ANSYS Mechanical APDL Multibody Analysis Guide

Multibody Analysis Guide
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Multibody Simulation ................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Benefits of the Finite Element Method for Modeling Multibody Systems ............................................ 1
1.2. Overview of the Multibody Analysis Process ...................................................................................... 2
1.3. The ANSYS-ADAMS Interface ............................................................................................................. 3
1.4. Learning More About Multibody Dynamics ....................................................................................... 4
2. Modeling in a Multibody Simulation ...................................................................................................... 5
2.1. Modeling Flexible Bodies in a Multibody Analysis .............................................................................. 5
2.1.1. Element Choices for Flexible Bodies .......................................................................................... 6
2.2. Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis .................................................................................. 6
2.2.1. Defining a Rigid Body ............................................................................................................... 7
2.2.1.1. Typical Rigid Body Scenarios ............................................................................................ 7
2.2.1.2. Target Element Key Option Setting for Defining a Rigid Body ............................................ 8
2.2.1.3. Defining a Rigid Body Pilot Node ..................................................................................... 8
2.2.1.4. Defining Rigid Body Mass and Rotary Inertia Properties .................................................... 9
2.2.2. Rigid Body Degrees of Freedom .............................................................................................. 10
2.2.3. Rigid Body Boundary Conditions ........................................................................................... 11
2.2.3.1. Defining Rigid Body Loads ............................................................................................. 12
2.2.4. Representing Parts of a Complex Model with Rigid Bodies ...................................................... 12
2.2.5. Connecting Joint Elements to Rigid Bodies ............................................................................. 13
2.2.6. Modeling Contact with Rigid Bodies ....................................................................................... 13
2.3. Connecting Multibody Components with Joint Elements ................................................................. 13
2.3.1. Joint Element Types ............................................................................................................... 14
2.3.1.1. Joint Element Connectivity Definition ............................................................................ 17
2.3.1.2. Joint Element Section Definition .................................................................................... 17
2.3.1.3. Local Coordinate System Specification for Joint Elements ............................................... 17
2.3.1.4. Stops or Limits with Joint Elements ................................................................................ 18
2.3.1.5. Joint Mechanism Locks .................................................................................................. 21
2.3.2. Material Behavior of Joint Elements ........................................................................................ 21
2.3.2.1. Stiffness and Damping Behavior of Joint Elements ......................................................... 21
2.3.2.2. Frictional Behavior ......................................................................................................... 22
2.3.2.2.1. Geometry specifications for Coulomb friction in Joints ........................................... 23
2.3.2.2.2. Calculation of Normal Forces for Coulomb Frictional Behavior ................................ 24
2.3.3. Reference Lengths and Angles for Joint Elements ................................................................... 26
2.3.4. Boundary Conditions for Joint Elements ................................................................................. 26
2.3.5. Connecting Bodies to Joints ................................................................................................... 26
3. Performing a Multibody Analysis ......................................................................................................... 33
3.1. Kinematic Constraints ..................................................................................................................... 33
3.2. Convergence Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 34
3.3. Initial Conditions ............................................................................................................................. 34
3.3.1. Apply Linear Acceleration in a Dummy Transient Analysis ........................................................ 34
3.3.2. Apply Large Numerical Damping Over a Short Interval ............................................................ 36
3.4. Damping ........................................................................................................................................ 38
3.4.1. Numerical Damping ............................................................................................................... 38
3.4.2. Structural Damping ................................................................................................................ 38
3.5. Time-Step Settings .......................................................................................................................... 38
3.6. Solver Options ................................................................................................................................ 38
4. Reviewing Multibody Analysis Results ................................................................................................. 41
4.1. Reviewing Results in POST1 ............................................................................................................ 41
4.2. Reviewing Results in POST26 ........................................................................................................... 42
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Multibody Analysis Guide
4.3. Output of Joint Element Quantities ................................................................................................. 43

4.4. Energy Output ................................................................................................................................ 44
5. Using Component Mode Synthesis Superelements in a Multibody Analysis ....................................... 45
5.1. CMS Superelements in a Multibody Analysis .................................................................................... 45
5.2. Flexible Body Types ......................................................................................................................... 46
5.3. Substructuring Overview ................................................................................................................ 46
5.4. Master Degrees of Freedom in a Substructured Multibody Simulation .............................................. 46
5.5. Steps for Performing a Substructured Multibody Simulation ............................................................ 47
5.5.1. Step 1: Prepare the Full Model for a Substructured Multibody Analysis ..................................... 48
5.5.2. Step 2: Create the Substructures (Generation Pass) .................................................................. 48
5.5.3. Step 3: Build the CMS-based Model (Use Pass) ......................................................................... 50
5.5.4. Step 4: Run the Multibody Analysis ......................................................................................... 51
5.5.5. Step 5: Expand all Solutions (Expansion Pass) .......................................................................... 52
5.5.6. Step 6: Create the Merged Results File ..................................................................................... 53
5.5.7. Step 7: Postprocess the Results ............................................................................................... 54
6. Example Multibody Analysis: Crank Slot Mechanism ........................................................................... 55
6.1. Problem Description ....................................................................................................................... 55
6.2. Problem Specifications .................................................................................................................... 55
6.3. Defining Joints ............................................................................................................................... 56
6.4. Performing the Rigid Body Analysis ................................................................................................ 57
6.5. Performing the Flexible Body Analysis ............................................................................................ 58
6.6. Using Component Mode Synthesis in the Multibody Analysis .......................................................... 60
6.7. Using Joint Probes .......................................................................................................................... 62
6.8. Comparing Processing Times .......................................................................................................... 62
6.9. Input Files Used in This Analysis ....................................................................................................... 62
7. Troubleshooting a Flexible Multibody Analysis ................................................................................... 63
7.1. Addressing Overconstraint Issues During Modeling ......................................................................... 63
7.1.1. Overconstraints in Rigid Bodies .............................................................................................. 64
7.1.1.1. Standard Four-Bar Mechanism ....................................................................................... 64
7.1.1.2. Redundant Rigid Bodies ................................................................................................ 64
7.1.1.3. Redundant Boundary Conditions ................................................................................... 65
7.1.2. Overconstraints Caused by User-Defined Constraint Equations ................................................ 66
7.2. Resolving Overconstraint Problems ................................................................................................. 66
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List of Figures
2.1. FE Slider-Crank Mechanism .................................................................................................................... 5
2.2. Rigid Body Definition With Underlying Elements ..................................................................................... 7
2.3. Rigid Body Definition Without Underlying Elements ................................................................................ 7
2.4. Rigid Body with a Limited Number of Nodes ............................................................................................ 8
2.5. 2-D Rigid Body DOFs Subject to Applied Boundary Conditions .............................................................. 10
2.6. Rigid Sphere Translational DOFs + Rotational DOFs ............................................................................... 11
2.7. Rigid Body Translational DOFs Only ...................................................................................................... 11
2.8. MPC184 Universal Joint Geometry ........................................................................................................ 18
2.9. Stops Imposed on a Revolute Joint ........................................................................................................ 20
2.10. Stops Imposed on a Slot Joint .............................................................................................................. 20
2.11. Nonlinear Stiffness and Damping Behavior for Joints ........................................................................... 22
2.12. Coulomb's Law ................................................................................................................................... 23
2.13. Exponential Friction Law ..................................................................................................................... 23
2.14. Pinned Joint Geometry ....................................................................................................................... 27
2.15. Pinned Joint Mesh and Revolute Joint ................................................................................................. 28
2.16. Pinned Joint Contact Elements ............................................................................................................ 29
2.17. Pinned Joint Constraint Equations ....................................................................................................... 29
2.18. Rigid Constraint (KEYOPT(4) = 2) .......................................................................................................... 30
2.19. Flexible Constraint (KEYOPT(4) = 1) ...................................................................................................... 30
7.1. Overconstrained System: Standard 3-D Four-Bar Mechanism ................................................................. 64
7.2. Overconstraint Due to Redundant Rigid Components ............................................................................ 65
7.3. Overconstrained System: Cylindrical Tube Subjected to Bending at One End .......................................... 65
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List of Tables
2.1. Rigid Body vs. Flexible Body Definition .................................................................................................. 12
2.2. Required Geometric Quantities ............................................................................................................. 23
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Multibody Simulation
Multibody simulation consists of analyzing the dynamic behavior of a system of interconnected bodies
composed of flexible (p. 5) and/or rigid (p. 6) components. The bodies may be constrained with respect
to each other via a kinematically admissible set of constraints modeled as joints. These systems can
represent an automobile, a space structure with antenna deployment capabilities, an aircraft as an as-
semblage of rigid and flexible parts, a robot with manipulator arms, and so on. In all such cases, the
components may undergo large rotation, large displacement, and finite strain effects.
This animated model of an aircraft landing gear is a typical example of a multibody simulation:
The following additional topics offer more information to help you understand multibody simulation
and how the Mechanical APDL program supports it:
1.1. Benefits of the Finite Element Method for Modeling Multibody Systems
1.2. Overview of the Multibody Analysis Process
1.3.The ANSYS-ADAMS Interface
1.4. Learning More About Multibody Dynamics
1.1. Benefits of the Finite Element Method for Modeling Multibody Sys-
tems
Multibody systems have conventionally been modeled as rigid body systems with superimposed elastic
effects of one or more components. These methods have been well documented in multibody dynamics
literature (p. 4). A major limitation of these methods is that nonlinear large-deformation, finite strain
effects, or nonlinear material cannot be incorporated completely into model.
The finite element (FE) method used in Mechanical APDL offers an attractive approach to modeling a
multibody system. While the Mechanical APDL multibody analysis method may require more computa-
tional resources and modeling time compared to standard analyses, it has the following advantages:
• The finite element mesh automatically represents the geometry while the large deformation/rotation effects
are built into the finite element formulation.
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Introduction to Multibody Simulation
• Inertial effects are greatly simplified by the consistent mass formulation or even point mass representations.
• Interconnection of parts via joints (p. 13) is greatly simplified by considering the finite motions at the two
nodes forming the joint element.
• The parameterization of the finite rotation has been well documented in the literature and can be easily
incorporated into the joint element formulations thereby enabling complete simulation of a multibody
system.
Mechanical APDL has an extensive library of elements available for modeling (p. 5) the flexible, rigid,
and joint components. You can model the material behavior of the flexible components using one of
several material models. Mechanical APDL also provides modal and transient dynamics capabilities to
analyze the spatial and temporal effects (p. 33) in a multibody simulation. Extensive postprocessing
capabilities are also available to interpret the analysis results (p. 41).
You can perform multibody simulation on a wide variety of mechanical systems. Typical applications
include automobiles and automobile components, aircraft assemblages, spacecraft applications, and
robotics.
1.2. Overview of the Multibody Analysis Process

A multibody simulation involves the same general steps necessary for any nonlinear analysis. The fol-
lowing table describes the multibody analysis process:
Step Action Comments

1. Build the model. A flexible mechanism usually consists of flexible (p. 5) and/or
rigid (p. 6) parts connected together with joint elements (p. 13).
You can model the flexible parts with any of the 3-D solid, shell,
or beam elements available in the element library. (For more
information, see Building the Model in the Basic Analysis Guide,
and Modeling in a Multibody Simulation (p. 5) in this document.)
Rigid bodies (p. 6) are modeled using MPC184 Rigid Link or Rigid
Beam elements, or by using the extensive contact capabilities
available in Mechanical APDL.
The flexible and/or rigid parts are connected using MPC184 joint
elements. For example, two parts may be simply connected such
that the displacements at the joining position are identical. In
other cases, the connection between two parts may involve a
more sophisticated joint such as the planar joint or universal joint.
In modeling these joints, suitable kinematic constraints (p. 33) are
imposed on the relative motion (displacement and rotation)
between the two nodes forming the joint.
An overview of the types of joint elements used in a multibody

analysis is available in Connecting Multibody Components with
Joint Elements (p. 13).
2. Define element To properly perform a flexible multibody simulation, which involves
types. flexible (p. 5) and rigid (p. 6) components joined together with
some form of kinematic constraints (p. 33), use appropriate
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The ANSYS-ADAMS Interface
Step Action Comments

structural, joint, and contact element types. For more information
about element selection, see Modeling in a Multibody
Simulation (p. 5).
3. Define materials. Defining the material properties for multibody components is no
different than defining them in any other analysis. Define linear
and nonlinear material properties via the MP or the TB command.
For more information, see Defining Material Properties in the Basic
Analysis Guide.
The MPC184 joint elements also allow you to define material

properties so that you can control their behavior along the “free”
or “unconstrained” DOFs. For example, you can issue a TB,JOIN
command to introduce a torsional spring behavior for a revolute
joint to model the resistance to the rotation along the revolute
axis. For more information, see MPC184 Joint in the Material
Reference.
4. Mesh the model. Use the meshing commands to mesh multibody components. For
more information, see the Modeling and Meshing Guide.
Issue the LMESH command to mesh rigid bodies defined by

MPC184 Rigid Beam or Rigid Link elements. Use the Contact Wizard
to mesh rigid bodies defined via the contact capabilities in
Mechanical APDL. For more information, see Modeling in a
Multibody Simulation (p. 5).
Two nodes define joint elements and no special meshing

commands are necessary to define them.
5. Solve the model. The solution phase of a multibody analysis adheres to standard
Mechanical APDL conventions. For multibody-specific solver
information, see Solver Options (p. 38).
6. Review the You can use POST1 (the general postprocessor) and POST26 (the
results. time-history postprocessor) to review results. For more information,
see Reviewing Multibody Analysis Results (p. 41).
1.3. The ANSYS-ADAMS Interface

The ADAMS software marketed by MSC Software is one of several special-purpose, third-party programs
used to simulate the dynamics of multibody systems.
A drawback of the ADAMS program is that all components are assumed to be rigid. In the ADAMS
program, tools to model component flexibility exist only for geometrically simple structures. To account
for the flexibility of a geometrically complex component, ADAMS relies on data transferred from finite-
element programs such as ANSYS. The ANSYS-ADAMS Interface is a tool provided by ANSYS, Inc. to
transfer data from the Mechanical APDL program to the ADAMS program.
For more information, see Appendix A: Rigid Body Dynamics and the ANSYS-Adams Interface in the
Substructuring Analysis Guide.
Introduction to Multibody Simulation
Current versions of Mechanical APDL support multibody analysis without the need for third-party tools.
Also, Mechanical APDL allows both rigid (p. 6) and flexible (p. 5) components.
1.4. Learning More About Multibody Dynamics

A considerable body of literature exists concerning multibody dynamics simulation. The following list
of resources offers a wealth of information but is by no means exhaustive:
Geradin, Michel, and Alberto Cardona. Flexible Multibody Dynamics--A Finite Element Approach. New
York: Wiley, 2001.
Shabana, Ahmed A. Dynamics of Multibody Systems. 3rd ed. New York: Cambridge, 1998.
Clough, Ray W., and Joseph Penzien. Dynamics of Structures. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1975.
Haug, Edward. Computer-Aided Kinematics and Dynamics of Mechanical Systems. Ed. Allyn & Bacon.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989.
Goldstein, Herbert, et al. Classical Mechanics. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1950.
Kane, Thomas R., and David A. Levinson. Dynamics: Theory and Applications. Boston: McGraw-Hill,
1985.
Chapter 2: Modeling in a Multibody Simulation
A variety of issues can arise when modeling a multibody mechanism. The finite element modeling of
a multibody mechanism depends on the degree of complexity that you require. For example, it is often
possible to create a quick, initial approximation of the flexible (p. 5) and rigid (p. 6) parts of a
mechanism using standard beam elements and rigid beam/link elements. Alternatively, you can perform
detailed modeling of the flexible part using 3-D solid elements (or shell or solid-shell elements), and
the rigid part using the Mechanical APDL program's extensive contact capabilities.
The following topics related to multibody analysis modeling are available:

2.1. Modeling Flexible Bodies in a Multibody Analysis
2.2. Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis
2.3. Connecting Multibody Components with Joint Elements
2.1. Modeling Flexible Bodies in a Multibody Analysis

Consider a slider-crank mechanism as shown in the following figure. The crank is considered to be ri-
gid (p. 6) and the connecting link is assumed to be flexible. The link connects the crank to the sliding
block (or piston). The simplified finite element model of the slider-crank mechanism is also shown.
Figure 2.1: FE Slider-Crank Mechanism
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nn
ec
k
tin
an
gL
Cr
ink
Revolute Joint
{
I J
BE
AM
Fle
Be 4
18
18
am
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PC
le
Be
M
am Grounded
d
gi
Slot Joint
Ri
Grounded
Revolute Joint
The slider-crank mechanism has these characteristics:
• The rigid crank is modeled with an MPC184 Rigid Beam element.
• The rigid crank is connected to ground with a “grounded” MPC184 Revolute Joint element.
Modeling in a Multibody Simulation
• The connecting link is flexible and modeled with BEAM188 elements.
• The rigid crank and the connecting link are connected to each other by a MPC184 Revolute Joint element.
• The connecting link moves within a “grounded” MPC184 Slot Joint that approximates a slider block.
As a quick first attempt, you can model the flexible mechanism with some simple approximations to
the flexible and rigid parts. You can also model the connecting link in detail to study the deformation,
stresses, etc.
Mechanical APDL offers an extensive library of beam, shell, solid-shell, and solid elements for modeling
the flexible parts, and the extensive contact capability to model the rigid part and any other contact
conditions. Joint elements implemented via the Lagrange multiplier method offer the required kinematic
connectivity between any two parts or components.
2.1.1. Element Choices for Flexible Bodies

Mechanical APDL offers a rich suite of beam, shell, and solid elements to model the flexible structural
components. Each element has a prefix that identifies the element category and a unique number
(for example, BEAM188 and SHELL181).
To model mass and rotary inertia (p. 9), use the MASS21 element. The element is also appropriate
for use in a lumped approximation of rigid bodies.
Detailed information about element selection for flexible components is available in the Basic Analysis
Guide and the Element Reference.
2.2. Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis

Rigid bodies are widely used for numerical simulation of multibody dynamic applications. A rigid body
can be connected to other rigid bodies via joint elements (p. 13). It can also be connected to flexible
bodies (p. 5) to model mixed rigid-flexible body dynamics.
In a finite-element model, certain relatively stiff parts can be represented by rigid bodies when stress
distributions and wave propagation in such parts are not critical. An advantage of using rigid bodies
rather than deformable finite elements is computational efficiency. Elements that belong to the rigid
bodies have no associated internal forces or stiffness. The motion of the rigid body is determined by a
maximum of six degrees of freedom (DOFs) at the pilot node.
For transient dynamic analyses, stiff bodies can excite high-frequency modes, resulting in a small time
increment in order to obtain a stable solution. Rigid bodies do not, however, excite any frequency
modes; therefore, using rigid bodies to represent stiff regions may allow a relatively large time increment.
The following topics about rigid body modeling are available:

2.2.1. Defining a Rigid Body
2.2.2. Rigid Body Degrees of Freedom
2.2.3. Rigid Body Boundary Conditions
2.2.4. Representing Parts of a Complex Model with Rigid Bodies
2.2.5. Connecting Joint Elements to Rigid Bodies
2.2.6. Modeling Contact with Rigid Bodies
Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis
2.2.1. Defining a Rigid Body

A rigid body in Mechanical APDL consists of a set of target nodes called rigid body nodes and a single
pilot node. The associated target elements use the same real constant ID. The motion of the rigid
body is governed by the degrees of freedom (DOFs) at the pilot node, allowing accurate representation
of the geometry, mass, and rotary inertia of the rigid body.
2.2.1.1. Typical Rigid Body Scenarios

In most applications, rigid bodies start with discretized finite elements. The rigid body can be
defined on the exterior of a pre-meshed body discretized by solid, shell, and beam elements (called
underlying elements), as shown:
Figure 2.2: Rigid Body Definition With Underlying Elements
The 3-D target element (TARGE170) and 2-D target element (TARGE169) are applied on the exterior
surface of the rigid body. To generate the target elements, issue an ESURF command.
The rigid body can also be a simple standalone body when the target elements do not overlap
other elements (that is, have no underlying elements), as shown:
Figure 2.3: Rigid Body Definition Without Underlying Elements
You can generate target elements TARGE170 for a standalone 3-D rigid body (AMESH) or target
elements TARGE169 for a standalone 2-D rigid body (LMESH).
The most efficient rigid body should contain a limited number of nodes which are either connected
to other elements or subject to boundary conditions, as shown:
Figure 2.4: Rigid Body with a Limited Number of Nodes
The rigid body shown above contains three nodes which connect five elements (two 3-D line seg-
ments, one pilot node segment, one MASS21, and one MPC184-Revolute).
Target element POINT segments (TSHAP,POINT) can be defined and used to apply boundary con-
ditions (point loads, displacement constraints, etc.) on the rigid body surface where no predefined
nodes exist.
2.2.1.2. Target Element Key Option Setting for Defining a Rigid Body
Each rigid body contains target elements defined by the same real constant ID. The target elements
can be defined via different element type IDs, however, you must set KEYOPT(2) = 1 on all of the
target elements. This KEYOPT setting causes Mechanical APDL to build internal multipoint constraints
(MPC) to enforce kinematics of the entire rigid body.
You can also combine different target segment types for each rigid body. However, you cannot
mix 2-D with 3-D target elements.
2.2.1.3. Defining a Rigid Body Pilot Node

In addition to the rigid body nodes, each rigid body also must be associated with a rigid body pilot
node. The target element defining the pilot node must use the same real constant ID as the other
target elements which constitute the rigid body. The real constant ID identifies each rigid body,
and Mechanical APDL builds internal multipoint constraints (surface-based rigid constraints) during
solution.
The pilot node, unlike the other segment types, is used to define the degrees of freedom for the
entire rigid body. This node can be any of the target element nodes, but it does not have to be.
All possible rigid motions of the rigid body will be a combination of a translation and a rotation
around the pilot node. The pilot node provides a convenient and powerful way to assign boundary
conditions such as rotations, translations, moments, temperature, voltage, and magnetic potential
on the entire rigid body. The pilot node can be connected to point mass, follower, and deformable
elements. For a transient analysis, you can simply locate the pilot node at the gravity center of the
rigid body if the center of mass is known.
2.2.1.4. Defining Rigid Body Mass and Rotary Inertia Properties

For multibody dynamics, the mass and rotary inertia of the rigid body play important roles in the
dynamic response. In Mechanical APDL, the target elements which define rigid bodies do not con-
tribute mass to the finite element system. The most effective way to contribute mass is to add the
point mass element MASS21 on the gravity center of the rigid body when the center of mass and
rotary inertia properties of the actual rigid body can be estimated. You can specify the rigid body
mass and rotary inertia for MASS21. The node of the MASS21 element is usually connected to the
pilot node, although it can be connected to any one of the rigid body nodes. The point mass node
is often defined in a local coordinate system which is parallel to the rotary principal axes.
Sometimes, the location of gravity center, the mass, and rotary inertia cannot be easily estimated.
In such cases, you can use the premeshed body to account for mass distribution for the rigid body
(as shown in Figure 2.2: Rigid Body Definition With Underlying Elements (p. 7)). The discretized
elements can be pure elastic solid, shell, or beam elements.
For each rigid body, you can perform the following steps:
1. Select the associated elements (ESEL)
2. Specify the option for precalculating masses (IRLF,-1).
3. Perform a partial element solution and calculate inertia relief terms (PSOLVE,ELFORM).
4. Get the mass properties (*GET), as follows:
*GET, Par, ELEM, 0, Item1, IT1NUM, Item2, IT2NUM

Item1 IT1NUM Description Symbol
MTOT X, Y, Z Total mass components. Mx, My, Mz
MC X, Y, Z Mass centroid components. Xc, Yc, Zc
IPRIN X, Y, Z Principal centroidal moments of inertia. Ixx, Iyy, Izz
IANG XY, YZ, ZX Angles of the principal axes. θxy, θyz, θxz
Based on the precalculated mass properties, you can easily define the point mass element. The
node is defined in the local coordinate system, as shown:
Xc, Yc, Zc, θxy, θyz, θxz
The mass properties are specified by real constants:
Mx, My, Mz, Ixx, Iyy, Izz
Set MASS21 KEYOPT(2) = 1 so that the point mass element coordinate system is initially parallel to
the nodal coordinate system and rotates with the nodal coordinate rotations during a large-deflection
analysis.
2.2.2. Rigid Body Degrees of Freedom

The pilot node has both translational and rotational degrees of freedom (DOFs). The active DOFs at
the pilot node depend on the defined type of target elements. Use TARGE169 for a 2-D rigid body
which contains UX, UY and ROTZ DOFs. Use TARGE170 for 3-D rigid body which contains UX, UY, UZ
and ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ DOFs.
The DOFs of rigid body nodes are based on the DOFs of the connected elements and applied
boundary conditions (BCs). Rigid body nodes that connect to solid elements involve only the transla-
tional degrees of freedom. Rigid body nodes that connect to shell, beam, follower, and joint elements
also involve the rotational DOFs.
For standalone rigid body nodes not connected to any other elements, the associated DOFs are
subject to applied boundary conditions, as shown:
Figure 2.5: 2-D Rigid Body DOFs Subject to Applied Boundary Conditions
The node has DOF UX if a constraint or a force is applied in the X direction. If there are no applied
BCs, the standalone rigid body nodes have no DOFs; in such a case, Mechanical APDL simply updates
the position of the nodes based on the kinematics of the rigid body.
The DOFs for a rigid body can also be controlled via KEYOPT(4) of the target element (TARGE169 or
TARGE170). The key option offers additional flexibility by fully or partially constraining the DOFs for
the rigid body.
Examples
In the following figure, a rigid sphere is defined by 8-node quadrilateral segments and a pilot node.
Two beam elements are connected to the rigid surface in the XY plane, as shown by the dotted lines.
The pilot node is located at the global Cartesian origin and is subjected to rotation ROTZ.
For the DOFs of the rigid body, selecting three rotational DOFs along with three translational DOFs
rotates the beams, as shown. Because the beams are fully connected to the rigid sphere, they rotate
with the sphere.
Figure 2.6: Rigid Sphere Translational DOFs + Rotational DOFs
Selecting only the three translational DOFs for the rigid body, as shown in the following figure, does
not rotate the beams because they are connected only in their translational DOFs; therefore, the
connection acts as a hinge.
Figure 2.7: Rigid Body Translational DOFs Only
Determining the DOFs for each rigid body node is important because the internal multipoint constraints
are built solely on the resulting DOFs.
2.2.3. Rigid Body Boundary Conditions

