Connector - Pin

A Pin connects a solid or a shell body to another solid or shell body. The selection entities can be cylindrical faces or circular edges from the same body or different bodies.

Type

Cylindrical Faces/Edges Select all coaxial cylindrical faces that are attached to the pin (maximum of ten). The selections must be coaxial with the same radius. The selected edge must belong to a predefined shell surface. For sheet metal parts, select a solid cylindrical face, and the program transfers the pin connector to the circular edge of the mid surface shell.

Connection Type

With retaining ring (No translation) Prevents relative axial translation between the two cylindrical faces.
With key (No rotation) Prevents relative rotation between the two cylindrical faces.

Advanced Option

Select if the radius of the shank is equal to the radius of the cylindrical faces associated with at least one of the components. A cylindrical face set to Tight Fit is rigid and deforms with the shank as a rigid body.

Units  
Axial Stiffness Type a value for stiffness in the axial direction. Unavailable if With retaining ring (No Translation) is selected.
When you define both axial and rotational stiffnesses, one stiffness value has to be larger than 0.0.
Rotational Stiffness Type a value for stiffness in the circumferential direction. Unavailable if With key (No rotation) is selected.
Include mass Includes the mass of the pin in the analysis. The mass value is used in frequency, buckling analysis, and in static and nonlinear analysis when gravity and centrifugal loads are selected.

Material (appears when Strength Data box is selected)

Select if the radius of the shank is equal to the radius of the cylindrical faces associated with at least one of the components. A cylindrical face set to Tight Fit is rigid and deforms with the shank as a rigid body.

Library Click Select Material to open the Material dialog box.
Simulation selects Alloy steel from the SOLIDWORKS Material library as the material by default.

Temperature-dependent material properties for materials assigned to pins are not supported. Only constant material properties are supported for pins.

Strength Data (available for static and nonlinear studies)

Tensile Stress Area Set the known tensile stress area for the pin. Select its unit in Unit.
Pin Strength Yield strength of the pin material. Select its unit in Unit.
Safety Factor Set the safety factor for the pass/no pass design check of the pin. The pin fails when its combined load exceeds the ratio of 1/safety factor.

Symbol Settings

  Edit Color Select a color for the symbols.
Symbol size Set the size of the symbols.
  Show preview Toggles the display of the connector symbols in the graphics area.

Notes

  • Available for static, nonlinear, buckling, frequency, and dynamic studies.
  • You need to select the Strength Data box to perform a pass/no pass pin check.
  • Under loading, pin connectors behave as follows:
    • The pin remains straight (it does not bend)
    • Each face maintains its original shape but can move as a rigid body
    • All faces defining the pin connector remain coaxial