UT-IMDI

Introduction to ANSYS Workbench Workshop

Instructor:
Masih Mahmoodi, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Advanced Research Laboratory for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures
masih.mahmoodi@utoronto.ca
http://imdi.mie.utoronto.ca/

Outline
1.

Introduction to ANSYS Workbench user interface

2.

Material selection/definition

3.

CAD connectivity
Importing the CAD model
Defining CAD assembly connections

4.

Meshing
Introduction to available elements
Applying refined mesh to surfaces

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Outline (Contd)
5. Modal Analysis
Determination of the number of natural frequencies
Modeling of the structural supports
Extracting and evaluating the mode shape results
6. Harmonic Analysis
Determination of the frequency range of interest
Modeling external loading
Modeling structural supports
Determination of the frequency range of interest for response
Extracting and evaluating the frequency response

7.

Case study
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User Interface
To launch Workbench:
Start---> General Engineering--->ANSYS 14.5--->Workbench 14.5
Standard toolbar
Analysis types

Interface for project schematic

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User Interface (Contd)

To create a system:
1. Choose an analysis type from the
analysis systems (e.g. Modal)
2. Drag and drop the analysis type to
Interface for project schematic.
From now on, we will call the
analysis types, as systems.

Systems

Each project can contain one or

more dependent or separate
systems

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User Interface (Contd)

Duplicating/replacing a system

Click on the upper left triangle on the system

Each system contains a number of cells

Cells

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Material Selection/Definition
Material name
(user can add/edit material here)

Engineering Data
Library of materials
Advanced material
properties

Example:

Table of material properties

Minimum Properties needed for

structural steel
Density

Isotropic elasticity
Youngs Modulus
Poissons Ratio
Properties of the selected/created
material

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CAD Connectivity
Geometry
Option 1: create the model in design modeler (difficult option)
Option 2: import the model from CAD software (e.g. SolidWorks)

Importing the CAD model (part or assembly)

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CAD Connectivity (Contd)

Model examples
1.

Importing

Cantilever beam

(Part file)
2. Two-link mechanism

(Assembly file)

Importing

SolidWorks

ANSYS Workbench, model

When importing CAD assembly files, connections between part files must be carefully defined
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CAD Connectivity (Contd)

CAD assembly connections:

Available contact options:

Bonded
No separation
Frictionless
Rough
Frictional
Forced frictional sliding

Contact option
toolbar

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CAD Connectivity (Contd)

Contact types:

Select both options to see the

contact and target faces

Bonded connection works like welded joint between

the selected surfaces (i.e. fixes the planes w.r.t. each other).
No separation provides a frictionless contact where the
selected surfaces never loose contact, but can slide
w.r.t each other in a limited way.
Rough connection allows the surfaces to separate,
but no sliding is allowed.
Select appropriate
Frictionless connection is like no separation, but surfaces contact type
contact/target faces
Can slide freely.
Frictional connection is like frictionless except that a friction coefficient is assigned.
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CAD Connectivity (Contd)

To create proper contacts:
Right click on the existing contacts---> click on delete
For revolute joint bearing:
Right click on Contacts--->Insert--->Manual Contact Region
Select the proper surfaces
Under the Type on the Definition part, select No Separation
For the connection of the joint to the link:
Right click on Contacts--->Insert--->Manual Contact Region
Select the proper surfaces

Under the Type on the Definition part, select Bonded

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Meshing
To create a mesh:
1. Right click on mesh--->insert--->method
2. Right click on the model--->select all

3. Select Apply besides geometry

4. Select method as Tetrahedron
5. Click on mesh

6. Under Element Size, select 2.0e-2 (20 mm)

7. Right click on mesh--->click Generate Mesh.

meshing methods
Automatic
Tetrahedrons
Hex dominant
Sweep
MultiZone

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Meshing (Contd)
Some notes:
Several meshing options are available in ANSYS Workbench.
These meshing options have been obtained by implementing Finite Element-based Method (FEM) to the
ANSYS Workbench environment.
In addition to the mesh types, various meshing algorithms are embedded in the software. These algorithms
determine where/how to start meshing in the structure.
The use of a proper mesh type/size/algorithm is highly dependent on the geometry, material, and the type
of analysis (e.g. whether it is CFD, static structural, modal, etc.). This topic is beyond the scope of this
workshop.
Example:
When sharp edges, and/or small geometrical features are present in the geometry, the mesh needs to be finer
in size.
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Meshing (Contd)
Thus, the revolute joint surfaces in the two-link mechanism example needs to be meshed with
smaller size.
Finer mesh applied on
selected surfaces

To apply a different mesh size on selected surfaces:

1.

