MSC.

Software: Whitepaper - Multibody Dynamics

Accurately Simulating
Entire Systems in Motion
Helps Deliver a Better
Product in Less Time

WHITEPAPER

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MSC.Software: Whitepaper - Multibody Dynamics

Introduction

Kinematics tools such as the motion analysis software embedded in some

computer aided design (CAD) systems are useful for visualizing the motion
of complex assemblies. But zero-degree-of-freedom kinematics tools only
determine the motion
of the components
under an idealized set of
assumptions. Real parts
are subject to inertia and
gravity, have slop and
friction, deflect, vibrate,
contact each other, etc.

Simulation has become critical

to engineering design for nearly
every manufacturing company.
Finite element analysis is the most
popular simulation tool but it tends
to break down in situations where
many components are in motion
and interacting with each other. On
the other hand, multibody dynamics
(MBD) provides tools for quickly
MBD enables more impactful
modeling and simulating complex
changes earlier in the design
assemblies with many components.
process where the cost of
change is lower.
MBD accurately determines how a
system performs over its full range
of operation by modeling slop, friction, interference, vibration, etc. MBD
provides better prediction of loads earlier in the design process, making it
possible to accurately predict life prior to the prototype phase. As a result,
MBD makes it possible to simulate the performance of your product to a
much higher level of fidelity earlier in the design process. You can evaluate
more alternatives faster to deliver a more robust product with higher levels
of performance while reducing product development costs.

MBD Models The

Full Dynamics of
Large Systems
Understanding the behavior of complex assemblies
MBD software goes
with moving parts calls for an MBD approach.
much further than
kinematics tool by
providing large displacement dynamics modeling capabilities that capture
the full gamut of real-world complexity. MBD tools overcome the limitations
of FEA by modeling rigid bodies, flexible bodies, springs, damper, joints
and other mechanical components while substantially reducing the time
required both to create and solve the model. The result is that MBD enables
manufacturers of complex products to take full advantage of the benefits
of simulation by evaluating the performance of their products, not one part
at a time but as an entire system, in the early stages of the design process
prior to the availability of prototypes.

Current State of Simulation

The engineering process used to be based nearly exclusively on the
experience and intuition of a companys best technical people. But today
more and more products are developed in a virtual environment in which
a large number often many thousands of design alternatives are
simulated and evaluated as software prototypes. Simulation can predict
the performance of design alternatives without the time and cost involved
in building and testing physical prototypes. Engineers can quickly explore
multiple design concepts to identify the best solution. Companies that use
simulation reduce development costs by reducing the need for prototyping
and avoiding expensive changes late in the design process. Design quality
is improved by identifying issues prior to beginning production. This helps
explain why The Aberdeen Group reports that best in class manufacturers
leverage heavier use of simulation in the design phase to get to market
158 days earlier
with $1.9 million
less in product
manufacturers leverage heavier
development costs
use of simulation in the design
than others.1

phase to get to market 158 days

Long the
earlier with $1.9 million less in
predominate
product development costs...
simulation tool,
FEA is ideal for
determining the
stress and deflection of individual components and simple assemblies at
a snapshot in time. But many products such as automobiles, airplanes,
appliances, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, armament
systems - in fact nearly any type of machinery - are based on complex
systems and assemblies. To optimize the design of these products you
need to understand the interaction of multiple components in actual
operating scenarios that typically involve large amounts of motion over
time. FEA is theoretically capable of addressing these problems but
does not provide an efficient solution for representing parts that can be
approximated as rigid bodies, springs, dampers, joints, etc. Exclusively
applying FEA to complex systems and mechanisms often results in
excessive run times.
Chad Jackson, The Simulation-driven Design Benchmark Report: Getting It Right the First
Time. AberdeenGroup.