Constrained boundary conditions (BCs) for the rigid body are usually applied on the rigid body pilot
node. Reaction forces can be obtained for DOFs at the constrained nodes. A combination of rigid
body constraints and constrained boundary conditions applied to several rigid body nodes other than
the pilot node can lead to overconstrained models. In such cases, Mechanical APDL issues overcon-
straint warnings and attempts to remove the redundant constraints if possible. If the specified BCs
are not consistent with the rigid body constraint, the model becomes inconsistently overconstrained.
You must verify the overconstrained model and prevent conflicting overconstraints.
2.2.3.1. Defining Rigid Body Loads

You can apply point loads on any rigid body nodes and pilot node. Follower force (FOLLW201) can
be defined at those nodes, and the direction of forces is determined by the rotation of the nodes.
You can apply surface loads on surface effect elements SURF153 and SURF154 which fully or partially
override loads on the surface of the rigid body (p. 10).
Loads on a rigid body are assembled from contributions of all loads on nodes and elements con-
nected to the rigid body.
2.2.4. Representing Parts of a Complex Model with Rigid Bodies

Using rigid bodies to represent certain portions of a complex model is more efficient than using
flexible finite elements. In the early stage of finite element model development, you can treat certain
stiff parts or discretized elements that are far away from the region of interest as the rigid bodies. In
a later stage, you can remove the rigid body definition and add the flexible discretized elements back
for a detailed and accurate finite element analysis.
By selecting or deselecting target elements or the flexible finite elements, you can easily switch back
and forth between rigid body and flexible body definition.
The following table shows the general steps involved when defining a rigid body as compared to
defining a flexible body (p. 5):
Table 2.1: Rigid Body vs. Flexible Body Definition
Rigid Body Definition Process Flexible Body Definition Process

1. Select the associated finite elements with 1. Unselect the relevant point mass and target
defined mass density. elements.
2. Perform a partial element solution to obtain 2. Reselect the associated finite elements.
mass properties (p. 9).
3. Define the material properties for the flexible
3. Add a point mass element to the center of body.
rigid body.
4. Define a pilot node at one end of the joint. The
4. Add a target element whose node (pilot pilot node connects the joint to the rest of the
node) shares the point mass node. body.
5. Generate target elements on the exterior 5. Select the nodes on the exterior surface of the
surface of the pre-mesh body. body that you want to connect to this pilot node.
6. Unselect the associated finite elements. 6. Create target elements on this surface.
Connecting Multibody Components with Joint Elements
Rigid Body Definition Process Flexible Body Definition Process

7. Connect joint elements to target nodes. For each body-joint connection, repeat steps 4
through 6. For more information, see Connecting
Bodies to Joints (p. 26).
2.2.5. Connecting Joint Elements to Rigid Bodies

Joint elements can be connected to any rigid body nodes and the pilot node. You can define connec-
tions between rigid bodies, or between a rigid body and a flexible body.
Caution:
Redundant constraints are most likely to occur when two rigid bodies are connected to
more than one joint element.
2.2.6. Modeling Contact with Rigid Bodies

Contact between two rigid bodies is modeled by specifying a contact surface on one rigid body and
a target surface on another rigid body. Use either the augmented Lagrange algorithm or penalty al-
gorithm (KEYOPT(2) on the contact element) for modeling contact between rigid bodies to avoid re-
dundant overconstraint between rigid body constraints and contact constraints.
You cannot use the multipoint constraint (MPC) algorithm (KEYOPT(2)) and bonded or no-separation
contact behavior (KEYOPT(12)) to connect two rigid surfaces; doing so would cause the model to be
overconstrained, resulting in an abnormal termination of the analysis. You can simply replace the
bonded contact pair by adding an additional rigid body which connects two pilot nodes.
Mechanical APDL allows two rigid bodies that are connected or overlap each other through rigid
body nodes or the pilot node. To prevent overconstraints, the program merges two rigid bodies into
one rigid body internally and treats the second pilot node as a regular rigid body node.
MPC bonded contact between a flexible body and a rigid body is possible. The contact surface in an
MPC bonded contact pair, however, should always belong to the flexible body; otherwise, the MPC
bonded constraints and rigid body constraints are redundant.
2.3. Connecting Multibody Components with Joint Elements

The MPC184 family of elements serves to connect the flexible (p. 5) and/or rigid (p. 6) components
to each other in a multibody mechanism.
An MPC184 joint element is defined by two nodes with six degrees of freedom at each node (for a total
of 12 DOFs). The relative motion between the two nodes is characterized by six relative degrees of
freedom. Depending on the application, you can configure different kinds of joint elements by imposing
appropriate kinematic constraints on any or some of these six relative degrees of freedom. For example,
to simulate a revolute joint, the three relative displacement degrees of freedom and two relative rota-
tional degrees of freedom are constrained, leaving only one relative degree of freedom available (the
rotation around the revolute axis). Similarly, constraining the three relative displacement degrees of
freedom and one relative rotational degree of freedom can simulate a universal joint. Two rotational
degrees of freedom are “unconstrained” in this joint.
The kinematic constraints in the joint elements are imposed using the Lagrange multiplier method.
Because the Lagrange multiplier method is used to impose the constraints, the constraint forces are
available for output purposes.
The following topics about using joint elements in a multibody analysis are available:
2.3.1. Joint Element Types
2.3.2. Material Behavior of Joint Elements
2.3.3. Reference Lengths and Angles for Joint Elements
2.3.4. Boundary Conditions for Joint Elements
2.3.5. Connecting Bodies to Joints
2.3.1. Joint Element Types

All joint elements are classified as MPC184 elements. The various elements are available via the
MPC184 element's KEYOPT(1) setting and, in some cases, the KEYOPT(4) setting.
The following table lists the different types of joint elements and the required key option settings.
The relevant element section in the Element Reference is also indicated.
Joint Element Type KEYOPT(1) KEYOPT(4) MPC184 Element Constraints (p. 66)
Revolute (p. 15) 6 ---
Revolute Joint 5
Z-axis revolute 6 1
Universal (p. 15) 7 --- Universal Joint 4
Slot (p. 15) 8 --- Slot Joint 2
Point-in-plane 9 --- Point-in-Plane Joint 1
Translational (p. 16) 10 --- Translational Joint 5
Cylindrical (p. 16) 11 ---
Cylindrical Joint 4
Z-axis cylindrical 11 1
Spherical (p. 16) 5 --- Spherical Joint 3
Planar (p. 16) 12 ---
Planar Joint 3
Z-axis planar 12 1
Weld 13 --- Weld Joint 6
Orient 14 --- Orient Joint 3
General 16 --- General Joint Depends
on
number
of fixed
relative
DOFs
Minimum
constraints
= 0 (No
DOF is
fixed)
Joint Element Type KEYOPT(1) KEYOPT(4) MPC184 Element Constraints (p. 66)
Maximum
constraints
= 6 (All
DOFs
are
fixed)
Screw 17 --- Screw Joint 5
Relative
axial
motion
and
rotational
motion
are
linked
via the
pitch of
the
screw
Following are some examples of joint element types:
Revolute Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY
Universal Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, UZ, ROTY
Slot Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UY, UZ
Translational Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ
Cylindrical Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, ROTX, ROTY
Spherical Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, UZ
Planar Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UZ, ROTX, ROTY
2.3.1.1. Joint Element Connectivity Definition

A joint element is typically defined by specifying two nodes, I and J. These nodes may be arbitrarily
located in space. There are instances, however, when one of the nodes needs to be considered as
a “grounded” node. In such cases, specify either node I or node J appropriately. In cases when the
node is grounded, the location of the grounded node is taken to be that of the other specified
node.
Example
If the first node of the joint element is a grounded node, then the element definition is: E,,J or
EN,ElementNumber,,J
Similarly, if the second node is the grounded node, then the element definition is: E,I, or EN,Ele-
mentNumber,I
2.3.1.2. Joint Element Section Definition

Each joint element must have an associated section definition. Use the SECTYPE command to
define the section type and subtype.
Example
The universal joint section definition is: SECTYPE,JOINT,UNIV,UNIV-01
2.3.1.3. Local Coordinate System Specification for Joint Elements

Local coordinate systems at the nodes are required to define the kinematic constraints of a joint
element. Use the SECJOINT command to do so.
The local coordinate systems and their required orientation vary from one joint element to another.
Input data requirements for each joint element differ. Typically, the local coordinate system is always
defined at the first node of a joint element.
The local coordinate system at the second node may be optional. If it is not specified, then the
local coordinate system at the first node is usually assumed.
The rotational components of the relative motion between the two nodes of the joint elements
are quantified in terms of Bryant (or Cardan) angles that are evaluated based on these coordinate
systems.
Example
The following figure illustrates the specification of the local coordinate system for a universal joint
element:
Figure 2.8: MPC184 Universal Joint Geometry

eI
1
J
e3
eI
2
e J2
eI e J1
1
eI
3 J
e3
eI
2
I
Z J
e J2
Y
X I, J - Coincident nodes
eI eJ
1 1
eI J
I 3 e3
J
eI
2
eJ
2
The local coordinate system specification is:
LOCAL,11,0
...
LOCAL,12,0
...
SECJOINT,LSYS,11,12
2.3.1.4. Stops or Limits with Joint Elements

Stops or limit constraints in joints are imposed on the available components of relative motion
between the two nodes of a joint element. The Lagrange multiplier method is used to implement
these constraints. For static analysis, the stop constraints are based on the relative displacements
(or relative rotations) of the free degrees of freedom.
Caution:
Use joint stops sparingly. The program treats a stop constraint internally as a "must be
imposed" or "hard" constraint, and no contact logic is used. As a result, during the given
iteration of a substep, the stop constraints activate immediately if the program detects
a violation of a stop limit.
Depending upon the nature of the problem, the stop constraint implementation may
cause the solution to trend towards an equilibriated state that may not be readily appar-
ent to you. In addition, do not use stops to simulate zero-displacement boundary condi-
tions. You should also avoid specifying stops on multiple joints.
Finally, do not use joint stops as a substitute for contact modeling. Whenever possible,
use node-to-node or node-to-surface contact modeling to simulate limit conditions.
Stops in Transient Dynamic Analysis
In a transient dynamic analysis, if relative displacement-based (or rotation-based) stop constraints

are used, then the relative velocities and relative accelerations become inconsistent (oscillatory
velocity and/or accelerations are observed in many cases), implying that the energy and momentum
due to the impact-like nature of the stops is not conserved. These inconsistencies are reasonably
suppressed by imposing a numerical damping. However, numerical damping does not work appro-
priately in some cases. Thus, for the transient dynamic case, an energy-momentum conservation
scheme is adopted. By this method, the user specified relative DOF stop values are taken into account,
and constraints based on the relative velocity are imposed in such a way that the overall energy
and momentum balance is achieved in a finite element sense.
Irrespective of the integration scheme specified for the transient dynamic analysis, the Newmark
method is used for the joint element when stops are specified.
The energy-momentum conservation scheme for stops is implemented for all joints except the
screw joint. In the case of the screw joint, the stops are imposed based on the relative displacements
(or rotations).
Defining Stops for Joint Elements
You can impose stops or limits on the available components of relative motion between the two
nodes of a joint element. The stops or limits essentially constrain the values of the free DOFs
within a certain range. To specify minimum and maximum values, issue the SECSTOP command.
The following figure shows how stops can be imposed on a revolute joint such that the motion is
constrained. The axis of the revolute is assumed to be perpendicular to the plane of paper and is
along the e3 direction.
Figure 2.9: Stops Imposed on a Revolute Joint
The local coordinate system specified at node I is assumed to be fixed in its initial configuration.
However, the local coordinate system specified at node J evolves with the rotation of that node.
The relative angle of rotation is given by:
Let the link with node J rotate with respect to the link with node I. This characteristic implies that
the local coordinate system at node J rotates with respect to the local coordinate system at node
I.
For the configuration shown, the initial relative angle of rotation is zero degrees. A counterclockwise
motion results in positive angles of rotation. Clockwise motion results in negative angles of rotation.
If stops limit the movement of the link with node J (as shown), the stop conditions are specified
as follows:
SECSTOP,6,PHImin ,PHImax
The next figure shows how stops can be imposed in a slot joint which involves displacements in
the local eI 1 axis of node I. The relative distance between node J and node I is given by:
where xI and xJ are the position vectors of nodes I and J. The initial distance between the nodes I
and J is l 0 and is a positive value.
Figure 2.10: Stops Imposed on a Slot Joint
The stops are defined as:

The stops are defined as:
SECSTOP,1, min , max SECSTOP,1,- min , max
where where
min and max are both positive. min is negative and max is positive.
2.3.1.5. Joint Mechanism Locks

Locks or locking limits may also be imposed on the available components of relative motion between
the two nodes of a joint element. Locks are basically used in joint mechanisms to “freeze” the joint
in a desired configuration during the course of deformation. When the locks are activated on a
particular component of relative motion, that component remains locked for the rest of the analysis.
Issue the SECLOCK command to define lock limits.
Referring to Figure 2.9: Stops Imposed on a Revolute Joint (p. 20), the locks for a revolute joint are
specified as SECLOCK,6, Phi_Min,Phi_Max
Referring to Figure 2.10: Stops Imposed on a Slot Joint (p. 20), the locks for the slot joint are specified
as SECLOCK,1,l_Min,l_Max
2.3.2. Material Behavior of Joint Elements

The following topics related to the material behavior of joint elements in a multibody analysis are
available:
2.3.2.1. Stiffness and Damping Behavior of Joint Elements
2.3.2.2. Frictional Behavior
For more information, see MPC184 Joint in the Material Reference.
2.3.2.1. Stiffness and Damping Behavior of Joint Elements

Linear or nonlinear stiffness and damping behavior can be associated with the free or unrestrained
components of relative motion of the joint elements. In the case of linear stiffness or linear damping,
the values are specified as coefficients of a 6 x 6 elasticity matrix using the TB,JOIN command with
TBOPT = STIF or TBOPT = DAMP. The stiffness and damping values can be temperature-dependent.
Depending on the joint element in use, only the appropriate coefficients of the stiffness or damping
matrix are used in the joint element constitutive calculations.
The nonlinear stiffness and damping behavior is specified using the TB,JOIN command with an
appropriate TBOPT label. In the case of nonlinear stiffness, relative displacement (rotation) versus
force (moment) values are specified using the TBPT command. For nonlinear damping behavior,
velocity versus force behavior is specified using the TBPT command. (See Figure 2.11: Nonlinear
Stiffness and Damping Behavior for Joints (p. 22) for a representation of the nonlinear stiffness or
damping curve.) In either case, these values may be temperature dependent; use the TBTEMP
command to define the temperature for the data table.
The instantaneous slope (or stiffness/damping) and force value is determined from the user-specified
curve. For instance, if the current data point (displacement/velocity) falls between two user-specified
points, the slope and force at that point is determined from those two user-specified points. However,
if the current data point falls on a user-defined point, the force is obtained from that point while
the slope is approximated by the line joining the data points behind and ahead of the current data
point.
Figure 2.11: Nonlinear Stiffness and Damping Behavior for Joints
You can specify the linear or nonlinear stiffness or damping behavior independently for each
component of relative motion. However, if you specify linear stiffness for an unrestrained component
of relative motion, you cannot specify nonlinear stiffness behavior on the same component of rel-
ative motion. The damping behavior is similarly restricted. If a joint element has more than one
free or unrestrained component of relative motion--for example, the universal joint has two free
components of relative motion--then you can independently specify the stiffness or damping beha-
vior as linear or nonlinear for each of the unrestricted components of relative motion.
2.3.2.2. Frictional Behavior

Frictional behavior along the unrestrained components of relative motion influences the overall
behavior of the joints. You can model Coulomb friction for joint elements via the TB,JOIN command
with an appropriate TBOPT label. Frictional behavior can be specified only for the following joints:
Revolute Joint (x-axis and z-axis)

Slot Joint
Translational Joint
The laws governing the frictional behavior of the joint are described below.
Coulomb’s Law
The classical Coulomb friction model is implemented for joints using a penalty formulation. The
Coulomb friction model for joints is defined as:
Where, F s is the equivalent tangential force (or moment), F n is the normal force (or moment) in
the joint, and μ is the current value of the coefficient of friction. The calculation of the normal force
depends on the joint under consideration.
If the equivalent tangential force F s is less than F lim , the state is known as the sticking state. If
F s exceeds F lim , sliding occurs and the state is known as the sliding state. The sticking/sliding
calculations determine when a point transitions from sticking to sliding or vice versa.
Figure 2.12: Coulomb's Law
Fs
Sliding
Flim
Fn
Exponential Friction Law
The exponential friction law is used to smooth the transition between the static coefficient of friction
and the dynamic coefficient of friction according to the formula (Benson and Hallquist):
where:
V rel = the relative slip rate
μ s = the coefficient of friction in the static regime (stiction)
μ d = the coefficient of friction in the dynamic regime
c = decay coefficient
Figure 2.13: Exponential Friction Law
2.3.2.2.1. Geometry specifications for Coulomb friction in Joints

The modeling of Coulomb friction in joints requires some geometry specifications, depending
on the type of joint under consideration. These quantities are used in the computation of the
normal force (or moment) for Coulomb friction calculations. The SECJOINT command is used to
specify these quantities. The following table outlines the required geometric quantities:
Table 2.2: Required Geometric Quantities
Joint Type Geometric Quantities

Revolute Joint (x-axis and z-axis) Outer radius, Inner radius, Effective Length
Slot Joint None required
Translational Joint Effective Length, Effective Radius
If appropriate geometric quantities are not specified, then the corresponding normal force con-
tributions will not be considered. The following section explains the normal force calculations
and the geometric quantities required.
2.3.2.2.2. Calculation of Normal Forces for Coulomb Frictional Behavior

The normal force (or moment) that is used in the Coulomb frictional behavior is based on the
following forces that arise in a joint:
• Lagrange Multiplier forces (or moments) due to the constraints
• Interference fit forces (or moments)
Revolute Joint
In order to compute the normal moment in a revolute joint, the revolute joint is visualized as a
cylinder-pin assembly (for example, a door hinge consisting of a pin with a head inserted into a
cylinder).
The following geometric quantities are required in the calculations below. Note that the specific-
ation of these quantities is optional. If some of these geometric quantities are not specified, then
the corresponding contribution to the normal moment calculations is ignored.
• R outer = Outer radius of the cylinder
• R inner = Inner radius of the cylinder or outside radius of pin
• L eff = The effective length is the length over which the cylinder and pin are in contact with each
other
The contributions to the normal moment in an x-axis revolute joint are as follows:
• An axial moment due to the axial component of the constraint Lagrange Multiplier force (λ1 ).
This force acts in such a way as to push the cylinder against the pin head, thereby causing a
frictional moment to develop.
where,
• A tangential moment due to the constraint Lagrange Multiplier forces, λ2 and λ3:
• A bending moment that is generated as a consequence of the constraint Lagrange Multiplier mo-
ments (λ5 and λ6):
Leading to a bending moment:
Additionally, if interference fit moment (M interference ) is defined, the normal moment for frictional
calculations is given by:
A similar calculation is carried out for the z-axis revolute joint by choosing the appropriate con-
straint Lagrange multiplier forces in the above equations.
Slot Joint
The two displacement constraint Lagrange Multiplier forces (λ2 and λ3) in the slot joint contribute
to a tangential force as follows:
Additionally, if interference fit force (F interference ) is defined, the normal force for frictional calcu-
lations is given by:
Geometric quantities are not required for the slot joint.
Translational Joint
The geometric quantities required for the translation joint are:
• L eff = Effective length. The effective length is the length over which the two parts of the translation
joint overlap. It is assumed that the change in this length is small.
• R eff = Effective radius. To simplify calculations, an effective radius is used in torsional moment
calculations, even though the cross section in a translational joint is rectangular. The effective radius
is used in computing the force that arises due to the torsional moment.
The normal force used in frictional calculations is computed as follows:
• An effective radial force due to the constraint forces (λ2 and λ3):
• Bending force due to in-plane constraint moments (λ5 and λ6):
Leading to a bending force
• Force due to the torsional constraint moment, λ4:
Additionally, if interference fit force (F interference ) is defined, the normal force for frictional calcu-
lations is given by:
2.3.3. Reference Lengths and Angles for Joint Elements

The initial configuration of the joint element may be such that nonzero forces or moments is necessary.
In such cases, you can define the constitutive behavior with respect to a reference configuration such
that these forces or moments are zero. To do so, define a “reference angle” or a “reference length”
(SECDATA).
If you do not define reference lengths and angles, Mechanical APDL calculates the values from the
initial configuration of the joints. The program uses the reference lengths and angles in the stiffness
and frictional behavior calculations.
2.3.4. Boundary Conditions for Joint Elements

Issue the DJ command to impose boundary conditions on the available components of relative motion
of the joint element. You can list the imposed values via the DJLIST command. To delete the values,
issue the DJDELE command.
To apply concentrated forces on the available components of relative motion of the joint element,
issue the FJ command. You can list the imposed values via the FJLIST command. To delete the values,
issue the FJDELE command.
2.3.5. Connecting Bodies to Joints

Other than in idealized geometry (such as that shown in Figure 2.1: FE Slider-Crank Mechanism (p. 5)),
an MPC184 joint element is defined by one or two nodes in space and requires special modeling
techniques to connect the joint to the body appropriately.
Figure 2.14: Pinned Joint Geometry (p. 27) shows a 3-D model of a pinned joint where the geometry
of the joint (the pin) is explicitly modeled. To perform a multibody analysis, the pin geometry is ignored
and the behavior replaced by the appropriate MPC184 joint element (p. 14).
Figure 2.14: Pinned Joint Geometry
Figure 2.15: Pinned Joint Mesh and Revolute Joint (p. 28) shows the meshed model including the re-
volute joint. To connect the bodies to the joint, you must use either elements (such as beams) or
constraint equations. The easiest way to do so is to use contact elements to create surface-based
constraints (multipoint constraints, or MPCs), as follows:
1. Define a pilot node at one end of the joint. The pilot node connects the joint to the rest of the body.
2. Select the nodes on the surface of the body that you want to connect to this pilot node.
3. Create contact surface elements on this surface. By sharing the same real constant number (REAL,N ),
MPCs between the surface nodes and the pilot node are generated during the solution.
Repeat the steps for each body-joint connection.
Figure 2.15: Pinned Joint Mesh and Revolute Joint
Figure 2.16: Pinned Joint Contact Elements (p. 29) shows the contact elements and Figure 2.17: Pinned
Joint Constraint Equations (p. 29) shows the MPCs (constraint equations) created during the solution
for the lower body.
Create the pilot node using the TARGE170 element--setting KEYOPT(2) = 1 so as not to allow the
program to constrain any DOFs--and issuing the TSHAP,PILO command.
Use CONTA174 as the element type for the surface mesh. Set the following contact element key options
to create the necessary constraints:
KEYOPT(2) = 2 Constraint (MPC) option.

KEYOPT(4) = 2 Generate rigid MPC constraints.
KEYOPT(12) = 5 Bonded behavior between the pilot node and the contact
surface.
Figure 2.16: Pinned Joint Contact Elements
Figure 2.17: Pinned Joint Constraint Equations
Instead of the rigid option, you can also choose a flexible (force-distributed or RBE3-type) constraint
option by setting KEYOPT(4) = 1. The following figures illustrate the difference in behaviors:
Figure 2.18: Rigid Constraint (KEYOPT(4) = 2)

Imposed displacement at Pilot node Constraint surface
(UX, UY) remains rigid
Contact elements
Figure 2.19: Flexible Constraint (KEYOPT(4) = 1)

Imposed displacement at Pilot node Deformed constraint surface
(UX, UY)
Contact elements
Typical Command Sequence
Following is a typical command sequence for connecting bodies to joints:

! Step 1: Define a pilot node at the joint node
et,59,170 ! type ID=59 is an available ID
keyopt,59,2,1 ! do not allow program to constrain DOFs
real,59 ! real ID=59 is an available ID
tshap,pilot
e,9536 ! “9536” is the joint node
! Step 2: Select the nodes of the corresponding surface
csys,15 ! CS at center of pin
nsel,s,loc,x,15 ! nodes at r=15
! Step 3: Create the contact elements on the surface
et,60,174
keyopt,60,2,2 ! constraint (MPC) option
keyopt,60,4,2 ! rigid MPC
keyopt,60,12,5 ! bonded always contact
type,60
real,59 ! same real ID: this connects the pilot
! to this surface
esurf ! generate the contact elements on the surface
nsel,all
Additional Information
For more information about using contact elements to generate constraints, see Surface-Based Con-
straints in the Contact Technology Guide.
Chapter 3: Performing a Multibody Analysis
A multibody refers to a structural system consisting of flexible (p. 5) and rigid (p. 6) components.
The following structural analysis types are available for multibody analysis: static, modal, harmonic,
transient dynamic, spectrum, and buckling. For more information about each supported structural
analysis type, see the Structural Analysis Guide.
The following topics present information necessary for performing a successful multibody analysis:
3.1. Kinematic Constraints
3.2. Convergence Criteria
3.3. Initial Conditions
3.4. Damping
3.5.Time-Step Settings
3.6. Solver Options
3.1. Kinematic Constraints