Right click on mesh---> click sizing--->select appropriate surfaces

2.

Select element size of 5.0e-3 (5 mm)

(as opposed to 20 mm for the 20 mm for the rest of the structure)

3.

Right click on mesh-->click Generate Mesh or Update.

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Meshing (Contd)
Mesh result:
Initial mesh

Refined mesh

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Modal Analysis
What is modal analysis?
A standard analysis in vibrations to obtain:
Natural frequencies
Mode shapes
of a structure. Any structure has theoretically infinitely many natural frequencies. Associated with
each natural frequency, the structural vibrates according to a motion pattern which is called the
mode shape.

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Modal Analysis
Analysis settings

1. Under options menu, select the number of modes you want the software to calculate as 10
(default is 6).
Support options

2. Under support menu, select the fixed support

3. Select the base plate
4. Click Apply next to the geometry

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Solution
The model is ready to be solved now!
Click solve!
Natural frequencies should be seen on the lower right side, in tabular form.
To extract the mode shapes:
1. Right click on the area called Graph
2. Click select all
3. Right click on the same area, then select Create
Mode Shape Results

To evaluate the mode shapes:

4. Right click on the solution in the outline
5. Select Evaluate All Results

Natural frequencies

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Solution (Contd)

2nd mode shape at 50.3 Hz

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Harmonic Analysis
What is harmonic analysis?
A standard analysis in vibrations to obtain the Frequency Response of a structure at a point of
interest given a harmonic load.

The response amplitude of the structure at its natural frequencies is typically higher than other
frequencies.
This information is utilized in the design of vibrating structures, so as to avoid excessive vibration
amplitudes at the frequency range of interest.

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Harmonic Analysis
To create a harmonic analysis system, there are 2 options:
Option 1:
drag and drop a Harmonic Response system to the interface. (i.e. create the model from the
scratch)

Option 2:
Click upper-left triangle on modal system---> duplicate (a new system will be created)
On the new system (named copy of modal):

Click on upper-left triangle on copy of modal--->replace with---> Harmonic Response

We will go with option 2, because all the information regarding the geometry, contacts, and meshes
will be retained.
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Harmonic Analysis
To set the frequency range:
Click on Analysis Settings
Select the Range Maximum as 500 HZ

Basic info on the

model is retained

To set the damping ratio:

Click Damping Controls--->
Select 0.01 for Constant Damping Ratio.
To set the external loading:
1. Click loads on the Environment toolbar--->select Force
2. Select geometry you want to apply the force on
3. Under Define By, select Components
4. Select F=[1,0,2] N.
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Harmonic Analysis
Solution Intervals:
This number determines the number of frequency discretization over the specified range.

For instance, for a solution interval of 10, and frequency range of [0-500] Hz, we will get the
response at: 0, 50, 100, 150,500 Hz.
Set the solution interval to 50, this will give you frequency increments of 10 Hz.
The model is now ready to be solved now!
Click solve!

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Solution
To extract the frequency response:

1.

Right click on the solution--->select insert---> select Frequency Response---> select

Deformation
2. Select the area/line/point of interest
3. Under Orientation, select the direction
along which you want the extract the response (e.g. Y Axis)
4. Under the display, Select the type of the plot as
Amplitude.
To evaluate the frequency response:
Right click on it, and select Evaluate All Results.
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Solution (Contd)
Sample result:

Note: other information can also be extracted from this analysis

(check other options!)
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Case Study
Conduct the modal analysis and harmonic analysis for a simple
Cantilever beam below:
CAD file to be imported: Cantileve_beam_case_study.SLDPRT

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Conclusions
This workshop provided an introductory course on using ANSYS
Workbench for Modal Analysis and Harmonic Analysis of structures.
There is a lot more into the software, we just touched the surface!
Of the crucial points to consider in creating the model are the proper
contact modeling, as well as meshing.

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Thank you very much!

Questions?

masih.mahmoodi@utoronto.ca
http://imdi.mie.utoronto.ca/