Inventor Simulation Tutorials

Contents
Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Simulation 1: About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Open the Model
for Modal Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Enter the Stress Analysis
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Assign Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Add Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Preview Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Run Simulation . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 View the Results
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 11 Simulation 2: About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Copy Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Create Parametric
Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Include Optimization Criteria . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Add Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16 Set Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Run Simulation
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 View the Results
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 2 Assembly Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Get Started . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Stress Analysis Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Excluding

Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Assign Materials . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Add Constraints and Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 28 Stress Analysis Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Contact Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Generate Meshes . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Run the Simulation
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 View and Interpret the Results . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 3 Contacts and Mesh Refinement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Open the Model
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Stress Analysis Environment . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Create a Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41 Exclude Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Assign
Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Add Constraints and Loads
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Define Contact Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 46 Specify and Preview Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Run the Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 View and Interpret
the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Copy and Modify Simulation . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Specify Local Mesh Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 54 Run the Simulation Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 View and
Interpret the Results Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Summary
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Chapter 4 Assembly Modal Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Open the Assembly .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Create a Simulation Study . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Exclude Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Assign Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Add Constraints
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Create Manual Contacts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Specify Mesh Options
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Preview Mesh and Run Simulation
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 View and Interpret Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 71 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Chapter 5 FEA Assembly Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
ii | Contents
Open the Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Define the

Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Assign Materials . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Adding Constraints
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Adding Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 79 Modify the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Preview the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Create Parametric
Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Optimization Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Run the Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
85 View and Interpret the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 View and
animate 3D plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 View XY Plots
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chapter 6 Stress Analysis Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Overview . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Open the Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 94 How a Caulk Gun Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Assembly Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Contact Types . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Bonded Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 102 Separation Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Sliding and No Separation Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Separation
and No Sliding Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Shrink Fit and No Sliding
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Spring Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 110 Loads and Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Simulation Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Summary . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Chapter 7 Frame Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Open the Assembly .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Frame Analysis Environment . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Frame Analysis Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
122 Assign Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Change Beam
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Change Direction of Gravity . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Add Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 125 Add Constraints to the Next Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Add
Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Run the Simulation . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 View and Interpret Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 132
Contents | iii
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Chapter 8 Frame Analysis Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Get Started . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Frame Analysis Environment . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 137 View and Interpret the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
139 Display Maximum and Minimum Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 View
Beam Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Display and Edit
Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Adjust Displacement Display . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Animate the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 146 Generate Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Summary
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Chapter 9 Frame Analysis Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Connections
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Open the Assembly . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Frame Analysis Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 152 Change Direction of Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Add
Custom Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Add Custom Nodes . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Change Color of Custom Nodes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Assign Rigid Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 160 Add Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Run the
Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 View the Results
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Assign a Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Run the Simulation Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
169 View the Updated Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Summary
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Chapter 10 Modal Type of Frame Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Frame Analysis Environment . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Create a Simulation Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
175 Run the Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 View the
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Animate the Results
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 179
Chapter 11 Dynamic Simulation - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
iv | Contents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Degrees of Freedom
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Automatic Constraint Conversion
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Assembly Constraints
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Add a Rolling Joint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 189 Building a 2D Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Add Spring, Damper, and Jack Joint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Define
Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Impose Motion on a Joint
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Run a Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 197 Using the Output Grapher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Simulation Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Summary
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Chapter 12 Dynamic Simulation - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Work in the
Simulation Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Construct the Operating
Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Add Friction
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Add a Sliding Joint . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Use the Input Grapher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
213 Use the Output Grapher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Export to
FEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Publish Output in Inventor
Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Summary
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Chapter 13 Assembly Motion and Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Open Assembly . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Activate Dynamic Simulation . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Automatic Joint Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Define Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Insert a Spring . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Define the Spring Properties . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Run the Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Insert a Contact Joint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Edit the Joint
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Add Imposed Motion
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 View the Simulation Results
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 View the Simulation Results (continued) . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Export the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Contents | v
Chapter 14 FEA using Motion Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Open Assembly File
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Run a Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 249 Generate Time Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Export to Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Use the Motion
Loads in Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Generate a report
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 257
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
vi | Contents
Part Modal and Stress

Analysis
Simulation 1: About this tutorial
Modal analysis.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
20 minutes
Tutorial Files
Used
PivotBracket.ipt
You will create two simulations: modal analysis of the part and a parametric
structural static analysis on the same part.
The Modal Analysis tutorial walks through the process of defining and
performing a structural frequency analysis, or modal analysis, for a part. The
simulation generates the natural frequencies (Eigenvalues) and corresponding
mode shapes which we view and interpret at the end of the tutorial.
The second simulation is a parametric study on the same model. Parametric
studies vary the design parameters to update geometry and evaluate various
configurations for a design case. We perform a structural static analysis with
the goal of minimizing model weight.
Objectives
Create a simulation for modal analysis
Override the model material with a different material
Specify constraints
Run the simulation
View and interpret the results
Prerequisites
Familiarity with the ribbon user interface and Quick Access Toolbar.
Familiarity with the use of the model browser and context menus.
See the Help topic Getting Started for further information.
Navigation Tips
Use Show in the upper-left corner to display the table of contents for this
tutorial with navigation links to each page.
Use Forward in the upper-right corner to advance to the next page.
Next (page 3)
2 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis
Open the Model for Modal Analysis

Lets get started on the Modal Analysis simulation first.
1 On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Open command.
2 Set your project file to Tutorial_Files.ipj if not already set.
3 Select the part model named PivotBracket.ipt.
4 Click Open.
Previous (page 1) | Next (page 3)
Enter the Stress Analysis Environment

The stress analysis environment is one of a handful of Inventor environments
that enable specialized activity relative to the model. In this case, it incorporates
commands for doing part and assembly stress analysis.
To enter the stress analysis environment and start a simulation:
1 Click the Environments tab in the ribbon bar. The list of available
environments is presented.
2 Click the Stress Analysis environment command.
3 Click Create Simulation.

4 The Create New Simulation dialog box displays. Specify the name Modal
Analysis.
5 In the Simulation Type tab, select Modal Analysis.
6 Leave the remaining settings in their current state and click OK. A new
simulation is started and the browser is populated with stress analysisrelated folders.
Open the Model for Modal Analysis | 3
Assign Material
For any component that you want to analyze, check the material to make sure
that it is defined. Some Inventor materials do not have simulation-ready
properties and need modification before using them in simulations. If you use an
inadequately defined material, a message displays. Modify the material or select
another material.
You can use different materials in different simulations and compare the
results in a report. To assign a different material:
1 In the ribbon bar, in the Material panel, click Assign Materials.
2 Click in the Override Material column to activate the drop-down list.

3 Select Aluminum-6061.
4 Click OK.
NOTE Use the Styles and Standards Editor to modify materials if they are not
completely defined. You can access the editor from the lower left corner of the
Assign Materials dialog box.
Add Constraints
Next, we add the boundary conditions, a single constraint on the interior
cylindrical face.
To add the constraint:
1 In the ribbon bar, in the Constraints panel, click the Fixed Constraint
command. The docked dialog box displays.
2 Select the face as shown.
3 Click OK.
The model is now constrained by that face. The browser constraints folder is
populated with a node representing the constraint.
Add Constraints | 5
Preview Mesh
Before starting the simulation, we can view the mesh.

1 In the ribbon bar, Prepare panel, click Mesh View.
The command is a toggle between model view and mesh view.
2 To return to the model, click Mesh View again.
Run Simulation
Now, to run the simulation.
1 In the Solve panel, click the Simulate command to display the Simulate
dialog box.
2 Check the More section of the dialog box for messages. Click Run to
display the simulation progress. Wait for the simulation to finish.
View the Results

After the simulation finishes, the Results folder populates with the various
results types. The graphics region displays the first mode shaded plot.
In the browser under the Results node and then the Modal Frequency node,
notice the first mode shape (F1) has a check mark by it, indicating it is being
displayed. There are nodes for the mode shapes corresponding to each natural
frequency. The color chart shows relative displacement values. The units are not
applicable since the mode shapes values are relative. (They have no actual
physical value at this point.)
Now you can perform post-processing tasks using the Display commands
located on the ribbon bar. The commands are described in Help.
Run Simulation | 7
For post-processing of structural frequency simulation studies, the browser list

shows the natural frequencies. Double-click any of these nodes to show the
corresponding Mode Shape 3D plot.
1 Animate the results using the Animate Results command in the Result
panel on the ribbon bar.
2 While the animation is playing, click Orbit in the navigation tools on the
side of the graphics window. As you orbit the graphics, the animation
continues to play.
NOTE The following image depicts a frame from the animation of mode
F3.
3 Click OK.
4 In the Results browser list of natural frequencies, double-click the results
for mode F3 to display that mode.
View the Results | 9
NOTE If you plan to complete the second part of this tutorial, keep this model file
open. Otherwise, save your model file to a different name before you close it.
Summary
In this first tutorial for Part Stress Analysis, you learned how to:
Create a simulation for modal analysis.
Override the model material with a different material.
Specify constraints.
Run the simulation.
View and interpret the results.
What Next? Continue with Simulation 2 - Parametric Static Analysis
Summary | 11
Simulation 2: About this tutorial
Parametric static analysis.

Skill Level
Level 3 special interest
Time Required
20 minutes
Tutorial Files
Used
PivotBracket.ipt
The second simulation is a parametric study on the same model. Parametric

studies vary the parameters of the model to update geometry and evaluate
various configurations of a design. In this structural static analysis, the goal is
to minimize the weight of the model.
Objectives
Copy a simulation.
Use analysis parameters to evaluate how to refine the weight of the model.
Generate configurations of the parametric dimension geometry.
Modify design constraints and view results based on those changes.
Prerequisites
Completed Simulation 1 (Modal Analysis), the first part of this tutorial set.
Navigation Tips
Use Show in the upper-left corner to display the table of contents for this
tutorial with navigation links to each page.
Use Forward in the upper-right corner to advance to the next page.
Copy Simulation
We will create a copy of the first simulation, and edit it to define the second
analysis.
1 In the browser, right-click the Simulation (Modal Analysis) node and click
Copy Simulation. A copy of this simulation is added to the browser and
becomes the active simulation.
Copy Simulation | 13
We will edit the simulation properties to define a parametric dimension

study.
2 Right-click the newly created Simulation node, and click Edit
Simulation Properties.
3 Change the name to Parametric.
4 Change the Design Objective to Parametric Dimension using the dropdown list.
5 Set the simulation type to Static Analysis.
6 Click OK.
Create Parametric Geometry

We will produce a range of geometric configurations involving the thickness of
the model to facilitate weight optimization. Adding parameters to the parametric
table is required.
Add parameters to the parametric table
1 In the Manage panel, click Parametric Table.
2 In the browser, right-click the part node just below the Simulation
(Parametric) node, and click Show Parameters.
3 In the Select Parameters dialog box, check the box to the left of the
parameter named d2, 12 mm.
4 Click OK.
After identifying the parameter we want to use, we must define a range for the
parameter and generate the corresponding geometric configurations.
Define parameter range
1 In the Values cell for Extrusion1 d2, enter the range 6-12. The values
must be in ascending order.
2 Press Enter to accept the values. When you click inside the Value field,
the value now says 6-12:3. This indicates that there are now three values
in the range. These are equally divided between the first and last number,
hence that values are 6, 9, and 12.
NOTE The number after the colon specifies the additional configurations
desired, excluding the base configuration. The base is 12 mm, and the two
additional configurations are 6 mm and 9 mm.
Once the parameter range is specified, we can generate the various
configurations based on the range values.
Generate configurations
1 Right-click the table parameter row, and select Generate All
Configurations. The model generation process is started.
2 After the model regeneration is completed, move the slider to see the
different shapes created.
Create Parametric Geometry | 15
We are not finished with the Parametric Table yet, so do not close it.
Include Optimization Criteria

Remember that our goal for this simulation is to minimize weight. We optimize
the simulation using a range of geometric configurations generated previously
while utilizing the Yield Strength failure criteria.
Add Design Constraints
1 In the Design Constraints section, pause the cursor over the empty row,
right-click, and click Add Design Constraint.
2 In the Select Design Constraint dialog box, click Mass, and click OK.
3 Repeat step 1.
4 In the Select Design Constraint dialog box, Select Von Mises Stress.
Ensure that Geometry Selections is All Geometry.
5 Click OK.
Enter Limit values and safety factor
1 In the Von Mises Stress row, click in the Constraint type cell, and select
Upper Limit from the drop-down list.
2 Enter 20 for Limit.
3 Enter 1.5 for Safety Factor .
Add Loads
Next, add the structural load.
1 Click the Force Load command. The dialog box displays.

