SS-T: 5080 Collisions

Find collisions without performing full nonlinear analysis.

Purpose
SimSolid performs meshless structural analysis that works on full featured parts and assemblies, is tolerant of geometric imperfections, and runs in seconds to minutes. In this tutorial, you will do the following:
  • Learn a quick way to find collisions between a rubber hose and rigid shock absorber to prevent failures instead of performing a full non-linear analysis
Model Description
The following model file is needed for this tutorial:
  • Collisions.ssp
Figure 1. Shock absorber with hose


This file has the following specifications:
  • Shock absorber is set to be rigid
  • Regular connections are made for shock absorber
  • Rubber material has been defined for the flexible hose
  • Multiload case is predefined and solved

Open Project

  1. Start a new SimSolid session.
  2. On the main window toolbar, click Open Project .
  3. In the Open project file dialog, choose Collisions.ssp
  4. Click OK.

Review Loads and Boundary Conditions

In the Project Tree, expand the Multi-loadcases 1 analysis branch and verify the loads and boundary conditions are as shown in the figure below.
Figure 2. Loads and boundary conditions


Review Structural Results

  1. In the Project Tree, select the Multi-loadcases 1 subcase.
  2. On the Analysis Workbench, click Results plot > Displacement Magnitude.
    The Legend window opens and displays the contour plot.
  3. In the Legend window, click Deformed shape.
    1. Click Change max deformation.
    2. In the Deformation scale factor dialog, set the Scale factor to 1 to view the true deformation.
    Figure 3. Load case 1 results


    Notice the hose is coming close to spring but it is not contacting the spring.
  4. In the Load cases dialog, switch to Load case 2 and review the deformations.
    Figure 4. Load case 2 results


    In Load case 2, the hose is contacting the spring.
  5. In the Deformation scale factor dialog, click Close.

Find Collisions

  1. On the Analysis Workbench, click Find collisions on deformed structure.
  2. In the dialog, select Load case ➔ Load case 1.
  3. Ensure Gap tolerance is 0.
  4. Click Find.
    Figure 5. No collisions are found for load case 1


    A no collisions found warning pops-up. In the Review Results step, Load case 1 showed no collisions so this is expected.
  5. Click OK.
  6. For Gap tolerance, enter 0.001 m.
  7. Click Find.
    Figure 6. Dialog shows part names and area of parts colliding


    The tolerance value is currently sufficient to cover the gap between hose and spring which means collisions are detected between these two parts. The dialog shows part names and the area of the parts colliding.
  8. In the dialog, select Load case ➔ Load case 2.
  9. Ensure Gap tolerance is 0.
  10. Click Find.
    Figure 7. Collisions found for load case 2


    For Loadcase 2, all collisions from Review Results were found.
    Note: Collisions can only be found on free surfaces where parts are not connected via any type of regular connections except disabled type of contact condition.