How to see when part breaks Non Linear Analysis

[thomas.decoppel]

Hello,

I am doing a Static Stress with Non Linear material models on a bar.

The dimensions are 10 x 10 x 100 mm.

The left side is totally fixed and on the right side there is a force of 50000 N.

I know that is to much, but my analysis parameters are set into 100 steps.

So I am trying to see when the bar breaks. I want to know at which step te bar can't handle the force any more. 

Ohter settings are:

Von Mises with Isotropic hardening.

My material is:

So when I start the analysis, it goes to step 52.

Then the Von Mises stress is 284 N/mm²

So I want the know if the part broke or not, or did it already break.

What is the error that Autodesk Simulation Mechanical gives when the part breaks.

[AstroJohnPE · Accepted solution]

Hi Thomas,

Simulation Mechanical does not calculate the breaking of parts. The stress can increase to infinity (in theory, usually not in a nonlinear analysis because something will happen numerically that prevents the analysis for reaching infinite stress).

It is your job, as the engineer, to decide what criteria means that a part will break. Is it when the calculated stress exceeds the ultimate strength? Is failure due to fatigue? Impact? Fracture?