2 Select the face as shown.
3 Enter 200 N for the Magnitude.

4 Click OK.
Set Convergence
The software performs an automatic H-P refinement for parts. In this case, we
want to add an additional H refinement iteration. H refinement increases the
number of mesh elements in areas where the results need improvement. The P
refinement increases the polynomial degree of the selected elements in the high
stress areas to improve the accuracy of the results.
1 In the Prepare panel, click Convergence Settings.
2 For Maximum Number of h Refinements, enter 1.
3 Click OK.
Set Convergence | 17
Run Simulation
Now we will run the simulation. To start the Simulation, use the Simulate
command in the ribbon bar or through the simulation node context menu.
1 Click the Simulate command to display the Simulate dialog box.
2 Click Run. The Simulation progress displays. Wait for the simulation to
finish.
When the simulation is complete, the Von Mises Stress plot displays by
default.
3 In the Display panel, click Adjust Displacement Display
down list, and select Actual.
, drop-
View the Results

After the simulation finishes, the graphics region displays a 3D color plot, and
you can see that the Result folder is populated. Now we can evaluate the
results through the parametric table and the 3D and XY plots available for post
processing.
Optimize model
First, we optimize the mass using the parametric table populated in previous
steps. Then we look at 3D and XY plots to understand the behavior of the model
under the defined boundary conditions.
The goal is to minimize the mass of the model taking into account parametric
dimensions and stress constraints.
1 If you previously closed the Parametric table, reopen it by clicking the
Parametric Table command.
2 For the Mass Design Constraint, click in the Constraint Type cell, and
select Minimize from the drop-down list.
The parametric values change to show the configuration with the least mass
that meets the given constraints. In this case, the original thickness value was
12 mm and the optimized value is 9 mm which in turn reduces the mass of the
model.
Note the design constraint Result Value for Max Von Mises Stress. The value
has a green circle preceding it. It indicates that the design constraint value is
within the safety factor range.
Slide the Extrusion1 parameter value to 6. When the table updates, you will
see that the design constraint Result Value is now outside the safety factor. The
value is preceded by a red square indicating the design constraint value has
been exceeded the safety factor. Slide the parameter value back to 9.
View and animate 3D plots
Now you can perform post-processing tasks using the Display panel commands
for smooth shading, contour plots, etc. These commands are described in Help.
1 In the Result panel, click Animate Results.
2 In the Animate dialog box, click the Play
command. The Von Mises
Stress plot colors change to reflect the application of the load. To
view the deformation changes, stop the animation, select Adjusted x1

from the Adjust Displacement Display
the animation.
, drop-down list and restart
For post-processing of results, double-click the result in the browser to display

the result in the graphics region. Then, select the Display command you want to
use.
View XY graphs
XY Charts show a result component over the range of a parameter.
To view an XY plot, right-click over the parameter row in the Parametric Table
and choose XY Plot.
In this case, the above XY plot displays Stress results versus parametric
configurations.
Summary
In this last tutorial for Part Stress Analysis, you learned how to:
Copy a simulation.
Modify the simulation properties to change the type of simulation.
Generate configurations of the parametric dimension geometry.
Use analysis parameters to evaluate how to refine the weight of the model.
Modify design constraints and view results based on those changes.
What Next? As a next step, consider doing the Assembly FEA tutorials. If you
have already completed them, why not acquaint yourself with the Dynamic
Simulation tutorials?
Experiment with what you have seen and used. Explore how you can use this
design tool to help you complete your digital prototype with confidence in its
performance.
Previous (page 19)
Summary | 21
22
Assembly Stress Analysis
About this tutorial
Simulate the structural static behavior of an assembly for analysis.

Category
Simulation
Time Required
35 minutes
23
Tutorial File Used analyze-2.iam
NOTE Click and read the required Tutorial Files Installation Instructions athttp://www.autodesk.com/inventor-tutorial-data-sets . Then download the tutorial
data sets and the required Tutorial Files Installation Instructions, and install
the datasets as instructed.
The stress analysis environment is a special environment within assembly, part,
sheet metal, and weldment documents. The environment has commands unique
to its purpose.
We analyze a subset of an assembly using the exclude from simulation
functionality in Stress Analysis. Contact types are changed as required by the
physical behavior of the model. Meshing settings are adjusted to capture the
geometry of the model more accurately.
Objectives
Create a simulation.
Evaluate and assign materials as needed.
Add loads and constraints.
Identify contact conditions.
Create a mesh.
Run a simulation.
Prerequisites
Know how to use the Quick Access toolbar, tabs and panels on the ribbon,
model browser, and context menus.
Know how to navigate the model space with the various view tools.
Know how to specify and edit project files.
Navigation Tips
Use Next or Previous at the bottom-left to advance to the next page or
return to the previous one.
Next (page 25)
24 | Chapter 2 Assembly Stress Analysis
Get Started
To begin with, we will open the assembly to analyze. With Autodesk Inventor up
and running, but with no model open, do the following:
1 Click the Open
command on the Quick Access toolbar.
2 Set the Project File to Tutorial_Files.ipj

3 Select Assembly FEA 1 analyze-2.iam.
4 Click Open.
5 Save the file with a different name, such as: analyze-2_tutorial.iam
Stress Analysis Environment

We are ready to enter the stress analysis environment.
1 On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel Stress

Analysis
2 On the Manage panel, click the Create Simulation
command.
The Create New Simulation dialog box displays.

The settings provide opportunity to tailor the simulation by specifying a
unique name, single point or parametric dimension design objective, and
other parameters.
NOTE On the Model State tab, you specify the Design View, Positional,
and Level of Detail to use for the simulation. The settings can be different
for each simulation.
3 Click OK to accept the default settings for this simulation.

The browser populates with a hierarchical structure of the assembly and
analysis-related folders.
Most of the commands in the ribbon panels are now enabled for use. Disabled
commands enable as their use criteria is satisfied.
Get Started | 25
Excluding Components
You can exclude components that are not affected by the simulation or whose
function is simulated by constraints or forces.
We will exclude the following parts from this simulation:
Handle
Screw
SHCS_10-32x6
To exclude these components:
1 Expand the analyze-2_tutorial.iam browser node.
2 Right-click Handle, and click Exclude From Simulation.
3 Repeat the command for both the Screw and SHCS_10-32x6
components.
The default display setting for excluded components is partially transparent as
seen in the following image:
Assign Materials
The next step is to look at the component materials and make adjustments.
For this simulation, we will make a minor material change using materials that
are fully defined.
Before you begin doing simulations, we recommend that you ensure your
material definitions are complete for those materials being analyzed. When
a material is not completely defined, the material list displays a
symbol next
to the material name. If you try to use the material, you receive a warning
message.
If you attempt to edit a material during this tutorial, you may not be able to if the
project setting Use Styles Library is set to No. To edit this setting, you cannot
be working in the model. To change the setting requires exiting
Assign Materials | 27
the tutorial. For purposes of this tutorial, use a material that is already fully
defined. You can modify the other materials at a later time.
1 In the Material panel, click the Assign

command. The dialog box
displays the list of components, their material assignments, an override
material, and a column showing how the material safety factor is defined.
2 In the Override Material column, click the first component
(Upper_Plate:1) cell to expose the material list.
3 In the list, click Steel.
4 Repeat the process for the all instances of the Upper and Lower plates.
Notice that when a components material is changed, all instances of that
component inherit the change.
5 Click OK to exit the Assign Materials dialog box.
The browser Material folder receives a Steel folder added with all the
components referencing that material listed within that folder. If you delete
individual components from the folder, their material reverts to the assembly
assigned material.
Add Constraints and Loads

Next we define the boundary conditions by adding structural constraints and
loads. We start with constraints first.
1 In the Constraints panel, click Fixed
. The dialog box displays
with the Location selector active.

2 Select the two holes through which the screw passed. They are the holes
that are left after excluding the screw from the simulation.
3 Click OK. The two faces are axially constrained, as if the screw were
there.
Add Constraints and Loads | 29
Now, we assign loads on the components.
1 In the Loads panel, click Force

. The dialog box displays with
the Location selector active.
2 Select the face on the ch_09-Upper_Grip component as shown.
3 In the dialog box, enter 100 for the Magnitude value, and click OK.
4 Repeat the previous steps for the ch_09-Lower_Grip component.
5 Click OK to exit the Force dialog box.

Stress Analysis Settings

Stress Analysis settings apply to all new simulations. It is where you define the
default settings that you saw in the Simulation Properties at the beginning of this
process.
Stress Analysis Settings | 31
In the Settings dialog box, you can specify:

Simulation Type
Design Objective
Contact Defaults
Excluded Component Display
Other parameters
Though we will not change the defaults for this tutorial, it is good to familiarize
yourself with these settings. You can modify them for your future needs.
Contact Conditions
You can specify contact conditions either automatically or manually. Automatic
contacts are generated according to the tolerance and contact type specified in
the Stress Analysis Settings. You can assign other contact types such as
Separation, Sliding / No Separation, and so on.
For this simulation, we automatically compute inferred contacts and then
change some of those to another type.
1 In the Contacts panel, click Automatic

. It detects the contacts
within the default tolerance and populates the Contacts folder.
2 Expand the Contacts folder. You can see that all contacts were created as
Bonded contacts (default setting) and placed in a folder. Expand the
Bonded folder.
3 We must change the contacts listed in the following list. To make changes,
use multi-select. Select one contact, hold down the Ctrl key, and multiselect the remaining contacts in this list.
Bonded:1 (Upper Plate:1, Lower Plate:1)
Bonded:6 (Upper Plate:1, Pin A:3)
Bonded:10 (Upper Plate:1, Pivot Threaded:1)
Bonded:12 (Upper Plate:2, Lower Plate:2)
Bonded:26 (Lower Plate:1, Pivot Lower:1)
Bonded:32 Lower Plate:2, Pivot Lower:1)
4 Right-click a selected contact, and click Edit Contact.

5 Change the type to Sliding / No Separation, and click OK.
Generate Meshes
Before running the simulation, view the mesh to make sure that any areas
needing a different mesh setting from the default are cared for. First, we will
specify the mesh settings.
1 In the Prepare panel, click Mesh Settings

. Alternatively,
right-click the Mesh folder and click Mesh Settings.
2 Set Maximum Turn Angle = 30 to capture round areas of the
geometry.
3 Check Create Curved Mesh Elements.
4 If not already checked, check Use part based measure for assembly
mesh.
This option uses the part size as mesh criteria, as opposed to a single size
for all parts.
5 Click OK.
6 Having specified the mesh settings, you preview the mesh by clicking
the Mesh View

command. The results are a mesh overlay on
every part participating in the simulation.
Generate Meshes | 33
NOTE If areas of the model need a finer or more coarse mesh, add local
mesh controls. Local mesh controls are covered in another tutorial.
Run the Simulation

We are now ready to run the simulation.
1 In the Solve panel, click Simulate

. The Simulate dialog box
displays.
The dialog box more command >> exposes the messages section. If there
are process steps to do, such as add constraints, the message is reported
here.
2 Click Run. The simulation processes and returns results.
View and Interpret the Results
After the simulation completes, the graphics display presents the Von Mises
Stress results plot. The complete set of results is posted in the Results folder.
There are various commands for viewing result data. Most are located in the
Result and Display panels.
1 In the Display panel, click Show Maximum Value
. In the
graphics window, a label with a leader points to the location of the
maximum value. In this example, the maximum value is obscured by
other components.
2 Expand the assembly browser node to view the list of components.

3 Turn off visibility of the parts hiding the stress location.
Lower Plate:1
Upper Plate:1
Right-click each component, and click Visibility.
4 Rotate and Zoom as needed to view the location of the Maximum Value.
View and Interpret the Results | 35
Double-click the various results nodes to display the results in the

graphics window.
Summary
The previous image is what you see if you look at the Displacement results for
this simulation.
Now that you have completed this tutorial, you have a basic understanding of
the typical workflow in the stress analysis environment. This workflow includes:
Creating a simulation.
Excluding components not needed for the simulation.
Assigning materials as overrides of the existing material.
Summary | 37
Adding constraints and loads, sometimes called boundary conditions.

