Reply To: How do I apply a radial displacement to an element to compress another element

[mjmiddle]

 

A radial displacementy should work by setting the x value of a displacement that uses a cylindrical coordinate system, as long as rotation does not occur around the cylindrical Y axis. But it seems by the shape, you would really want a spherical direction for displacement, and Mechanical doesn’t allow you to create a spherical coordinate system.

You seem to be describing a press fit model. We don’t handle these by prescribing a fixed radial displacement. We model press-fit two ways:

 

1. Model the geometry in the dimensions before assembly. When the bodies are placed together, there will be an interfence and you will use a contact. The analysis will deform both bodies into touching status, and in so doing, it computes the press-fit stress and strain. The interference should be within the first layer thickness of the volume elements at the contact.
2. Model geometry as touching, and specify an offset distance in the contact Details that would be the interference distance of the assembled bodies before press-fit occurs. The analysis will deform the geometry and compute stress/strain just like method 1.