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Simulation Materials

Before running a study, you must define all the necessary material properties required by the corresponding analysis type. All material properties are defined through the Material dialog box. For example, the modulus of elasticity is required for static, frequency, and buckling studies, while thermal conductivity is needed for thermal studies.

Use the Material dialog box to create and edit custom materials or libraries, to apply materials from the SOLIDWORKS material library, or to establish material favorites.

In the Material dialog box, the properties are highlighted to indicate the mandatory and optional properties. A red description indicates the property is mandatory based on the active study type and the material model. A blue description indicates an optional property.

You can define material properties at any time before running the analysis. Defining materials in Simulation does not update the material assigned to the CAD model in SOLIDWORKS.
Applying a material to a body in Simulation displays the body in the study using the material's appearance.

The source for SOLIDWORKS material properties is Metals Handbook Desk Edition (2nd Edition), ASM International.

Contents

  • Material Properties in Simulation

  • Applying a Material

    You can apply a material to a part, one or more bodies of a multibody part, or one or more part components in an assembly.

  • Removing a Material

  • Defining Stress-Strain Curves

    Stress-strain curves are available with the following material models: Nonlinear Elastic, Plasticity - von Mises, and Plasticity - Tresca.

  • Defining Temperature-Dependent Material Properties

    You can define temperature-dependent material properties. Instead of a constant value, a material property is defined by pairs of temperature and property values.

  • Creating a Custom Material

    When you create a custom material, start with an existing material similar to the material you want to create.

  • Creating a Material Library

    A material library is a database containing information about each material. SOLIDWORKS provides a read-only library, SOLIDWORKS Materials, and a library in which you can create custom materials, Custom Materials. You can create additional libraries to store custom materials.

  • Managing Favorite Materials

    Managing favorites maintains the materials Favorites list, available when you right-click the Material item in the FeatureManager design tree. From the Favorites list, you can quickly apply a material without displaying the Material dialog box.

  • Using Drag and Drop to Define Materials

    Once you define materials for a study (source study), you can use drag and drop (or copy and paste) to define materials for another study (target study).

  • Applying Material from the SOLIDWORKS Materials Web Portal

    The SOLIDWORKS Materials Web Portal is an external database of materials provided through a partnership with Matereality. The SOLIDWORKS Materials Web Portal is only accessible to SOLIDWORKS subscription services customers who have a license of SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional, or a license of SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium.

  • Material Dialog Box

    The Material dialog box helps you manage physical materials. You can work with pre-defined materials, create custom materials, apply materials to parts, and manage favorites.

  • Material Models

    A material model describes the stress-strain relation for a material. Available material models depend on the type of the active study.



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