Fatigue 2013 Doc Quickstart

MSC Fatigue 2013
QuickStart Guide
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FA:V2013:Z:Z:Z:DC-QSG-PDF
Main Index
Contents
MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
Introduction
Purpose of Guide
2
Assumptions
2
Organization of Guide
2
Definitions
3
The Fatigue Five-Box Trick
Life Prediction Methods
5
FE Analysis Methods
5
Design Philosophies
6
Life Estimation Process
7
When to Use Which Method?
Different Methods of FE Import

10
MSC Nastran FE Model and Results
10
Accessing the main MSC Fatigue form
12
Reading in a Saved Job
14
ABAQUS (or Advanced FEA) FE Results
14
ANSYS FE Results
16
MSC Marc FE Results
17
PATRAN Neutral and Result Files
18
I-DEAS Master Series Universal Files
25
MSC Patran FEA Result Files
26
Directory Structure
27
MSC Fatigue Modules
28
MSC Fatigue Output Files
31
About this Guide

33
Assumptions
33
33
DTLibThe New Shared Library
General Solution Parameters
34
Solution Parameters
39
Main Index
34
iv MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
Hot-Spot Filtering
46
DtmatThe New Database Manager

51
The dtmat User Interface
51
Opening a Database
53
Creating a New Database
55
Adding a Data Set in the Database
56
Working with Data Sets
58
Viewing Material Properties Graphs
60
Exporting / Importing Data Sets
61
Fatigue Preference Settings
64
FE Results Access Option

dtfat command line
69
67
A Simple S-N Analysis

Problem Description
Objective
75
Files Required
75
Start Patran
75
74
Geometry and FE Stress Results

76
Create a New Database in Patran
76
Import the Model and Results
76
View the Stress Results
77
Set Up the Fatigue Analysis
79
General Setup Parameters
79
Solution Parameters
80
Loading Information
82
Material Information
87
Run the Fatigue Analysis
Access Fatigue Results
View the Life Contour Plot
Tabular Listings
96
92
93
93
Multi-Curve S-N Support

97
Rerun the Analysis with a Different Mean
100
S-N Optional Output: Stress Time History and Cycle Count Data
Classic Fatigue Solver
Main Index
104
102
CONTENTS v
Simple S-N Analysis

104
105
Solution Parameters
105
Loading Information
106
106
Run the Analysis
108
Multi-Curve S-N Analysis
110
Multi-curve Analysis with Offset
113
Concluding Remarks
115
Rainflow Cycle Counting

Problem Description
Objective
118
118

119
Load the Previous S-N Analysis Parameters
Loading Information
120
126
126
Damage Summation
127
Speeding up the Analysis
128
Review the Results
129
Tabular Listing
129
Histogram Matrix
130
Effect of Mean Stress
132
Probabilistic Nature of Fatigue
Concluding Remarks
133
135
Component S-N Analysis

Problem Description
Objective
138
138
Geometry
139
139
139
Solution Parameters
144
145
Main Index
142
119
vi MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
Loading Information
152
158
Review the Results

159
160
Tabular Listing
160
Design Optimization
161
Concluding Remarks
164
Batch Operations
164
A Simple e-N Analysis

Problem Description
Objective
166
Files Required
167
Start Patran
167
166

168
168
168
169
171
171
Solution Parameters
172
Loading Information
174
Create a Group
179
181
191
192
Elastic-Plastic Correction
192
Review the Results
194
194
198
E-N Optional Output: Stress/Strain Time History and Cycle Count Data
200
202
Simple e-N Analysis
202
203
Solution Parameters
203
Main Index
CONTENTS vii
Loading Information
204
204
Concluding Remarks
209
Other Notch Corrections
209
Stresses vs. Strains
210
Mean Stress Effects
210
Residual Stress
Problem Description
Objective
212
Geometry
213
Import the Model
213
212
213
Set Up First Fatigue Analysis

Solution Parameters
216
216
Loading Information
217
219
Review the Results
219
Set Up Second Fatigue Analysis
Include the Residual Stress
220
221
Review the Results
221
Investigate Mean Stress
215
220
222
Investigate Surface Finish/Treatment

Concluding Remarks
227
Introduction to Crack Growth

Problem Description
Objective
230
Files Required
231
Start Patran
231
230
Main Index
232
225
viii MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
A linear static finite element analysis has been performed already with a load
magnitude of 10,000 Newtons. To begin, import this model and results
information into a new database using Patran.
232
232
232
Set Up the Fracture Analysis
233
233
Define a Compliance Function
234
Solution Parameters
235
Loading Information
242
Create a Group
246
248
Run the Fracture Analysis
252
Cycle by Cycle Growth
252
The Fatigue Crack Propagation Rectangle
254
Tabular Listing
254
Interactive Operation
255
Optimization
258
Concluding Remarks
260
Analysis without an FE Model
MSC Fatigue Files
261
260
Design Philosophies
Problem Description
Objectives
265
264
S-N Analysis of Lug Weld

266
Solution Parameters
267
267
Loading Information
268
Job Control
269
Results - Factor of Safety Analysis
e-N Analysis of Lug
Solution Parameters
Loading Information
Job Control
273
Results
273
Main Index
272
273
273
273
269
253
CONTENTS ix
LEFM Analysis of Lug

275
Solution Parameters
276
277
Loading Information
278
Job Control
278
Results
278
Concluding Remarks
279
Multiple Loads
Problem Description
Objectives
283
Files Required
283
Start Patran
283
282

284
284
284
285
Total Life, (S-N) Analysis of Engine Mounting lug
288
General Parameters
289
Solution Parameters
289
Create a Group
291
Loading Information
295
302
288

307
Principal of Linear Superposition
307
309
310

314
Total Life (S-N) Analysis of Engine Mounting lug
General setup Paramaters
315
Solution Parameters
315
Loading Information
315
316
318
318
List Results
319
Main Index
314
x MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
Crack Growth Analysis of Engine Mounting Lug

324
Solution Parameters
325
Loading Information
328
Create a Group
333
335
338
338
10
A Multiaxial Assessment
Problem Description
Objectives
343
Files Required
344
Start Patran
344
342

345
345
345
Post/Create Groups
347
352
Calculate Normals
354
356
356
Solution Parameters
357
Loading Information
359
366
368

374
374
Result Listing
377
Biaxiality - a Multiaxial Assessment
Biaxiality Indicators
381
Concluding Remarks
11
Spot Weld Analysis

Introduction
396
Problem Description
Objective
397
Main Index
390
397
379
324
CONTENTS xi
Files Required
398
Start Patran
398
Import the Model
399
Access Results
400
400
Set Up the Spotweld S-N Analysis
General Parameters
404
Solution Parameters
405
Loading Information
406
Create a Group of CBARS
409
410
View the Life Marker Plot
399
399
403
415
416
416
Factor of Safety Analysis of Spot Weld

423
Files Required
423
Spot Weld S-N Analysis
423
424
General setup Parameters
424
Solution Parameters
424
Loading Information
425
430
434
View the Results
434
Result Listing
438
Spot Welds Modeled as CWELDS
446
Objective
446
447
Import the Model
447
Access Results
448
Set up the Spot Weld Analysis
449
Solution Parameters
450
Create Cweld Groups
450
Loading Information
452
455
456
Main Index
420
xii MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
457

458
Spot Weld Modeled as Cwelds Analysis
459
Solution Parameters
459
459
View the Results
459
Spot Welds Modeled with CHEX/MPC
Objective
461
462
Import the Model
462
Access Results
463
463
Solution Parameters
464
Convert CHEX/MPC to Equivalent BARs
Loading Information
467
470
472
472
473
474
Solution Parameters
474
474
475
View the Results
475
Concluding Remarks
12
458
461
465
473
479
Seam Weld Analysis

Problem Description
482
The structure is meshed predominantly with CQUAD4 elements representing
the midplanes of the metal sheets.
482
Objective
482
Files Required
483
Start Patran
483
Import the model
484
Access Results
485
Main Index
484
484
CONTENTS xiii
Creating a Weld Group

485
487

489
Fatigue Solver Preference
489
489
Loading Information
491
493
498

Tabular Listing
503
499
500
Seam Weld Analysis of Root and Throat Groups

Multi-Region Seam Weld
505

513
Set the Fatigue Solver Preference
Seam Weld Analysis
513
Concluding Remarks
13
513
522
Rotating Structures
Problem Description
Files Required
525
Start Patran
525
524

526
526
527
528
Setup the Wheels Analysis
Solution Parameters
531
Loading Information
532
536
530
530
537

Main Index
538
539
504
xiv MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
Wheels Interactive Menu

Concluding Remarks
14
541
547
A Software Strain Gauge

Problem Description
550
Objective
550
Files Required
551
Copy the above files to a new, clean working directory.
Start Patran
551
552
552
552
Set Up the Software Strain Gauge Analysis
The Gauge Tool
554
FE Results Extraction
560
Time History Extraction
565
Setup the Fatigue Analysis
565
Solution Parameters
566
Loading Information
568
574
Job Control
576
Run Soft S/G (SSG) Analysis
576
Correlation Techniques
578
Overlays and Cross Plots
578
Signal Statistics
583
Rosette Analysis
583
Single Location Uniaxial Life Analyzer
Single Location Multiaxial Life Analyzer
Concluding Remarks
15
594
Vibration Fatigue
Problem Description
Objective
596
Files Required
597
Start Patran
597
596
Main Index
588
590
598
553
551
CONTENTS xv

598
598
599
603
603
Solution Parameters
604
Loading Information
606
612
615
Review the Results

616
616
Vibration optional output: Response PSD, damage and stress range histograms
618
620
Vibration Analysis
620
621
Solution Parameters
621
623
Run the Analysis
624
Response PSD
625
View the Frequency Response Function (FRF)
Comparison studies
634
Additional Job Setups - Multiple Load Inputs
Tabular Listing
636
627
635
Using Classic Fatigue Solver to Perform Multiple Input Analysis
16
Swept Sine Analysis,

(Shaker Table Fatigue)
Problem Description
Objective
640
Files Required
641
Start Patran
641
640

642
642
642
643
Main Index
637
xvi MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

647
647
Loading Information
650
656
Review the Results
659
660

661
View the Frequency Response Function
Comparison with Hand Calculation
17
663
669
671
Temperature Corrected Fatigue

Temperature Corrected MSC Fatigue Analysis
Objective
674
Import the Model
675
677
681
18
Aerospace Spectrum Loads

Aerospace Spectrum File Support
Objective
684
File Definitions
685
Spectrum file
685
Example Spectrum File
685
Load Control file
686
Example Load Control File
686
Example Problem
687
Solution Parameters
687
687
Loading Information
687
Run Fatigue Analysis
691
Conclusion
Main Index
695
684
674
CONTENTS xvii
19
Duty Cycle Analysis

Introduction
698
Definitions
699
Rules to be Aware Of
Problem Description
Objective
700
Files Required
701
Start Patran
701
699
700

Import the model
702
Access Results
703
703
702
702

706
706
Solution Parameters
707
Loading Information
708
Create a Group
715
716
719

720
720
Tabular Listing
723
Time History Compression
723
Rerun the Analysis with a Different THC
728
Files Required
728
Duty_Cycle Analysis
728
729
729
Solution Parameters
730
Loading Information
731
739
Setting Preferences
740
View the Damage Results
742
Hot-Spot Filtering Example
Main Index
745
725
xviii MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
20
Multi-layer Support
Problem Description
Files Required
21
754
755
Scenario 1:
756
Scenario 2:
761
Fatigue Utilities
Problem Description
766
Files Required
766
766
Fatigue Preprocessing
767
767
Low Damage Removal
768
Calculate Stress Gradients
770
Material Management
783
Materials Database Manager - PFMAT
ASCII Materials File Reader
784
783
Advanced Loading Utilities

