FEA Hands on Workshop

Hertian Contact

1 2011 ANSYS, Inc. July 1, 2013

 Workshop Goal and Procedure
Goal:
The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the simulation of the contact stress
between a loaded sphere and a flat plate:

Simple geometry was chosen because theoretical approximations are available.

Therefore the contact pressure can be calculated first by hand and then using the
Workbench Simulation module

Because the geometry is symmetric, only a quarter will be modelled to save

computational resources. Procedure:

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 Workshop Instructions

Follow numbered instructions

SC = Single Click with Left Mouse Button

DC = Double Click with Left Mouse Button
CtrlSC = Single Click with Left Mouse Button while press
Ctrl key
RMB = Right Mouse Button Selection

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 Hand Calculation
For Sphere on Plate with both material having same material
properties i.e. P = 400N

E = E1 = E2 = 2e5N / mm 2 K D = D = 200mm
D
= 1 = 2 = 0.3

PE 2
Max c = 0.6163 2
KD
= 453.87 MPa

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 Step 1: Import Design Modeler file
1. Open new Workbench
Project
a) Open the DesignModeler File
Location >
Workshop>Hertian Contact
b) Select Sphere_plate.agdb
and Drag it to Project
Schematic
c) Note: Geometry Component
created in Project Schematic

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 Step 2: Save the Project
2. Save the project
a) On the Project Page> File>
Save
b) Browse for the folder
suggested by your instructor
and Save it as SpherePlate
c) Note: It will automatically
save it as Workbench Project
Files (*.wbpj)

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 Step 3: Save the Project
3. Save the project
a) Drag Static Structural from
the Analysis Systems and
Drag it on Geometry
b) Note: It will automatically
save it as Workbench Project
Files (*.wbpj)

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 Step 4: Open Mechanical Application
4. Open ANSYS Workbench
Mechanical application
RMB
a) Select Model RMB Edit

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 Step 5: Setup Project Unit System
5. Change unit system
a) Select Units
b) Choose Metric (mm, kg)

Note: This allows you to

enter dimensional values
in the unit system of
your choice.

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 Step 6: Check Materials Assigned
6. Check Material assigned
a) Click + to expand Geometry
branch in Outline tree.
b) Select part QUARTSPHERE[41]
c) Note: Material Assignment is
Structural Steel
d) Similarly check the Material
properties for QUARTPLATE[39]

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 Step 6: Check Materials Assigned
6. A) Check The Material assigned
a) Click + to expand Connection branch in
Outline tree.
b) Click + to expand Contacts
c) Select Contact Region
d) In the details window of the contact, Change
the Type of contact to Frictional and type in
Friction Coefficient = 0.3
e) Change the Behavior to Asymmetric
f) Set Update Stiffness to Each Iteration

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 Step 7: Check Contact
7. Check The Contact
a) Note the Contact and Target have 2
faces each
b) Zoom in to the Centre of contact region
c) Notice the Split Faces at the contact
location, This is done to specify meshing
control in that region

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 Step 8: Create Coordinate System
8. Create Coordinate System
a) Zoom in to the Centre where Sphere and
Ball meet
b) Select the Vertex filter
c) Select the vertex at the centre and use RMB
and Create Coordinate System
d) Click + to expand Coordinate Systems and
note the newly created Coordinate RMB
System

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 Step 9: Mesh Sizing
9. Specify Mesh Sizing
a) Select the Face filter
b) RMB on geometry and Select All to select
all faces
c) Select Mesh in the Outline tree and RMB >
Insert> Sizing
d) In the details of Face Sizing, use Type as
Sphere of Influence , Select Sphere Centre
as Coordinate System and specify
following values
a) Sphere Radius = 2 mm
b) Element Size = 0.1 mm

RMB

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 Step 9: Mesh Sizing
9.A Specify Mesh Sizing
a) Select the face of Plate part and
RMB Hide Body RMB
b) Zoom at the center of the Contact
Between the Sphere and Plate
c) Select the highlighted Face , RMB >
Insert> Sizing
d) In the details of newly added face
Sizing, Specify the Element Size of
0.01 mm
RMB

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 Step 10: Mapped Mesh
10. Specify Mapped Mesh Sizing
a)Select the highlighted face and RMB>
Insert Mapped Face Meshing
RMB
b)Select Mesh in Tree and RMB and
Generate Mesh
c)Have a look on refined mapped mesh
on the Sphere part, then RMB and Show
All Bodies

RMB

RMB

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 Step 11: Loads & Boundary Conditions
11. Apply Load on the sphere
a)Note: Since we are working on Quarter
model, We will apply of the total load
b)Select the Vertex filter
c)Select Static Structural

d)Select the Top vertex of the Sphere

part and RMB > Insert > Force

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 Step 11: Loads & Boundary Conditions
11. Apply Load on the sphere
a)In the Details window of Force
Select Defined By as Vector
b)Magnitude = 100 N
c)For Direction use the edge as
show
d)Use Toggle switch to change the
direction of force downward

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 Step 12: Loads & Boundary Conditions
12. Apply Fixed Support on base
of Plate
a)Select Face Filter
b)Select the highlighted bottom face of
the Plate and RMB> Insert> Fixed
Support

RMB

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 Step 13: Loads & Boundary Conditions
13. Symmetric Boundary
Condition
a)Select Symmetric Faces of Sphere and
Plate as Highlighted, RMB> Insert
frictionless Support
b)Note: There should be 8 faces, make
sure that you select small surfaces at
the tip of the contact

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 Step 14: Request Results
14. Request Result
a)Select Solution, RMB>
Insert >Deformation> Total RMB
b)Select Solution,
RMB> Insert >Stress>
Equivalent (Von-Mises)

RMB

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 Step 14: Request Results
RMB
14. Request Results
a)Select Solution, RMB>
Insert >Contact Tool>
Contact Tool

b)Select Contact Tool,

RMB> Insert >Pressure

RMB

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 Step 15: Solve
15. Solve
a)Select Solution, RMB>
Solve
b) Note: It will start solving
the model,
c)Select Solution
Information
d) In the Details of Solution
Information Select Solution
Output and change it to
Force Convergence

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 Step 16: Force Convergence Plot
16. Solve
a)Select Solution, RMB>
Solve
b) Note: It will start solving
the model,
c)Select Solution
Information
d) In the Details of Solution
Information Select Solution
Output and change it to
Force Convergence

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 Step 17: Post Processing Results
17. Post Processing
Results
a)Select Solution and
change the result to True
Scale
b)Select Total
Deformation to plot the
total deformation plot
c) Similarly Select
Equivalent Stress to plot
the equivalent stresses

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 Step 18: Post Processing Results
18. Post Processing
Contact Results
a)Click + to expand Contact
Tool in Outline tree.
b) Select Contact Pressure
to plot the Contact pressure
c)Compare it with the Hand
calculation in Slide 4

d)Note: the results is in

agreement with the hand
calculations

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