Adding contact conditions.
Generating meshes.
Running the simulation.
Viewing and interpreting the results.
What Next? As a next step, look into creating advanced contact conditions and
local mesh controls. The Contacts and Mesh Refinement tutorial takes you
into these topics.
Previous (page 35)
Contacts and Mesh Refinement
About this tutorial
Use advanced and local mesh refinement to improve the stress results.
Category
Simulation
39
Time Required
20 minutes
Tutorial File Used Bracket_Assembly.iam
Two simulations are covered. The first one corresponds to a structural static
study with separation contact and advanced meshing settings. The second one
involves additional local mesh control.
Objectives
Apply manual contacts.
Modify automatic contacts.
Add local mesh controls.
Prerequisites
Be familiar with the Stress Analysis environment, and complete the tutorial
Assembly Stress Analysis.
Know how to use the model browser and set the active project.
Navigation Tips
Next (page 40)
Open the Model

The first simulation walks, step by step, through the definition of a structural
static FEA analysis. It includes the creation of manual contacts and selection of
advanced meshing settings and concludes by viewing the results.
1 Check to see that project file is set to Tutorial_Files.ipj.
40 | Chapter 3 Contacts and Mesh Refinement
2 On the ribbon, click Get Started tab Launch panel Open

.
3 Navigate to the Assembly FEA 2 folder, and then click
Bracket_Assembly.iam.
4 Click Open.
Stress Analysis Environment

Switch to the Stress Analysis environment.
1 Click the Environments tab.
Click the Stress Analysis
environment command.
Create a Simulation
1 Click Create Simulation

, to display the Create New Simulation
dialog box.
2 For the simulation Name, enter Separation Contact.
3 On the Simulation Type tab, specify Static Analysis.
4 Click OK. A new simulation named Separation Contact is created and
appears in the browser.
Stress Analysis Environment | 41
Exclude Components
For this simulation, the Sleeve component is not relevant, so we will exclude it.
1 In the browser, expand the model node to reveal the components of the
assembly.
2 We want to evaluate the response to forces of the bolt when the Sleeve
component is not present. We must exclude it from the simulation. Rightclick the Sleeve component and select the Exclude From Simulation
option. Alternatively, right-click the Sleeve component in the graphics
region, and click the command.
Assign Materials
The next step is to define the Materials. When a simulation is created, a
Material folder is included in the simulation structure. This Material folder is
populated whenever you specify override materials in place of the originally
assigned material.
1 Double-click the Material folder. In the Assign Materials dialog box, a
spreadsheet-type list containing all the parts and their materials displays.
2 In the Override Material column, click the cell corresponding with the
Bolt component.
3 In the drop-down list, select Steel.
4 Right-click the cell, and click Copy.
5 For the following parts, multi-select the cells in the Override Material
column, right-click, and click Paste.
Bracket
Mount
Washer
Nut
NOTE All occurrences of the Washer are updated at one time.

6 Click OK.
Add Constraints and Loads

To define constraints and loads, use the commands available in the ribbon
panels. Alternatively, right-click the browser node for the input type, and click the
command there.
1 On the ribbon, click Stress Analysis tab Constraints panel
Fixed.
The dialog box displays with the Face selector active.
2 Choose the appropriate faces. Multiple faces can be selected. In this case,
the faces represent a rigid attachment that occurs later in the
manufacturing process.
3 Click OK to complete the constraint inputs.

Add the second constraint:
1 Click the Fixed
command.
2 Select the cylindrical faces of the slot feature.
3 Click OK.
Next, we add a force or load. These steps define a condition where the
assembly receives a constant load in a given direction.
1 Click Stress Analysis tab Loads panel Force.
The
dialog box displays.

2 Choose the flat face at the bolt head.
3 Click the
More command to expand the dialog box, and check Use
Vector Components.
4 For the Fz component, enter 225. It defines the force magnitude and
direction.
5 Click OK.
We now have defined materials, structural load, and constraints. In the browser,
expand the Constraints and Loads nodes for viewing. Click a node to highlight
the selection or location in the graphics window; and double-click to edit the
definition.
Define Contact Conditions

You define contacts manually by selecting pairs of faces; these contacts are
useful for cases in which the initial default contact tolerance is too small.
Before manually adding contacts, use Automatic Contacts to detect the intolerance contact conditions.
1 In the Contacts panel, click Automatic

. Contact conditions are
automatically defined using the Contact defaults from the Stress Analysis
Settings.
As you manually add contacts, you choose from various contact types such as
Separation, Sliding / No Separation, and so on.
We will now define manual contacts and set them to the Separation type.
Additionally, we will modify two automatically created contacts to be the
Separation type.
1 Click the Manual
command.
2 Set the Contact Type to Separation.

3 Select the faces for the new contacts as follows
a
In the graphics region, click the Bolt cylindrical face as selection 1.
Define Contact Conditions | 47
b
Move the cursor over the area where the Bolt component passes
through the Bracket. When the cylindrical face on the Bracket
highlights, click to select it.
c Click Apply.
d Reorient the model to do the same for the similar area near the
Bolt head.
e
Click the cylindrical face of the Bolt component.
f
Move the cursor over the area where the Bolt component passes
through the Bracket. When the cylindrical face on the Bracket
highlights, click to select it.
g Click OK.
Now, we modify two automatic contacts to change them to the Separation
contact type.
1 In the browser, expand the Contacts and then the Bonded folders.
2 Select contact Bonded:1, then hold down the Ctrl key and select
contact Bonded:2.
3 Over one of the selected contacts, right-click and select Edit Contact.
4 Select Separation from the Contact Type drop-down list. It assigns the
selected contact condition.
5 Click OK.
With the contact conditions defined, we can move to specifying the mesh
settings.
Define Contact Conditions | 49
Specify and Preview Meshes

1 In the Prepare panel, click Mesh Settings
. The settings dialog
box displays.
2 Toward the bottom of the Common Settings section, click the check box
for Create Curved Mesh Elements.
3 If Use part based measure for Assembly mesh is unchecked, check the
option.
This option is useful when you need a higher mesh resolution in smaller
parts. It generally leads to larger number of elements for the overall
assembly.
4 Click OK.
Before starting the simulation, we can view the mesh. In the Prepare panel,
click Mesh View

. Alternatively, in the browser, right-click the Mesh
folder to access the command.
Run the Simulation

Now, we will run the simulation.
1 In the Solve panel, click the Simulate

command. The Simulate
If there are any preprocess related messages, they are presented in the
expanded section of the dialog box. Click the More command (>>) to
expand the dialog box.
2 When ready, click Run, the Simulation progress displays in the dialog
box. Wait for the simulation to finish.
You can run more than one simulation at a time. Multi-select the simulation
nodes in the browser, right-click, and click Simulate. The results are displayed
within the Results folder of each simulation.

After the simulation finishes, the Results folder is populated with the
simulation results and the graphics region updates to display a results plot.
1 Expand the Results folder. By default, the Von Mises Stress plot
displays.
Run the Simulation | 51
2 In the browser, the current result plot has a check mark by the node icon.
To activate other plots, double-click the particular plot node you are
interested in seeing. The display updates to present that plot.
Now you can perform post-processing tasks. For example, viewing the results
with smooth shading or contour plots.
1 In the Display panel, click Show Maximum Value
2 Using the view commands, reorient the model so you can see the
maximum value area.
3 If the maximum value location is obscured by other components, you
can hide those components. In the browser, right-click the components
and click Visibility.
Maximum values can be also shown in the Parametric Table for summary and
comparison with other simulations. In this case, we will add a Design Constraint,
maximum result value, for the assembly.
1 In the Manage panel, click Parametric Table .

2 In a table cell, right-click and click Add Design Constraint. The Select
Design Constraint dialog box displays.
3 Click Von Mises Stress.
4 Click OK.
We have concluded the first simulation. The second simulation uses most of the
items defined in this first simulation. The simulation study will be duplicated and
modified as required for the additional study.
Copy and Modify Simulation

The second simulation uses the same analysis as the first simulation. In
addition, a local mesh refinement is defined to improve the stress results.
We will create a copy of the first Simulation Study and edit the copy to define
the second analysis.
1 Right-click the Simulation Study (Separation Contact) node at the top of
the browser and click Copy Simulation. The new simulation is
automatically activated.
2 Right-click the newly created Simulation Study browser node and click the
Edit Simulation Properties. The properties dialog box displays.
3 Change the simulation Name to Local mesh refinement.
4 Click OK.
Specify Local Mesh Controls

Next, we define the local mesh refinement.
1 Activate Mesh View and orient the model as shown.
2 Right-click the Mesh folder, and click Local Mesh Control.
3 Select the corner blend face, and enter 0.5 mm for the Element Size
value.
4 Click OK.
5 To preview the mesh, right-click the Mesh folder and click Update
Mesh.
Specify Local Mesh Controls | 55
The mesh preview shows a much finer mesh at the corner blend face compared
to the mesh from the first simulation.
Run the Simulation Again

After making the previous modifications, run the Simulate command using the
right-click menu or the command from the ribbon.
1 In the Solve panel, click the Simulate

command, the Simulate
2 Click Run. The Simulation progress is reported in the dialog box.

3 Click OK.
View and Interpret the Results Again

Again, the Results folder is populated with the results.
1 Expand the Results node. By default, the Von Mises Stress plot displays.
2 In the Display panel, click Show Maximum Result

to display the
location of the maximum result. Hide components, as needed, to see the
exact location.
View and Interpret the Results Again | 57
Maximum result values can be also shown in the Parametric Table for summary
and comparison with other simulations. In this case, we will add a local
constraint (maximum result value for a specific assembly component)
1 In the Manage panel, click the Parametric Table
command.
2 Right-click on a cell in the table, and click Add Design Constraint.

3 Click Von Mises Stress
4 Close the parametric table.
To compare result values in the Parametric table, simply check the
corresponding boxes in the other simulation studies.
Summary
In this tutorial, you created two simulations. In completing each simulation, you
learned how to:
Copy an existing simulation to make new ones.
Define manual Contacts.
Modify automatic contacts.
Add local mesh controls.
Display design constraints in the parametric table.
Use multi-select to change component visibility.
Use Copy / Paste for material overrides.
What Next? As a next step, consider completing the following tutorials:
Part Modal and Stress Analysis
Assembly Modal Analysis
Previous (page 57)
Summary | 59
60
Assembly Modal Analysis
61
About this tutorial
Perform a structural frequency (modal analysis) study to find natural mode

shapes and frequencies of vibration.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
30 minutes
Tutorial Files
Used
Suspension-Fork_Complete.iam
62 | Chapter 4 Assembly Modal Analysis
The tutorial uses an Inventor assembly. It demonstrates the process to create,
solve and view results using 3D plots to illustrate the various mode shapes and
corresponding frequency values.
Manual contacts and selection of advanced meshing settings are included.
The first 10 mode shapes are found and the results are explained.
Objectives
Create a new modal simulation.
Use Manual Contacts to establish the correct relationship between
components.
Exclude components, or use a Design View Representation to remove
components from the simulation.
Override materials.
Add constraints.
Manually add contacts.
Specify mesh parameters.
Run the simulation.
View the results.
Prerequisites
Complete the Assembly Stress Analysis & Contacts and Mesh

Refinement tutorials.
Navigation Tips
Next (page 64)
About this tutorial | 63
Open the Assembly
1 Check to see that the project file is set to Tutorial_Files.ipj.