785
Load Management - PTIME
785
Arithmetic Manipulation - MART
786
Multi-Channel Editor - MCOE
789
Rainflow Cycle Counter - MCYC
792
Formula Processor - MFRM
797
File Cut and Paste - MLEN
800
Multi-File Manipulation - MMFM
804
Peak-Valley Extraction - MPVXMUL
805
Simultaneous Values Analysis DAC/RPC - MSIMMAX
Amplitude Distribution - MADA
808
Auto Spectral Density - MASD
809
Fast Fourier Filtering - MFFF
810
Butterworth Filtration - MBFL
813
Frequency Response Analysis - MFRA
813
Statistical Analysis - MRSTATS
816
Header/Footer Manipulation - MFILMNP
817
Advanced Fatigue Utilities
818
Single Location S-N Analysis - MSLF
Single Location e-N Analysis - MCLF
Main Index
818
820
806
CONTENTS xix
Cycle and Damage Analysis - MCDA

823
Cycles File Lister - MCYL
825
Time Correlated Damage - MTCD
826
Single Location Vibration Fatigue - MFLF
828
Stress-Strain Analysis - mSSA
829
Multi-Axial Life Analysis - MMLF
830
Crack Growth Data Analysis - MFCG
833
Kt/Kf Evaluation - MKTAN
833
Graphical Display Utilities
836
Graphical Editing-mGED
836
Multi-File Display - mMFD
836
Quick Look Display - mQLD
838
Two Parameter Display - mTPD
839
Polar Display - mPOD
839
Three Dimensional Display - mP3D
840
Plot File (.plt) Display - MQPLOT (for UNIX)
841
Plot File (.plt) Display - MWNPLOT (for Windows)
842
File Conversion Utilities
843
Convert Binary .dac to ASCII - MDTA
843
Signal Regeneration - MREGEN
844
Convert RPC File to .dac - MREMDAC
845
Convert .dac to RPC file - MDACREM
846
Convert PSD File to Time History (.dac)
846
Cross Platform Conversion - MCONFIL
849
Waterfall File Create - MWFLCRE
850
Other Utilities
851
Environment Settings - MENM
22
851
Miscellaneous Features
Problem Description
854
Element Centroidal Calculations

Group Averaging
855
856
Extracting Time Histories

Identify Critical Location
Defining Histogram Matrices
857
858
859
Constant Amplitude Zero Mean Time Histories
Main Index
862
xx MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide
Glossary of Terms
Glossary Terms
864
Material Listing
Material Types
890
Material Listing
892
Alternative Names
Support
Where to Get Help
906
Accessing Help from a Form
906
Technical Support
907
Preparing to Call the Hotline
907
MSC Offices
Main Index
899
908
Chapter 1: Introduction
Main Index
Introduction
Purpose of Guide
Definitions
Directory Structure
MSC Fatigue Modules
Hot-Spot Filtering
3
9
10
27
28
31
34
46
64
67
51
2 MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

Purpose of Guide
Purpose of Guide
Welcome to MSC Fatigue.
MSC Fatigue is an advanced fatigue life estimation program for use with finite element analysis. When
used early in a development design cycle it is possible to greatly enhance product life as well as reduce
testing and prototype costs, thus ensuring greater speed to market. It is jointly developed in close
cooperation between MSC.Software Corporation and its fatigue technology partner, nCode International,
Ltd. of Sheffield, England.
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with typical example problems to demonstrate proper usage
of the program. Each example is designed to show certain aspects and help to convey various principles
of fatigue life estimation. The intent is to get you up to speed as quickly as possible without a steep
learning curve or hours sifting through a thick manual.
Assumptions
This guide makes certain assumptions of the reader. The basic assumptions made are, a good knowledge
of basic computer skills and terminology, and a working knowledge of finite element analysis. This
manual does not deal with creation of finite element models or any aspects of actual finite element
analyses except where necessary to achieve proper fatigue life estimations.
This manual assumes that the user has little or no experience with fatigue analysis in general and
therefore makes every effort to explain principles of fatigue life estimation from example to example. It
is not meant to be an exhaustive course on fatigue analysis however. For this we refer you to the MSC
Fatigue Users Guide and the many references sited therein.
All chapters but this one, serve as tutorials to learn the basics of MSC Fatigue.
First read this chapter in its entirety and then after a successful installation, it is highly suggested that you
start at the first example and work your way sequentially. Each exercise introduces concepts that build
on each other from exercise to exercise.
Main Index
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
Definitions
Definitions
The first concept to understand before embarking on this tutorial is the definition of the term fatigue
within the confines of this guide. Very often the terms fatigue, fracture, and durability are used
interchangeably. Each does, however, convey a specific meaning.
Note:
Throughout this manual, when a new term or concept is introduced or mentioned for the first
time, it is highlighted in blue italics. This means that a definition is provided in Glossary of
Terms.
What is Fatigue?
Although many definitions can be applied to the word, for the purposes of this manual, fatigue is failure
under a repeated or otherwise varying load which never reaches a level sufficient to cause failure in a
single application.
It can also be thought of as the initiation and growth of a crack, or growth from a pre-existing defect, until
it reaches a critical size, such as separation into two or more parts.
Fatigue analysis itself usually refers to one of two methodologies: either the stress-life or S-N method,
commonly referred to as total life since it makes no distinction between initiating or growing a crack, or
the local strain or strain-life (-N) method, commonly referred to as the crack initiation method which
concerns itself only with the initiation of a crack.
Fracture specifically concerns itself with the growth or propagation of a crack once it has initiated.
Durability is then the conglomeration of all aspects that affect the life of a product and usually involves
much more than just fatigue and fracture, but also loading conditions, environmental concerns, material
characterizations, and testing simulations to name a few. A true product durability program in an
organization takes all of these aspects (and more) into consideration.
Note:
Main Index
Fatigue cracks initiate and grow as a result of cyclic plastic deformation. Without plasticity
there can be no fatigue failure. All attempts are made in this guide to explain how plasticity
is taken into account when determining fatigue life from linear elastic finite element analysis.

Definitions
The Fatigue Five-Box Trick

Almost without exception, each exercise is constructed around the concept of the fatigue five-box trick.
The illustration to the right depicts this well. For any life analysis whether it be fatigue or fracture there
are always three inputs. The first three boxes are these inputs:
1. Cyclic Material Information: Materials behave differently when they are subject to cyclic as
opposed to monotonic loading. Monotonic material properties are the result of material tests
where the load is steadily increased until the test coupon breaks. Cyclic material parameters are
obtained from material tests where the loading is reversed and cycled until failure at various load
levels. These parameters differ depending on the fatigue analysis type involved.
2. Service Loading Information: The proper specification of the variation of the loading is
extremely important to achieve an accurate fatigue life prediction. The loading can be defined in
various manners. Whether it be time based, frequency based, or in the form of some sort of spectra
depends on the fatigue analysis type to be used. When working with finite element models the
loading can be force, pressure, temperature, displacement, or a number of other types. Loading in
the test world usually refers to the acquisition of a response measurement, usually from a strain
gauge.
3. Geometry Information: Geometry has different meanings depending on whether you are
working from a finite element model or from a test specimen. In the testing world, the geometry
input is the Kt (stress concentration factor) since the point of failure is usually away from the
actual point of measurement. Therefore a geometry compensation factor (Kt) is defined to relate
the measured response to that at the failure location. You can think of this as a fudge factor. With
a finite element model the local stresses and strains are known at all locations (Kt=1 at all
locations). The FE geometry gives us the entire stress distribution needed for fatigue life
calculations. For crack growth analysis the geometry definition takes on yet another form as a
compliance function.
The correctness and accuracy of each of these inputs is important in that any error in any of these will be
magnified through the fatigue analysis procedure, the fourth box, since this process is logarithmic. A ten
percent error in loading magnitude could result in a 100% error in the predicted fatigue life.
Do not worry too much about this, because the fifth box is the postprocessing or results evaluation. This
can take on the form of color contours on a finite element model or a tabular listing but also quite often
Main Index
Definitions
leads back into the three inputs to see what effect variations of these inputs will have on the life
prediction. This is referred to as a sensitivity or a what if study. This is extremely useful at times when
you are not quite sure about the accuracy of one of the inputs. The software denotes this as optimization
in places.
Life Prediction Methods

MSC Fatigue uses three life prediction methods as already mentioned earlier. These are total life, crack
initiation, and crack propagation. Total life is aptly named in that only the total life of the component is
of concern and not when a crack will initiate or how quickly it will grow.
The three methods are related to each other by the fact that the total number of cycles to failure, Nf, equals
the number of cycles to initiate a crack, Ni, plus the number of cycles to propagate that crack, Np. The
three methods have grown out of different needs over the decades using different techniques and having
different degrees of accuracy. So in theory this equation is true, but in practice when applying the three
methods to the same problem, rarely, if ever does it add up.
In reality however, rarely are all three methods used on the same problem, mainly because different
industries adopt different analysis methods depending on the driving design philosophy. See Design
Philosophies.
FE Analysis Methods
In addition to the three life prediction methods, MSC Fatigue also supports use of these methods using
stress/strain response results from different finite element analysis techniques. The table below
summarizes which FE analysis types are applicable to which life prediction methods in this release of the
software.
Table 1-1
Life Prediction Methods versus FE Analysis Results
Total Life
Crack Growth
Linear Static
Linear Static
Linear Static
Linear Transient
Linear Transient
Linear Transient
Frequency Response
Random Vibration
Main Index
Crack Initiation

Definitions
Design Philosophies
There are three main fatigue design philosophies. Each centers around one of the fatigue life estimation
methodologies. To illustrate the three consider the design of a stool.
Safe Life
The safe life philosophy is a philosophy adopted by many, but especially the ground vehicle industry.
Products are designed to survive a specific design life. Full scale tests are usually carried out with
margins of safety applied. In general, this philosophy results in fairly optimized structures such as a stool
with three legs. Any less than three legs and it would fall over. This philosophy adopts the crack initiation
method and is used on parts and components that are relatively easy and inexpensive to replace and not
life threatening if failure were to occur. Most of the life is taken up in the initiation of a crack. The
propagation of that crack is very rapid and short in comparison.
Fail Safe
On the other end of the spectrum of design philosophies is that of fail safe. This is where a failure must
be avoided at all costs. And if the structure were to fail it must fall into a state such that it would survive
until repairs could be made. This is illustrated with our stool now having six legs. If one leg were to fail,
the stool would remain standing until repairs could be made. This philosophy is heavily used in safety
critical items such as in the aerospace or offshore industries.
Main Index
Definitions
Damage Tolerant
The middle ground philosophy is that of damage tolerance. This philosophy, adopted heavily in the
aerospace community and nuclear power generation, relies on the assumption that a flaw already exists
and that a periodic inspection schedule will be set up to ensure that the crack does not propagate to a
critical state between inspection periods. As implied, this philosophy adopts the crack growth method.
This is illustrated using our stool (now with four legs) but with someone inspect it instead.
This particular design philosophy is generally used in conjunction with the fail safe philosophy, first to
design for no failure. and then to assume that, for whatever reason, a flaw exists and must be monitored.
Life Estimation Process

The life estimation process really centers around two major relationships.
1. The first relation is that of the loading environment to the stresses and strains in the component
or model. This load-strain or load-stress relation is determined using finite element modeling and
running linear elastic FE analysis. It is dependent on the characterization of the material properties
and in some instances requires that a notch correction procedure take place. For the purposes of
this discussion a notch correction is simply a way to compensate for plasticity from a linear FE
analysis.
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Definitions
2. The second relation is that of the stresses or stains to the life of the component or model. This is
accomplished by using damage modeling. Each fatigue life method has its own techniques to
determine and sum damage which shall be explained as you progress through the example
problems.
Note:
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All example problems were created on the Windows platform as well as all graphical dumps
of screen shots. The graphics may appear slightly differently on UNIX platforms; however, all
operations are identical unless specified otherwise. In some situations, you may need to
double-click the mouse on the Windows platform whereas on UNIX, a single-click performs
the operation.

