Tips and tricks for FEA with Ansys
Most FEA books walk you through menus and math — but they don’t teach how to think like an analyst. In my own work, I’ve seen engineers struggle not with the software itself, but with the real-world challenges of simulation: That’s why I wrote All Models Are Wrong: Structural Analysis with Ansys Workbench. It’s a…
When modeling thin-walled structures (like pressure vessels) with shell elements, you may need to apply different temperatures on the inner and outer surfaces. This creates a thermal gradient and bending stresses through the thickness. If you only apply one temperature value, a thermal gradient will not be developed. ANSYS does provide a Beta feature called…
Read More “How to Apply a Thermal Gradient across Shell Elements in ANSYS Mechanical” »
Introduction Whether you’re preparing for your first mechanical engineering interview or brushing up for a senior design role, mastering fundamental principles and practical problem-solving skills is essential. This comprehensive guide compiles 75 carefully selected questions covering statics, mechanics of materials, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, materials engineering, manufacturing, finite element analysis (FEA), and engineering judgment. Each…
Read More “75 Mechanical Engineering Interview Questions (With Answers)” »
Introduction Preparing for an FEA job interview requires more than textbook knowledge — In addition to theoretical knowledge it demands a solid grasp of real-world simulation challenges, modeling judgment, and software know-how. This guide compiles 53 essential FEA interview questions, categorized to cover everything from fundamental concepts to nonlinear behavior, fatigue, and advanced ANSYS techniques….
Read More “53 FEA Interview Questions (with Answers): A Complete Review Guide” »
Introduction Meshing is the foundation of every finite element analysis (FEA). A high-quality mesh leads to accurate, efficient, and stable solutions, while a poor one can result in convergence errors, long run times, and unreliable results. This guide compiles essential concepts, techniques, and troubleshooting strategies for meshing in ANSYS. Whether preparing a simple component or…
Read More “Meshing in ANSYS: Complete Guide to Element Types, Sizing, and Mesh Quality” »
Introduction In structural analysis, the Large Deflection option (also called geometric nonlinearity) determines whether the solver accounts for geometry changes during loading. Many analysts overlook this setting, but enabling or disabling it can significantly affect accuracy. Most commercial FEA software keep Large Deflection OFF by default. This makes sense because many models involve small deformations where geometric effects are…
Read More “What is Large Deflection in FEA and When Should You Turn It On?” »
Introduction *** ERROR ***“There is not enough memory for the Distributed Sparse Matrix Solver to proceed. This error has occurred on the process with MPI Rank ID = 2 on machine (xyz). Please increase the virtual memory on your system and/or increase the work space memory and rerun the solver. The memory currently allocated by…
Introduction Contact modeling is one of the most critical — and often misunderstood — aspects of structural simulation in Ansys. A poorly defined contact interface can lead to unrealistic behavior, convergence issues, or incorrect results, especially in assemblies with bolts, friction, or moving parts. This step-by-step guide clarifies the contact setup process by covering not…
When simulating dynamic events in ANSYS, engineers often choose between Transient Structural Analysis and Rigid Body Dynamics (RBD). While both solve time-dependent problems, they are fundamentally different in assumptions, solver strategy, and application. In this article, we’ll break down the differences, use cases, and when to combine both methods for a powerful simulation workflow. What…
Read More “Transient Structural vs. Rigid Body Dynamics in ANSYS: Which Should You Use?” »
Ansys Mechanical offers a rich library of simulation capabilities to address a broad range of physical problems across industries. Whether you’re solving basic structural problems or simulating complex multiphysics systems, Ansys provides pre-configured analysis systems to streamline setup and ensure solver compatibility. Below is an overview of the major analysis types available in Ansys Mechanical,…
Read More “What are the analysis types in Ansys Mechanical?” »
When building assemblies in Ansys Mechanical, users often face a key decision: Should I use joints or contacts to connect parts? While both tools allow relative motion and force transmission, their purpose and behavior are fundamentally different. Choosing the right one can save time, improve accuracy, and ensure a stable solution. This guide breaks down…
