for computing displacements for a wide range of

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motion analysis problems. For more information on this integrator see
Gear (1971a and 1971b).

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WSTIFF WSTIFF is another variable order, variable step size stiff integrator.

E Both methods are very similar in formulation and behavior. Both of

them use a backwards difference formulation. The only difference is
that the coefficients used internally by GSTIFF are calculated assuming
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a constant step size whereas in WSTIFF, these coefficients are a
function of the step size. So if the step size changes suddenly during
integration, GSTIFF introduces a small error in the solution whereas
WSTIFF can handle it without any loss of accuracy. So the problems
run more smoothly in WSTIFF. Sudden step size changes occur
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whenever there are discontinuous forces, discontinuous motions or

abrupt events such as 3D contacts in the model. For more information
on WSTIFF integrator see Van Bokhoven (1975).
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SI2 The Stabilized Index Two (SI2) method offered in SolidWorks Motion
is a modification of the GSTIFF integration method. This method
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provides better error control over velocity and acceleration terms in the
equations of motion.
Provided the motion is sufficiently smooth, SI2 velocity and
acceleration results are more accurate than those computed with
-

GSTIFF or WSTIFF, even for motions with high frequency

oscillations. SI2 is also more accurate with smaller step sizes, but is
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significantly slower. For more information see Brenan et. al. (1996) and
Gear et. al (1985).
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All references are listed at the end of this lesson. For more information
please see Appendix A.

124
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

2 Change study Properties.

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Click Motion Study Properties on the MotionManager toolbar.

e
Select Use Precise Contact.

F
Click Advanced Option. Select WSTIFF integrator and reduce the

ut
Maximum Integrator Step Size to 0.0005.

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Click OK.
3 Run the simulation for 3.5 seconds.
This simulation will take longer to run and depending on your
computer may be around 7 minutes.
4 Contact forces.

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Create a plot for the contact forces between the latch and the keeper.

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5 Examine the plot.
The plot is similar to the plot we obtained with the tessellated geometry

E except that the area where significant oscillations and peaks are
present.
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125
 Lesson 4 SolidWorks 2011
Advanced Contact

6 Modify the plot.

Modify the plot to show 3 seconds of time and a maximum force of

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50 N.

e
Within the area of interest, we essentially have the same plot as

F
obtained with the tessellated data. The maximum force is again 36 N at
2.42 seconds.

ut
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We can therefore conclude that we did not need precise geometry to get
accurate results.

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7 Save and close the file.
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Summary In this lesson we analyzed a closing and latching operation of the

y
latching mechanism. The action of a human hand was simulated with a
help of a motor which controlled the motion of the J_Spring
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component. The objective of this lesson was to extract the closing force
and obtain the contact force between the Spring Lever and the
Keeper.
The assembly, initially not fully defined, was completed with a help of
additional mates and zero displacement motors. At some occasions it is
-

beneficial to restrict the motion with a help of a zero displacement

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motor rather than an additional mate because no extra degree of

freedom is removed (motor is a force added to the system, mate is a
constraint removing certain degrees of freedom). The magnitude of the
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motor closing the latch (i.e. simulating the action of a human hand) was
expressed with a help of an expression containing mathematical
functions. List of all accepted functions was presented; the STEP
function was discussed in detail.

126
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 4
Advanced Contact

This analysis also involved high velocity contact of solid bodies. Both
available impact models, Poisson and Impact force models, were

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discussed in detail. The accuracy of the contact characteristics
(parameters and geometrical description) as well as the accuracy of

e
some of the resulting quantities, namely contact forces and

F
accelerations of the impacting regions, was discussed in detail as well.

ut
The study was run using both available geometrical description

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models: tessellated and precise geometry. Several convergence issues
were presented and their solution was shown. Precise geometry study
also introduces various numerical integrators available in SolidWorks
Motion simulation. Alternative WSTIFF integrator was also used to
solve this part of the problem.

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Discussion: Gear, C.W. (1971a). The Simultaneous Solution of Differential
References Algebraic Systems. IEEE Transactions on Circuit Theory, CT-18, No.

st
1, 89-95.
Gear, C.W. (1971b). Numerical Initial Value Problems in Ordinary

E Differential Equations. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall.

Van Bokhoven, W.M.G. (1975, February). Linear Implicit
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Differentiation Formulas of Variable Step and Order. IEEE
Transactions on Circuits and Systems, 22 (2).
Brenan, K.E., Campbell, S.I. and Perzold, L.R. (1996). Numerical
Solution of Initial Value Problems in Differential-Algebraic Equations,
Classics in Applied Mathematics. ISBN: 0-89871-353-6 (pkb.).
t c LE

Gear, C.W., Leimkuhler, B. and Gupta, G.K. Automatic Integration of

Euler-Lagrange Equations with Constants. Journal of Computation and
y
Applied Mathematics, 12 & 13, pp. 79-90, North-Holland: 1985.
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127
128
Lesson 4

PR Advanced Contact

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SolidWorks 2011

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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 6
Hatchback

Exercise 6: A number of contemporary car models are designed as hatchbacks.

Hatchback Similar to station wagons but smaller in size, hatchback cars allow for

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cargo to be loaded into the back of the car, and typically the rear seat
folds down to increase the cargo area.

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F
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E This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Contact Forces on page 100.
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I Contact: Solid Bodies on page 109.
I Motor Input and Force Input Types on page 103.
I Modifying Result Plots on page 119.

Project Key to the hatchback car's functionality is the hatchback door itself.
Description These doors are attached to the car via an upward swinging hinge and
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are both supported and assisted by gas pistons. To achieve the same
result in SolidWorks Motion, we will apply a motor to the assembly.
y
Determine the force exerted by the gas pistons on the door.
1 Open an assembly file.
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Open hatchback from the Lesson04\Exercises folder.

2 Verify units.
Verify that the document units are set to MMGS.
3 Create a new Motion Study.
-

Name the new study Hatchback Steel and set the Type of Study to
Motion Analysis.
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Note We will be using reference points. In order to use reference points,

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make sure that all components are resolved.

4 Apply Gravity to the assembly.
Apply gravity in the negative Y direction.

129
 Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2011
Hatchback

5 Apply Force to the assembly.

The pressure in the piston will be simulated using Action only force

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acting on the piston. (It is therefore assumed that the piston force
remains constant as the piston opens). We will begin with the force

e
definition of the Left_Cylinder.

F
Apply a 420 N Linear, Action only force as shown below. Make sure

ut
that the force is applied at the indicated point and its direction is

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referenced with respect to the cylinder. This way the force will be
always directed along the axis of the rotating piston.

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Under Force Function, make sure the Constant button is selected and
enter 420 N in the F1 field.
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Click OK.
Note Make sure that the force is oriented as shown in the figure.

130
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 6
Hatchback

6 Repeat.
Repeat step 5 for the Right_Cylinder.

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Mass Properties On occasions, mass properties of the SolidWorks parts may be

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modified. This should, however, be an exception rather than a frequent
task as most of the SolidWorks parts reflect the design intent and their

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mass properties are computed automatically.
When mass properties are discreetly assigned, they override the
properties associated with the material specifically applied to the
component.

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7 Adjust Mass Properties of Lid-1.

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Under Tools, select Mass Properties. The Mass Properties window
will appear.

E In the Selected items field, right-click and select Clear Selections.

In the assembly view window, click Lid-1 as shown below.
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Select Assigned mass properties.
In the Mass field, enter 13000 grams.
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Click OK.
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8 Adjust duration of the simulation.

Set the study duration to 2 second.
9 Set the study properties.
Set the Motion Analysis properties to 100 Frames per second.

131
 Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2011
Hatchback

10 Contacts - left side.

Define contact conditions between the Left_Cylinder-1 and

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Left_Piston-1. For both materials select Steel (Dry).

e
Keep all other contact options at their default values.

F
ut
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11 Contacts - right side.
Repeat for the opposite side of the assembly, creating contacts for
Right_Cylinder-1 and Right_Piston-1.
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12 Run the simulation.
In the SolidWorks Motion Manager, click Calculate .
The hatchback assembly will open correctly.
13 Graph the cylinder position.
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Create a Y Component plot of the Center of Mass Position of the

Left_Cylinder-1.
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14 Examine the plot.
Notice that because the plot is created by default in the global
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coordinate system, the initial Y value is -63 mm and the final Y value is
289 mm. We can also observe that the initial collision occurs at
approximately 0.83 seconds, while the assembly has completely
opened and stopped moving at approximately 1.1 second.
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132
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 6
Hatchback

15 Contact force.
As stated in the lesson discussions, with generic contact parameters the

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contact force solution will be approximate.

e
Create a new plot for the magnitude of the contact force between the

F
Piston and the Cylinder (you may use either of the two pairs since the
assembly is symmetrical).

ut
di RA
16 Examine the plot.
The two spikes in the graph indicate the initial and the secondary
collision between the piston and the cylinder.

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The force magnitudes (22,503 N and 4,210 N at the two peaks)
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represent the contact forces at the instant of the collision and have to be
understood as approximate due to the quality of the contact input
y
characteristics. We can further observe that as the motion ceases, the
contact force reaches a constant static value. To determine the contact
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value the limits of the graph need to be modified.

-
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133
 Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2011
Hatchback

17 Modify the plot format.

Modify the plot of the contact force so that the static value can be read

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conveniently.

e
We can observe that, when the motion ceases, the static equilibrium is

F
reached and the contact force is at that stage approximately 367 N. The
accuracy of the static solution is not affected by the selection of the

ut
impact model, nor by the selection of the impact model parameters. We

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can therefore conclude that the static solution is accurate.

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E
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It was mentioned already a couple of times that the contact Elastic
properties significantly effect the resulting impact contact forces and
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accelerations of the impacting region. In most scenarios only

approximate characteristics are available and as a consequence the
resulting impact forces as well as kinematic characteristics of the
y
impacting objects are approximate. We will now modify the contact
elastic properties and study their effect on the solution.
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18 Copy study.
Copy the study Hatchback Steel into a new study called Hatchback
Aluminum.
19 Change contact material.
-

Change the contact material for both contacts to Aluminum (Dry).

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20 Run the study.

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21 The cylinder position.

Create an identical plot of the Y Component of the Center of Matt
Position.
While the minimum and maximum positions are identical and the
general shape of the graph is very similar, notice that the assembly
stops moving at somewhat later time of 1.15 seconds (as opposed to
1.1 seconds when the material specification was Steel (Dry)).

134
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 6
Hatchback

Because the contact elastic properties have effect on the accelerations

of the impacting regions as well as on the amount of the energy

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dissipated during the collision, the resulting velocities after the initial
impact will be different. The assembly will, therefore, cease to move at

e
a different (now later) time.

F
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22 Contact force.
Create an identical plot of the contact force.
The maximums at the two peaks are again different, 13,412 N and
2,727 N, respectively. But, the absolute values can not be relied on.
As expected, however, the static force magnitude after the motion
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ceases is nearly identical to the solution obtained in the previous study,

367 N.
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135
 Exercise 6 SolidWorks 2011
Hatchback

23 New study (optional).

Repeat the above procedure and change the contact properties to

rib T
Rubber (Dry).

e
Examine the results and notice that this is an unrealistic scenario. You

F
will have to extend the length of the study to 20 seconds to reach a
point where the motion ceases. The Lid will bounce many times before

ut
eventually coming to rest.

di RA
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-
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The static value of the contact force, 376 N, is again very close to the
previous solutions.
PR

24 Save and close the file.

136
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 6
Hatchback

Summary In this exercise we analyzed the opening of a vehicle hatchback. While

in reality the two pistons may generate non-constant and non-linear

rib T
force, we simplified the simulation and applied a constant piston force
only. While the force magnitude and its dependence on the piston

e
position can, of course, be modified in a complex way, it was not the

F
objective of this exercise.

ut
The final phase of the hatchback opening is when the piston contacts

di RA
the back side of the cylinder. We used solid body contact and studied
the hatchback opening characteristics (such as opening time, contact
forces, etc.) as functions of the contact specifications. It was found that
with various specifications the hatchback stops moving at different
times. The last study went to an extreme when we used unrealistic

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contact specifications: rubber on rubber. In this situation the hatchback
exhibited large repeated oscillations which would be undesirable.

st
The contact force magnitudes were also analyzed. While the peak
magnitudes coinciding with the short duration collisions are not

E reliable since they require very precise contact characteristics, the static
contact force after the motion ceases is accurate. This was
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demonstrated by a very similar result obtained from all three
simulation.
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137
 Exercise 7 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

Exercise 7: A conveyor, consisting of

Conveyor Belt segmented panels, is driven

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(No Friction) around a track.

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This exercise reinforces the following skills:

E I
I
Functional Expressions on page 103.
Modifying Result Plots on page 119.
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Project Our goal is to drive the conveyor at a speed of 0.62 m/sec using a force
Description that is controlled by a function. In the first part of the exercise we will
move the belt with a controlled force. In the second part the force will
be replaced with a motion on a path.
1 Open an assembly file.
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Open Conveyor_Belt from the Lesson04\Exercises folder.

2 Review the assembly.
y
The assembly has all the mates needed for the conveyor belt to move
correctly.
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There are many CAM mates that create the tangency conditions
between the wheels and the closed loop conveyor paths.
Note SolidWorks Motion also supports other SolidWorks Advanced mates
like the Gear mates and Limit mates.
-

3 Verify units.
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Verify that the document units are set to MKS (meter, kilogram,
second).
4 Create a Motion Study.
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Create a new motion study and name it Conveyor.

138
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 7
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

5 Apply a force.
We will start by creating a

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force on Plate-1 simulating a
force applied to push the plates

e
on the conveyor.

F
ut
Apply a 100 N Constant,
Action Only, Linear Force on

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the Plate-1 indicated in the
following figure. Make sure the
force is oriented as shown and
its direction is referenced with
respect to the same plate (i.e.

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the direction of the force must
change as the plate moves

st
around the guides).
6 Motion Study Properties.

E Set the Number of Frames to

100 and select the WSTIFF
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integrator.

Note This problem can be conveniently solved using the faster GSTIFF
integrator as well. The WSTIFF integrator is used here only for
practice.
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7 Run the simulation.

Run the simulation for 5 seconds.
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139
 Exercise 7 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

8 Plot the velocity magnitude of the Plate-1.

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The velocity of the conveyor plates is increasing linearly. We now want

E
to maintain the conveyor plate at a constant speed of 0.62 meter/
second.
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What are we going We are going to change the definition of the force so that it varies as a
to do next? function of the difference in the current conveyor velocity from our
desired conveyor speed. Based on the speed difference, the magnitude
and the direction of the force changes to accelerate or decelerate the
conveyor based on the following expression:
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Force = Gain * (Desired Speed - Current Speed) = Gain * (0.62 -

Current Speed)
y
When the current speed is less that the desired speed, a positive force is
applied to accelerate the conveyor. If the current speed is greater than
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the desired speed, then a negative force is applied to decelerate the

conveyor. The gain value controls the force applied to accelerate or
decelerate the conveyor.
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140
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 7
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

9 Modify the force.

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Edit the force and change it’s magnitude from a constant of 100 N to
the following functional expression:

e
F
100*(0.62-{Velocity1})

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Note To get the {Velocity1} feature into the Expression field, double-click
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the Velocity1 feature in the Motion Study Results list.

10 Run the simulation.
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141
 Exercise 7 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

11 Examine the plot.

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F
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The plot shows that the velocity is being held to 0.62 m/sec but it is
getting there too slowly. We will increase the gain to shorten the time it

E takes to reach the target speed.

12 Modify the force.
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Edit the force and change the equation to:
500*(0.62-{Velocity1})
13 Run the simulation.
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14 Examine the plot.

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This time, the conveyor reaches the target speed by 1 second and it then
holds there as the force varies. The variation of the speed is, however,
significant and not acceptable for the manufacturing operation. We can
make it smoother by increasing the gain further.

142
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 7
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

15 Modify the force.

Modify the force again so that the gain is 5000. Then re-run the

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analysis.

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16 Examine the plot.

F
This time the plot is much smoother.

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17 Plot input force.
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It can be seen that the force initial magnitude is very high. To accelerate
the conveyor from its initially zero velocity. As the conveyor reaches
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the desired velocity of 0.62 m/sec, the force magnitude tends to reduce
to zero.
PR

Alternatively, instead of using the force input the conveyor constant

velocity can be ensured by using a path mate motion. This is shown in
the next part of this exercise.

143
 Exercise 7 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

Path Mate Path Mate Motor feature prescribed motion of a point along a path. It is
Motor required to create a PathMate in SolidWorks prior to defining the Path

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Mate Motor in SolidWorks Motion.

e
The options of the PathMate in SolidWorks controls the Pitch, Yaw and

F
Roll rotational degrees of freedom of the point along the path.

ut
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18 PathMate.
Choose one of the wheels on
the plate where the driving
force is applied. Delete the
CamMate.

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Delete CamMate

st
In SolidWorks feature
Sketch1
tree, unsuppress the

E Sketch1 feature.
Define a new PathMate
op AS
between the center
point of the wheel and
the path defined by
Sketch1.
Keep all PathMate
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constraints at their
default values of Free.
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Note The Pathmate constraints are set to Free because the mechanism is
-

fully constraints due the presence of the remaining CamMates features.

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144
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 7
Conveyor Belt (No Friction)

19 Path Mate Motor.

Define Path Mate Motor.

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For the PathMate field select Motor

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the PathMate defined in the orientation

F
previous step.

ut
Make sure that the orientation

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of the motion is the same as is
the orientation of the force
used to drive the belt.
Select Constant Speed and
enter 0.62m/s.

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Click OK.

st
20 Suppress force.
Suppress the force feature. This feature is not needed because the

E motion is driven by the motor.

21 Run the simulation.
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22 Velocity plot.
This time the plot is much smoother.
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Notice the oscillatory variation of the velocity. With the constant

velocity of 0.62m/s prescribed in step 19, we would expect the
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resulting velocity profile of the plate to remain constant as well. Can

you explain these oscillations?
23 Save and close the file.

145
 Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

Exercise 8: This is the same conveyor

Conveyor Belt used in the previous

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(With Friction) exercise.

e
We will run the same study,

F
but this time we will

ut
include friction and
examine the changes in the

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forces and velocities.

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Project Our goal is to drive the conveyor at a speed of 0.62 m/sec using a force
Description

E that is controlled by a function.

This exercise reinforces the following skills:
op AS
I Contact Forces on page 100.
I Functional Expressions on page 103.
I Precise Contact on page 123.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Conveyor_Belt from the Lesson04\Exercises\
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Conveyor Belt\with contact folder.

2 Review the assembly.
y
Examine the mates.
The first coincident mate keeps the top of one of the plate pins in the
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same plane as the end plate of the conveyor. This prevents the side to
side motion of the conveyer plates.
There are groups of concentric and coincident mates that hold adjacent
plates together.
-

The remaining mates are the CAM mates that create the tangency
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conditions between the wheels and the closed loop conveyor paths.
Instead of using the CAM mates, we will use solid body contact.
PR

Suppress all the CAM mates.

3 Verify units.
Verify that the document units are MKS.
4 Create a Motion Study.
Create a new motion study and name it Solid body contact.

146
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 8
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

5 Add Contacts.
Add a solid body contact between each wheel and the side plate on the

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left side of the model (the same side where the CAM mates were
applied). There will be 12 contact sets.

e
F
Select Steel (Greasy) for the material and keep the default values for
both the static and kinematic friction.

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Note We only create contacts on the left side of the assembly. The contacts
could be defined on the opposite side to model the problem more
-

realistically. However, similarly to the previous study with CAM mates

(where the mates were defined on one side only to avoid redundancies),
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we will keep the contacts on one side only. The final resultant contact
forces will have to be then divided by two.
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Redundancies will be covered in a later lesson.

6 Add Gravity.
Add gravity in the negative Y direction.

147
 Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

7 Add a driving force.

Add a constant force of 5,000 N to plate1<3> just as we did in the

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previous exercise. We need to add the constant force first so that we can
generate a velocity graph that can be used in the functional expression

e
to control the force.

F
We need a relatively large force to get the belt moving. In the previous

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exercise, any force would move the conveyor as there was no friction.

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8 Local mate.
There are two instances of a part called
plate_adjust_p1 on the bottom of the
conveyor that are used to tension the belt.

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Add a Lock mate to keep these two parts
in the same position relative to each other.

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9 Motion Study Properties.
This study will be very sensitive to contact accuracy, so we need to use

E Precise Contact. Also set the Frames per second to 100 and select
the WSTIFF integrator.
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10 Run the study.
Run the study for 2 seconds.
11 Play the animation.
Play the animation at 25% speed to see how the belt moves.
12 Plot the results.
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Plot the velocity magnitude of the plate1.The velocity does not

increase linearly as before since the friction forces act against the input
force and the motion with the contact is more complex.
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Note To speed up the work you may interrupt the computations at any time.
This run is only important to enable us to define a velocity plot used in
the following expression.

148
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 8
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

13 Edit the force.

Change the force to a function of velocity using the equation:

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5000*(0.62-{Velocity1})

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14 Run the study.

F
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15 Examine the velocity plot.

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The velocity approaches 0.62, but the variation is too large.

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16 Plot the Force magnitude.
Create a new plot using Forces, Reaction Force, Magnitude and then
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select Force1 as the Simulation element.

We will get a warning message about redundant constraints, click Yes.
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Contrary to the previous study, the force does not go to zero because of
the friction.
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 Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

17 Edit the plot.

Make the maximum Y value 1000 so that we can see the oscillations

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easier.

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E 18 Increase the force.
Edit the force and increase the gain to 50,000.
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50000*(0.62-{Velocity1})
19 Run the study.

20 Examine the plots.

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The velocity is now nearly constant at 0.62 m/sec.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 8
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

The force variation is similar.

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21 Save and close the file.

Summary
E In this exercise we analyzed the motion of the conveyor belt on the
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fixed guide plates.
The belt was accelerated by an action only force applied on one of the
plates. The magnitude of the force was controlled with the help of an
expression which included the velocity of the belt as a variable. This
way, the input force was directly dependent on the resulting velocity.
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Two approaches were shown: the first study simulated the tangential
contact between the wheels and the guides using the CAM mates. To
reduce the redundancies and to simplify the solution only mates on one
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side were included. Therefore, the resulting contact forces would have
to be reduced by half.
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To add more realism to the simulation, the second study replaced the
CAM mates with the solid body contact. While this approach allows us
to add friction, the computation took longer. When the desired speed of
0.62 m/sec was achieved the input force never came to zero in order to
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overcome the opposing friction forces.

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151
 Exercise 8 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (With Friction)

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152
 rib T
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Lesson 5

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Curve to Curve Contact

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E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand the definition as well as the description of contacts.
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I Use expressions to prescribe the magnitude of forces and motors.

I Analyze some causes of the incorrect solution or a contact solution
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failure.
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I Use alternative numerical integrators.

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153
 Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2011
Curve to Curve Contact

Contact Forces The objective of this lesson is to get familiar with the definition of
curve to curve contact. This lesson builds on the knowledge acquired in

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the previous lesson where solid to solid contact was treated in detail.

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Case Study: The geneva mechanism

F
Geneva was traditionally used in

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Mechanism the movie projectors Driven wheel

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where each frame is
exposed for a certain
fraction of a second. The
mechanism allows for the
transformation of the
continuous rotation of the

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drive wheel into the
intermittent rotation of the Driving wheel

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driven wheel.

Problem
E For the geneva mechanism, determine:
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Description
I The contact force generated on the driving wheel.
I Time variation of the driven wheel rotation.

1 Open an assembly file.

Open stargeneva from Lesson05\Case Studies folder.
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2 Examine the assembly.

Both the driving wheel and the driven wheel are connected to the
y
base with two hinge mates. There is no mate relation between the
wheels - this interaction will be handled with the help of the curve to
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curve contact.
3 Verify the units.
Verify that the document units are set to MMGS.
4 Create a new Motion study.
Name the study curve to curve contact.
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Make sure that the Motion Analysis is selected as the Type of Study
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in the MotionManager.
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154
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 5
Curve to Curve Contact

Curve to Curve Curve to curve contact can be defined between two curves, either of
Contact which can form a closed loop or remain open. The curve geometry is

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approximated by a discrete set of points. It is possible to specify
whether the contact is persistent, i.e. curves are not allowed to separate,

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or intermittent, where separation may occur.

