To calculate Force vectors that act on Parts, there must be a minimum of one kinematic-chain that is kinematically-defined and a minimum of one Part with Mass and Inertia properties.
Parts have three sources of Mass Properties (Mass & Inertia):
They Mass Properties are:
•defined by the shape and Extrusion-Depth of a Profile/ Extrusion,
•defined by you as User Mass-Properties
•imported with a SolidWorks part document onto a CAD-Line
You can use each of these to add together the Mass Properties from each source
It is also important to Configure the Power Source to make sure the Power that flows through the kinematic-chain is correct.
Force elements
Use the tools and options in the Force elements menu or toolbar to calculate and show the Force vectors that act on Parts at Joints and the machine elements in your model.
On-line Tutorial: Tutorial 13: Forces Introduction
Force sub-menu
The Force menu is a sub-menu to the Add menu.
Force toolbar
The Force toolbar is to the right of the graphic-area.
FORCE |
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Action of its surroundings on a body tending to change its state of rest or motion. |
LINE OF ACTION OF A FORCE |
The line along which the vector that represents a given force lies. |
MAGNITUDE OF A FORCE |
Number of units of force obtained by comparing a given force with a standard, taken as unit force. |
ACTIVE [APPLIED] FORCE |
Force capable of producing motion. |
REACTION |
Force arising in a constraint and acting upon a constrained body due to the action of an active force upon that body. |
CENTRIPETAL FORCE |
Force causing the centripetal acceleration of a particle. |
INERTIA FORCE |
Product of the mass of a particle and the negative of its acceleration. Following D'Alembert, the inertia force can be regarded as being in equilibrium with the resultant of all the forces acting on the particle. |
CENTRIFUGAL FORCE |
Inertia force of a particle moving uniformly along a circular path. |
CORIOLIS FORCE |
Inertia force equal to the product of the mass of a particle and the negative of its Coriolis component of acceleration. |
GRAVITATIONAL FORCE |
Force equal to the product of the mass of a particle and the Gravitational Acceleration on Earth - taken as 9.806m/s/s. |
We calculate for you those Forces that result from these Accelerations :
CORIOLIS ACCELERATION |
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Component of the absolute acceleration of a point due to its velocity relative to a rotating frame of reference. It equals twice the vector product of the angular velocity of the moving frame of reference and the relative velocity of the given moving point. |
CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION |
Acceleration of a point towards the center of curvature of its path as it moves along a fixed curve. |
TANGENTIAL ACCELERATION |
Component of acceleration of a point collinear with its velocity. |
NORMAL ACCELERATION |
Component of acceleration of a point normal to its velocity. |
ANGULAR ACCELERATION |
Rate of change of angular velocity with respect to time. |