Of the three fatigue methods used to predict life, it is important to understand when to use which. This
will become more evident as you proceed through this manual and work each exercise. As a quick answer
to this question, the following guidelines are presented.
S-N (Total Life)
Long life fatigue problems where there is little plasticity since the S-N method is based on
nominal stress
Components where crack initiation or crack growth modeling is not appropriate, e.g.,
composites, welds, plastics, and other non-ferrous materials

Situations where large amounts of pre-existing S-N data exist
Components which are required by a control body to be designed for fatigue using standard data
such as MIL handbook data.

Spot weld analysis and random vibration induced fatigue problems
Crack Initiation
Mostly defect free, metallic structures or components
Components where crack initiation is the important failure criterion - safety critical components
Locating the point(s) where cracks may initiate, and hence the growth of a crack should be
considered
Evaluating the effect of alternative materials and different surface conditions
Components which are made from metallic, isotropic ductile materials which have symmetric
cyclic stress-strain behavior

Components that experience short lives - low cycle fatigue - where plasticity is dominant
Crack Growth
Pre-cracked structures or structures which must be presumed to be already cracked when
manufactured such as welds

Pre-prediction of test programs to avoid testing components where cracks will not grow
Planning inspection programs to ensure checks are carried out with the correct frequency
To simply determine the amount of life left after crack initiation
Components which are made from metallic, isotropic ductile materials which have symmetric
cyclic stress-strain behavior
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There are various methods of results import or access to FE results available in MSC Fatigue. The most
common methods, and the one most often used in the exercises described in the following chapters, is the
import of Output2 files.
Note:
Although the method of import is discussed in this section for various analysis codes and file
types, once the results are imported into the database they are all treated the same by MSC
Fatigue. This means that any linear static or transient stress or strain tensor results that exist
or can be imported into the database are supported by MSC Fatigue. Thus, the supported
analysis codes are not necessarily limited to those discussed here and can include customer
customization of proprietary or in-house codes within the MSC Patran environment.
To prepare to run each of these exercises in this section, create a fully reversed unit load using PTIME,
the same as was done in the very first exercise in the manual. Call it unitload.
MSC Nastran FE Model and Results
You will need the following files to perform this mini-exercise: keyhole.bdf, keyhole.op2, keyhole.xdb,
nastran_op2.fin, nastran_xdb.fin
To use MSC Nastran results you must set the Analysis Preference to MSC Nastran. This is done either
when you open a new database and are asked for the New Model Preferences | Analysis Code or you can
change it anytime from the Preference | Analysis pull-down selection.
Open a new database called keyhole, and set the Analysis Preference to MSC Nastran. Overwrite any
old database if necessary.
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There are two types of files that can be used from MSC Nastran:
Output2 Files
The first type is the Output2 file. This file is very convenient to use because it generally contains both
the finite element results and the model FE connectivity information. To import an Output2 file:
In Pre & Post, select the Import application switch on the main form.
(This is the Analysis switch in MSC Patran.)
1. Set the Action to Access Results, the Object to Read Output2, and the Method to Both.
2. Select the Output2 file, keyhole.op2, using the file browser from the Select Results File... button
3. Click Apply.
XDB Files
The second type of MSC Nastran file supported is the XDB file which is a MSC Nastran result database.
The results contained in this file are not actually imported into the database but are retained in the XDB
file. A direct access attachment is made between the database and the XDB file. To access XDB results:
1. In Pre & Post, select the Import application switch on the main form. (This is the Analysis switch
in MSC Patran.)
2. Set the Action to Access Results, the Object to Attach XDB, and the Method to Result Entities.
Select the XDB file, keyhole.xdb, using the file browser from the Select Results File... button and
then click Apply.
Now we have read results and the model data from an Output2 file and have attached an XDB file. The
exact same results are available from the Results application from the two different data sources in our
example.
You should note that we read the model data from the Output2 file. This was unnecessary to do since this
could have been done from the XDB file also. When you reopen the database and access any result cases
associated with an XDB file, it will be reattached as long as you have not moved or deleted it.
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Input Files
Another mechanism for importing model data only from MSC Nastran is to read the input file. This is
done either from File | Import with the Object set to Model and the Source set to MSC Nastran Input;
or this is done from the Import application (Analysis application in MSC Patran) with the Action set to
Read Input File. You can try this with the keyhole.bdf file in a new database if you wish.
Note:
When you read an MSC Nastran input file and then import the results from an Output2 or
XDB file, but be sure to set the Method to Results Entities only.
Summary
With the database now containing the model and two sets of FE results, run a fatigue analysis using either
the nastran_op2.fin file or nastran_xdb.fin. Go to the main MSC Fatigue setup form and in the
Jobname databox type nastran_op2 or nastran_xdb, depending on which one you wish to run and press
the carriage return to read in the job parameters. Investigate the job setup if you wish; then open the Job
Control... form and submit the analysis.
Note:
For more information, see Accessing the main MSC Fatigue form (App. 1) and Reading in a
Saved Job.
Successful completion of this exercise requires that the keyhole.op2 file be read in first and then the
keyhole.xdb file attached to the database. If for some reason the jobs do not run properly, check carefully
the Loading Info... form to make sure the correct Result Cases are selected. Close the database when you
are finished.
In summary, MSC Nastran FE results and model information can be used in MSC Fatigue in the
following ways:
1. Read both the model and results information directly into the database from an Output2 file.
2. Attach an XDB file to the database to access the results and specify to import the model
information from the XDB file into the database.
3. Read the model information from an MSC Nastran input deck into the database and use the
Output2 or XDB methods to access the results information only.
Accessing the main MSC Fatigue form

From the menu bar, select Tools | MSC.Fatigue | Main Interface...
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The MSC.Fatigue form appears.
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The MSC.Fatigue form is divided into four sections:

General Setup Parameters that primarily enables you to set the type of Analysis.
Jobname/Title that enables you enter job name and title.
Specific Setup Forms that enable you to configure Solution Params, Loading Info and Material
Info.
Job Control /Results forms that enable you to configure job submission and reading of results.
Reading in a Saved Job

1. In the MSC Fatigue form, from the Job Control/Results Forms section, select Job Control. The
MSC. Fatigue Action list appears.
2. From the MSC.Fatigue Action list, select Read Saved Job.
3. Click Select.fin File. A window appears that enables you to locate the respective .fin file from
your folder.
4. Click Apply. The *.fin file gets read into the MSC. Fatigue form. You will see the that the
Jobname, Title, Solutions Param, Loading Info and Material Info get automatically configured.
ABAQUS (or Advanced FEA) FE Results

You will need the following files to perform this mini-exercise: keyhole.fil, abaqus.fin.
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To use ABAQUS or Advanced FEA results you must set the Analysis Preference to ABAQUS or MSC
Advanced FEA.This is done either when you open a new database and are asked for the New Model
Preferences | Analysis Code or you can change it anytime from the Preference | Analysis pull-down
selection.
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Open a new database called keyhole, and set the Analysis Preference to ABAQUS. Overwrite the old
database if necessary.
To read in the results and model data from ABAQUS:
in MSC Patran.)
2. Set the Action to Read Results and the Object to Both.
3. Select the results file, keyhole.fil, using the file browser from the Select Results File... button and
then click Apply.
4. Go to the main MSC Fatigue setup form and in the Jobname databox type abaqus and press the
carriage return to read in the fatigue job parameters from the abaqus.fin file. Investigate the job
setup if you wish; then open the Job Control... form and submit the analysis. Close the database
when you are finished.
ANSYS FE Results
You will need the following files to perform this mini-exercise: keyhole.rst, ansys.fin.
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To use ANSYS results you must set the Analysis Preference to ANSYS.This is done either when you
open a new database and are asked for the New Model Preferences | Analysis Code or you can change it
anytime from the Preference | Analysis pull-down selection.
Open a new database called keyhole, and set the Analysis Preference to ANSYS 5 and overwrite any old
To read in the results and model data from ANSYS:
in MSC Patran.)
3. Select the results file, keyhole.rst, using the file browser from the Select Results File... button and
then click Apply.
4. Go to the main MSC Fatigue setup form and in the Jobname databox type ansys and press the
carriage return to read in the fatigue job parameters from the ansys.fin file. Investigate the job
MSC Marc FE Results

You will need the following files to perform this mini-exercise: keyhole.t16, marc.fin.
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To use MSC Marc results you must set the Analysis Preference to MSC Marc. This is done either when
you open a new database and are asked for the New Model Preferences | Analysis Code or you can change
it anytime from the Preference | Analysis pull-down selection.
Open a new database called keyhole, and set the Analysis Preference to MSC Marc. Overwrite any old
To read in the results and model data from MSC Marc:
in MSC Patran.)
3. Select the results file, keyhole.t16, using the file browser from the Select Results File... button
and then click Apply.
4. Go to the main MSC Fatigue setup form and in the Jobname databox type marc and press the
carriage return to read in the fatigue job parameters from the marc.fin file. Investigate the job
PATRAN Neutral and Result Files

You will need the following files to perform this mini-exercise: key.out, keyhole.nod, keyhole.els,
keyhole.res_tmpl, patran_nod.fin, patran_els.fin, external.fin.
PATRAN Neutral files contain model information and PATRAN Result files contain FE results. Both
are simple ASCII files with standard formats that have been used for years in the CAE community. Many
proprietary and in-house codes use these standard formats. Because of the simplicity of these files it is
simple to create them from any source for use with MSC Fatigue. There are two types of PATRAN Result
files: nodal and elemental.
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PATRAN Neutral Files
Only the nodes and elements are of interest or even necessary from a PATRAN Neutral file for use with
MSC Fatigue. The format of this file is made up of various packets. The pertinent packets necessary for
MSC Fatigue are (in order):
25File title
26Summary data
1Node data
2Element data
21Named components (group information - optional)
99End of file flag
The format of each of these packets is (see the file keyhole.out as an example):
Packet Type 25: Title Card
Header Card
25
Format
ID
IV
(I2,8I8)
KC
ID=0 Not applicable
IV=0 Not applicable
User Title Card
Format
TITLE
KC=1
(20A4)
Identifying title may contain up to 80 Characters
Packet Type 26: Summary Data
Header Card
26
Format
ID
IV
KC
(I2,8I8)
N1
N2
ID=0 n/a
N1=Number of Nodes
IV=0 n/a
N2=Number of Elements
N3
N4
KC=1
Summary Data Card
DATE
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TIME
Format
(3A4, 2A4, 3A4)
VERSION
DATE
Date neutral file was created
TIME
Time neutral file was created
VERSION
PATRAN release number - not necessary
N5

Packet Type 01: Node Data
Header Card
1
ID
ID=Node ID
Format
IV
KC
IV=0 n/a
KC=2
Data Card 1
X
(I2,8I8)
Format
(3E16.9)
X=X Cartesian Coordinate of Node

Y=Y Cartesian Coordinate of Node
Z=Z Cartesian Coordinate of Node
Data Card 2
Format
ICF
NDF
GTYPE
(I1, 1A1, I8, I8, I8, 2X, 6I1)

CONFIG
None of these parameters are necessary but the card must exist.
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CID
PSPC
Packet Type 02: Element Data
Header Card
2
ID
Format
IV
KC
(I2,8I8)
N1
N2
ID=Element ID
IV=Shape (2 = bar, 3 = tri, 4 = quad, 5 = tet, 7 = wedge, 8 = hex)
KC=1 + (NODES + 9)/10 + (N1 +4)/5(for text files)
N1=Number of associate data values
N2=ID of node in XY-plane (bar only)
Data Card 1
NODES
Format
CONFIG
(I8, I8, I8, I8, 3E16.9)

PID
CEID
NODES=Total number of nodes, all other parameters are not necessary.

Data Card 2
Format
(10I8)
LNODES=Element corner nodes followed by additional nodes

Data Card 3
Format
(5E16.9)
ADATA=Associate data values (will not be present if N1 is zero)
Packet Type 21: Named Components
Header Card
21
ID
Format
IV
ID=Component number
(I2,8I8)
KC
IV=2 times the number of data pairs
KC=1 + (IV + 9)/10
Data Card 1
Format
(A12)
NAME =Component Name
Data Card 2
NTYPE(1)*
Format
ID(1)
(10I8)
NTYPE(2)
ID(2)
NTYPE(5)
ID(5)
(NTYPE(i), ID(i)) =Data pairs of type and ID number of each item in (i = 1, IV/2)component.
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*NTYPE meanings:
5-node
8-quadrilateral
6-bar
9-tetrahedron
7-triangle
11-wedge
12-hexahedron
NTYPEs 6-12 may have 100 or 200 added to the basic NTYPE. The number of hundreds is usually
the number of midside nodes.
Packet Type 99: End of Neutral File
Header Card
99
Format
ID
IV
ID=0 not/applicable
(I2, 8I8)
KC
IV=0 not/applicable
KC=1
PATRAN Nodal Result Files
These files contain results at nodes and are formatted as such:

Record
Record
Record
Record
Record
1:TITLE(80A1)
2:NNODES,MAXNOD,DEFMAX,NDMAX,NWIDTH (2I9 E15.6, 2I9)
3:SUBTITLE1(80A1)
4:SUBTITLE2(80A1)
5 to n+4:NODID,(DATA(J), J=1, NWIDTH)(I8, (5E13.7))
where
Parameter
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Description
TITLE
80A1 title stored in an 80 word real or integer array
SUBTITLE1
Same format as TITLE
SUBTITLE2
NNODES
Number of nodes (integer)
MAXNOD
Highest node ID number (integer)
DEFMAX
Maximum absolute displacement (real)
NDMAX
ID of node where maximum displacement occurs (integer)
NWIDTH
Number of columns after NODID for nodal information (integer)
NODID
Node ID number (integer)
DATA
Result quantities organized by column index (real)
PATRAN Elemental Result Files
These files contain results at element centroids and are formatted as such:
Record 1:TITLE(80A1)
Record 2:NWIDTH(I5)
Record 3:SUBTITLE1(80A1)
Record 4:SUBTITLE2(80A1)
Record 5 To N+4:ID, NSHAPE, (DATA(J), J=1,NWIDTH) (2I8, /,
(6E13.7))
where
Parameter
Description
TITLE
80A1 Title Stored In An 80 Word Real Or Integer Array
SUBTITLE1
SUBTITLE2
NWIDTH
Number Of Columns Of Data Stored In The File (Integer)
ID
Element Identification Number (Integer)
NSHAPE
Essential Shape Code

(Bar = 2, Tri = 3, Quad = 4, Tet = 5, Pyr = 6, Wedg = 7, Hex = 8; Int.)
DATA
Result Quantities Organized By Column Index (Real)
Import the Files
All of these files can be imported into the database.

1. Open a new database called keyhole. Overwrite old database if necessary.
2. Import the Neutral file (key.out) first (File | Import - Object=Model, Source=Neutral). Keep the
Analysis Preference set to MSC Nastran and ignore any error/warning messages.
The FE model is now in the database and should be visible from the graphics screen. Now import
the FE results. There are two files to import, a nodal results file and an element centroidal results
file that contain stress components.
3. From File | Import set the Object to Results and the Format to PATRAN2 .nod.... Two file
browsers will appear, one asking for a template file and the other asking for the actual results file.
The template file is called keyhole.res_tmpl and you will have to locate it from the browser
which defaults to a standard installation directory. Once you have found and selected the template
file, select the result file (keyhole.nod) and click the Apply button to have it imported.
The template is a file that defines how the columns of a PATRAN Results file will be translated
and stored in the database. MSC Fatigue requires stress or strain tensors when imported into the
database. Therefore the template file defines which 6 columns compose the 6 components of the
tensor.
4. Repeat this procedure with the elemental results file (keyhole.els) but set the Format to
PATRAN2 .els....
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5. Go to the main MSC Fatigue setup form and in the Jobname databox type patran_nod or
patran_els and press the carriage return to read in the fatigue job parameters from the
patran_nod.fin or patran_els.fin file. Investigate the job setup if you wish; then open the Job
Control... form and submit the analysis. Success of this exercise requires that the .nod file be read
first and the .els file second. If the jobs fail, check that the proper Results Cases are called out in
the Loading Info... form. Note that the patran_els setup uses Element as the Results Location.
External File Access
6. Before proceeding, make a copy of the file keyhole.nod from a system window or DOS prompt
and call it keyhole1.nod.
7. The PATRAN Results files can also be accessed directly by MSC Fatigue instead of through the
database. Read the job setup file external.fin by typing external in the Jobname databox and then
pressing enter.
8. Open the Loading Info... form and note that the Results From optionmenu is set to External.
9. On the right side of the form the name of the external file is specified by putting a # in the place
of the load case ID. Even for one load case this is necessary. This is why you renamed or copied
the file to include a number in it.
10. The spreadsheet Load Case ID corresponds to the external file number that will be used for
accessing the results, e.g., Load Case ID 10 will use file filename10.nod if filename#.nod is
specified as the External File Name.
11. Submit the job from the Job Control... form if you so desire.
Note:
Be careful as you import strains from external PATRAN Results files. Strains accessed
directly from the database are required to be true or tensor strains, and not engineering
strains. MSC Fatigue will convert them to engineering strains (by multiplying the shear
components by two) in order to properly calculate strain combination parameters such as von
Mises. If you import a PATRAN Results file that contains strains make sure they are true
strains and not engineering strains. If they are engineering strains then you must access them
externally. You can specify whether strains are tensor or engineering strains from the Strain
Type selection on the Loading Info... form only if the access is External.
Creating External Files
With the ability of MSC Fatigue to access external results files in this manner and with the ability of Pre
& Post and MSC Patran to write external results files, virtually any tensor result that exists in the database
can be accessed by MSC Fatigue.
In the Results application, with the Object set to Report, you can specify the results to output and the
format in which to write them such as an .nod or an .els file.
For example, to write out an .nod file from the Results application:
1. Set the Action to Create, the Object to Report, and the Method to Overwrite File.
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2. Select the Result Case and the Result to output and specify the 6 components of the tensor to be
output from the Selected Quantities.
3. Under Target Entities, make sure that the Addlt. Display Control is set to Nodes.
.
4. Under Display Attributes enter a file name and set the Report Type to Data Only.
5. Open the Format... form. Set the File Width to 80 and blank out all other databoxes. Set the
Alignment of the Title to Left. Enter four lines for the Title as such:
TITLE
$NNODES$MAXNOD$DEFMAX$NDMAX$NWIDTH
SUBTITLE1
SUBTITLE2
Set the Value Format of the Entity ID to %I8% and all of the Components to %E13.7% except
for the YZ Component which should be %E13.7%%1N%.
6. Click Apply to create the result file which can then be accessed externally by MSC Fatigue.
To create an element centroidal results file you follow the same procedure except the Addlt. Display
Control must be set to Element Centroids; you must select NSHAPE and the 6 components in that order
from the Select Results mode of the form; the format of the second line of the Title must be only
$NWIDTH and the NSHAPE column Value Format must be %I8%%1N% (all others should be
components should be %E13.7%).
For more information on creating report files, see the MSC Patran Users Guide or access the on-line help
from Pre & Post.
I-DEAS Master Series Universal Files

Note:
This type of Model and Results import is only available in the Pre and Post version. It is not
available in MSC Patran.
Open a new database called keyhole, and set the Analysis Preference to anything. Overwrite the old
database if necessary. You will need the following files for this mini-exercise: keyhole.unv,
universal.fin.
To import model and results data from a Universal file using Pre & Post:
1. Select File | Import.
2. Set the Object to Model and the Source to Universal File.
3. Select the results file, keyhole.unv and click Apply.
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4. Go to the main MSC Fatigue setup form and in the Jobname databox type universal and press the
carriage return to read in the fatigue job parameters from the universal.fin file. Investigate the job
Note:
Both model and results are read even though we only specified that the Model be read. Also
you can achieve the same by typing uf_reader.select_file( "keyhole.unv", "OPEN" ) in the
MSC Patran command window.
MSC Patran FEA Result Files

One last type of results file can also be accessed by MSC Fatigue which is a file produced by the MSC
Patran FEA analysis code which produces a .res results file. There are two ways to access it, either by
importing its contents into the database or by accessing it externally.
Import the neutral file key.out as you did in PATRAN Neutral and Result Files. Then import the results
into the database by using the File | Import mechanism with the Object set to Results and the Format set
to P/FEA 2 .res.
To access the results directly from the file itself, on the Loading Info... form set the Results From pick to
MSC Patran FEA. Then type in the name of the file on the right side of the form or use the Select File
button to use a file browser.
If you would like to experiment with these operation, copy these files to your directory: keyhole.res,
patran_fea.fin, patran_res.fin. Open a new database called keyhole and import the file and use the two
setup files to run the fatigue jobs.
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Directory Structure
Directory Structure
After a successful installation of MSC Fatigue, there will be the following directory structure under
fatiguexx or patranxx (where xx is the version number):
Note:
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If you are a Patran customer your MSC Fatigue documentation is delivered on the MSC Patran
documentation CD. For standalone customers the MSC Patran documentation CDs are
delivered in the delivery kit.

MSC Fatigue Modules
MSC Fatigue Modules

MSC Fatigue is made up of a number of actual executable modules. Below is a list of MSC Fatigue
program modules with brief descriptions of their function. The use of most of these modules is presented
throughout this manual. The list is given here for reference.
Table 1-2
MSC Fatigue Modules and Descriptions
Module Name
Description
MSC Fatigue Pre & Post
Allows for import of finite element (FE) model and stress/strain results
data, with graphical, form driven setup of fatigue analysis jobs,
graphical evaluation of FE stress and fatigue life results, and access to
all other modules of MSC Fatigue. This same functionality is also
found in MSC Patran.
Analysis Modules:
(in bin directory)
FEFAT
S-N and crack initiation analysis from FE static and transient

stress/strain data including multi-axial assessments and factor of safety
analysis.
FEMLF
Multi-axial crack initiation analysis from FE static and transient

stress/strain data including factor of safety analysis.
FEVIB
Random vibration induced fatigue analysis from FE frequency

response and random vibration stress results. This module uses the S-N
method.
SPOTW
Spot weld fatigue analysis using the S-N method and FE results from
MSC Nastran bar and beam elements which simulate the spot welds.
PCRACK
Crack growth analysis using FE stress results from static or transient

analysis.
SEAMW
Seam weld analysis using the stress (cubic) results from a MSC Nastran
run.
WHEELS
Wheels analysis using FE stress results.
SSG
Software strain gauge analysis using FE strains results.
Data Management:
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PAT3FAT
Translates FE analysis stress/strain or force results from MSC Patran or

MSC Fatigue Pre & Post databases into a MSC Fatigue analysis input
file.
PCPOST
Crack growth results viewer and tabular listings.
PFMAT
Materials database manager.
PFPOST
Results tabulator for basic S-N and crack initiation analysis, multi-axial
assessment, factor of safety, and vibration induced fatigue results.
PKSOL
Compliance function library and generator for crack growth analysis.
MSC Fatigue Modules
Table 1-2
Module Name
Main Index
Description
PTIME
Loading database manager for time and frequency signals.
Graphical Display:
(in bin directory)
MGED
Graphical time and frequency signal editor.
MGRAPHIC
Batch graphical plotter (UNIX only).
MMFD
Multi-file time and frequency signal display.
MP3D
Histogram and waterfall (3D), three parameter (x, y, z) display.
MPLTSYS
Plotter and printer definition setup (UNIX only).
MPOD
Polar display plots for critical plane and spot weld analysis.
MQLD
Quick look display of single parameter (y-only) time and frequency

signals.
MTPD
Two parameter display of x-y data sensitivity plots.
MQPLOT
Displays and prints plot files with slide show capability (UNIX only).
MWNPLOT
Displays and prints plot files with slide show capability (Windows
only).
MNCPENS
Utility program for modifying plot colors (curves, background, text,

grid lines, etc.).
Load Manipulation:
(in bin directory)
MADA
Amplitude distribution analysis of time domain signals.
MART
Arithmetic manipulation of loading files.
MASD
Auto-spectral density function creation from time domain signals.
MBFL
Butterworth filtration of time domain signals.
MCOE
Multi-channel creator/editor for loading signal files.
MFFF
Fast Fourier filtering of time domain signals.
MFILMNP
Load signal header/footer manipulation.
MFRA
Frequency response analysis of time domain signals.
MCYC
Rainflow cycle counter processing of a time series signal.
MFRM
Formula processor for load signal files.
MLEN
File length manipulation.
MMFM
Multi-file manipulation (addition, subtraction, division,

multiplication).
MPVXMUL
Peak/valley slicing routine for multiple time signals.
MRSTATS
Running statistics of time signals.

MSC Fatigue Modules
Table 1-2
Module Name
Description
Fatigue Utilities:
(in bin directory)
MCDA
Cycle and damage analysis display.
MCLF
Single shot crack initiation analyzer for stress or strain data.
MCYL
Cycles file lister/tabulator.
MFCG
Crack growth data analyzer.
MFLF
Single shot vibration fatigue analyzer for stress response power spectral
density information.
MKTAN
Stress concentration library for use with MCLF and MSLF.
MMLF
Single shot multi-axial fatigue analyzer for stress/strain rosette data.
MSLF
Single shot S-N analyzer for stress data.
MSSA
Stress-strain analysis including elastic-plastic corrections, and rosette

analysis.
MTCD
Time correlated damage analysis for crack initiation runs.
File Conversion:
(in bin directory)
MCONFIL
Cross-platform file translation.
MDACREM
DAC to RPC file translation.
MREMDAC
RPC to DAC file translation.
MDTA
Binary to ASCII load signal translation.
MATD
ASCII to binary load signal translation.
MREGEN
Regeneration of time signal from cycle files.
MWFLCRE
Waterfall plot (3 parameter) creation from multiple single parameter

files and separation of waterfall plots into multiple single parameter
files.
General Utilities:
Main Index
FASTAN
Manages fast analysis executions from MSC Patran or MSC Fatigue

Pre & Post. Runs in batch only.
FEFTRN
Translates FE data directly from MSC Nastran xdb files and old IDEAS universal files into a MSC Fatigue analysis input deck.
MENM
MSC Fatigue environment manipulator.
PFSETFONT
Sets or changes fonts for the Mask driven user interface (UNIX only).
UNVFES
Translates old I-DEAS universal files into MSC Fatigue analysis input
decks. Works only in batch mode and is called from FEFTRN.

MSC Fatigue creates a number of files during an analysis. Every attempt is made to explain the use of
these files throughout the examples. A listing of the basic files using generic names are shown in the table
below along with a brief description.
Table 1-3
File
Main Index

Description
name.db
This is the database containing the FE model and its results created by Pre &
Post or MSC Patran.
jobname.fin
This is the job control file that is written by Pre & Post or MSC Patran when
you click the Apply button in the Job Control... form. The following Actions
create this form: Full Analysis, Partial Analysis, Translate Only, Save Job
Only. If you take a look at this file it contains Parameter=keyword entries. It
defines the analysis set up as specified when you fill out the various forms. You
can read this file in under the Job Control... form also when the Action is set to
Read Saved Job.
jobname.fes
This is the fatigue analysis input file. It is a binary file and contains all
information necessary to run a complete fatigue analysis using the FEFAT
analyzer. It is created by the PAT3FAT and FATTRANS translators which read
the jobname.fin file and the FE results information from the database
name.db. You can view the contents of this file with the Utilities... option in
FEFAT. The Action, Translate Only on the Job Control... form will create this
file and then stop.
jobname.fpp
This binary file is created by FEFAT after preprocessing. It is the result of the
rainflow cycle count. The Action, Partial Analysis on the Job Control... form
will create all files up to this point and then stop.
jobname.fef
This is the results file of a fatigue analysis created by FEFAT when a Full
Analysis is requested. It is an ASCII file and can be read back into Pre & Post
or MSC Patran to create life contour plots. It is also read by the MSC Fatigue
module PFPOST to do tabular listings of results. A jobname.fef_tmpl file is
also created which is a template used when read back into Pre & Post or MSC
Patran defining the meaning of each column of results data in the jobname.fef
file. Note that the .fef file created by the DTLib-based solver is incompatible
with PFPOST.
jobname.msg
This is the message file containing all messages during an analysis. If a job
does not run properly for some reason, this is the file to look in first to find
clues as to the problem.
jobname.sta
This is a one line status file read by the Monitor action from the Job Control
Form... which is updated constantly as the analysis proceeds.

Table 1-3
File
Main Index

Description
jobname.log
This file contains a log of the DTLib-based fatigue solution. The level of detail
can be controlled in General Parameters. Setting to High can result in very
large log files.
jobname.csv
This file contains the results of the DTLib-based fatigue solution. It contains
Duty Cycle event results, if requested in Solution Parameters. It also contains
results on all requested layers. The ascii csv (comma separated values) format
allows this file to be viewed using a variety of spreadsheet programs, such as
MS Excel.
jobname.fer
This file has contents similar to the csv file, but in a binary format. This file can
be imported to MSC Patran for post-processing. Because of the flexible format,
this file is preferred to the fef file for results import.
About this Guide
About this Guide

This manual serves as the second part of the MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide and should be read in
continuation with the MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide: Volume 1. The purpose of this manual is to make
you familiar with the new fatigue features and functionalities added in MSC Patran 2011.
This manual contains the fatigue analysis examples that uses the new shared library DTLib. Each
example is designed to convey various principles of fatigue life estimation and to show certain aspects
of MSC Fatigue 2011.
Assumptions
This manual assumes that the user understands the fatigue analysis in general and has already gone
through MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide: Volume 1.
All chapters serve as tutorials to learn the basics of MSC Fatigue. It is suggested that you start with the
first chapter and work your way sequentially.
Main Index


DTLib is a shared library added in MSC Fatigue 2011, which provides extended options for accurate
fatigue analysis. DTLib makes fatigue analysis faster and with more realistic loadings and accounting for
materials properties. This way, it helps in doing advanced durability analysis that can help reduce weight
and material costs, whist helping ensure through life product performance.
DTLib defines the functions required to perform an actual CAE Fatigue calculation for a particular
analysis type. There will be multiple implementations of it to support the various analysis types available
in MSC Fatigue, e.g. SN, EN, Spot weld, etc. Configuration of these objects, via their properties, depends
on the implementation.
General Solution Parameters

All the Fatigue modules that use DTLib, support few common solution parameters. The following table
lists such solution parameters with their type and default values.
An Enum property is one which supports a single value picked from a list of available values. A Boolean
property is one which allows two possible values, True or False.
A validation check is also performed before running a fatigue analysis. The analysis does not start unless
all objects which are part of the job configuration pass their validation checks.
Table 1-4
DTLib General Solution Parameters
Parameter
Main Index
Options
Description
Number Processor
1<= Value <= 100
The DTLib-based fatigue solver is multi-threaded.

This option allows the user to control the number of
threads the fatigue solver uses. If the user machine
contains multiple processors, a larger number of
threads can be specified to enhance performance.
Default is 4.
Log File Detail
Low, Medium, High
This option allows the user to control the amount of

information to be output from the fatigue solver,
which is written to the $jobname.log file. The
details can be limited to error and information
messages or increased to contain detailed
information about the solvers settings, material
properties, and stress and cycle counting
information. Please note that setting the log file
detail to High can slow performance and result in
very large log files. Default is Low.
Table 1-4
Parameter
Options
Output Max/Min
Stress
Enabled, Disabled
Time History
Compression
None, Peak-valley, Limits This option can be used to reduce the time history
cycle counting effort in the solver. By default, no
time history filtering is performed. The Peak-Valley
option extracts peak/valley time history values
subject to the Gate and Gate Units described below.
The Limits option retains only the maximum and
minimum values of the time histories, and
eliminates all other values. Although the Limits
option is the most extreme filtering mechanism,
both options should be used with caution since
some damaging cycles are removed from the
analysis.
Gate Units
Percent, Data
This option is only applicable with the Peak-Valley

Time History Compression option.With the
Percent option, the Gate value is set as a
percentage of the range of the input data. The
percent gate is applied to each load case
independently. With the Data option, the Gate
value is applied directly in the units of the time
series data. Default is Percent.
Gate
Value >= 0
The Gate value can be expressed either as an

absolute value in the same units as the time history,
or as a percentage of the maximum range of the
time history. Default is 0.0.
Damage Floor
Value >= 0
Sets a minimum value under which the calculated

damage is reported as zero. Default is 0.0.
Max Damage
0<=Value<=1e30
Sets a maximum value for reported damage.

Default is 1.0.
Check Static Failure warning, Stop, None
Main Index
Description
This option is used to request that the postprocessing files (fef, csv) contain the maximum and
minimum cycle stress for each entity. Default is
No.
This option allows the user to control job

processing in the event that a static failure is
predicted. In such an event, the fatigue job can be
instructed to ignore, continue with a warning, or
completely stop the solution. The Default is set to
Warning

Table 1-4
Parameter
Static Failure
Damage
Options
1 <= Value <= 1e30
Assessment Method None

No filtering is performed
Description
Sets a value for reported static failure damage.
Default is 2.0. This allows the user to distinguish
between failures due to accumulated cycles and
static failure.
Controls when and how the hot-spot filtering
methods are applied. The Default is None.
FE Data Only
The filtering is based on
stress calculated by
summing the von Mises
stresses from each
loadcase
Simple Range
stress is calculated by
stresses from each
loadcase, taking the range
of loading, divisor, and
scale factor associated
with each loadcase into
account
Actual Analysis
damage values from an
actual fatigue analysis
Elimination Mode
Highest Percent Values

Only entities above this
percentage of the highest
assessed value are kept
Highest Percent Points
This percentage of
entities with the highest
assessed values are kept
Highest Count
This number of entities
with the highest assessed
values are kept
Main Index
Controls how entities are filtered out during the

assessment phase. The Default is Highest Percent
Values.
Table 1-4
Parameter
Options
Percent to Keep
0. < Value < 100.
Description
Only valid for Elimination Mode = Highest Percent
Values or Highest Percent Points. The Default is:
90. (Elimination Mode = Highest Percent Values)
10. (Elimination Mode = Highest Percent Points)
Main Index
Count to Keep
0 < Value
Only valid for Elimination Mode = Highest Count.

The Default value is 25.
Apply Time History

Compression
True/False
Determines whether Time History Compression is

maintained after the assessment phase. The Default
is False.

