Checking Initial Contact Conditions Prior to Solving - Lesson 3

This video explores how to use the Contact tool under the Connections branch prior to solving to check initial contact conditions and avoid costly rework time fixing contacts after a failed solve. 

For complex models involving many contact pairs, even if the contact pairs are all linear, a static solution still might fail if the initial contact conditions are not set up properly. Engineers need to be extra cautious when setting up contacts between the parts, generating the desired mesh, setting up boundary conditions, applying loads, and solving the simulation. After solving such complex problems, what if the simulation fails due to improper contacts with bodies having rigid body motion? Could that be avoided before investing computational time? Is there a way to check how the contacts are defined prior to solving? We will answer these questions in this lesson.

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Video Highlights

1:40 - Discussion on contact issues arising from geometry

2:41 - Discussion on contact issues arising from rigid-body motion

3:42 - Discussion on using Contact Tool under Connections branch

7:47 - Demonstration of checking initial contact status in Mechanical

13:05 - Discussion on resolving geometric gaps in assemblies

13:39 - Demonstration of using frictional contact Interference Treatment in Mechanical

13:55 - Demonstration of increasing bonded contact Pinball Radius in Mechanical

Simulation Files

Download the accompanying geometry and archived files here. Ansys Student can be downloaded for free here.