Read More “🔩 Contacts vs Joints in Ansys: When to Use Which?” »
Contact interactions play a pivotal role in ensuring realistic results in structural simulations involving assemblies. Whether it’s load transfer across bolted joints, pressure in gasket interfaces, or friction between sliding parts, properly defined contact behavior is essential. Ansys Workbench offers a powerful utility—the Contact Tool—for both diagnosing contact setup and evaluating contact performance during or…
Read More “How to Use the Contact Tool in Ansys Workbench (Step-by-Step)” »
One of the most common reasons for inaccurate results and convergence issues in contact simulations isn’t a solver setting or material model—it’s bad meshing near contact interfaces. While ANSYS contact algorithms are robust and have significantly improved over the years, they still require proper user input and mesh control to deliver reliable results. Even experienced…
How to Choose the Right Mesh Size in Ansys Mechanical Getting your mesh right in Ansys Mechanical is like tuning a race car—too coarse and you’ll miss critical details, too fine and you’re burning time on overkill. This guide reveals professional strategies to balance accuracy and efficiency. Why Mesh Strategy Matters Every FEA engineer knows…
Read More “How to optimize your mesh for FEA – Ansys Meshing Guide” »
The Mesh Numbering feature in Ansys Mechanical provides a precise way to control node and element identifiers in a finite element model. Found at the Model level in the project tree, this tool is especially useful for advanced users working with large assemblies, shared parts, or specialized elements like super elements. What Does Mesh Numbering…
Read More “Understanding and Applying Mesh Numbering in Ansys Mechanical” »
Coupled Field Analysis Types Introduction Coupled Field analyses enable you to simulate interaction between multiple physics types. The availability of analysis settings, boundary conditions, results, etc. is based on the specified physics as well as the analysis type you select. This article will focus on couples field analysis using Ansys Workbench For example, if you…
Introduction When analyzing assemblies in Ansys, extracting accurate contact load reactions is essential for evaluating performance, ensuring model realism, and validating engineering decisions — from bolt preload verification to interface force tracking. Ansys Mechanical provides several methods for retrieving contact forces and moments, each with its own advantages and limitations. This article outlines these extraction…
Read More “Understanding Contact Load Reactions in Ansys Mechanical” »
Introduction to Contacts in Ansys In Ansys, a contact is defined by a pair of surfaces referred to as contact and target (selecting contact and target in Ansys). Defining a contact ensures that two bodies do not interpenetrate at these surfaces. The interaction between the bodies is governed by their ability to separate or slide…
Read More “Ansys Contact Types Explained : Which one to choose (and why it matters)” »
Even seasoned engineers facepalm over these FEA blunders. From unit mishaps to ‘phantom’ contacts, learn how to dodge career-worthy mistakes. Fail # 1: The “Invisible” Units Catastrophe Story: An aerospace team simulated a satellite bracket at 100 kN load, only to realize post-fabrication that the software had defaulted to Newtons (1 kN = 1,000 N). The bracket snapped…
Read More “FEA Fails: 5 Embarrassing Mistakes Even Experts Make (And How to Avoid Them)” »
Should You Define Contacts Before or After Meshing in FEA? In Finite Element Analysis (FEA), both meshing and contact definition play a critical role in ensuring simulation accuracy, solution convergence as well as solver run time. A common question—especially among engineers working with nonlinear FEA (When to run Non-Linear FEA) or large assemblies is: Should…
Read More “Should You Define Contacts Before or After Meshing in FEA ?” »
What is a matid in Ansys MATID is short for Material ID. It is a number assigned to a material definition. Each material definition in Ansys is assigned a unique matid. Elements in the model reference this ID to inherit material properties. The user can manually assign a matid in APDL when creating a material…
Read More “How to find matid for parts in Ansys Workbench” »
Introduction Beam elements can be very useful when modeling with Ansys Mechanical. Utilizing beams efficiently can save Ansys users a lot of time. Once a model with beam elements is solved, you can insert beam probes to display the force and moment reactions for the beams. In some models, one may have defined hundreds of…
Read More “How to automatically create beam probes for all beams in Ansys Mechanical” »