In addition to the common parameters, the multiaxial parameters given in Table 1-5, are applicable to the
S-N and E-N (by implication, Seam Weld and Vibration) analyses.
Table 1-5
Parameters for Multiaxial Assessment
Solution Parameter
MultiAxialAssessment
Description
Whether to use a multi-axial
assessment method.
Type
Enum Options/Range
Enum
None
No multi-axial assessment
Default
Value
None
SimpleBiaxiality
Calculates a simple
biaxiality ratio only
Standard
Standard nCode method of
assessment, which merely
reports the results.
Auto
Performs the standard
method, but then may
recalculate depending on the
results of the assessment.
ZeroDamageStressPercent
Float
Used when
MultiAxialAssessment is set to
Auto. Stress range below which
damage is assumed zero, and no
re-calculation is performed.
Specified as a percentage of
UTS.
0 <= Value
NonPropFactorThreshold
Float
Used when
Auto. The threshold used to
check if the loading is
proportional or not. This is used
in combination with the
biaxiality ratio threshold.
0 < Value
0.25
BiaxialityThresholdLower
Float
Used when
in combination with the nonproportionality factor.
Value < 0
-0.6
Main Index
Table 1-5
Parameters for Multiaxial Assessment
Solution Parameter
Description
Type
Enum Options/Range
Default
Value
BiaxialityThresholdUpper
Float
Used when
in combination with the nonproportionality factor.
0 < Value
0.6
BiaxialityGate
Used if MultiAxialAssessment
is set to SimpleBiaxiality. This
gate value is used to prevent
small stresses from adversely
affecting the biaxiality
calculation. Stresses below this
value are not included in the
biaxiality calculation, their
biaxiality ratio will be set to 0.
The value is set as a percentage
of UTS.
Float
0 < Value
20
Solution Parameters
The following table lists DTLib solution parameters that are specific to different analysis types and
shown on the respective Solution Parameters form:
Main Index

Table 1-6
Solution Parameters
Parameter
Options
Analysis Sub-Method
Description
A number of new material models and S-N methods are
available. The interpolation-type methods (or multicurve methods) allow the user to correct for mean stress
effects using the measured material properties rather
than rule of thumb approaches, such as Goodman.
Please note that a limited number of multi-curve data
sets is included with MSC Fatigue. See the section on
the dtmat material manager for more information on
how to add user material data sets.
Note that when the Haigh diagram multi-curve method
is chosen, the mean stress correction is automatically
set to Interpolate.
Standard
Use the standard nCode S-N method and standard S-N

material data sets
Multi-Mean Curve
Use Multi-Mean curves to determine S-N material

properties for a given mean stress. Use Multi-Mean
curve material data sets.
Multi R-Ratio Curve
Use Multi R-Ratio curves to determine S-N material

properties for a given r-ratio of stress. Use Multi RRatio curve material data sets.
Haigh Diagram
Use Haigh Diagram constant life curves to determine SN material properties for a given mean stress. Use
Haigh Diagram curve material data sets.
Bastenaire
Use the Bastenaire probabilistic material data sets.
None
No mean stress correction applied.
Goodman
Goodman method of mean stress correction applied.
Gerber
Gerber method of mean stress correction applied.
Interpolate
Use multi-curve method. Note that this only applies to

Multi-Mean Curve, Multi R-Ratio Curve, and Haigh
Diagram S-N analysis sub-methods. Automatically
selected for these Haigh diagram S-N analysis submethods.
Mean Stress Correction
Main Index
Table 1-6
Solution Parameters
Parameter
Options
Description
FKM
The FKM method as implemented is based on the

method described in the FKM Guideline Analytical
Strength Assessment of Components in Mechanical
Engineering, Tr. E. Haibach. 2003.
Goodman Tension-Only
Goodman method of mean stress correction applied in

tension only.
Gerber Tension-Only
Gerber method of mean stress correction applied in

tension only.
Max Abs Principal
The absolute Maximum Principal stress is defined as

the principal stress with the largest magnitude
Signed Max Shear
The Signed Max Shear stress is the Maximum Shear

stress (Tresca Criterion), forced to take the sign of the
Absolute Maximum Principal stress. A factor of 2 is
applied to ensure that the parameter has the same value
as the Absolute Maximum Principal stress under
uniaxial loading conditions.
Signed Von Mises
The Signed von Mises stress is the von Mises stress, but
forced to take the sign of the Absolute Maximum
Principal stress.
Critical Plane
The Critical Plane option is available only for stress

flagged as 2-D. The normal stress is calculated and
rainflow counted on multiple planes.The critical plane
is the plane with the most predicted fatigue damage.
The planes on which the normal stress is determined
have normals that lie in the plane of the physical
surface, i.e., in the x-y plane of the 2-D stress results
coordinate system. The orientation of each plane is
defined by the angle made with the local x-axis.
Stress Combination
Method
Interpolation Limit
Main Index
This option is used to specify how the multi-curve

method compute values at the extrema of the material
data sets.
Use Max Curve
Material property values are not extrapolated from the

material data set values. Rather, the values nearest the
extrema are used.
Extrapolate
Material property values are extrapolated from the

material data set values.

Table 1-6
Solution Parameters
Parameter
Overall Scale Factor
Options
0 < Value <= 1e10
Multiaxial Assessment
Description
The scale factor to apply to the combined data prior to
performing damage calculation.
This option allows to assess and correct for multiaxial
state of stress. Note that the associated parameters are
only applicable for the Auto option. Note also that
Auto is the only option which can apply a correction
factor based on the assessment.
None
No multi-axial assessment
Simple
Calculates a simple biaxiality ratio only
Standard
Standard nCode method of assessment, which merely

reports the results.
Auto
Performs the standard method, but then may recalculate

depending on the results of the assessment.
Non Prop Factor

Threshold
0 < Value (default =0.25)

applies to Auto option only
The threshold used to check if the loading is

proportional or not. This is used in combination with
the biaxiality ratio threshold.
Biaxiality Threshold Lower
-1 <Value < 1 (default=0.6)


the non-proportionality factor.
Biaxiality Threshold Upper
-1 <Value < 1 (default=0.6)


the non-proportionality factor.
Biaxiality Gate
0 < Value (default = 20)

This gate value is used to prevent small stresses from

adversely affecting the biaxiality calculation. Stresses
below this value are not included in the biaxiality
calculation, their biaxiality ratio will be set to 0. The
value is set as a percentage of UTS.
Zero Damage Stress%
0 < Value (default =0) applies

to Auto option only
Stress range below which damage is assumed zero, and

no re-calculation is performed. Specified as a
percentage of UTS.
Use Stress Gradient
This option allows to apply a stress correction based on

the gradient in stress in the direction normal to the free
surface. Only applies to surface resolved stresses on the
free surface.
Enabled, Disabled
Main Index
Default is Disabled
Table 1-6
Solution Parameters
Parameter
Options
Description
MSC Fatigue
The stress gradient correction is based on gradients

computed in MSC Fatigue. (Please see the section on
Stress Gradients in the Fatigue Quick Start Guide
Volume 1.)
User file
The stress gradient correction is based on gradients in a

user file. Please see the Stress Gradients section in
this document for more details.
0 <= Value <= 100
Percentage certainty of survival
Gradient Units
Certainty of Survival
Factor of Safety Analysis
This option performs a back-calculation on stress to

compute a scale factor, which when applied, results in
the damage value specified below. For cases where the
scale factor is greater than 1.0, the damage target is
exceeded and the local stress is safe.Note that the full
sets of fatigue results from this analysis are based on the
application of the computed scaling factor. A separate
analysis should always be performed without the
Factor of Safety Analysis option turned on.Note that
the full set of fatigue results from this analysis are based
on the application of the computed scaling factor. A
separate analysis should always be performed without
the Factor of Safety Analysis option turned on.
Target Damage
The target damage for back calculation.
Solution Parameters for S-N and E-N form has changed. The Solution Parameters form for S-N and EN now has a "Detailed Solution Parameters" button, which brings up an additional form. The "Detailed"
form includes settings for Multiaxial Assessment and Back Calculation. The new form configuration is
shown below, for windows machines.
Main Index

Figure 1-1
Table 1-7
Detailed Solution Parameters for S-N and E-N
Solution Parameter
BackCalcMode
Description
Type of back calculation to
perform
Type
Enum
Default
Value
Enum Options/Range
None
None
No back calculation is done

.ScaleFactor
A back calculation is done
using the ScaleFactor
property.
TargetDamage
Main Index
The target damage for back

calculation.
Float
0 < Value <= 1e30
Table 1-7
Solution Parameter
Description
Type
Default
Value
Enum Options/Range
BackCalcAccuracy
This defines a percentage error

on the target damage. The back
calculation will iterate until the
calculated damage matches the
target damage within this
tolerance.
Float
0.01 <= Value < 100
BackCalcMaxScale
This defines the maximum value Float

of the scale factor that will be
reported in the analysis results.
20 <= Value <= 5.e6
Main Index

Hot-Spot Filtering
Hot-Spot Filtering
The new hot-spot filtering feature can be used to relatively quickly identify the most critical locations in
the model. This is especially useful in cases with large models and models with a large number of time
histories. With this feature, a two-stage analysis is performed where stage one uses quick methods to find
the critical locations and stage two does the full fatigue analysis.
Fatigue is a highly non-linear phenomenon, as it pertains to component stresses. Much of a large FE
model may not experience stresses severe enough to cause appreciable fatigue damage. For very large
models, a fatigue analysis involving every entity can be time consuming with much of the results
showing minimal damage.
The hot-spot filtering methods perform the fatigue analysis in two stages: 1) a relatively low-cost stage
in which more highly stressed or damaged entities are identified (hot-spots), and 2) a full-analysis stage
where the hot-spot entities are subject to a full fatigue analysis. Different stage-one approaches are
available based on the analysis type and loading type. The parameters associated with this feature are
outlined in the following table.
Main Index
Hot-Spot Filtering
Solution
Parameter
Assessment Method
Description
Type
Controls when and how the hot- Enum

spot filtering methods are applied
Enum
Options/Range
None
No filtering is
performed
FE Data Only
stress calculated by
stresses from each
loadcase
Simple Range
stress is calculated by
stresses from each
loadcase, taking the
range of loading,
divisor, and scale factor
associated with each
loadcase into account
Actual Analysis
damage values from an
actual fatigue analysis
Main Index
Default
Value
None

Hot-Spot Filtering
Solution
Parameter
Elimination Mode
Description
Controls how entities are filtered
out during the assessment phase
Type
Enum
Enum
Options/Range
Default
Value
Highest Percent
Values
Only entities above this
percentage of the
highest assessed value
are kept
Highest
Percent Values
Highest Percent
Points
This percentage of
entities with the highest
Highest Count
This number of entities
with the highest
Percent to Keep
Only valid for Elimination Mode

= Highest Percent Values or
Highest Percent Points
real
0. < Value < 100.
90.
(Elimination
Mode =
Highest
Percent Values)
10.
(Elimination
Mode =
Highest
Percent Points)
Count to Keep
Only valid for Elimination Mode

= Highest Count
integer
0 < Value
25
Maintain Time
History Compression
Determines whether Time

History Compression is
maintained after the assessment
phase
boolean
True/False
False
The Hot-Spot Filtering methods are available based on the analysis type and loading type. This is
summarized in the table below.
Main Index
Hot-Spot Filtering
Analysis Type
S-N and E-N
Loading Type
Assessment Method
Comments
Time History
None, FE Data Only,

