Setting Up 3D Contact Modeling for a Ball Bearing System in MotionView and MotionSolve

Welcome to the Multibody Dynamics for Automotive Applications using MotionView and MotionSolve blog series. In this blog, we will explore how to set up 3D contact modeling for a ball bearing system using MotionView software. This process involves importing CAD models, meshing the geometry, defining contacts, and running simulations in MotionSolve software. 

Importing the Ball Bearing CAD Model 

To begin, we import the ball bearing model using the CAD import utility in MotionView for automotive engineers. Since 3D contact modeling requires accurate meshing, we enable mesh control and set the slider value to 5 for an optimal mesh size. 

The CAD file format used is Parasolid (.XT), and upon importing, MotionView invokes HyperMesh in the background. This automatically: 

Meshes the surfaces 

• Calculates the volume, mass, and inertia properties 
• Generates a table displaying material properties 

At this stage, users can modify the density values before finalizing the import. 

Reviewing the Model Components 

After successfully importing the model, we navigate through the model browser in MotionView software to identify the key components: 

• Outer Race (Yellow) 
• Inner Race (Red) 
• Rim (Blue) 
• Six Ball Bearings 

Meshing and Creating Joints 

To ensure a stable multibody dynamics simulation, we enable mesh lines visualization to check the uniform mesh quality. 

We then define: 

• A Fixed Joint between the Outer Race and Ground Body. 
• A Revolute Joint between the Rim and Ground Body, allowing rotation. 

Creating Contact Entities 

With the joints in place, we now define 3D contact forces between: 

• Each ball and the inner race 
• Each ball and the outer race 
• Each ball and the rim 

Since there are six balls, this results in 18 contact definitions. 

The MotionView tutorial allows two methods for adding contacts: 

• Using the Model Browser (Right-click > Add Force Entity > Contact) 
• Using the Contact Creation Icon in the toolbar 

We also ensure that the mesh elements are properly aligned using the Highlight Contact Side feature. This step helps verify that contact normals are oriented in the correct direction. 

Defining Contact Properties 

For normal force calculations, we use the Impact Contact Model, with: 

• Stiffness: 100000 
• Exponent: 2.1 
• Damping: 0.1 
• Penetration Depth: 0.1 

We initially disable friction, allowing a frictionless simulation before refining the model. 

Conclusion 

Setting up 3D contacts in a multibody dynamics automotive model requires careful geometry preparation, meshing, and contact definition. In our next blog, we will simulate the model, analyze contact forces, and interpret the simulation results using MotionView and MotionSolve. 

This blog is part of our ongoing Multibody Dynamics blog series. If you missed the previous posts, check them out here.  

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