F
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Curve to curve contact supports friction and two contact models,
Restitution coefficient and Impact force, described in detail in the

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preceding lesson.
Introducing: Contact is used to define the way two curves interact. Within the
Curve to Curve contact definition, we can control the friction and the elastic properties
Contact between the bodies.

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Where to Find It I Click Contact on the MotionManager toolbar. Under Contact
Type click Curves.

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E 5 Driven wheel and driving wheel contact #1.
Specify an intermittent curve to curve contact between the driven
wheel and the left knob of the driving wheel.
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In the Contact PropertyManager, select Curves under the Contact
Type.
Under Selections click the Selection
Manager button and set it to Standard
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Selection.
Select the indicated
curve on the driving
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wheel as Curve 1.
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Switch the Selection Manger to Select Group setting.

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Select the indicated curve and the click the

Tangent button. The tangent closed loop
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defining the edge of the driven wheel will be

populated.
Click OK in the Selection Manager to end the
selection process.
The second curve will be constructed and
Closed Group will be shown as Curve 2.

155
 Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2011
Curve to Curve Contact

Under Materials specify Steel (Dry) for both components. Make sure
that the Friction with the default values is used.

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E Make sure that the orientation of the outward normal for the Closed
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Group in Curve 2 field is as indicated in the figure above. The
orientation of the curve can be changed with the Outward Normal
Direction button .
Click OK to close the Contact PropertyManager.
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Note The Curves always touch button must remain unchecked, because the
two curves come into an intermittent contact only.
6 Driven wheel and driving
y

wheel contact #2.

Following the same procedure
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specify an intermittent curve to

curve contact between the indicated
curves.
Use the same contact parameters as
those in the preceding step.
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Note Make sure that the curves are property oriented.

156
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 5
Curve to Curve Contact

7 Driven wheel and driving

wheel contact #3.

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Continue with the definition of the
intermittent curve to curve contact

e
between the indicated segment of the

F
driven wheel and the closed loop

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curve of the driving wheel.

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Use the same contact specifications
as those used in step 5.

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Note
E 8
Make sure that the curves are property oriented.
Driven wheel and driving wheel contact #4 to #6.
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Define the intermittent curve to curve contacts between the remaining
three segments of the driven wheel and the closed loop curve of the
driving wheel.
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Note The last four contact sets can be defined in various ways, for example
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in a single definition between two closed loop curves. While this is also
a valid contact definition, it is preferable to define contacts with simple
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curves rather than one very complex curve.

9 Driving motor.
Apply a 360 deg/sec driving Rotary Motor to the driving wheel.

157
 Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2011
Curve to Curve Contact

10 Motion analysis Properties.

Set the Frames per second to 100.

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Important! The 3D Contact Resolution and Use Precise Contact options are
only applicable to the contact between solid bodies.

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11 Run the simulation for 4.235 seconds.

E 12 Plot contact forces.

Plot the contact forces between the driven
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wheel and the left knob of the driving wheel.
Define the plot using Forces, Contact Force
and Magnitude.
For the selection field, select the Curve
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Contact1 item from the Motion

FeatureManager.
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Click OK.
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158
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 5
Curve to Curve Contact

Similarly to the contact force results in solid bodies, the contact force
for the curve to curve contact exhibits sharp peaks due to the contact

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stiffness approximations and they have to be ignored. Nonlinear
dynamics solutions would be required for the accurate collision forces.

e
F
Also, changing the limits for the graph will not yield meaningful static

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results for the contact force (as was the case in Lesson 4, where static
contact force existed). Try to answer why.

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13 Rotation of the driven wheel.
Plot the variation of the rotation of the driven wheel in time.

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The above plot indicates that the output rotation rate for the driven
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wheel is 90 deg/sec, or 360 deg in 4 seconds.

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Solid bodies vs. Lesson 4 and the current lesson introduced the two contact types
curve to curve available in SolidWorks Motion: solid bodies contact and curve to
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contact curve contact. The question may arise as to which contact definition to
use when.
Mots of the contact situations are best resolved with the solid bodies
contact type, especially when the solution of the system depends on
external forces acting on the objects (dynamic systems). If the contact
-

path can be described using closed loop or open curves, curve to curve
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contact type may be used. However, if the curves used in the contact
definitions encircle the entire objects, and especially if they are very
complex, solid bodies contact may still be favored. Therefore, the
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above problem of the stargeneva mechanism could be solved with the

solid bodies contact definition instead.
In the last part of this lesson we will solve this assembly again with the
solid bodies contact.

159
 Lesson 5 SolidWorks 2011
Curve to Curve Contact

Solid Bodies In the second part of this lesson the same assembly will be solved with
Contact the solid bodies contact.

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Solution

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1 Solve problem with solid bodies contact.

F
Solve the simulation again with the solid bodies contact. Specify the

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appropriate geometry description for this contact solution.

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When finished, compare the curve to curve and solid bodies contact
solutions.
2 Save and close the file.

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Summary In this lesson we analyzed a stargeneva mechanism. This mechanism

st
was traditionally used in movie projectors where each frame is exposed
for a certain fraction of a second. The mechanism allows for the

E transformation of continuous rotation of the drive wheel into

intermittent rotation of the driven wheel. To achieve this
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transformation, a contact between the two wheels must be specified.
The analysis began with the introduction of the curve to curve contact
that was subsequently defined between the various parts of the
assembly. Curve to curve contact allows for the selection of both open
and closed loop curves and features the same contact models as the
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solid bodies contact: Restitution coefficient and Impact force, both

described in detail in Lesson 4.
The solution of the contact force and the time variation of the driven
y
wheel rotation were plotted and discussed. It was demonstrated and
discussed that the contact force solution in the curve to curve contacts
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features sharp peaks corresponding to the collision instances. While the

high magnitudes of the collision instances should be ignored, the static
(or non-collision) contact forces can always be extracted.
Finally, the differences and the proper usage of the solid bodies contact
and curve to curve contact was discussed. The problem was solved
-

once more with the solid bodies contact and the solution were
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compared.
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160
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 9
Conveyor Belt (Curve to curve contact with friction)

Exercise 9: This is the same conveyor

Conveyor Belt used in Exercise 7:

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(Curve to curve Conveyor Belt (No
Friction) on page 138 and

e
contact with
Exercise 8: Conveyor Belt

F
friction) (With Friction) on page 146

ut
where solid body contact

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was used.

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This exercise reinforces the following skills:

E I
I
I
Contact Forces on page 100.
Functional Expressions on page 103.
Precise Contact on page 123.
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Project In this exercise the solid body contact will be replaces with the curve to
Description curve contact and the results will be compared.
Our goal is to drive the conveyor at a speed of 0.62 m/sec using a force
that is controlled by a function.
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1 Open an assembly file.

Open Conveyor_Belt from the Lesson05\Exercises folder.
y
This assembly contains completed file set from the Exercise 8:
Conveyor Belt (With Friction) on page 146, where the solid body
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contact was used to simulate the CAM tangent conditions.

2 Motion study.
Duplicate the Solid body contact study into a new study named
curve to curve contact.
-

3 Delete all solid body contacts.

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4 Curve to curve contacts.

Add a curve to curve contact between the edge curve of each wheel
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and the edge curve of the conveyor_path on the left side of the model
(the same side where the solid body contacts were deleted in the
preceding step). Again, there will be 12 contact sets.

161
 Exercise 9 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (Curve to curve contact with friction)

Select Steel (Greasy) for the material and keep the default values for
both the static and kinematic friction.

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Check Curves always touch check box.

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F
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Note The Outward Normal Direction is not shown because Curves always
touch check box was activated.
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5 Motion Study Properties.

Set the Frames per second to 100 and select the GSTIFF integrator
y
from the Advanced Options.
Check the Replace redundant mates with
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bushings checkbox.
-
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Note The Replace redundant mates with bushings option is used in this
model due to the complex redundancies situation. Both this option as
well as redundancies are subject of Lesson 8.
PR

6 Run the study.

Run the study for 2 seconds.
7 Play the animation.
Play the animation at 25% speed to see how the belt moves.

162
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 9
Conveyor Belt (Curve to curve contact with friction)

8 Plot the results.

Plot the velocity magnitude of the plate1.The velocity does not

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increase linearly as before since the friction forces act against the input
force and the motion with the contact is more complex.

e
F
ut
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st
E Comparing the above variation of the velocity with the results of
Exercise 8: Conveyor Belt (With Friction) on page 146, we can
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conclude that they are very similar. Both show nearly constant velocity
of 0.62 m/sec.
9 Save and close the file.
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Summary In this exercise we analyzed the motion of the conveyor belt on the
fixed guide plates. While in Exercise 8: Conveyor Belt (With Friction)
y
on page 146 this problem was solved with the help of the solid bodies
contact, in the this exercise curve to curve contact was used instead. It
was shown that both approaches provide similar results.
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 Exercise 9 SolidWorks 2011
Conveyor Belt (Curve to curve contact with friction)

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164
 rib T
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Lesson 6

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CAM Synthesis

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E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Use of a spline curve to control the motor.
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I Create a trace path of a point to get the CAM profile.

I Create a SolidWorks part with this CAM profile.
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165
 Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2011
CAM Synthesis

CAMs SolidWorks Motion can be used to create CAM profiles based on

tabular data or input function such as STEP function. We can work

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backward by driving the follower with the desired motion, then use the
motion of the follower to create the CAM profile.

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Case Study: In this case study we will generate a CAM

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CAM Synthesis profile based on an input follower

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displacement from a data set.

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Problem Create a CAM that will move the follower based on the following
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Description curve.
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166
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 6
CAM Synthesis

Stages in the To create the CAM, we will follow the steps below:
Process I Define the motion of the follower.

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This can be done from a table of values and drive the follower

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through a motor.

F
I Create a Trace Path.

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The trace path will be in the exact shape of the CAM surface.

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I Export the curve to SolidWorks as a sketch.
The trace path can be imported into SolidWorks as a curve and used
in a sketch.
I Extrude the sketch to create the CAM.

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1 Open the assembly file. Cam Synthesis.sldasm.
Open Cam Synthesis located in the Lesson06\

E Case Studies folder.

The assembly consists of a undefined CAM and a
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follower.
2 Verify the document units.
Verify that the units are set to MMGS (millimeter, gram,
second).
3 Create a Motion Study.
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Generating a CAM To generate a CAM profile, the follower motion is prescribed to the
Profile path profile while the CAM component rotates 360°. Both are specified
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in the next two steps.

4 Define a motor to drive the CAM.

Add a rotary motor to drive the CAM shaft at a constant
speed of 120 deg/sec. This will rotate the CAM once
-

every 3 seconds.
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167
 Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2011
CAM Synthesis

5 Examine the profile data.

Open the file CAM Input.xls located in the

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Lesson06\Case Studies\CAM Synthesis folder.
Part of the file is shown at right. It consists of X and Y

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coordinates for the position of the CAM follower.

F
The file also contains a plot of the CAM profile based

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on the tabular data. Review it, then close the file.

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6 Define a motor to drive the Follower.
Add a linear motor to the top face of the

E Follower_Guide. Make sure the direction is as

shown in the image.
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Select Data Points to open the Function Builder
window.
Select Displacement for Value (y), Time for
Independent variable (x) and Akima for the
Interpolation type.
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Click Import Data and select the CAM Input.csv

file. This file contains just the X and Y data that was
y
in the Excel file.
7 Add gravity.
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Add gravity in the negative Y direction.

8 Simulation Study Properties.
Change the study properties to save 100 Frames per second.
9 Run the study.
Run the study for 3 seconds.
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168
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 6
CAM Synthesis

Trace Path SolidWorks Motion allows you to graphically display the path that any
point on a moving part follows. This is called a Trace Path and it was

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already used once in Exercise 3: Trace Path on page 71. In this lesson
we will use it to generate a profile of a CAM.

e
F
You can select the part that will be used to generate the trace curve by

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selecting it in the box labelled Select Trace Point Component.

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This field enables you to select a face, edge or a
vertex to define a point generating the trace.

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E
Optionally, you can select a reference component that defines a
reference frame for the trace path. The default reference frame is the
global reference frame defined by the global coordinate system.
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Where to Find It I Create a new plot and select Displacement/Velocity/
Acceleration, then Trace Path.
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169
 Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2011
CAM Synthesis

10 Create a trace path which will define the CAM profile.

Click Results and Plots on the MotionManager toolbar.

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Select Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, then Trace Path.

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Select the vertex on the Follower-

F
1 to define the CAM profile and

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the surface of the cam to define

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the reference component.

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Leave the Component to define
XYZ directions empty.

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Click OK. to show the trace.

E Notice how a CAM profile is generated. We will now

copy this trace path curve directly onto the
SolidWorks part from SolidWorks Motion.
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Exporting Trace Now that we have the shape of the CAM, we can use this path in
Path Curves SolidWorks to create the CAM itself. The trace path curve can be
exported to a SolidWorks part.
Introducing: Create The Trace Path curve can be used to create a curve in a SolidWorks part
Curve From Trace to create geometry. This can be done in two ways:
-

Path
I Create curve from path in reference part.
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A part already exists, so the trace path curve can be imported to the
existing part.
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I Create curve from path in new part.

If a part has not been created, it can be done directly using this
command.

Where to Find It I In the MotionStudy tree, right-click a Trace Path plot under the
Results folder and select Create curve from trace path.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 6
CAM Synthesis

11 Copy trace path curve to SolidWorks Part.

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Right-click the Trace Path plot under the Results folder and click
Create curve from trace path, then Create curve from path in

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reference part.

F
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12 Open the CAM part.

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Open the CAM part in its own window.

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The curve has been inserted into the part as
a new feature.

E
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13 Extrude the profile.
Create a new sketch on the Front plane.
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In the SolidWorks FeatureManager,

select Curve1.
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Click Convert Entities on the Sketch

toolbar to project the curve onto the
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sketch plane.
Also select the outer cylindrical edge of
the CAM profile and use Convert
Entities to project this edge into the active sketch.
-

Extrude the sketch to a mid-plane depth of 50 mm.

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Make sure that the Merge results checkbox is unchecked.

14 Save and close the part.
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Return to the main assembly.

In the last part of this lesson, we will re-run the simulation with the 3D
Contact and verify that the cam profile was generated correctly.
We will need to create solid body contact between the follower and the
cam, and drive the motion with the rotary motor on the cam and turn off
the linear motor on the follower.

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 Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2011
CAM Synthesis

15 Add solid body contact.

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Add Solid Bodies Contact between the follower and the cam.

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Specify Steel (Greasy) for both materials. Clear Friction.

F
16 Remove the motion for the follower.

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Right-click LinearMotor1 and click Suppress.

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17 Add gravity.
Add gravity in the negative Y direction.
18 Motion Study properties.
In the Motion Study Properties, select Use Precise Contact.
Whenever we have point contact, we should use precise contact.

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19 Run the simulation.

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Notice how the follower traverses vertically based on the CAM profile.
20 Examine the motion.

E Change to the Back view.

The image is at 1.7 seconds. Notice that
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the follower is not touching the cam. This
separation is the result of the momentum
of the follower. Just prior to this time, the
follower was driven up by cam. The cam
profile requires the follower to change
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direction rapidly, however the only thing

holding the follower in contact is gravity.
Is this a problem? Probably not as the follower will eventually have
y
additional components on top of it to force contact with the cam.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 6
CAM Synthesis

21 Plot the vertical displacement of the follower-1.

Create a plot of the Y Component displacement of the center of mass

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of the follower and compare it to the plot in the Excel file. For clarity,
the Excel plot has been inverted. Both plots have the same shape.

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Cycle based In machine design the independent variable TIME is often not the most
-

motion convenient choice. It may be more comfortable to design all tasks in

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terms of one master cycle. Typically, the duration of the master cycle is
set to 360 degrees.
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Introducing: Cycle Cycle based motion allows user to easily modify the duration of the
Based Motion action, or productivity, in the machine design.

Where to Find It I In the FunctionBuilder window set the input type to Variables and

173
 Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2011
CAM Synthesis

Constants and select CycleAngle.

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The duration of the cycle is then specified in
the Motion Study Properties.

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22 Edit rotary motor.

Under Motor Type select Segments to open the Function Builder.
In the Function Builder dialog, make sure that the Segments button is
selected.
-

Keep Displacements for Value (y) and set the Independent variable
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(x) to Cycle Angle.

Add a row and enter 0deg and 360deg cycle angle for the Start X and
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End X columns, respectively.

Enter 360deg for the final value of the rotational displacement.

Note Make sure that the Initial value for the rotational displacement is 0deg.

174
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 6
CAM Synthesis

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The four graphs indicate the linear increase of the displacement,
constant velocity and zero acceleration and jerk.
The 360 degree rotation in 360 degree cycle angle indicates one
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revolution per output cycle.

Note The duration of the cycle angle (or output cycle) will be specified in the
y
next step.
Click OK to close the Function Builder.
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Click OK to save the new definition of the Motor.

23 Study properties.
Set the Cycle time to 3s.
-

24 Run the simulation.

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Notice that the resulting motion of the follower-1 is the same as in the
step 21. This is to be expected as both simulation are identical, the
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former solved using time as independent variable, the later one then
using cycle angle as independent variable.

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 Lesson 6 SolidWorks 2011
CAM Synthesis

25 Analyze results.
Notice that the resulting motion of follower-1 is the same as in the step

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21. This is to be expected as both simulations are identical the
definition of the independent variable. The former one solved the

e
simulation using time as the independent variable, the later one then

F
used cycle angle.

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26 Adjust the cycle time to 1.5s.

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27 Run the simulation.

28 Analyze results.
Notice the cam now rotates twice in 3 seconds (study duration).

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However, reviewing the trace path we see

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that follower-1 detaches from the cam -

this is unacceptable. The cycle time of 1.5
seconds is therefore too small for this
mechanism.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 6
CAM Synthesis

29 Save and close the file.

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178
Lesson 6

PR CAM Synthesis

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SolidWorks 2011

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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 10
Desmodromic CAM

Exercise 10: The mechanisms can be

Desmodromic actuated and controlled in

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CAM various directions using
various mechanisms. One

e
conventional solution is using

F
springs to return the

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mechanism to the original

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position (i.e. valve springs in
engines). An alternative
solution may be a system of
cams called desmodromic cams.
In the following exercise, we will build a simple mechanism using a

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traditional torsional spring first. Then we will build a second cam
replacing the torsional spring in the system. This way the mechanism

st
will be driven using a system of cams only.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

E I
I
see Generating a CAM Profile on page 167.
see Trace Path on page 169.
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I see Create Curve From Trace Path on page 170.

Project In this project, we have already designed a cam that will drive the link
Description in a predictable motion. As the cam rotates, it will push the link
counterclockwise through contact. As the cam continues to rotate,
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some force is required to have the link follower stay in contact with the
cam. In the first part of the exercise, we will apply a torsional spring to
the link to keep it in contact.
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Separation if
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no return force
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Spring

179
 Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2011
Desmodromic CAM

1 Open an assembly file.

Open Desmodromic CAM from the Lesson06\Exercises folder.

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The first cam (cam1) is already created and mated to the follower

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roller1 with a cam mate.

F
2 Units.

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Confirm that the assembly is set to use MMGS units.

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3 New study.
Create a new motion study.
4 Restrict axial motion.
The shaft is currently free to move in an axial
direction. Add a linear motor to prevent any axial

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movement of the shaft.
Set the Duration time to 10 s.

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5 Add rotary motion.
Add a rotary motor to the shaft to have it rotate
360 degrees in 10 seconds.
6 Cam mate.
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Examine the mates in SolidWorks and notice that

there is a cam mate between cam1 and the cam
follower (roller<1>). While this mate is
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acceptable for animation, it is unrealistic for
analysis because it forces the two surfaces to stay
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together even if they would not in reality.

7 Run study.
Set the study length to 10 seconds and run it. The study will run and
show the motion we desire.
8 Remove the cam mate.
-

In the FeatureManager design tree, suppress the cam mate.

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Note You must return the timeline to zero before suppressing the mate.
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9 Run study.
The cam1 still rotates, but the link does not move because there is no
connection between the cam1 and the upper follower roller<1>.

180
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 10
Desmodromic CAM

10 Add a spring.
Explode the assembly to

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make it easier to select
the correct surface on the

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link.

F
Add a torsional spring to

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hold cams together.

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Use a Spring Constant
of 10 N-mm/deg, and 30
degrees for Free Angle.
The direction should be
clockwise when viewed

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in the Front view.

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11 Add contact.
Apply solid body contact between cam1 and the upper follower

E roller<1>. For Specify Material select Steel (Greasy) and select

Friction.
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12 Run the study.
The motion is correct and the design works well at slow speeds.

If we run this system at higher speeds, we could run into a problem

where the spring cannot keep the follower in contact with the cam. If
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we get separation, we could then run into additional problems with the
follower bouncing of the cam and getting a motion other than that
which we were trying to design.
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To force contact, we will design a second cam. When our system is
viewed from the Front view, our first cam was able to rotate the link
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counterclockwise through contact, but clockwise motion depended on

the spring. In the next part of this lesson, we will replace the spring
with a second cam which will be able to rotate the link in the clockwise
direction. The two cams work together to maintain positive contact
between the cams and followers.
-
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13 Suppress the torsional spring.

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Note You must return the timeline to zero before suppressing the spring.

181
 Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2011
Desmodromic CAM

14 Delete contact and unsuppress the cam mate.

We are going use the Trace Path function to generate our second cam

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path. As we need to generate a path that maintains contact throughout
the full rotation, we will use the cam mate to force the contact.

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F
Delete the contact between cam1 and its follower roller<1>.

ut
In the FeatureManager design tree, unsuppress the cam mate.

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15 Run the study.

16 Trace Plot.
Create a new plot to generate the curve of the second cam.
We need to select the center point of the second follower roller. We

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can do this by selecting the edge of the second follower roller which

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will define the center point. Also select the face of cam2.

E
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17 Examine the plot.

We now have the basic
path, but it is too large
because we had to trace
-

the center of the second

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follower roller<2>.
Measure the second
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follower roller<2>. As it
is 52 mm, we will have to
reduce the size of the
cam2 by half of this, or
26 mm.

182
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 10
Desmodromic CAM

18 Export the curve in the reference part.

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19 Open the part.

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Open the part cam2 in its own window.

F
20 Extrude the new cam.

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Create a sketch on the Front plane of

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the part.
Use Convert Entity to create a circle
in the sketch based on the outer edge
of the existing part.
Use Convert entity again to create a

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curve from the trace. Set the type of
this converted curve to For

st
construction.

E Select the For construction curve

from the trace plot and create an Offset Curve, 26 mm to the inside.
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Extrude the new cam2 a depth of 10 mm so that the two solids
coincide. Merge the results.
21 Motion Study.
Return to the assembly window.
We will now run the study using the two cams to
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drive the motion.

Suppress the cam mate.
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Add contact between each of the cams and its
respective follower.
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User Steel (Greasy) for the material and select

Friction.
22 Run the study.
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183
 Exercise 10 SolidWorks 2011
Desmodromic CAM

23 Examine the results.

Both cams stay in contact with their rollers throughout the rotation as

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one takes care of counterclockwise rotation of the link and the other
controls clockwise rotation.

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Tip Use a vertical split screen to be able to watch both the Front and Back

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views as the shaft rotates.

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24 Save and close the file.
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184
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 11
Rocker CAM Profile

Exercise 11: In this exercise we will create a

Rocker CAM multi-piece cam that is used to

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Profile control the motion of a slider.

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F
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The toothed wheel rotates and has attached to it a drive plate and guides

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for the slider.

