Цифровая платформа по разработке и применению цифровых двойников CML-Bench®
Уникальный онлайн-курс «Цифровые двойники изделий»
CAD/CAE/CFD/CAO/HPC новости 21 Октября 2004 года
Данная новость была прочитана 4053 раза

Обзор возможностей CosmosWorks 2005

THE ENHANCEMENTS made to CosmosWorks for the 2005 release can be categorised into three distinct areas. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly when considering the heightened levels of interaction with SolidWorks and the target user market, usability has seen a lot of work.

In the first instance, this means there are a number changes to the way in which you interact with the system, such as it now supports the windows splitters that are available in many different Windows-based applications. These allow you to separate the modelling and results windows into different view ports. While for 3D modelling software, the usefulness of this functionality is limited, in an analysis or simulation environment, they come into their own, as they allow you to have multiple views of results sets in the same window. Iso-plots and sections within the results inspection and interrogation area have also been improved, allowing the user to see which bits of part or assembly are transferring all the load and which are doing all the work. This allows you to then make a judgment based on how to strengthen some areas while making other areas lighter. Also, when you’re working these methods of displaying results from analyses, it’s often hard (particularly for the user that’s new to analysis) to equate what’s onscreen with the legend key that often provides the real, usable information. To assist with this disconnect, an indicator now appears on the legend and shows the level of result in the modelling window. Dragging this changes the level display in the isoplots. Further into the result inspection reporting updates, there is also now a new compare test data tool. This allows you to compare analysis results such as stress, strain, displacement with test results, whether the other results sets are from other CosmosWorks studies or perhaps more interestingly, imported from physical test data.

Another factor in the usability stakes that has seen work is the integration between the various CosmosWorks products and SolidWorks. Much of this is geared towards standardising the interaction methods. For example, the interface has been updated in the XP style to mirror the changes made in SolidWorks. Also, the PropertyManager window, that’s commonly used within SolidWorks to provide access to command parameters and variables, has been employed within CosmosWorks for all results manipulation. In terms of providing assistance to new users, CosmosWorks also now uses the same Quick Tips functionality that presents you with a base level of help within the application and is used to step the user through the basic analysis processes. Expanding that further, the system now includes a wide range of SolidWorks-style tutorials which give a more in-depth method of learning or refreshing your knowledge of the various capabilities of the system.

On a more functional theme, the system now supports configurations often employed in SolidWorks to store component or assembly variants.You can now use any of the configurations stored within the SolidWorks part file. This has been implemented rather cleverly, as while it allows you to transfer loads and constraints between studies based on different configurations of the same part or assembly, it won’t transfer results, meshes and the like.

While these two areas make the adoption process for new or casual users a great deal easier, for the more experience analysis user there’s also been a lot of work done to expand the analysis capabilities within the system. For example, a folder is now available for each study created which means that you can quickly access and manipulate them from the interface – which will be useful or conducting iterative studies. On the meshing subject, you can now output a mesh quality report, which gives you indicators about the aspect ratio of the element and perform Jacobean tests. For those looking to perform detailed analysis, it’s common in traditional systems to gain access to individual elements and their performance when loaded. To support this, you can now identify individual nodes and elements on screen. In addition, for those working with the FFEPlus solvers - which are typically used large (in mesh size) linear static problems - the system now provides support for multi processor workstations.

CONNECTORS: The Connectors concept was introduced with the CosmosWorks 2004 release and in that first appearance, provided a method of quickly defining basic connection methods used between different components including pins, springs/dampers and elastic supports. These have been expanded upon for 2005, with the ability to specify a pre-load to spring while you can assign multiple faces for a single pin connector. This means you can now simulate the effect of shear on a pin, allowing to determine whether or not the connection will fail due to the material around the hole yielding or the pin failing due to shear stresses.

You can also handle large displacement or rotation for pin connectors and calculate shear force, axial force, bending moment for both the pin and the newly introduced bolt connectors. Bolted connections allows you to quickly define nut and bolt connections (including associated hardware, such as washers) between parts without having to actually model them explicitly.You can also include a pretension value (for the torque applied during assembly). This then allows you to identify the resultant forces on the bolts and the contact pressure.

