Static Simulation Problem - Bodies do not contact

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to run a simple static simulation involving 3 bodies (Top Panel, Line Filter, and PCBA). The Line filter is secured onto the Top Panel and I'm trying to model how much deflection the PCBA experiences when a load is applied to the Top Panel. This will deflect the part, which forces the Line Filter into PCBA. I can get the Top Panel and Line filter to behave as they should but my problem is that I cannot get a collision between the PCBA and the Line filter. It penetrates into the PCBA as if it weren't even there. I've tried separation and offset bonded contacts between the closest faces of the Line filter and the PCBA but still not luck. Perhaps there is a setting I am missing to simulate the contact between the 2 bodies?

Here's a link to the model: LINK

[John_Holtz]

Hi @Anonymous 

I am taking a look at your forum post. It is hard to know from the images why there is no contact, but it looks like the gap between the filter and PCBA (2.25 mm) may be larger than the calculated displacement. (I see the maximum displacement is 3.36 mm at a point away from the filter, but without the legend scale I cannot visually tell if the filter is moving enough to come into contact with the PCBA).

How far is the filter moving in the vertical (Y?) direction? Is the displacement large enough to close up the gap and make contact with the  PCBA?

The second possibility is that the Max Activation Distance for the contact between the filter and PCBA is too small to span the gap between the bodies and actually create contact elements. In other words, the software does not create a contact between every possible pair of nodes when you select two surfaces. It only creates contact elements within a specified distance between two nodes. You may need to increase the activation distance to span the distance of 2.25 mm vertically and n mm horizontally. (That is, sqrt(2.25^2+n^2), where n is the mesh size, plus 10% to 20% extra for some allowance.)

[John_Holtz]

I see that the second study has a larger force applied; large enough that the displacement of the filter is greater than the gap (greater than 2.25 mm).

I did not check the mesh size to use in the formula I provided in my previous post. Instead I just picked a maximum activation distance of 10 mm and ran the analysis. There is clearly contact occurring now!

Displacement of PCB part

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