Simple Range, Actual
Analysis
All assessment methods

supported
Transient
None, Actual Analysis
The FE Data Only and

Simple Range assessment
methods not applicable for
transient FE results
Shaker Table

frequency response FE
results
Seam Weld

seam weld FE results
Spot Weld
None
Hot-Spot Filtering is not

applicable for spot weld
Assessment Method = FE Data Only

Using this option, the von Mises stress for each load case is summed for each entity and the entities
ranked in decreasing order. Only the higher-ranked entities are retained for the fatigue analysis.
Assessed =
vonMises, K
k
Assessment Method = Simple Range

Using this option, the von Mises stress for each load case is similar to the FE Data Only option. However,
the stress is also superposed with the maximum and minimum values from the time histories and scaled
with the load case scale factor and divider. The entities are ranked in decreasing order using these values
and only the higher-ranked entities are retained for the fatigue analysis. For a time history-related loading
condition, the stress computation is as follows:
Assessed =
( Max k Min k ) ScaleFactor k vonMises, K

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Divider k
k
The Max and Min values for each load case represent the time history maxima and minima. For duty
cycle analysis, the largest value from each event is considered.
Main Index

Hot-Spot Filtering
Assessment Method = Actual Analysis

Using this option, a fatigue analysis is performed to determine the highest damage entities. The analysis
type used in the filtering phase is the same type as used in the final analysis phase. This method is most
useful if the filtering phase uses a cheaper analysis, such as one which uses Time History Compression
to speed up the filtering phase. A more expensive analysis method can be used in the second phase,
such as critical plane or multi-axial assessment.
Limitations:
Some assessment methods are not supported for the given analysis type. The FE Data Only/Simple Range
assessment methods can only be used with time history-type loading. For duty cycle analysis, the
resulting stress value used with FE Data Only/Simple Range will be the largest value from each of the
events in the duty cycle.
Analysis Type
Assessment Method
S-N
FE Data Only, Simple Range time history loading only, Actual Analysis
E-N
FE Data Only, Simple Range time history loading only, Actual Analysis
Spot Weld
Host-Spot filtering not supported
Seam Weld
Actual Analysis only
Shaker Table
Actual Analysis only
Elimination Mode
A note on elimination mode is warranted. The option Highest Percent Values considers the actual
assessed values, rather than only the relative values for each entity. Using this option, entities with an
assessed value higher than a given percentage (Percent to Keep) of highest assessed value are retained.
Using the option Highest Percent Points, a percentage of the total number of entities (Percent to Keep)
with the highest assessed values are retained.
Main Index

Dtmat (dtmat) is the new database manager added in Patran 2011 for fatigue analysis that exploits new
shared library DTLib. By using this database manager, all users of MSC Fatigue have access to all the
necessary data in one central location, thus ensuring the highest-quality design procedures for durability
analysis. Dtmat supports material databases stored in the MXD and MDB formats. It comes with a default
materials database iceflow_standard.mxd that includes fatigue properties for many commonly used
materials. The location of the central MXD database is $p3_home/mscdtfat_files/mats. Note
that the default material database provided with the dtmat is different from previously used database
nmatsmas.mdb. However, the legacy MDB database can also be viewed/edited using dtmat.
Dtmat provides you with the functionalities to:
Open a specific named database.
Load a material data set.
Add, delete, or modify a material data set.
Export or import a dataset.
View material properties graph.
Query available materials of a particular data set type, i.e. those which can be used with a
particular type of analysis.

Following material data sets are supported in dtmat:
Standard S-N material
Standard E-N material
nCode SN Mean Stress Curve Container S-N material
nCode SNR Ratio Curve Container S-N material
nCode SN Haigh Curve Container S-N material
nCode EN Mean Stress Curve Container E-N material
nCode EN RRatio Curve Container E-N material
nCode SN Seam Weld material
nCode Spot Weld material
nCode Bastenaire material
nCode LEFM Austen material
The dtmat User Interface

Dtmat can be accessed either from the command line ($p3_home/bin/dtmat) or from the Materials
form by clicking the "Material Database Manager" button; this presumes that the fatigue environment
variable FAT_USE_DTLIB is set to Yes.
Main Index
From the two types of databases supported, only MXD material database type is useful in the spot weld
and seam weld analysises with DTlib.
Figure 1-2
Dtmat Startup Form
On the dtmat start up form shown above, you can either select an existing database or create a new
database. By default, the $p3_home/mscdtfat_files/mats/iceflow_standard.mxd is
selected. The materials database in use, may be the central or a local database. If you are using a central
database then it is advisable to copy it on local machine before modifying it, or the modification will
affect all users of the central database.
After the database is selected, click OK to open the dtmat database browser form. Here you can create,
edit, and plot materials data.
Main Index
Figure 1-3
Dtmat Database Browser
This form can be divided into two sub sections:

Left Navigation Pane or Tree view
Materials Properties Window
Tree View or the Left Navigation Pane: It provides hierarchical tree view of the material data sets in
the database. You can select database or data sets here, and then add, delete, and rename the data sets by
using Edit menu. To select multiple data sets hold CTRL key and click on the data sets.
Materials Properties Window: This windows contains two tabs, Properties and Graphs, and displays
either the properties value or the properties graphs respectively.
Opening a Database
In this guide, the default database iceflow_standard.mxd is used to explain the spot weld and seam weld
problems.
To open an existing database:
1. Open the dtmat startup form.

2. Select the type of database from the options:
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nCode Material database

nCode MXD Material database
Figure 1-4
Database Selection
3. Browse or type the name of the database.

4. Select Use as default if you want to set the database as default database.
5. Select Open as read only if you do not want to make any modification in the database.
6. Click OK.
dtmat Units Preferences
If you prefer to view and enter stress and strain data in a set of units other that the default "MPa" units, a
different set of units can be selected by clicking the "Edit" pull-down on the main form and selecting
"Units Preferences". The following form appears.
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The set of units that can be chosen are listed in the $p3_home/mscdtfat_files/nsys/unitconv.sys and
unitspell.sys. You may also extend the unit types available by adding entries to the unitconv_custom.sys
and unitspell_custom.sys files.
Creating a New Database

Provide the type and name and of the database to create a new database, and then add material data sets
in it. Detailed instructions for creating a database are given below.
To create a new database:
1. Open the dtmat startup form.

2. Select the type of database from the options:
nCode Material database
nCode MXD Material database
3. Type a name for the database to be created.
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Figure 1-5
Create New Database
4. Select Create new database.

5. Click OK.
The new database will be created.
Adding a Data Set in the Database

You can add material data set in a newly created or an existing database. First, open the data base in dtmat
database browser, and then add material data set following the instructions given below. Note that the
new dataset will not be usable, unless all pertinent information is supplied.
To add a data set in the database:
1. Open the database.

2. Click Add Data from the Edit menu.
OR
In the tree view, right-click on the database name, and then select Add Data.
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Figure 1-6
Edit Menu
3. Enter the type and name of the data set in the respective boxes on the Add data form.
Figure 1-7
Add Data Form
4. Click OK to open the Editing form.
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Figure 1-8
Edit Properties Form
5. Type the desired values of the various data set properties and click OK to close the form.
Working with Data Sets

You can edit data set properties, rename, and/or delete a data set by following simple instructions given
below.
To edit a data set:
1. Open the dtmat database browser.

2. Select the data set to edit.
3. Click Edit Data from the Edit menu.
OR
In the tree view right-click on the data set to edit, and then select Edit Data.
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Figure 1-9
Edit Data Sets
4. Edit the properties of the selected data set on the Editing form, and click OK to save the changes.
Figure 1-10
Edit Properties Form
To delete a data set:
1. Select the data set to delete, in the tree view.
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2. Click Delete from the Edit menu.

OR
In the tree view right-click on the data set to edit, and then select Delete.
Figure 1-11
Delete Confirmation
3. A confirmation form will appear, click Yes to confirm the delete operation.
To rename a data set:
1. Select the data set to rename, in the tree view.

2. Click Edit | Rename.
OR
In the tree view right-click on the data set, and select Rename.
Figure 1-12
Rename Material Form
3. Type a valid name for the database and click OK.
Viewing Material Properties Graphs

The material properties graph displays a curve of the material properties, for the selected data set. There
can be more than one type of curve for a data set, where each curve plots different properties.
To view the material properties graphs:
1. Open the dtmat database browser.

2. Select the desired datasets to view the material properties graph. You can select multiple data sets
by holding the CTRL key.
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Figure 1-13
Properties Graph
3. Select the Graph tab in the material properties window. The material properties graphs will be
displayed. There can be various types of graphs, depending on the material dataset selected.
Exporting / Importing Data Sets

Dtmat provides you with the functionality to export data sets and definitions, or import data sets in a
database. Data sets are imported from or exported to, an XML file while data definition are saved in the
XDEF file format. The exported data sets are stored in human readable XML format.
To export data sets:
1. Open a database in the dtmat database browser.

2. Select the data sets to export.
3. Click Edit | Export or right click, and select one from the following options:
Export Selected Datasets, if you want to export only selected data sets.
Export Selected Datasets and Definitions, if you want to export the data definition along
with the data sets. For each data definition a separate XDEF file is created.
Export All Definitions, if you want to export all data definitions that are in the current
database. A separate file is created for each data definition in the selected folder.
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Figure 1-14
Export Data Sets
4. Provide the name and location of the file, in which you want to export the data sets, and click
Save.
To Import data sets:
1. Open a database in the dtmat database browser.

2. Click Edit | Import Datasets or right click and select Import Datasets to open the Import form.
Figure 1-15
Import Data Sets
3. Browse and select the XML file, from which you want to import the data sets in the database.
4. Type the name of the log file in the Log Filename box. This log file stores the event log and can
be useful if an error occurs.
By default, a log file named MaterialImport.log is created in your current working directory.
5. Select Overwrite Existing Datasets, only if you want to replace the existing data sets with the
data sets to be imported.
6. Click OK.
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A few new entries are available in the Materials Information spreadsheet. These entries are described in
Table 2-4. Note that Treatment option was removed and replaced in favor of a direct treatment factor.
Table 1-8
Table Entry
Option
Description
Material
Finish
Polished
Ground
Machined
Poor Machined
Rolled
Cast
Enter K-Roughness
The value of the K-Roughness property is used directly
Enter Surface Roughness The value of the Surface Roughness property is used to
calculate the surface roughness factor
Roughness
K-Treatment
0 <= Value
(Default =0.0)
Value of K-Roughness or Surface Roughness; applicable

only for Finish options Enter K-Roughness and Enter
Surface Roughness
0 <= Value
User surface treatment factor
(Default =0.0)
Region
Layer
Kf
User surface factor
Weld
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Multiplier
The scale factor to apply to this material
Offset
A stress offset for this material


The Fatigue Preferences were previously set using Tools | MSC.Fatigue | Fatigue Pre-Processing | Set
Fatigue Environment Variable... This was updated in the 2012 version, in order to enhance the
understanding that the preferences can be set and saved for a subsequent session, just like any other
Patran preference. The new method is to set the preferences using Tools | MSC.Fatigue | Preferences...
In order to save the preference settings from one session to another, a settings.pcl file should be created
and located in the current working directory or the user home directory. The $p3_home/settings.pcl file
can be copied to the user's preferred location for this purpose. Please be sure to remove the "Read Only"
attribute from the file.
Figure 1-16
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Fatigue Preferences Settings
The Fatigue Preference options are described in the table below.

Name
Options
Default
Description
Solver
Preference
Classic, DTLib
Classic
Determines whether the MSC Fatigue GUI is

configured to set up and run jobs with the Classic
nCode fatigue modules or use the new DTLib solver.
Note that many new features are only available with
the DTLib solver.
FE Results
Access
fes file, Direct Access
fes file
Determines whether FE results and model data are

written to the fes file or accessed directly (without
having to save to intermediate file). Note that many
new features will only be available using the Direct
Access option.
Classic Solver
Default
fefat, mfatfe
fefat
Determines which solver will be used for S-N and E-N

analysis, when using Solver Preference = Classic. The
mfatfe solver has newer technology than fefat.
Default
Translator
fattrans, pat3fat
fattrans
Determines which translator is used to create fes file.