Beyond components: evaluation at the sub-system and system level

A case study of an automobile that experienced brake moan - a single

stationary vibration whose fundamental frequency is less than 500 Hz provides an example of the importance of simulating the entire system. The
original equipment manufacturer blamed the brake supplier and asked for
cost relief. The supplier performed dozens of bench tests but was unable
to replicate the problem. So the supplier used MBD to model the rear disc
brake system as well as the vehicle suspension trailing arm on which the
brake was mounted. The MBD simulation showed that the brake excited a
natural frequency in the trailing arm, resulting in the audible noise. Neither
the brake nor the trailing arm had a faulty design the problem was specific
to the entire system. The OEMs and suppliers engineers worked together
to simulate possible countermeasures on both the brake and suspension.
Stamping a stiffening rib into the trailing arm solved the problem. The
supplier now uses MBD early in the process of designing new brakes to
identify brake moan and other system-level problems when they can be
corrected at little or no cost.

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MSC.Software: Whitepaper - Multibody Dynamics

Foundation brake model mounted on complete suspension subsystem

Nastran flexible bodies incorporated into Adams MBD model

More Accurate Load Predictions

As a case in point, Adams is used by a major manufacturer of wind

turbines to improve stress and fatigue life predictions. Wind turbine
sizes have increased rapidly in recent years and this has been identified
as the root cause for a number of field reliability issues in mechanical
components. Engineers create an Adams model of the tower, rotor
blades and gearbox and drive it with various wind scenarios presented
by the toolkits seamless incorporation of National Renewable Energy
Labs industry standard
aerodynamics code Aerodyn.
Flexible body representation
of key components prevents
overestimation of component
loading. The models
responses to this excitation
include the dynamic loads
that propagate throughout
all of the various subsystems
and components. The
resulting accurate load
predictions are used as input
to downstream calculations
of component stresses and
Adams wind turbine model during gust event
fatigue life.

Today, companies usually perform simple hand calculations or use

results from previous designs to predict loads. Neither of these methods
is very accurate. Even small errors in loads create large errors in stress
results and very large errors in fatigue life predictions. Much later in the
design process accurate loads can be determined by building and testing
physical prototypes but its very expensive to make changes at this late
stage in the design process. MBD offers the ability to accurately predict
loads long before prototypes are available, making it possible to generate
accurate fatigue life predictions. The accuracy of loading information can
be enhanced by incorporating flexibility information obtained from FEA
codes. The ability to accurately determine loads early makes it possible
to evaluate many design alternatives with respect to loading in order to
deliver products that offer higher levels of performance and last longer.

Identifying and Addressing Vibration Issues Early

in Design Process

Errors in load prediction are magnified in stress and life prediction

Optimizing noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) often conflicts with other

attributes such as durability or cost. MBD provides a way to balance
competing requirements early in the design process by addressing
key vibration issues facing engineers such as will excitations in one
part of the systems interaction with another part of the system? MBD
makes it possible to include the effects of hydraulics, controls and other
subsystems and take systems to different operating points to analyze
the vibratory behavior. Users can perform system level vibration analysis
including normal modes analysis and frequency response studies. Either
time domain or frequency domain inputs can be used with the same
model. For example, you can apply an input vibration to a hydraulic
control valve and see the effect of changing cylinder pressure and boom
movement on the frequency response function plots and animations.

MSC Softwares Adams is the most widely used MBD software and has
been ever since it was introduced more than three decades ago. Over
this time period, Adams has developed unparalleled depth and breadth
of functionality and has been customized for many specific industry
applications. The Adams user community spans many industries and is
an excellent source of application experience and a driving force for the
continuing improvements. MSC Software is the world leader in both MBD
and FEA software and, in fact, is one of the few companies to even offer
both solutions. MBD and FEA software complement each other beautifully
and both need to be used together to simulate most mechanical designs.
Integrating these two very different types of codes requires subject
matter expertise in both areas and MSC is the only company possessing
such expertise. Speaking the language of both domains gives MSC the
capability to develop the rich data transfer required to fully integrate them.