THERMAL ANALYSIS: Thermal analysis has also seen work, with support provided for material properties that change with temperature variation. You can also apply different initial temperatures for assembly components. The thermal tools also now support radiation for shell elements.

New functionality

There’s also been a raft of brand new additions to the core CosmosWorks functionality. For example, the system now provides support for non-linear analysis. For those that aren’t familiar with advanced analysis techniques, non-linear analysis covers two major applications. In the first instance, this allows you to conduct analyses on products which feature materials operating outside of their limits of elasticity or which deform to a large extent, such as plastics, rubber, polymers, foams etc. The system now includes an enhanced material library for these types of materials, and features Stress- Strain curves. Of course, the odds of conducting analyses on these types of components on their own is low, so the system allows you to conduct analysis of non-linear materials when in contact with other components.

Another capability which has been introduced for the 2005 release is the support for conducting Fatigue analysis. While standard analysis allows you to conduct simulation of the behaviour of components under specific loading conditions at a single instance in time, Fatigue analysis allows you to conduct the same analysis, but to take into account the cycling of its loading conditions over time. In terms of real world usage, the static, single event analysis would allow you to gauge the effects of a single catastrophic failure of a part (such as when it’s under maximum loading conditions). Meanwhile fatigue analysis allows you predict how the component is likely to fail under normal operating conditions or constant use. The system allows you to carry out two types of fatigue analysis in two ways. Single cyclic events predict factors such as Design Life (such as the number of times that a component can be loaded and unloaded), and Damage which will show you areas in which the part will fail and of course, provide an idea of a factor of safety.

Meanwhile, Multiple Events allows you to predict factors such as cumulative damage. The definition of these types of studies is pretty simple (particularly in comparison to other, traditionally led systems), but at present, is only available for the fatigue analysis of linear static studies. Alongside the fatigue

Alongside the fatigue analysis tools that have been introduced, another new chunk of functionality is the ability to conduct Drop Tests. Like fatigue this is the type of functionality that has previously been restricted to the traditional analysis codes and in many cases, is a very hard simulation to conduct, simply in terms of set-up. The implementation within CosmosWorks, as you might imagine, has been designed to make the process as easy as possible. In terms of set-up, you just need to define a drop height, specify gravity and the floor orientation (or the direction the model will fall).

Once the analysis is complete, you can then study the Stress and Deformation results both at the point of impact and after the fact, with secondary impacts (such as when the part bounces). The results can be animated and of course, you also have access to the usual range of inspection, sectioning and graphing tools. While the tool works with both parts and assemblies, you can’t define contact sets with an assembly – which means that an assembly cannot fall apart.

The final updates we’re going to cover is the ability to transfer loads from CosmosWorks to CosmosMotion for further assembly dynamics simulation. The loads for CosmosMotion are now automatically saved into part files, whereas previously, you’d have to output an external file and reload it into a motion study. This should allow you to perform design analyses at a particular time step or a create design scenario analysis over the full simulation range

In conclusion

As you should be aware by now, the developers behind the SRAC products (which includes CosmosWorks, Cosmos/M and DesignStar) are now part of the SolidWorks organisation (itself part of the Dassault empire) and while development work is still continuing on the DesignStar application to provide similar functions when integrated with other mainstream modelling tools, it’s clear that CosmosWorks is the jewel in the crown.

There do seem to be two key aims of the last few releases. To provide a seamless link between SolidWorks and CosmosWorks and to transfer the advanced technology from the traditional analysis tool, Cosmos/M into this new breed of mainstream focussed tool. In fact, the three core principles of CosmosWorks development are ‘to provide easy-touse, intuitive software,’ ‘to provide both low-end and high-end analysis functions in one interface’ and finally, as we said at the outset, to ‘make analysis simulation available to every engineer.’ This release sees the system move much closer to these goals. The integration with SolidWorks make the whole up-front use of analysis by designers and engineers much more achievable, as the two systems interact in a much more synchronised manner, making adoption and usage much easier and less painful.

The additions, in particular, the drop test and fatigue analysis functions for 2005 see the incorporate of some very heavy weight tools into the CosmosWorks arsenal, as these types of analysis would be difficult to conduct even with years of experience in a traditional analysis system. In terms of making simulation available to the majority of the designers and engineers out there, this is being achieved on several fronts. Firstly, and relating to both sales and the manner of sales, these tools are now available through the whole SolidWorks channel, rather than specific dealers, as was traditionally the case. This makes adoption (due to single points of purchase, discounts etc) much less hassle. Also, there has been some readjustment of the bundling and pricing schemes. For example, the CosmosDesigner package was introduced a few months ago and for Ј3,500, you can gain access to a wide range of the core CosmosWorks functionality (limitations include and to gain access to these features, you are looking at an extra costs. In terms of costs, the new Drop Test functionality is included in core CosmosWorks, but the Fatigue tools do need an extra cost item (of around the five grand mark).

The combination of SolidWorks and CosmosWorks is a real differentiator, particularly now that many organisations are looking to extend the use of their 3D data at the same time as looking to improve design and product quality. In the midrange, this level of interoperability (to the point of real seamlessness) between core modelling and design-led analysis and simulation is available nowhere else. Yes, if you’re looking to take on the full range of capabilities, then there is a large investment in the technology and training, but the benefits that can be achieved in terms of improvement of product quality compared to the costs associated with in-service failure due to design errors, make the investment very worthwhile indeed.

****CosmosMotion & CosmosFlow****

As long time MCAD readers will know, the Cosmos range of products aren’t just restricted to CosmosWorks. The product offering also includes two other modules, CosmosMotion and CosmosFlow – which cover assembly motion simulation based on the Adams engine and fluid flow analysis technology from Nika respectively.

Both of these products have been updated for the 2005 release. In specifics, CosmosMotion now automatically maps SolidWorks advanced mates into the assembly simulation environment – such as Surface to Surface and Point to Surface mates. This means you can simulate mechanisms such as cams and followers without having to recreate the 3D contacts in CosmosMotion. It also automatically maps constraints within sub-assemblies. The system now includes the ability to define Orthotropic bushings, allowing you to specify different translational and torsional properties in different directions to accurately represent bushings, as typically found in automotive and machinery design. Lastly, to back-up the ability to transfer loads from CosmosWorks to the Motion module, the same is reciprocated, allowing you to seamlessly transfer loads resultant from motion analysis to CosmosWorks, which in previously releases, required the output and loading of an external file. This allows you to transfer the loads for the entire motion cycle and to then study the worst case scenario in CosmosWorks

CosmosFlow has also seen a lot of development work and now includes a parametric study tool which allows you to optimise designs based on a set of fluid flow conditions. Set-up has been made much easier as the system can automatically detect and create the fluid volume required for internal flow problems, by simply selecting a boundary surface. Also on this front, you can create fully developed flow profiles at inlet points, which means you don’t need to extend the inlet to get fully developed flow anymore.

For those looking to conduct heat transfer analysis of assemblies featuring transparent objects, it now supports heat radiation through transparent but solid materials like glass or plastic. Also on the heat radiation front, you can now conduct simulation of solar radiation on a product dependent on time which allows you to gauge the effect of heat generated by the sun during the day.

In terms of result inspection and reporting tools, there have been updates to vorticity plots which will give you a better understanding of swirling flow applications This will be ideal for those working in mixing applications. Automated report and plot generation has also see work and you can now automatically generate custom reports and goal plot graphics once the analysis is complete for all the projects, which when combined with the integration in the SolidWorks Task Scheduler, should make the running of analysis and simulations over night much more effective, as you’re instantly presented with summary reports once all the tasks are complete.

There has also been work on the performance of the system and the time taken to achieve specific tasks, such as data access for large number of particles traces, transient analysis solve times, and post processing in general which should reduce the time taken to process and view results compared to 2004.

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