Introduction The joint probe is one of the structural probes available in Ansys Workbench (What are probes in Ansys ?). They have vast capabilities and can be a very potent post processing tool. In this article we will present some of the information available in Ansys documentation regarding joint probes. Joint Probes The joint type…
The content of this article is a compilation of various sections on the topic of Probes from Ansys Workbench help documentation. What are probes in Ansys Workbench? In Ansys Workbench Probes enable you to find results at a point on the model, or minimum or maximum results on a body, face, edge, or vertex; to…
What is a Superbolt? Superbolt is a product offered by the Nord-Lock Group. It is a Multi-Jack bolt Tensioner that offers a simple and cost effective method to tighten large bolts. You can learn more about how Superbolts work in the video linked below: Applying Pretension in Ansys Mechanical Before attempting to model a Superbolt…
Introduction The word modulus (derived from Latin) broadly refers to the “measure” or “manner” of something. Different types of quantities are referred to as Moduli (plural of modulus) in Mathematics, Physics and Engineering . One category of moduli is called the Elastic Modulus. What is an Elastic Modulus An elastic modulus (also known as modulus…
Read More “Understanding the different types of Moduli – Tensile vs Shear vs Bulk vs Flexural” »
Introduction All geometry bodies have an associated Stiffness Behavior property in Ansys Mechanical that you can modify for an analysis. The available behavior options can be accessed from within the Mechanical tree under the details of the geometry body, as shown in the image below. Four behavior options are available : Flexible, Rigid, Gasket, Flexible Beam and…
Introduction If you have used Ansys Workbench for some time, chances are that at some point you have experienced an Ansys error message informing you that: AnsysWBU.exe encountered a problem. A diagnostic file has been written. Ansys will list the location of the file so you can access it. The diagnostic file would typically have…
Introduction If you have used Ansys Mechanical for some time it is likely that you have come across an Error message similar to this: “An internal solution magnitude limit was exceeded. (Node Number 4494370, Body Unknown, DOF UX) Please check your Environment for inappropriate load values or insufficient supports. You may select the offending object…
Introduction We recently published an article covering the fundamentals of modal analysis. It is a good introduction for those who are new to modal analysis or want to learn its basics. In this article, we will look into specific settings and options that are available in Ansys Workbench when performing a modal analysis. Pre-Stress As…
Introduction Ansys 2024 features a number of technical and quality of life improvements in various areas. In this article we will list the ones that we found most interesting and potentially the most useful with regards to structural analysis and Ansys Mechanical. Geometry Body Merge The new Body Merge feature allows you to combine multiple…
Read More “Ansys 2024 – Here are some of the most interesting features” »
Introduction Looking up dimensions for fasteners is something that engineers, designers and analysts have to do on a routine basis. Given the variety of fastener options available, as well as the various industry codes and standards used it can sometimes be difficult to identify the specific dimensions required for your particular needs. Fortunately, there are…
We recently published an article on Element Types in Ansys where 3D elements were categorized into four main types: After you build a 3D mesh in Ansys Mechanical, you can view the detailed mesh statistics by going to Mesh, Statistics and Selecting “Yes” under View detailed Mesh Statistics. You will get a table similar to…
Read More “What are Wedge15 and Pyramid13 Elements in Ansys?” »
Introduction In this brief article we will summarize the characteristics of the 3D element types available within Ansys. We have already published several articles on this topic on this website. Wherever relevant, we will provide the links to those articles to supplement the content that is presented here. The Element Types FE element types are…
Introduction Ansys Workbench allows you to animate a result. This is especially useful when you have multiple time steps defined and would like to view how a geometry responds as a result of the application of loads. Often times, I like to plot the total deformation of the model and then animate the result with…
Read More “How to run Ansys Animations for selected time steps ?” »
Introduction Most users of Ansys workbench are aware of the “Named Selection” feature. You can insert a named selection in your analysis tree, select some entities (bodies, faces etc.) and name and store the selection for subsequent use. This is useful. It is a great way to organize your workflow and make it more efficient….
