Instructions for applying a point force on the center of the plate

NOTE: The workflow is similar with the previous example. The difference is that a point should be
created in the center in Mechanical module.

1. Open the workbench and setup analysis type

Step1: Type in the workbench in the Windows10 search bar and clicking on workbench file in the
Workbench to open it.

Step2: Once the program is launched. On the left hand side of the Interface, Go to Analysis Systems
>Static Structural and drag it to blank space in the top left of project schematic window.

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2. Define the material properties

Step 1: Right click on Engineering Data >Edit

Step2: Click new material, input Aluminum as the name and return

Step3: On top left Toolbox window:

Right click on Physical Properties > Density > Include Property and input 2.7e-6 kg/mm3.

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 Right click on Linear Elastic > Isotropic Elastic > Include Property and input 70e3 MPa in
Young’s modulus 0.3 in Poisson’s Ratio.

3. Make the geometrical model of the problem in Design Modeler

Step1: Return to your project window by clicking on the project tab on the top. Right click on the
Geometry > New DesignModeler geometry to open the DesignModeler.

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Step2: Design modeler will open in a new window.

Setup the unit to mm.

Go to tree out line and select xy plane. Click the z axis in the lower bottom coordinate system to
bring the view normal the xy plane.

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Then select new sketch, it will bring sketch icon under selected xy plane.

Step 3: Go to sketching tab and click “circle”, then draw the circle in the drawing canvas with
center at origin.

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Go to dimension tab, select radius. Click the circle in the canvas and a radius menu will come under
dimension, set radius to 110 mm.

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Step4: On top of the DM window, go to concept >surface from sketches >select the SurfaceSk1
icon, select the circle in the window, then click apply in base Objects.

Set the thickness of the plate by click on the SurfaceSk1, then input 3mm in the Details View >
Thickness

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Right click the SurfaceSk1 > Generate

3. Create a point in the center

Step1: Create a new plane by clicking Create > New Plane

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Step2: In the Details View of Plane4, check the Type and base plane to make sure Plane4 is in the
same base plane as skecth1 (i.e. XY Plane). You may also choose Type to From Face, and then
select the face to apply as Base Plane. After these settings, click generate button to generate the new
plane.

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Step3: Go to tree out line, select Plane4 and then click new sketch, it will bring sketch icon under
Plane4 plane. Then go to sketching.

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Step4: In the Draw Tab, click line and then draw one horizontal and one vertical line, which should
intersect at the origin.

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Step5: Pres Esc on keyboard to quit the Draw mode, and click the horizontal line. In the Details
View, make sure the angle equals to 0 and y coordinates are 0. Then click the vertical line. In the
Details View, make sure the angle equals to 270 (or 90) and x coordinates are 0.

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Step6: Go back to modelling, and choose Tools > Face split

Step7: In the Details View of Face Split, choose the circular plate as the Target face.

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Step8: Then click Tool Geometry. Change the selection mode to Edges, and press CTRL and choose
the horizontal and vertical lines to apply.

Step9: Then press generate. Change the selection mode to Faces, and click one of the parts to check
we have the right face split. Close the Design modeler, and go back to workbench.

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5. Meshing, Boundary condition, Loading and Output in Mechanical

Step 1: Return to Workbench window >Right click on Model > Edit to open the model in
Mechanical

Step 2: Setup the unit Unit > Metric

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Step 3: Choose the material for the plate. Click on Model > Geometry > Surface Body, In the
Details of “Surface Body” window, Material > aluminius.

Step 4: Setup the Cylindrical Coordinate system of the circular plate for output. Model > Coordinate
Systems > Insert > Coordinate System. Name the new coordinate system to “Cylindrical”

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Enter CTRL to select all the geometries in the window. Then click Apply in the Geometry. Select the
Cylindrical in the Coordinate Type. Make sure the y-axis (angle lies in the plate)

Step 5: Add mesh to the plate

Add size control to the mesh. Select all the plates in the window. Then click Apply in the Geometry.
Right click Mesh > Insert > Sizing
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Setup the Element Size to 2 mm

Generate the mesh. Mesh > Generate Mesh.

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6. Add Fix Support to the edge of plate and a point load to the center.

Step 1: Change Selection mode to “edge selection”, select four edges by press CTRL. Then Insert
the fix support boundary condition to it.

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Step 2: To apply the point load, first change selection mode to Vertex. Then select the central point,
and right click Static structural > Insert > Force.

Step 3: In the Details of Force, change Define By Vector to Components and then input the value of
your point load -100 in Z Component.

7. Define the output and solve

Step 1: Construct a Path of the diametric section for output. Insert Construction Geometry from the
Model.

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Right click Construction Geometry and Insert > Path.

Rename the Path to “diametral_path” and setup the x coordinate of the starting and ending point of
the path to -110 and 110

Step 2: Displacement output request.

Request output for displacement on the diametral section.

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Choose Path as scoping method.

Choose the “diametral_path” we created as the path. Change the Orientation to Z Axis.

Request output for deflection of the whole plate.

Change the Orientation to Z Axis to output the displacement (deflection)

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Step 3: Stress output request.

Output for Shear stress.

Output for normal stress. Change the Orientation to Y Axis.

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Change the coordinate system to Cylindrical if necessary.

Step 4: Solving.

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7. Post-processing.

The result could be accessed by click the corresponding items in the “Solution” section.

Results of the normal stress:

Results of the shear stress:

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Results of the displacement along the path. Date could be exported to txt file conveniently. Export
data of deformation along the path and save it as text file.

Results of the displacement of the whole model.

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7. Comments and Notes

1. Compare the results for different load conditions.

2. Start to do the assignment.

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