The Cosmos Companion: Analyzing Sheet Metal Parts & Assys in Cosmosworks

Analyzing Sheet Metal Parts and
Assemblies in COSMOSWorks
The COSMOS Companion

Analyzing Sheet Metal Parts &
Assys in COSMOSWorks
Sponsored by:
Volume 111
Image courtesy of National Optical Astronomy

Observatory, operated by the Association of Universities
for Research in Astronomy, under cooperative
agreement with the National Science Foundation.
In this unit, we will discuss techniques in COSMOSWorks for modeling sheet metal
parts and assemblies. Well focus on the use of shell element models to represent
these thin walled parts with comparatively large surface areas and highlight the
differences in modeling these vs. solid parts.
Unit# 111

What is the COSMOS Companion?

The COSMOS Companion is a series of short subjects to
help design engineers build better products with SolidWorks
Analysis
Video presentations and accompanying exercises
A tool for Continuous Learning on your schedule
Pre-recorded videos are accompanied by a more detailed
webcast with Q & A
Download videos and review webcast schedule at:
http://www.cosmosm.com/pages/news/COSMOS_Companion.html
It is not an alternative to instructor-led introductory training

We highly recommend you take a course with your local reseller to
build a solid knowledge base
2006 SolidWorks Corp. Confidential.
If you are new to the COSMOS Companion, a few comments on the program are warranted. The
COSMOS Companion series was developed in response to the request from many of our users for
more detailed information on specific and/or new functionality within the COSMOS products.
Additionally, many users have been asking for clarification of common design analysis questions to
enable them to make more representative analysis models and make better decisions with the data.
Whats more, users have asked for this material to be made available in a variety of formats so they
can review it how and when they wish. To address this, each COSMOS Companion topic has been
pre-recorded and made available thru the COSMOS Companion homepage as a downloadable or
streaming video with audio, as static PDF slides for printing, or as a live webcast enabling attendees
to ask questions and engage in additional discussion. We are trying to provide continuous learning
on your schedule so you can be as effective and efficient as possible when using COSMOS for
design analysis and validation.
It is important to note that this material is not developed as an alternative to instructor led training.
We still believe that the best introduction to any of the COSMOS products is in a class led by your
resellers certified instructor. In this program, we are hoping to build on the lessons learned in your
initial training. In fact, we will make the assumption that you have basic knowledge of the interface
and workflow from intro training or equivalent experience. We will try not to repeat what was taught in
those classes or can be found in the on-line help but to augment that information.
Unit# 111

Topics to be Covered
Shells vs. Solids
Shell Surface Placement
Geometry Options
Contact with Shell Elements
Connectors for Shell Elements
Not Covered Analysis of Welds
Will be covered in depth in a subsequent session
In this edition of the COSMOS Companion, well be looking at the modeling aspects
of sheet metal parts and assemblies and focus on the use of Shell Element models
to better handle large thin components. Well discuss when shell models are
appropriate and then spend some time talking about creating them in
COSMOSWorks.
The importance of shell surface placement will be shown with an example. Then,
well talk about techniques for building initial surface models correctly placed to
avoid the error that can get introduced by choosing outside surfaces of solids.
The contact options available for shell models will be reviewed and the Spot Weld
Connector will be discussed as a tool for attaching sheet metal assemblies.
While the analysis of welds is an important and relevant topic to designers making
sheet metal parts, it is deep enough to warrant its own discussion and will be the
subject of a later COSMOS Companion session.
Unit# 111

Sheet Metal & Shell Elements

Sheet Metal parts are typically MUCH thinner than the
typical feature size or surface area &are excellent
candidates for shell elements
Typically uniform wall thickness for entire part
Multiple fastening methods used
Weld, bolts, rivets, spot welds, various tab/slot options
Primary design decisions

Gage thickness = Shell thickness
Material
Fastening method
The nature of sheet metal components lend themselves ideally to an element type
in COSMOSWorks, or any FEA tool for that matter, called shell elements. Shell
elements best represent parts whose walls are MUCH thinner than their typical
feature size. We would call parts with one dimension much less than the others a
high aspect ratio part. While solid elements could be used for these parts, and
often are, they are at best inefficient since many more solid elements are required
to capture the same response a shell mesh can. At worst, if too few solid elements
are used in a bending dominant condition, the results may appear to be correct but
could be overly stiff. If these types of parts are important to your design work, you
need to consider the use of shell elements.
One of the most powerful aspects of shell element modeling for sheet metal parts is
that you can change gage or wall thickness simply by changing a property. You
dont need to change your SolidWorks model. Well take a look at this in a minute.
Unit# 111