Read More “Named Selections in Ansys Workbench – Ridiculously Powerful and Criminally Underused” »
Introduction Sweep mesh is one of the mesh methods available within Ansys Workbench. A sweep mesh is desirable because it is a structured mesh as opposed to an unstructured mesh (Read more: Structured vs Unstructured mesh). We have discussed the basis of the sweep mesh in an another article (Ansys Mesh Methods Explained). We touched…
Introduction We recently discussed several methods of performing seismic analysis to determine the physical response of structures (Performing a Seismic Analysis – Four methods explained). We explained how some of the most robust numerical methods related to seismic analyses revolve around Response Spectra Plots . If you are not familiar with response spectra I would…
Read More “Generating a Response Spectrum Plot from Seismic Ground Acceleration” »
Introduction Predicting the structural response of buildings to loads induced by earthquakes is a very complicated problem. There are several layers of complexities built into modeling earthquake loads. Some of the factors that affect how a structure would react to seismic loads are: There are several methods which engineers can utilize in order to design…
Read More “Seismic Analysis Explained – Four Key Methods for Engineers” »
This simple bolt stress calculator takes bolt geometry and load inputs, and outputs various bolt stresses. The thread shear stress and Equivalent von-Mises stress can be compared with the allowable stress limits (Typically 0.5*Yield Strength and 0.66*Yield Strength respectively, but varies based on design codes.) Assumptions and Notes For these calculations, the coordinate system is…
Introduction When we talk about engineering numerical simulation (FEA / CFD) we often ascribe short descriptive titles to the models that we are working with. Sometimes these terms may be used loosely – they could mean different things depending on the project and the context. Other times, the terms may have specific well-defined meanings. Not…
Read More “Global Model vs Local Model vs Sub Model – FEA terms explained” »
Introduction Meshing a part for analysis purposes is both a technical skill and an art. Every engineering analyst should strive to create an efficient mesh for their simulations. An efficient mesh is one which provides a desirable balance between accuracy and computational cost (mesh generation and solution run time). An analyst must try to achieve…
INTRODUCTION One of the most important phases of running an engineering simulation is the pre-processing stage. Pre-processing refers to setting up a geometry to make it “analysis ready”. A “dirty” geometry can cause issues with meshing and / or contact setting while wasting precious time and resources. Various CAD software provide tools that can be…
What are Remote Points ? Remote Points are points represented by a single node called “Pilot node” scoped to (“linked” to) a geometry at an arbitrary location in space. The pilot node has six degrees of freedom and can be used to approximate the behavior and kinematics of the scoped geometry. They can be scope…
Read More “Understanding Remote Points in Ansys Workbench” »
INTRODUCTION Contact stabilization damping is a feature associated with non-linear (frictionless, frictional, and rough) contacts in ANSYS. It can be accessed under the Advanced contact settings and can be entered as a numerical value. It is zero by default. In this article we will discuss how to use this feature to “stabilize” challenging contact definitions…
Read More “Using Contact Stabilization Damping to achieve solution convergence in ANSYS” »
Introduction There are several ways of assigning material properties to components within ANSYS workbench. In this article, we will look at two of the methods. Most users of ANSYS will be aware of the first (“default” or “standard”) method, but the second method is lesser known. Having the option to apply material properties through the…
Read More “Assigning Material Properties in ANSYS – Two Ways” »
INTRODUCTION Joints can be an efficient way to model interaction between bodies. In structural analyses they can be especially useful when simulating mechanisms. The relative degrees of freedom between two bodies can be explicitly defined to achieve a vast array of joint configurations. One such configuration is the revolute joint. In this article, we will…
Introduction In a recent article we had explored time stepping options which are part of the Analysis settings in ANSYS workbench – Time Stepping in Ansys. In this article we will take a look at the Solver Controls settings which is the second option under Analysis settings. Solver Controls When expanded, the solver controls menu…
Introduction We discussed time and time steps as they apply to static analysis in a recent article (What is time in static structural analysis? – Time Step vs Load Step vs Sub-Step). In this post, we will take the concept of time further and discuss various aspects of time stepping, or time step optimization. Step…
Read More “Time Stepping in ANSYS – Understanding Time Step Controls” »
Introduction When working with ANSYS, it is often useful to be able to determine the number of nodes on a surface and/or select them. One of the ways to do this is via creating a nodal named selection. In this article we will explain the process for this. Consider the cylinder shown below (Figure 1)….