2 Click the Open command, and navigate to the Assembly FEA 3 folder.
3 Click on Suspension-Fork_Complete.iam, and click Open.
Alternatively, double-click the .iam file.
4 Use Save As to save the model to a new name, such as
Suspension-Fork_Stress.iam. It is not necessary to say Yes to all
components.
5 In the model browser, expand the Representations folder and then the
Level of Detail folder.
6 Double-click the All Parts Suppressed level of detail representation.
7 In the browser, right-click and clear the check mark next to Suppress for
the following components:
Fork-Crown:1
Fork-Slider:1
Fork-Tube:1
Fork-Slider_MIR:1
Fork-Tube_MIR:1
8 Right-click the Level of Detail folder node, and click New Level of
Detail.
9 Rename the new representation to Stress LOD.
10 Save the assembly model.
We made this level of detail representation to take advantage of the stress
analysis environments use of representations.
Create a Simulation Study

To create a simulation you must switch to the Stress Analysis Environment,
then you can begin to define the simulation.
Analysis.
This action takes you into the stress analysis environment.
2 Click on the Create Simulation

command. The Create New
Simulation dialog box displays.
3 For the Simulation Name, specify Mode Shapes.
4 Leave the Design Objective set to Single Point.
5 For Simulation Type, select Modal Analysis.
6 Enter 10 for the number of modes.
7 Check the Enhanced Accuracy option. The remaining parameters use
default settings.
Create a Simulation Study | 65
8 On the Model State tab, for Level of Detail, select Stress LOD. Note that
it may already be active.
9 Click OK. A new Simulation Study is created and populates the browser
with simulation-related folders.
Exclude Components
In any assembly, there can be components and part features that are not
affected by the forces acting on the assembly or have no bearing on the
outcome of applying the forces.
For these reasons, and to help the simulation solve faster, it is good to exclude
those parts when simulating an assembly response. For a single part simulation,
you consider suppressing specific model features.
For an assembly analysis, you use the component context menu option
Exclude From Simulation. Exclusion is different from suppression, which is
what is done when you use a Level of Detail representation. If you think you
plan to use the component at a later date in the same simulation, then use the
Exclude From Simulation. If you know you will not refer to it later, then you can
use a Level of Detail representation.
Because we purposely defined an Assembly Level of Detail representation for
this stress analysis simulation, we do not need to exclude several parts. We
simply specify that the simulation will use that representation.
NOTE In most cases, this is the optimum way to lower the component count.
If you do not specify the Level of detail representation when first creating the
simulation, then you can use the following steps to make use of it.
1 Right-click the Simulation browser node, and click Edit Simulation
Properties.
2 Click the dialog box Model State tab.
3 For Level of Detail input, click the drop-down list and select Stress
LOD.
4 Click OK. The assembly updates to represent the requested level of detail.
This workflow illustrates how advanced planning, wherever possible, can
reduce the effort needed in other phases of your design project.
Assign Materials
Next, you define the component materials. Not all Autodesk Inventor materials
are suited to analysis, so it is necessary to define materials completely in
advance, or select from the materials that are defined.
If you want to modify materials, use the Materials and Appearances tools.
Modifying materials is not part of this tutorial.
1 On the ribbon, click Stress Analysis tab Material panel Assign
.
The dialog box displays.
2 In the Override Materials column, click the cell for the first
component. It activates the materials list within the cell.
3 Click the down arrow to display the drop-down list, and click Titanium.
4 Right-click the cell, and select Copy.
5 Multi-select the other component cells of the Override Material
column, right-click, and select Paste.
6 Click OK to accept the changes and close the dialog box.
The Material browser node is populated with a material node containing a
node for each component assigned that material override.
Add Constraints
Using constraints, we specify the boundary conditions for this simulation.
1 In the Constraints panel, click Fixed Constraint. The dialog box

displays with the Selector command active and ready for use.
2 Choose the Fork-Crown face as shown in the following image.
3 Click OK.
Create Manual Contacts

To define contacts, we must do two things. First, we must have the software
automatically detect contacts that meet the default criteria found in the Stress
Analysis Settings. Second, we must manually define additional contacts.
Manual contacts, consisting of pairs of faces, are used for cases in which the
initial default contact tolerance is too small.
The default contact type is bonded; however, you can also assign various
contact types such as Separation, Sliding/no Separation, and so on.
In this example, we add a manual bonded contact to model the relative
displacement of the fork elements.
1 In the Contacts panel, click Manual Contacts.
Since you have not already run an automatic detection of contacts, you will
receive a message that automatic detection will be run before manual
contacts can be added.
2 Click OK.
Automatic contacts detect contacts within the default tolerance. Qualified
contacts populate the Contacts folder. Once automatic contacts have
been established, the Manual Contacts dialog box displays.
To see the automatically created contacts, expand the Contacts folder in
the browser.
3 When the Manual Contacts dialog box appears, select the outer surface of
Fork-Tube.ipt and the main interior surface of the Fork-Slider.ipt
components. The contact type should be Bonded. Click Apply.
4 Check to see if a contact was made between the Fork-Tube_MIR.ipt and

the main interior surface of the Fork-Slider_MIR.ipt components. The
contact type should be Bonded. If not, create the contact with these
components using the method from step 3.
5 One more manual contact must be added to represent the component to
which the Fork-Sliders are bolted. Select the two opposing faces of the
Fork-Slider as shown in the following image. View navigation commands
are available to orient the view.
6 Ensure the contact type is Bonded.

7 Click OK. A bonded contact is assigned between the two faces as seen in
the image.
Next, we specify the meshing options.
Create Manual Contacts | 69
Specify Mesh Options

Use the advanced meshing settings to create a mesh that considers this type of
curved and long geometry.
1 In the Prepare panel, click Mesh Settings.
2 In the dialog box:
Set Average Element Size to 0.05.

Check Create Curved Mesh Elements. Use this option to better
mesh round areas of the geometry.
Ensure that Use part based measure for assembly mesh is

checked. This option creates a higher mesh resolution in smaller
parts; it usually generates more elements for the overall assembly.
3 Click OK.
Preview Mesh and Run Simulation

Before starting the simulation, we can view the mesh.
1 In the Prepare panel, click Mesh View. Alternatively, you can rightclick the Mesh browser folder and select the command.
The command is a display state command and acts like an on/off switch
for the mesh display. Notice that in the upper corner of the graphics
window the node and element counts are presented.
2 In the Solve panel, click the Simulate command and a dialog box
displays.
3 Click Run, the Simulation progress displays in the dialog box.
View and Interpret Results

After the simulation finishes, the graphics window displays the first mode, and
the Results browser folder populates with all the simulation results.
View and Interpret Results | 71
1 Expand the Results folder.

2 Expand the Modal Frequency folder to expose the list of available
Mode Shapes corresponding to each calculated natural frequency.
Double-click the frequency of choice to display it.
The color bar shows relative displacement values. The units are not
applicable since the mode shapes values are relative (They have no actual
physical value at this point)
Now you can perform post-processing tasks using the Display panel
commands. These commands are described in Help.
Animate the results
1 In the browser, select a mode shape you want like to see animated.
2 Click the Animate Results command on the Result panel.
3 Specify 10 for the number of steps. Steps are analogous to images for
playback.
4 In the dialog box, click the Play command.
5 When finished observing the displacement animation, click OK to exit the

animation playback.
The Animate Results dialog box also has options for displaying the original
wireframe with the plot. You can also record the animation to present or retain
for records.
Summary
In this tutorial you performed a structural frequency (modal analysis) analysis

with the goal of finding natural mode shapes and frequencies of vibration. The
steps performed included:
Create a modal simulation.
Use Manual Contacts to establish the correct relationship between
components.
Exclude components, or use a Design View Representation to remove
components from the simulation.
Override materials
Add constraints
Manually add contacts
Specify mesh parameters
Run the simulation
View the results
Summary | 73
What Next? As a next step, visit http://www.autodesk.com and try some of the
Skill Builders for Stress Analysis. Try using some of these learned techniques on
your models.
Previous (page 71)
FEA Assembly Optimization
75
About this tutorial
Optimize an assembly model using the parametric variations provided in Stress

Analysis.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
30 minutes
Tutorial Files
Used
Robot Base.iam
76 | Chapter 5 FEA Assembly Optimization
Objectives
Minimize the mass of the structure while keeping displacement and stress
within allowable values. Consider safety criteria and profile size changes.
Prerequisites
Complete the Part Modal and Stress Analysis tutorial.

Familiarize yourself with the ribbon user interface.
Navigation Tips
Next (page 77)
Open the Assembly

1 Click
Open.
2 Set the Project File to Tutorial_Files.ipj.

3 Open Assembly Optimization using FEA Robot Base.iam.
Analysis
Define the Simulation

1 On the ribbon, Manage panel, click Create Simulation
Open the Assembly | 77
2 In the Create New Simulation dialog box, enter the following:
Name: Optimization
Design Objective: Parametric Dimension
Simulation Type: Static Analysis
3 Click OK. A new simulation is created and the browser is populated with
folders.
Assign Materials
1 On the ribbon bar, Material panel, click Assign Materials
2 For the base_plate:1 component, click the Override Material drop-down list
and select Steel. Notice that the Safety Factor column shows that Yield
Strength is used for safety analysis.
3 Right-click the Override Material cell for base_plate:1 and select Copy.
Multi-select the other Override Material cells, right-click, and select Paste.
Multiple instances of a component change with one paste. Click OK to
close the dialog box.
Adding Constraints
Add constraints to denote mechanical and environmental conditions.
1 On the ribbon bar, Constraints panel, click Fixed
2 Rotate the model and select the faces that would contact the floor surface.
3 Click OK.
Adding Loads
Define the load where the robot mounts to the base. The mounting plate on the
robot is round, and the base plate is square. To apply the force in the area
where the robot mounts, we must split the base plate face. (This step has
already been performed for you.)
1 On the ribbon bar, Loads panel, click Force
2 Move the cursor over the center of the base plate component to highlight
the round face. Click to select the face.
Adding Loads | 79
3 In the Force dialog box, for Magnitude, enter 2000 and click OK. A yellow
(default color) glyph denoting the force direction is positioned at the
center of the face.
Modify the Mesh

Review the mesh settings and make a minor adjustment.
1 On the ribbon bar, Prepare panel, click Mesh Settings
2 In the Mesh Settings dialog box, click Create Curved Mesh Elements.
This option creates elements that follow geometry curvature.
3 The Use part based measure for Assembly mesh option is checked by
default, which is correct for this simulation. This option produces a higher
mesh resolution in smaller parts, with a resulting increase in mesh
elements overall.
4 Click OK to apply the change and close the dialog box.
Preview the Mesh

Previewing the mesh is an optional step. Perform the mesh preview to examine
the mesh in areas where features are smaller, or where transitions occur, to
ensure an adequate mesh results.
On the ribbon bar, Prepare panel, click Mesh View
Preview the Mesh | 81
Create Parametric Geometry

Produce a range of geometric configurations, involving the width of the model
components, to facilitate weight optimization. First, expose model parameters
for use as simulation parameters.
1 In the Simulation browser, expand the Robot Base.iam node to expose the
components in the assembly. Right-click base_plate:1 and click Show
Parameters.
2 In the Select Parameters dialog box, select the check box next to the
MemberWidth parameter to include the parameter in the parametric
table.
3 Click OK.
Define the parameter range.
1 On the ribbon bar, Manage panel, click Parametric Table
2 In the Parameters section, base_plate.ipt row, for the MemberWidth

parameter, enter 1-2 in the Values cell. Press Enter to update the row
contents.
Once the parameter is defined, generate the parametric configurations.

1 In the Parameters section, right-click the MemberWidth row and select
Generate All Configurations.
2 After the configurations are generated, you can view them using the
Current Value slider.
Create Parametric Geometry | 83
Optimization Criteria
As mentioned at the outset, the goal is to minimize the mass using the range of
geometric configurations and safety factor criteria. The Design Constraints
section of the Parametric Table enables access to the results criteria. To add the
first design constraint:
1 If the Parametric Table is not displayed, in the Manage panel, click
Parametric Table.
2 In the Design Constraints section, right-click the row and select Add
Design Constraint.
3 In the Results Component section of the Select Design Constraint dialog
box, select Von Mises Stress. Geometry Selections is set to All Geometry.
Click OK. The result component is listed as a design constraint.
4 In the Max Von Mises Stress row, click the Constraint Type cell to access
the drop-down list. In the drop-down list select Upper limit.
5 In the Limit cell, enter 4.5e+004.
6 In the Safety Factor cell, enter 1.5.
Add Displacement as a design constraint.
1 Right-click a row and click Add Design Constraint.
2 In the Select Design Constraint dialog box, select Displacement. All
Geometry is the default. Click OK.
3 In the Constraint Type cell, select Upper limit.
4 In the Limit cell, enter 0.01.
Add Mass as a design constraint.
1 Right-click a row and click Add Design Constraint.

2 In the Select Design Constraint dialog box, select Mass and click OK.
For the Mass design constraint, leave the constraint type as View the
value. The Design Constraints section of the Parametric Table should
look like the following image:
Close the table.

Run the Simulation

1 On the ribbon bar, Solve panel, click Simulate
2 In the Simulate dialog box, ensure that the simulation will run using the
Smart set of configurations.
3 Click Run.

The Simulation browser Results node is populated with the simulation results.
However, we use the Parametric Table and the visualization capabilities to
assess the design and optimize for mass.
1 On the ribbon bar, Manage panel, click Parametric Table.

2 In the Parametric Table, note the presence of a green circle in two Result
Value cells. A green circle indicates that the Result Value is within the
associated safety factors.
3 Change the Mass Constraint Type to Minimize.

