SS-T: 2070 Seam Welds

Create seam welds in SimSolid.

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 how to create welds from solids, group welds, master welds, and welds from lines/edges.
Model Description
The following files are needed for this tutorial:
  • Foot Bridge_solid_parts.x_b
  • SeamWeldLines.xml
Figure 1.


Import Geometry

  1. Open a new SimSolid session.
  2. Click Import from file .
  3. In the Open geometry files dialog, choose Foot Bridge_solid_parts.x_b.
  4. Click Open.
    The assembly will load in the modeling window. The Automatic connections dialog opens.
  5. Click Cancel to close the dialog.

Create Seam Welds from Solids

  1. On the Project Tree, click on the Connections workbench
  2. On the toolbar, click > Create new seam welds.
  3. In the dialog, select the Weld from solid tab.
  4. Set Section size to 5.
    Figure 2.


    Section size defines the lengths from the toe to the root of the weld.
    Figure 3.


  5. Select parts in one of the following ways:
    • In the Project Tree, expand the Assembly branch and select the highlighted parts shown in Figure 4.
      Figure 4.


    • In the Create seam welds dialog, select the Find parts by keyword radio button and type Weld. Then click Find parts.
    • Select parts in the modeling window.
    Selected solid parts are highlighted in the modeling window.
    Figure 5.


  6. Click Find welds.
    In the dialog, a preview of the found welds is shown.
    Figure 6.


  7. Click OK.
    Solid welds are created by suppressing the solid parts from which they were created. Suppressed solid parts are removed from the Project Tree.
    Figure 7.


Create Welds Using Group Welds

  1. In the dialog, switch to the Group weld tab.
  2. Set Section size to 5 mm.
  3. Set Minimum length to 12 mm.
  4. In the modeling window, hide the walkway part of the bridge and then select the rest of the parts.
    Figure 8.


  5. Click Find welds.
    A preview of the found welds is shown.
    Figure 9.
  6. Click OK.
    Figure 10.


Review Connections and Delete Seam Welds

  1. In the modeling window, select the arch shown in orange in Figure 11.
  2. Right-click on the part and select Review part connections in the context menu.
    Figure 11.
    All the seam welds associated with the part are listed in a dialog.
  3. Select all connections in the dialog.
  4. Click Delete.
    Figure 12.
  5. Click Close to dismiss the dialog.

Create Welds Using Primary Welds

  1. In the dialog, switch to the Primary weld tab.
  2. Set Section size to 5 mm.
  3. Set Minimum length to 12 mm.
  4. Activate the Primary part radio button.
  5. In the modeling window, select the arch.
  6. In the modeling window, select the parts shown in orange in Figure 13.
    Figure 13.


  7. Click Find welds.
    A preview of found welds is shown.
    Figure 14.


  8. Click OK.

Create Welds Using Lines/Edges

  1. In the modeling window, zoom in on the part shown in Figure 15.
    Figure 15.


  2. In the dialog, switch to the Weld by lines/edges tab.
  3. Set Section size to 5mm.
  4. Set Minimum length to 12mm.
  5. In the modeling window, select the edge shown in pink in Figure 16.
    Figure 16.


  6. Click Find welds.
    A preview of the found welds is shown.
    Figure 17.
  7. Click OK.
    Figure 18.


  8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 to create welds at the other edges of this part.

Review Seam Welds

  1. Right-click on the walkway and select Review part connections in the context menu.
    Figure 19.


    All connections for the selected part are listed in a dialog.
  2. In the dialog, select all seam welds.
    Figure 20.


  3. Click Delete.
  4. In the first Warning dialog, click Yes.
    Figure 21.


  5. In the second Warning dialog, click Delete parts.
    The parts from which the welds were created are deleted.
    Figure 22.


Create Seam Welds from Imported Lines

  1. On the Connections toolbar, click (Seam welds).
  2. Select the Weld by lines/edges tab.
  3. Click Import.
    Figure 23.


  4. In the File explorer, select SeamWeldLines.xml and click Open.
    Imported lines are listed in the Lines/Edges section of the dialog and drawn in the modeling window.
    Figure 24.


  5. Click to look more closely at the line.
    The selected line is highlighted in red.
  6. Click Find welds.
  7. Review the welds and click OK to accept them.
    Figure 25.


Add Material

  1. On the Connections toolbar, click (Seam welds) > Apply material to seam welds.
    Figure 26.


  2. In the Material database, select General Materials > Steel.
    Figure 27.


  3. Click Apply to all welds.
  4. Click OK.
    If you do not assign a material to a seam weld, SimSolid automatically assigns material properties of the adjacent part with strongest material at the time of solving.