Kinematic constraints define how the structural system is held together geometrically. From a physical
standpoint, a sufficient number of kinematic constraints including multipoint constraints (MPC), constraint
equations (CE), coupling (CP) and boundary conditions (BC) are necessary for the system to be in stable
equilibrium.
Providing sufficient kinematic constraints for a finite element model would lead to a full rank system
of equations which would give a unique solution. Lack of sufficient kinematic constraints would make
the system unstable. A finite element solution for such a system would fail to converge.
If more than sufficient kinematic constraints are specified for the structural system, the system may remain
stable or become unstable. If the extra constraints conflict with the basic constraints necessary to keep
the system in stable equilibrium, the system becomes unstable and the finite element solution fails
with convergence problems. If the extra constraints do not conflict with the basic constraints, the system
is consistently overconstrained and the extra constraints become redundant constraints. The system re-
mains stable; however, there is no unique solution. Depending on how the equations for the finite
element model are solved, the solution may or may not converge.
To ensure convergence of the finite element solution, the system must not be underconstrained or
overconstrained. Checking for either lack of sufficient constraints or overconstraints can be difficult for
complex systems. ANSYS, Inc. recommends performing a modal analysis on the system. If the modal
analysis yields more zero eigenvalues than the rigid body modes of the system, the system lacks sufficient
constraints; if there are fewer eigenvalues than rigid body modes, the system is overconstrained. A
closer look at the unwanted eigenmodes can point to the missing or extra constraints.
Performing a Multibody Analysis
3.2. Convergence Criteria

Mechanical APDL provides suitable convergence checks by default, depending on the active degrees
of freedom (DOFs) in the problem. You can activate additional convergence checks via the CNVTOL
command.
3.3. Initial Conditions

Initial conditions define the state of the system at the start of the analysis. In structural finite element
analyses, initial conditions are defined in terms of initial displacements, velocities, and accelerations at
all independent degrees of freedom (DOFs).
Because all time-integration schemes (such as the Newmark method and the HHT method) rely on the
history of displacements, velocities and accelerations, it is important to define consistent initial conditions.
By default, a zero value is assumed for initial displacements, velocities, and accelerations at DOFs that
are not otherwise specified (via the IC command).
Inconsistencies in initial conditions introduce errors into the time-integration scheme and lead to excit-
ation of undesired (spurious) modes. Accumulation of these errors over several time increments adversely
affects the solution and very often causes the time-integration scheme to fail. Applying numerical
damping (p. 38) or other forms of damping can suppress the growth of these errors. However, such
additions also affect the solution, especially, when long term transient behavior is being studied in the
analysis.
It is not always possible, however, to have complete information about the initial state of a system being
modeled for transient analysis. In such situations, it is helpful to run a dummy load step before the ac-
tual transient analysis of interest to bring the system into a consistent initial state. The purpose of such
a load step is to eliminate the error introduced by inconsistent initial conditions.
Following are two ways to run a dummy load step:

3.3.1. Apply Linear Acceleration in a Dummy Transient Analysis
3.3.2. Apply Large Numerical Damping Over a Short Interval
3.3.1. Apply Linear Acceleration in a Dummy Transient Analysis

This technique is useful in cases where initial accelerations are non-zero, are known, and are uniform
over the entire model. Applying acceleration loading (via the ACEL command) introduces non-zero
accelerations into the system. After the analysis has run through one substep, the actual transient
analysis can be carried out without the acceleration loading.
Example
Consider a rigid beam of length l rotating in the x-y plane about a pinned end at a constant angular
velocity ω. The free end of the beam has a tangential velocity of ωl and a centripetal acceleration of
ω2l. The beam is assumed to have all of its mass concentrated at the free end. To perform the analysis,
model the rigid beam using the MPC184 element with Lagrange multipliers to enforce the rigid beam
constraints. With one end of the rigid beam pinned, apply initial velocity normal to the beam axis at
the free end. To introduce centripetal acceleration, use acceleration loading as illustrated in the fol-
lowing input file:
Initial Conditions
Transient Analysis of a Rigid 3-D Beam Rotating About a Fixed Node

/title,Transient analysis of a rigid 3-D beam rotating about a fixed node
/prep7
et,1,mass21
keyopt,1,3,2 !3d mass without rotary inertia
et,2,mpc184
keyopt,2,1,1 !rigid beam
keyopt,2,2,1 !lagrange multiplier
n,1,0.0,0.0 !pinned end (node 1)

n,2,1.0,0.0 !free end (node 2)
type,1
real,1
m = 1.0
r,1,m
en,1,2 !3d mass at free end (node 2)
type,2
real,2
en,2,1,2 !rigid beam
finish
/solu
vel = 6.2831853072 !tangential velocity

ic,2,uy,0.0,vel !initial condition for velocity
antype,trans
time,1.e-9
acel,0.0,-vel*vel,0.0 !apply centripetal acceleration
kbc,1 !step loading
nlgeom,on
nsub,1,1,1 !use 1 substep for analysis
trnopt,full, , , , ,HHT !use HHT time integration
tintp,0.0 !no numerical damping
outres,all,all
solve
d,1,all
ddel,1,rotz
d,2,uz
d,2,rotx
d,2,roty
time,6.0
acel,0.0,0.0,0.0 !remove centripetal acceleration
kbc,1
midtol,on,1e2 !automatic time stepping with MIDTOL
nsub,600,1e7,400
trnopt,full, , , , ,HHT
tintp,0.05 !small numerical damping for HHT
outres,all,all
solve
finish
/post26
/xrange,0.,6.0
nsol,2,2,u,x,ux !x displacement for node 2
nsol,3,2,u,y,uy !y displacement for node 2
nsol,4,2,v,x,vx !x velocity for node 2
nsol,5,2,v,y,vy !y velocity for node 2
nsol,6,2,a,x,ax !x acceleration for node 2
nsol,7,2,a,y,ay !y acceleration for node 2
/axlab,x,Time T
/axlab,y,D/V/A
/gropt,divx,10
/gropt,divy,10
/gthk,curve,2
/title,Transient analysis of a rigid 3D beam rotating about a fixed node
plvar,ux,uy,vx,vy,ax,ay
finish
3.3.2. Apply Large Numerical Damping Over a Short Interval

This technique is of a more general nature and uses numerical damping to eliminate errors or numer-
ical noise due to inconsistent initial conditions. After the noise has been damped out over several
substeps, you can perform the actual transient analysis with smaller numerical damping.
Some potential drawbacks exist in cases where high frequency content of flexible multibody systems
is important for analysis. Applying high numerical damping in the dummy analysis can affect the
desired high-frequency response. ANSYS, Inc. recommends using the HHT method for this technique
because the integration scheme shows good dissipation properties with numerical damping.
Example
Consider a rigid-flexible double pendulum made up of a rigid and a flexible beam. One end of the
rigid beam is pinned and the other end is hinged to the flexible beam. The other end of the flexible
beam is free. The rigid beam is assumed to have all of its mass concentrated at the end that is hinged
to the flexible beam. The system is given an initial velocity tangential to the flexible beam axis at its
free end, as shown in the following input file:
Transient Analysis of a Rigid-Flexible Double Pendulum

/title,Transient analysis of a rigid-flexible double pendulum
/prep7
et,1,mass21
keyopt,1,3,2 !3d mass without rotary inertia
et,2,mpc184
keyopt,2,1,1 !rigid beam
keyopt,2,2,1 !lagrange multiplier
et,3,mpc184
keyopt,3,1,6 !revolute joint between rigid and flexible beam
et,4,beam188 !flexible beam
n,1,0.0,0.0 !pinned (supported) end of rigid beam

n,2,1.0,0.0 !hinged end of rigid beam (node 2)
n,3,1.0,0.0 !hinged end of flexible beam
n,4,1.25,0.0
n,5,1.5,0.0
n,6,1.75,0.0
n,7,2.0,0.0 !free end of flexible beam (node 7)
type,1
real,1
m = 390
r,1,m
en,1,2 !3d mass at the end of rigid beam
type,2
real,2
en,2,1,2 !rigid beam
local, 11, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, , , 90
Initial Conditions
sectype, 3, JOIN, REVO, TESTREVO

secjoin, , 11, 11
type,3
real,3
secnum,3
en,3,3,2 !revolute joint
mp,ex,1,2e11 !material properties for flexible beam

mp,nuxy,1,0.3
mp,density,1,7.8e3
sectype,4,beam,csolid
secdata,1,0.1784124116 !c-s area is 0.1
type,4
real,4
secnum,4
mat,1
en,4,3,4 !flexible beam elements
en,5,4,5
en,6,5,6
en,7,6,7
d,1,all
ddel,1,rotz
finish
/solu
vel = 6.2831853072 !tangential velocity

ic,7,uy,0.0,vel !initial condition for velocity
antype,trans
time,0.1
kbc,1
nlgeom,on
nsub,50,50,50 !use multiple substeps
trnopt,full, , , , ,HHT !use HHT time integration
tintp,0.2 !use high numerical damping
outres,all,all
solve
time,6.0
midtol,on,10 !automatic time stepping with MIDTOL
nsub,100,1e6,100
trnopt,full, , , , ,HHT
tintp,0.05 !small numerical damping for HHT
outres,all,all
solve
finish
/post26
nsol,2,7,u,x,ux !x displacement for node 7
nsol,3,7,u,y,uy !y displacement for node 7
nsol,4,2,u,x,ux1 !x displacement for node 2
nsol,5,2,u,y,uy1 !y displacement for node 2
nsol,4,3,v,x,vx !x velocity for node 7
nsol,5,3,v,y,vy !y velocity for node 7
nsol,6,7,a,x,ax !x acceleration for node 7
nsol,7,7,a,y,ay !y acceleration for node 7
/axlab,x,Time T
/axlab,y,D/V/A
/gropt,divx,10
/gropt,divy,10
/gthk,curve,2
/title,Transient analysis of a rigid-flexible double pendulum
plvar,ux,uy,ux1,uy1,vx,vy,ax,ay
finish
3.4. Damping
You can specify two types of damping:
3.4.1. Numerical Damping
3.4.2. Structural Damping
3.4.1. Numerical Damping

Numerical damping is associated with the time-stepping schemes used for integrating second-order
systems of equations over time. Mechanical APDL provides the Newmark method and the HHT
method for transient dynamic analysis of structural systems. Numerical damping for these schemes
is determined by the parameter values specified via the TINTP command.
Numerical damping stabilizes the numerical integration scheme by damping out the unwanted high
frequency modes. For the Newmark method, numerical damping also affects the lower modes and
reduces the accuracy of integration scheme from second order to first order. For the HHT method,
numerical damping affects only the higher modes and always maintains second-order accuracy.
Mechanical APDL uses a default value (TINTP,GAMMA) of 0.005. The value that you select should be
based on the problem at hand. A sensible value to try initially is 0.1. Use the lowest possible value
that damps out nonphysical response without significantly affecting the final solution. Problems in-
volving rigid body translational motion, other forms of damping, or dissipative mechanisms like
plasticity or friction typically require smaller values for numerical damping. Larger numerical damping
values are usually necessary for problems involving rigid body rotational motion, elastic collisions
(dynamic contact/impact), and large deformations with frequent changes in substep size.
3.4.2. Structural Damping

Structural damping refers to physical damping present in the system. You can specify the damping
at the material level via viscous material models or dashpots (for example, COMBIN14 elements). At
the structural level, you can specify it as modal damping or Rayleigh damping. For more information,
see Damping in the Structural Analysis Guide. Structural damping is not applicable to joint elements.
3.5. Time-Step Settings

Transient dynamic analyses involving large deformations or large rotations exhibit significant changes
in stiffness and inertia properties. The default response-frequency-based automatic time-stepping criterion
may not be suitable for such nonlinear analyses. Use the MIDTOL command to automatically adjust
the time increment based on convergence at the middle of the substep and convergence at the end
of the substep. For more information, see Nonlinear Structural Analysis in the Structural Analysis Guide.
3.6. Solver Options

Multibody analyses generally involve large rotations in static or transient dynamics analysis, so nonlinear
geometric effects must be accounted for. To do so, issue the NLGEOM,ON command.
Solver Options
For faster convergence in a full transient dynamic analysis where mass elements such as MASS21 are
used, issue the NROPT,UNSYM command. The command activates the Newton-Raphson option for
solving the nonlinear equations in the analysis, necessary due to the nonsymmetric stiffness contribution
resulting from gyroscopic effects.
Chapter 4: Reviewing Multibody Analysis Results
Results from a flexible multibody analysis consist mainly of displacements, velocities, accelerations,
stresses, strains, and reaction forces in structural components. Constraint forces, current relative positions,
relative velocities, and relative accelerations in joint elements are also available.
Results are available for viewing in POST1, the general postprocessor (/POST1), or in POST26, the time-
history postprocessor (/POST26).
For a description of the available output components, see the Output Data sections of the element
descriptions for any of the elements that model the flexible components (p. 5), rigid components (p. 6),
and joint elements (p. 13).
The following topics concerning how to review flexible multibody analysis results are available:
4.1. Reviewing Results in POST1
4.3. Output of Joint Element Quantities
4.4. Energy Output

In the POST1 general postprocessor, only one substep at a time can be read, and the results from that
substep must exist in the Jobname.RST file. The load step option command OUTRES controls which
substep results are stored in Jobname.RST.
To review results in POST1:
• The database must contain the same model for which the solution was calculated.
• The Jobname.RST results file must be available.
A typical POST1 postprocessing sequence follows:
Step Action Comments Command

1. Verify from your output file If not, you will likely not wish to ---
(Jobname.OUT) whether postprocess the results, other than to
the analysis converged at all determine why convergence failed. If
load steps. your solution converged, then continue
postprocessing.
2. Enter the POST1 If your model is not currently in the /POST1
postprocessor. database, first issue a RESUME
command.
Reviewing Multibody Analysis Results

3. Read the results for the You can identify them by load step and SET
desired load step and substep numbers or by time.
substep.
Use any of these options:
Display the deformed shape. PLDISP
Display contours of stresses, strains, or PLNSOL or
any other applicable item. PLESOL
Optional: Examine tabular listings. PRNSOL
(nodal
results),
PRESOL
(element-by-element
results),
4. View the results.
PRRSOL
(reaction
data),
PRITER
(substep
summary
data,
etc.)
Optional: Animate the motion of the ANTIME
flexible multibody mechanism results
over time.
Many other postprocessing functions are available in POST1. For more information, see The General
Postprocessor (POST1) in the Basic Analysis Guide.
Load case combinations are not usually applicable to nonlinear analyses.

