Analyzing Buckling For A Bracket: Importing The Geometry

Analyzing Buckling for a Bracket Page 1 of 13
Home > Examples > 4. Analyzing Buckling for a Bracket
4. Analyzing Buckling for a Bracket
In this first example, you will explore the buckling load of a simple bracket subject to a concentrated cantilevered load.
The bracket, although solid, will be idealized as a thin shell finite element model, fixed at the base and loaded at the tip.
You will work through the entire FEMAP analysis process, which includes:
• importing the geometry of the bracket
• meshing the model
• applying constraints and loads
• analyzing the model using the NX Nastran solver
• post-processing the results
Importing the Geometry

What
Import a FEMAP neutral file containing the geometry of the bracket.
How
Step UI Command/Display
1. File, New
2. File, Import, Femap Neutral
mk:@MSITStore:D:\FEMAPv1201\help\Help.chm::/FEMAPExamples/BucklingEx/... 19.04.2019
3. Read Model from FEMAP Neutral dialog box:
Go to the Examples directory in your FEMAP installation.
Locate Bracket.neu file, then click Open
Neutral File Read Options dialog box:
Click OK
Meshing the Model

The first step for the meshing process will be to define the property and material for the elements. Next, you will mesh the
surfaces.
Defining the Property and Material

The shell property represents the thickness of the material making up the two regions of the part.
What
Define the shell element property.
How
1. Model, Property
2. Define Property - PLATE Element Type dialog box:
Elem/Property Type
3. Element/Property Type dialog box:
Plane Elements: Plate
4. Click OK
5. Define Property - PLATE Element Type dialog box:
Title: Shell
Notice: Titles can be up to 79 characters long
6. Property Values: Thicknesses: 0.1
7. Click OK
Click Yes (to create material)
Notice: You have created the property, but you also need to define the associated
material. In steps below, you will choose a standard material from the FEMAP
material library.
8. Define Material - ISOTROPIC dialog box:
Click Load
9. Select from Library dialog box:
AISI 4340 Steel (select)
10. Click OK, then...
In Define Material - ISOTROPIC dialog box:
Click OK, then...
In Define Property - PLATE Element Type dialog box:
Click OK, then...
Click Cancel
Tip: Once you defined the first property, FEMAP automatically prompted you to enter
another property. To end the command, press Cancel. Generally, you will need to press
Cancel to exit from any entity creation command.
Meshing the Model

The geometry that you imported is simply a wireframe representation of the part’s midsurfaces. To create finite elements
in FEMAP, you need to specify the regions, or “boundaries” where you need to mesh. You also need to specify how many
elements that you want along the edges of a region. By default, all geometry is assigned a mesh spacing of 1.0. If you
mesh this part without specifying a tighter mesh size, your mesh will be too coarse to give meaningful answers.
By default, you have been viewing the model in the regular wireframe mode. Once you have created the mesh, you will
change to the Free Edge model style to ensure that the part is meshed continuously. Since it isn’t, you’ll use the
Coincident Nodes check to merge duplicate nodes at the split between the two regions.
What
Create boundary surfaces for both regions of the model.
How
1. Geometry, Boundary Surface, From Curves
2. Entity Selection dialog box:
Select the four curves that make up one of the regions (see figure below).
3. Click OK
4. Select the four curves that make up the part’s other region.
Click Cancel
Notice: You should now have two new boundary surfaces.
What
Specify the mesh size for the surfaces.
How
1. Mesh, Mesh Control, Size on Surface
Click Select All, then...
Click OK
3. Automatic Mesh Sizing dialog box:
Element Size: 0.3

