SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION: How to use Simulation Software tools, to analyze and optimize product designs

To assess the performance of a variety of product designs in various domains many product manufacturers use analysis software to simulate. Analysis software enables designers to simulate design performance and identify and address potential design problems before prototyping and production.

Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tools such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Motion Simulation as important aids to produce better designs faster over the years, because design engineers know that such tools help them design better products, that will withstand the toughest service and moreover CAD software's now comes with built-in FEA capabilities.

Design engineers who want to get best design and most profitable products while meeting the requirements for "worst case scenarios" to meet safety and strength standards may sometimes over design which can lead to increase in the cost of manufacturing, so the designer can take the advantage of CAE tool i.e. SolidWorks Simulation to meet the product functions in product development.

By using the Design Insight Plots and Trend Tracker options in SolidWorks Simulation, the design engineer will increase his knowledge of his product's behavior and improve upon the design, while adhering to the data obtained from previously completed analysis.

Design Insight Plot and Trend Tracker

A Design Insight plot shows the regions of the model that carry the loads most efficiently. This plot may be recognized as a "load path" plot and this information can be used to reduce the model's material. The model can be superimposed on a Design Insight plot while editing the geometry features.

Trend Tracker helps in evaluating the impact of successive design changes on the base design of a static study. Results are presented in a manner that compares a baseline to subsequent iterations. The highlights include a Trend journal which list details about the baseline and every iteration. The Graphs track the important result quantities like mass, stress or displacements of the current iteration and all subsequent iterations. The Trend Tracker gallery captures certain displacement and stress plots for the baseline (iteration 1) and subsequent iterations. The rollback function allows restoring the model to a specific iteration and trend tracker allows adding iterations automatically or manually for different studies or even for design scenarios and also deleting the iterations.

Loading Conditions

Design Insight Plot with SolidWorks Simulation

To define design insight plot, the designer has to provide necessary boundary conditions, material properties to perform a static analysis and then generates the results. In the results folder generate the Design Insight Plot. Adjust the slider to plot a continuous path between the loads and restraints. The translucent portions of the Design Insight plot carry the applied loads less effectively than the solid portions. This provides insight into the areas that efficiently carry the load and material can be removed with more confidence in the translucent areas of the plot in pursuit of a reduced weight design.

Consider an example of a Bracket shown in the below figure 1.

Detailed View

Figure 1a shows the most loaded area in blue color and less effectively loaded areas in translucent color in the design insight plot. Considering the translucent portions, the material is removed to get the optimized bracket as shown in Figure 1b.

Trend Tracker with SolidWorks Simulation

To define Trend Tracker one needs to run the static analysis. After running first initial simulation study one can start the Trend Tracker and then make the initial analysis as the baseline design to compare the successive design changes for stress, displacement, weight and so on. For further iterations change the model dimensions, loads, restraints or any other features and run the static study, the software appends the new results to the tracked iterations as a new iteration by default.

To review the results select the Trend Tracker and select View Gallery to see the change in displacement and stress. Select the Graphs of mass, displacement or stress to compare iterations to baseline which shows the tracks for iteration as shown in Figure 3.

Conclusion

Design Insight plots does not suggest where to add material. These plots are most effective when we analyze the largest practical model and remove material to optimize the volume. Trend Tracker helps to detect trends in results from different iterations of a static study. Results are presented in a manner that compares a baseline to subsequent iterations.

Design Insight and Trend Tracker can increase the value of a product by improving its performance within its operating environment and reducing the cost of product by reducing the amount of material used to make it.