This chapter lays the groundwork for what is to come in the later chapters. It gives a high-level discussion of the finite element method (FEM), tracing its historical origin, emphasizing its application, and outlining its implementations. Some of the key concepts regarding FEM (such as discretization, types of elements in FEM, nodes, and more) are briefly highlighted, and a snapshot of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation interface, license, and computing requirements are discussed. To this end, this chapter covers the following major topics:
You will need to have access to SOLIDWORKS software with a SOLIDWORKS Simulation license.
You can find the supporting files for this chapter here: https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Practical-Finite-Element-Simulations-with-SOLIDWORKS-2022/tree/main/Chapter01
This section offers a short account of the historical origin, importance, application, and implementation of finite element simulation.
The pervasiveness of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has grown in parallel with the progress in the development of digital computers. Historically, CAE was predominantly used for the solid and surface modeling of engineering parts and assembly. However, in recent years, a glaring inroad of this progress has manifested in the simulation of various forms of engineering systems. Indeed, simulation is at the heart of the progress for advanced product development across different industries. Specifically, in the area of engineering product development, finite element simulation, which is based on the rich theoretical framework provided by the finite element analysis (FEA), represents a crucial toolkit for the following:
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Simulation is a word that has many definitions. Its use in this book orients toward its definition as the representation of a real physical system with a virtual prototype to study, analyze, and predict its response under external effects.
These days, FEM can be regarded as a standalone subfield of activity within the larger CAE. However, historical records place its root in the field of applied mathematics. The first documented application of the method is linked to the technical attempt to solve design problems from the aerospace industry in the 1950s. Nonetheless, the method rose to fame in the 1960s with the work of Clough [1] (please refer to the Further reading section) and the publication of the first book on FEA by Zienkiewicz and Cheung [2]. Since these events, FEM has recorded many successes, and there has been an upswing of applications spreading from the automotive, aerospace, biomedical, civil, consumer products, nuclear, and mechanical fields, to the space industry.
FEA entails transforming physical processes/products into some approximate mathematical equivalents called mathematical models. Afterward, the models are solved with appropriate computing resources via numerical solution algorithms. Now, the notion of approximation here might evoke a feeling of inferiority of finite element simulation. However, it does not in any way detract from the excellent accomplishments of FEA, some of which will be demonstrated in this book. By the virtue of their complexities, most physical objects or practical products cannot be reduced to perfect mathematical models. As a result, the process of approximation has become a time-honored trade-off that engineers have accepted and should be willing to interrogate its consequence. Viewed through this lens, being aware of the approximate nature of simulation requires analysts to be mindful of errors that arise from simulation and others closely linked with using finite element simulation software as an engine of inquiry to analyze and predict the behavior of physical entities. Nonetheless, we will explore methods of minimizing errors in finite element simulations (through convergence analysis, verification, and validation) in subsequent chapters of this book.
Meanwhile, as a subset of the CAE skills, finite element simulation was once delegated to specialists within engineering firms. However, as the line between engineering analysts and designers blurs with the proliferation of software such as SOLIDWORKS, many engineers are now required to be both familiar and proficient with complex engineering analyses related to the performance evaluations of products. It is hoped that this book serves you in the journey to acquire proficiency in this regard or will, at the very least, point you in this direction.
Although FEA gained tremendous traction from its attempts to solve the problems of structural mechanics, today, the successful applications of the methods span numerous subfields of engineering, ranging from flow analysis to thermal, electric, and magnetic fields. A non-exhaustive list of domains of the applications of FEA are presented in Table 1-1:
Meanwhile, for simple problems, the FEA can be coded in almost any programming language. However, such programs are usually limited in scope and are often less useful for engineers dealing with the performance analysis of complex parts or assemblies. As a consequence, there are many commercial implementations of FEA.
Two categories of FEA-related software have emerged from the implementation by various corporations and entities:
The first category encompasses commercial implementations of FEM such as ABAQUS, ADINA, DEFORM, ANSYS, MSC NASTRAN, and COMSOL, among others. Each piece of software in this category predominantly exists as an analysts' tool. They have a comprehensive set of libraries and elements for the advanced analysis of multiphysics engineering systems. However, they tend to have a rather steep learning curve. In contrast, the software in the second category, under which SOLIDWORKS Simulation belongs, is principally developed for three-dimensional (3D) CAD modeling. However, they offer simulation suites that can be used for various analyses using the FEM. Due to the close integration between the modeling and analysis environments, the latter category generally does the following:
Nevertheless, there are elements of overlap in both categories. For instance, a majority of the specialist FEA applications in the second category are also conferred with CAD interface for part modeling. Moreover, all implementations of FEM conceptually follow and require these three phases for product simulations:
The preprocessing phase involves idealization (which translates to the transformation from a physical world to a computational domain), model generation (that is, defining the geometric domain), mesh generation (that is, creating elements and nodes), and the supplying of input data (for example, material properties, loads, and physical constraints).
