SS-T: 2030 Bushings

Create bushings 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 bushings for a suspension assembly.
  • Learn how to change the contact conditions for a specific subcase.
  • Solve the modal and transient dynamic subcases and review results.
Model Description
The following model file is needed for this tutorial:
  • Bushings.ssp
Figure 1.
This file has the following specifications:
  • Material is set to Aluminum for all parts.
  • Regular connections with 0.004mm gap and penetration tolerance.
  • Modal and Dynamic transient base excitation load subcases are defined.

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 Bushings.ssp
  4. Click OK.

Review Connections

  1. On the Connections workbench, click Find and show disconnected groups of parts (Find and show disconnected groups of parts).
    A message appears warning that the model has 2 disconnected groups of parts.
    Figure 2.


  2. Click OK.
  3. In the Disconnected groups of parts dialog, review the groups.
  4. Click Close.

Create Bushing

  1. On the Connections workbench, click > Bushing.
  2. In the modeling window, select the faces as shown in Figure 3.
    Figure 3.


  3. Orient to the global axis.
    1. In the dialog, ensure the Coordinate system tab is selected.
    2. Select the Axis X radio button and enter [1,0,0] for X, Y, and Z respectively.
    3. Select the Axis Y radio button and enter [0,1,0] for X, Y, and Z respectively.
      Figure 4.


  4. Enter translational-rotational stiffness values.
    1. In the dialog, select the Stiffness tab.
    2. Enter 1e+07 in each text box.
      Figure 5.


  5. Enter the mass of the bushing.
    1. In the dialog, select the Inertia tab.
    2. For Mass, enter 0.01.
      Figure 6.


  6. Click OK.

Edit Contact Conditions

  1. In the modeling window, right-click to select the part shown in Figure 7.
  2. From the context menu, select Review part contact conditions.
    Figure 7.


    A dialog opens showing contact conditions for all connections associated with the selected part.
  3. In the Review part contact conditions dialog, select Connection 1.
  4. Click Edit.
    Figure 8.


    The Custom contact conditions dialog opens.
    Note: Contact conditions can be edited for specific analyses or all analyses at once. Since there is only one analysis in the design study, either radio button can be selected.
  5. In the dialog, select the Sliding without friction radio button.
    Figure 9.


  6. Click OK.
    The new contact condition appears in the Project Tree under Modal 1 > Custom contact conditions.
    Figure 10.


  7. Close all other dialogs.

Run Design Study

Solve all analyses in the design study.

  1. In the Project Tree, select Design study 1 branch.
  2. Click Run All Analyses .
  3. In the Solver Manager, verify all analyses are selected.
  4. Click Solve.
    SimSolid runs all analyses in the design study branch. When finished, a Results branch for each analysis appears in the Project Tree.

Review Modal Results

  1. In the Project Tree, select the Modal 1 analysis branch.
  2. On the Analysis Workbench toolbar, click (Results plot).
  3. Select Displacement Magnitude.
    The Legend window opens and displays the contour plot. The Frequency (Hz) window opens and displays the modes.
    Figure 11.


Review Dynamic Transient Results

Plot Displacement Magnitude and von Mises stress.

  1. In the Project Tree, select the Dynamic transient 1, linked to Modal 1 analysis branch.
  2. On the Analysis Workbench toolbar, click (Results plot).
  3. Select Displacement Magnitude.
    The Legend window opens and displays the contour plot. The Dynamics time response window opens.
    Figure 12.


  4. On the Analysis Workbench toolbar, click (Results plot).
  5. Select Von Mises Stress.
    The Legend window opens and displays the contour plot. The Dynamics time response window opens.
    Figure 13.