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The roller will ride in a path between two
stationary cam plates. This system uses the
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inner cam to move the slider radially

outward and the outer cam to move the
slider radially inward.
This exercise reinforces the following
skills:
-

I see Generating a CAM Profile on

Do E

page 167.
I see Trace Path on page 169.
I see Create Curve From Trace Path on
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page 170.

185
 Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2011
Rocker CAM Profile

Project The assembly rotates at 8,000 deg/sec. On each rotation, the rocker will
Description move radially based on a predefined schedule which is provided in an

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attached file.

e
Create the cams from the existing parts based on a predefined motion

F
path provided in the separate file.

ut
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E 1 Open an assembly file.
Open rocker cam profile exercise from the Lesson06\Exercises
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folder.
2 Examine the assembly.
If we hide the toothed wheel and
drive_plate assembly. We can see that
the two cam plates are in place, but the
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cam paths have not been defined.

3 Units.
Confirm that the assembly is set to use
y
MMGS units.
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4 New study.
Create a new motion study.
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186
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 11
Rocker CAM Profile

5 Define the rocker motion.

Add a linear motor to the bottom face of the rocker.

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This motion must be specified relative to another component, so select

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the guide plate (699-0431) shown.

F
Use Data Points, Displacement and load the file Slide Translation

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Motion.csv. For Interpolation type, select Cubic.

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Make sure that the direction is radially outward.

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Note You may hide the Plate CAM Assembly for easier definition.
6 Define the rotation.
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Add a rotary motor to the drive_plate assembly (or part 699-0414).

Set the motor to rotate at a constant speed of 8,000 deg/sec. The
direction should be counterclockwise when viewed from the Top view.
7 Motion Study Properties.
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As the time of the simulation is very short, we will need a high frame
rate to have sufficient points to get a smooth result.
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Set the Motion Study Properties to capture 2,500 frames per second.
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8 Run the study.

Set the length to 0.045 seconds. This will be one full revolution of the
assembly at the speed of 8,000 deg/sec. The assembly should make one
revolution.

187
 Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2011
Rocker CAM Profile

9 Define a result plot.

Create a trace path of the center of the

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roller (699-0413) on the rocker.

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F
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Note If the curve does not look smooth, increase the image quality in

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SolidWorks Tools, Options.

st
10 Create curve.
With nothing selected, right-click the Trace Path plot and select Create

E curve from trace path, and then Create curve from path.
Because we have nothing selected, this curve will be a feature in the
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assembly FeatureManager design tree.
11 Model.
We are now going to work on individual components of the assembly,
so we do not want to be in the Motion Study.
Click the Model tab.
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12 Hide components.
We will be creating the cam paths while in the assembly, so it will be
y
easier to see what we are doing if parts that are not affected are hidden.
Hide the toothed wheel, Slide Assembly and drive plate
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assembly.
13 Edit part.
Select the part 699-0416 in the Plate CAM Assembly and click Edit
Part .
-
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188
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 11
Rocker CAM Profile

14 Edit sketch.
Edit Sketch3 under Base-Extrude.

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This is just a circular sketch that defines the outer face of the part. We

e
will replace this sketch with the trace path curve with an offset for half

F
the diameter of the roller.

ut
In the FeatureManager design tree,

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select the curve (it will be above
the parts and assemblies).
Use Convert Entities to create a
curve from the trace path curve
created in the previous step and set

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its property to For construction.
Click Offset Entities and type

st
6 mm for the offset (half of the
roller diameter). Make sure the

E direction of the offset is inside.

Click OK to confirm the offset.
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Delete the original circle from the sketch.
Exit the sketch and the part edit
mode. The profile should look
like the image.
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15 Outer cam.
-

Edit the part 699-0417 in the

Plate CAM Assembly.
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On the face facing the 699-0416

component (closer face when viewed
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using the Bottom view), create a

sketch using the same procedure.
Offset the same curve, but this time
6 mm to the outside.
Extrude a cut to a depth of 8.8 mm.
Exit the part edit mode.

189
 Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2011
Rocker CAM Profile

16 Determine the inner radius.

Measure the distance from the

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center of the outer cam plate
to the vertex shown. This is

e
the same radius that is needed

F
to create the curve of the

ut
profile on the keeper.

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Highlight the distance and
press Ctrl-C to copy this value
to the clipboard as we will
need it in the next step.

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17 Show part.
Return to the Edit Assembly mode and Show the part keeper.

E This is the keeper that is used to allow access when assembling the
rocker.
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18 Edit sketch.
Edit the sketch for Boss-Extrude1.
Double-click the dimension for the radius of
the arc and paste the measured distance from
the clipboard.
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19 Examine the completed cams.

Return to the assembly and examine
the cams that have been created.
-

We should now have a smooth cam

path.
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20 New motion study.

Duplicate the existing motion study
PR

into a new one. Name the new study

with contacts.
21 Suppress the linear motor.
Duplicate the existing motion study into a new one. Name the new
study with contacts and suppress the linear motor feature.

190
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 11
Rocker CAM Profile

22 Contacts.
Create solid body contacts between all necessary components.

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Tip You can conveniently use the contact groups to minimize the number of

e
definitions.

F
23 Motion study properties.

ut
Activate Use Precise Contact.

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24 Calculate the motion study.

25 Analyze the results.

Verify that the designed cam assembly provides the desired motion of
the rocker.

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26 Save and close the file.

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 Exercise 11 SolidWorks 2011
Rocker CAM Profile

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192
 rib T
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F
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Lesson 7

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Flexible Joints

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E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Learn about Flexible connectors (Bushings).
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I Create Advanced Plots.

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193
 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

Flexible Joints In the physical world, nothing is absolutely rigid as materials have the
ability to deform elastically and plastically. To this point in the course,

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mates were all simulated as rigid, which is not realistic. In this lesson,
we will start with rigid mates and then make them flexible to more

e
realistically model them as they would react in the physical world.

F
ut
Case Study: A vehicle is being driven on a test track, which has rumble strips that

di RA
System with are 100 mm in height and spaced 2,100 mm apart. The vehicle is
Rigid Joints moving at a speed of 60 km/h. A suspension-steering system is set-up
and will be tested for these conditions.
The model is a geometric representation of a short-long arm (SLA)
suspension subsystem with the steering mechanism.

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Steering

st
IntermittentShaft

E
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Steering Shaft

Steering Rack

Body Ground
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Tie Rod

Base Caps
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Strut Upper
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Upper Arm
-

Lower Arm
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wheel
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Strut Lower

194
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

Problem The goal of this study is to inspect the toe angle that the wheel exhibits
Description throughout its vertical travel of 100 mm in jounce and rebound. The toe

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angle that the wheel exhibits is for the steering wheel angles of 45
degrees, 0 degrees, and -45degrees.

e
F
We will first run the study at the three angles with rigid joints. Then we

ut
will change the joints to flexible and run the study again for
comparison.

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Stages in the To analyze the suspension system, we will follow the steps below:
Process I Create mates.
We will make sure that all the mechanical mates that are required

or D
have been included in the assembly.
I Define the motion.

st
Add a linear motor that is driven at the frequency that is created by
the vehicle speed and rumble strip spacing.

E I Plot the results.

Create plots of the tire yaw angle versus the vertical displacement.
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I Modify the joints.
Change the joints from rigid to flexible.
I Re-run the study.
The results of the study will be compared against the previous study
with rigid joints.
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1 Open an assembly file.

y
Open Suspension_Steering_System from the Lesson07\Case
Studies folder.
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195
 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

2 Examine the assembly.

Before we create a motion study, we need to examine the assembly and

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determine how the linkages are connected.

e
In the Mates folder, there is an Angle mate. Examine the mate. This

F
mate controls the angle of the steering wheel and will be one of our
study parameters as we can use this mate to turn the steering wheel to

ut
specific angles.

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Move the tire vertically
and rotate it. Notice that Fixed
the lower arm is not
connected to the lower
strut. Also notice that the

or D
Not Fixed
tire can turn, even though
the steering wheel doesn’t

st
because of the mate.
Fixed

E The five Base_Caps (top

of the strut and two per each arm) are fixed and cannot move.
op AS
3 Prepare to apply mates.
We are going to add two mates to the assembly, a rack and pinion mate
to connect the steering rack to the steering shaft, and a lock mate to
connect the bottom of the strut to the lower arm.

Important! Before applying these mates, the tire needs to be returned to its zero
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position.
Either close the assembly without saving, and then reopen it to return to
y
the starting point. Alternatively, use Reload to copy the assembly on
disk back into RAM.
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4 Attach Base_Caps<5> to Lower_Arm.

In SolidWorks add a Lock mate between the parts Lower_Arm and
Base_Caps<5>.
Now the two parts are rigidly connected to each other.
-

5 Float Base_Caps<5>.
Base_Caps<5> is Fixed when we open the assembly. Now that we
Do E

have created the Lock mate to the Lower_arm, we must remove the
Fixed mate to allow the suspension to move.
PR

Right-click Base_Caps<5> and click Float.

196
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

6 Create a Rack and Pinion mate between Steering_Shaft and

Steering_rack.

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Add a Rack Pinion mate between Steering_shaft and
Steering_rack which would be connected through a worm gear.

e
F
When the Steering part (attached to Steering_Shaft) rotates by

ut
7 degrees, the Steering_rack part travels 1.0 mm.

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Select Rack travel/revolution and type 51.43 mm [(360°/7°) x 1 mm/
rotation = 51.43mm/rotation].
Select Reverse to make the direction correct.

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197
 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

7 Examine Angle mate.

There is an Angle mate on the Steering part. With all the mates

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properly applied, the angle mate will be the equivalent of the driver’s
input. To get -45 degrees, input 45 degrees and click Flip dimension.

e
F
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Angle = +45° Angle = 0° Angle = -45°

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Set the angel value back to 0 degrees before leaving this step.

st
Wheel Input
Motion E
Calculation of A simple harmonic function motion will be imposed on the wheel to
simulate this condition. To achieve this, some preliminary calculations
are done based on the inputs. For a harmonic function, we need to find
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the frequency (deg/sec) and the amplitude (which in this example is the
100 mm height of the rumble strip).
Frequency can be computed from the spacing of the rumble strips
(2,100 mm) and the velocity (60 km/h.).
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Frequency (Hz) = velocity / spacing = 60 (km/h) / 2,100 (mm) =

16,666.67 (mm/s)/2,100 mm=7.94 Hz.
The peak-to-peak amplitude desired is 100 mm.
y

8 Create a motion study.

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Create a new motion study.

-
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198
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

9 Create input motion.

We will add a motor to drive the vertical motion of the wheel based on

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the frequency of the vehicle moving over the rumble strip at the desired
speed.

e
F
Add a Linear Motor.

ut
Select the vertex in the center of the wheel hub for the position of the

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motor. For direction, select the Top plane in the part wheel.
Important! You must use the Top Plane in the wheel part and not a plane outside
of the part.
Select Oscillating for the motion type. The amplitude is 50 mm (half
the height of the rumble strip) and the frequency is 7.94 Hz. Keep 0deg

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for the Phase Shift.

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Click OK.
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 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

10 Create a spring and damper between Strut_Lower and

Strut_Upper.

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Define a spring that is attached at the Point at the top of the strut and
the edge at the bottom.

e
F
Enter 60.0 N/mm for the Spring Constant and 405 mm for the Free

ut
Length.

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Add a linear Damper with Damping Constant of 0.46 N/(mm/s).
For Display, Coil Diameter = 60 mm; Number of Coils = 10; Wire
Diameter = 10 mm.

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E
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Click OK.
11 Study properties.
Set the study properties to record 500 Frames per second.
-

12 Run the study.

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Run the study for 0.12 second which is one cycle at the input frequency
of 7.94 Hz.
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200
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

Understanding Toe When a pair of wheels is set so that their leading edges are pointed
Angles slightly towards each other, the wheel pair is said to have toe-in. If the

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leading edges point away from each other, the pair is said to have toe-
out. The amount of toe can be expressed in degrees (from the angle to

e
which the wheels are out of parallel), or more commonly, as the

F
difference between the track widths (as measured at the leading and

ut
trailing edges of the tires or wheels). Toe settings affect three major

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areas of performance: tire wear, straight-line stability and corner entry
handling characteristics.

or D
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E The pink arrow denotes the direction of travel of the car.
op AS
13 Animate.
Play back the study at slow speed to observe the motion. If you select
Loop , it will continue to play.
14 Plot the pitch.
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Create a new plot and select Other quantities, Pitch/Yaw/Roll and

Pitch.
y
Select the tire face of the part wheel for the part to create results. This
will plot the Pitch at the center of mass for the wheel part.
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The toe angle can easily be determined from the plot.

-
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201
 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

15 Plot Toe angle vs. wheel height (the Y displacement).

The previous plot is not important to use as what we are really

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interested in is the Toe angle as a function of the vertical displacement
of the spindle.

e
F
Edit the previous plot. Under Plot Results versus, select New Result,

ut
then Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, Center of Mass Position,
Y Component.

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Select the same face of the wheel.

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E
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16 Examine the plot.
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Because we have rigid joints, we have two lines that fall on top of each
other. One line is the wheel moving up, while the other is the wheel
moving down.
y
We will now repeat the simulation for two more configurations:
steering angles 45 deg and -45 deg (simulating a left and right turn,
no RE

respectively).
17 Change the steering angle to 45 deg.
Set the timeline to zero.

Important! If you do not return the timeline to zero, before editing the mate, the
-

mate will still be at zero degrees at time zero and will change to 45° at
Do E

whichever point the timeline was when the edit was made.
Edit the Angle mate and change it from 0 to 45 deg (to simulate a left
PR

turn).
18 Re-run the simulations.

202
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

19 Examine the plot.

The curves are still straight, but the values are slightly different.

rib T
e
F
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E 20 Change the steering angle to -45 deg.
Set the timeline to zero.
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Edit the Angle mate and change it from 45 to -45 deg (to simulate a
right turn).
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y
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-

Again we have the same shape curves, but different values.

Do E

From the three graphs shown, notice how the toe angle changes with
the change in the steering angle.
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203
 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

System with In the physical world, nothing is absolutely rigid as materials have the
Flexible Joints ability to deform elastically and plastically. In the previous study, the

rib T
joints were all simulated as rigid, which is not realistic. In the following
part of the lesson, we will change the joints to be flexible, which will

e
more realistically model the real world.

F
ut
Introducing: Bushing objects are added to model flexible mates used on physical
Bushings suspensions. Bushing elements allow deformation in a certain degree-

di RA
of-freedom that is not accounted for if the attachment is modeled as
rigid. In this lesson, notice how the Lower_Arm is connected to the
Base-Caps with two concentric mates. These two mates could be
replaced with bushings in order to simulate a flexible connection
between the Lower_Arm and Base-Caps.

or D
Typical bushings used in automotive vehicle design consist of steel-on-

st
steel, Urethane, or Nylon. The stiffness and damping characteristics of
these bushings are measured by SAE testing methods (see Reference 1)
and depend on the type of vehicle (see Reference 2).

E Orthotropic bushings can greatly affect the kinematics (camber, toe

angles) and dynamics (joint, shock forces) results of your model when
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compared to a rigid connection. In our simulation, we will use isotropic
bushings.

21 Review the mates in the model.

Review the mates associated with the Lower_Arm and the
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Upper_Arm parts. Notice how they are connected to the Base-Caps.

The Base-Caps are connected to the automobile frame. There is no
y
slack in the mates. However, in real life there is some slack or play
between the arms and base-caps. To incorporate this slack, a flexible
connector or, in other words, a bushing will be used.
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204
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

22 Create bushings between the Base_Caps

and Arms.

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We want to edit the global mates locally, so we
must edit the mates in the SolidWorks

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FeatureManager design tree while staying in the

F
motion study tab.

ut
Locate the four Concentric mates between

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Base_Caps 1 through 4 and the upper and lower
arms.

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E
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Edit each mate in turn.
I Select the Analysis tab and make the following changes to each
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mate:
I Select Bushing.
I Select Isotropic for both Translational and Torsional.
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I For Translational, change the Stiffness to 3,500 N/mm, Damping
to 2.63 N-s/mm and Force to 0.
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I Leave the Torsional values at their default settings.

Each mate will now have a Bushing
symbol next to the mate type.
-

23 Steering angle.
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Set the steering angle back to 0°.

24 Run the simulation.
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205
 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

25 Plot Toe angle vs. wheel height (the Y displacement).

The steering angle should already be plotted on the screen. We can see

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that there is now some slack in the bushings.

e
F
ut
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E The plot below shows the same plot when joints are used instead of
bushings.
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y
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Comparing the results, we confirm that the toe angle is different

-

between the two conditions (bushings vs. joints).

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 7
Flexible Joints

26 Review Simulation.
Zoom into the location of the Lower_Arm where it connects to the

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Base_Caps. Notice how Lower_Arm interacts with the Base_Caps.
There will also be some slack between the moving parts and the

e
Base_Caps.

F
ut
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Time = 0.0 Time = 0.025 Time = 0.05

st
27 Obtain results for the two additional configurations.

E Obtain the graph of the Toe angle vs. the wheel height for the two
additional configurations: steering angles 45 deg and -45 deg.
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 Lesson 7 SolidWorks 2011
Flexible Joints

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28 Save and close the file.

st
Summary
E In this lesson, we learned the use of springs, dampers, and bushings in
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SolidWorks Motion. We explored several post-processing options to
analyze the rotational displacements of the model. We also studied the
effect of making joints flexible by introducing bushings.

References [1] Adams, Herb, “Chassis Engineering”, The Berkley Publishing

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Group, 1993.
[2] Kirschenbaum, Al, “The Official Ford Mustang 5.0”, Bentley
Publishers, 1993.
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 rib T
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F
ut
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Lesson 8

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Redundancies

st
E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson and exercises, you will be
able to:
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I Understand Redundancies and how they affect the simulation.

I Use Flexible mates to automatically remove redundancies in a
y
mechanism.
I Assign the stiffness to each mate individually.
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I Understand how to build assemblies without redundancies.

-
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209
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

Redundancies In Lesson 2, 3D Crank Slider Mechanism, we studied the

recommended approach to building assemblies for the kinematic

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simulation, i.e. simulation where our main objective is to obtain
displacements, velocities, accelerations, jerks or possibly some reaction

e
forces. We covered the fact that mates are used to connect the assembly

F
components and thus constrain the relative motion of a pair of rigid

ut
bodies. Mates therefore determine how the assembly moves and we

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also reviewed some of the most common mate types. In the last part of
this lesson we will discuss this topic in greater detail; we will review
how many degrees of freedom do mates constrain and why can this be
important for the solution of our motion simulation. Before we move
ahead, let us review some of the basic terminology and concepts.

or D
Each unconstrained body in space has six degrees of freedom: three
translations and three rotations about X, Y and Z axes. Any rigid body,

st
i.e. SolidWorks part or rigidly attached parts forming sub-assemblies,
therefore feature all six degrees of freedom. When we use mates to

E connect rigid parts or subassemblies together, each mate (or connection

type) removes certain number of degrees of freedom from the system.
Below, we will review the basic mate types and state how many
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degrees are removed when two rigid bodies are connected.
The table below lists the most common mates representing some of the
common mechanical connections.
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Translational Rotational Total DOF

Mate Type
DOF removed DOF removed removed
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Hinge mate 3 2 5

Concentric 2 2 4
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(2 cylinders)

Concentric 3 0 3
(2 spheres)

Lock mate 3 3 6
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Universal mate 3 1 4
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Screw mate 2 2 (+1) 5

Point to point 3 0 3 (this mate is

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coincident identical to the

concentric
spheres mate)

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

The table below list some of the special mates, which do not necessary
represent a real mechanical connection, but do impose a geometric

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constraint on the two connected bodies.

e
F
Translational Rotational Total DOF
Mate Type

ut
DOF removed DOF removed removed

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Point on axis 2 0 2

Parallel (2 planes) 0 2 2

Parallel (2 axes) 0 2 2

Parallel 0 1 1

or D
(axis and plane)

Parallel (2 axes) 0 2 2

st
Perpendicular 0 1 1

E
(2 axes)

Perpendicular 0 1 1
(2 planes)
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Perpendicular 0 2 2
(axis and plane)

A very large number of mates can be listed in the above tables. As you
can see, not only the mate type determines the number of the
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constrained degrees of freedom, but also the pair of selected entities is

important.
y
Lesson 2 recommended that for the models
where kinematic quantities (displacements,
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velocities, accelerations etc.) are required, all

mates should, up to the reasonable extent,
represent real mechanical connections. In the
figure to the right, the door is connected with
two hinges. Both hinges should be defined as
hinge mates for the kinematic solution.
-

As you will soon learn, that due to the

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redundancies, this approach is not sufficient

when joint forces are required, or when the part
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is to be exported to SolidWorks Simulation for

the stress analysis.

211
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

Based on the number of degrees of freedom, mechanical systems are

divided into two categories:

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I Kinematic systems

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I Dynamics systems

F
Kinematic System For a kinematic system, mates and motors fully constrain all the

ut
degrees of freedom on the mechanism. So the position, velocity and

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acceleration of each part are fully defined at every time step based upon
the mates and motions applied by motors. Mass and inertia information
is not needed to decide the motion. Such mechanism is said to have
zero degrees of freedom.
For example, consider the Scissor lift

or D
model shown to the right. The motion of
the scissor lift will always be the same

st
regardless of the mass of the links or
platform, or the weight of people

E (external load) standing on the platform.

Only the force required to drive the lift
will change, depending upon a change
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in the mass of any component or the
external load. More weight means that
more force is needed to get from height
A to height B.
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Dynamic System In a dynamic system, the resulting motion of parts depends upon the
mass of components and the applied forces. If the mass or applied
forces change, then the motion behavior is different. Such a mechanism
y
is said to have more than zero degrees-of-freedom.
In the mass string example to the
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right, depending upon the mass of the

balls, the motion will be different. Or,
if you swing the ball on the left with a
different force, the motion of the balls
will be different.
-
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In summary, the primary difference between kinematic and dynamic

system is that a kinematic system motion is not influenced by the mass
or applied loads, whereas a dynamic system motion is easily influenced
by changing mass and applied loads.

212
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

All of the systems that were analyzed in Lesson 1 to Lesson 7 can be

considered kinematic systems; i.e. given the mates and the applied

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motors, the motion of the systems was always determined and unique.
However, as you will soon learn, all of these were also redundant

e
leading to unique kinematic results (displacements, velocities and

F
accelerations), but possibly non-unique dynamics results (for example,

ut
joint forces were not computed correctly because no unique solution

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existed). Redundant systems, i.e. systems with redundant constraints
(alternatively we may call them over-constrained systems) are subject
of this lesson.
What are Redundancies relate to modeling a real life system as a mathematical
redundancies? model and are an inherent problem in rigid body motion simulation. It

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is very important that you be aware of redundancies and how they can
effect the simulation and results of a mechanism.

st
At a base level, redundant constraints occur when more than one mate
constrains a specific degree-of-freedom on a part.

E Constraints in SolidWorks Motion remove degrees-of-freedom (DOF)

from the system by adding algebraic equations to the governing system
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of DAE’s (Differential and Algebraic equations).
Six algebraic equations used by SolidWorks Motion to represent DOF
constrained by mates are as follows:
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-

Equations 1-3 constrain translational DOF while equations 4-6

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constrain rotational DOF, where “i” and “j” represent the first and
second parts respectively. The above equations can be understood as
follows:
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1. X i – X j = 0 means that the global X-coordinate of the “i” part

must always remain identical to the X-coordinate of the “j” part.
2. Y i – Y j = 0 means that the global Y-coordinate of the “i” part must
always remain identical to the Y-coordinate of the “j” part.
3. Z i – Z j = 0 means that the global Z-coordinate of the “i” part must
always remain identical to the Z-coordinate of the “j” part.

213
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

4. Z i ⋅ X j = 0 means that the Z-axis of the “i” part always remains

perpendicular to the X-axis of the “j” part (which means no rotation

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about the common Y-axis).
5. Z i ⋅ Y j = 0 means that the Z-axis of the “i” part always remains

e
F
perpendicular to the Y-axis of the “j” part (which means no rotation

ut
about the common X-axis).

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6. X i ⋅ Y j = 0 means that the X-axis of the “i” part always remains
perpendicular to the Y-axis of the “j” part (which means no rotation
about the common Z-axis).
The "⋅ " notation in equations 4-6 signifies a dot product operation.
Recall that when the dot product of two vectors is zero, the vectors are

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perpendicular.
Each Fixed mate in your model uses six equations (eq. 1-6), while a

st
Concentric mate (of two spheres) uses three equations (eq 1-3), a
Hinge mate uses five equations (eq. 1-5), etc.

E Notice how each of these mates uses equations 1 and 2. Any such
duplication of constrained DOF can lead to over constraining your
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system, or introduce what are known as redundant constraint equations.
SolidWorks Motion outputs warning messages to try to help you
understand which equations are redundant and therefore which DOF
are unnecessarily removed. When you have a redundant constraint, you
have two or more mates effectively fighting to control one specific
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degree-of-freedom. In simple cases, the solver will automatically

remove a redundant constraint equation to stop the redundancy. In
complex situations it may not remove the correct one for the
y

mechanism, affecting the original design.

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Important! This leads to the simulation still running, but giving the wrong motion
or answer.
Effects of There are two main failures due to redundancies:
Redundancies I Simulation failure part way through a solution
As the solver progresses through a solution, it continually re-evaluates
-

redundancies and removes them from the mechanism. Occasionally

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during the re-evaluation, different redundant constraints are removed

based on the current positions and orientations. This can potentially
lead to an inconsistent model. Because the solver is unable to
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understand the design intent of a mechanism, it can arbitrarily remove

constraints which are mathematically valid, but not valid from a
functional point of view.
I Incorrect force calculation
An example to illustrate this is covered in the next section.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

How are Before a simulation is actually run, the solver goes through the process
redundancies of detecting if the mechanism contains redundancies. If it detects

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removed in the redundancies, it will try to remove them, and only if successful, will it
solver? continue to run the simulation. At each time step, it continues to re-

e
evaluate redundancies and removes them as needed.

F
ut
There is a certain hierarchy by which redundancies are removed. The
solver will remove redundancies based on the following order:

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I Rotational Constraint
I Translational Constraint
I Motion Inputs (Motors)
According to this hierarchy, the solver first looks for rotational

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constraints that can be removed to eliminate redundancies. If it cannot
remove any rotational constraints, it will then try to remove

st
translational constraints. If it cannot remove any translational
constraints, it will then try to remove an input motion (as a last resort).

E If all these attempts fail, the solver will abort with a message
instructing the user to check for redundant or inconsistent constraints in
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the mechanism (or to see if it is in a locked position).
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215
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

Case Study: Let's investigate this removal procedure with the help of a door

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Door Hinges mechanism. The most intuitive way to create mechanical connections

e
consists in recreating the physical reality. For example, when you see a

F
hinge, you want to model it with a hinge mate. If there are two hinges

ut
on the same part, like this door, and if you place two hinge mates, you

di RA
create some redundancies.
Problem We have a simple door
Description consisting of a door and frame.
Frame
The door is connected to the
frame with two hinges.
Determine the forces on the two

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hinges as a result of the weight

st
of the door.
Door

E
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Hinge
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1 Open an assembly file.

Open door from the Lesson08\Case Studies folder.
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2 Float the door.

When the assembly is opened, both components are fixed and have
zero degrees of freedom.
Right-click the door and click Float.
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216
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

3 Add Hinge mates.

To make it easier to select faces on the hinge, move the door a small

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distance.

e
Add a Hinge mate between the two halves of the upper hinge.

F
Note It is not important if the mate is added as local or global.

ut
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E
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4 Add another Hinge mate.

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Add a second hinge mate to the lower hinge.

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 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

5 Check the door weight.

Check the mass properties of the door part. The door weighs 28,020.63

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grams, so the vertical force of the door should be a 274.8 N.

e
F
ut
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E
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6 Create a new Motion study.

7 Add gravity.
Add gravity in the negative Y direction.
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8 Change study properties.

Edit the motion study properties and set Frames
y
per second to 50.
Make sure that Replace redundant mates with
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bushings is cleared. We will discuss this option

later in the lesson.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

Degrees of Let us review how many degrees of freedom (DOF) are currently
Freedom restricted by our mates. Because the frame is a fixed body it features

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Calculation zero DOF. The only floating body in the assembly is the door. Our
mechanism may therefore feature up to 6 degrees of freedom.

e
F
The two hinge mates defined in the model are then each constraining 5

ut
DOF.

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Total Actual and The current DOF count for our system is therefore 6 – 2 × 5 = – 4 , i.e. our
Estimated DOF mechanism is over-constrained based on the simple DOF count. This
simple count is referred to as approximate (or Gruebler) and is rather
easy to obtain. It could indicate that our mechanism cannot move. It is
obvious, however, that the door is allowed to rotate about the hinges
and, in engineering sense, should not be over-constrained; using this

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engineering approach, our mechanism features +1 DOF (rotation about
the hinges). This count, referred to as “actual” is more complex to

st
obtain than the simple count introduced above.

E The number of redundant constraints in the system is therefore

6 – 2 × 5 – 1 = – 5 ; our system features 5 redundant constraints –
constraints which are not needed from the mathematical point of view
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for the door to close and open. Indeed, by removing one of the hinges
the kinematics of the system is unchanged.

9 Run the simulation.

Run the simulation for 1 second. There is no movement in this
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assembly.
We will now review the number of degrees of freedom as well as the
y
number of redundancies with the help of functions within SolidWorks
Motion.
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Introducing: Rather than manually calculating the Degrees of Freedom, SolidWorks

Degrees of Freedom Motion can quickly calculate them for us.
Calculation
-

Where to Find It I Right-click the local mate group and select Degrees of Freedom.
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219
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

10 Use the simulation panel to calculate degrees-of-freedom (DOF).

rib T
When the study completes, notice that in the Motion Study
FeatureManager, the mate folder reads Mates (5 Redundancies), just

e
as we calculated a while ago.

F
ut
Right click the local
Mates folder and select

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Degrees of Freedom to
open the dialog shown
below. We can review the
number of moving
(floating) parts, number of

or D
mates (presented as joints),
number of the estimated

st
and actual DOF and the
Total number of redundant

E constraints.
SolidWorks Motion
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calculates five redundant
constraints. The
mechanism is over-
constrained.
As mentioned above, the reason for this is that a second hinge mate is
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trying to constrain the same degree-of-freedom as the other hinge mate.

Numerically, one hinge mate is sufficient to simulate the hinge
condition. But this may not be enough, especially when reaction loads
y
at both the hinges are to be calculated.
In order to obtain a unique solution, the program is forced to remove
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the 5 redundant constraints. The selection is made internally without

user intervention; the removed redundant DOF can also be found in the
above list.
We will now review the force solution in the joints to reveal the
-

consequence of the redundancies.

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220
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

11 Plot reaction forces for the Hinge mates.

The weight of the door is approximately 274.8 Newtons. Gravity acts

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along the negative global Y direction. The two hinge mates should
share this load equally. Let us verify this.

e
F
Create two plots to show the Y Component reaction force for the two

ut
hinges. When we define the plot, we will be warned:

di RA
The motion study has redundant constraints which can lead
to invalid force results. Would you like to replace redundant
constraints with bushings to ensure valid force results? Note
that this will make the motion study slower to calculate.
As redundant mates are the subject of this lesson, we will first see what
happens with the redundant constraints.

or D
Click No.

st
The reaction force on one of
the hinge mates is zero

E which should not be the case.

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On the other hinge mate the

reaction force is 274.8 N.
y
It can be seen that one hinge
mate carries the full force of
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274.8 N, while the other one

carries no load. The
distribution of the forces
between the two hinges is
incorrect.
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221
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

Let us see why the simulation gave us such results. In Step 10, using
the simulation panel, we calculated the DOF in the mechanism. Notice

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that one of the redundant constraints was mentioned as “Hinge2:
Translation along Y”. This tells us that the mechanism is already

e
constrained in the Y direction by the Hinge1 mate. The same degree-

F
of-freedom is being constrained by the Hinge2 mate and will be

ut
ignored. Therefore, no results are calculated for the Y-direction reaction

di RA
force on the Hinge2 mate.The entire weight of the door will then
have to be reacted upon at the Hinge1 mate at simulation time.
Likewise results for other redundant constraints will be ignored and
hence turn out to be zero.
We will now see how this issue can be avoided by using the Flexible

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joints option.

st
Using Flexible In the discussion on page 214 it was mentioned that the redundancies
Joints Option to may lead to:
Remove
Redundancies
E 1. Simulation failure part way through a solution, and
2. Incorrect force calculation (distribution).
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The effect of point 1 can be minimized (though not avoided) by using
mates closely representing the mechanical connections in the real
product. For example, two hinges in the door-frame assembly could be
mated with two hinge mates since they represent the real connection
type the most closely. Alternatively, point 1 can be tackled by reducing
the number of redundant constraints manually by using simpler mates
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such as point on axis and similar. In complex assemblies this can be,
however, daunting task and may require iterative approach of mate
y
design and the DOF calculation. For example, imagine that in our
current example of the door, one hinge mate is deleted and the number
of redundant constraints is then zero; the solution in the Y direction is
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then identical.
The effect of point 2 can be tackled by manually modifying the mates
to remove the redundancies in the requested (or all locations) and re-
adjusting the distribution of the reaction forces in the mates manually,
-

or using the technique introduced in Lesson 7, flexible mates. To

demonstrate the former, imagine that one redundant hinge mate is
Do E

deleted from the simulation – all load is then carried by the remaining
hinge mate. Knowing the geometry, we manually readjust the
PR

distribution equally into both mates. This approach may work in simple
design and loads such as the current example of the door or many
symmetrical mechanisms such as fork lift (analyzed in some of the
exercises following this lesson). In the later approach, when flexible
mates are used in place of mathematically rigid mates, stiffness of the
mates in the respective directions decides on the distribution of the
reaction forces.

222
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

While this approach is still an approximation, it can provide a more

realistic distribution of forces than the infinitely stiff case.

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When you make a mate flexible, the mechanism will be updated to

e
have a bushing representation of the basic mate type instead of a rigid

F
constraint. Mate motion and friction are not affected by using flexible

ut
mates.

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Limitations of The following limitations may exist when using flexible mates:
Flexible Mates I In some models, using bushings will slow down the solve time
because of induced dynamic effects.
I We are not accounting for the stiffness of the part in the solution.
Therefore, the distribution of loads due to part stiffness may differ

or D
from the bushing constraint solution. This bushing approach will
ensure that force results are obtained at all mate locations. This

st
limitation, however, exists in the case of rigid mates solutions as
well.

E I

I
Advanced mates do not support mate flexibility. See the Help for a
list of joints that can be made flexible.
If the mechanism starts in a dynamic condition, there may be a
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spike in initial forces as the model reaches initial equilibrium (that
you would not see with rigid joints). The spike is generated by
initial conditions of the parts not balancing and the bushings
resisting rapid changes in force/acceleration. If the model started
with enforced motions (e.g., constant velocity), try ramping up
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motions from zero to the desired value over a time range to

eliminate or minimize this (e.g., use a step function to ramp
velocity from zero to a certain value over a time range).
y
I An optimum mate stiffness and damping characteristics may need
to be entered. This may require an iterative approach.
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The following joints can be made flexible: Fixed, Revolute,

Translational, Cylindrical, Universal, Spherical, Planar, Orientation, In
Line, Parallel Axis, In Plane, Perpendicular.
In SolidWorks Motion Simulation, the flexibility in the mates can be
-

introduced in two distinct ways.

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1. Replace redundant mates with bushings option in the Motion Study

Properties. This way, one set of global stiffness and damping
characteristics is assigned to some algorithmically selected mates
PR

only. The decision on which mates are made flexible and which are
kept rigid is done by an advanced algorithm and is fully automatic.
This approach may work in most situations.
2. Assigning individual stiffness values to the selected (or all) mates
manually. This technique will work in all situations, but can be time
consuming. Local mates may be used with great advantage without
altering the design intent of the assembly designer.

223
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

Where to Find It I In the Motion Study Properties, select Replace redundant mates
with bushings.

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When mates become flexible, the .icon will appear next to the mate

e
icon in the MotionManager tree.

F
Bushing When bushings are defined, their Translational and Rotational Stiffness

ut
Properties and Damping may be defined.

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Where to Find It I In the Motion Study Properties, click Bushing Parameters.

In the remainder of this lesson, we will use the Replace redundant

mates with bushings option to correctly solve the door example.

or D
Assigning individual stiffness to the selected mates manually as well as
manual removal of the redundant constraints by building redundancies-

st
free assembly models are practised in the exercises following this
lesson. Students are encouraged to complete all of the following

E exercises to fully understand this important subject.

12 Make joints flexible.
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Make all joints in the mechanism flexible, in the Motion Study
Properties, select Replace redundant mates with bushings.
Click Bushing Parameters. If we were to change the stiffness and
damping values of the hinges, we would do it here. To see the effect of
the mates stiffness on the solution, complete the following exercises.
t c LE
y
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-
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Click OK twice.
13 Run the simulation.
PR

Notice how the mate icon in the Mates

folder of the MotionManager changes. The
yellow lightening indicates that the
flexibility of this mate was forced by the
software rather than manually specified by
the user (as was the case in Lesson 7).

224
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

14 Review results.
The Y Component of the

rib T
Reaction Force for both
mates now shows a value of

e
137.5 N.

F
The weight of the door has

ut
now been correctly shared by

di RA
both of the Hinge mates.

Note The approach to make

selected (or all) mates flexible

or D
was introduced and practised
in the previous lesson and will

st
not be shown here.

E
op AS
15 Save and close the file.

Important! Students are encouraged to review the following discussion and the
exercises following this lesson. The subject of redundancies is not
t c LE

trivial and must be understood in order to correctly conduct dynamic

analyses (analyses where correct force distribution is required).
y

How to Check
no RE

As mentioned previously, it is important to only supply sufficient

For constraints to obtain the required motion on any mechanism.
Redundancies Kinematic/Dynamic analysis needs only the necessary degrees-of-
freedom restrained in a system.
A quick indication of whether a system is over-constrained is the
-

Gruebler count.
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I If the number is greater than zero, then the model is under-

constrained (dynamic).
PR

I If the number is equal to zero, then the model is fully defined

(kinematic).
I If the number is less than zero, the model is over-constrained
(redundant).

225
 Lesson 8 SolidWorks 2011
Redundancies

An important aspect behind modeling mechanisms is in recognizing the

restrained freedoms of connecting parts and making sure they are not

rib T
repeated. This can be difficult in very complex assemblies, but will
ensure you achieve the desired motion and force results. If this is not

e
taken into consideration, redundant constraints will have been applied

F
which may result in the simulation not working.

ut
Typical Several mechanisms are redundant by their nature. In the real world,

di RA
Redundant assembly tolerance, slop, and stiffness make the mechanisms work, but
Mechanisms in the mathematical world, they can be invalid. Below are a couple of
examples of these mechanisms.
Dual Actuators From a kinematic point of view,
Driving a Part you only require one actuator to

or D
move a part. In the real world,

st
pairs of actuators are used to
provide balanced loads from side
to side. The main problem in the

E motion simulation world is that

motions are enforcing
op AS
displacement in a specific
degree-of-freedom. A specific degree-of-freedom is constrained by two
actuators. Thus, by having two motions you are causing a redundancy.
This can lead to two situations. One, that only one actuator carries the
load and the other has no result, or two, that there is artificial load
t c LE

induced into the system (equal and opposite) that produces incorrect
driving force results on the motions. Ways to work around this problem
are to use non-rigid connections to link each actuator into the
y
mechanism or to use a force based movement instead of a motion based
movement.
no RE

Parallel Linkages The scissors lift is a classic example

of where one complete side of the
mechanism is redundant but is done
to provide balanced loads on both
sides of the structure and to make
-

the design easier. It is simpler to

work with a lighter strut that only
Do E

carries in-plane load than to design a

heavier strut that must not only carry
PR

in-plane, but out-of-plane torsional

loads. However, for mechanisms, it
is easier to model only one side and
let the other side “come along for
the ride”. When analyzing these
types of mechanisms, you can lock
the duplicate parts together by attaching them together or using fixed
joints. You then need to delete any duplicate constraints. When you

226
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 8
Redundancies

obtain the joint loads, just remember to divide by two. Also, remember
that out-of-plane moments should only be due to the non-symmetry of

rib T
modeling one side, and the moment should equate to half of the
reaction force times the distance between the two sides that raise the

e
platform (see Exercise 14: Kinematic Mechanism on page 233).

F
ut
Summary In this lesson, we defined and familiarized ourselves with the concept
of redundancies. Redundancies occur when identical degrees-of-

di RA
freedom in the assembly are constrained by multiple joints. Models
with such redundant constraints are improperly defined and their
solutions are likely to be incorrect (or impossible to obtain). The
implication of redundancies was demonstrated in the first part of this
lesson.

or D
In reality, the rigidness of joints is only an idealized concept. As such,

st
SolidWorks Motion enables users to disable such rigidity and specify
some finite stiffness and damping along the constrained degrees-of-
freedom in the joint. This approach eliminates the problem of

E redundancies, but introduces additional parameters that must be

specified (joint stiffness and damping). Flexible joints were the subject
op AS
of the second part of this lesson.
Students are encouraged to complete the following exercises.
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

227
228
Lesson 8
Redundancies

PR
Do E
-
no RE
t c LE
op AS
y E
or D
di RA
st F
SolidWorks 2011

rib T
ut
e
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 12
Dynamic Systems

Exercise 12: This exercise will demonstrate a simple

Dynamic dynamic system with four spheres dropping

rib T
Systems in a closed container.

e
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

F
I Dynamic System on page 212.

ut
di RA
or D
st
Project Four aluminum balls are contained in a closed container and will fall
Description

E 1
under gravity. None of the components have mates and are free to
interact with each other. Examine the motion of this dynamic system.
Open an assembly file.
op AS
Open Vase with Spheres from the Lesson08\Exercises folder.
2 Create a new motion study.

3 Add gravity.
t c LE

Add gravity in the negative Y direction.

4 Add contact.
Add contact between all components.
y

Specify Aluminum (Greasy) for both materials.

no RE

Add Friction using the default values.

5 Run the simulation.
Run the study for 1 second.
6 Examine the results.
All but one ball falls through the container. This can be cause by either
-

a very coarse time step or too coarse of a contact description.

Do E

7 Change study parameters.

Change the motion study properties to record 600 frames per second to
PR

save more data on the disk and specify Precise contact.

8 Run.
Re-run the simulation.
All four spheres are now contained within the Vase. As the spheres
fall, they interact with each other and the vase.

229
 Exercise 12 SolidWorks 2011
Dynamic Systems

9 Animate.
Play the study at 10% speed and examine the motion of the spheres.

rib T
10 Save and close the file.

e
F
ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

230
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 13
Dynamic Systems 2

Exercise 13: This is another exercise with a

Dynamic dynamic system. In this study we

rib T
Systems 2 will compare our hand calculation
of degrees of freedom with those

e
calculated by SolidWorks Motion.

F
We will also investigate the

ut
effects of changing the impact

di RA
from elastic to plastic.

or D
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
I Poisson Model (Restitution Coefficient) on page 110.

st
I Dynamic System on page 212.

Project
Description
E Five spheres are attached to individual frames. One end sphere is pulled
away from the others and released. Examine the motion of the five
op AS
spheres with both elastic and plastic impact.
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Momentum from the Lesson08\Exercises folder.
2 Calculate the DOF.
Calculate the DOF by hand. The DOF should be a positive number to
t c LE

confirm it is a dynamic system.

3 Create a new study.
y
Create a new study and name it Rest Coef = 1.0.
4 Add gravity.
no RE

Add gravity in the negative Y direction.

5 Add contact sets.
Add four contact sets between the pairs of balls
that will make impact.
Clear Material and Friction.
-
Do E

For Elastic Properties, select Restitution

coefficient and set it to 1.0 which is an elastic
collision.
PR

6 Motion Study Properties.

Record 25 frames per second.
Select Use Precise contact.
7 Run the study.
Run study for 5 seconds.

231
 Exercise 13 SolidWorks 2011
Dynamic Systems 2

8 Examine the results.

We see nearly elastic contact. If it was exactly elastic, we would not see

rib T
the interior balls move, however with the slight errors in the numerical
methods used, we see some movement as the study progress.

e
F
9 Degrees of freedom.
Now that we have run the study, we

ut
can let SolidWorks Motion calculate

di RA
the DOF so we can compare the
results with that which we calculated
by hand.
We have five moving parts with six
degrees of freedom for a total of

or D
thirty. The five hinge mates remove
25 degrees of freedom, leaving us

st
with five degrees of freedom total.

E 10 Duplicate the study.

Name the study Rest Coef=0.1.
11 Edit contacts.
op AS
Edit the five contacts to and change the Restitution coefficient to 0.1.
This is nearly plastic impact.
12 Run the study.
t c LE

13 Examine the results.

With plastic impact, once the first sphere makes contact, all the spheres
move together as we would expect.
y

14 Save and close the file.

no RE
-
Do E
PR

232
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 14
Kinematic Mechanism

Exercise 14: The following exercise will

Kinematic demonstrate a kinematic mechanism.

rib T
Mechanism The basic characteristic of the
kinematic mechanisms is a possibility

e
of a single motion, irrespective of the

F
applied forces and motors, contrary to

ut
the dynamics mechanisms

di RA
(demonstrated in the previous
exercises) where multiple motions
may exist. The Scissor Lift
demonstrated in the following exercise
features no redundancies and one
“Actual” DOF. We will “consume”

or D
this last DOF on the motor which will

st
drive the mechanism.
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

E I
I
Kinematic System on page 212.
How are redundancies removed in the solver? on page 215.
op AS
I Effects of Redundancies on page 214.
I We will now review the force solution in the joints to reveal the
consequence of the redundancies. on page 220.
I How to Check For Redundancies on page 225.
t c LE

Project Analyze the mates utilized to

Description built this assembly. Notice,
that as suggested in the
y
discussion on page 222, only
half of the symmetrical
no RE

mechanism is used for the

mate definitions. The
symmetrically located
components move in phase
with the mated components.
Also note that the assembly
-

features many geometric

Do E

constraints (non-mechanical
mates such as coincidence of
PR

a point and axis, or

coincidence of two planes). Mates on
this side
No mates
on this
side

233
 Exercise 14 SolidWorks 2011
Kinematic Mechanism

Examine the individual mates,

such as Coincident14. Notice

rib T
that this, like many of the mates
in this assembly, is a geometrical

e
constraint (point and face) rather

F
than a mechanical mate (hinge).

ut
Use of such mates requires

di RA
existence of the reference entities
and the building procedure can
be time consuming; the DOF
count must be checked after each
rigid component is added until

or D
the whole assembly is completed.
Due to the time constraints we

st
will not build this assembly in its
entirety; only its part showing the procedure is demonstrated in the

E 1
following exercise.
Open an assembly file.
op AS
Open Scissor_Lift from the Lesson08\Exercises\
Kinematic Mechanism folder.
2 Examine the assembly.
Examine the existing mates and move the assembly. With the existing
mates, the only motion allowed is that which moves the platform
t c LE

vertically.
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

3 New motion study.

Create a new Motion study.

234
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 14
Kinematic Mechanism

4 Add motor.
We will add one Linear Motor to the piston to drive the motion of the

rib T
assembly.

e
Add a linear motor to the piston.