The parametric values change to show the configuration with the least
mass that meets the given constraints. In this case, the original profile
width value was 2 inches. The optimized configuration is 1.5 inches, which
reduces the mass.
NOTE If you move the slider to show a current value of 1.0, the table updates
and you see that maximum displacement exceeds the safety factor criteria. A
red square, next to the Result Value, denotes the condition.
View and animate 3D plots

View 3D and XY plots to understand the behavior of the model under the
defined boundary conditions.
After running a simulation, you can perform post-processing tasks using the
assorted commands in the Display panel. You can choose shading options,
display minimum and maximum labels, insert probes, and so on.
The Results node, in the Simulation browser, is populated with the simulation
results based on the criteria you specified. The Von Mises Stress result (default)
is displayed as a 3D color plot.
In this example, because of the connections between profile geometry, stress
concentrations are expected at the joints. To see the stress distribution farther
away from the concentrations, change the Color Bar settings.
1 On the ribbon bar, Display panel, click Color Bar.

2 In the dialog box, uncheck Maximum.
3 Enter 5 in the edit field above the check box. Click Apply.
4 Use the view commands to rotate the model so you can see the underside
of the assembly. Note how the stress is distributed in the members.
View and animate 3D plots | 87
To view other results such as Displacement, double-click the appropriate

browser node to update the display.
For simulations involving parametric dimensions, move the slider to various

parameter values to display the associated results.
View XY Plots
XY plots show a result component over the range of a parameter. To view an XY
plot, right-click the parameter row and select XY Plot.
The XY plot displays the Displacement results versus the parametric

configurations. Hover the cursor over a plot point to display the displacement
value at that point.
View XY Plots | 89
Summary
In this tutorial, you learned to:
Specify materials, constraints, and forces.
Specify parametric dimensions and generate configurations.
View different configurations as 3D color plots and XY plots.
What Next?
If you have not completed the other FEA tutorials, why not do so now? Or, if you
have not used Dynamic Simulation, work through those tutorials and learn how
to use that simulation output in the Stress Analysis environment.
Consider how this process applies to the products you design and manufacture.
Previous (page 88)
Summary | 91
92
Stress Analysis Contacts
About this tutorial

Use contacts to simulate interactions between assembly components in Inventor
Stress Analysis.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
45 minutes
Tutorial Files Used Caulk Gun.iam
data sets and the required Tutorial Files Installation Instructions, and install the
datasets as instructed.
Prerequisites
Perform some of the other Stress Analysis tutorials to become familiar with the
Stress Analysis environment..
Navigation Tips
Use Next or Previous at the bottom-left to advance to the next page or return
to the previous one.
Next (page 94)
93
Overview
In the structural analysis of an assembly involving multiple parts, you create
contacts to define the relationship between the parts. Contacts transfer load
between parts while preventing parts from penetrating each other. Contacts can
simulate interaction between bodies that separate or come into contact during
loading. Without contacts, parts do not interact with each other in the simulation.
There are several different contact types you can use to simulate the physical
behavior of an assembly. This tutorial presents an assembly modeled with many
of the types of contact available in Inventor Stress Analysis. The contacts have
already been created, either automatically or manually, in the model.
Open the Assembly

A model of a caulk gun illustrates different contact types and how to use them in
a static, structural analysis.
1 Click
Open.
2 Set the Project File to Tutorial_Files.ipj.

3 Open Stress Analysis Contacts Caulk Gun.iam.
94 | Chapter 6 Stress Analysis Contacts
How a Caulk Gun Works

We considered the following mechanics of the caulk gun when creating the
simulation.
How a Caulk Gun Works | 97
1 User holds the handle [1] and pulls back on the trigger [2].
2 The pin end of the trigger [3] pushes the actuator [4] forward.
3 The actuator tightly engages the plunger [5] and pushes it forward.
4 The plunger head [6] pushes the caulk tube bottom.
5 The tube is held in place by a ring [7] at the end of the caulk gun.
Assembly Simulation
The caulk gun is an assembly which consists of several parts, some of which
can move. Several operational scenarios can exist for the caulk gun, but we
chose to simulate the assembly in a static equilibrium state.
This simulation investigates when the trigger is pulled and the pushing force on
the bottom of the caulk tube is about to overcome the internal tube resistance.
At this instant, just before caulk exits the tube, the assembly is in static
equilibrium.
On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel Stress
Analysis
to enter the Stress Analysis environment.
Expand Caulk Gun.iam in the Stress Analysis browser. We exclude the

following components from the simulation:
Caulk Tube [8]
Actuator Spring [9] (not modeled, but simulated with Spring contact)
Lock Spring [10]
Lock [11]
Assembly Simulation | 99
Contact Types
Inventor Stress Analysis provides the following Contact types:
Bonded
Separation
Sliding / No Separation
Separation / No Sliding
Shrink Fit / Sliding
Shrink Fit / No Sliding
Spring
In the Stress Analysis browser, expand the Contacts node to view the contact
types currently in use for the caulk gun simulation. As you create or edit
contacts, they are added under existing contact type nodes or to newly created
nodes.
Contact Types | 101
In the browser, right-click a contact and select Edit Contact. The Edit Automatic
Contact or Edit Manual Contact dialog box displays and shows the available
contact types:
Bonded Contact
The Bonded contact simulates rigid bonding of faces to each other. Typical
Bonded contacts include weld or glue joints between two parts.
In the model, the Front Frame-Main Frame and the Front Frame-Handle
interfaces are weld joints, as shown in the following image. You use Bonded
contacts to simulate these joints in the simulation.
Separation Contact
The Separation contact allows separation between parts but prohibits part
penetration.
In the model, the pin end of the trigger contacts the actuator. When you pull the
trigger, the pin end of the trigger pushes the actuator forward. When the trigger
is released, the pin end and the actuator can separate. Since the pin end cannot
penetrate the actuator and separation can occur between the parts, the contact
relationship is simulated with the Separation contact.
Separation Contact | 103
Sliding and No Separation Contact

The Sliding/No Separation contact allows relative sliding between contact
faces, but prohibits separation.
Sliding/No Separation can occur between planar faces like the Trigger-Handle
interface.
Sliding and No Separation Contact | 105
It can also occur between circular faces such as the Pin-Handle and Pin-Trigger
interfaces.
Separation and No Sliding Contact

The Separation/No Sliding contact allows contact faces to separate, but
prohibits relative sliding when they touch.
For the Actuator-Plunger interface, the Separation/No Sliding contact is
appropriate. When the trigger is pulled, the actuator is pushed forward. This
results in separation between the top surface of the plunger and the actuator. At
the same time, engagement occurs between the bottom surface of the plunger
and the actuator. It is reasonable to assume that the engagement/separation
occurs without slippage between the actuator and plunger.
In the following image, note that the surfaces of the plunger and actuator are
split into multiple faces. In this manner, the contact surfaces are more explicitly
defined.
Separation and No Sliding Contact | 107
Shrink Fit and No Sliding Contact

The Shrink Fit/No Sliding contact simulates conditions like Separation/No
Sliding with the parts in an initial state of interference.
The model has a ring that tightly fits the front frame and prevents the caulk tube
from exiting the caulk gun when the plunger moves forward. The front face of
the ring registers against the front frame without penetration. Therefore, this
interface is simulated with the Separation contact.
The outer diameter of the ring has an interference fit with the front frame. The
ring is press fit into the frame so that it remains in position without a caulk gun in
place. This press fit allows the operator to push the ring out easily and replace it
with a different size, as appropriate. The outer diameter of the ring and the front
frame can separate without sliding. Since they are initially in a state of
interference, the Shrink Fit/No Sliding contact is appropriate.
Shrink Fit and No Sliding Contact | 109
Spring Contact
The Spring contact simulates conditions of a spring between two faces.
In the model, the actuator spring is simulated using a Spring contact. The use of
the Spring contact eliminates complexities associated with modeling the
physical spring part.
Loads and Constraints

With the contacts defined, proceed further with the model analysis.
To use the caulk gun, you hold the handle and pull the trigger. From the static
analysis point of view, the components are under force and deform before the
plunger head moves the bottom of the tube. We can reasonably assume that
the components deform relative to the main frame. As such, we can apply a:
Fixed constraint on the main frame edge [12]
Force on the handle [13]
Force on the trigger [14]
Force on the plunger head [15]
Force on the ring [16]
Loads and Constraints | 111
The tube is held in place by the front frame, ring, and plunger head. When the
force from plunger head is large enough, the bottom of the tube moves further
into the tube and pushes caulk out of the nozzle. For the static analysis, we
simulate the instant at which the force on the tube bottom is in equilibrium with
the tube resistance. Before the tube bottom moving, we examine the stress and
deformation of the whole structure and components.
Simulation Results
1 On the Stress Analysis tab, Solve panel, click Simulate
2 On the Simulate dialog box, click Run to begin the simulation.

The Simulate dialog box remains open, displaying the progress bar, until the
computation is complete.
When the simulation finishes, a deformation plot of the model is shown in the
graphics window. The Von Mises Stress results are also displayed using the
default color bar settings. On the Display panel, click Maximum Value
to view the maximum stress and its location.
The maximum Von Mises Stress of approximately 291 MPa occurs on the Pin.
To view the location of maximum stress, turn off the visibility of all parts except
the Pin.
Simulation Results | 113
As this stress is greater than the Pin material (steel) yield strength of 207 MPa,
the analysis indicates the Pin will yield. To meet strength criteria, you modify the
design or change the Pin material.
NOTE In this tutorial, the model is intended to illustrate the contact types and
their application. Some contact areas such as the Plunger-Actuator interface
are small. Take care when providing spring stiffness and force values as the
displacement and stress results are sensitive to parameter values. Also note
that some parts may have areas of large deformation, which are better suited
to a nonlinear analysis.
Summary
In this tutorial, you learned about Inventor Stress Analysis contacts and how
they simulate interactions between assembly components.
What Next?
To investigate design workflows further using Inventor Stress Analysis, refer to
other Help documents and tutorials included with Inventor.
Previous (page 112)
Summary | 115
116
Frame Analysis
About this tutorial
Perform basic structural analysis of your frame structures with respect to

deformations and stresses.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
30 minutes
117
Tutorial File Used analyze_frame.iam
The Frame Analysis environment is a special environment within assembly and
weldment files. The environment has commands unique to its purpose. You can
access the tools from the Design or Environments tabs.
When you open a Frame Analysis and set up your simulation, the assembly
frame model is automatically converted to a simplified model of nodes and
beams. The graphics window displays beams, nodes, and the gravity glyph.
Then, you define the boundary conditions (consisting of loads and constraints).
You can also change beam materials, and specify connections (releases and
rigid links). Once these inputs are entered, you can run the simulation and view
the behavior relative to the conditions you defined.
Objectives
Evaluate and assign materials.
Evaluate and assign beam properties.
Add loads.
Add constraints.
Run a simulation.
View the results.
Prerequisites
Know how to use the Quick Access toolbar, tabs, and panels on the ribbon,
Know how to navigate the model space with the various view tools.
Complete the Frame Generator tutorial.
See the Help topics for further information.
118 | Chapter 7 Frame Analysis
Navigation Tips
Next (page 119)
Open the Assembly

To begin, open the assembly to analyze.
1 Click the Open
2 Set the Project File to tutorial_files.ipj

3 Select Frame Analysis 1 analyze_frame.iam.
4 Click Open.
5 Click Save as to save the file with a different name, such as:
analyze_frame_tutorial.iam.
Frame Analysis Environment

We are ready to enter the Frame Analysis environment.
1 On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel Frame

Analysis
Initially, there are only three commands enabled: Create Simulation,

Frame Analysis Settings, and Finish Frame Analysis. For now,
create a simulation and review the settings in the next step.
command.
The Create New Simulation dialog box opens.

You can use the dialog box settings to specify a unique name, simulation
type, and other simulation parameters.
There are two types of Frame Analysis.
Static Analysis evaluates structural loading conditions.
Modal Analysis evaluates natural frequency modes.
NOTE On the Model State tab, you specify the Design View, Positional,
and Level of Detail to use for the simulation. Also, you can specify the
iAssembly member to be associated with the simulation. The settings can
be different for each simulation.
3 Click OK to accept the default settings for this simulation.