Read More “Nodes on a surface – How to count and select in ANSYS?” »
Introduction In a static (steady state) analysis the input loads are not a function of time and inertial effects are not considered. The vice versa is true for dynamic (transient) analysis (Static vs Dynamic Analysis). However, the usage of the word “time” is not limited to transient analyses. We can still have “time steps” in…
Read More “What is time in static structural analysis? – Time Step vs Load Step vs Sub-Step” »
Introduction In this article we will discuss some aspects of linear and non-linear analysis as they apply to structural FEA. We will also suggest when to prefer one method over the other. The article provides significant background on non-linearity and its types. The reader who is familiar with these aspects, may prefer to skip these…
We recently posted an article discussing various ANSYS contact settings. One of the settings section was left out for a dedicated article which is the subject of this article. We are talking about Geometric Modification. This option appears below the “Advanced” option of the contact settings tree. The available options vary based on the contact…
Read More “ANSYS Geometric Modification Settings Explained” »
What is a contact in ANSYS? A contact is a means to define how multiple bodies will interact in ANSYS. It is the only way for ANSYS to know that you are working with an assembly. It is typically defined between two surfaces. You can refer to the contact theory section of this site for…
Introduction Messages related to solver pivots are some of the most common messages displayed by ANSYS solvers. They may appear as warnings or error messages, and can occur in various types of analyses including structural, thermal, fluid, electric and electromagnetic. In this article we will discuss what these messages mean and what can an analyst…
Read More “ANSYS Solver Pivot Warnings – What are they and what to do about them?” »
Introduction Generating a finite element (FE) mesh is as much an art as a science. The shape, order, and type of elements used can significantly impact the behavior of the model and the stresses and strains observed. ANSYS provides many ways to customize and optimize a mesh to one’s needs and likings. To this end,…
Introduction It is often desirable to identify the node number of the node with the maximum value of a result. While ANSYS workbench identifies the location of the node it does not automatically give you the node id associated with it. It is possible to select the node and read its id, in most cases….
Introduction The solution of a finite element simulation is highly dependent on the quality of the mesh. A user should strive to achieve a balance between mesh quality, and time taken for mesh generation and solution. But what is mesh quality and how is it measured? In this article we will explain the various metrics…
Stress relief and stress relaxation are two entirely different concepts. Sometimes they are confused with each other. In this article we will explain what each of these terms means. What is Stress Relief? Stress Relief is the heat treatment of a material to reduce residual stress. Stress relieving may be used with a variety of materials…
Read More “Stress Relief vs Stress Relaxation – What is the difference?” »
What is Dynamic Amplification Factor Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) is a dimensionless ratio. It represents how much a structural response to a static load magnifies, if the load were applied dynamically. The response is typically a specified displacement or stress value. A static load does not change with time, or changes so slowly that the…
We compare stress concentration factors with other stress based factors.
What is stress linearization? Stress linearization is the separation of stresses along a section into constant (membrane) and varying (bending) stress components. The stresses obtained through this method are often referred to as linearized Stresses. Why are stresses linearized? The stress linearization method has its roots in pressure vessel design and analysis. Pressure vessel design…
A brief discussion on how to resolve ANSYS workspace error message.
We look at the fundamentals and applications of Modal Analysis
A brief discussion on soft, hard and linear springs.
Plastic collapse and limit load are two terms commonly used in reference to structural design criteria of components. In this article we will take a brief look at what these terms mean and how to utilize these concepts to create robust designs. What is plastic collapse? Plastic collapse may be thought of as a “global”…
We take a brief look at the three pillars of mechanics of materials
I graduated with a BSME (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering) from UT Austin in December 2005. Over the past two decades, I have had the chance to go to graduate school (for MSME), work in the industry as a design engineer, and as an engineering analyst. I have worked in customer funded R&D (Research…
Read More “Ten Things I wish I knew in College – Tips for mechanical Engineers” »
We discuss the advantages and limitation of ANSYS MPC contact formulation
Introduction In this article we will discuss the concept of material plasticity, how plasticity is employed in ANSYS and what are some of the best practices for choosing plasticity models. What is Plasticity? In order to define a linear material model in ANSYS, one needs to define the young’s modulus and poison’s ratio. Non-linear material…
We perform a thermal FEA on a flat plate with a hole and compare with hand calculation.