You can review the load-history response of a nonlinear structure using POST26, the time-history post-
processor (/POST26). Use POST26 to compare one Mechanical APDL variable to another. For example,
you could graph the relative rotation of a joint element versus time or any other variable.
A typical POST26 postprocessing sequence for a flexible multibody analysis is similar to the sequence
for a typical nonlinear analysis, as follows:

1. Verify from your output file Do not base design decisions on ---
(Jobname.OUT) whether unconverged results. If your solution
the analysis converged at all converged, continue postprocessing.
load steps.
Output of Joint Element Quantities

2. Enter the POST26 If your model is not currently in the /POST26
postprocessor. database, first issue a RESUME
command.
3. Define the variables to be The SOLU command causes various NSOL,
used in your postprocessing iteration and convergence parameters
session. to be read into the database, where you ESOL,
can incorporate them into your RFORCE
postprocessing.
4. Graph or list the variables. --- PLVAR
(graph),
PRVAR
(list),
EXTREM
(list)
Many other postprocessing functions are available in POST26. For more information, see The Time-History
Postprocessor (POST26) in the Basic Analysis Guide.
4.3. Output of Joint Element Quantities

Several joint element output quantities are available for review purposes. You can use either POST1 or
POST26, or both, to review those results.
The solution output associated with the element is in two forms:
• Nodal displacements included in the overall nodal solution
• Additional element output to the results file listed below
The following output is available for joint elements as SMISC quantities:
• Constraint forces and moments
• Constraint forces (moments) if stop is specified
• Constraint forces (moments) if lock is specified
• Stop status
• Lock status
• Relative position
• Constitutive displacements and rotations
• Joint elastic forces (moments)
• Joint damping forces (moments)
• Joint friction forces (moments)
Reviewing Multibody Analysis Results
• Relative displacement and rotations (cumulative)
• Relative velocities
• Relative accelerations
• Average temperature in the element
The following output is available for joint elements as NMISC quantities:
• The components of the bases vectors at the two nodes in the deformed configuration.
The bases vectors are specified as the local coordinate systems via the SECJOINT command and
evolve with the rotation of the underlying nodes.
• The constraint forces and moments in the evolved basis at the first node of the joint element.
The ANSYS Workbench Products generally use NMISC output for postprocessing.
See the MPC184 element documentation and the individual joint element descriptions for details about
the SMISC component specification and the use of the ETABLE command.
In POST1 (p. 41), you can print joint element output (such as relative reaction forces, relative displace-
ments, relative rotations, etc.) at the free or unconstrained relative degree of freedom via the PRJSOL
command. To obtain the nodal forces at the joint element nodes, issue the PRESOL,FORC command.
In POST26 (p. 42), you can use the JSOL command to specify result items (such as relative displacements,
velocities, accelerations, etc.) that must be stored for a joint element. Then, you can plot or print the
stored items via the PLVAR or PRVAR command, respectively.
4.4. Energy Output

You can monitor the total energies of the entire model in POST1 (p. 41) via the PRENERGY command.
The total energy consists of elastic, kinetic, artificial hourglass/drill stiffness energy, and so on.
In POST26 (p. 42), you can use the ENERSOL command to store a specific energy item. Then, you can
graph or list the specific energy item in the output file via the PLVAR or PRVAR command, respectively.
Chapter 5: Using Component Mode Synthesis
Superelements in a Multibody Analysis
Obtaining the flexible response of a body or bodies to a dynamic motion event typically involves solving
hundreds or thousands of time points. If a flexible body has many degrees of freedom, a multibody
analysis can be time-consuming. To minimize the necessary computing resources, you can use component
mode synthesis (CMS) superelements (substructures) to replace the many thousands of degrees of
freedom of the flexible body with tens of degrees of freedom that represent the dynamic response,
thereby significantly reducing the required multibody analysis run time.
The following topics describe the approach required to perform a substructure-based multibody analysis,
including recovering the time-dependent flexible response:
5.1. CMS Superelements in a Multibody Analysis
5.2. Flexible Body Types
5.3. Substructuring Overview
5.4. Master Degrees of Freedom in a Substructured Multibody Simulation
5.5. Steps for Performing a Substructured Multibody Simulation
For an example of how to set up and use a substructuring in a multibody analysis, see Example Multibody
Analysis: Crank Slot Mechanism (p. 55).
5.1. CMS Superelements in a Multibody Analysis

The flexible body to be substructured is assumed to behave in a linear elastic manner, as follows
• Only linear materials are allowed.
• Nonlinear elements within the body (such as gasket or contact elements) are treated as linear and in their
initial state.
• The body may consist only of 3-D structural elements. (You can use 2-D elements with care provided that
you follow the guidelines given later, particularly with respect to the number of degrees of freedom at
the master degrees of freedom.)
• Element formulations using Lagrange multipliers are not allowed.
• Density or mass of some form must be present in the body.
The body may undergo large rotations, but the strains and relative rotations within the body are pre-
sumed to be small.
Using Component Mode Synthesis Superelements in a Multibody Analysis
5.2. Flexible Body Types

A multibody simulation supports two types of flexible bodies:
• Bodies that are excited by the motion of other bodies (rigid or flexible) but do not themselves un-
dergo large motions
An engine block is an example of this type, where the block is excited dynamically from the crankshaft,
pistons, and other moving parts attached or linked to the block. This case is a straightforward applic-
ation of traditional superelements.
• Bodies that are undergoing large motions
A piston rod is an example of a body undergoing large motions; this type also uses superelements
but with the additional capability that the superelement can undergo large motions, and large rotations
in particular. A large-rotation superelement involves additional considerations (p. 46).
5.3. Substructuring Overview

Substructuring is a technique that condenses a group of finite elements into a single element represented
as a matrix. The single-matrix element is called a superelement. You can use the superelement in an
analysis as you would any other element type.
Substructuring requires three passes:
• A generation pass, where the group of elements are condensed down to generate the superelement.
• A use pass, where the superelement is used in the analysis. In our case, in the multibody analysis.
• An expansion pass, where the results of the superelement in the use pass are expanded to the original
group of elements so that their displacements, forces, strains, and stresses are recovered.
In the use pass, Mechanical APDL allows the superelement to rotate with arbitrarily large rotations.
In the generation pass, you define master degrees of freedom (p. 46), the degrees of freedom that the
superelement uses to interface with, or connect to, the other bodies or joints.
Because the flexible body analysis occurs within a dynamic analysis, you must include the dynamic
(mass) effects. Use component mode synthesis (CMS) to augment the superelement static stiffness with
mode shapes that characterize the dynamic behavior, much as you would when performing a mode-
superposition transient dynamic analysis.
CMS is a form of substructure analysis allowing you to derive the dynamic behavior of the entire assembly
from its constituent components. For more information, see Component Mode Synthesis in the Substruc-
turing Analysis Guide.
5.4. Master Degrees of Freedom in a Substructured Multibody Simulation

The master degrees of freedom are the degrees of freedom of the superelement which you intend to
use to connect to the degrees of freedom of the remaining bodies and joints. Because you almost always
use all degrees of freedom of a node in the definition of the master degrees of freedom, you can think
Steps for Performing a Substructured Multibody Simulation
in terms of master “nodes”; that is, the master degrees of freedom are the nodes of the superelement
that connect to the nodes of the remaining joints and bodies.
If the connection occurs at a joint at the center of a hole or slot, you must place a master node there.
For more information, see Connecting Bodies to Joints (p. 26).
Nonrotating Bodies
For nonrotating bodies, master nodes are located at the points where the superelement connects with
the other bodies and are typically located at the centers of bolts or other fasteners and bearings. Try
to minimize the number of master nodes. Where appropriate, use the techniques presented in Connecting
Bodies to Joints (p. 26) to create a single master node that connects to a number of nodes.
Rotating Bodies
For rotating bodies, the idea is to create a beam-like superelement, ideally with two master nodes (but
never less than two). You can use more than two master nodes (for example, when modeling a lever
or rocker plate), but Mechanical APDL assumes that the rotation of the superelement is the average of
the rotations of all master nodes.
All master nodes of a rotating body must have six active structural degrees of freedom: UX, UY, UZ,
ROTX, ROTY, and ROTZ. If the master node does not have six degrees of freedom--for example, if it is
the node of a 3-D solid element--create a six-degree-of-freedom node at that location and tie it to the
rest of the body appropriately. You can use either of the following techniques, both of which essentially
place a six-degree-of-freedom node connected to a patch of elements superimposed on the existing
solid elements.
• MPC Contact -- Create a pilot node and link it to bonded contact elements overlaid on the patch. For
more information, see Connecting Bodies to Joints (p. 26).
• Beams -- Overlay beam elements or MPC184 Rigid Beam elements in a spiderweb fashion. The beams
should have high stiffness and no mass.
Following is an illustration of both methods:
When rotating the created node, the body rotates accordingly.
You can also define master degrees of freedom where loads are to be applied as well as at any points
where velocities or accelerations are of interest.
5.5. Steps for Performing a Substructured Multibody Simulation

The methodology for performing a substructured multibody simulation assumes that you have generated
the entire finite element model of the multibodies including the joints—using ANSYS Workbench, for
example—and want to take advantage of substructuring to reduce the solution time. This method is
referred to as a top-down approach (as opposed to a bottom-up approach of defining the substructure
first and then building the rest of the model around it).
Using substructures to represent some or all of the flexible bodies in a completely defined multibody
model requires the following steps:
5.5.1. Step 1: Prepare the Full Model for a Substructured Multibody Analysis
5.5.2. Step 2: Create the Substructures (Generation Pass)
5.5.3. Step 3: Build the CMS-based Model (Use Pass)
5.5.4. Step 4: Run the Multibody Analysis
5.5.5. Step 5: Expand all Solutions (Expansion Pass)
5.5.6. Step 6: Create the Merged Results File
5.5.7. Step 7: Postprocess the Results
Before proceeding, prepare the full multibody model (as described in Steps 1 through 4 in Overview
of the Multibody Analysis Process (p. 2)). Verify that the bodies are connected to the joints as described
in Connecting Bodies to Joints (p. 26).
The multiple passes used in substructuring require that the files created and used in the process are
handled appropriately. To aid in file management when performing a substructured multibody simulation,
use the /FILNAME command to modify the current jobname as needed.
5.5.1. Step 1: Prepare the Full Model for a Substructured Multibody Analysis
Prepare the full model for a substructured multibody analysis, as follows:
Step Action Comments Command(s)

1.1 Specify the full jobname. Example: /FILNAME,FULL /FILNAME
1.2 Resume (or build) the full See Overview of the Multibody RESUME
model. Analysis Process (p. 2) and
Connecting Bodies to
Joints (p. 26).
1.3 Make components of the Create an element component of ESEL
flexible body. (Repeat for each the elements of the body,
flexible body.) including any contact elements CM,Ename,ELEM
used to connect the body to a
joint. (Do not include the joint
elements.)
1.4 Select the entire model. --- ALLSEL
1.5 Save the model. --- SAVE
5.5.2. Step 2: Create the Substructures (Generation Pass)

