Contact Stabilization

Contact detection is enhanced with a contact stabilization algorithm that can resolve under-constrained conditions. Contact stabilization acts as a numerical stabilizer by adding a small stiffness to qualified areas before they come into contact.

With contact stabilization, the solver can resolve instability issues encountered at the start of the solution before contact is initiated. You can specify the threshold value of the clearance between geometric entities to qualify them for contact stabilization. You set the clearance in:

Default Options > Interaction > Stabilize the area if the gap is value % of characteristic length.

By default, the software always applies contact stabilization to geometries that have an initial clearance within a threshold value of 1% of the model's characteristic length.

For example, for the two bodies that come into contact as shown in the image above, areas within the green frame qualify for contact stabilization because their clearances are within the gap threshold (x). Areas inside the red frame do not qualify for contact stabilization because they are either interfering or their clearance exceeds the gap threshold.

Application of Contact Stabilization
Example of two bodies that have an initial clearance and come into contact under load application. Contact stabilization enables the accurate solution in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2021.
Accurate stress plot results with the enablement of contact stabilization in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2021.
Inaccurate stress plot in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2020.