In the solution phase, the governing algebraic equation in matrix form that maps to the behavior of the computational domain is solved using a numerical method. For this phase to happen, the application software will often require the user to provide details (specifically, sufficient boundary conditions) that ensure the satisfaction of compatibility and equilibrium conditions.
The postprocessing phase involves evaluations and interpretations of the computed solutions generated by the simulation and possibly an examination of the correctness. In specific terms, activities that fall under this phase encompass things such as the plotting of results, the retrieving of deformed shapes, the examination of critically-stressed areas within the components, and more.
Now that we have covered the background, applications, and some of the basic steps necessary for general finite element analyses, we will move on to introduce the SOLIDWORKS simulation.
This section introduces the SOLIDWORKS Simulation, highlights the basic steps required for most simulations, discusses the type of finite elements provided by SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and covers the SOLIDWORKS Simulation license, its computing requirements, and its limitations.
SOLIDWORKS Simulation is the implementation of the FEM in the SOLIDWORKS CAD environment by SOLIDWORKS Corporation (whose parent company, Dassault Systèmes, makes the SOLIDWORKS CAD software). The SOLIDWORKS CAD software has a reputation for being user-friendly, and it is clearly a leader in the 3D design modeling market.
Riding on the wave of popularity of SOLIDWORKS as a design modeling tool, SOLIDWORKS Simulation was developed in the same spirit to provide an easy, one-stop platform for design analyses. In addition to this, SOLIDWORKS Simulation is established on the backbone of fast numerical solvers. It simplifies the workflow for obtaining a detailed solution for stress, thermal, frequency, flow, transient, buckling, pressure vessels, and optimization analyses, among others. Fully embedded within the SOLIDWORKS environment, SOLIDWORKS Simulation helps product designers to do the following:
In this section, we will highlight the steps required for the analyses of a single-member component and a multi-member assembly using SOLIDWORKS Simulation. The steps are summarized in Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2, representing the expansion of the phases in FEA that were briefly mentioned in the Implementations of FEA section :
A couple of comments regarding the steps indicated in Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2 are provided as follows:
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In FEA, elements of different shapes, degrees of freedom (DOF), and complexity exist. In principle, when the term DOF is used in mechanics, it denotes the number of independent quantities required to describe a displaced or perturbed state of a structure. For static problems that are the focus of this book, we will be using DOF to refer to the number of possible displacement components at nodes of a specific finite element. Note that a comprehensive account of the mathematical derivations for a wide variety of elements is not addressed in this book. Such derivations can be found in many of the books on the mathematical foundation of the FEM such as [3] and [4].
SOLIDWORKS Simulation has three major families of elements that are used in the performance analysis of components:
While these elements will be rigorously explored in subsequent chapters, Table 1-2 highlights three representative cases of when to use these elements.
Generally, a solid element is used for bulky models with considerable thickness and volume. 2D plane elements are employed for the 2D analysis of members (such as axisymmetric, plane stress, or plane strain problems). Beam and truss elements are used for the analysis of structural members that have one of their dimensions far greater than the dimensions of their cross-sections. Shell elements are deployed for thin-walled members. The special elements mostly connect elements such as springs elastic supports, and more:
SOLIDWORKS Corporation offers three types of license for SOLIDWORKS Simulation:
Of these three, the premium license is the most comprehensive in terms of capability. The professional license does not support nonlinear and composite analyses. The standard license is even more limited in terms of the scope of analyses it supports. For this book, the premium license is employed.
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To read more about the kinds of analyses that can be carried out with each of the previously mentioned licenses, please visit https://www.solidworks.com/product/solidworks-simulation.
SOLIDWORKS is a memory-hungry application. This is understandable given the functionalities that are packed into this amazing piece of software. For best performance, the recommendation listed in Table 1-3 is suggested for PCs or laptops to be used for basic analysis with the SOLIDWORKS Simulation:
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For further information about system requirements, beyond the details in Table 1-3, head over to https://www.solidworks.com/support/system-requirements.
While SOLIDWORKS Simulation is a powerful tool that can be used for numerous kinds of analyses of products and components, it is worth mentioning that it has a limited number of elements in its library. This point should be borne in mind while dealing with multiphysics problems for which a suitable element for the analysis might not exist in the SOLIDWORKS Simulation library. Besides, you should always find alternative methods to determine the accuracy of the results retrieved from the SOLIDWORKS Simulation. This is known as validation, and it can be done via experiments or analytical techniques at one stage of the product development phases. The approach to such methods of validation through experimental stress techniques is not covered in this book (a classic reference is a text by Dally and Riley [5]).