Perform the generation pass to create the CMS substructure (in the matrix .SUB file) characterizing
the dynamic flexibility of the body.
You must decide how many modes to include in the CMS substructure. The number you determine
depends on several factors including:
• The driving frequency.
• The frequencies to be excited (such as flexural, axial, torsional, etc.).
• Whether displacements are of primary interest, or whether stresses/strains are of primary interest. (The
latter require more modes to accurately capture their response.)
• Whether impact (contact) is included. (Impact tends to excite higher frequencies.)
• Whether acoustic frequencies are desired.
For most analyses, and particularly for rotating bodies, the fixed-interface method (CMSOPT,FIX) is
sufficient. For analyses where higher frequencies are of interest (foe example, those involving acoustics
or high-speed equipment), the residual-flexible free-interface method (CMSOPT,RFFB) provides more
accuracy. For more information, see Supported CMS Methods in the Substructuring Analysis Guide.
For nonrotating bodies, you can apply constraints (D) in the generation pass to the degrees of freedom,
but not the master degree of freedom. Set KEYOPT(4) = 1 for these superelements in the use pass;
otherwise, your analysis will have convergence problems. For rotating bodies, do not apply constraints
in the generation pass because the superelement must have six rigid body modes; you can, however,
apply constraints to its master degree of freedom in the use pass.
Loading Considerations
When applying loads, be aware that:
• The loads rotate with the rotating substructure by default. This behavior is valid for most load types
(especially pressure loads). In the use pass, however, you can specify that the load vector not rotate
with the substructure; disabling load rotation is useful in some cases, such as those involving nodal
forces where you want to maintain their original direction.
• When to apply gravity and other acceleration loads (such as those applied via ACEL and OMEGA com-
mands) depends on whether the body is rotating or not. For a rotating body, apply the loads in the use
pass. For a nonrotating body, you can apply the loads in this step and use it in the use pass; however,
be careful not to specify it twice (for example, by issuing an ACEL command in the use pass). Issue the
CMACEL command to apply the acceleration to the nonsubstructured elements only.
• By applying a unit load in this step, you can easily scale it in the use pass and make use of tabular loads
to apply a complex load-versus-time history in a single load step. ANSYS, Inc. recommends this approach
as it allows for straightforward creation of the full model results file.
Creating the Superelements
Follow these steps to create the superelements for a substructured multibody analysis:

2.1 Clear the database. Required only if performing this /CLEAR
step in the same session as the
prior step.

2.2 Specify the generation pass Example: /FILNAME,BODY1 /FILNAME
jobname.
2.3 Resume the full model. Example: RESUME,FULL.DB RESUME
2.4 Define the analysis type. The analysis type is substructure. /SOLU
ANTYPE,SUBSTR
Substructure name, and generate SEOPT,Sename,2
stiffness and mass, as in this
2.5 Define substructure options. example: SEOPT,BODY1SE,2
CMS options, including the CMSOPT,FIX,NMODE
number of modes.
Select the elements defined in CMSEL,S,ELEM
Step 1.3 (p. 48).
Select the interface nodes defined CMSEL,S,NODE
Select the substructure nodes in Step 1.3
2.6
and elements. Create master degrees of freedom M,ALL,ALL
at all selected nodes.
Select the nodes attached to the NSLE
elements.
2.7 Apply loads, if any. These are loads typically interior F
to the body (that is, not applied
to a master degree of freedom). SF
SFE
ACEL
...
Save the model. SAVE
2.8 Create the substructure.
Execute the creation. SOLVE
Repeat the steps above for each flexible body you wish to replace with CMS substructures. Use unique
jobnames and substructure names for each flexible body.
Residual-Flexible Free-Interface CMS Method
If you are using the residual-flexible free interface method, use CMSOPT,RFFB,NMODE (rather than
CMSOPT,FIX,NMODE) in Step 2.5. You must also define pseudo-constraints (D,,,SUPPORT).
For further information, see The CMS Generation Pass in the Substructuring Analysis Guide.
5.5.3. Step 3: Build the CMS-based Model (Use Pass)

Replace the flexible bodies with their corresponding CMS substructures.

prior step.
3.2 Specify the use pass jobname. Example: /FILNAME,USE /FILNAME
3.3 Resume the full model. Example: RESUME,FULL.DB RESUME
Deselect the flexible elements. /PREP7
CMSEL,U,Ename
Define the substructure element ET,ITYPE,50
type using an available type
number (ITYPE).
If any loads were applied in Step KEYOPT, ITYPE,3,1
2 (p. 48) and you do not want
them to rotate with the
3.4 Replace the flexible bodies.
substructure, set the appropriate
key option.
For nonrotating substructures that KEYOPT,ITYPE,4,1
have constraints applied in the
generation pass, set the
appropriate key option.
Define the substructure. TYPE,ITYPE
SE,Sename
Repeat the CMSEL,U and SE commands for each flexible body.
Caution:
Be careful not to select all elements (for example, via an ALLSEL command) before initiating
the solution (SOLVE) in the next step. If you do so, Mechanical APDL solves for both sets
of elements.
5.5.4. Step 4: Run the Multibody Analysis

Set up the multibody analysis and run it.

4.1 Specify the analysis type. Large deflection, transient analysis /SOLU
(multibody analysis).
ANTYPE,TRANS
4.2 Specify the transient analysis HHT method with 0.1 numerical TRNOPT,FULL,,,,,HHT
options. damping (p. 38).
TINTP,0.1
Constraints on motion and initial D
conditions
4.3 Specify boundary conditions. DJ
IC

…
Applied loads, including applying F
loads from the generation pass
Step 2.7 (p. 48) (SFE,,,SELV) FJ
ACEL
SF
SFE
...
Ending time and time step sizes. TIME
DELTIM or
Specify load step options and
4.4 NSUBST
solve.
Results file output controls. OUTRES
Run the analysis. SOLVE
To dampen out excessive solution noise, particularly in the velocities and accelerations, you typically
use numerical damping. For more information, see Damping (p. 38).
In Step 4.3, use tabular loads to specify complex load-versus-time histories. By default, loads are simply
ramped (or step-applied [KBC]) over the time interval from one load step to the next. Tabular loads,
however, allow a general load curve. To use multiple load steps to define the loading, repeat Steps
4.3 and 4.4 for each load configuration.
For more information about setting up and performing a multibody analysis, see Performing a
Multibody Analysis (p. 33).
5.5.5. Step 5: Expand all Solutions (Expansion Pass)

Using the solutions from the prior step (displacements at the master degrees of freedom at each time
point), obtain the displacements and stresses (if desired) for all nodes and elements of the flexible
bodies.

prior step.
5.2 Specify the generation pass Example: /FILNAME,BODY1 /FILNAME
jobname from Step 2 (p. 48).
5.3 Resume that jobname's No file name required. RESUME
database.
5.4 Specify an expansion pass. --- /SOLU
EXPASS,ON
5.5 Specify the substructure to Substructure name and the use SEEXP,Sename,Usefil
expand. pass jobname from Step 3.
Example: SEEXP,BODY1SE,USE

5.6 Expand all time points, and NUMEXP,ALL,,,Elcalc
indicate whether or not to
Specify the solutions to compute stresses, strains, and
expand, then expand forces.
Perform the expansion. SOLVE
Repeat all steps for each substructured body (including clearing the database [/CLEAR]).
5.5.6. Step 6: Create the Merged Results File

Merge all results files (one from the use pass and one from each of the expanded substructures) to
create a results file with the full model data. After completing this part of the process, you can perform
postprocessing as though you had run the full model in the multibody simulation.

prior step.
6.2 Specify the full model Example: /FILNAME,FULL /FILNAME
database.
6.4 Delete the merged results file. If you fail to delete the merged /DELETE
results file, the program appends
the results from this step to that
file.
Loop through each time point /POST1
(solution substeps).
*DO,J,1,NSUB-
STEPS
Bring in the use pass results. FILE,USE
SET,1,J
Merge the results for each Append the expanded
6.5 FILE,BODY1
time point. substructure results.
APPEND,1,J
Repeat both of these
commands for each
substructure.
Write the combined results and RESWRITE,Fname
loop back for the next time point.
*ENDDO
Understanding the example commands in this step:
• NSUBSTEPS is the total number of substeps (time points) in the results files.
• In the example commands, the jobname from the use pass (Step 3 (p. 50)) is USE; therefore, its results
file is named USE.RST. Likewise, the jobname from the expansion pass (Step 5 (p. 52)) is BODY1;
therefore, its results file is named BODY1.RST. Adjust the command arguments accordingly to accom-
modate your own jobnames.
• As presented here, the analysis in the use pass is performed in one load step with NSUBSTEPS substeps.
If such is not the case in your analysis, modify the *DO loop to use the appropriate SET command.
• The expansion pass results files always have only one load step with all time points contained as
NSUBSTEPS substeps, irrespective of the use pass load stepping and substepping.
5.5.7. Step 7: Postprocess the Results

Postprocess the full model as though you had run a nonsubstructured analysis.
Use the POST1 postprocessor (/POST1) to review the results over the entire model. Use the POST26
postprocessor (/POST26) to obtain time-history listings and plots. For more information, see Reviewing
Multibody Analysis Results (p. 41) for specific multibody postprocessing.

7.1 Specify the full model Example: /FILNAME,FULL /FILNAME
database.
7.3 Review results at a specific --- /POST1
point in time
SET,
7.4 Select the entire model. --- /POST26
Nodal velocity and acceleration nodal results are not available for the substructure interior nodes
(non-master degrees of freedom).
Chapter 6: Example Multibody Analysis: Crank Slot
Mechanism
The example crank slot analysis in this section introduces you to the Mechanical APDL program's
multibody analysis capabilities. To facilitate modeling and simulation in a multibody analysis, we suggest
using the ANSYS Workbench product along with Mechanical APDL to develop your analysis. The input
files (p. 62) used to run the crank slot analysis in Mechanical APDL were generated by ANSYS Workbench.
The following topics are available for this example multibody analysis of a crank slot mechanism:
6.1. Problem Description
6.2. Problem Specifications
6.3. Defining Joints
6.4. Performing the Rigid Body Analysis
6.5. Performing the Flexible Body Analysis
6.6. Using Component Mode Synthesis in the Multibody Analysis
6.7. Using Joint Probes
6.8. Comparing Processing Times
6.9. Input Files Used in This Analysis
6.1. Problem Description

The crank slot model consists of several parts connected by joint elements. Perform a simulation using
multibody dynamics to study the motion of the crank mechanism and the joint forces when starting
the mechanism at one of the joints from rest with a rotational acceleration of 25 rad/sec2. In this
problem, it is also important to examine the transient stress results in one of the slider rods.
6.2. Problem Specifications

The geometry for the crank slot model consists of a base and two rods. The two rods are attached to
each other and the base with three bolts. The material used for all components is structural steel.
Example Multibody Analysis: Crank Slot Mechanism
The material properties for this analysis are as follows:
Young's modulus (E) = 2e+005 MPa

Poisson's ratio (υ) = 0.3
Density = 7.85e-006 kg/m
6.3. Defining Joints

Define the joints that connect the parts of the crank slot model. Revolute, slot, and cylindrical joints
form the moving joints. The base of the model is fixed to the ground via a fixed joint.
The following figure shows the parts of the model, with the joints listed to the right:
Performing the Rigid Body Analysis
Revolute (p. 15) --

Base to Bolt1
Fixed -- Rod1 to
Bolt1
Fixed -- Rod1 to
Bolt2
Fixed -- Rod2 to
Bolt3
Cylindrical (p. 16) --
Rod2 to Bolt2
Slot (p. 15) -- Base
to Bolt3
Fixed -- Ground to
Base
All joints are available via the MPC184 element's KEYOPT(1) setting and, in some cases, the KEYOPT(4)
setting. For more information, see Connecting Multibody Components with Joint Elements (p. 13).
6.4. Performing the Rigid Body Analysis

Run the crank slot analysis using a rigid body specification. Specifying a body as rigid in Mechanical
APDL models it as a combination of:
• A MASS21 element at the center of gravity (CG) of the parts, and
• MPC184 elements for the joints connected to each other via rigid body nodes.
For more information, see Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis (p. 6). The input file (p. 62)
CrankSlot_Rigid.inp is used to perform the rigid body portion of the analysis.
The following figures show the finite element (FE) representation of the model and the time-history
plot of the total displacement of the rigid Rod2 part:
6.5. Performing the Flexible Body Analysis