The Inventor model is automatically converted into idealized nodes and
beams, and a simulation is created. A gravity symbol also displays.
Frame Analysis Environment | 121

commands enable after you run the simulation.
Frame Analysis Settings

Frame Analysis settings apply to all new simulations. Whenever a new frame
simulation is started, these preferences are used.
In the Frame Analysis Settings dialog box, you can specify:
If Heads up Display is the preferred method used during input and edit.
Colors for displayed boundary conditions, nodes, rigid links, gravity.
Scale for displayed nodes, loads, and constraints.
Default visibility settings for all components (beams and other parts) after the
conversion.
Solver method used for beam releases.
Display of diagrams.
In this tutorial, we use the dialog boxes for input of boundary conditions
values.
On the ribbon, click Frame Analysis Settings
in the Settings panel.
In the General tab, clear the Use HUD in Application check box. Click
OK.
Assign Materials
The next step is to look at the model materials and adjust the material.
For this simulation, we only make a minor material change using materials that
are fully defined.
Before you perform simulations, ensure that your material definitions are
complete for those materials being analyzed. When a material is not completely
or inadequately defined, a warning message displays in the Status folder in the
browser. You cannot run a simulation until you change the material.
NOTE You cannot edit a material if the project setting Use Styles Library is set
to Read-Only. To change the setting requires exiting the tutorial. In this tutorial,
we use a material that is already fully defined. You can modify the other
materials at a later time.
1 In the browser, expand the Beams folder, and select Beam:1. Right-click
and select Beam Materials. In the Beam Material dialog box, select the
beam (DIN U 200 00000001.ipt) in the Beams area.
NOTE Beam Material dialog box is also accessible when you click
Material
on the Beams panel in the ribbon.
2 Check the Customize box.

NOTE The Customize check box is only available when the parent beam
is selected.
3 In the drop-down menu in the Material area, select Stainless Steel,
Austenitic.
4 Click OK to exit the Beam Material dialog box.
The browser Materials folder receives a Stainless Steel, Austenitic - DIN U
200 00000001.ipt folder added with all the components referencing that material
listed within that folder. If you delete individual components from the folder, their
material reverts to the assembly assigned material.
Change Beam Properties

You can also change beam properties.
1 In the Beams panel, click the Properties

command. The dialog
box displays the list of beams, and basic and mechanical properties of a
selected frame member.
2 To change the data, select the parent beam in the Beams area.
3 Check the Customize box to make the edits. In this tutorial, we do not
customize any data.
4 Click Cancel to exit the Beam Properties dialog box.
Change Direction of Gravity

When a frame analysis is created, gravity is automatically applied. In this
tutorial, we change its direction.
1 In the browser, expand the Loads folder. Select Gravity
and select Edit.
. Right-click,
2 In the Gravity dialog box, select Z Direction from the drop-down list.
3 Click OK to close the Gravity dialog box.
Add Constraints
Next, we define the boundary conditions by adding structural constraints and
loads. We start with constraints first.
NOTE Constraints are required for frame simulations. If you start a
simulation without constraints, a dialog box displays the error message: No
constraints defined.
1 In the Constraints panel, click Pinned
. The dialog box
displays with the Origin selector active.

2 Select the beam as shown in the image. The preview of the pinned
constraint displays.
Add Constraints | 125
3 Make sure the Absolute option is selected in the Pinned Constraint dialog
box. We insert the offset value using the absolute values measured from
the beginning of the beam.
NOTE You can use the Local Systems command

in the Display
panel to show the beam coordinate systems to define the beginning of the
beams.
4 In the Pinned Constraint dialog box, set Offset to 170 mm, and click OK.
The Pinned constraint is applied.
5 Insert the second pinned constraint to the same beam. Again, click
Pinned
in the Constraints panel.
6 Select the same beam, and set Offset to 2330 mm. Click OK.
Add Constraints | 127
Add Constraints to the Next Beam

We must insert pinned constraints to the opposite side of the cart.
1 In the browser, select Constraints folder. Right-click and select Pinned

Constraint
2 Select the beam as shown in the following image. The preview of the
pinned constraint displays.
3 In the Pinned Constraint dialog box, set Offset to 170 mm, and click OK.
Pinned constraint is applied.
4 Insert the second pinned constraint to the same beam. In the browser,
select Constraints folder. Right-click and select Pinned Constraint
.
5 Select the same beam, and set Offset to 2330 mm. Click OK.
We applied all necessary constraints so we can add loads now.

Add Loads
Now assign loads on the components.
1 In the Loads panel, click Force

Origin selector active.
. The dialog box displays with the
Add Loads | 129
2 Select the middle beam where the force is acting.
3 In the dialog box, enter 500 N for the Magnitude value, and 0 degrees for
Angle of Plane.
NOTE The Angle of plane specifies the rotation of the XY plane where the
force is acting. Angle in plane defines the angle of the applied force from
the Z-axis.
4 Click the
More button to expand the dialog box to display additional
controls for specifying the force vector. In the Offset area, check the
Relative box. You can now position the force to the middle of the selected
beam. Enter 0.5 in the Offset edit field in the upper part of the
dialog box. Click OK to exit the Force dialog box.
Run the Simulation

In the Solve panel, click Simulate

showing the status of the simulation.
. The progress bar displays
View and Interpret Results
After the simulation completes, the graphics window displays the Displacement
results plot, by default. Expand the Results folder to explore the complete set of
results.
There are various commands for viewing result data. Most are located in the
Result and Display panels.
Save the assembly. You use this assembly in the Frame Analysis Results
and Modal Type of Frame Analysis tutorials.
Summary
The previous image is what you see if you look at the Fx Forces results for this
simulation.
Now you have a basic understanding of the typical workflow in the frame
analysis environment. This workflow includes:
Creating a simulation.
Assigning materials as overrides of the existing material.
Adding constraints and loads, sometimes called boundary conditions.
Running a simulation.
Viewing the results.
What Next? As a next step, explore the tools available for viewing and
interpreting results. The Frame Analysis Results tutorial takes you through
these topics.
Summary | 133
Previous (page 132)
Frame Analysis Results
About this tutorial
Category
Simulation
Time Required
15 minutes
Tutorial File Used analyze_frame_tutorial.iam
135
Objectives
Open a simulation.
Display and edit diagrams.
View beam detail.
Adjust displacement display.
Display maximal and minimal values in the graphics window.
Animate results.
Generate report.
Prerequisites
Complete the Frame Analysis tutorial.

Know how to use the Quick Access toolbar, tabs and panels on the ribbon,
Navigation Tips
Next (page 136)
Get Started
To begin, open the assembly to analyze.
1 Click the Open

3 Select Frame Analysis 1 analyze_frame_tutorial.iam.
136 | Chapter 8 Frame Analysis Results
NOTE This assembly was created during Frame Analysis tutorial.

4 Click Open.

On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel Frame Analysis
.
We created a simulation during the Frame Analysis tutorial so the model with
simulation results displays. The displacement results plot displays in the
graphics window by default.

All the commands in the ribbon panels are now enabled for use. We can use
the commands for viewing and interpreting results.
In the browser, expand the Results folder.

The Results folder includes results for Displacement, Forces, Moments, Normal
Stresses, Shear Stresses, Torsional Stresses, and the Diagrams folder.
Expand a folder and double-click to display the particular result.
When there are any errors or warnings during a simulation, they display in the
Status folder. Our simulation ran without any problems, so the Status folder is
empty.
We now explore various tools located in the Result and Display panels for
viewing result data.
Display Maximum and Minimum Values

Minimum and maximum values quickly show the locations of load extremes.
In the Display panel, click Max Value

. In the graphics window, a label
with a leader points to the location of the maximum value.
In the Display panel, click Min Value

. In the graphics window, a label
with a leader points to the location of the minimum value.
NOTE You can drag the labels to different locations.
The following image shows maximum and minimum values for the
Displacement results plot.
Cancel the selection of the Max Value and Mix Value options in the Display
panel to hide the values.
View Beam Detail

You can display detailed results for the selected beams. In the Result panel,
click Beam Detail
First, select a beam whose results you want to display. Select a beam as shown
in the following image.
View Beam Detail | 141
In the Diagram Selection area, select the result data you want to display as a
diagram. Select a particular force, moment, or stress to display its diagram, Fz
for example. The displayed diagram is for viewing only and cannot be edited.
A complete list of beam results displays on the right side of the dialog box.
Click OK to close the dialog box.
Display and Edit Diagrams

To display results for a given beam, you can add user-defined diagrams to the
graphics window. In the Result panel, click Diagram
In the Beams area, select how you want to specify which beams are included in
the diagrams. In this tutorial, check the Selected Beams box, and select the
beam as shown in the following image.
Now, select which results you want to display. Check the Fx and Fy boxes in the
Loads area.
Display and Edit Diagrams | 143
Click OK to close the Diagram dialog box.

You can adjust the display of beam diagrams in the Diagram Scales dialog box.
In the browser, select Diagrams, right-click, and select Diagram Scales
. Use the Expand, Contract, and Normalize buttons to adjust the scale of
diagrams. Click OK to see the change in the scale in displayed diagrams.
Adjust Displacement Display

You can scale the model deformation using the options in the Adjust
Displacement Display drop-down list in the Display panel.
Expand the Results folder, and double-click the Displacement browser node.
Select a multiple to improve the view of the deformation of the model. In

the following image, the Adjusted x0.5 option is selected.
In the following image, the Adjusted x5 option is selected.
Adjust Displacement Display | 145
Animate the Results

Now, create an animation of the results.
1 Click Animate
in the Result panel.
2 In the Animate Results dialog box, specify number of steps. Set the Steps
edit field to 8.
3 Specify the playback speed. Select Normal in the Speed drop-down
menu.
4 Click the Play
playback.
command to see the animation. You can pause
5 When you finish the displacement animation, click OK to exit the

animation playback.
The Animate Results dialog box also has options for displaying the original
wireframe with the plot. You can also record the animation to present or retain
for records.
Generate Report
We can generate a report of the simulation results which includes all the
simulation data and outputs.
1 Click Report
in the Publish panel.
2 On the General tab, check the Custom box.

3 Switch to the Simulations tab, and make sure the Material and Cross
Section in the tree are selected.
4 Switch to the Format tab and make sure the Web page multiple files
(.html) option is selected in the Report Format drop-down menu.
5 Click OK to close the dialog box and create the HTML report.
Report contains text and PNG images that represent a static snapshot of the
analysis results.
Generate Report | 147
Summary
Now you have an understanding of the tools you can use to view and interpret
results of frame analysis. You know how to:
Display and edit diagrams.
View beam detail.
Adjust displacement display.
Display maximal and minimal values in the graphics window.
Animate results.
Generate report.
What Next? As a next step, look into creating advanced connections (releases
and rigid links), and adding custom nodes to the beam model. The Frame
Analysis Connections tutorial takes you through these topics.
Previous (page 147)
Frame Analysis Connections
About this tutorial
Add and define connections to simulate interactions between assembly

components in Inventor Frame Analysis.
Category
Simulation
149
Time Required
30 minutes
Tutorial File Used analyze_frame.iam
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the Frame Analysis environment by doing the Frame
Analysis and Frame Analysis Results tutorials.
Navigation Tips
Next (page 150)
Connections Overview
In the analysis of a frame assembly, you create connections to define the
relationship between beams. Connections transfer load between beams while
preventing beams from penetrating each other. Connections can simulate
interaction between beams that separate or come into contact during loading.
Without connections, beams do not interact with each other in the simulation.
There are two connection types you can use to simulate the physical behavior of
a frame assembly.
Rigid links are used to model rigid elements of elastic structures (definition of a
rigid body in a structure). Displacements and rotations defined for a rigid link
can be limited to certain selected degrees of freedom.
You need at least two nodes to define a rigid link, one parent node and one or
more child nodes. A parent node passes its parameters down to child nodes
during simulation.
Releases of specified degrees of freedom can be applied to start or the end of
the beam with possible elasticity.
150 | Chapter 9 Frame Analysis Connections
Open the Assembly

To begin with, we open the assembly to analyze.
1 Click the Open

3 Select Frame Analysis 1 analyze_frame.iam.
4 Click Open.
analyze_frame_connections.iam

1 On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel Frame
Analysis

command.
The Create New Simulation dialog box displays.
3 Switch to the Model State tab. In the Design View drop-down menu,
select Default. the default view displays the complete assembly that we
want to analyze.
4 Click OK to close the dialog box.
The Inventor model is automatically converted into idealized nodes and
beams, and a simulation is created. The Gravity symbol also displays.

commands enable after you run the simulation.
Change Direction of Gravity

When a simulation is created, gravity is automatically applied. In this tutorial, we
change the direction of gravity.
1 In the browser, expand the Loads folder. Select Gravity
and select Edit.
. Right-click
2 In the Gravity dialog box, select Z Direction from the drop-down list.
3 Click OK to close the Gravity dialog box.
Add Custom Nodes