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MSC.Software: Whitepaper - Multibody Dynamics

Design Optimization
The MBD environment is conducive to design studies and designed
experiments that improve product performance by understanding
interaction of key parameters and performance goals. Design study and
optimization makes it possible to specify design variable ranges and
increments as well as design constraints. The MBD software automatically
modifies the model, performs each simulation and provides the user with
results for viewing. Design of experiments (DOE) goes one step further by
drastically reducing the number of runs required to determine the optimal
value of each design
parameter by varying the
values of all factors in
parallel. This approach
determines not just the
main effects of each
factor but also the
interactions between the
factors. So it becomes
possible to identify the
optimal values for all
factors in combination.
DOE also requires far
fewer experimental
iterations than the
Objective response surface due to parameter
traditional one-factor-atvariation and interaction
a-time approach.

ATV model on 4-post shaker

For example, a leading appliance manufacturer used Adams to achieve

a 70% reduction in the vibration of a washing machine. The companys
engineers built an MBD model of the washing machine and used it to
evaluate vibratory behavior. By manually generating 60 different iterations
they were able to reduce vibration by 35%. In the belief that further
improvements were possible, engineers used Taguchi methods to design
an experiment that evaluated another 4374 cases. This led to doubling
the reduction in vibration. Animations that clearly show the reduction
in vibration from the old to the new design were used to convince
management of the need to make the change.

Results of parameter variation on lane change event

Control Systems Integration

Control system integration helps MBD users study the interaction between
electronic, hydraulic and pneumatic controls and mechanical systems
to simulate and understand their interactions. Engineers can graphically
model mechanical systems with MBD to a much higher level of fidelity
than is possible using the conventional approach of writing equations of
motion or using simple 1D mechanical models. The mechanical model
can then be integrated with a control system model developed using a
software package such as Easy5 or MATLAB. Users can incorporate
MBD models into block diagrams to simulate the systems full motion
behavior within the control system design software. Alternatively, actual
controllers from the controls design software can be imported into the
MBD simulation environment.

Reduction of undesirable washing machine vibration through

simulation and DOE

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MSC.Software: Whitepaper - Multibody Dynamics

Conclusion
With MBD engineers can easily create and test virtual prototypes of
mechanical systems in a fraction of the time and cost required to build
and test physical prototypes. MBD helps engineers to study the dynamics
of moving parts and how loads and forces are distributed throughout
mechanical systems. MBD provides accurate load predictions earlier in
the design process that make it possible to accurately predict the life of
a particular design prior to the prototype phase. MBD determines how
a system responds to forced vibration in both the time and frequency
domains. MBD integrates with control systems to simulate the plant
model to a much higher degree of accuracy. The fast solution times
provided by MBD facilitate powerful methods such as design study and
DOE. All in all, MBD makes it possible to simulate the performance of the
complete product early in the design process to improve and optimize
the performance of the products while reducing time to market and
engineering costs.

Robotics model in Adams with integrated control system

Corporate
MSC Software Corporation
2 MacArthur Place
Santa Ana, California 92707
Telephone 714.540.8900
www.mscsoftware.com

Europe, Middle East,

Africa
MSC Software GmbH
Am Moosfeld 13
81829 Munich, Germany
Telephone 49.89.431.98.70

Asia-Pacific
MSC Software Japan LTD.
Shinjuku First West 8F
23-7 Nishi Shinjuku
1-Chome, Shinjuku-Ku
Tokyo, Japan 160-0023
Telephone 81.3.6911.1200

Asia-Pacific
MSC Software (S) Pte. Ltd.
100 Beach Road
#16-05 Shaw Tower
Singapore 189702
Telephone 65.6272.0082

The MSC.Software corporate logo, MSC, and the names of the

MSC.Software products and services referenced herein are trademarks
or registered trademarks of the MSC.Software Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries. All other trademarks belong to their
respective owners. 2010 MSC.Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

AMB*2010JUNE*WP