Extreme Examples
Products like this garbage truck and storage silo are perfect shell model candidates.
An attempt to model either of these assemblies with solid elements would grind
most engineering workstations to their needs, just in the meshing. Getting a
solution would be very unlikely due to resource requirements. However, a shell
model, or idealization, could mesh and solve in minutes.
Unit# 111

Low Aspect Ratio

Solid Elements
High Aspect Ratio

Shell Elements

Hook Brkt.sldprt
Deciding what model type to use, shells vs. solids, is pretty straightforward at the
extremes of possible part aspect ratios. Chunky solid parts are obvious candidates
for solid meshing. Large sheet metal assemblies like the examples in the previous
slide are obvious candidates for shells. It is in the middle of the spectrum that you
will have to put some thought into the decision.
Most sheet metal parts will fall into the shell element category. However, wall
thickness isnt the only consideration. If there are small features, (tabs, walls, etc)
that are only 2-3 times the wall thickness and they are part of the load path, they
may not be modeled as well with shells. A good rule of thumb is that if you can
model the geometry with a surface representation at the midsurface of the part and
it is hard to tell the difference between that and the true solid, youve got a perfect
shell model candidate. Once the surface model visually differs from the solid, you
may need to try some test models to determine the best approach.
Unit# 111

Example Shell Mesh of a Part
The surfaces chosen for a shell model of the part can be the outside or the inside.
However, they need to form a continuous surface. On a truly formed part with
correct bend radii, the Select Tangency RMB option is a good way to find all the
appropriate surfaces. If there are sharp bends in your model, youll need to make
multiple picks.
Once selected, assign a wall thickness to the surfaces. In most cases, you should
choose the Thin Shell option. The Thick Shell formulation can account for shearing
effects that become more prominent in thicker parts. You are encouraged to
experiment with this element type for your problems, comparing a solid, thin shell
and thick shell model to see how the results vary. This is an important habit to get
into when trying new features and functionality.
Unit# 111

Shells Elements in COSMOSWorks

Default Mesh Size = 5.0 mm
Tolerance = 0.245 mm
0.25 mm
Tolerance = 0.0245 mm
An interesting thing to note on this model, that has ramifications on many sheet
metal models, is that using the default mesh size & tolerance, the mitered corners
were joined into a continuous surface. When the tolerance was reduced by 10x, the
geometry meshed as expected.
You can use characteristic of mesh tolerance to your advantage. If you know that
this seam will be welded in the final product, allow the gap to close with a larger
tolerance and save some additional work down the road.
Unit# 111


Shell Modeling Basics
Shell elements are meshed on surfaces (compared to solids in
volumes)
COSMOS understands the shell placement to ALWAYS be at the
midsurface of the part
For convenience, it may be easier to choose an inside or outside part
surface
The higher the part aspect ratio, the less it matters
Top
Mid
Bottom

For placement.sldasm
In the example, we chose to place the shell mesh on the inside surfaces of the part.
COSMOSWorks assumes the placement of a shell mesh is automatically at the
midsurface of the part being represented. It will assign half of the specified wall
thickness to each side of the element. Consequently, if you choose a surface for
the shell mesh placement that isnt at the midsurface of the part, as we did in the
previous example, the analytical part will differ from the CAD part by a wall
thickness everywhere. In some areas, your part may analyze as larger than you
expected, in others, smaller. It is comforting to note that the higher the parts
aspect ratio, or the better candidate a part is for a shell mesh, the less shell surface
placement matters. In the grand scheme of things, on a system as large as that
garbage truck body shown earlier, wall thickness either way will not impact the
results measurably. However, as a part approaches the grey zone where it could be
modeled as shells or solids, midsurface placement of the shell becomes important.
The following example shows, on a simple part, how the results could differ and is
indicative of the type of test model you should consider trying to understand these
concepts better.
Unit# 111