ANSYS workbench provides a number of options to perform dynamic analysis in ANSYS. In this article we will view discuss two of these options, the similarities and differences between them, and when to us which one. Static vs Dynamic Analysis It is best to clarify the difference between a static and a dynamic analysis before…
Read More “Transient Structural vs Rigid Dynamics Analysis in ANSYS” »
This article explains why a stress result cannot be produced across a construction path in ANSYS (and shows how to fix it).
This article explains the fundamental difference between implicit and explicit techniques as they apply to numerical analysis and FEA
There is a feature in ANSYS which allows the user to activate or deactivate a contact for various time steps for some types of analyses. In order to access this feature in workbench you have to right-click on the analysis branch (for example: “Static Structural” ) and select “Contact Step Control”. Once you select this…
Read More “How to activate / deactivate contacts in ANSYS Workbench” »
There is an excellent video by ANSYS on designating the contact and target sides properly. This article is a written summary of the contents of the video for easy reference. Contact and Target surfaces are defined so bodies can interact Contact detection points (nodes or integration points) cannot pass through the target face as shown…
Read More “Selecting the contact and target sides in ANSYS” »
ANSYS Mechanical comes with an extensive set of options for contact definitions between components. In this article we will take a look at each one of the contact settings and explain what it does, and how best to utilize some of them. Scoping The two items here are “geometry” and “Named Selection”. If you pick…
What is Finite Element Analysis (FEA)? FEA is short for Finite Element Analysis. It is a numerical method to approximate the solution to some given mathematical equations. This is done by discretizing a system into multiple, simple small sections called elements. This is useful because the behavior of each element is relatively easy to model,…
What is cyclic loading? Cyclic loading is defined as the repetitive and continuous fluctuation of a load. The load may be represented via forces, stresses, or strains. Figure 1 shows a cyclic load (stress) plot where, Mean Stress, σm = ½(σmax + σmin)Stress Amplitude, σa = ½(σmax – σmin)Stress Range, Δa = σmax – σmin…
Read More “The basic concepts of fatigue and fracture mechanics” »
The mechanical properties of all materials are functions of the temperature of the material. When a designer chooses material properties to use in analytical or numerical calculations, (what is the difference? Read here) they (knowingly or unknowingly) assume a range of temperatures for which those material properties are valid. When you input a material property…
ANSYS workbench allows you to define point masses and remote forces to simulate forces acting on an assembly. There maybe several reasons for going with either option but both have their pros and cons and capabilities. What is a point mass? In ANSYS, the inertial effects from a body can be idealized using a point…
Read More “Point Mass vs Remote Force – Which one to use?” »
This article is a supplement to our Bolt Stress Calculator. Bolt stress calculation is one of the most common types of design calculations performed. In this article we will consider a simple case of a preloaded bolt subjected to a tensile force and a bending moment. We will calculate the closed form solution (hand calculation)…
Read More “How to calculate bolt stress – FEA and Hand Calculation” »
ANSYS simulations can be time-consuming. Depending on the size of the model a simulation can take minutes to hours. In some instances the long run times are unavoidable, while in other cases there may be significant room for optimization. By optimization, we mean achieving a balance between accuracy and computational costs. We have discussed time…
Some exciting news has come out regarding ANSYS – AMD collaboration: Ansys delivers one of the first commercial finite element analysis solvers supporting AMD Instinct™ accelerators PITTSBURGH, PA, August 24, 2022 – Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) announced that Ansys® Mechanical™ is one of the first commercial finite element analysis (FEA) programs supporting AMD Instinct™ accelerators, the newest data center GPUs from AMD….