F
Set the Motion to Oscillating, 100 mm at 0.5 Hz. with 0deg for Phase

ut
Shift.

di RA
Set the motion to move relative the cylinder.

or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE

5 Motion Study Properties.

Set the study properties to record 50 Frames per second.
y
6 Run the study.
Run the study for 5 seconds.
no RE

7 Degrees of freedom.
In the local mate group, right-click
MateGroup1 and select Degrees of
Freedom.
-

We now have zero Total DOF because

of the addition of the motor.
Do E
PR

235
 Exercise 14 SolidWorks 2011
Kinematic Mechanism

8 Plot forces.
To see the consequences of

rib T
modeling the assembly
with geometric mates on

e
just one side, we will plot

F
the forces in two of the

ut
mates, Concentric14 and Concentric14

di RA
Coincident9.
Coincident9
Create plots of the
Z Component of the Reaction Force for each mate in the global
coordinate system.
9 Examine the plots.

or D
The plot for mate Coincident9
shows a maximum force of

st
15,166 N. Because of the
redundancies, this is actually the

E combined force on both sides of

the assembly. At this joint, the
op AS
real force will be half or about
7,583 N.

For Concentric14, the

maximum combined force is
9,536 N which means that each
t c LE

side carries 4,768 N.

Note The assumption that each side of
y
the assembly carries half of the
total force at each joint is based
no RE

on symmetrical loading of the

assembly.
10 Plot moments.
Create a plot of the X
Component of the Reaction
-

Moment for the Tangent3

Do E

mate.
This moment about the global X
PR

axis should be zero if both sides

of the assembly carry the load
symmetrically. This moment is
only a product of the way this
assembly was build and will be compensated by the reaction force on
the opposite side.
11 Save and close the file.

236
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 14
Kinematic Mechanism

Summary This exercise demonstrated a complicated model build without any

redundancies. Such procedure may be time consuming; use of the

rib T
geometric constraints such as coincidence of points and axes or planes
is necessary and the step by step procedure with frequent DOF

e
calculation is necessary. This procedure, applied to a part of the large

F
assembly (sub-assembly) or the entire assembly may only be required

ut
if all other means of attempting solution failed.

di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

237
 Exercise 15 SolidWorks 2011
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 1

Exercise 15: The following exercise will

Zero demonstrate a short section of

rib T
Redundancy the model building procedure
for the mechanism with zero

e
Model-Part 1
redundancies featured in the

F
previous exercise. We will re-

ut
use the model from the

di RA
previous exercise, Kinematic
Mechanism, at an early stage
of the model building phase.
The model will feature one redundancy. The goal of this exercise is to
remove the redundant constraint with the help of multiple geometric
constraint (simple mates such as coincident of point and axis and

or D
similar).

st
This exercise reinforces the following skills:
Redundancies on page 210.

E
I
I Effects of Redundancies on page 214.
I How are redundancies removed in the solver? on page 215.
op AS
I How to Check For Redundancies on page 225.

Project The same scissor lift used in the previous exercise will be used to
Description practice the procedure of removing and controlling the number of
degrees of freedom in the model. We will start with just the base and
t c LE

first layer of scissors, remaining components have been suppressed.

The components of interest in this exercise will be the cylinder and
piston.
y
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Scissor_Lift.sldasm from the Lesson08\Exercises\
no RE

Zero Redundancy Model folder.

The platform and layers 3 through 6 are suppressed.
2 Run the analysis Exercise Study.
The motor is already set up as it was in the previous exercise, so you
-

can just click Calculate.

Do E
PR

238
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 15
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 1

3 Examine the Degrees of

Freedom.
The local mate group shows

rib T
one redundancy. Right-click

e
MateGroup1 and click

F
Degrees of Freedom.

ut
With zero Total DOF, the

di RA
mechanism will move as we
expect.
We can also see that there is
one redundant constraint and
that the redundant constraint

or D
Concentric16, Rotation
about X is removed.

st
4 Determine orientation.

E This redundant constraint is about the

local X axis, so how do we determine
which way the local axes are oriented?
op AS
Create a plot based on the mate.
Concentric16 is a mate between the
cylinder and the piston. Create a plot of
the Reaction Force, Y Component of
the mate Concentric16. We do not
t c LE

actually need to complete the plot, but

once the plot is set up, we can see the
y
orientation Triad.
The X direction (red) is along the common
no RE

axis of the two parts. Once we observe the

direction, cancel the plot.
This concentric mate is redundant because
neither the piston nor cylinder can rotate about this axis. The
cylinder has a hinge mate to connect it to the Base, and the piston
-

has a concentric mate to the cross rod.

Do E

5 Remove mate.
The piston and cylinder need to stay concentric,
PR

so we will not delete that mate. Instead, we will

replace the hinge mate, which removes five
degrees of freedom, with two less complicated
mates.
Delete the mate Hinge1.
The end of the cylinder is now free to move.

239
 Exercise 15 SolidWorks 2011
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 1

6 Add mate.
For the following mates, we will be mating points

rib T
and axes, so make both visible.

e
F
ut
di RA
Note To see the points you need to set the assembly mode to Resolved.
There are already two points created in the hole at the end of the
cylinder. Point1 is on the axis of the hole, half way between the
parallel faces. Point2 is also on the axis of the hole, but coplanar with

or D
the side face.

st
Add a Coincident mate
between Point1 and the axis

E of the hole in the frame.

op AS
t c LE

Add a second Coincident mate

y
between Point2 and the inside face
of the bracket on the frame.
no RE
-
Do E

Note You can add these mates as either local or global.

PR

7 Run.
Run the simulation and observe the results. The study appears to run
correctly.

240
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 15
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 1

8 Check the DOF.

Right-click MateGroup1 and click

rib T
Degrees of Freedom.

e
There is still one actual degree of

F
freedom, but there should be none for
correct results.

ut
di RA
or D
9 Determine the problem.
Try to drag the piston

st
along the cross_rod.
When you do, you can see

E the cylinder rotate.

op AS
t c LE

10 Edit mate. Remove point2 Add edge

The mate between
y
Point2 and the face is
not enough to stop the
no RE

rotation, so we will
have to raise the level
of the mate to remove
an addition degree of
freedom.
-

Edit the Coincident

Do E

mate and replace Point2 with the edge shown.

11 Run.
PR

Run the study and observe the results.

241
 Exercise 15 SolidWorks 2011
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 1

12 Check the DOF.

Right-click MateGroup1 and click

rib T
Degrees of Freedom.

e
We now have zero DOF as we should

F
for a kinematic system.

ut
13 Save and close the file.

di RA
If you are going on to the next
exercise, leave the assembly open,
otherwise save and close the files.

or D
Summary This exercise demonstrated how a mate with redundant constraint is

st
detected, removed and replaced with a combination of simpler
geometrical constraints such as coincidence of a point and an axis. As

E was mentioned in the previous exercise, this technique requires

additional reference entities (points, axes) and the building procedure
can be lengthy. It should be used if all other techniques failed to give
op AS
the desired solution. In general, it is easier for the solver to obtain the
solution for models without redundancies then for models with
multiple redundancies.
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

242
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 16
Zero Redundancy Model-Part 2 (Optional)

Exercise 16: This exercise continues the process

Zero started in the previous exercise. The

rib T
Redundancy remaining parts and subassemblies
with the mates in the Scissor_Lift

e
Model-Part 2
assembly need to be add to achieve

F
(Optional) zero degrees of freedom for correct

ut
results.

di RA
This exercise reinforces the following
skills:
I Redundancies on page 210.
I Effects of Redundancies on page 214.
I How are redundancies removed in the solver? on page 215.

or D
I How to Check For Redundancies on page 225.

st
Project Add mates to the assembly to achieve zero degrees of freedom.
Description

E 1 Open an assembly file.

Continue working on the model prepared in the previous exercise. If
op AS
the assembly is not open, open Scissor_Lift from the Lesson08\
Exercises\Zero Redundancy Model folder. Complete the previous
exercise first and then continue with this exercise.
2 Unsuppress layers.
Unsuppress the sub-assemblies
t c LE

layer_3 and layer_4.

3 Repair mates.
y
Mate them to the rest of the assembly
so that the mechanism operates as
no RE

required with redundant constraints

and actual DOF count both equal to
zero.
Left side Right side
Continue building mates on the left
side as indicated in the figure.
-

4 Continue.
Do E

Unsuppress the sub-assemblies layer_5

and layer_6.
PR

Continue adding mates to achieve zero

degrees of freedom.
5 Continue.
Unsuppress platform.
Continue adding mates to achieve zero
degrees of freedom.
6 Save and close the file.

243
 Exercise 17 SolidWorks 2011
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

Exercise 17: In this exercise, we will use a model that has mates applied
Removing symmetrically in preparation for exporting results to SolidWorks

rib T
Redundancies Simulation. To remove the redundancies, we will add bushings and
explore the effects of different damping values.

e
with Bushings

F
This exercise reinforces the following skills:

ut
I How are redundancies removed in the solver? on page 215.

di RA
I How are redundancies removed in the solver? on page 215.
I Using Flexible Joints Option to Remove Redundancies on
page 222.
I Bushing Properties on page 224.

Project This is the same Scissor Lift assembly used in the previous exercises

or D
Description except that the components are mated differently.

st
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Scissor_Lift from the Lesson08\Exercises\Redundancies

E 2
Removal with Bushings\completed-low stiffness folder.
Examine the assembly.
op AS
The approach to the assembly
mates is different in this model.
Notice that most mates, namely the
Concentric mates, represent the real
mechanical connections closely.
Coincident mates only ensure that
t c LE

the assembly does not move

sideways.
y
no RE

Notice also that, unlike

previous exercises,
-

mates are applied on

both sides of the
Do E

symmetry.
This method is
PR

appropriate when we
Concentric36 Concentric37
want to import the
results in SolidWorks Simulation to get stress results in the different
components, or if we want to see the correct force distribution at all
mate locations on the model.
The problem with this mating scheme however, is that we are going to
generate a large number of redundancies that will have to be removed.

244
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 17
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

We saw in a previous lesson that we could have SolidWorks Motion

treat all redundant mates as bushings. We can also manually configure

rib T
mates to act as bushings.

e
3 Add bushings manually.

F
To save time, each concentric mate has already
been configured as a bushing.

ut
di RA
Edit one of the Concentric mates.
Select the Analysis tab.
Notice that Bushing has been selected and the
values set as follows:
Translational

or D
I Select Isotropic

st
I Stiffness = 5,000 N/mm
I Damping = 20.0 N-s/mm

E I Force = 0 N-mm
Torsional
op AS
I Select Isotropic
I Stiffness = 100 N-mm/deg
I Damping = 20.0 N-mm-s/deg
I Toque = 0.0 N-mm
These values for stiffness and damping are very
t c LE

low for a practical system, however we will start here to see the effect
on the mechanism.
y
Notice that each mate that has been defined as a bushing now features
the bushing icon shown in the MateGroups.
no RE

4 Run.
Notice that the motion is not smooth.
Play the animation back at a slower speed and watch the action of the
individual joints.
-
Do E
PR

245
 Exercise 17 SolidWorks 2011
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

5 Examine the plots. Concentric20 Concentric21

Plots of the reaction force in the

rib T
Z direction have already be
created for mates Concentric20

e
and Concentric21. These mates

F
are on opposite sides of the

ut
assembly.

di RA
Notice that the plots are exactly
the same.

or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE
y
no RE

6 Create additional plots. Concentric36 Concentric37

Create additional plots of the force
in the Z direction for mates
Concentric36 and
Concentric37. These mates are
-

between the lower cross arms and

the brackets on the frame.
Do E
PR

Note When we create these plots, we still get a warning message about
redundancies. This will be explained in upcoming steps.
Click Yes to dismiss the message.

246
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 17
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
As with the previous set of mates these plots are also identical. While
they are identical, they are not the sinusoidal shape that matches the
driving motor due to the low stiffness of the joints.

Why do we still When we created the plots, we

t c LE

have were warned that

redundancies? redundancies still exist in the
model. If we check the
y

degrees of freedom we see

that there are 11 redundant
no RE

constraints.
If you examine the mates, not
all concentric mates were
made flexible. For instance,
the mates between the piston,
-

cylinder and frame (that

Do E

were changed in the previous

exercise) are still hinge and
PR

concentric mates in this

model. We do not have to
change the mates in this
problem because we are not
interested in the forces for
those components.

247
 Exercise 17 SolidWorks 2011
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

Examine the other mates that have not been made flexible. These mate
concern forces or motion in the global Y direction (across the plane of

rib T
symmetry). As we expect these forces are going to be zero, we are not
concerned with these forces and do not have to take the time to remove

e
these redundancies.

F
ut
7 Save and close the file.

di RA
8 Open an assembly file.
Open Scissor_Lift from the Lesson08\Exercises\Redundancies
Removal with Bushings\completed-optimum stiffness folder.
9 Examine the assembly.
This is exactly the same assembly as used in the previous steps except

or D
that the stiffness of the flexible mates has been changed.

st
10 Examine the bushings.
Edit one of the Concentric mates that is flexible.

E Select the Analysis tab.

Notice that Bushing has been selected and the
op AS
values set as follows:
Translational
I Select Isotropic
I Stiffness = 100,000 N/mm
t c LE

I Damping = 2000.0 N-s/mm

I Force = 0 N-mm
Torsional
y

I Select Isotropic
no RE

I Stiffness = 100 N-mm/deg

I Damping = 20.0 N-mm-s/deg
I Toque = 0.0 N-mm
These values for stiffness and damping are more
realistic for a practical system then those used in
-

the previous example.

Do E

11 Run the study.

PR

248
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 17
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

12 Examine the plots.

The plots for the same four mates examined in the previous example

rib T
have already be generated.

e
As before, the plots for the symmetric pairs of mates are identical.

F
With the higher stiffness, we can see that after the initial acceleration,

ut
the motion is sinusoidal.

di RA
Add the two values for the maximum force (ignoring the initial spike in
the magnitude) in mates Concentric20 and Concentric21, they
should be approximately 9,500 N which compares favorably with the
result obtain in Exercise 14: Kinematic Mechanism.
Also compare the values for the maximum force in mates

or D
Concentric36 and Concentric37, they should be approximately
15,000 N which also compares favorably with the result obtain in

st
Exercise 14: Kinematic Mechanism.

E
op AS
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

249
 Exercise 17 SolidWorks 2011
Removing Redundancies with Bushings

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
From these results, we can see that the forces were equal when we had
all the mates on one side of the model to the total force when we
removed the redundancies and split the force to the two sides.
13 Save and close the file.
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

250
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 18
Catapult

Exercise 18: This exercise will further examine the

Catapult use of local flexible mates to properly

rib T
calculate the forces where multiple
supports are used.

e
F
We will use the same catapult model that

ut
we saw in Lesson 3.

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With a lot of redundancies, SolidWorks
Motion will solve the kinematics
correctly, however the force distribution
may be incorrect.
This exercise reinforces the following

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skills:
I Redundancies on page 210.

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I Effects of Redundancies on page 214.
I How are redundancies removed in the solver? on page 215.

E I How to Check For Redundancies on page 225.

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Project Calculate the forces on the pivots between the arm and counterweight.
Description
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Catapult-assembly from Lesson08\Exercises\Catapult
folder.
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This assembly has been set up and run in the study named original
study with results.
y
2 Examine the assembly.
The counterweight is connected to
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the arm with a single mate,

ConcentricB. There is also
Coincident4 which holds the
counterweight centered on the arm.
3 Play the simulation.
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251
 Exercise 18 SolidWorks 2011
Catapult

4 Degrees of Freedom.
This assembly has 54

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redundant constraints, but it
runs without problems. While

e
the kinematic problem is

F
solved, the problem with the

ut
solution is that the resulting

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forces may not be distributed
properly.

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st
E
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5 Create plot.
Create a plot of the global
Y direction resultant force
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on the mate
ConcentricB.
We can observe a force of
y
about -1.22 N while the
arm is being rotated into
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position, lifting the

counterweight.
Depending on our engineering judgement, this result may be good
enough if we are confident that the load is shared equally as we can just
divide the result in half to get the correct force at each pivot.
-

If this is not good enough, then we must make the mates flexible to
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distribute the force correctly.

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252
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 18
Catapult

6 Add another mate.

We are interested in the force

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in each of the pivots between
the arm and counterweight,

e
so we need to have a mate on

F
the other pivot.

ut
Select the Model tab, then

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add a Concentric mate to the
other pivot.
Rename this mate
Concentric C.

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7 Run.

st
Make sure that Replace redundant mate with bushings is cleared,
then rerun the study.

E 8 Create plot.
Create an additional plot showing the reaction force in the Y direction
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(global coordinates) for the mate Concentric C.
We can see that the force is distributed evenly between the two mates.
This, however, may be just a coincidence as the distribution will
depends on how the software removes the redundancies. We will not
use flexible mates to ensure the correct force redistribution.
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 Exercise 18 SolidWorks 2011
Catapult

9 Create local flexible mates.

Edit mates ConcentricB and ConcentricC.

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Select the Analysis tab and select Bushing. Keep the default values.

e
10 Run.

F
Make sure that Replace redundant mates with bushings is cleared,

ut
then, rerun the study.

di RA
We will still have a lot of redundancies in the model, however these do
not affect the results we are interested in at the two pivots.
11 Examine the plots.
The plots now show that the force is divided over the two mates.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 18
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12 Change scale.
To make them easier to read, modify the two plots to show the Y Axis:

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I Start Point = -2

e
I End Point = 1.0

F
I Major Units = 0.5.

ut
We can see that the forces are exactly the same.

di RA
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13 Save and close the file.
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256
Catapult
Exercise 18

PR
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SolidWorks 2011

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 rib T
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F
ut
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Lesson 9

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Export to FEA

st
E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Create an Action Only Moment.
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I Export loads from SolidWorks Motion to FEA Simulation.

I Run the structural analysis in SolidWorks Simulation.
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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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Exporting Determining the forces on a part is generally not the end of the analysis
Results of a part. Usually, the forces obtained are to be used in finite element

rib T
analysis to determine the strength, displacement and Factor of Safety of
the individual parts. SolidWorks Motion and SolidWorks Simulation

e
work together to make the exporting of data from SolidWorks Motion

F
to SolidWorks Simulation seamless.

ut
Case Study:

di RA
The Drive Shaft assembly is composed of 5 sub-assemblies, and 2
Drive Shaft single parts. SolidWorks Motion will be used to determine the forces
acting on one component, the Journal-cross and then using
SolidWorks Simulation, we will determine the stress and displacements
of the part.
Project The universal joint is required to transmit a torque of 15,000,000 N-

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Description mm at a speed of 2800 RPM. Determine the stress and deflection of the

st
part Journal_Cross_output.

Output _housing

E Output_shaft
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Journal-cross_output

Driveshaft
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Output_housing
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Driveshaft
-

Input_housing
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Journal_cross_input

Input_shaft
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Driveshaft

Input_housing

258
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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Stages in the I Create the motion study.

Process Using the known data as input, create a motions study.

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I Run the motion study.

e
The motion study is calculated to determine the forces on the part

F
or parts in question.

ut
I Export loads to Analysis.

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From SolidWorks Motion, export the loads directly to SolidWorks
Simulation.
I Open the part for analysis.
Open the specific part in its own window.
I Run the FEA simulation.

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Complete the boundary conditions in SolidWorks Simulation and
run the analysis.

st
I Examine the results.
Use the results to determine if design changes are needed.

E 1 Open an assembly file.

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Open Drive_shaft_assembly from the Lesson09\Case Studies
folder.
2 Insert a new motion study.
Make sure the units are in MMGS.
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3 Add a motor.
Add a Rotary Motor to the Input_shaft. Make it turn at 16,800 deg/
sec (2,800 RPM).
y
Note the direction of rotation. It doesn’t matter which direction it turns
only that we know the direction so that we can add the Action Only
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moment in the opposite direction in the next step.

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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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4 Add a force.
Apply an Action only Torque on the Output_shaft. This is a torque

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that opposes the rotation, so set the direction opposite the motor added
in the previous step.

e
F
Input a value of 15,000,000 N-mm for the torque.

ut
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E
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5 Study properties.
We are going to run the study for only 0.05 seconds, so we will need a
high frame rate to capture enough information.
Set the frame rate at 2,000. This will give us 101 frames.
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6 Run.
Run the study for 0.05 seconds.
y
The following message will indicate that the current setting for the
Number of Frames parameter seem to be excessive and may
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negatively impact the performance:

The playback speed or frames per second for this motion
study will result in poor performance given the current study
duration. Would you like these settings adjusted for better
playback?
-

Click No to complete the simulation with the current settings.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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7 Calculate DOF.
We can see that there are zero

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degrees of freedom, so we have a
kinematic system.

e
F
Close the Degrees of Freedom

ut
window.

di RA
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8 Examine the mates.
This assembly has zero DOF because of the way it was built. If you

st
examine the individual mates, many of them are point to point or point
to line to avoid removing too many degrees of freedom.

E 9 Plot results.
Create plots of the Angular Velocity Magnitude for both the input and
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output shaft.
We can see that both shafts are turning at 16,800 deg/sec which was the
input speed.
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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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10 Plot the angular velocity of the driveshaft.

Create a plot of the Angular Velocity Magnitude of the driveshaft. We

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can see the expected variation of the velocity caused by the offset angle
between the input and output.

e
F
ut
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11 Plot the required torque.
Create a plot of the torque of the input rotary motor. This is the torque

st
required by the motor to move the shaft at this load.

E
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FEA Export Motion Simulation enables you to apply all of the necessary resulting
y
quantities (forces, moments, accelerations etc.) onto the load bearing
faces and solve for the for the stress and deformation analysis
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(SolidWorks Simulation module is required for the deformation

solution). This way, Motion Simulation simplifies the transient problem
using the rigid body dynamics approach and solves for the parts’
accelerations and joint reaction forces. Then, in SolidWorks
Simulation, these loads are applied on the bearing faces and the stress
-

analysis problem is solved.

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Motion simulation enables you to apply the loads and solve the
deformation analysis using SolidWorks Simulation in two distinct
ways:
PR

I Direct solution, where the setup, solution and the post-processing

is performed directly in the Motion Simulation interface.
I Export of the loads into SolidWorks Simulation. Deformation
solution is performed using SolidWorks Simulation interface.
Both approaches are presented in this lesson.

262
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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Load Bearing The applied (or exported) forces are

Faces transferred onto the faces only; edges

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and points are not allowed. Any face
used in the mate definition in

e
SolidWorks is also assumed to be the

F
load bearing area for the applied (or

ut
exported) loads. If other entity types

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(points, edges) are used in the mate
definition, load bearing faces have to be
specified under the Analysis tab.

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st
Mate location Default initial location of the mate in motion analysis is determined
using the first entity in the definition of the mate. For example, in the

E mate definition shown in the figure above, the initial mate location is at
the center of Face<1>@Input_shaft-1/universal_bearing-1.
Optionally, this can be changed by selecting a new entity in the Mate
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location field. Changing the location of the mate may change the
motion analysis results and the resulting reaction forces somewhat; the
impact of this change varies from case to case.
It is recommended that you change the mate location if the initial
configuration is not suitable. This can be especially important when
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using the motion loads for the finite element analysis using the
SolidWorks Simulation modulus.
y
Motion Simulation also exports the body loads due to the accelerations
of the parts. Similarly to the joint reaction forces, body loads are
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exported at each (or all) requested time step.

The load bearing faces as well as the new mate locations have to be
input before running the motion analysis.
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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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Export of Loads This section of the lesson demonstrates how to properly prepare a part

rib T
subjected to the motion loads for the finite element analysis in

e
SolidWorks Simulation. First, the correct load bearing faces and mate

F
locations will be defined. Then, the motion loads are imported in the

ut
SolidWorks Simulation, where the finite element analysis and the post-

di RA
processing are performed.
12 Isolate on journal_cross<1>.
This is the journal_cross on the input
side of the driveshaft. Isolating this
component is done just to make it easier to
see the part.

or D
We are interested in computing the

st
stresses and displacements of this part.

E
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Examine the four mates of this part. None
of the mating entities are faces, but rather
points or axes. This will require us to
specify the faces where the forces will be
transferred for each of these four mates.
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Click Exit Isolate.

13 Specify the load bearing faces.
y
Edit the first mate, Coincident24.
Select the Analysis tab.
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Select Load Bearing Faces.

Click Isolate components. This will hide
all components except those associated
with this mate.
-

Use the Select Other command to select

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the exterior surface of the journal_cross

and the internal cylindrical face of the universal_bearing. The two
parts are shown in the exploded view below for clarity.
PR

Because the faces are touching, Treat as Bonded if touching is

automatically selected. Clear Treat as Bonded if touching.

