Pin Connector - Safety Check

You can check if a pin connector can safely carry the applied loads, or if it fails.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation determines the safety of a pin connector based on the following factor of safety calculations:

  1. The solver calculates the pin connector forces at each pin joint. It applies the absolute values of the pin forces for the pass/no pass check.
    • P = abs (axial force)
    • V = abs (shear force)
    • M = abs (bending moment)
    • T = abs (torque)
  2. The solver calculates the allowable pin connector loads based on the user-defined Pin Strength and Tensile Stress Area (Connector - Pin PropertyManager > Strength Data).
    • Pallowable = allowable axial load = Pin Strength * Tensile Stress Area
    • Vallowable = allowable shear load = 0.5 * Pallowable
    • Mallowable = allowable bending moment load = 2 * Pin Strength * (I/d), where d is the pin diameter, and I is the pin moment of inertia = (pi * d^4)/64.
  3. The solver calculates the factor of safety separately for the axial, shear, and bending loads applied to the pin. It also calculates a fourth factor of safety for the combined loads applied to the pin.
    • FSA = Axial factor of safety = Pallowable/P
    • FSS = Shear factor of safety = Vallowable/V
    • FSM = Bending moment factor of safety = Mallowable/M
    • The solver calculates the factor of safety for the combined loads, FSc, from the solution of a third order equation (positive roots only):

      FSc2 * (Ra+Rb)2+FSc3 * Rs3-1 = 0,

      where Ra = P/Pallowable; Rs = V/Vallowable; Rb = M/Mallowable

  4. The solver selects the minimum factor of safety for the pass/no pass safety check criterion:
    • FS = min (FSA, FSS, FSM, FSc (1,2,3))
    • If FS > user-defined Safety Factor, the pin connector is safe, and can carry the applied loads without failing.
    • If FS < user-defined Safety Factor, the connector is not safe, and you need to re-examine the pin connector definition.
  • You define the Safety Factor in Connector - Pin PropertyManager > Strength Data.
  • For models with pin definitions that have multiple pin segments, the software selects the least factor of safety calculated at each pin joint for the pass/no pass safety check.
  • The pass/no-pass check for connectors is available for linear and nonlinear static studies. For nonlinear studies, the software displays the pass/no pass status of all pin and bolt connectors for each solution step.