Click Cancel
What
Mesh the surfaces.
How
1. Mesh, Geometry, Surface
ID: 1
3. Click OK
Automesh Surfaces dialog box:
Click More Options button
4. Property: Shell
5. In the Node Options portion of the Automesh Surfaces dialog box:
UNCHECK Connect Edge Nodes option
Notice: Usually, Connect Edge Nodes is a good option to use. It is being turned off
in this example simply as a way to create a mesh which is not fully connected. This
allows you to see how a “free edge” plot is displayed in FEMAP and also use the
Tools, Check, Coincident Nodes command later in the exercise.
6. Click OK
7. Mesh, Geometry, Surface
ID: 2
9. Click OK
Automesh Surfaces dialog box:
Click OK
What
Display the model using the Free Edge style.
How
1. F5 key View Select
Tip: You can also press the View Select icon (on the toolbar) or View,
Select command to open the dialog box.
2. View Select dialog box:
Model Style: Free Edge
3. Click OK
Notice: The model is displayed with only the free edges showing. As expected, there
are free edges around the outside of the part. There are also free edges where the part
needs to be connected, at the split line between the two regions. This indicates that
there are duplicate nodes at these locations, each connected to shell elements on one
side of the edge.
Tip: If you had selected all the surfaces and meshed them together, the meshes on the
two surfaces would have been connected.
What
Check for coincident nodes, and merge them.
How
1. Tools, Check, Coincident Nodes
Click Select All
Click OK
3. Check/Merge Coincident dialog box:
Action: Merge
Keep ID: Automatic
Move To: Current Location
4. Click OK
Notice: You will notice on the Check/Merge Coincident dialog box that a “Preview”
button exists. When this button is clicked, FEMAP will enter a mode which allows
you to highlight the nodes which will be “Kept”, “Merged”, or “Both” in your model.
Clicking “Done” will bring you back to the Check/Merge Coincident dialog box.
Click OK to complete the merge operation with the selected options.
5. Window, Regenerate
6. F5 key View Select

Model Style: Draw Model
8. Click OK
Applying Constraints and Loads

Next, you will apply constraints and loads to the model. Since most parts and systems of parts can be held and loaded in
any number of ways, FEMAP uses sets to manage constraints and loads.
First, you will create a constraint set, then you will fix all of the nodes at the base of the model.
Next, you will create a load set, then apply a 100 pound load to the tip of the bracket. In a buckling analysis, the actual
loading of the part is applied, and the solver returns a buckling eigenvalue. The eigenvalue is multiplied by the applied
load to give the critical buckling load.
Applying Constraints
What
Create the constraint set.
How
1. Model, Constraint, Create/Manage Set
2. Constraint Set Manager dialog box:
Click New Constraint Set, then...
3. New Constraint Set dialog box:
Title: (enter a title)
Constraint Set Manager dialog box:
Click Done
What
Create the constraints to fix the nodes at the base of the model.
How
1. Model, Constraint, Nodal
Pick the nodes at the edge of the model.
Create Nodal Constraints/DOF dialog box:
Click Fixed, then...
Click OK, then...
Click Cancel
4. Click View Visibility icon (on View - Simple Toolbar or View Toolbar)
OR
Press Crtl+Q
5. Choose Labels radio button
6. Click All Off button, then...
Click Done
Notice: You can use the Entity Display Toolbar to quickly toggle Labels on and off. If the
Entity Display Toolbar is not visible, you can turn it on using the Tools, Toolbars, Entity
Display command to make visible (shown “undocked”).
The third icon allows you to toggle Labels on and off.
Applying Loads
Apply the 100-pound load to the model.
What
Create the load set.
How
1. Model, Load, Create/Manage Set
2. Load Set Manager dialog box:
Click New Load Set, then...
3. New Load Set dialog box:
Title: (enter a title)
Load Set Manager dialog box:
Click Done
What
Create the load in the negative Y direction.
How
1. Model, Load, Nodal
Pick node at the tip of arrow (see following figure).
3. Click OK
4. Create Loads on Nodes dialog box:
FY: Value: 100
Click Cancel
Tip: Sometimes, it may be difficult to see a displayed load. If so, Force and Moment loads
may be “reversed” to have the “head” of the arrow on the selected node, point, or curve
instead of the “tail”. To do this, press the F6 key to open the View Options dialog box, set
Category to Labels, Entities and Color, then select Load Vectors from the list of Options.
Finally, check “Reverse” and click OK.
Analyzing the Model