264
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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As mentioned in the previous discussion block, the default initial mate

location is determined from the first entity in the mate definition, center

rib T
of the Face<1>@Input_shaft-1/universal_bearing-1. Because
these two parts are in permanent contact and do not translate

e
significantly relative to each other, the default location of the mate at

F
the center of the above face is acceptable and would not have to be

ut
changed. It is, nevertheless, a good habit to place the initial location to

di RA
the most ideal location, especially if we intend to follow with the finite
element stress analysis of a part. To practice this we will change the
location for all four journal_cross-1 mates.
Selecting the mate location is optional. You can select either of the
points that define the mate, but it is not necessary.

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Click OK and Exit Isolate.
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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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14 Second load bearing face.

Edit mate Coincident25.

rib T
Select the Analysis tab.

e
Select Load Bearing Faces.

F
Click Isolate components.

ut
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Select the two faces shown, one on the journal_cross and the other on
the attachment flange.

or D
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As the faces are not touching, the option to Treat as Bonded if
touching is not available.
t c LE

15 Define remaining load bearing faces.

Repeat the above procedure on the remaining two mates,
y
Coincident26 and Coincident28.
16 Re-run the analysis and Save the assembly.
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After the mate locations have been changed, the motion analysis must
be re-calculated.
We will now proceed with a stress analysis of the journal_cross-1
component.
-
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SolidWorks SolidWorks Simulation may read the Motion loads for a single time
Simulation Users step or a multiple time steps at once. In the latter case a design scenario
Only feature of the Simulation software is used to run multiple analyses at all
PR

requested time steps. Design Study enables us to locate the critical time
instance where the part exhibits the largest stresses and deformations.

266
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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17 Import motion loads.

rib T
Ensure that SolidWorks
Simulation is added inside

e
SolidWorks.

F
ut
Click Import Motion
Loads on the Simulation

di RA
menu.
Select the Motion Study
from the list that you used
to create the forces.

or D
Select journal_cross-1 in
Available assembly

st
components, then click >
to move it to the Selected

E components box.
Click Multiple frame
op AS
study.
In the Start (Frame No.) box, type 80.
The End box should already be 101.
Click OK. This will import and save the load data to the CWR file for
t c LE

the journal_cross-1 part, and define the design study.

The above specifications define design study with 22 sets. Each set has
its loads defined from the motion loads developed at the time instant of
y
the frame associated with that set.
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18 Open the part.

Open the part journal_cross-1 in its own window.
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267
 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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19 Select the SolidWorks Simulation study.

A new static study named CM-ALT-Frames-80-101-1 has been

rib T
added. The numbers 80, 101 and 1 in the study name refer to the
starting and ending frame numbers and the frame increment,

e
respectively.

F
ut
di RA
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st
E 20 Select the Design Study.
A new design study named CM-ALT-Frames-80-101-1 has also been
op AS
added. You can review the list of the parameters along with their values
that have been imported from SolidWorks Motion. 22 scenarios
corresponding to the frames 80 to 101 have been created.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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21 Apply material.
The definition of the static study needs to

rib T
be completed.

e
Back in the static study, apply Alloy Steel

F
to the part.

ut
In the Simulation Study tree, right-click

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the journal_cross part and click Apply/
Edit material.
Select Alloy Steel from the SolidWorks Materials library files.
Click OK.

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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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22 Mesh the part.

Right-click Mesh in the Simulation Study tree

rib T
and click Create Mesh.

e
Under Advanced, verify that Draft Quality

F
Mesh is cleared.

ut
Move the Mesh Density slider to set the

di RA
Maximum Element Size close to the value of 30
mm.
Click OK and the model will mesh.

or D
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23 Study properties.
Right-click the study
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icon and click

Properties.
y
Because this part is self
equilibrated, Use
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inertial relief is on by
default.
Click OK.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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Note The inertial relief is one of the options used to stabilize self-
equilibrated problems in the finite element analysis. The detailed

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discussion of the option is a subject of the SolidWorks Simulation
course.

e
F
24 Run Design Study.
Select the design study tab and click the Run button.

ut
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The 22 different sets of data will be solved sequentially.

or D
st
25 Global maximum for von Mises stress.
Global maximums indicate the maximum

E values over all 22 scenarios.

In the design study tree, right-click Results and Graphs and select
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Define Design History Graph.
Click Constrains for the Y-Axis and select VON:
von Mises Stress.
Click OK.
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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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26 Examine the results.

The graph shows the variation of the maximum von Mises stress in the

rib T
journal_cross-1 part across all 22 scenarios. We can observe that the
largest value of 5.07 e8 N/m2 (507 MPa), reached in scenarios 1 and 22,

e
is smaller than the yield strength of the material (620.4 MPa).

F
ut
di RA
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E
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27 Global maximum for resultant displacement.
t c LE

Create a similar graph showing the global maximum of the resultant

displacements.
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The maximum displacement is 0.12 mm.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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28 Von Mises Stress plot for design scenario #15.

Design study stores full results for all

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computed scenarios.

e
In the design study, click the column

F
corresponding to Scenario 15 to access the

ut
results.

di RA
Under Results and Graphs, double-click the
VON: von Mises Stress plot.

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st
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The maximum von Mises stress magnitude in scenario #15 is 491 MPa.
t c LE

29 Resultant Displacement plot for design scenario #15.

y
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The maximum resultant displacement in scenario 15 is 0.12 mm.

30 Save and close the journal_cross part file.

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 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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Direct Solution This section of the lesson demonstrates how to perform stress analysis
in SolidWorks on a part directly in the SolidWorks Motion interface.

rib T
Motion

e
F
Important! The correct load bearing faces and the mate locations specified in steps
13 to 15 must be specified for the direct stress solution in the Motion

ut
Simulation as well.

di RA
Note SolidWorks Simulation modulus must be activated in order to obtain
the stress solution.
r

31 Simulation setup.

or D
In the Drive_Shaft_Assembly motion study,
click the Simulation Setup icon .

st
In the Part for Simulation field select the
journal_cross<1> on the input side of the

E driveshaft.
Specify 0.0395s and 0.05s for the Simulation
op AS
Start Time and Simulation End Time,
respectively. Click Add Time to add the time
range to the Simulation Time Steps and
Time Ranges field.
Under Advanced, move the mesh slider to set
t c LE

the Mesh Density Scale Factor to 0.95 to

generate finer mesh.
y
Click OK.
The following message will display:
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Do you want to assign material to the part?

Click Yes to open the Material window.
32 Material.
Similarly to step 21, specify Alloy Steel.
-

Click Apply and Close.

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33 Solve finite element simulation.

Click the Calculate Simulation Results button .
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274
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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34 Stress results at 0.045s.

To show the result plot, move the time line to 0.045s.

rib T
Note The specified time must fall within the time range requested in step 31.

e
F
ut
di RA
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st
Set the Results Plot button to show the von

E Mises Stress Plot.

op AS
t c LE
y
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-

The legend indicates the maximum stress of approximately 542 MPa.

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However, because journal_cross<1> is shown in the context of the

whole assembly the stress contours are not easily visible. In this case
PR

clearer plot will be provided when we isolate the part.

275
 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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35 Isolate on journal_cross<1>.

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
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st
The stress contours are now visible. The indicated maximum of 542

E MPa is below the yield strength of the material, 620.4 MPa.

36 Factor of Safety at 0.045s.
op AS
Follow steps 34 to 35 and show the plot of Factor of safety.
t c LE
y
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-

The minimum factor of safety indicated in the plot is 1.14 (620.4/

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542=1.62).
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 9
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37 Deformation results at 0.045s.

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e
F
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st
The maximum resultant displacement at time 0.045s is 0.37 mm.

E 38 Results at different times.

Move the time line to any other time step. The contour plots will update
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automatically.
Note The specified time must again fall within the time range requested in
step 31.
39 Animate and show the overall maximums.
To set the legend to show the overall maximum for the requested
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analysis time range and to see the animation, click the Play button.
y
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The maximum resultant displacement over the entire requested analysis

interval (0.035s - 0.05s) is 0.38 mm.
40 Save and close the file.

277
 Lesson 9 SolidWorks 2011
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Summary This lesson showed the procedure for the application of the joint and
body loads computed in the Motion Simulation in the finite element

rib T
stress analysis. In the first part we solved the rigid body dynamics
problem and obtained the necessary joint and body loads. Then, load

e
bearing faces and mate initial locations were specified in the assembly

F
mate definitions.

ut
In the second part the loads from multiple time steps were applied on

di RA
the selected part and the stress analysis was carried out. Two
procedures are currently available: direct stress solution in the Motion
Simulation interface, or the export of the motion loads in the
SolidWorks Simulation. In the later case, the stress solution is carried
out in the SolidWorks Simulation interface with the help of the design

or D
study feature.

st
The above procedures allowed us to locate the extreme stress in the part
of the rotating drive shaft assembly. Displacements, factor of safety and
other results available in the SolidWorks Simulation are available and

E were shown in this lesson.

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278
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 19
Export to FEA

Exercise 19: In this exercise, we will export

Export to FEA the loads for a latch mechanism

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to SolidWorks Simulation and
conduct an analysis of the part.

e
F
This exercise reinforces the

ut
following skills:

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I Exporting Results on
page 258.

Project Determine the maximum stress and deflection on the part J_Spring.
Description

or D
1 Open an assembly file.
Open Full latch mechanism from the Lesson09\Exercises folder.

st
This is the same assembly used in Lesson 4.
The motion study is already set up and has been run.

E 2 Play the study.

Click Play (do not run) just to refresh your memory about how the
op AS
mechanism works.
3 Specify load bearing faces.
Locate mate Concentric6. This is the mate that is used as the pivot for
the spring.
t c LE

Edit the mate and specify the four faces shown as the load bearing
faces. The two parts are shown in exploded view for clarity.
For the Mate location, select the edge of the split surface on either the
y
clip or pin.
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 Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2011
Export to FEA

4 Re-run the simulation.

Because the contact faces as well as the mate locations were changed,

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the motion simulation needs to be recalculated.

e
Contact Forces While the forces in the mates can be imported to SolidWorks

F
Simulation automatically, the contact forces cannot and must be

ut
defined manually.

di RA
We will first determine where the contact forces are maximum through
observing the plots created in SolidWorks Motion. We will then
determine the frame at which this maximum force occurs so that we
only have to output the data for a single frame.
We must also determine the directions along which these forces must

or D
be applied.

st
5 Examine the plot of contact force.
The plot of the magnitude contact force between the J-spring and the

E keeper is already created. We can see that the maximum force occurs
at about 2.4 seconds.
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Fmagnitude, max
t c LE
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6 Create additional plots.

Plot the contact forces for both the X (red) and Z
(blue) components. We expect the Y (green)
-

component to be zero, or nearly so, therefore it is

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not important to the analysis.

PR

Note By default, the forces are output in the assembly global coordinate
system.

280
 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 19
Export to FEA

Note You do not have to select the actual contact faces, only the components.

rib T
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F
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Fx, max

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E
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Fz, max
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y

Ignoring the short duration peaks, notice that at the point where the
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X component is maximum, the overall magnitude is not at its

maximum. We will run the analysis at the point where the overall
magnitude is maximum.
For additional practice, run the analysis at the point where the
X component is maximum.
-
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PR

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 Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2011
Export to FEA

7 Create an additional plot.

Create a plot of the joint reaction force for the mate linking the

rib T
J_spring to the knurled_pin, Concentric6.

e
Modify the Y axis of the plot so that the End Point is 50.

F
Compare this plot to the first plot of the contact force. Both plots

ut
should be exactly the same, i.e. the magnitude of this force must be the

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same as the contact force.

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Close the plot.
8 Modify the plot to show frames.
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Modify the contact force magnitude plot to show

the X axis in Frames.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 19
Export to FEA

9 Change the axis range.

To better see the area of interest, modify X axis of the plot to show

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from frame 320 to frame 340.

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To make the graph easier to read, change the X axis major and minor

F
units to 10 and 5 respectively.

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We can see that the most extreme loading occurs at about frame 325.
When we export the motion loads to SolidWorks Simulation, we will
export the data from just this one frame.
10 Modify plots.
Change the X axis to Frames for both the X and Z contact force plots.
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11 Export forces.
In step 6 we determined that the
y
two directions of interest were X
and Z as shown in the image. We
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will just export these as the Y

direction should essentially be
zero.
Export both the X and Z contact
forces for the J_spring to CSV
-

files. Right-click each plot and

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click Export CSV.

Each file will get a default name and be saved in the same directory as
the assembly.
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 Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2011
Export to FEA

12 Examine the output data.

Open each of the two CSV files and note the values at frame 325.

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13 Export Motion Loads.

E When the calculation

completes, save the result
and export the loads for the
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J_spring for the frame
325 only.
14 Open the part.
Open the J_spring part in
its own window.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 19
Export to FEA

15 Simulation study.
Select the simulation

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tab for the new study
CM1-ALT-Frame-

e
325.

F
The mate loads have

ut
been imported into the

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part, but we will have
to apply the contact
forces manually.
Notice the directions of the global coordinate system for this part are
different from the assembly. The X direction in the assembly is the

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Y direction in the part and the Z direction in the assembly is the
X direction in the part. When we apply the contact forces to this part,

st
we will have to insure we are using the correct force for the direction
on the part.

E 16 Apply X contact force.

Apply a force of -34.80615053 (from the exported values in the CSV
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file) to the indicated face. Select the Right plane to define the
direction. As the negative value of the force was the reaction force, we
have to reverse its direction to be correct in the part.
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 Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2011
Export to FEA

17 Apply Z contact force.

Apply a force of 9.569044324 to the indicated edge. Select the Top

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plane to define the direction. Reverse its direction to be correct in the
part.

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18 Apply material.
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Apply the material Alloy Steel to the part in the Simulation Study tree.
19 Mesh the model.
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Right-click Mesh in the

Simulation Study tree and
click Create Mesh.
Use the default settings.
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Click OK.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Exercise 19
Export to FEA

20 Run the study.

Right-click the study and click Run.

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We will get a warning that says:

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Warning: There is a significant external imbalance force in

F
the X-direction which will be balanced by the application of

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opposing inertia forces. Unless you model is under such a
force or under marginally imbalance forces, application of

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Inertia Relief may alter the characteristics of your model.
This message is the result of exporting the loads from the motion
simulation and entering values by hand. This part can therefore be
considered as nearly self equilibrated. Click Yes.

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Click Yes.
21 Stress Plot.

st
Examine the stress plot. We can see that the maximum stress 150 MPa
and is on the underside of the J_spring.

E
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 Exercise 19 SolidWorks 2011
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22 Factor of Safety.
Create a Factor of Safety plot to determine if the part is yielding.

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Right-click the Results folder and click Define Factor of Safety Plot.

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Use the default values to create a plot that shows the Factor of safety

F
distribution.

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E Click OK.
23 Examine the plot.
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We can see that the minimum Factor of Safety is 4.12, so the part is not
yielding.
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24 Save and close the file.

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 rib T
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Lesson 10

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Event Based Simulation

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E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Understand and run event based simulation.
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I Apply servo motors.

I Create events with specific timing and logic.
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289
 Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2011
Event Based Simulation

Event Based This lesson introduces the event based motion simulation of the
Simulation mechanism, which incorporates the event-triggered control.

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Case Study: The sorting device shown in the

e
Sorting Device figure is used to sort two types of

F
boxes: yellow with the hole and the

ut
solid brown. Each type should be

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moved to the corresponding bay.
Event based simulation will be used
to simulate this mechanism.

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Problem The mechanism used to sort the boxes into the respective bays consists
Description of six parts. The vertical motion of the boxes is caused by the gravity.

E The horizontal motions are then driven by a set of three pistons with
servo motors. Motors actuate the motion based on a set of sensors
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controlling the box type and their position in the mechanism.
Simulate a mechanism placing each box type into its respective bay.

1 Open an assembly file.

Open Sorting device from the Lesson10\Case Studies folder.
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2 Verify the units.

Verify that the document units are set to MMGS.
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3 Create a new Motion study.
Name the study Sorting device.
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Servo motors Servo motors are both rotational and linear motor features driving
mechanisms in event based simulation. Their motion is, however, not
prescribed directly in the Motor FeatureManager. It is controlled via an
-

event based simulation interface, and it can be triggered based on

various criteria such as proximity of a certain part in the system.
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Introducing: Servo Servo motors are used as motion drivers in the event based simulations.
Motors
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Where to Find It I On the MotionManager toolbar, click Motor . Under Motion

select Servo Motor.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 10
Event Based Simulation

4 Servo motor #1.

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Define linear Servo Motor for Actuator<1>.

e
Click the Motor icon and select Linear Motor (Actuator).

F
Select the indicated face for both Motor Location and Motor

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Direction.

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Under Motion select Servo Motor and Displacement.

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Rename this simulation component to Actuator 1.

Click OK.
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5 Servo motor #2 and #3.

Similarly, define two more linear, displacement based servo motors for
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Actuator<2> and Actuator<3>.

Rename the two motors to Actuator 2 and Actuator 3,
correspondingly.
Click OK.
-
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Sensors Sensors can be used to trigger events or stop them. Three different
sensor types can be used in event based simulations:
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I Interference detection sensor for detecting collisions.

I Proximity sensor, which detects motion of a body crossing a line.
I Dimension sensor used to detect the relative position of component
from dimensions.
Introducing: Sensor Sensors can be used to trigger or stop the motion in event based
s simulation.

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 Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2011
Event Based Simulation

Where to Find It I In the SolidWorks FeatureManager, right-click Sensors and select

Add Sensor.

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I On the Evaluate tab click the Sensor button .

e
F
6 Proximity sensor #1.

ut
Two proximity sensors are used to control
the system. Sensor 1 is used to detect the

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solid box on the bottom platform of the
holder. Sensor 2 is then tracking the
hollow box.

Sensor 1
Sensor 2

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Define Proximity sensor

st
detecting the presence of the
solid box on the platform.

E Select the indicated face of

sensor 1 for Proximity
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sensor location. The
Proximity sensor direction
field may remain empty to
keep the default vertical
direction.
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Select the two solid boxes for

the Components to track
field.
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Enter 12 mm for Proximity
sensor range.
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Click OK.
Rename this sensor to Sensor 1.

Note A 12 mm range was used to trigger the necessary

-

event when the box reaches the horizontal

platform of the holder. Since the thickness of the
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platform is 10 mm, any sensor ray longer than 10

mm will trigger an event as the box approaches
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the platform.
7 Proximity sensor #2.
Similarly, define proximity sensor #2 to track the boxes with the hole.
Rename this sensor to Sensor 2.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 10
Event Based Simulation

8 Contacts.
Define the following four solid bodies contacts.

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Contact group 1 All in one group

e
(Acrylic) (Acrylic)

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Contact group 2
(Steel (Dry))

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Contact group 1 Contact group 1
(Acrylic) (Acrylic)
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Contact group 2 Contact group 2
(Steel (Dry)) (Steel (Dry))
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Whenever possible, use contact groups to simplify the contact solution.

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9 Gravity.
Define Gravity in the negative Y direction.

Task Event based simulation requires a set of tasks, triggered by sensors, and
-

ordered sequentially or overlapping in time. Each task is defined by a

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triggering event and its associated task action, which controls or

defines motion during the task.
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Triggers Each task is triggered with a triggering condition. The triggering

condition can depend on the status of a sensor, or start or end of some
other task in the sequence.

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 Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2011
Event Based Simulation

Task Action The following is a list of actions which can be specified in a task
definition.

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I Stop . Stop the motion of a component.

e
I Motors . Turn on or off any motor, or change a constant speed of

F
motor according to the selected profile.

ut
I Forces . Apply or stop applying any force, or change a constant
force according to a selected profile.

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I Mates . Toggle the suppression of a selected mate.
Timeline View vs. To define the task, Motion Simulation offers an Event-based Motion
Event-based Motion View which can be accessed through the corresponding button on the
View MotionManager toolbar . This view is used to define tasks and
design the logic of the system.

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Tasks time sequence

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Tasks design table and logical relationship

E
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Timeline based view provides classical Motion simulation view with
the keys, indicating the beginning, end and change in the behavior of
the simulation components. The sequence of the keys in time is
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generated when the event based simulation computations complete and

is also an important result of the simulation.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 10
Event Based Simulation

Introducing: Task Task controls and defines motion of the components during the
simulation. It is defined by a triggering event and its associated action.

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Where to Find It I On the MotionManager toolbar, click the Event-based Motion

e
View button. To add a task, click the Click here to add line on

F
the bottom of the task list table.

ut
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10 Event-based motion view.
Switch to the Event-based Motion View.
11 Task #1 - Name and Triggers.
The first task for the system is to move the lowest solid box along the
holder platform to the position, where Actuator 2 may push it into

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Bay 1. This task will be triggered when the bottom solid box activates
the proximity Sensor 1. Because this sensor triggers an event when

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the solid box is 2 mm above the platform, and to provide enough time
for Actuator 2 to fully retract, a 0.1s time delay for this task will be

E specified.
Click Click here to add line to add a new task line.
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Enter Push solid box for Name.
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Click here to add

a new task line
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Click the selection button in the Trigger
field to open the Trigger dialog window.
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Select Sensor 1.
Click OK to close the Trigger dialog
window.
Back in the Event-based Motion View,
-

complete the Triggers section by setting Condition to Alert On and

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Time/Delay to 0.1s (see the figure in the next step).

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295
 Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2011
Event Based Simulation

12 Task #1 - Action.
The task definition will complete with the specification of action. In

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this case the action comprises of Actuator 1 motor pushing the solid
box 75 mm along the platform. (this is an ideal position for subsequent

e
action of Actuator 2).

F
Select Actuator 1 from the Motors in the Feature field, Change for

ut
Action, 75mm for Value, 1s for Duration and choose Harmonic for

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Profile.

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13 Task #2 - retracting Actuator 1.
Define the second task to retract Actuator 1. This task should be

st
triggered after the task #1, Push solid box, completes and its duration
is 0.2s.

E Name this task Retract Actuator 1.

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14 Task #3 - pushing solid box into Bay 1.
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Define the third task, this time for Actuator 2, pushing the solid box
into Bay 1. This task comprises of a 50mm extension of Actuator 2
in 0.6s.
y
Similarly to the task #2, Retract Actuator 1, the task #3 is triggered
by the completion of the task #1, Push solid box.
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Rename this task to Push solid box to Bay 1.

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296
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 10
Event Based Simulation

15 Task #4 - retracting Actuator 2.

Similarly to step 13, define the task #4 retracting Actuator 2 in 0.1s.

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This task is triggered by the completion of task Push solid box to
Bay 1.

e
F
Rename this task Retract Actuator 2.

ut
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16 Tasks for boxes with hole.

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Follow steps 11 to 15 and specify similar tasks to move the box with
the hole into Bay 2.

st
To move the box with hole next to Actuator 3, extend Actuator 1 by

E 130 mm in 1.2s with a 0.1s delay. Then retract Actuator 1 in 0.3s.

Use the same time and distance values for Actuator 3 as those which
were used for Actuator 2 in steps 14 and 15.
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Give the new tasks names similar to those used in steps 11 to 15.
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17 Simulation Properties.
Set the Frames per second to 200 and check Use Precise Contact.
Under Advanced Options, set Maximum Integrator Step Size to
0.05s.
-

Note To speed up the simulation and because we are not interested in the
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force results, the maximum integrator step size value can be relaxed.
18 Calculate simulation for 7 seconds.
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It takes approximately 15 minutes for the simulation to complete.

19 Animate.
Animate the final motion of the system.

297
 Lesson 10 SolidWorks 2011
Event Based Simulation

20 Timeline View.
Switch to the Timeline View. Here you can see the result of the event

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based simulation. Each key indicates the beginning, end or a change in
the motion of the system components. It also indicates the duration of

e
the whole cycle.

