Comparison of Bending in Beams

AIM:

To understand the load application in beams of different cross-sectional area and their ability to withstand the loads applied using SolidWorks Simulation.

INTRODUCTION:

SolidWorks Simulation is part of the SolidWorks tool to perform tests like load tests, fatigue tests etc., on the component model. Load tests are performed in two ways: Destructive and Simulation Testing methods. In Destructive Testing method, a component is manufactured and it is tested in reality by applying loads with the help of machineries to check for its reliability. This method has certain disadvantages like loss of money in manufacturing the component which is destroyed in the process of testing, loss of time in the process of manufacturing and testing the component. In Simulation Testing, a component is designed in a 3D CAD software and loads are applied to the designed model in the software. The software gives the result of the Stress, Strain and the Factor of Safety at various points in the components etc., Hence, Simulation Testing saves much time and effort and increases the efficiency of the job done.

THEORY:

Here, I made three beams each of different cross-sectional area to analyse which one of the three takes the load applied in a better way without mechanical failure. The load is appied to each of the beams at the smaller face as the area moment of inertia is larger in such cases when compared to that of loads applied at the larger face.

EXPLANATION:

As per the question given, SolidWorks model is created for each of the three cases.

• The model is taken into the Simulation workspace in SolidWorks.
• The fixture and a load of 1500N is applied and the beams are cantilever in nature.

• The model is then meshed to a mesh size of 6mm.

Once the meshing is done, the simulation is carried out and the results are obtained.

STRESS PLOTS:

As it can be seen from the above plots, in the third case, the stress is the largest and the least in the first case. In the first case, there is more material to take the load applied on the beam but comparitively the beams in the other two cases have less material to take the load. So, stress is the least in the first case. And the maximum stress is present at the fixed part of the beam in all the three cases. The stress is largest in the third case due to stress concentration effect.

DISPLACEMENT PLOTS:

As can be seen from the plots, the displacement is the largest in the third case. The beam in the third case actually twists on applying the load. So, the beam in third case is not advisable to use as it will pose a problem to the structural construction. The beam in first case has the second least displacement. But in terms of the amount of material used, the beam in the second case seems to be efficient for the amount of material used.

STRAIN PLOTS:

As can be seen from the plots, the strain is the least in the first case because it has more material to accomodate for the dimensional change when compared to that in the other two cases. But, the beam in the second case is a good compromise on the amount of material used and the strain it undergoes. So, striking a balance between the mass of the beam and its strength, the beam in second case seems to be much efficient.

CONCLUSION:

The resulting plots of the analysis suggests that the beam in the first case is the most reliable out of the considered three cases. But considering the cost and the amount of material used, the beam in second case stands a little better chance of implementation. Again, it is wise to choose the cross-section of the beam considering the relevant application rather than concluding based on only the analysis report.