Basic Set-up: Disclaimer (If you know how to set up welds already, you can skip to simulations!)
A sketch of the structure can be made to provide a mould/shape of the final result, with the use of the Structural Member tool on Solidworks; you can transform sketch lines into differing-sized shapes & tubes
Some tips: While setting up, sketches make use of planes and 3D sketches to align joints to perfection, this will make the step mentioned above significantly easier to do.
Structural Member Breakdown:
Once sketches have been finalized and set up, you can proceed to create your members.
Standard, Type, and sizes can be selected from the menu.
Groups can be made through basic interactions with standard geometry (squares, triangles etc), or you could opt to have multiple stand-alone groups.
After this your corners (Joints) can be treated, to make it as aesthetic and clean-looking as possible, and to later help your sim.
A higher trim order may be necessary based on the number of objects intersecting at a corner. For the example set-up in the image 4 objects are intersecting at a corner, so the max trim order was used for all groups to refine the edge. Select the pink circle on your joins to apply the corner treatment.
SIMULATIONS OF WELDMENTS
To begin sims, you need to set up, Weld Beads, the actual joints for the different materials
The Weld Bead menu:
A Weld Path or Weld Geometry may be used to model the weld, that is needed.
Weld Geometry:
In this case, a face is selected and the intersecting tube is used as the second face, this is a basic setup for a welded joint. The welding symbol can also be defined, for both faces, it is recommended that a fillet is used, as it is an easier identifier for a weld.
Weld Path:
This is as easy as it sounds, you’re simply creating a path to indicate where the welds should be made. As long as you've set your default radius.
Once you’re done with this process and making the weld beads, simulations may begin
Also, all welds will be in the Weld Folder
By right-clicking on the weld folder you can hide and unhide the cosmetic weldments.
Simulations:
Start a new study; the static study will be your best friend
Apply your fixtures, not on the welds, but the stationary segments of your design.
Apply your forces, in the case of my example they would be beams, you could also apply the individual forces to the joints as well
Solidworks recognizes your weld beads as secure welds and the sim is run accordingly
This has been the easiest way, I’ve found to simulate weld behaviour, as weld beads hold far too much customizability, with the capacity to simulate and run every type of weld.
Method 2: Directly from the Simulations tab
For assemblies, where the aforementioned steps have not been mentioned, it is quite simple to also use the Edge weld connector method or Spot Weld features in the FEA menu, directly from the simulation → new study → connections → right click → Edge weld.
Edge Weld:
This option allows for direct treatment of the edge of 2 intersecting objects
Limitations: Weldments have many benefits in their ability to easily simulate and construct basic layouts for welds, yet are quite limited in overall depth compared to other software.
The complexity of Joints: You can currently only make 3 types of joints on SolidWorks, Miter, EndButt, and Endbutt 2 this grossly limits the ability to represent more complex joints and non-standard conventions, which would require external detailing and sketching to achieve.
Limited Simulation: Overall simulation capabilities; the SolidWorks simulation capacity for advanced weldments is comparable to the underdeveloped muscular system of a little brother. The older brothers being ANSYS/Abaqus, SolidWorks fails when trying to simulate the behaviour of welded structures undergoing complex loads, this includes but is not limited to fatigue analysis, all of which would require software or manual calculations. [Stress]
Customization/Cutlist Issues: SolidWorks offeres a variety of standard weldment profiles, and also a unique method of storing the customizations in the form of a cutlist. Management of this form of data storage, is also quite challenging, and for unique and non-standard cross-sections, it becomes more challeging and complex.
Non-linear Analysis: The analysis of the behavior of weldments under large deformations and non-linear material properties, FEA and simulations may be limited as well.
An example of this would be:
If we were analyzing a welded beam that was gradually undergoing increasing load, the point in which the load force surpasses the yield point of the material, plastic deformation occurs; significantly decreasing the stiffness of the material. SolidWorks FEA would not accurately model this behaviour, which would lead to the misestimation of stresses and incorrect deformation predictions.
This would be a situation in which ANSYS would be better.
ANSYS Simulations
In progress
Bolted Connections
The assumption when exploring Bolted Connections is that you've made holes for the allocated bolts, this can be done using the hole wizard on Solidworks
Below is a Sample piece/tutorial to help speed up and sim bolted connections:
Example Piece
For this simulation, I created a virtual wall, this is done by creating a reference plane where you want the wall to be, indicated by the plane called Wall.
Simply right-click:
Then select local interactions:
Select your adjacent face and the plane you created as a reference; now you have a virtual wall!
After making your fixtures and applying your forces proceed to make your connections.
After selecting this, select your edges and apply the bolts you wish to apply.
Scrolling down in the menu allows for custom options, such as calculating the Tensile Stress Area or simply proceeding with the known Tensile Stress Area.
You can insert various bolts relative to the fixtures that are needed: (Standard counterbore with Nut, Countersink, Standard or Counterbore, Countersink, Foundation bolt)
Once these have been set up run your simulations!
Results can be analyzed ( Stress, Strain, Displacement etc.)
Additionally, a Pin/Bolt Check Plot can be made to further analyze the connections:
Results → right click → Define Pin/Bolt Check Plot → green check mark
Hope this helps!