Next, we add nodes to the selected beams of the frame structure. Custom
nodes are used for defining the loads, constraints, releases, and rigid links.
1 In the Connections panel, click Custom Node

. A Heads Up
Display (HUD) is used as the default edit method. It prompts you to select
a beam where we place the custom nodes.
2 Select the beam as shown in the following image.
3 Enter 170 mm to the Offset edit field and click Done

. Repeat the
same steps to insert a second custom node to the same beam. Click the
Custom Node command, select the beam, enter 2330 mm and click Done
.
4 Now, we insert custom nodes to the parallel beam. In the Connections
panel, click Custom Node
Add Custom Nodes | 155
5 Select the beam as shown on the image.
. Repeat the
same steps to insert a second custom node to the same beam. Click the
Custom Node command, select the beam, enter 2330 mm and click
Done
Add Custom Nodes

We also insert custom nodes to the rails under the cart wheels. Later, we use
all these nodes to create rigid links.
1 In the Connections panel, click Custom Node

. Insert a
second custom node to the same beam. Right-click and select Repeat
Custom Node. Select the same beam, enter 3920 mm and click Done
.
Add Custom Nodes | 157
4 Now, we insert custom nodes to the parallel beam. In the Connections
panel, click Custom Node
. Insert a
second custom node to the same beam. Right-click, and select Repeat
Custom Node. Select the same beam, enter 3920 mm and click Done
.
We inserted all custom nodes that we need for our analysis. Custom Nodes are
listed in the Nodes folder in the browser. Their numbers were assigned in the
order we defined them, starting from the first available node number.
NOTE You can also display the node numbers in the graphics window. In the
Display panel, click Node Labels
Change Color of Custom Nodes

We can graphically differentiate custom nodes in the graphics window.
1 On the ribbon, in the Settings panel, click Frame Analysis Settings
2 On the General tab, in the Colors area, click the arrow button next to the
Custom Nodes field.
3 On the Color dialog box, select a color for custom nodes. Select a red
color
box.
, and click OK to save the changes and exit the Color dialog
Change Color of Custom Nodes | 159
4 Click OK in the Frame Analysis Settings dialog box. All custom nodes
now display in red color in the graphics window.
Assign Rigid Links

Now we define the rigid links to create connections between selected nodes.
We create rigid links between nodes located under and above the cart wheels.
1 In the Connections panel, click Rigid Link
2 The Parent Node button is automatically activated. Select the node as

shown in the following image:
Assign Rigid Links | 161
3 The Child Nodes button activates. Select the node as shown on the
image:
4 On the Rigid Link dialog box, in the Rotation area, clear the Y-Axis check
box. The Rigid link is free to rotate about the Y-axis. Click Apply.
5 The Rigid Links dialog box remains open after we create our first rigid link.
Define rigid links between nodes under and below remaining three cart
wheels. Always, select the node below the wheel as a parent node, and a
node above the wheel as a child node. For all rigid links, clear the
Y-Axis check box in the Rotation area. In the image, see which nodes to
select to create rigid links. When you define the last rigid link, click OK
to close the Rigid Link dialog box.
Assign Rigid Links | 163
6 Now, four new rigid links are created between selected custom nodes.
Add Constraints
The simulation cannot be successfully performed without constraints. We
insert constraints to four edge nodes on rails.
NOTE Constraints are required for frame simulations. If you start a
simulation without constraints, a dialog box opens and displays the error
message: No constraints are defined.
1 In the Constraints panel, click Fixed
2 You are prompted to select an origin of the fixed constraint. Select any of
the nodes at the end of rails. Order is not important because we insert
fixed constraints to all these four nodes as shown in the following image.
NOTE A symbol is displayed at the node when the constraint is applied,

and a node is added to the browser.
3 After you apply the first fixed constraint, right-click and select Repeat
Fixed Constraint. Select another node at the end of beam rails. Use this
method to place fixed constraints to all four nodes at the ends of rails. You
can zoom in the graphics window to see if constraints are applied.
Run the Simulation


View the Results
After the simulation completes, the graphics window displays the Displacement
results plot. The complete set of results is posted in the Results folder.
The status messages about the simulation display in the Status folder. Our
simulation ran without any problems or errors so the Status folder is empty.
There are various commands for viewing result data. Most of them are located
in the Result and Display panels.
Assign a Release
We now assign a release with free rotation to one of the rails below the cart.
Notice that it gets much more deformed than the opposite rail.
1 In the Connections panel, click Release
Assign a Release | 167
2 Select the beam as shown in the image.
A beam coordinate system is shown while editing, closer to the start end of
the beam. Also, symbols of degrees of freedom at start and end node of
the beam display. The following symbols are used:
x means a fixed type of displacement or rotation
f means an uplift none type of displacement or rotation
f+ means an uplift+ type of displacement or rotation
f- means an uplift- type of displacement or rotation
3 In the Release dialog box, the uplift none options are set for all three
rotational axes. Rotation is free to move in all directions. Accept the
default settings, and click OK to assign a release to the selected beam.
Run the Simulation Again

Because we changed the inputs for our simulation, there is a browser icon
next to the Results browser node. It indicates that results do not reflect
current inputs.
We must rerun the simulation to update results.
Run the Simulation Again | 169

View the Updated Results
After the simulation completes, the graphics display presents the Displacement
results plot. Also, the
icon disappeared from the Results browser node.
The results now reflect current inputs and simulation properties.
You can see that the released rail is more deformed that the opposite rail
without a release.
Summary
Now you have a basic understanding of how to work with a connection in

frame analysis. You learned how to:
Change direction of Gravity.
Add custom nodes.
Summary | 171
Assign rigid links.

Set the degrees of freedom of rigid links.
Assign releases.
Run a simulation.
Viewing and interpreting the results.
What Next? As a next step, look into creating a modal type of frame analysis, and interpreting the
modal frequencies. The Modal Type of Frame Analysis tutorial takes you through these topics.
Previous (page 170)
Modal Type of Frame

Analysis
10
About this tutorial
173
Perform a structural frequency (modal analysis) study to find natural mode shapes and
frequencies of vibration.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
15 minutes
Tutorial File Used analyze_frame_tutorial.iam
NOTE Click and read the required Tutorial Files Installation Instructions athttp://www.autodesk.com/inventor-tutorial-data-sets . Then download the tutorial data sets and
the required Tutorial Files Installation Instructions, and install the datasets as instructed.
The tutorial uses an Inventor assembly with frames and demonstrates the process of creating,
solving, and viewing results. We use 3D plots to illustrate the various mode shapes and
corresponding frequency values.
Objectives
Change simulation properties.
Exclude components from simulation.
Run a simulation.
View the results.
Create an animation of results.
Prerequisites
Complete the Frame Analysis tutorial.

Navigation Tips
Use Next or Previous at the bottom-left to advance to the next page or return to the
previous one.
Next (page 175)
174 | Chapter 10 Modal Type of Frame Analysis
Open the Assembly

To begin, we open the assembly to analyze.
1 Click the Open

3 Select Frame Analysis 1 analyze_frame_tutorial.iam.
NOTE This assembly was created during the Frame Analysis tutorial.
4 Click Open.
analyze_frame_modal_type.iam

Enter the Frame Analysis environment.
On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel Frame Analysis
.
Create a Simulation Study

The Frame Analysis environment activates.
We created a simulation during the Frame Analysis tutorial so the model with
simulation results displays. The Displacement results plot displays in the
graphics window, by default.
We change the simulation properties and create a modal analysis.

1 In the browser, select Simulation:1. Right-click, and select Edit
Simulation.
2 In the Edit Simulation Properties dialog box, select Modal Analysis.
Click OK.
Run the Simulation

Because we changed the simulation properties, there is a browser icon
next to the Results browser node indicating that results do not reflect current
inputs.
We must rerun the simulation to updatethe results.

status of the simulation.
. The progress bar displays showing the
View the Results

After the simulation completed, the icon
disappeared from the Results browser node.
The results now reflect current inputs and simulation properties.
Also, a Modal Frequency folder was created under the Results browser node.
Expand the Modal Frequency folder to expose the list of available Mode Shapes
corresponding to each calculated natural frequency. Double-click the frequency of choice to
display it.
The following image shows the first three modal frequencies of the performed analysis.
Animate the Results

Now you can perform post-processing tasks using the Result panel commands.
These commands are described in Help.
Create an animation:
1 Click Animate
in the Result panel.
2 In the Animate Results dialog box, specify the number of steps. Set the
Steps edit field to 8.
3 Specify the playback speed. Select Normal in the Speed drop-down
menu.
4 Click the Play
playback.
command to see the animation. You can pause the
5 When you finish the displacement animation, click OK to exit the

animation playback.
The Animate Results dialog box has options for displaying the original wireframe
with the plot. You can also record the animation to present or retain for records.
Summary
In this tutorial, you performed a structural frequency (modal analysis) analysis

with the goal of finding natural mode shapes and frequencies of vibration. The
steps performed include:
Change simulation properties.
Exclude components from simulation.
Run a simulation.
View the results.
Create an animation of results.
Previous (page 178)
Su
mm
ary
|
179
180
Dynamic Simulation Part 1
11
About this tutorial

Simulate and analyze the dynamic characteristics of an assembly in motion
under various load conditions.
Category
Simulation
Time Required
40 minutes
Tutorial File Used Reciprocating Saw.iam
data sets and the required Tutorial Files Installation Instructions, and install the
datasets as instructed.
Dynamic Simulation contains a wide range of functionality and accommodates
numerous workflows. This tutorial helps you become familiar with the key
paradigms and features of Dynamic Simulation. Then you can explore other
capabilities, and apply Dynamic Simulation to your particular needs.
Objectives
Recognize the differences between the Dynamic Simulation application and
the regular assembly environment.
See how the software automatically converts mate assembly constraints to
Dynamic Simulation standard joints.
181
Use Color Mobile Groups to distinguish component relationships.

Manually create rolling, 2D contact, and Spring joint types.
Define joint properties.
Impose motion on a joint and define gravity.
Use the Output grapher.
Run a dynamic simulation to see how joints, loads, and component
structures interact as a moving, dynamic mechanism.
Prerequisites
Complete the Assemblies tutorial.

Understand the basics of motion.
Navigation Tips
Next (page 182)
Open the Assembly

1 To begin, set your active project to tutorial_files.
2 Open Dynamic Simulation 1 and 2 Reciprocating Saw.iam.
182 | Chapter 11 Dynamic Simulation - Part 1
3 Click
Save As. Use RecipSaw-tutorial_1.iam for the
name.
4 Click Save.
As you work through the following exercises, save this assembly periodically.
Degrees of Freedom
Before going further in the tutorial, it is good to understand the differences
between the assembly modeling and dynamic simulation environments.
Though both environments have to do with creating mechanisms, there are
some critical differences between Dynamic Simulation and the Assembly
environment. The basic difference has to do with degrees of freedom and how
they are managed.
In the assembly environment, unconstrained and ungrounded components
have six degrees of freedom.
You add constraints to restrict degrees of freedom. For example, adding one
flush constraint between this part and one of its canonical planes removes 3
degrees of freedom.
Degrees of Freedom | 183
In Dynamic Simulation, unconstrained and ungrounded components have zero

degrees of freedom and will not move in a simulation. The addition of joints
creates the degrees of freedom. When entering Dynamic Simulation,
components that have mate constraints receive these joints automatically.
With either Dynamic Simulation or the assembly environment, the intent is to
build a functional mechanism. Dynamic Simulation adds to that functional
mechanism the dynamic, real-world influences of various kinds of loads to
create a true kinematic chain.
Automatic Constraint Conversion

When you change from the assembly environment to the Dynamic Simulation
environment, mate constraints are automatically converted into joints that match
the mechanical function of those constraints. You can accept the joints as
defined by the software, or you can modify or delete them as needed.
1 On the ribbon, click Environments tab Begin panel

Dynamic Simulation.
NOTE If you are prompted to run the Dynamic Simulation Tutorial, click
No.
The Dynamic Simulation environment is active. You will notice that the
browser and its nodes have changed for the simulation environment.
In the simulation browser there are several folders for simulation objects.
They relate to the simulation as follows:
Grounded folder
Components with no degrees of freedom
Mobile Groups folder
Components with degrees of freedom allowing them to participate in

the simulation when forces are applied.
Each mobile group is assigned a specific color. Right-click the Mobile
Groups folder and click Color Mobile Groups to visually determine mobile
groups the component resides in.
Standard Joints folder
Joints created by automatic constraint conversion when entering the

dynamic simulation environment. Contributing constraints are displayed
as child nodes.
Various Joint folders
All non-standard joints that are created reside in folders for those specific
joint types. Contributing constraints are displayed as child nodes.
External Loads folder
Loads that you define, including Gravity, are displayed in this folder.
NOTE Assemblies containing legacy, pre-Inventor 2008, Dynamic

