topic Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

MikeSmell_ADSK — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:59:37 GMT

Hey there Fusion users,

By this time, I am sure many of you have heard about the release of Fusion 360 Ultimate. As part of this release, we have made a ton of updates to the Simulation workspace. One of the coolest additions has to be the Event Simulation study type. Event Simulation is a powerful analysis tool that is intended to help you solve problems with complex contact, large motion and deformation and nonlinear material. In simpler terms, if you are trying to test your design against a drop or impact test, look at how a snap fit connection might work, or if what happens when your design breaks, Event Simulation is probably a good place to start.

To help you get started, our team has put together 5 sample models to help you get a feel for how Event Simulation models are typically setup and the types of results to expect. These models can be found in the Simulation Samples section of the Data Panel. They are ready to run, simply save them to your project, press solve and see for yourself how Event Simulation can help you better understand your design.

As you begin your journey with Event Simulation, feel free to reach out with questions or feedback. We are eager to learn about the types of problems you are looking to solve.

Happy Simulating!

Mike Smell, Jeremy Wiesner and Lee Taylor

Axe Chop

The axe chop model predicts what will happen if you take an axe to a stack of wooden boards. The axe is modeled using a rigid body and is given an Initial Linear Velocity in the direction of the boards. There are 7 stacked, independently modeled boards resting on steel blocks. As you can imagine, there’s lots of complicated contact that goes on with this model. Eventually the axe will strike the boards, and since the boards are modeled independently each board can potentially contact the other boards. Furthermore, if you break through the top board, the axe will propagate down and strike the next board below. This may sound like a burden to setup, but with Event Simulation the contact couldn’t be easier to define; the Global Contacts feature will take care of all of this automatically for you. Once this feature has been enabled, you’re ready to solve! (Approximate Runtime: 30 minutes)

Projectile Impact

A cylindrical-shaped projectile is launched towards a square block using the Initial Linear Velocity load type. Contact was enabled with a single click of a button using the Global Contacts feature. Open the model and try to guess what’s going to happen before you run it! Note that both objects in this model use a nonlinear stress-strain curve for their material, and element deletion is enabled with a failure strain of 25% (strain equal to 0.25). When you get the results back, don’t forget to try the Slice Plane option under the Results button to see what’s going on inside the objects during the impact. (Approximate Runtime: 10 minutes)

Quarter Symmetric Extrusion

This is a great example of how we can use the Event Simulation study to predict the behavior of manufacturing processes, such as metal extrusion. This is a quarter-symmetric model, which is a good way to reduce simulation runtime for large models. The copper forming material is pressed through the die, which is modeled using a rigid body. When you animate the results you can see the forming material changing shape as its flows through the die. This is also a great example of how complex contact can trivially be defined and simulated using the Event Simulation study. (Approximate Runtime: 30 minutes)

Square Peg in a Round Hole

Have you ever heard the “square peg in a round hole” idiom? You may have thought this was impossible, but not with Event Simulation! This is another example that leverages quarter-symmetry to reduce the solver runtime. The slightly too-large square peg is pressed down into the circular hole, at which point the square peg comes into contact with the edge of the hole. Nonlinear material properties are defined for both parts of this model. As the parts collide, plastic deformations develop causing the peg to permanently deform inward and the hole to stretch outward. (Approximate Runtime: 30 minutes)

Three Plate Impact

Event Simulation is the perfect study type for predicting the behavior for all sorts of impact events. This model predicts the behavior of a common laboratory experiment: a projectile (often a bullet) impacting a series of successive metal plates at a high velocity. The goal is to determine if the series of metal plates can successfully stop the momentum of the projectile. In this sample model, the small titanium disc is given an Initial Linear Velocity in the direction of three aluminum plates, and contact is automatically generated by simply using the Global Contacts feature. Watch what happens when the disc punctures the first plate; this shows the powerful automatic contact feature of Event Simulation. As elements are deleted and the model is torn apart, the contact surfaces are automatically rebuilt and refined to adapt to whatever is happening in the simulation. (Approximate Runtime: 70 minutes)

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 04:04:27 GMT

Wow, democratizing this kind of power is heady stuff. Non-engineer tinkerers are going to have good times playing around. Engineers might worry about non-engineers becoming overconfident. But this will sort itself out in time. I'm an excited non-engineer mechanical designer looking forward to a better-informed workflow with my "real" engineer colleagues.

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 16:49:40 GMT

Extremadamente interesante esta información.

En este momento estoy desarrrollando el primer curso de (FEA) Fusion 360 + Inventor 2017 y cuando pensé que estaba terminando, Fusion actualizó con esta maravilla.

El reto sigue.

Saludos desde Venezuela

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

AndrewSears — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 17:57:59 GMT

¡Eso es emocionante! Me alegra escuchar que usted está enseñando con nuestro software de simulación. Por favor, háganos saber si tiene alguna pregunta o sugerencia.

Last post translated:

Extremely interesting information. At this moment I am developing the first course of (FEA) Fusion 360 + Inventor 2017 and when I thought it was finishing, Fusion updated with this marvel. The challenge continues.

My reply translated:

That is exciting! Glad to hear you are teaching with our simulation software. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 18:10:36 GMT

Curso GRATIS de Fusion 360 e Inventor 2017 - Dinámica y Estática de
Máquinas

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/post-your-tips-and-tutorials/curso-gratis-de-fusion-360-e-inventor-2017-dinamica-y-estatica/td-p/6697642#.WDXbXcqyutw.twitter

Saludos Cordiales.

[image: http://www.atcpuntocurso.com/Ad/firmas/FirmadigitalGabriel.png]

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

O.Tan — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 01:42:42 GMT

Neat! I hope we will see more event simulation examples ranging from simple stuffs to more complicated ones! Use case scenarios will be helpful for those who is very new to Simulation. Also will accompanying each example with a PDF explaining why are things done in certain way be of help?

