Simulation considerations

As you set up your simulations, consider specific, fundamental questions, such as the following:

• What is the design objective for this simulation?
• What materials should be used (including cost, availability, and performance considerations)?
• Which parts of the geometry can I change?
• What are the underlying physical forces and thermal effects, and how do I represent them accurately?
• Is a linear static stress analysis sufficient, or are there effects that require a nonlinear analysis to quantify?
• Is my structure susceptible to buckling due to geometric instability, even though the stresses are well below the yield strength of the material? (This potential exists for long and slender parts subjected to compressive loads.)
• What size elements (mesh settings) do I need to ensure reasonably accurate results?
• How is movement constrained, and how can I most accurately constrain the simulation model to represent the real world conditions?
• Are there unnecessary features that only complicate the model and are not significant from a simulation perspective? Examples include part numbers, external corner fillets, and small chamfers used to break sharp edges.
• Are the loads, geometry, and constraints symmetrical about one or more planes? If so, you can greatly simplify the simulation model by cutting it down to a half-, quarter-, or eighth-symmetry model.
• When removing material to reduce the weight of a part, consider the manufacturing cost, not just the simulation results. Often, removing material increases the cost of manufacturing a component.

As you run simulations, you learn about the performance of your designs. You can often identify aspects that you need to change or potential design alternatives to explore. As you pursue these alternatives and evolve your design, Fusion provides tools for comparing the relative performance and assessing the designs against known criteria.