F
ut
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The Timeline View provides insight into the duration of the whole
operation. Each task start and end is identified with a time key. Possible

E action following this simulation may be a change in the velocities of

the actuators in order to optimize the system, change of material in
order to change the effect of friction, change of the design to better
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stack the boxes in the bays, or similar.
21 Save and close the file.
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Summary In this lesson, we introduced the event based motion simulation to

model and optimize the behavior of mechanical systems. We modeled
y
an operation of the sorting device mechanism used to move two
different box types into their respective bays.
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The event based simulation is a sequence of tasks triggered by sensors,

ordered sequentially or overlapping in time. Each task is defined by a
triggering event and its associated task action which controls or defines
motion during the task. The triggering condition can depend on the
status of a sensor, or the start or end of some other task in the sequence.
-

The triggered action can be applied to motors, forces, mates or can

completely stop the motion of a moving part. A special type of motor,
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servo motor, was introduces and utilized.

The tasks with their respective actions, sequence and the logic is
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designed in the Event-based Motion View interface introduced in this

lesson.
The result of the simulation, the animation and the duration as well as
time sequencing of the entire operation was shown. This result can then
be used to modify the system parameters (kinematic parameters of the
actuators, for example) to optimize it.

298
 rib T
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Lesson 11

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Design Project (Optional)

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E
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Objectives Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
I Create a function based force.
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I Export loads to SolidWorks Simulation.

I Complete an analysis project from motion to FEA.
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299
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

Design Project This lesson is in two parts, in the first section it is up to the individual
students to solve the problem of the Surgical Shear. In the second part

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of the lesson, the complete solution will be shown.

e
The Case Study is also in two parts:

F
The overall problem is to determine the suitability of the design of the

ut
handle used in the surgical shear.

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Part 1: Develop loads on the parts based on a motion study. This will
require the development of a force function to simulate the resistance
of the catheter being cut by the surgical shear.
Part 2: Conduct an FEA simulation of the handle, using the loads
developed in part 1.

or D
Case Study: The Surgical Shear is used to cut

st
Surgical Shear - arteries and catheters. It consists of
Part 1 a fixed blade and a moving blade.

E Because the surgical shear has to be

operated by many people in the
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medical industry, it is important to
estimate the handle force that will
be sufficient to generate the required cutting force.
In this part of the lesson, we will mate the components, create a motion
study and develop a force function to simulate the blades cutting
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through a catheter.
Problem The mechanism is composed of seven parts. The fixed_cutter is
Description stationary and the rotation of the handle provides the motion of the
y

moving_cutter. The latch rotates with respect to the fixed_cutter

and is inserted into the moving_cutter. A spring maintains the
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moving_cutter in an open configuration when no force is applied to

the handle. The removable blades are attached to the fixed_cutter
and moving_cutter parts.
When the surgeon squeezes the handle, it will rotate 12 degrees and
move the blade. The spring is used to help to return the shear to the
-

open position. It is assumed that it takes a surgeon approximately one

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second to cut the catheter.

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300
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Determine the design suitability of the handle part.

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fixed_cutter
latch

e
handle_link

F
ut
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blade1
blade2

moving_cutter

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handle

st
Force to Cut the From experimentation, the force to cut a 3 mm catheter was determined
Catheter

E and plotted in the graph below. The X axis shows the travel of the blade
starting at Point 1(X=0mm) where the blade contacts the catheter. The
cutting force increases slowly at first as the catheter is compressed and
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then climbs more rapidly as we approach the point when the cutting
begins.
At Point 2 (X=1.5mm) the blade starts cutting the catheter and the
force reduces quickly as the cut portion of the catheter returns to its
round shape.
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From Point 3 to Point 4, the remaining thickness is cut and at Point 4

the cut is complete.
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Point 2
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Point 1
Point 3
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Point 4

301
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

The preceding graph contains the variation of the cutting force from the
experiment. In order to input this curve in SolidWorks Motion

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Simulation each segment has to be expressed as function of the catheter
location (location of the cutting blade); in the above graph this location

e
is expressed through the variable “x”. Notice that it assumes values

F
from 0 mm (cutting blade touches the catheter) to 3mm (cutting blade

ut
completes the cut). Each segment is therefore expressed as a linear

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function shown in the graph.

Note The above cutting force curve as measured from the experiment is
expressed as function of the blade location (not the function of time).
Time dependent data is not available since, in general, it depends on
how fast the cutting operation is completed and how the input force

or D
from the surgeon’s hand varies in time. While the input of the time
dependent force would be trivial (this procedure was practiced multiple

st
times throughout this course), input of the location dependent force is
more challenging.

E Note also, that with certain assumption the above location dependent
function can be converted in time dependent input. However, to
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demonstrate the more complex case (which may be required in some
analyses) we will use the location driven input.
As we will see, inputting the number of data segments into the force
expression can be tedious. We will simplify this curve as shown in red,
with only three segments; this should be enough to reasonably simulate
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the cutting force.

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First Segment

Second Segment
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Third Segment
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302
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Each of the three segments can be defined by a linear equation:

First Segment: y = 7.333333 x

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Second Segment: y = -80 x + 131

e
F
Third Segment: y = -2.14286 x + 6.42857

ut
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Self Guided In this section, it is up to each student to solve this motion part of the
Problem - Part 1 problem. A basic outline of the procedure is provided as a guide, but
the details of the steps are left up to the student.
Stages in the The basic steps are:
Process

or D
I Add mates.
Add the appropriate mates to insure that the mechanism operates as

st
specified.
I Determine the cutting force.

E The action/reaction force on the blades while cutting a catheter has

been experimentally determined and is not linear. From the
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experimental data, develop an expression to simulate this force on
the blades.
I Run the motion analysis.
Run the study and create the appropriate plots.
I Analyze the mechanics.
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Interference detection is run to make sure that the mechanism will

move through its full range of motion. Load paths are examined to
ensure that the correct forces have been calculated in the
y
simulation.
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Note You can view the Surgical_shear.avi movie to help you understand
the mechanism motion.
The steps below outline the procedure to form a road map of the
necessary steps:
-

1 Open an assembly file.

Open Surgical_shear from the Lesson11\Case Studies folder.
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When opened, the components are not mated.

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303
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

2 Mate the components.

It is up to the student to

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determine the best
method to mate the

e
components to reflect the

F
mechanical operation of

ut
this mechanism and

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reduce redundancies.
Keep in mind that the part
of interest in this project
is the handle.
3 Add motion drivers.

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Add appropriate motors and springs to capture the design motion (see
the problem description).

st
4 Develop a distance based force.

E The action/reaction force developed by cutting the catheter is not

linear. An expression for this force, based on the position of the blades,
must be developed to simulate the experimentally determined forces.
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5 Analyze the results.
Create plots and check for interference.
Modify parts as necessary.
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Self Guided In this section, it is up to each student to solve this FEA part of the
Problem - Part 2 problem. A basic outline of the procedure is provided as a guide, but
y
the details of the steps are left up to the student.
Stages in the I Export loads to SolidWorks Simulation.
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Process Once we have the loads calculated, they are exported to SolidWorks
Simulation to evaluate the suitability of the parts.
I Replace motion drivers.
Some motion drivers such as motors need to be replaced with
forces or moments in order to run a static analysis.
-

I Analyze part.
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Analyze the part using SolidWorks Simulation to determine the

suitability of the part based on strength and deflection.
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I Refine part.
If the analysis determines that the part is not suitable as designed,
modify the part as necessary and re-run the analysis.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Problem In this section, the complete solution to this problem is provided.

Solution - Part 1

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1 Open an assembly file.

e
Open Surgical_shear from the Lesson11\Case Studies folder.

F
ut
Note Mate names are normally not important, however to ensure that mates
described in the text are consistent with the model, specific mate names

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are given in the following steps. If you apply mates in a different order,
just rename the mates to be consistent with the images.
2 Lock mates.
The two blades are rigidly connected to the fixed
and moving cutters, so the appropriate mate would

or D
be the lock mate.

st
E Lock1
Lock2
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3 Coincident mates. Coincident1
The moving_cutter slides along the Coincident2
outside faces of the fixed_cutter.
Two Coincident mates, between the
faces shown and the corresponding
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faces on the moving_cutter, can be

used to hold this relationship.
fixed_cutter moving_cutter
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4 Mating the linkage.
Concentric1
We need three mates to connect the
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linkage.
A Hinge mate can be used to connect
the handle to the fixed_cutter, and
another Hinge mate to connect the Hinge1
handle_link to the moving_cutter.
-

The remaining mate between the

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handle and handle_link should be a Hinge2

Concentric mate, preferably using
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faces, to avoid over defining the mates.

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 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

5 Mating the latch mechanism.

The latch mechanism needs two different mates.

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A Hinge mate is used to control the rotation and

e
position with respect to the fixed_cutter. The

F
selected surfaces are shown in the image (the
moving_cutter has been hidden).

ut
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A Cam mate could be used to mate the boss on the
latch to the slot in the moving_cutter. In our
initial solution to this problem, we will not use a
Cam mate, but will use Contact in the motion
study. Cam

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6 Set the initial position.

st
Before creating the motion study, we need the
blades to be 7.25 mm apart as the initial position.

E Use a Position Only mate to set the distance.

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Now that everything else is positioned, we
need to also make sure that the boss on the
latch is touching the appropriate surface.
Later, when we add contact and a spring,
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those conditions will force the boss onto the

surface. We want to make sure however,
that when the motion study starts, the boss
y
doesn’t have to move onto the surface and
create a transient condition that would not
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occur in the physical part.

Temporarily Fix the moving_cutter and use a Tangent Position Only
mate to set the boss on the latch against the surface of the slot. When
finished, Float the moving_cutter.
-

7 Create a new motion study.

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306
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

8 Add a spring.
A linear spring is used to

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connect the latch to
fixed_cutter.

e
F
The spring has a stiffness of
0.175 N/mm and free length of

ut
40 mm.

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E 9 Add Contact.
Add Solid Bodies contact between the latch and the moving_cutter.
op AS
Specify Steel (Dry) for the material.
Select Friction, both kinematic and static.
Click OK.
10 Add a rotary motor.
t c LE

When the surgeon uses the shear,

the squeezing of the handle will
rotate it 12 degrees. It takes
y
approximately 1 second to
squeeze and open the shear. To
no RE

simulate this action, we will add a

Rotary Motor.
The motor parameters should be
Oscillating, 12deg at 1 Hz with
0deg Phase Shift.
-
Do E

11 Motion Study Properties.

PR

Set the properties to record 100 Frames per second.

Select Use precise contact.
Verify that Replace redundant mates with bushings is cleared.
12 Run the simulation for 1 second.

307
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

Creating the Now, we need to create an action/

Force Function reaction force that will simulate the

rib T
resistance effect of cutting the catheter.
We will consider a catheter with 3 mm

e
diameter.

F
ut
The force will have to be defined in
several steps based on the physical

di RA
conditions. Before creating an
expression, we should be able to
describe the motion in words:
Step 1: During the initial movement of the blade, there is no force as
the blade is moving through open air.

or D
Step 2: Once the blade contacts the catheter, there is a resistance as the

st
catheter is compressed before it is actually cut.
Step 3: The catheter is cut and the force is rapidly reduced.

E Step 4: The catheter is cut, but the blade continues forward without
resistance.
op AS
Step 5: The blade moves back to the starting position without
resistance.
Steps 1, 4 and 5 above are easy as they are just zero, while our real
problem is defining the force in Steps 2 and 3.
t c LE

Force to Cut the The experimental data was shown on page 301. The two graphs are
Catheter repeated
below.
y
no RE

Point 2
-
Do E

Point 1
Point 3
PR

Point 4

308
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

The simplified Cutting Force plots is shown again with the equations
for the three segments.

rib T
e
F
First Segment

ut
di RA
Second Segment

Third Segment

or D
st
E
op AS
Each of the three segments can be defined by a linear equation:
First Segment: y = 7.333333 x
Second Segment: y = -80 x + 131
t c LE

Third Segment: y = -2.14286 x + 6.42857

Stages in the We will build the full expression piece by piece to see how it is
y
Process constructed.
I Create a variable for the location of the cutting blade as it cuts
no RE

through the catheter (variable x in the above graph).

I Plot the force function for the first segment
I Plot the force function for the first and second segments
I Plot the force function for the first, second and third segments
I Terminate the force function when the cutting blade cuts through
-

the catheter completely (x=3mm)

Do E

I Set the force function to zero in the second part of the cutting
process when the cutting blade moves in the opposite direction.
PR

309
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

13 Determine the blade clearance.

rib T
Measure distance between blades. The distance is 7.25 mm, so if the
catheter is 3mm, then at the start there is a clearance of 4.25 mm.

e
F
14 Create plot of the displacement between
blades.

ut
Select the two vertices in the order shown. If you

di RA
select them in the reverse order, the plot will be
reversed.
As the force is a function of blade position, we
need to know the position of the blades. By
creating the plot, we have a variable to use in the 1 2

or D
expression.

st
E
op AS
t c LE

Important! The remainder of this section of the lesson assumes that this is the first
y
linear displacement plot and therefore its name is
LinearDisplacement1. Likewise the force we are about to add will
no RE

be Force1 and the linear velocity plot created later will be

LinearVelocity1. If you have created other plots or forces and the plot
names you obtain in these steps are different, you must either rename
your plots or substitute your plot names as appropriate.
-
Do E
PR

310
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Creating the Force The goal in the next section is to develop an

Expression action/re-action force between the two blades

rib T
that represents the force necessary to cut the
catheter.

e
F
Rather than apply the force directly to the blades

ut
while developing the force expression, we will
use a dummy force that will not affect the

di RA
outcome of the motion analysis. We are going to apply this force to the
fixed_cutter. As SolidWorks Motion is a rigid body analysis tool, any
force applied to a fixed part can have no effect on the motion analysis.

15 Add a force.

or D
This force does not affect the results as it is
applied to a non-moving part. We will use it to

st
develop the full expression for action/reaction
force.

E Define this force as a function equal to the

Linear Displacement1 defined in the previous
op AS
plot.
t c LE
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

16 Run.
Run the simulation for 1 second.

311
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

17 Create a plot.
Plot the Y Component for the Reaction Force. The force is now

rib T
directly related to the position of the moving blade.

e
F
ut
di RA
Force = 0

or D
w

st
18 Modify the force.
The above force starts at -7.25 because the blades are 7.25 mm apart at

E the beginning of the simulation. The force is zero when the distance
between the blades is zero. In our simulation however, we want the
op AS
force to be zero when the blades are 3 mm apart (when the blade first
contacts the catheter).
Change the force expression to be {LinearDisplacement1} + 3.
19 Re-run the simulation.
The force now starts at -4.25 because that is the distance from the blade
t c LE

to the catheter. The force is now zero at contact between the blade and
catheter.
y
no RE

Force = 0
-
Do E
PR

Important! This last expression, {LinearDisplacement1} + 3, therefore defines the

X variable used in the expressions on page 309.

312
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Force The expression we are going to develop is:

Expression IF({Linear Velocity1}:IF({Linear Displacement1}:IF({Linear

rib T
Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear

e
Displacement1}+3))+IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.5:0,0,-

F
7.333333*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear
Displacement1}+3)+131)+IF({Linear

ut
Displacement1}+1.4:0,0,80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-131-

di RA
2.142868*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+6.42857),0,0),0,0)
While this expression, at first, looks complicated, it is just a nested set
of IF statements.
IF Statement The IF statement is used to define an output based on the sign of an
input variable. It is in the form of:

or D
IF (Input variable: A, B, C)

st
When the value of the Input variable is negative, output the value A.
When the value of the Input variable is zero, output the value B.

E When the value of the Input variable is positive, output the value C.
op AS
The Input variable, A, B and C can all be either fixed values or
expressions.
In the expression above, we can see that in all the IF statements, there
are only two different input variables, LinearVelocity1 and
LinearDisplacement1.
t c LE

Developing the The first thing is to define the point where the blade first touches the
Expression catheter. At this point and before, the force must be zero. From our
measurements, when the blades are open, they are 7.25 mm apart, and
y

the catheter is 3 mm in diameter. Therefore, the contact occurs when

{LinearDisplacement1}+3=0. We determined this in Step 18.
no RE

Therefore, the Force in the first segment will be:

IF({Linear Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3))
This says,
-

I When the value of {Linear Displacement1}+3 is negative, the

Do E

expression equals zero.

I When the value {Linear Displacement1}+3 is zero, then the
PR

expression equals zero.

I When the value of {Linear Displacement1}+3 is positive, then the
value of the expression will be 7.333333 * ({Linear
Displacement1}+3). The value of 7.333333 comes from the
experimental data and is the slope of the curve in Segment 1.

313
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

20 Input the expression.

rib T
Edit the force.

e
Input the above expression. Remember to enter the variable

F
Linear Displacement1, you can double-click it in the list below the

ut
expression entry box.

di RA
21 Run the simulation.
Examine the plot of the force.

or D
st
E
op AS
The plot is correct from distance zero to 5.75 (Point 2 in the graph on
page 308). At that point, the force continues to climb, so we need add
to the IF statement to define Segment 2 (see the graph on page 309).
t c LE

When you first look at the plot, it may not look correct as we used the
equation of a straight line (7.333333 * ({Linear Displacement1}+3).
Remember however that the linear equation is based on displacement
y
while the plot is versus time. As the blade motion is not linear, the plot
is correct.
no RE

To get through Segment 2 we need to add more to the expression so it

will be:
IF({Linear Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3))+IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.5:0,0,-
-

7.333333*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear
Do E

Displacement1}+3)+131)
If you examine the expression, it is the sum of two IF statements. The
PR

first IF statement is:

IF({Linear Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3)
This is the part we already had. We then add to it:
IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.5:0,0,-7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+131)

314
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

This says, when {Linear Displacement1}+1.5 is either negative or

zero, its value will be zero. In other words, until the blade displacement

rib T
is 5.75 (Point 2), this part of the expression has no effect.

e
Once positive, the value will be:

F
-7.333333*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear

ut
Displacement1}+3)+131

di RA
The first part of this is the negative of the first expression, so it is used
to zero the effect of the first expression. The second part of the
expression is the equation for the force in segment 2:
-80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+131

or D
22 Input the expression.
Edit the force.

st
Input the above expression.

E 23 Run the simulation.

Examine the plot of the force. For now, we are just interested in the
op AS
area circled.
t c LE
y
no RE

Edit the Y axis so that it shows form -11 to +11. This will make it easier
to see the area of interest.
-
Do E
PR

315
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

The plot is correct from distance zero to 5.85 (Point 3 in the graph on
page 308). At that point, the force needs to reduce at a different rate

rib T
based on Segment 3 of our experimental data. So, we will again add to
the IF statement to define Segment 3.

e
F
ut
To get through Segment 3 we need to add more to the expression so it
will be:

di RA
IF({Linear Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3))+IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.5:0,0,-
7.333333*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear
Displacement1}+3)+131)+IF({Linear
Displacement1}+1.4:0,0,80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-131-

or D
2.142868*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+6.42857)
Again, the first part of this expression is what we had before. The new

st
statement is:

E IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.4:0,0,80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-

131-2.142868*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+6.42857)
The first part, IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.4:0,0,80*({Linear
op AS
Displacement1}+3)-131is again just the negative of the previous part
of expression to zero it out. The remaining part:
2.142868*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+6.42857)
defines the curve of Segment 3.
t c LE

24 Input the expression.

Edit the force.
y

Input the above expression.

no RE

25 Run the simulation.

Examine the plot of the force.
-
Do E
PR

The plot is now correct from zero until the blade finishes the cut
(Point 4). We now have to add another IF statement that will make the
force zero from this point until the end of the blade travel.

316
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Let’s call the entire expression we have developed thus far Force1.
The IF statement we need is then:

rib T
IF ({LinearDisplacement1}: Force1, 0, 0)

e
When the above expression is negative (blades have not touched yet),

F
use the entire Force function. If it is zero (the cut is complete) or

ut
negative (blades overlapping), then the force will be zero.

di RA
The full expression will now be:
IF({Linear Displacement1}:IF({Linear
Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3))+IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.5:0,0,-
7.333333*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear

or D
Displacement1}+3)+131)+IF({Linear
Displacement1}+1.4:0,0,80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-131-

st
2.142868*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+6.42857),0,0)
Let’s call this expression Force2.

E 26 Input the expression.

Edit the force.
op AS
Input the above expression.
27 Run the simulation.

28 Edit the plot.

t c LE

Change the Y axis back to automatic scaling.

y
no RE
-
Do E

The plot is now correct for the forward travel of the blade, but forces
are mirrored on the blade retraction where they should instead be zero.
PR

To solve this problem, we will add another IF statement, based on the

velocity of the blade that will only use the previously define force
function (Force2) when the blade velocity is negative. That is the
portion of the motion when the surgeon is squeezing the handle and the
blades are closing. When he releases the handle and the spring is
returning the blades to the open position, the blade velocity will be
positive.

317
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

29 Create a new plot.

Create a plot of the Linear Velocity,

rib T
X Component of the vertex of the blade shown.

e
We only want the force to equal the force

F
function when the velocity is negative. Once the
velocity is zero or positive, it should be zero.

ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
The new IF statement is:
IF({Linear Velocity1}:Force2,0,0)
In the above expression Force2 is used to represent the entire force
function we have already defined. We can see in the expression that it
t c LE

will only be used when the velocity is negative. When the blades stop
moving and returns, the force will be zero.
If we insert the previous expression for Force2, we get:
y

IF({Linear Velocity1}:IF({Linear Displacement1}:IF({Linear

no RE

Displacement1}+3:0,0,7.333333*({Linear
Displacement1}+3))+IF({Linear Displacement1}+1.5:0,0,-
7.333333*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-80*({Linear
Displacement1}+3)+131)+IF({Linear
Displacement1}+1.4:0,0,80*({Linear Displacement1}+3)-131-
2.142868*({Linear Displacement1}+3)+6.42857),0,0),0,0)
-

30 Input the expression.

Do E

Edit the force.

Input the above expression.
PR

318
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

31 Run the simulation.

Examine the plot of the force.

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
or D
The plot is now correct for the entire motion of the blade. Its shape is

st
now the same as the input data from the experiment.

E 32 Edit the force.

Now that the force
expression is properly
op AS
defined, we need to have it
applied to the blades as an
Action/Reaction force.
Change the force from
Action only to Action &
t c LE

reaction.
Select the two blade
y
vertices as shown.
Click OK.
no RE

33 Modify plot.
Edit the force plot and change it to show the X Component. The
original force was in the Y direction while the direction between the to
blades is the X direction.
-

Make sure that the force is positive. If it is negative, switch the order of
the vertices in the action/reaction force definition (Step 32).
Do E

34 Run the simulation.

PR

319
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

Case Study: In the second part of this Case

Surgical Shear - Study, we will examine the design

rib T
Part 2 of the handle of the surgical shear.

e
We have already run the motion

F
analysis to determine the loads.

ut
di RA
Problem Description Determine the stresses on the handle part based on the maximum
loading found in the motion analysis.
Evaluate the handle part for suitability based on the results.
Stages in the The basic steps are:
Process I Evaluate the redundancies.

or D
There were several redundancies in the motion study. Each must be

st
evaluated to determine its effect on the loads needed for the FEA
problem.

E I Interference detection.
The assembly must be checked to make sure that parts only contact
each other where designed and that there are no contacts that will
op AS
stop the assembly from working properly.
I Export loads.
Exports the loads from SolidWorks Motion to SolidWorks
Simulation.
t c LE

I Evaluate the imported loads.

The motion loads may not be correct for simulation. Each is
evaluated to make sure it is correct for the FEA process.
y
I Replace imported loads with local loads.
Loads that were not suitable for FEA must be replaced with the
no RE

appropriate load or fixture.

I Run the simulation.

I Evaluate the results.