Example Shell Surface Placement
10
In this example, the same part was modeled 4 different ways. In the top instance, a solid mesh was
completed. In the 2nd and 3rd instances, the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, were chosen for
the shell placement. In the final instance, a midsurface representation was used.
Note that the 2nd instance meshes with orange elements whereas the rest of the shell elements are
grey. This is because shell elements have a top and bottom face. Consider a plate being bent
downward. The top surface will have tensile stress and the bottom will have compressive stress. The
results on top and bottom differ so the shell element in COSMOSWorks allows you to look at each
side and they are colored differently to differentiate them. As the model is initially created, the
stresses displayed on the second instance will reflect a different surface on the shell. It is best to
compare results on models with consistent orientations, or element normals. The normal for the 2nd
instance can be flipped so the result compare better.
Note also that the loads and restraints that need be applied to the edge of a shell representation need
to be applied to the edge that is on the shell placement surface. Choosing the solid face that is
represented by the edge or the wrong edge will create a load/restraint that wont be attached to the
model.
Unit# 111
10

Example Shell Surface Placement

Von Mises Stress
Total Displacement
11
Youll note from the results that the differences between the models are insignificant
in this example. It is likely that youd make the same decision regardless of which
way you proceeded. This may not always be the case.
Unit# 111
11

Half Wall Thickness

Gap Must be
Corrected for Mesh
Continuity
T/2
12
All the examples to this point were single parts where the choice on an inside or
outside surface was pretty straightforward. As we move into assemblies, the
possibility of Tee intersections arises. Remembering that the shell surface
represents the midsurface of the part, it makes sense that a pure midsurface model
would leave gaps in the system, as shown above. This wall thickness gap must
be accounted for in the development of your model or the components will fly apart.
Unit# 111
12


Choice of placement can resolve these issues sometimes
B
A
What About this Case?

13
On some simple models, choice of inside/outside surface placement can

bring the shell surfaces into contact, (& well discuss how to make sure they
join in a few slides.) However, as the complexity of the problem increases as
in the example on the right, you will be faced with more difficult modeling
decisions. One option is to use bonded contact and glue the edge of the
part A to the shell surface of B.
Unit# 111
13

Geometry Options for Shells

Use outer surfaces of Solid as Shells
Construct solids with external surfaces at MidSurfaces
Use Shell feature to build complete solids and
adjust Shell thickness to Wall for FEA
Build Surface models initially

Compress Solids to Mid-Surfaces
In SolidWorks
In COSMOSWorks
14

Pipe Section Sketch.sldprt
Another is to build the geometry initially using surface bodies correctly placed at the
midsurface of the parts and touching so that these adjustments arent necessary.
We looked at the creation of shell models using inside/outside solid surfaces. In this
example well show how you can use surface models to start your design and
optimize it. Then, when the system behaves as desired, convert your model to a
solid.
Once we have the final solid, well look at how you can take a solid made using
other methods and extract a midsurface model that can be tweaked for use with
COSMOSWorks.
Unit# 111
14

Example Develop Surfaces

Open the part Pipe Section
Sketch.sldprt
Create the main tube as shown
Select the sketch Main Cylinder
Insert : Surface : Extrude
20.0 in.
Unit# 111
15
15

Create the Nozzle surface as

shown
Select the sketch Nozzle &
Flange
Insert : Surface : Extrude
Expand Selected Contours
Select only the inside circle
as shown
Unit# 111
16
16


Create the Flange Surface
Expand the previously created
surface feature in the Feature
Manager
Select the sketch Nozzle &
Flange again
Insert : Surface : Planar
Unit# 111
17
17

Trim the cylindrical surfaces
Insert : Surface : Trim

Choose Mutual for Trim Type
Choose Keep Selections
Select both cylindrical surfaces for
the Surfaces box
Select the outer portions of each
cylinder in the second selection box
(shown in Pink)
These are the portions to keep
Accept the selection and review the

model to ensure the feature was
created successfully
Unit# 111
18
18

Example Knit Surfaces

Insert : Surface : Knit
Choose all surfaces
Accept selection
This knits all the surfaces into a
single surface body
At this point, you are ready to
analyze this geometry with shell
elements in COSMOSWorks
Unit# 111
19
19

Example Mesh Pipe

Click on the COSMOSWorks tab
Create a Static study called Pipe
from Surfaces
Note that Shell mesh using
surfaces is your only Model Type
option
Unit# 111
20
20

Example Mesh Pipe

In the Analysis Feature Manager, Right
Mouse Click on Shells
Choose Define by selected surfaces
Choose the two (2) cylindrical surfaces
Define a thin shell with a thickness of 0.1
inches for these
Repeat this step for the flange but assign a
thickness of 0.25 inches
The ability to define multiple thicknesses is
an important aspect of shell modeling
Create a 0.5 inch mesh on the part
Unit# 111
21
21