ANSYS runs generate a lot of files. These files can take up a significant space on your hard drive. Some of these files are temporary and are only written to the hard drive during the run. ANSYS creates a folder in the root directory called _ProjectScratch and saves the temporary files there. What is the…
If you have been using ANSYS for some time there are chances that you have come across a variety of error messages and road blocks. Some of these are detailed and well explained by ANSYS while others are so bizarre and cryptic that you feel at a loss. Needless to say, it is not fun…
Read More “Ansys Stuck at “Preparing the mathematical model” – How to fix?” »
If you create a cylindrical or revolute joint in ANSYS Mechanical, you get the option to define values for torsional stiffness and torsional damping. Here is the difference between the two, as defined by ANSYS workbench manual: Torsional Stiffness: “The Torsional Stiffness property defines the measure of the resistance of a shaft to a twisting…
Read More “Torsional Stiffness vs Torsional Damping – What is the difference?” »
It is often useful to be able to calculate the force and moment reactions along a cross section in ANSYS workbench. While this is doable, a specific set of steps must be followed to accomplish it. In this article we will list these steps. Problem Statement Consider a 1m long cantilevered beam with a rectangular…
Read More “How to calculate moment reaction along a cross section in ANSYS Workbench?” »
ANSYS Mechanical allows users to generate automatic connections for an assembly upon geometry import. Depending on one’s ability and skill to utilize this feature, this can be a blessing or a curse. If you are new to ANSYS or just want to explore the automatic connection features more, the following considerations might be of use…
Introduction In this article, we will discuss some aspects of ANSYS contact theory and relate those to the contact formulation options. ANSYS offers five different contact formulations. If you go to the details of a contact definition and under Advanced, click on Formulation, you will see the following drop down menu: We will expand on…
Introduction ANSYS Design Modeler and Space Claim provide the option to combine bodies into Multi-Body Parts. There are several advantages and disadvantages of doing this. In today’s article we will take a concise look at some aspects of creating Multi-Body Parts. What is a Multi-Body Part? As the name suggests, a Multi-Body Part (MBP) is…
Read More “Multi-Body Parts in ANSYS : A look at Conformal and Non-Conformal Meshes” »
The latest version of ANSYS was recently released. As with any new release, this version comes with a broad range of feature updates. In this article we will highlight a few of these changes. Where to find a list of all the changes? ANSYS does a good job of documenting feature updates and making them…
In this short article we will define some terms which are commonly used among the scientific and engineering communities to refer to problems and their solutions. Sometimes people use some of these terms casually, or interchangeably which could lead to misunderstandings. Knowing the commonly accepted meanings of these terms can prevent miscommunication. Analytical Solution is…
Read More “Analytical vs Numerical vs Empirical Analysis – Differences Explained” »
Introduction Anyone who uses ANSYS workbench on a regular basis can tell you that it is very “fragile”. By fragile, I mean that it is not difficult to get your ANSYS project corrupted. It is also fairly common to across mysterious recurring errors that may hinder your productivity. Sometimes the solution for the issue may…
Introduction Seismic loads are often considered in static structural analysis to verify protection against structural failure as a result of an earthquake. In this article, we will provide a brief summary of one of the commonly used methods of accounting for seismic loads in a static structural analysis. Earthquakes and Vibrations What happens when a…
Read More “How to use Response Spectra for Seismic Loads Analysis ?” »
A concise guide to Iron Alloys
The figure below shows a force convergence plot from an ANSYS Workbench Mechanical run: The X-axis shows the cumulative iteration number and the Y-axis shows the force in Newtons. A number of things can be said about this plot. Below, I will make a few comments in order to explain this plot and also clear…
Read More “Understanding Solver Types and Force Convergence Plots in ANSYS” »
How is the yield strength of a material determined? The yield strength of most materials is something that can be determined by performing a tensile test in the lab. This typically entails taking a specimen of the material with a known uniform cross section and applying a uniaxial tensile load. A stress-strain plot is typically…
One of the useful features in ANSYS workbench is the ability to export a result to a text file. The text file will include the node numbers, nodal coordinates and the nodal results. The export option can be accessed by right clicking on a result as shown in the image below. If the exported file…
Read More “Extracting Nodal Information in ANSYS Workbench” »
In ANSYS, a cylindrical coordinate system is defined by X, Y and Z axis as shown in Figure 1. X and Z correspond to R and Z respectively. One would think that the Y axis is equivalent to theta. However, this is not true. The following is an excerpt from ANSYS Mechanical User Guide: “In…
Read More “Understanding Cylindrical Coordinate System in ANSYS” »