Compliant switch

- January 31, 2020 at 2:26 pm
  
  Stijnvanderploeg
  Subscriber
  
  Dear all,
  
  I am trying to simulate a complaint switch that is bistable. The goal is to get a force-displacement graph.
  
  I am using Mechanical APDL with command lines. In order to get the system into its bend state I used multiple loading steps.
  
  The problem I keep running into is that when the system is about to flip to the other side, the solution will not converge. I already tried to use the buckling analysis but that is not possible in combination with multiple loading steps.
  
  I hope you have some suggestions on how to go about this problem.
- January 31, 2020 at 5:58 pm
  
  peteroznewman
  Subscriber
  
  In a Static Structural solution, use displacement control (not forces) and the reaction force can go from positive to negative as the switch over position is reached.
  
  Or you could apply forces in Transient Dynamics and the position will accelerate rapidly as the structure reaches the switch over position.
- February 8, 2020 at 11:50 am
  
  Stijnvanderploeg
  Subscriber
  
  Thank you for your help. I solved the problem using the displacement control.