• Inventor

Prepare a dynamic simulation for stress analysis in Inventor

Use Finite Element Analysis to prepare a part for stress analysis.


Tutorial resources

These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:


00:04

Within the Dynamic Simulation environment in Inventor,

00:07

you can export a part and specify the load-bearing faces to be used in the subsequent stress analysis.

00:14

To start, from the Quick Access Toolbar, click Projects.

00:18

In the Projects dialog, click Browse, navigate to where the project files are saved, select Assy, Chassis, Front DS.ipj, and click Open.

00:31

In the Projects dialog, click Done.

00:34

From the Quick Access Toolbar, click Open, select Assy, Chassis, Front DS_002.iam, and click Open.

00:43

In the Model browser, Model States folder, right-click Dynamic Simulation and select Activate.

00:50

On the ribbon, in the Environments tab, Begin panel, click Dynamic Simulation.

00:56

The Simulation Player opens.

00:59

In the Model browser, collapse the Grounded item.

01:02

In the graphics window, select the hydraulic cylinder assembly.

01:07

This highlights the applied Standard Joints of Revolution and Cylindrical in the Model browser.

01:12

Right-click Cylindrical: 2 and select Properties.

01:17

In the Joint Properties dialog, on the dof 2 (T) tab, click the Edit joint force icon.

01:23

Select Enable joint force.

01:27

Click the arrow next to the field below and select Constant value.

01:33

Enter a constant value of 41500 N, and then click OK.

01:40

You can now export a part to the Stress Analysis environment.

01:44

On the ribbon, in the Dynamic Simulation tab, Stress Analysis panel, click Export to FEA.

01:51

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) associates the necessary data with the appropriate assembly files for analysis.

01:59

In the graphics window, select one of the brackets for the hydraulic cylinder assembly.

02:04

A warning message appears indicating that the selected part is in a non-flexible subassembly.

02:11

Click OK, then cancel out of the Export to FEA dialog.

02:16

Select the complete subassembly, right-click it and select Flexible.

02:22

Click Export to FEA again, and then re-select the bracket.

02:27

In the Export to FEA dialog, click OK.

02:31

In the FEA Load-Bearing Faces Selection dialog, you need to complete the joints.

02:36

Under Joints to complete: Load Bearing, select the Welding option.

02:41

In the graphics window, select the large inside circular face of the bracket.

02:47

In the dialog, select the Revolution option, and then select the small inside circular face of the bracket.

02:54

Click OK.

02:55

To run the simulation, in the Simulation Player, click Run.

03:00

To interrogate the results, from the Results panel, click Output Grapher.

03:06

In the Output Grapher, expand Standard Joints > Cylindrical:2, and then the Force folders.

03:13

Select Force.

03:16

Under joint Cylindrical:2, deselect position P[2], which removes P2 from the columns on the right side of the grapher.

03:25

On the right side of the grapher, in the Time(s) column, select time step 1.00000 to export it.

03:32

In the graph, double click the 0.5 second time mark.

03:37

Select time step 0.50000 to export it.

03:41

Repeat these steps for the 0.75 time mark in the graph and the Time(s) column.

03:48

Notice that these three time steps have been added to the Export to FEA folder in the Output Grapher.

03:55

Close the Output Grapher.

03:58

To exit the animation in the Simulation Player, click Construction Mode.

04:03

Be sure to Save your work.

Video transcript

00:04

Within the Dynamic Simulation environment in Inventor,

00:07

you can export a part and specify the load-bearing faces to be used in the subsequent stress analysis.

00:14

To start, from the Quick Access Toolbar, click Projects.

00:18

In the Projects dialog, click Browse, navigate to where the project files are saved, select Assy, Chassis, Front DS.ipj, and click Open.

00:31

In the Projects dialog, click Done.

00:34

From the Quick Access Toolbar, click Open, select Assy, Chassis, Front DS_002.iam, and click Open.

00:43

In the Model browser, Model States folder, right-click Dynamic Simulation and select Activate.

00:50

On the ribbon, in the Environments tab, Begin panel, click Dynamic Simulation.

00:56

The Simulation Player opens.

00:59

In the Model browser, collapse the Grounded item.

01:02

In the graphics window, select the hydraulic cylinder assembly.

01:07

This highlights the applied Standard Joints of Revolution and Cylindrical in the Model browser.

01:12

Right-click Cylindrical: 2 and select Properties.

01:17

In the Joint Properties dialog, on the dof 2 (T) tab, click the Edit joint force icon.

01:23

Select Enable joint force.

01:27

Click the arrow next to the field below and select Constant value.

01:33

Enter a constant value of 41500 N, and then click OK.

01:40

You can now export a part to the Stress Analysis environment.

01:44

On the ribbon, in the Dynamic Simulation tab, Stress Analysis panel, click Export to FEA.

01:51

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) associates the necessary data with the appropriate assembly files for analysis.

01:59

In the graphics window, select one of the brackets for the hydraulic cylinder assembly.

02:04

A warning message appears indicating that the selected part is in a non-flexible subassembly.

02:11

Click OK, then cancel out of the Export to FEA dialog.

02:16

Select the complete subassembly, right-click it and select Flexible.

02:22

Click Export to FEA again, and then re-select the bracket.

02:27

In the Export to FEA dialog, click OK.

02:31

In the FEA Load-Bearing Faces Selection dialog, you need to complete the joints.

02:36

Under Joints to complete: Load Bearing, select the Welding option.

02:41

In the graphics window, select the large inside circular face of the bracket.

02:47

In the dialog, select the Revolution option, and then select the small inside circular face of the bracket.

02:54

Click OK.

02:55

To run the simulation, in the Simulation Player, click Run.

03:00

To interrogate the results, from the Results panel, click Output Grapher.

03:06

In the Output Grapher, expand Standard Joints > Cylindrical:2, and then the Force folders.

03:13

Select Force.

03:16

Under joint Cylindrical:2, deselect position P[2], which removes P2 from the columns on the right side of the grapher.

03:25

On the right side of the grapher, in the Time(s) column, select time step 1.00000 to export it.

03:32

In the graph, double click the 0.5 second time mark.

03:37

Select time step 0.50000 to export it.

03:41

Repeat these steps for the 0.75 time mark in the graph and the Time(s) column.

03:48

Notice that these three time steps have been added to the Export to FEA folder in the Output Grapher.

03:55

Close the Output Grapher.

03:58

To exit the animation in the Simulation Player, click Construction Mode.

04:03

Be sure to Save your work.

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