SUMMARY:
Improving productivity in extracting tables of several bolt reaction forces in Ansys Mechanical is crucial for engineers and analysts who deal with complex assemblies and structures. In finite element analysis (FEA), accurately determining the reaction forces on bolts is vital for assessing the integrity and performance of mechanical connections. However, manually extracting and organizing these forces for each bolt can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially in large-scale models with numerous fasteners.
Using the 'Bolt Tools' Add-On in Ansys Mechanical allows to improve the efficiency of this process not only saving valuable time but also ensuring higher accuracy in the analysis. By automating or streamlining the extraction of bolt reaction forces, engineers can quickly obtain the necessary data to make informed decisions, optimize designs, and meet project deadlines. Ultimately, these improvements contribute to a more efficient workflow, reducing costs and enhancing overall project outcomes.
As usual, this will be shown by an example.
Example:
Let's start with a simple model. In this case two plates joined by several beam type Bolt connections will you to understand how this tool works.
This bolts can be created manually or using the 'Bolts tool' Add-on too. In this example they are grouped in the 'Holes' folder, but this is not necessary.
The analysis is set-up and solved according to specific modeling needs. A fixed support and a displacement are enough in this case.
Now, we have our model solved. The typical way to extract bolt reactions is by adding individual Beam Probes to evaluate axial and shear forces, torque and Bending moment.
If we're dealing with some bolts, this approach is good enough. But, how about if the model has hundreds of bolts? You can use the wonderful script developed by Mark in this entry: Blog Entry (Post objects). Or you can extract and export directly a table using the 'Bolt tools' Add-On.
Using 'Bolts Tools'
The first step is to activate the Add-on in the 'Add-ons' tab:
Here, you have a full menu of specific tools:
To extract bolts reactions, activate the Wizard on Wizards->Connections Post Wizard
A new panel is activated at the right of the window. We'll focus on the 
Tab:
The first step here is to select an Analysis. For the example there is only one Static Structural created. You'll click the Static structural object in the Outline tree and then the 'Select Objects' button on the Wizard.
After that, following the same method is possible to select beam connectors from the tree and then click the 'Select Objects' button on the Beam section of the Wizard.
Finally click on 'Get Results'
Now you can see a stunning table with the desired results on the 
Tab:
This one can be exported in the 
Tab using the 'Export File' button. This will be saved as a *.csv file in the working directory (There is a direct button to open it).
Recommendations:
To see the results in just one table as shown, please un-check this two marks:
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, improving productivity in extracting tables of bolt reaction forces in Ansys Mechanical is essential for efficient and accurate analysis. The task, which can be tedious and error-prone when done manually, becomes significantly easier with the use of the 'Bolt Tools' add-on in Ansys Mechanical. This tool simplifies and automates the extraction process, allowing engineers to quickly gather and organize the necessary data with minimal effort. By integrating this add-on into the workflow, not only is the time spent on these tasks greatly reduced, but the accuracy and reliability of the analysis are also enhanced. This leads to better design decisions and a more streamlined engineering process, ultimately contributing to higher-quality outcomes and more efficient project execution.
Downloadable Resources
2024R1 Bolt Tools example Project file