Run the crank slot analysis using a flexible approximation for the Rod2 part. After defining Rod2 as a
flexible body, mesh it using 3-D SOLID186 elements. (At this stage, the remaining parts are still considered
to be rigid.)
For more information, see Modeling Flexible Bodies in a Multibody Analysis (p. 5). The input file (p. 62)
CrankSlot_Flexible.inp is used to perform the flexible body portion of the analysis.
The following figures show the FE representation of the flexible Rod2 part and a representation of the
entire model:
Performing the Flexible Body Analysis
6.6. Using Component Mode Synthesis in the Multibody Analysis
CMS a Powerful Tool
Using CMS for static and transient nonlinear analysis reduces problem size and minimizes CPU-
resource requirements. You can convert parts of a model which exhibit linear behavior (such as
Rod2 in this case) to a superelement using CMS with large rotation. You can restrict all geometric,
contact, and material nonlinearity to those parts of the model which require nonlinear behavior.
For more information, see Using Component Mode Synthesis Superelements in a Multibody Ana-
lysis (p. 45) and Component Mode Synthesis in the Substructuring Analysis Guide.
Using the flexible body created previously (p. 58), create a component mode synthesis (CMS) model
with large rotation. Using CMS for the multibody analysis consists of:
1. Creating a superelement of the flexible body (generation pass).
2. Using the superelement in the transient analysis (use pass).
3. Recovering stress and displacement results for the entire model (expansion pass).
The results are similar to those of the flexible model, as shown:
Using Component Mode Synthesis in the Multibody Analysis
To leverage the advantage of a CMS analysis for large rotation, define another part of the model, Rod1,
as a flexible body. Define the other flexible part, Rod2, as a CMS part. The input file (p. 62) Crank-
Slot_FlexibleCMS.inp is used to perform the CMS portion of the analysis.
The CMS part Rod2 assumes linear behavior with large rotations, whereas the flexible part Rod1 retains
all geometric and material nonlinearity in the model, as shown:
6.7. Using Joint Probes

In addition to information about the displacement and stress in the structure, you can use the joint
probes to obtain specific results information about the various joints in the model. Here the total force
at a single joint is plotted as a function of time:
6.8. Comparing Processing Times

Comparison of the CPU times shows the advantage of using CMS even for a simple model such as the
crank slot. The benefits of CMS for large-rotation and nonlinear analyses can multiply in cases involving
larger and more complex models, especially those exhibiting more nonlinear behavior.
6.9. Input Files Used in This Analysis

The following Mechanical APDL input files are used in the example analysis of the crank slot mechanism
described in this section. The files were generated by the ANSYS Workbench product. To download the
files from our server in a single .zip file, click here.
CrankSlot_Rigid.inp
CrankSlot_Flexible.inp
CrankSlot_FlexibleCMS.inp
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting a Flexible Multibody
Analysis
A successful flexible multibody simulation involves proper element selection, appropriate material be-
havior, and proper application of load and boundary conditions. To troubleshoot problems, debugging
must occur at all levels of the analysis. Typical questions requiring answers include:
• Is the choice of elements appropriate for this analysis? (For more information, see Element Choices for
Flexible Bodies (p. 6), Defining a Rigid Body (p. 7), and Connecting Multibody Components with Joint
Elements (p. 13).)
• Does the chosen material model correctly represent the actual material behavior?
• Are the loading and boundary conditions (p. 11) appropriately modeled?
• Are overconstraint conditions (p. 63) causing convergence problems?
• Do the problem's physics indicate global or local buckling issues that must be addressed?
Although other topics (p. 1) in this document provide guidelines for element selection, modeling, and
solver options while setting up your multibody analysis, the following troubleshooting topics are
available to help you achieve a successful multibody simulation:
7.1. Addressing Overconstraint Issues During Modeling
7.2. Resolving Overconstraint Problems
7.1. Addressing Overconstraint Issues During Modeling
Careful Setup Is Essential
Mechanical APDL cannot always detect overconstraints automatically, particularly when the Lag-
range multiplier method is used. You are responsible for ensuring that the model is not overcon-
strained. Overconstrained models most often result in nonconvergence of the solution with small
solver pivot warnings, and in some cases may yield incorrect results. It is vital that you exercise
care when setting up your multibody simulation model.
Overconstraint means that more constraints than necessary have been applied to the degrees of freedom
at a node.
For example, the following conditions can result in overconstraints:
• Imposing boundary conditions on the degrees of freedom at a given node if they are constrained via the
CE or CP command.
Troubleshooting a Flexible Multibody Analysis
• Contact modeling using the Lagrange multiplier method with improper boundary conditions on the
contact nodes.
7.1.1. Overconstraints in Rigid Bodies

Overconstraints may arise when rigid bodies (p. 6) are joined together using multiple joint elements.
The overconstraints can occur due to redundant joints performing the same function or contradictory
motion resulting from improper use of joints connecting different bodies.
The following examples illustrate scenarios in which overconstraint conditions can occur.
7.1.1.1. Standard Four-Bar Mechanism

In this scenario, all components are rigid. The example shows how overconstraint can occur even
in simple models.
Consider the standard 3-D four-bar mechanism shown here. (See Geradin and Cardona in Learning
More About Multibody Dynamics (p. 4).) The mechanism consists of four rigid links and four revolute
joints.
Figure 7.1: Overconstrained System: Standard 3-D Four-Bar Mechanism

Pilot
x
node
Revolute
x x
Joint
Pilot
node
Fixed pilot node
Solution: Replace three of the revolute joints with spherical joints.
With six degrees of freedom available for each rigid body, the four rigid bodies yield a total of 6 *
4 = 24 degrees of freedom. A revolute joint has only one free degree of freedom and five constraints.
Thus, the four revolute joints impose a total of 5 * 4 = 20 constraints. If one of the rigid links is
fixed in space, then an additional six constraints are imposed. If a rotation is applied at one of the
revolute joints (thereby adding one more constraint), the number of overconstraints is 24 - (20 +
6 + 1) = -3. As modeled, therefore, this mechanism is overconstrained.
In such a case, you can resolve the overconstraints by replacing three of the revolute joints with
spherical joints. Each spherical joint imposes only three constraints; after replacing the joint type,
a degree-of-freedom count indicates that the system is no longer overconstrained. While the
overconstraint in this model can be resolved fairly easily, this is not a typical case. It is therefore
vital that you exercise care when setting up your model. For more information, see Resolving
Overconstraint Problems (p. 66).
7.1.1.2. Redundant Rigid Bodies

This simple example illustrates overconstraints caused by redundant rigid components.
Addressing Overconstraint Issues During Modeling
Figure 7.2: Overconstraint Due to Redundant Rigid Components
A B
0 C
The figure shows a plate modeled with shell elements. A portion of the plate is made rigid by
adding MPC184 Rigid Beam elements (represented by the thick lines in the figure). The addition of
rigid beams AB and BC is redundant and leads to an overconstrained model.
In Mechanical APDL, if the MPC184 Rigid Beam elements with direct elimination option are used
to model this type of problem, the redundant constraints are eliminated automatically. However,
if MPC184 Rigid Beam with the Lagrange multiplier option is used, the solution may not converge.
7.1.1.3. Redundant Boundary Conditions

Redundant boundary conditions can lead to overconstraint. In some cases, the multibody mechanism
may actually end up as a “structure” with zero mobility if improper boundary conditions are applied.
In some cases involving MPC184 Rigid Beam elements with the direct elimination option (which is
based on all degrees of freedom at a node), redundant boundary conditions can result in an over-
constrained system.
Consider a cylindrical tube with one end fixed and subjected to a bending moment at the other
end. A quarter of the cylinder is modeled with appropriate symmetry and antisymmetry boundary
conditions as shown in the following figure. MPC184 Rigid Beam elements with the direct elimination
option connect all the nodes of the tube to a center point, and a moment is applied at the center
node.
Figure 7.3: Overconstrained System: Cylindrical Tube Subjected to Bending at One End
Troubleshooting a Flexible Multibody Analysis
Because of the symmetry and antisymmetry boundary conditions, the system of internal constraint
equations generated due to the MPC184 Rigid Beam element results in an overconstrained system.
7.1.2. Overconstraints Caused by User-Defined Constraint Equations

User-defined constraint equations (created via the CE and CP commands) can conflict with the internal
constraint equations generated for the rigid bodies using the contact MPC capability or the joint
elements. ANSYS, Inc. recommends avoiding user-defined CEs and/or CPs while performing a flexible
multibody simulation.
7.2. Resolving Overconstraint Problems

Overconstraint problems frequently arise in multibody system models containing rigid bodies. Overcon-
straints in the model can result in nonconvergence, slow convergence, solver small pivot messages,
and in some cases an incorrect solution. Often, overconstraint problems are not readily identifiable. For
example, even adding flexibility to the model may not completely resolve an overconstraint problem.
It is therefore vital that you address overconstraint issues (p. 63) during the modeling (p. 5) phase if
possible instead of trying to resolve overconstraint problems afterwards.
Mechanical APDL does not resolve overconstraints automatically. To check for overconstraints, model
the multibody mechanism as a rigid mechanism using a rigid body solver.
Following are some hints to help you resolve overconstraint problems:
• Perform a degree-of-freedom count in the mechanism. Various methods are available for evaluating the
number of free degrees of freedom in a given rigid body mechanism. See Learning More About Multibody
Dynamics (p. 4).
• Know the number of constraints for each joint element. In some cases, replacing one type of joint with
another may resolve an overconstraint issue. Check the number of constraints for a given joint and replace
it with a simpler one if possible. For example, a revolute joint (which imposes five constraints) can possibly
be replaced by a cylindrical joint (which imposes only four constraints). For more information, see Joint
Element Types (p. 14).
• A translational joint fixes five degrees of freedom while allowing motion in only one direction. You may
be able to replace it with a slot joint which allows more free relative degrees of freedom.
• The local axes specified at the joint element nodes must be defined properly. Improper definitions result
in unanticipated motion or constraints. For example, if you define the four-bar mechanism in Figure 7.1: Over-
constrained System: Standard 3-D Four-Bar Mechanism (p. 64)in a plane other than one of the global
Cartesian planes, verify that the joint coordinate systems for each joint align.
• Perform a modal analysis to ensure that appropriate modes are present in the idealized model of the
mechanism. Overconstraints can lead to modes that are not usually present in the actual system.
• Use more flexible components (p. 5) in the model. Avoid models with only rigid bodies (p. 6), which
can lead to solver difficulties.
• Avoid external (user-defined) constraint equations (CE and CP). They may conflict with those generated
internally by Mechanical APDL for contact with MPC and the joint elements.
• Check the model for redundant boundary conditions (p. 65).
Resolving Overconstraint Problems
• Do not mix MPC184 Rigid Beam/Link and MPC184 Joint elements implemented using the Lagrange mul-
tiplier method with those implemented using the direct elimination method.

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4.3. Output of Joint Element Quantities ................................................................................................. 43

1.2. Overview of the Multibody Analysis Process

Step Action Comments

An overview of the types of joint elements used in a multibody

Step Action Comments

The MPC184 joint elements also allow you to define material

Issue the LMESH command to mesh rigid bodies defined by

Two nodes define joint elements and no special meshing

1.3. The ANSYS-ADAMS Interface

1.4. Learning More About Multibody Dynamics

The following topics related to multibody analysis modeling are available:

2.1. Modeling Flexible Bodies in a Multibody Analysis

Figure 2.1: FE Slider-Crank Mechanism

The slider-crank mechanism has these characteristics:

• The rigid crank is modeled with an MPC184 Rigid Beam element.

• The connecting link is flexible and modeled with BEAM188 elements.

2.1.1. Element Choices for Flexible Bodies

2.2. Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis

The following topics about rigid body modeling are available:

2.2.1. Defining a Rigid Body

2.2.1.1. Typical Rigid Body Scenarios

Figure 2.2: Rigid Body Definition With Underlying Elements

Figure 2.3: Rigid Body Definition Without Underlying Elements

Figure 2.4: Rigid Body with a Limited Number of Nodes

2.2.1.3. Defining a Rigid Body Pilot Node

2.2.1.4. Defining Rigid Body Mass and Rotary Inertia Properties

1. Select the associated elements (ESEL)

2. Specify the option for precalculating masses (IRLF,-1).

4. Get the mass properties (*GET), as follows:

*GET, Par, ELEM, 0, Item1, IT1NUM, Item2, IT2NUM

Xc, Yc, Zc, θxy, θyz, θxz

The mass properties are specified by real constants:

Mx, My, Mz, Ixx, Iyy, Izz

2.2.2. Rigid Body Degrees of Freedom

Figure 2.6: Rigid Sphere Translational DOFs + Rotational DOFs

Figure 2.7: Rigid Body Translational DOFs Only

2.2.3. Rigid Body Boundary Conditions

2.2.3.1. Defining Rigid Body Loads

2.2.4. Representing Parts of a Complex Model with Rigid Bodies

Table 2.1: Rigid Body vs. Flexible Body Definition

Rigid Body Definition Process Flexible Body Definition Process

Rigid Body Definition Process Flexible Body Definition Process

2.2.5. Connecting Joint Elements to Rigid Bodies

2.2.6. Modeling Contact with Rigid Bodies

2.3. Connecting Multibody Components with Joint Elements

2.3.1. Joint Element Types

Following are some examples of joint element types:

Universal Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, UZ, ROTY

Slot Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UY, UZ

Cylindrical Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, ROTX, ROTY

Spherical Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UX, UY, UZ

Planar Joint Constrained degrees of freedom: UZ, ROTX, ROTY

2.3.1.1. Joint Element Connectivity Definition

2.3.1.2. Joint Element Section Definition

The universal joint section definition is: SECTYPE,JOINT,UNIV,UNIV-01