- [Tutor] In Solidworks, before we can run a simulation,
a lot of times we need to do some prep to our model.
Now, you can see here, I've got a really simple rod
and I want to put a bearing on the other side of this
and then I want to have some type of load in the center bit
and I want to be able to run an analysis.
However, if I choose the outside Surface here,
it just picks the entire Surface,
so what I need to do is kind of break that up
to the sections where the bearings might be supports
and then maybe put another section,
where the load's going to be
and really kind of define this model,
so it's set up and ready to run an analysis on.
Now, Solidworks does have some nice tools,
already set up to do this over here
under Analysis Preparation.
If you don't have that toolbar,
of course, you can turn it on,
right click and down here, Analysis Preparation
and there it is.
So, we can add geometry like Planes in a part
and that's a really good way to do it.
You can add individual Features sometimes,
if you don't have like a little button
or something on a pull on,
create a little Boss-Extrusion,
like that or revolve something round
that you can then pull on.
It's a great way to do it.
The other thing we can do is create Surfaces.
Here's a prime example of a Surface,
if I choose a Sketch, start a Sketch
and just click on like an edge and say,
well, you know I'd like to convert that entity over,
and then come back over here and go to Surface,
and let's just do an Extruded Surface,
let's go in the other direction, and let's say one inch.
Now I've created a Surface directly
on top of this section here.
So then, using that Surface, I can apply a Force
just to the end of that rod
and that works pretty good.
The other thing you could do is go to something like
the Front Plane, or the Top Plane or the Right Plane here.
Start a Sketch and then kind of just divvy this up,
so in the center you might want to have
the section where you're going to be loading it.
Over here on the right you might be adding a section here,
where you're going to be putting a bearing
and over here on the other side,
you might be adding another bearing.
So really just divvy that up to however you'd like.
Now of course, you can add dimensions
to make this as fancy as you'd like,
but then we want to use a Split Line.
So I'm going to take this Sketch here,
and I'm going to split this Surface here.
And if I choose the Surface here and choose that,
and I'm going to project it, click OK.
You can see I've sliced that Surface up
into multiple Surfaces.
Now you can choose individual Surfaces
to apply Forces or Constraints to the model,
when I start going into an analysis.
So, let's quickly do that.
A couple of different options, I'm going to go ahead
and hide that Surface right now,
'cause I don't really need that for this example,
but it's another way we could use it.
So, let's go over here and go to Evaluate,
SimulationXpress, come down to Next.
Let's go ahead and Add a Fixture,
and we go ahead and hold that Surface
and that one right there, alright, click OK.
Then let's go ahead and Add a Force
on that Surface right there.
I'd like to place that going downwards.
So, go ahead and click on Selected Direction,
and then we're going to go ahead and choose the Top Plane,
so it's going to be going down or up,
and I want to reverse the direction,
so it's going to be going down.
I want to use inches, or inch pound second
and let's go ahead and put 200 pounds of Force,
going down, click OK,
and go ahead and click on Next.
Let's go ahead and choose our Material,
and how about 304 Stainless Steel, apply that and close it,
click on Next, Run Simulation.
It's performing similar to the way you'd expect it to.
We are saying that these Surfaces down here
are completely fixed, like in a vice or a clamp
and that's really not the case
if they're going to be actually rolling bearings
and some of those bearings have some self-alignment to them,
so it's probably not going to be exactly like that,
but it might be similar and it's also assuming
that there's no sliding in and out,
and that could also be happening,
but it is basically what you'd expect
from loading that up and seeing what's going to happen,
so I'm going to say Yes.
My Factor of Safety is 12, which is great.
So even if my assumptions aren't perfect,
I've got a lot of leeway, so I'm looking pretty good.
Click on the von Mises stress,
you can see what's happening.
You've got a stress riser here,
where it's coming ut of that bearing,
which makes a lot of sense.
The same thing right there,
same thing over here.
But as you can see, we're getting
a lot of good data out of this,
and all it is is a basic rod, that we just sliced up
and looked at how we're applying loads along that rod
to get pretty detailed analysis of what's going on,
all inside the free version of SimulationXpress.
So there you have it, and hopefully this little tip
can help you to design better products.