This wraps up our presentation of the overview of the SOLIDWORKS Simulation. In the next section, we will do a cursory examination of the SOLIDWORKS interfaces.
The main focus of this section is to briefly introduce the SOLIDWORKS interfaces. Since we are going to be interacting with the interface in the rest of the book, only a few of the features are examined. Nonetheless, it is worth pointing out that the SOLIDWORKS Simulation interface is closely linked with the SOLIDWORKS modeling environment, and both require that you have the correct license. With SOLIDWORKS installed on your PC or laptop, the interfaces are accessed by following the steps laid out in the subsections that follow.
This subsection illustrates a brief interaction with the SOLIDWORKS 2021-2022 modeling environment. The steps focus on the use of a single-part component to reveal the simulation environment. Let's start by launching the SOLIDWORKS application and then navigating to the modeling environment by following these steps:
The modeling environment is launched after completing the preceding steps, as shown next. Generally, the modeling environment features many items, as shown in Figure 1.4. This includes the following:
With the basic information about the interface detailed, let's now take a brief look at how to activate the simulation environment. We will come back to this activity in subsequent chapters in more detail.
Launch the SOLIDWORKS Simulation interface by following these steps:
The Simulation tab becomes active, as shown next. However, notice that when the SOLIDWORKS Simulation becomes activated, most of the icons are gray, as shown in Figure 1.6. This arises from the fact that no analysis has been defined yet.
In response to the preceding steps, the simulation study environment is activated, as indicated in Figure 1.8. There are a few things to pay attention to in this screenshot. For one, the different icons that were previously gray underneath the Simulation tab in Figure 1.6 are now active in Figure 1.8. Further, the simulation tree manager and the study tab (at the base of the screen) have both appeared:
The SOLIDWORKS Simulation environment is better explored within the context of simulation problems. Accordingly, rather than detailing all the features here, we will further examine them comprehensively in subsequent chapters and reveal the power of this simulation engine for the analysis of various types of problems.
In the next section, we will briefly highlight some of the important updates in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2021-2022.
SOLIDWORKS 2021-2022, upon which this book is based, is the latest version of SOLIDWORKS with significant improvement in functionality and performance. In terms of its look, SOLIDWORKS 2021-2022 appears similar to the previous version of SOLIDWORKS (specifically, the 2020-2021 version). However, there are important differences across many phases of the software. Nonetheless, when it comes to the 2021-2022 version of SOLIDWORKS Simulation, a few of the updates are highlighted here:
As you can see, Component Contacts is now known as Component Interactions, while Global Contact becomes Global Interaction.
After clicking on Properties…, the Static options dialog box appears. As shown in Figure 1.11, the Static options dialog box for the 2021-2022 version has a more streamlined interface for modifying various study properties.
Additionally, as you will note from Figure 1.11, in the 2021-2022 version, the Automatic Solver is selected by default within the static options dialogue box. And talking about the static options dialog box, the number of solution Solvers available in the 2021-2022 version is the same as the earlier version, as shown in Figure 1.12. However, the FFEPlus solver, which is based on an iterative technique is now more powerful (this is true for the other solvers as well):
Apart from the aforementioned update, we can now shift our attention briefly to the update to the Connections folder's sub-items.
We will expand on this change in more detail in Chapter 6, Analyses of Components with Solid Elements, and Chapter 7, Analyses of Components with Mixed Elements.
While the names of the meshing engines remain the same, as shown in Figure 1.14, the Curvature-based mesh and the Blended curvature-based meshing engines have undergone serious updates to facilitate enhanced accuracy of the simulation results. Again, we will revisit the issues around meshing in the second and third sections of the book.
This ends our discussion of a few of the differences that exist in the 2021-2022 SOLIDWORKS Simulation. So far, we have primarily focused on the updates that will be discussed in the later chapters of the book. For a more detailed look at the significant enhancements across all aspects of SOLIDWORKS, in general, and SOLIDWORKS Simulation, in particular, you should check out https://www.solidworks.com/product/whats-new.
This chapter provided a short overview of the importance, applications, and basic concepts of finite element simulation (such as discretization, elements, the types of elements, nodes, the main phases in finite element simulation, and more). We also initiated our exploration of the theme of this book by introducing the SOLIDWORKS general interface and the SOLIDWORKS Simulation interface.
Subsequent chapters of the book will take a detailed look at the use of SOLIDWORKS Simulation for the analyses of different kinds of structures. In the next chapter, we will examine the analysis of bars and trusses.