Bolted Wall Bracket

Problem:
The figure shows a welded steel bracket which is to support a force F as shown. The bracket is to be bolted to a vertical face by means of four SAE grade 5 bolts with diameter 3/8 and with coarse threads. The bolts are loaded to 90 percent of the proof load. a) Find the preload stress in the bolts b) Estimate the external load carried by the upper two bolts if they resist the moment

Joseph Shigley and Charles Mischke. Mechanical Engineering Design 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, May 2002.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Overview

Anticipated time to complete this tutorial: 1 hour

Tutorial Overview
This tutorial is divided into five parts: 1) Tutorial Basics 2) Preprocessing 3) Solution 4) Post Processing 5) Hand Calculations

Audience
This tutorial assumes familiarity of ANSYS 8.0; therefore, it does not go into step by step detail.

Prerequisites
1) ANSYS 8.0 in house Structural Tutorial 2) Completion of all Basic Machine Design Tutorials 3) Completion of the Bulk Head Bolt Tutorial

Objectives
1) Use pretension tools to model bolt applications 2) Create a solid model representation of the bracket 3) Determine appropriate boundary constraints for the model.

Outcomes
1) Explore possibilities with the graphical user interface (GUI) 2) Learn how to create and mesh a complex geometries 3) Increase efficiency in problem set up and solving speed

Bolted Wall Bracket

Tutorial Basics
In this tutorial: Instructions appear on the left. Visual aids corresponding to the text appear on the right. All commands on the toolbars are labeled. However, only operations applicable to the tutorial are explained. The instructions should be used as follows: Bold > Text in bold are buttons, options, or selections that the user needs to click on > Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/DeleteFile would mean to follow the options as shown to the right to get you to the Element Types window Text in italics are hints and notes Click on the left mouse button Click on the middle mouse button Click on the right mouse button

Example:

 Italics

MB1 MB2 MB3

Some basic ANSYS functions are: To rotate the models use Ctrl and MB3. To zoom use Ctrl and MB2 and move the mouse up and down. To translate the models use Ctrl and MB1.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Preprocessing
Because of the complexity of this model and its solution, it is recommended that you build a log file in parallel with the model that you build in the GUI. You can determine the code for a step that you performed in the GUI by clicking on Session Editor at the bottom of the ANSYS main menu. This will open up a window that contains log file commands for all the actions you have performed up to that point. Some commands will have P51X as one of the entries in the command. This signifies that you used the mouse to pick various entities during that step. In order to use in the log file that you created, the P51X needs to be replaced with the appropriate area, volume, line, or node numbers that you wish to select. 1) Add a Solid92 element and create a material model. 2) Create a scalar parameter that defines Rt.
Note: Simplify the model by creating half of the bracket and applying a symmetric boundary constraint.

3) Create the triangular support of the bracket by creating keypoints to define its cross sectional area, and then by extruding the volume. 4) Create the L shaped portion of the bracket by creating keypoints to define its cross sectional area, and then by extruding the volume. 5) Glue the two volumes together. 6) Turn on the working plane and offset it to the location of the top bolt. Make a hole in the bracket. Make the bolt shaft and the bolt head.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Preprocessing
7) Turn off the working plane and glue all the volumes together. Your model should appear similar to one shown to the right. 8) Mesh the model. 9) Create the pretension section in the bolt. > Preprocessing > Sections > Pretension > Pretension Mesh > With Options > Divide at Value > Elements in Volume
Note: For more detailed information relating to bolt operations, refer to the Bulk Head Bolt Tutorial.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Solution
10) Enter the solver. Change the solution controls to Preconditioned cg. > Solution > Analysis Type > Solution Controls On the Solution Options tab change the solver to Preconditioned CG. 11) Apply a symmetric boundary constraint to the model so that the geometry can be expanded to make a full bracket. 12) Apply DOF constraints to the circular areas of the bolt shafts. 13) Apply the preload to the bolts. > Solution > Apply > Structural > Pretension Section 14) Apply a DOF constraint to the back area of the bracket (the area that would contact the wall). 15) Solve the model.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Post Processing
16) Expand the model across the symmetric boundary condition. > Plot Controls > Style > Symmetric Expansion > User specified Enter the appropriate offsets for the symmetric expansion. 17) Create a cross section of the model to see the stresses in the bolt. To do this, position the work plane where you want the cross section view to occur. Next select > Plot Controls > Style > Hidden line options. Set the type of plot to Capped Z Buffer. 18) Plot the X-component of stress. 19) Use the select entities feature to select the nodes (by location) on the center vertical plane of the bolt. List the nodal solution SX, for these nodes. The pretension stress should be approximately 76.5 kpsi. Reselect all when finished.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Solution
20) Now you will apply the external load. Re-enter the solver. Select > Solution > Analysis Type > Restart 21) Apply a DOF constraint on the bottom line nearest the wall to prohibit the bottom of the plate from moving in the X-direction. 22) Delete the DOF area constraint on the back area of the bracket. 23) Apply the external load. (Dont forget to apply half the load because you have half the model). 24) Change the title. 25) Solve the mode.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Post Processing
26) Use the select entities feature to select the nodes that lie on the center vertical plane of the upper bolt. Make a nodal listing for the appropriate stresses. Use the resulting stress in the bolt to solve for the force that the bolt is carrying.

Bolted Wall Bracket

Hand Calculations
Sp = 85kpsi St = 120 kpsi Sy = 92 kpsi At = .0775in 2 rt = .157064 Fi = .9 At Sp Fi = 5929

preload =

Fi At

preload = 76503 psi

8(1250 ) = 2 P (5) P = 1000 lb bolt

origin

=0

10