The FEMAP analysis manager stores the options for creating an input file for a solver (an analysis set). It can launch the
NX NASTRAN solver or another solver that has been set up to run on the same computer. The analysis manager, together
with VisQ, can also set up and run analyses with solvers on other computers.
The analysis sets are stored with the FEMAP model file, and can also be stored in a FEMAP library that can be accessed
from different model files.
What
Create the analysis set and solve the model.
How
1. Model, Analysis
2. Analysis Set Manager dialog box:
Click New
3. Analysis Set dialog box:
Title: Buckling
4. Analysis Program: 36..NX Nastran
Analysis Type: 7..Buckling
5. Click OK
Notice: The analysis set manager displays all analysis sets defined in the model, and
the sections that make up the input file for the solver. Clicking on a plus sign will
expand the tree and display individual options that can be edited by double-clicking on
an option.
For this analysis, you’ll use the default values for these options.
6. Click Analyze
Notice: The NX Nastran Analysis Monitor will display the status of the solve. You’ll
know that the solve is done when the Messages dockable pane tells you that cleanup of
the output set is complete.
Post-processing the Results

For this example, you will display the buckling shape and buckling factor.
What
Display the deformed model (buckled shape) and the critical buckling factor.
How
1. View, Select
Deformed Style: Deform
3. Click Deformed and Contour Data
4. Select PostProcessing Data dialog box:
Output Set: 2..Eigenvalue 1 33.06344
5. Click OK (all dialog boxes)
Notice: The set value is the eigenvalue and critical buckling factor for a buckling analysis.
In this case, the part would buckle at a load 33.06 times higher than the applied load.
This is the end of the example. You don’t need to save the model file.
FEMAP
Product Info: www.femap.com
Customer Support
Phone: (714) 952-5444
or : (800) 955-0000 (US and Canada)
FEMAP User Community

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Analyzing Buckling for a Bracket Page 1 of 13

Home > Examples > 4. Analyzing Buckling for a Bracket

4. Analyzing Buckling for a Bracket

Importing the Geometry

2. File, Import, Femap Neutral

3. Read Model from FEMAP Neutral dialog box:

Go to the Examples directory in your FEMAP installation.

Locate Bracket.neu file, then click Open

Neutral File Read Options dialog box:

Meshing the Model

Defining the Property and Material

2. Define Property - PLATE Element Type dialog box:

3. Element/Property Type dialog box:

Plane Elements: Plate

5. Define Property - PLATE Element Type dialog box:

Notice: Titles can be up to 79 characters long

6. Property Values: Thicknesses: 0.1

Click Yes (to create material)

9. Select from Library dialog box:

AISI 4340 Steel (select)

10. Click OK, then...

In Define Material - ISOTROPIC dialog box:

Click OK, then...

In Define Property - PLATE Element Type dialog box:

Click OK, then...

Meshing the Model

1. Geometry, Boundary Surface, From Curves

2. Entity Selection dialog box:

5. Click OK, then...

Notice: You should now have two new boundary surfaces.

1. Mesh, Mesh Control, Size on Surface

2. Entity Selection dialog box:

Click Select All, then...

3. Automatic Mesh Sizing dialog box:

Element Size: 0.3

1. Mesh, Geometry, Surface

2. Entity Selection dialog box:

Automesh Surfaces dialog box:

Click More Options button

5. In the Node Options portion of the Automesh Surfaces dialog box:

UNCHECK Connect Edge Nodes option

7. Mesh, Geometry, Surface

8. Entity Selection dialog box:

Automesh Surfaces dialog box:

1. F5 key View Select

2. View Select dialog box:

Model Style: Free Edge

1. Tools, Check, Coincident Nodes

2. Entity Selection dialog box:

Click Select All

Keep ID: Automatic

Move To: Current Location

6. F5 key View Select

Model Style: Draw Model

Applying Constraints and Loads

1. Model, Constraint, Create/Manage Set

2. Constraint Set Manager dialog box:

Click New Constraint Set, then...