Simulation objects DO NOT have their constraints automatically converted
upon entering the simulation environment.
2 Expand the Standard Joints folder.
Automatic Constraint Conversion | 185
These joints were automatically created based on the assembly constraint

scheme. The software analyzes mate constraints and determines which
joint will best equate with the constraint scheme.
You can disable the automatic conversion of constraints, and then
manually convert only those you want in the simulation. Note, however,
that when you turn off automatic constraint conversion, all existing joints
are deleted, including manually created joints, thereby removing all
degrees of freedom.
To disable automatic constraint conversion, click Dynamic Simulation
tab Manage panel Simulation Settings.
Clear the check
mark next to Automatically Convert Constraints to Standard Joints so

that this option is no longer active. Click Yes, when prompted, then click
OK on the dialog box. All joints in the assembly are deleted.
To turn automatic constraint conversion back on, click the Simulation
Settings command
and check the Automatically Convert
Constraints to Standard Joints option.
3 Click OK. Standard joints are created.
NOTE If you previously created non-standard joints in this assembly,
these joints are deleted.
4 Expand the Mobile Groups folder.
Components whose constraint scheme displays controlled motion have
relationships built and are grouped based on the relationship.
5 Expand the Welded Group folder.
Where a rigid relationship exists between components the software may
create a welded group. There are no degrees of freedom between the
members of a welded group.
6 Right-click the Mobile Groups folder, and click Color mobile groups.
All members within a group are assigned a color by the software. This
feature is used to easily identify members of a mobile group.
7 Right-click the Mobile Groups folder and click Color mobile groups
again to turn off the group coloring.
Assembly Constraints
1 To see a component move, click and drag the Bevel Gear1 component.
The motion you see is borrowed from the assembly environment. Even
though you are in Dynamic Simulation, you are not yet running a
simulation. Since a simulation is not active, the assembly is free to move.
NOTE Some motion associated with assembly constraints may not occur
when doing this because those constraints are not automatically translated
into joints.
2 In the Simulation Player floating window, click Run.
Assembly Constraints | 187
The Dynamic Simulation browser turns gray and the status slider on the
simulation panel moves, indicating that a simulation is running.
Although some joints were automatically created, the assembly displays
no motion. This is because of insufficient input at this point.
3 Click Stop if the slider is still moving.
Even though the simulation is not running, the simulation mode is still
active. If you attempt to drag the Bevel Gear component, there is no
motion.
4 Click the Construction Mode command to leave the simulation run
mode.
These relationships and behaviors may very well seem contradictory or

confusing. Don't be concerned. As you progress through the following
workflows, Dynamic Simulation and its paradigms will be revealed.
Add a Rolling Joint

Now we need to build the relationship between the bevel gears.
There are two bevel gears, a larger one associated with the cam action, and a
smaller one associated with the motor assembly. We will work with the smaller
gear to start with.
1 Expand the Mobile Groups folder and Motor node to reveal the Bevel
Gear1 node.
2 Right-click the Bevel Gear node and click Edit.
You are automatically placed in the Part editing environment.
3 In the browser, expand the Surface Bodies(1) folder.
4 Right-click the Srf1 browser node, and click Visibility.
We will use the surface to help define the bevel gear relationship.
5 On the ribbon, click Return

to go back to the simulation
environment. Alternatively, right-click in the graphic area, and click
Finish Edit.
6 On the ribbon, click Dynamic Simulation tab Joint panel Insert
Joint
to display the Insert Joint dialog box.
7 In the drop-down list, select Rolling: Cone on Cone.
Add a Rolling Joint | 189
8 The component selector

is automatically active, allowing you to
begin selection. Select the Pitch diameter circle at the base of the surface
cone.
9 Click the component 2 selector

, and select a conical face
on Bevel Gear2.
You may have to expand the Mobile Groups and Cam crank browser
nodes to see the second gear.
10 Click OK.
11 Click and drag the motor bevel gear. The Cam crank assembly moves
because of the joint you created.
12 Edit the part again, and turn off Visibility of the Srf1 surface body.
Building a 2D Contact
The next relationship that needs to be built is one between the cam Follower
Roller and the cam component. The Follower Roller needs to contact the cam.
Retaining degrees of freedom

The Follower Roller is a symmetrical part and, by default, dynamic simulation
attempts to reduce symmetrical component movement. Why? An example will
help.
Consider a wheel assembly. You have a tire mounted to a rim. That assembly is
attached to the vehicle with lug nuts.The function of a lug nut, for simulation
purposes, isnt to revolve around its axis; it is to constrain the assembly to the
vehicle. Because the lug nut is a symmetrical component, the rotational degree
of freedom (DOF) is automatically removed. This simplifies the model for
simulation purposes. If you want to retain the lug nuts rotational DOF, you can
do so using the Retain DOF command. The same is true in reverse. That is, you
can use Ignore DOF to restrict the degrees of freedom of a component.
To ensure that the Follower Roller contacts the cam while also keeping its
degree of freedom:
1 In the Mobile Groups folder, expand the Welded group. There are two
components in the group.
2 Right-click the Follower Roller component, and click Retain DOF.

The roller retains its motion characteristics. Now, we need to make sure
the roller contacts the cam.
3 Click the Insert Joint command to display the dialog box. From the list,
select 2D Contact.
4 Select the cam profile edge.

5 Select the sketch profile displayed on the roller component. As you can
see, you can use sketch geometry as part of the simulation.
Building a 2D Contact | 191
6 Click OK.
7 Drag the Follower until it contacts the cam. It makes contact but does not
penetrate the cam. The 2D contact established a mechanical relationship
between the two components.
Before going any further, we will modify the properties of the 2D contact
and display the force vector.
8 In the browser, right-click the 2D contact joint, and click Properties.
9 Set the Restitution value to 0.0, and Friction to 0.15.

10 Expand
the dialog box to access the lower section. Check the
Normal box, and set the Scale to 0.003.
11 Click OK.
Add Spring, Damper, and Jack Joint

The Follower is designed to slide through a portion of the Guide component.
However, to hold the Follower Roller against the Cam, we must specify a
Add Spring, Damper, and Jack Joint | 193
spring between the Follower and Guide components. Dynamic Simulation

offers a joint for doing that and more - the Spring/Damper/Jack joint.
Depending on the joint type, the dialog box provides applicable inputs to help
define the joint.
1 Click the Insert Joint command and in the dialog box, select Spring /
Damper / Jack from the drop-down list of joint types. The Component 1
selector is active.
2 On the Guide component, select the hole profile where the Follower
passes through the Guide.This creates one contact for the spring.
3 Select the edge profile where the spring will contact the follower.
4 Click OK.
The result is a spring joint in the browser and a graphic representation of
a spring. The representation is deformable and has action-reaction forces,
but does not have mass.
5 In the browser Force Joints folder, right-click the Spring joint, and click
Properties.
6 In the main section of the dialog box:
Set Stiffness to 2.500 N/mm.
Set Free Length to 42 mm.
Expand the dialog box and set:
Set Radius to 5.2 mm.
Set Turns to 10.
Set Wire Radius to 0.800 mm.
7 Click OK. The spring properties and graphical display update.

Define Gravity
1 In the browser External Loads folder, right-click Gravity, and then click
Define Gravity. Alternatively, you can double-click the Gravity node.
If necessary, clear the check mark next to Suppress.
Define Gravity | 195
2 Select the Case edge as shown in the image to specify a vector for gravity.
You can use the Invert or Reverse
directions.
command to change
3 Click OK.
Note that the direction of gravity has nothing to do with any external notion
of "up" or "down," but is set according to the vector you specify.
Impose Motion on a Joint

To simulate saw operation, it is necessary to impose motion. In this case, we will
apply motion to the motor, just as would be the real world case. To impose
motion, you must edit the joint properties.
1 In the browser Standard Joints folder, right-click the Revolution:2 (Saw

layout:1. Motor:1) joint, and click Properties.
2 Click the dof 1 (R) tab.
3 Click the Edit imposed motion command

Enable imposed motion.
, and check
4 Click the arrow to expand the input choices, and click Constant Value.
Specify 10000 deg/s (ten thousand).
5 Click OK.
Run a Simulation
Because the simulation is of a high speed device, we will modify the simulation
properties.
1 On the Simulation Player in the Final Time field, enter .5 s, which is

sufficient to demonstrate the mechanism.
TIP Use the tooltips to see the names of the fields on the Simulation Player.
NOTE The software automatically increases the value in the Images field
proportionally to the change in the Final Time field. Press the Tab key to
move the cursor out of the Final Time field and update the Images field.
2 In the Images field, enter 200. Increasing the image count improves the
results we will view in the Output Grapher.
3 Click Run on the Simulation Player.
Run a Simulation | 197
As the Motor component drives the bevel gear, the remaining parts in the
kinematic chain respond.
Also, because we have not yet specified any frictional or damping forces,
the mechanism is lossless. There is no friction between components,
regardless of how long the simulation runs.
4 If the simulation is still running, click Stop on the Simulation Player.
Before leaving the simulation run environment, well take a look at the Output
Grapher.
Using the Output Grapher

The Output Grapher is the means to examine a variety of results from the
simulation. The following list describes some of the things you can do after
running a simulation:
Change reference frames to view results in various coordinate systems.
Display curve results.
Save the simulation results for later review and comparison.
Display results in terms of time or other criteria.
1After running the simulation, but before leaving the run environment, on the
ribbon click Dynamic Simulation tab Results panel Output
Grapher
The Output Grapher is divided into different sections: browser, graph, and
time steps. Commands specific to Output Grapher are located on a toolbar
across the top of the window. The window is resizable, so adjust it to meet
your needs.
2In the browser of the Dynamic Simulation - Output Grapher window, expand
the Standard Joints node. Then, expand the Revolution:2 node.
3Under the Revolution:2 node, expand the Driving force node. Check the
box next to U_imposed[1]. You will see the force displayed in the graph
region.
4Expand the Prismatic:3 node.
5 Expand the Velocities node, and check V[1]. The velocity is presented in
the graph with the driving force.
6 Close the Output Grapher window.

Simulation Player
Let's take a quick look at some features on the Simulation Player.
As mentioned, the Final Time field controls the total time available for a
simulation.
Simulation Player | 199

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Contents

Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 2 Assembly Stress Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Stress Analysis Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Excluding

Chapter 3 Contacts and Mesh Refinement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 4 Assembly Modal Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Chapter 5 FEA Assembly Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Open the Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Define the

Chapter 6 Stress Analysis Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Chapter 7 Frame Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Chapter 8 Frame Analysis Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 9 Frame Analysis Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Chapter 10 Modal Type of Frame Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Chapter 11 Dynamic Simulation - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

About this tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Open the Assembly .

Chapter 12 Dynamic Simulation - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Chapter 13 Assembly Motion and Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Chapter 14 FEA using Motion Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Part Modal and Stress

Simulation 1: About this tutorial

Use Forward in the upper-right corner to advance to the next page.

2 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

Open the Model for Modal Analysis

Enter the Stress Analysis Environment

2 Click the Stress Analysis environment command.

3 Click Create Simulation.

Open the Model for Modal Analysis | 3

2 Click in the Override Material column to activate the drop-down list.

4 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

Before starting the simulation, we can view the mesh.

6 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

View the Results

For post-processing of structural frequency simulation studies, the browser list

8 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

View the Results | 9

10 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

Previous (page 7) | Next (page 11)

Simulation 2: About this tutorial

12 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

Parametric static analysis.

Level 3 special interest

The second simulation is a parametric study on the same model. Parametric

Use Forward in the upper-right corner to advance to the next page.

Previous (page 11) | Next (page 13)

We will edit the simulation properties to define a parametric dimension

Create Parametric Geometry

14 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

Create Parametric Geometry | 15

Include Optimization Criteria

1 Click the Force Load command. The dialog box displays.

16 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

3 Enter 200 N for the Magnitude.

Previous (page 17) | Next (page 19)

18 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

View the Results

View the Results | 19

view the deformation changes, stop the animation, select Adjusted x1

, drop-down list and restart

For post-processing of results, double-click the result in the browser to display

20 | Chapter 1 Part Modal and Stress Analysis

Assembly Stress Analysis

About this tutorial

Simulate the structural static behavior of an assembly for analysis.