Loads and Restraints
Loads and restraints are necessary to define the service environment of the model. The results of analysis directly depend on the specified loads and restraints. Loads and restraints are applied to geometric entities as features that are fully associative to geometry and automatically adjust to geometric changes.
For example, if you apply a pressure P to a face of area A
1, the equivalent force applied to the face is PA
1. If you modify the geometry such that the area of the face changes to A
2, then the equivalent force automatically changes to PA
2. Remeshing the model is required after any change in geometry to update loads and restraints.
When you create a study, the program creates a Fixtures and External Loads folder in the Simulation study tree. The software adds an item in the Fixtures or External Loads folder for each restraint or load you define on one or more entities.
The types of loads and restraints available depend on the type of the study. A load or restraint is applied by the corresponding PropertyManager accessible by right-clicking the Fixtures or External Loads folder in the Simulation study tree, or by clicking Simulation, Loads/Fixture. Other types of structural loads are available via special functions like importing loads from SolidWorks Flow Simulation or SolidWorks Motion.
You can also apply loads or restraints by selecting the desired feature from the Simulation CommandManager or Simulation toolbar.
To help you define studies faster, you can drag and drop Fixtures and External Loads folders from one study to another compatible Simulation study tab. You can also duplicate studies.
The following topics are discussed in this section: