While we may analyze single parts in most practical engineering applications, typically, we have an assembly of parts of different sizes made from different materials, all interacting with each other. Contact conditions allow us to define whether parts are bonded together, if they can slide relative to each other, or if they can separate from each other. In short, without contact, we can’t model realistic interactions between parts. So, understanding the basics of contact is important in our journey to model physical systems more accurately.
In this lesson, we focus our attention on setting up models with contact for linear or small deflection analysis, providing the foundation for our understanding of realistically representing part interactions.
4:10 - Augmented Lagrange Contact Formulation
4:57 - MPC Contact Formulation
10:37 - Automatic Contact Detection
11:21 - Contact Body View & Syncing Views
15:00 - Thermal Condition and Environment Temperature
15:44 - Saving Nodal Forces under Output Controls
16:30 - Contact Force Reaction
Download the accompanying geometry and archived files here. Ansys Student can be downloaded for free here.