Example Create a Solid

Your analysis can be run and
your pipe optimized while in the
surface configuration.
Part is free from features that
distract or detract from the goal of
feature sizing.
Changing wall thicknesses is as
easy as editing the shell definition
Shell models tend to run more
quickly than solids
Unit# 111
22
22

Example Create a Solid

Once the design is sized correctly, the solid model
can be created from this knitted surface body in
one step
Insert : Boss/Base : Thicken

Choose surface body
Define a 0.1 inch thick body with the material placed
completely on the outside
First option for Thickness is Thicken Side 1

Explore what happens if the other options are
chosen
If Merge result is checked, a single body is formed
This is valid for parts or weldments that have a

uniform constant thickness
To vary thicknesses within a part, delete the last
Knit step and thicken each portion separately
Try this by backing up or deleting the last few

features
Unit# 111
23
23

Example Compress Solid in SolidWorks

SolidWorks has mid-surfacing capabilities that will
often work when the mid-surfacing in COSMOSWorks
fails
Back in SolidWorks:
Insert : Surface : Mid surface

Change Recognition threshold to < and 0.26
It is often helpful to set this threshold slightly larger than the

minimum thickness in the model
Choose Find Face Pairs

Leave Position at 50% and choose Knit Surfaces
Accept the feature and review the model
This surface model should be ready to analyze as it

was when only the surfaces were created.
This feature is useful regardless of how the initial
model was created.
Unit# 111
24
24

Contact Options for Shells

As of v2006, shell-shell contact is allowed
All shell contact must be manually defined
Global and Component options, even bonding, will
not pick up shells
No Penetration Contact
At placement of shell surface, not at theoretical
thickness
Face-Face or Edge-FaceNot Edge-Edge (Target
set requires face)
Bonded Contact
Again, manually defined only
No Edge-Edge
Otherwise, same as solids
Manually controlled mesh continuity another option

25
Shell meshed parts can be attached in the same ways solid bodies can. The biggest
difference is that the automatic contact pair creation tools, such as the global or
component contact settings, do not pick up interactions between shell faces. Any
Bonded or No Penetration contact you want between shell meshed parts needs to
be defined manually. That said, you can create these types of contact in your
model, even bonding across small gaps in the model - which works out well if you
have compressed solid to midsurfaces and have wall thickness gaps between
parts.
The manually defined contact pairs require the specification of a source and target
set. Please refer to the prior COSMOS Companion unit on contact for a more
thorough explanation of this. However, the Target set in COSMOSWorks only
allows the selection of faces. Consequently, you cant define contact between two
edges in a shell model. If you need a no penetration contact condition between
edges, possibly in parts as shown where the mitered corner could collapse on itself,
you may need to use solid elements.
In addition to bonded joints for parts, typically to model welds, you can control the
continuity of the model manually by placing split lines in the right places.
Unit# 111
25

Contact Options for Shells

COSMOSWorks generates a continuous (compatible) mesh
at edges of faces that share an edge
Completely or Partially shared edges OK
Tolerance can be adjusted to close gap
Using split lines to force continuity shouldnt be required but

still an option
26

Mesh Continuity .sldprt
When COSMOSWorks sees two coincident edges on shell placement surfaces, it

will automatically mesh the faces so that the mesh is continuous, or compatible,
across the intersection. This is even true for edges of different length. As long as
they lie on top of each other, a continuous mesh will be created and provide a
welded or joined representation.
When an edge and a face are coincident, (vs. two edges), you have the option to
force an edge on the face using split lines or use bonded contact. This example will
explore both these ways.
Unit# 111
26

Example - Contact Options for Shells

No Split Line
Split Line
27
If these surfaces are meshed as-is, the elements at the intersection of the parts do
not line up. This is called an incompatible mesh.
When a split line was added to the bottom surface that included a projection of the
bottom edge, the mesh aligned at the intersection, creating a compatible mesh.
This mesh will transmit forces and moments between the parts and it will behave as
if welded.
Unit# 111
27