-

All results need to be evaluated to make sure the part works as

intended without failure.
Do E
PR

320
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

1 Redundancies.

rib T
When we were solving the motion simulation, we got several warnings
about the redundancies.

e
F
Right-click the local mategroup and click Degrees of Freedom.

ut
There are three redundancies.

di RA
Coincident2, has some rotations removed, but that is OK as we are not
concerned with the forces in this mate; it is connecting components
other than the handle.
Concentric1 has both rotations removed. As this is a mate connecting
the handle to an adjacent part it must be checked carefully.

or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE
y
no RE

Note that your list of removed degrees of freedom may be slightly

different. This will, however, have no effect on the conclusions
-

regarding the effect of redundancies made in this step.

Do E
PR

321
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

2 Examine the mechanical connection.

The line of action will be through the

rib T
center of each part. Because this
connection is not symmetrical, it does not

e
allow these two forces to act directly on

F
each other (on the same line of action), handle_link

ut
there is a small offset distance which Concentric1

di RA
creates a moment.
This effect is minimized, but not
eliminated, by the offset cut in each of the
two parts.
handle
In the physical model, the two hinge

or D
mates and the concentric mate would all
have some stiffness which would lead to

st
the redistribution of the torsional moments
between the three connections.

E As these torsional moments will be very

small, because they were minimized by
TOP View
op AS
the cutouts, we can ignore this. We will assume that the pins in the two
hinges (between the handle, handle_link and the fixed_cutter) are
very stiff, taking on the torsional loads.
3 Create a plot.
Create a plot of each of the X, Y and Z reaction moment of the hinge
t c LE

mate (Hinge1) between the handle and the fixed_cutter.

y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

322
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
The last component of the moment is zero because it is the axial
t c LE

direction.
The X and Y moments are not zero and have some significant values.
Also note that the moments do not occur at the time when the
y
maximum cutting force is generated (0.25 seconds), but rather some
time later at about 0.50 seconds.
no RE

4 Check interferences.
Before exporting the loads, we need to determine why the large
moment is generated.
Check interference between the latch and moving_cutter. Right-click
-

the assembly icon in the Motion Study tree and click Check
Interference.
Do E

Check from frame 1 to 115 in increments of 1.

PR

323
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

5 Examine the results.

Most of the interferences are very small (volume
<0.01 mm3) and are due to tiny penetrations in the

rib T
contact. To locate the individual volumes, select an

e
interference in the table and click Zoom to

F
Selection .

ut
di RA
If we continue to examine the list of interferences,
we will find some that are several cubic
millimeters. Zoom in on one of these larger
interferences and we will see that at some point,

or D
the latch penetrates the moving_cutter. To fix
this problem, the cutout in the moving cutter has to

st
be increased in size.

E 6 Modify the part.

Open the moving_cutter in its own window.
Edit Sketch3 for Cut-Extrude2.
op AS
Change the dimensions to increase the size of the slot by 3 mm.
Before
t c LE

After
y
no RE

7 Re-check interferences.
Return to the assembly and re-check the interferences.
There should now only be the small contact interferences.
-

8 Re-run the simulation.

Do E

Plot force and moment of hinge connecting the handle to the

fixed_cutter.
PR

9 Locate the maximum force and moment.

Create plots for both the X and Y Force and Moment for the hinge.

324
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
or D
st
E We have a high force and moment generated at about 0.14 seconds.
This is not the point where the maximum cutting force is located which
is at 0.24 seconds and shown by the red arrows. You can show the
op AS
cutting force plot to verify this location.
10 Examine the latch.
If we examine the latch as the simulation progresses, we can see that
maximum forces and moments are generated when the pin in the latch
goes around the slot path. When the handle is first squeezed, there is a
t c LE

jump in force as static friction is overcome. As the spring expands

rapidly, the spring works against the forward movement of the
moving_cutter. As the pin gets to the turning point in the slot path, the
y

forces continue to rise until the pin gets to the horizontal section of the
slot path when the force becomes perpendicular to the path and held by
no RE

contact.
-
Do E
PR

325
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

rib T
e
F
ut
di RA
or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE
y
no RE

We can see that the maximum force is not caused by cutting the
catheter, but rather by the spring used to retract the mechanism.
11 Determine the frame where
-

maximum force occurs.

Do E

For the plot of the X Component

force, change the X axis scale to
frames.
PR

Change the Start and End values

to 10 and 20 so that we can see
the exact frame.
From this we can see that the maximum force occurs at frame 15.

326
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

12 Moment of the motor.

In the motion simulation, we used a rotary motor to move the

rib T
mechanism. When we do the stress analysis, we are going to have to
replace this motor with a force that represents the force applied by the

e
surgeon on the handle. In order to calculate that force, we need to know

F
the maximum moment generated by the motor.

ut
Create a plot of the Z Component, Motor Torque of the Rotary

di RA
Motor. Note the peak torque of 5233 N-mm.

or D
st
E
op AS
13 Export to FEA.
Click Simulation, Import Motion Loads from the menu.

Note The motion simulation results must be saved before importing the
t c LE

motion loads.
Export the loads for the handle at frame 15.
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

14 Open the handle part.

Open the handle in its own window.

327
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

15 Examine loads.
Imported from SolidWorks Motion should be

rib T
gravity, a centrifugal load and two remote loads.

e
The remote load from the handle_link is OK,

F
however the loads from the rotary motor are not.
When in use, the handle is squeezed by the

ut
surgeon which applies a force directly on the

di RA
surface of the handle. Therefore, we will have to
remove the loads from the motor and replace it
with a force.

or D
16 Add a loading force.

st
We will apply the force at the edge shown
in the image.

E Measure the distance from the pivot hole

to the edge. It is approximately 50 mm.
op AS
The force we need to apply will be
computed from the torque we measured
in Step 11, 5233/50=104.66 N.
Apply a force of 104.66 N, normal to
t c LE

Plane5, on edge of handle. Reverse the

direction if necessary to insure the correct
rotation of the handle.
y
Suppress the remote load from the motor.
no RE

Note Your torque value may be slightly different. In such case it is necessary
to update the value of the loading force.
17 Restrain the model.
Suppress the remote load at the pivot point and replace it with a Fixed
Hinge fixture.
-

18 Add material.
Do E

Apply the material Alloy Steel.

19 Mesh.
PR

Mesh the model with a high quality mesh at the default settings.

328
 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

20 Run the simulation.

We will get a warning:

rib T
There is a significant external imbalance force in the Y-

e
direction which will be balanced by the application of
opposing inertia forces. Unless your model is under such a

F
force or under marginally imbalance force, application of

ut
Inertia Relief may alter the characteristics of your model.

di RA
The problem is that we have manually added the force, which is
approximate, so this warning is expected.
Click Yes.
We will get another warning:

or D
Excessive displacements were calculated in this model. If
your system is properly restrained, consider using the Large

st
Displacement option to improve the accuracy of the
calculations. Otherwise continue with the current settings

E and review the causes of these displacements.

Since the external forces are in slight imbalance, the handle wants to
op AS
rotate about the hinge support. This is an unavoidable consequence
having no implication on the resulting stresses and deformations. The
handle will rotate as a rigid body.
Click No to continue with the linear solution.
21 Examine the results.
t c LE

The maximum stress about 252 MPa and is located at the sharp edge
under the pivot.
y
no RE
-
Do E
PR

329
 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

A closer examination shows that the highest

stress is at the connection of the cylindrical

rib T
sections to the pivot. A more detail analysis
of this area might be appropriate since this is

e
a stress singularity location.

F
ut
Given the yield strength of 620 MPa, the
stresses in the handle are acceptable.

di RA
22 Create a Factor of Safety plot.
The plot shows that the Factor of Safety is
close to 2.5, so the design is acceptable.

or D
st
E
op AS
t c LE
y
Note The above plot has the upper limit set to 100.
23 Save and close the file.
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Summary In this lesson, we analyzed a surgical shear assembly utilized to cut a

catheter. Since a catheter is not a rigid object, its resistance against the
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cut is expressed by a reaction force acting on the blades. In rigid body

dynamics software, we cannot simulate the deformation and separation
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of the flexible catheter and, therefore, modeling of an equivalent

catheter reaction force is required.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Lesson 11
Design Project (Optional)

Real experimental data for a catheter cutting force was used to

construct a complex, position dependent, expression for the equivalent

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action/reaction force. Due to the complexity of the problem, the
expression involved multiple uses of the IF statement. Various graphs

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were generated at the end of each analysis. Motion mate forces were

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then imported into SolidWorks Simulation for the finite element stress

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analysis. The analysis indicated that the handle component is designed

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with a satisfactory safety factor of 2.5.

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 Lesson 11 SolidWorks 2011
Design Project (Optional)

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 rib T
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Appendix A

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Motion Study Convergence

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Solutions and Advanced

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 Appendix A SolidWorks 2011
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

Convergence Complex assemblies with many redundancies or problems featuring

scenarios numerically difficult to overcome (for example instability

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points featured in Lesson 4, fast changing motions or high velocity
impacts to name a few) may cause the solver to fail to converge and the

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solution may terminate before reaching the end. Convergence issues

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are unavoidable consequences of the numerical simulation and certain

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expertise may be required to overcome them. On occasions we may

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foresee that a complex assembly will pose difficulty and will need more
attention. In general, however, it is difficult to predict when the
convergence issues may occur. The following text should help you
understand the basics of solving the above mentioned difficulties. It
introduces some of the advanced software features not used during the
regular part of the course.

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When the SolidWorks Motion solver faces convergence problems, the

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motion study terminates and the following window opens:

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There are a few possible reasons for the convergence issues; we will
review them in the next paragraphs.

334
 SolidWorks 2011 Appendix A
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

Accuracy A set of coupled differential and algebraic equations

(DAE) define the equations of motion of a

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SolidWorks Motion model. A solution to the
equations of motion is obtained by solving these

e
equations using an integrator. The integrator obtains

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the solution in two stages: first it predicts the

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solution at the next time step based on the past

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history and then it corrects that solution based on
the state data at that time until the solution is within
the desired accuracy level.
The Accuracy setting controls how accurate you
want your solution to be. There is a trade-off

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between accuracy and performance. If the Accuracy
setting is towards the High end, then the motion

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solver may take a long time to compute the solution.
On the other hand, if this setting is towards the Low

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end, then the results may not be very accurate.
While the default value of 0.0001 fits most
situations; it may need to be changed if sudden
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changes in the system occur. In such situations, the
predictor provides an incorrect initial guess to the
corrector resulting in large error and failure. This
value may need to be reduced when sudden and
discontinuous changes occur during simulation;
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such as sudden changes in the force or motor

magnitudes, use of non-differentiable intrinsic functions in the
statements (IF, MIN, MAX, SIGN, MOD, and DIM), friction and
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similar.
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 Appendix A SolidWorks 2011
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

The advanced options listed below can be accessed by clicking the

Advanced Options in the Motion Study Properties shown in the figure

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above.

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Integrator Type The SolidWorks Motion solver solves the DAE equations of motion by
integrating the differential equations in such a way that the algebraic
constraint equations are also satisfied at every time step. The speed of
the solution depends upon the numerical stiffness of these equations;
the stiffer the equations the slower the solution. A set of ordinary
differential equations are characterized as numerically stiff when there
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is a wide spread between high and low frequency eigenvalues, with the
high-frequency eigenvalues being overdamped. Special efficient
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integration methods are required to solve numerically stiff differential
equations because usual methods for solving differential equations
perform poorly and are too slow.
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The SolidWorks Motion solver offers three stiff integration methods for
computing motion:
 GSTIFF
 WSTIFF
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 SI2
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GSTIFF The GSTIFF integration method developed by C. W. Gear is a variable

order, variable step size integration method. It is the default method
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used by the SolidWorks Motion solver. The GSTIFF method is a fast

and accurate method for computing displacements for a wide range of
motion analysis problems.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Appendix A
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

WSTIFF WSTIFF is another variable order, variable step size stiff integrator.
Both methods are very similar in formulation and behavior. Both of

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them use a backwards difference formulation. The only difference is
that the coefficients used internally by GSTIFF are calculated assuming

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a constant step size whereas in WSTIFF, these coefficients are a

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function of the step size. If the step size changes suddenly during

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integration, GSTIFF introduces a small error in the solution whereas

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WSTIFF can handle it without any loss of accuracy. So the problems
run more smoothly in WSTIFF. Sudden step size changes occur
whenever there are discontinuous forces, discontinuous motions or
abrupt events such as 3D contacts in the model.
Stabilized Index The Stabilized Index Two (SI2) method offered in SolidWorks Motion

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Two (SI2) is a modification of the GSTIFF integration method. This method
provides better error control over velocity and acceleration terms in the

st
equations of motion. Provided the motion is sufficiently smooth, SI2
velocity and acceleration results are more accurate than those

E computed with GSTIFF or WSTIFF, even for motions with high

frequency oscillations. SI2 is also more accurate with smaller step
sizes, but is significantly slower.
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Integrator With each integrator, there are several settings that control the step size
Settings and number of integration steps.

Maximum Maximum Iterations parameter controls the maximum number of

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Iterations iterations the SolidWorks Motion solver may use to converge to a

solution. The default value of 25 iterations should suffice for most
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problems. It is not recommended to increase this parameter
substantially; this parameter is typically not the cause of the failure.
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Initial Integrator Initial Integrator Step Size controls the value of the step at the first
Step Size solution instance. If your simulation faces some difficulties at the initial
stages of the solution, consider reducing this value. Typically, this
parameter does not need to be changed.
Minimum During the integration process, if the simulation error is too large the
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Integrator Step integrator reduces the time step and attempts the solution again until
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Size the desired accuracy is satisfied. The integrator will not reduce the step
size beyond the Minimum Integrator Step Size. The default magnitude
is acceptable for most of the simulation and does not need to be
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changed.

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 Appendix A SolidWorks 2011
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

Maximum The Maximum Integrator Step Size controls the value of the largest
Integrator Step time step the integrator may take during the solution. Increasing the

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Size Maximum Integrator Step Size speeds up the solution, and reduces the
time required to solve the model. But if this value is too big, there is a

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chance the solver may take too large a step and enter a region from

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which it may not recover and hence fail to converge. Reducing this

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value has no effect on the accuracy of the solution. When using

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GSTIFF integrator, velocities and accelerations may have
discontinuities for larger values of the integrator time step. You can
reduce this error by reducing the maximum integrator step size. If you
know that the motion is smooth and there are no such abrupt changes,
you can increase this value to speed up the solution. When facing
convergence problems, modifying this parameter may help.

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If there are abrupt changes in forces or motions happening over small

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time durations that you may need to reduce the maximum integrator
step size to make sure that the integrator does not miss such events.

E You may want to reduce this value if you have contact between a solid
body and a thin body, and the solver fails to recognize this contact. This
can happen, for example, if you have a ball bouncing on a thin plate.
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Depending upon your model parameters, it is possible that the ball may
pass through the plate without recognizing the contact between them.
In such a case, reducing the Maximum Integrator Step Size forces the
solver to take smaller steps so that it does not miss the contact
incidence between the two bodies.
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Reducing this value will slow down the integrator but it has no effect
on the accuracy of the results. On the other hand, if you know that the
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motion is smooth and there are no such abrupt changes, you can
increase this value to speed up the solution.
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Jacobian Re- The Jacobian Matrix is a matrix of partial derivatives required to solve
evaluation the linearized approximation of the original nonlinear equations of
motion during the Newton-Raphson iteration procedure. Users may
find it useful to view this matrix similar to what the stiffness matrix is
in the finite element analysis. The default setting, the most accurate and
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also the most time consuming is the re-evaluation of the Jacobian

Matrix at every iteration. While reducing the re-evaluation speeds up
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the solution, it should only be done when changes in the assembly

motion are slow. Setting of this parameter has no effect on the accuracy,
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but too low a setting may cause the integrator to fail.

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 SolidWorks 2011 Appendix A
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

Conclusion The most common parameters that need to be adjusted when you face
convergence difficulties are Accuracy, Maximum Integrator Step Size,

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and Contact Resolution. If chancing none of the above parameters help
the convergence, make sure that your inputs are smooth and

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differentiable, especially the user input expressions with mathematical

F
functions. It is advisable to use STEP function rather than IF statement.

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On occasions redundant constraint may cause the integrator to fail

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because the solver is having difficulty satisfying the constraints. The
most likely cause for such a failure is an inconsistently defined or ill-
behaved model. In these situations try to eliminate the redundancy or
the mating relationships in the assembly.

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 Appendix A SolidWorks 2011
Motion Study Convergence Solutions and Advanced Options

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 PR
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Mate Friction

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Appendix B

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 Appendix B SolidWorks 2011
Mate Friction

Mate Friction Friction is a force that occurs in mates and parts in contact. When parts
are in contact, friction is calculated based on the static and dynamic

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coefficients of friction and the normal force acting on the part. Mate
friction is more complex, because the size of the mate can affect the

e
magnitude of friction.

F
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In 1699, Amontons rediscovered Leonardo da Vinci's two laws of
friction: the frictional force is directly proportional to the normal load,

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and the size of the bodies does not affect the friction [Bowden and
Tabor, 1950, 1974]. Engineers have relied on Amontons' laws,
extensively and routinely for three centuries. Contrary to popular
belief, the size of the bodies does affect the friction forces in the case of
mate friction.

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Mate friction is a resistive, sliding, surface force between parts that

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must be overcome for the parts to move with respect to one another.
The force develops due to contact between the surfaces and the loads
acting on the connection. For a pin in a hole, mate friction is

E experienced as an additional torque restricting the pin from rotating

with respect to the hole. Mate friction is not anything more than
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standard friction between bodies; however it takes into account aspects
of components’ geometries in determining the net frictional forces
acting.

For example, think of a pin in a

hole, but with a little slope. In
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the first image shown below,

the pin is resting in the hole
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under a centrally located force.
This is the equivalent of a pure
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bearing load. The force needed

to slide the pin back and forth is only dependent on the vertical load.
The torque needed to rotate the pin is dependent on this force, but also
on the radius of the pin (see second image below). In this example, the
radius of the pin has no effect on the magnitude of the friction force,
but does have an effect on the moment required to overcome friction to
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rotate the pin (mu.r.F)

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 SolidWorks 2011 Appendix B
Mate Friction

Now, consider the case where there is

an additional moment on the pin. The

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moment forces the pin to rotate,
becoming supported at the outer edges

e
of the hole (w). The moment is reacted

F
as a force couple (M/w). Dividing the

ut
bearing load (F) between the ends,

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results in local force of F/2 + M/w.
Frictional forces are accumulative so you can sum these force couples
to get the total force upon which friction is based (F+2M/w).
It is a simple extension of this to derive the torque necessary to rotate
the pin as mu*r(F+2M/w).

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This influence of the bending moment of a mate is an important factor
in mate friction. You can see that if the hole supporting the pin is not

st
thick (in terms of w), the moment component tends to be very high. If
the hole supporting the pin is very thick, the moment component tends

E towards zero.
Concentric, coincident and many other SolidWorks mates support fric-
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tion. When friction effects are enabled for these mates, a force is
induced that opposes the motion of the mates and is a function of the
reaction forces acting on the mate.
Where to Find It  In the SolidWorks mate property manager, Analysis tab, Friction
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dialog.
Concentric For the purpose of calculating friction effects, a
(Spherical) Mate Concentric (Spherical) mate is modeled as a
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Friction Model ball rotating in a socket. Some portion of the
ball's surface area is in contact with the socket.
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Dimension d is the diameter of the ball.

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 Appendix B SolidWorks 2011
Mate Friction

Coincident For the purpose of calculating friction effects, a

Translational Mate Coincident (translational) mate is modeled as a

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Friction Model rectangular bar sliding in a rectangular sleeve.
Dimension h is the height of the rectangular bar.

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Dimension w is the width of the rectangular bar.

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Dimension l is the length of the bar that is in

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contact with the sleeve.

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Concentric Mate For the purpose of calculating friction effects, a

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Friction Model Concentric mate is modeled as a snug fit pin
rotating and sliding in a hole. Dimension r is the
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radius of the pin, and Dimension l is the length of
the pin that is in contact with the hole.
Concentric mate friction model can only be
activated for faces. No edges are allowed.
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Coincident Mate For the purpose of calculating friction effects, this

(Planar) Friction is modeled as one block sliding and rotating across
Model the surface of another block. Dimensions l and w
are the length and width of the sliding block.
Dimension r is the radius of a circle, centered at
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the center of the block face that circumscribes the

face of the sliding block that is in contact with the
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other block.
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 SolidWorks 2011 Appendix B
Mate Friction

Universal Joint For the purpose of calculating friction effects, a

Friction Model universal joint is modeled as a cylindrical cross

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piece rotating in a set of end caps. Dimension r is
the radius of the bearing end cap. Dimension w is

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the height of the cross pieces.

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Friction Results

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Reported Joint Type Friction Force Friction Moment

E Concentric (two faces)

Concentric (two spheres)
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
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Universal No Yes
Coincident (translational) Yes No
Coincident (planar) Yes Yes
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346
Mate Friction
Appendix B

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SolidWorks 2011

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 rib T
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Index

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A E Jerk 46
accuracy 335 event based motion view 294 joints
action 294 event based simulation 290 flexible 194, 204

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action and reaction forces 17 export rigid 194
action forces 17 results to FEA 262
K

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applied forces 18 trace path curves 170
kinematic coefficient of friction 84
B F kinematic systems 212, 233

E
bushings fixed parts 7
defining 204 flexible joints 194, 204 L
properties 224 bushings 204 linear spring
flexible mates magnitude - spring force 86
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C limitations 223 load bearing faces 263
CAM 166 floating parts 8
desmodromic 179 force expression 313 M
profile 167 force function 105, 308 mass properties 131
rocker 185 forces 17 mate friction 342
chart properties 119 action and reaction 17 concentric 344
closing force 123 action only 17 planar 344
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coefficient of restitution 110 applied 18 results 345

constraint forces 8 closing 123 spherical 343
constraint mapping 8 contact 100, 154, 280 translational 344
contact 76, 82 definition 18 universal 345
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curve to curve 155, 159 impact 110 mates 8, 342
contact frames per second 26 modifying plots 119
forces 154 friction 76, 342 motion
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contact 84 driving 14, 45, 173

forces 100, 280 kinematic coefficient 84 motion study properties 26
friction 84 static coefficient 84 frames per second 26
precise contact 123 Function Builder 45 precise contact 123
precise geometry 115
motor
solid bodies 159 G servo motor 290
tessellated geometry 115
gravity 8, 16 motors 8, 14
contact, solid bodies - contact 109
GSTIFF 124, 336 fixing motion 101
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convergence 334
force function 105
Cycle Based Motion 173
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I force types 103

IF statement 313 functional expressions 103
D
impact force 110
damper P
exponent e 111
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translational 87
stiffness k 111 Path Mate 144
damping
instability 118 PathMate 144
coefficient c 111
integrator settings 337 plots
penetration d 111
integrator types 123, 336 modifying 119
degrees of freedom 219
GSTIFF 124, 336 resizing 21
calculation 219
SI2 124, 337 Plotting Kinematic Results 54
estimated 219
WSTIFF 124, 337 plotting results 21
total actual 219
interference detection 81 Poisson model 110
dynamic systems 212, 229, 231
postprocessing 89
J precise contact 123
jacobian 338 precise geometry 115

347
 Index SolidWorks 2011

properties
bushings 224
chart 119

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mass 131
motion study 26

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proximity sensor 291

F
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redundancies
check 225

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defined 213
effects 214
mechanisms 226
removal by solver 215
removal with bushings 244
removal with flexible joints 222
removed in the solver 215

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zero 238, 243
redundant mechanisms 226
resizing plots 21

st
restitution coefficient 110
results
export 258

E
export to FEA 262
plotting 21
rigid body 7
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rigid joints 194

S
sensors 291
proximity 291
servo motor 290
SI2 337
SI2 (Stabilized Index Two) 124
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spring
force magnitude 86
translational 85
spring force 86
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static coefficient of friction 84
STEP function 105
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task 293, 295
action 294
triggers 293
tessellated geometry 115
timeline view 294
toe angle 201
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trace path 169

export curves 170
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translational damper 87
translational spring 85
triggers 293
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V
view
event based 294
timeline 294

W-Z
WSTIFF 124, 337

348