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

MikeSmell_ADSK — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 19:46:54 GMT

Hi Omar,

Thanks for the feedback. We will continue to build out our learning materials to help users get started with Simulation in Fusion over time. Be sure to check out our step by step exercises for each of the study types in Fusion today.

Our commercial study types: http://fusion360.autodesk.com/learning/learning.html?guid=GUID-4EB16696-8951-47BC-8F15-10E614D8994F

Our preview study types: http://fusion360.autodesk.com/learning/learning.html?guid=GUID-815819F4-851A-4AE3-BFE4-B8DADCD0DB87

Thanks,

Mike Smell

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

O.Tan — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 23:06:31 GMT

Thanks, I'll look into it

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:24:19 GMT

So this is where Terragrande ended up? I kept asking around about the explicit solver (I worked with Jeremy on the Dell tablet droptest 2 years ago) but nobody had an answer or even knew what it was. I was expecting to see it added to Nastran In-CAD eventually. Stumbled upon this post after visting the Nastran In-CAD forum to post an issue.

By chance, I am now evaluating Abaqus (due to the limitations of Sim Mechanical) and running an explicit run right now.

Mark Decker

Sim Specialists Division

Hagerman&Company

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

GerryJDail — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 04:06:48 GMT

I am a user of AUTODESK NASTRAN with FEMAP as the pre and post processor. Would you be able to provide the input deck to Nastran for the impact of a rod with a block? I wish to simulate the sudden fracture of a highly tensile stressed aluminum extrusion and model the shock wave propagation through the extrusion in order to determine the plastic deformation that may occur to the extrusion in compression. If I can review the input deck and the model setup of an impact study such as the rod impacting the block, I am hoping to gain insight into how I might construct the model that is of particular interest to me. I look forward to hearing from you. Cordially, Gerry J. Dail, PE

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

MikeSmell_ADSK — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:15:53 GMT

Hi @GerryJDail,

We do not provide users a method to extract the NAS file from Fusion. Further, the Event Simulation study type is powered by another Autodesk solver using Explicit solving technology, not the Autodesk Nastran solver. Today, this solver is only commercially available through Fusion, so you would not be able to replicate this example directly in Autodesk Nastran. If you are looking to solve a similar problem with material breakage, your best option would be to do this with the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate.

Thanks,

Mike Smell

Product Manager, Fusion 360 - Simulation

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Pedro_Bidarra — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 22:12:14 GMT

Glass breaking 🙂

50 mm steel ball at 350 km/h, 5 mm glass.

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

curtis.chan — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:15:33 GMT

Nice work Sir! Love it! Notice you're an Industrial Designer, would love to see some of the work you've done.

-Curt Chan

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Pedro_Bidarra — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 18:36:02 GMT

Thank you Curt, that's very kind of you, you can see some of my work on my Behance profile : https://www.behance.net/pmbidarra

All of my recent work (3D) there is done using Fusion 360, a lot of it is exhibition and stand design, for which I know Fusion wasn't exactly built for, it's an activity stuck between furniture design and architecture, but it's perfect for the job, lots professionals in this line of business will use SketchUp, SolidWorks or even AutoCAD+3D Studio, but Fusion beats any of these solutions because it's parametric unlike most of them and very flexible unlike the other one in that list.

But because we are specifically talking about Simulation here, I would like to show this particular project : https://www.behance.net/gallery/40191681/Outdoor-Displays-for-The-Lisbon-Oceanarium

These are Outdoor displays, made from welded steel, they are about 2 meters tall, I, a designer, not an engineer, used simulation in Fusion 360 to simulate how it would act under horizontal loads, like people pushing those displays, as they are fixed to the vertical columns and act as a big lever if you push on the other end. These simulations allowed me to design an elegant and relatively lightweight solution. 🙂

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

curtis.chan — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 14:13:11 GMT

Awesome! We'd love to check out your dataset if you're able to share it. If not, no worries. I'm a big fan of your work and your porfolio. Excited to see what else you do with Fusion 360.

-CC

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Pedro_Bidarra — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 16:01:51 GMT

Thank you again Curt!

The Outdoor Displays project was manufactured and appeared publicly so there aren't much restrictions now, besides copyright.

Well, I'm creating a project in F360 with a set of different examples to make a presentation later this week on F360 features and capabilities. Both the Glass Breaking event simulation and these Outdoor displays are there. I can invite you to the project if you want.

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

curtis.chan — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 17:02:09 GMT

Awesome! Would you mind inviting Bryce to the project?

Bryce.heventhal@autodesk.com

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Pedro_Bidarra — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 17:47:43 GMT

Done. 🙂

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:23:10 GMT

Mike,

Can you help clarify the Mural notes in the embedded image relative to your statement about Fusion not using the Nastran solver? Thanks in advance... regards, Keith.

Re: Getting to know the Event Simulation study type in Fusion 360 Ultimate

MikeSmell_ADSK — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:55:48 GMT

@Anonymous

Hi Keith,

The Simulation workspace inside of Fusion uses two different solvers. The Autodesk Nastran solver is used for ALL study types EXCEPT Event Simulation. This is the same Nastran solver that you have access to with your Simulation Mechanical license. The Event Simulation study is powered by an explicit solver technology that was acquired by Autodesk after the acquisition of Nei Nastran and is only currently available through Fusion 360 Ultimate.

The MURAL image you posted suggests that we will be working to turn Nastran error messaging, which in its current form is very cryptic and not helpful to non-Nastran users, into something that is more easily understood in the context of everyday Simulation modeling.

I hope this helps.

Thanks,

Mike Smell

Product Manager, Fusion 360