Learning Forum

[albin.linderstam]

Hi! I'm rather new to ANSYS and I'm trying to model a fixture which is mounted to another plate using a washer and bolt.

One solution is to include the whole assembly, but I would really like to simply model the part.

I've read that one can use Face Split in Space Claim, but since I will iteratively update the fixture, I don't want to enter Space Claim all the time. For that reason I tried to define surfaces (corresponding to the washers) in Catia V5 before importing the model into ANSYS Workbench.

Unfortunately, ANSYS consider this surfaces as different parts, where I need to define material (no problem) and thickness for each surface.

Perhaps this problem lies within Catia V5 , but I just want to check if someone has any tips for this problem :)

To summarize, I want to simply model the fixture, without adding washers/bolts, and I want to define surfaces where I can apply the loads without using Space Claim (Face Split).

[Akshay Maniyar]

I have some doubts regarding your problem. Do you want to apply bolt pretension without modelling bolt? You can check the below course. It explains various way of modelling bolts.
Also, as you have created a surface in CATIA, it will be considered as surface body in Ansys. You will have to split the face on that bracket. You can use Spaceclaim to split the face and parametrize that diameter, so that you don't have to open Spaceclaim again.
Thanks Amaniyar

[peteroznewman]

Hi If you suppress the washer surfaces that came over as well as the solid part, does the solid part have the face split at the washer diameter or not?
You have to figure out how to split the face of a solid in Catia, so that you can bring over a solid with pre-split face in order to avoid opening the geometry in SpaceClaim.
If I understand, you want to vary the shape of the part in Catia and bring over the solid and run the analysis. Do you have the Catia-ANSYS CAD interface license so that you can pass design parameters from Catia to Workbench? If so, then you have the right idea.
If you don't have a Catia-ANSYS CAD interface, then you may be better off learning DesignModeler or SpaceClaim in order to add parameters to the imported geometry and let the shape optimization occur within ANSYS without going out to Catia. The reason is you can set up a Design Exploration study that can automate the search for an optimum shape.

[albin.linderstam]

Thank you for your answer and tips about the course.
For this simulation I assumed that the four bolts were strong enough to avoid the fixture from moving, hence Fixed at the surface between washer/fixture.
Thank you for your answer.
Perhaps I misunderstand you, but If I suppress the washer surfaces and the solid part in Ansys Mechanical, nothing is left.
Yes, it is doable with Bodies in Catia, thank you.
I haven't been able to find that license; if you talk about a license in Catia? Or do you mean in Ansys?

[peteroznewman]

Just suppress the washer surfaces. Does the solid part have a split surface at the washer diameter?
ANSYS sells a license to allow parameters in Catia to be sent to ANSYS Workbench.