Example - Contact Options for Shells

Von Mises Stress Plots
Compatible Mesh
Using Split Line
Incompatible Mesh
Using Bonded Contact
28
In these two examples, the model on the left has the fully compatible mesh created using properly
positioned split lines. The model on the right uses the incompatible mesh shown previously but with
a bonded contact condition between the two parts. The biggest difference between the two models is
the stress right at the joint. In the compatible mesh, you see a reduced stress band on the vertical
component that doesnt exist on the incompatible model. This is due to stress averaging. The
COSMOSWorks post-processor averages the displayed stress in at a node based on all the attached
elements. When the model is compatible, the stress on the first row of elements on the vertical
member is the average of the stress on the vertical region as well as the much reduced stress on the
horizontal region. Since there isnt nodal connectivity in the incompatible mesh, this averaging
doesnt cross between the parts.
So which is right? Stress at a welded joint like this is suspect to begin with. This is covered more
thoroughly in the unit on welds and weldments. I could make a case for each of the models. In the
compatible mesh, it is clear that something is wrong and maybe thats a good thing. It is less likely to
be misinterpreted as correct. In the bonded case, the unaveraged stress is typically considered more
correct but doesnt account for any additional stiffening or residual stress the weld bead might have
created.
My suggestion is to model these in the most convenient manner and ALWAYS be skeptical of
stresses at these t-joints. More on this in the unit on weldments
Unit# 111
28

Connectors for Sheet Metal Assemblies

The only Connector available in v2006 for
shell models is Spot Weld
Reference point for spot weld must be part
of the assembly document
Contact conditions may still be needed if
welded surfaces can support each other
Split lines & local mesh control can
improve results local to the spot weld
29
The last topic to discuss for sheet metal assemblies is the representation of
fasteners. In v2006, the only Connector option available is Spot Weld. Essentially,
by designating two faces and a reference point, a connection between the closest
nodes to the point on one face is made to the closest nodes on the second face. On
a coarse mesh as shown, this can lead to unrealistic stress distributions. If you are
concerned about results near, not atbut near, the spot weld, a more refined mesh
and possibly well-placed split lines should do the trick.
Also note that in many cases, the spot weld bonds the parts locally but it is still thru
contact that a majority of the support occurs. In these cases, you may want to
consider setting up No Penetration contact conditions. Remember that the global
contact conditions do not apply to shell meshes so youll need to define these
manually.
Unit# 111
29

Presentation Summary
In this COSMOS Companion unit, we reviewed:
When to use shell elements for sheet metal parts
How to set up shell models including shell surface placement
Options for creating geometry for shell models
Guidelines for using contact with shell models
Tips for using Spot Weld connectors on sheet metal
assemblies
30
This concludes our introduction to modeling sheet metal parts and assemblies in
COSMOSWorks.
We discussed some guidelines for choosing a shell mesh over a solid mesh and
then the proper techniques for creating and placing a shell mesh in your model.
We introduced surface modeling techniques to create more shell-friendly
SolidWorks models and a midsurfacing feature if going solid to surface works best
for your parts.
Finally, we talked about the Contact and Connector options for shell models and the
differences between these and the options for solids.
Unit# 111
30

Conclusion
For more information
Contact your local reseller for more in-depth training or
support on modeling sheet metal parts and assemblies
COSMOSWorks
For a more detailed discussion on welds and weldments,
plan to attend that upcoming COSMOS Companion program
Review the on-line help for a more detailed description of the
features discussed
Attend, or better yet, present at a local COSMOS or
SolidWorks user group.
See http://www.swugn.org/ for a user group near you
31
Id like to thank you for taking the time to join in this edition of the COSMOS
Companion. I hope you feel more comfortable about exploring alternate mesh
types, such as shell meshes, for your thin walled and sheet metal parts and
assemblies. Gaining confidence in building these types of models will allow you to
develop more complex and representative systems in your design work.
I encourage you to talk thru your shell modeling applications with the support team
at your local reseller and take advantage of their experience in using
COSMOSWorks.
If you have time, you should also read thru the on-line help topics on shell elements
and shell modeling for more detail on some of these concepts.
Finally, I hope you have a chance to get involved in a local COSMOS user group.
This is one of the best vehicles for sharing and learning from the experience of
others who face the same challenges as you. You can locate a local COSMOS
group on the SolidWorks User Group network website shown. If there arent any
COSMOS groups near you, get involved in your local SolidWorks groups and
introduce some COSMOS related topics to foster some discussion on design
analysis and validation.
Thanks again for your time and interest and I look forward to seeing you next time
on the COSMOS Companion.
Unit# 111
31

The Cosmos Companion: Analyzing Sheet Metal Parts & Assys in Cosmosworks

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Analyzing Sheet Metal Parts and