5-Step Guide to Running a Static Analysis in Creo Simulate

As an engineering student, I bet you spent countless hours scribbling the answers to equations for statics class. Does this make you nostalgic?

Hopefully you’re not using a pen and paper to work out your calculations now. With Creo Simulate, you can automate your static analysis and you can be confident that your calculations are accurate. Here’s how to run an analysis:

Step 1: Assign a material

Before you run an analysis, you need to assign a material to your model. To do this, follow these steps:

1. With your file open, click Material Assignment. The Material Assignment dialog box opens, which is shown below.
2. In the Properties frame, click the More button next to the Materials list box. The Materials dialog box opens.
3. Select a material and then click OK. Click OK on the Material Assignment dialog box.

Step 2: Apply constraints

Next, follow these steps to apply constraints to your part.

1. In the ribbon bar menu, click Displacement. The Constraint dialog box opens.
2. On your model, select the end surfaces.
3. Click OK on the Constraint dialog.

Step 3: Apply a load

To apply a load, follow these steps:

1. Click Force/Moment from the ribbon bar menu. The Force/Moment Load dialog box opens.
2. On your model, select the surface to which you want to apply the load.
3. On the Force/Moment Load dialog box, make edits in the Force frame in order to apply a certain force to the surface.
4. Click OK to apply the force.

A downward force was applied on this part.

Step 4: Run the Analysis

Next, run a static analysis by following these steps:

1. On the ribbon bar menu, click Analyses and Studies. The Analyses and Design Studies dialog box opens.
2. On the dialog, click File > New Static. The Static Analysis Definition dialog opens.
3. Click OK.
4. On the Analyses and Design Studies dialog, click the green flag button to Start run.
5. On the Question dialog, click Yes.
6. The Diagnostics: Analysis dialog (shown below) displays whether there were any errors in running the analysis. Review the results and then click Close on the dialog.

This dialog appears whether or not there were errors in running the analysis.

Step 5: Viewing the results

Once you run the analysis, to view the results as a finite element analysis, following these steps:

1. On the Analyses and Design Studies dialog, click the report icon to Review results of a Design Study or Finite Element analysis. The Result Window Definition dialog opens. Note that you can display Stress, Displacement, or others in the Quantity tab.
2. For the purpose of this tip, change the Quantity to Displacement, and then click the OK and Show button. Results appear like this:

As expected, in this example, the middle of the beam was where it displaced the most. A color scale displays on the right side of the analysis, identifying the displacement range.

To view the results as a graph, following these steps:

1. Click the icon that looks like a paper and pencil that allows you to Edit the selected definition. The Result Window Definition dialog opens.
2. Change the Display Type to Graph.
3. In the Graph Location frame, click the cursor button to define the curve that you want to use as a measure.
4. On your model, select the curve you want to measure.
5. Click OK on the Select dialog. Click OK on the Information dialog.
6. Click OK and Show on the Result Window Definition dialog. Results display in a graph similar to the one shown below.

This graph also shows that the middle of the beam had the most displacement.

To see a demonstration of these steps, watch this video on the PTC University Learning Exchange. (Note, if you have not already, you'll need to register to access material.)

To learn more, read the PTC Creo Help Center page, Static Analysis.

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