Note that fattrans supports many newer features,
which are not supported with pat3fat. Pat3fat is
available to legacy purposes, and it may be useful for
cases where fattrans fails.
Max Memory
N/A
10 E7 words
Used to limit the memory available to the fattrans

translator
Analysis
Manager
Submittal
Yes, No
No
May be used to defeat fatigue job submittal with

Analysis Manager (if installed)
Duty Cycle Jobs Multiple, One at a Time
Multiple
Determines whether duty cycle jobs are allowed to

submit multiple analyses or a job must finish before
the next job is submitted. This option can be set to
One at a Time if duty cycle submittal fails in
Multiple mode. Applicable for the Classic Solver
only.
Over-ride Layer
Auto-Filtering
Yes, No
No
Can be set to Yes in the event that the Materials Info

form fails to show all available layers for a given group
Read Results
.fer, .fef
.fer
This option determines which fatigue results file is

imported from the Read Results button on the main
form. The .fer file contains results on all layers and
duty cycle events, and is preferred over the .fef file.
The .fef file option is available for compatibility
purposes.
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Note that the previous methods using the p3epilog.pcl file or system environment variable for setting the
preferences is still valid. However, the current session settings can be saved only via the settings.pcl file.
The fatigue preferences are set through a pcl command as follows (the default settings are shown here):
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_USE_FATTRANS", "YES" )
pref_env_set_real( "FAT_MAX_NUM_WORDS", 1.E+7 )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_DISABLE_AM", "YES" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_DC_WAIT", "NO" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_USE_MFATFE", "NO" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_LAY_FILT_OVR", "NO" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_USE_DTLIB", "YES" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_FERESACCESS", "PDA" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_READ_RESULTS", "FER" )
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The previous versions of the DTLib-based fatigue solver were dependent on the fes file, which contains
both job setup and FE results information for a single analysis and a single FE result type. A new Direct
Access FE results access method allows a much more flexible approach to fatigue job configuration,
including multiple Runs and multiple FE results types. The new method allows for direct access of the
FE entity and results information from the Patran database or FE results files, and an intermediate file
such as the fes file. The new method is required in order to implement the more advanced analysis
methods available in DTLib such as:
1. High-Temperature Fatigue
2. Hybrid Loading
3. Static-Offset Loading for Vibration Fatigue
4. Multi-layered Composites Fatigue
The Direct Access FE results access method is also required to support the following features in MSC
Fatigue. Note further that these features are only available using the DTLib-based solver.
1. Multi-layer models, such as those using Nastran PCOMP
2. Multi-region seam weld
Note:
The new Direct Access method currently has a couple limitations.

Three-sheet spot welds are currently treated as two separate welds
Temperatures can only be specified by group or globally
If these present a problem, you should use the FE Results Access = FES, in the Fatigue
Preferences.
In order to use the Direct Access method in MSC Fatigue, the FE Results Access option on the Fatigue
Preferences form should be set to Direct Access. See Figure 1-15 and the section on Fatigue Preference
Settings for more information.
To support large models, the Direct Access method also provides a means to save the FE results to an
intermediate file, which can be used in subsequent analyses. The intermediate file uses the binary nCode
fei format. By default, the FE results are not saved to the intermediate file when using Direct
Accessmethod. In order to do so, the Job Control form has the option Save FE results to fei file. If
thisoption is picked, a binary format file will be created during the fatigue analysis with the name
$jobname.fei.
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To use the fei file again in another analysis, pick the Use existing fei file on the Job Control form and
select the file with the browser button. This file can be used safely with different analysis settings under
the following conditions:
any settings on the Generic Parameters form may be modified
any settings on the Solution Parameters form may be modified
many settings on the Materials Info form may be modified, with the exception of:
number of material groups
group names
layers selection
temperature dependence
Loading Info form settings should not be modified
The analysis type can be changed between S-N and E-N, but only for stress-based E-N
An ascii version of the file can be created using the utility bin2asc, located in
$p3_home/mscdtfat_files/bin. Alternatively, an ascii version can be converted to binary
format using the utility asc2fei. The usage of the fei file conversion utilities is as follows:
$p3_home/mscdtfat_files/bin/bin2asc /INP=$fei_name.fei /OUT=$fei_name.asc
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$p3_home/mscdtfat_files/bin/asc2fei /INP=$fei_name.asc /OUT=$fei_name.fei
It is only in the most unusual circumstances that a user would need to edit the ascii fei file and
subsequently use with MSC Fatigue. The above information is given for completeness sake.
dtfat command line

The DTLib-based fatigue solver (dtfat) can be run from the command line, with several options available
that are inaccessible from the MSC Fatigue UI. These options are especially useful for selecting specific
entities for fatigue analysis and for creating special outputs such as stress time history, etc. The VIBOUT,
CYCOUT, and TSOUT options are described in more detail in the following chapters.
The available command line options for dtfat are as given in the table below. The options are specified
in a key-value pair relationship using a /keyword=value type of format.
Option Name
Allowable Values
Default Value
Description
/ENTIDS
ID1,ID2,...
no default values for specify the IDs of particular nodes or

the IDs
elements to be used in the analysis; the
default is to perform the fatigue analysis for
all entities
/DUMPASCI
Y, N
create an ascii dump of the fes file
/VIBOUT
Y, N
output entity cycle list, response PSD, and

damage histogram to a file; this option is best
using in combination with the /ENTIDS
option
/INP
jobname.fin,
jobname.fes
no default; must be
included*
specify the name of the fatigue job file
/CYCOUT
Y, N
output entity cycle list data to a file; this

option is best using in combination with the
/ENTIDS option
/TSOUT
Y, N
output entity stress time history; this option is

best using in combination with the /ENTIDS
option
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Option Name
/FERES
Allowable Values
PDA, FEI, FES
Default Value
Description
no default; must be
included*
specify the FE results access method, where:

PDA
Direct Access method used to access FE
results and model data
FEI
An existing nCode-format fei file used to
access FE results and model data
FES
fes-format file used to access FE results and
model data
/OUTTXT
Y, N
output cycle list, time history, and other

optional outputs as text-format
/DUMPJOB
Y, N
dump the job setup information to the nCode

fej file (this is normally useful for testing
purposes only)
Note that, since several different FE results access methods are supported, the command line options
/FERES and /INP should always be included. For example:
$p3_home/bin/dtfat /FERES=PDA /INP=$jobname.fin
$p3_home/bin/dtfat /FERES=FES /INP=$jobname2.fin
*Note that even though the fes file contains both job setup and FE results data, the fin file is still typically
used for job setup information in dtfat. This resolves fes file-related issues, such as too-short character
string length. For compatibility purposes, the fes file can still be used for both FE results AND job setup
data using the fes extension in the input file name as in the following example.
$p3_home/bin/dtfat /INP=$jobname.fes
$p3_home/bin/dtfat $jobname.fes
dtfat optional output
The DTLib-based solver has the capability to output stress/strain time history, cycle count information,
and response psd; The type of output depends on solver type. This can be done by running the solver from
the command line, and using the appropriate command line options. Not that this can result in a large
amount of data, so it is recommended that this optional output is only performed for a few entities of
interest. The following table describes the dtfat solver command line options and output type for each
analysis type. Also described are the file formats available for each output type./
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Table 1-9
Entity-Based Optional Outputs by Analysis Type
Analysis Type
S-N
Optional Output
Command
Line
Argument
Text File Format
Binary File Format
stress time history
/TSOUT=Y
csv
nCodeDACTimeSeries
(.dac)
cycle list
/CYCOUT=Y
csv
S3MultiColumn (.s3m)
stress time history
/TSOUT=Y
csv
nCodeDACTimeSeries
(.dac)
cycle list
/CYCOUT=Y
csv
Seam Weld
stress time history
/TSOUT=Y
csv
nCodeDACTimeSeries
(.dac)
Spot Weld
stress time history
/TSOUT=Y
csv
nCodeDACTimeSeries
(.dac)
Shaker Table
response psd
/VIBOUT=Y
csv
rainflow histogram
/VIBOUT=Y
nCodeXmlHistogram
(.xmh)
nCodeDACHistogram
(.hst)
damage histogram
/VIBOUT=Y
nCodeXmlHistogram
(.xmh)
nCodeDACHistogram
(.hst)
E-N
The following table describes the tools that can be used to view the files created by dtfat optional output
commands.
Table 1-10
Applications Available to View Particular File Formats

File Format
Viewing Application
nCodeDACTimeSeries (.dac)
ptime, mqld, mmfd
nCodeDACHistogram (.hst)
mp3d
currently unavailable
csv (.csv)
Microsoft Excel, other spreadsheet programs, text editor
nCodeXmlHistogram (.xmh)
text editor
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Main Index
Chapter 2: A Simple S-N Analysis

Main Index
A Simple S-N Analysis
Problem Description
74
Concluding Remarks
79
92
93
97
104
115
76

Problem Description
Problem Description
In this first example problem we start with a very simple model to introduce some fatigue analysis
concepts by investigating the Total Life (page 887), of the component shown on the left in the Figure
below. For the purpose of this exercise we will refer to it as the keyhole model as it is a keyhole shape
notched component. A fully reversed loading (p) of +/- 10,000 N is applied on the sample to open and
close the notch. Clearly, the notch root will see the highest stress. Because the model is symmetric about
the notch, a half- model with a symmetric boundary condition is all that is required
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Figure 2-1
The S-N Analysis of the Keyhole Model
Figure 2-2
Keyhole Finite Element Model - Symmetric Half Model
Chapter 2: A Simple S-N Analysis 75

Problem Description
Objective
To introduce the S-N fatigue life prediction method, commonly referred to as the Stress-Life or
Total Life method.
Files Required
All files necessary to perform this and subsequent examples are found in Patran installation directory,
where the installation top level directory is commonly referred to as P3_HOME and, as such, can be set
as an environment variable as explained in the Patran Installation and Operations Guide under the
section called User Environment. Each chapter has a table in this section indicating which files are
necessary for proper execution.
Table 2-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/simpleSN.op2
P3_HOME/mscdtfat_files/examples/iceflow_local.mxd
Start Patran
Invoke Patran in any one of these ways:
On Windows, double-click Patran on the desktop or from the Start menu in the lower left corner
of the desktop
Start Patran from a command window:
$P3_HOME/bin/patran-skin (Windows)
$P3_HOME/bin/patran (Linux)
where $P3_HOME is the top level installation directory location
Note:
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While the steps of this exercise show Windows images using the Patran GUI skin look and
feel (-skin option), care is taken to indicate how to invoke the corresponding menus using
Patrans Linux Motif or Windows classic look and feel.


A linear static finite element analysis has already been performed with a load magnitude of 10,000
Newtons. To begin, read this model and results information into a new Patran database.

1. Under the Home tab, click New in the Defaults group
(Or pull down File > New).
2. Enter keyhole for File name

3. Verify that Set Working Directory to Database Location is checked ON, and click OK
All files will be created in the working directory, which is generally the directory location of the
database.
4. Pull down Analysis Code to MSC Nastran, and click OK

1. Under the Analysis tab, click Output2 in the Access Results group
(Or on the Analysis form, pull down Action | Object to Access Results | Read OP2).
2. Pull down Method to Both (model and results)
3. Click Select Results File...

4. Select simpleSN.op2 output file, and click OK
5. Click Apply to import the model and results
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1. Under the Results tab, click Fringe/Deformation in the Quick Plot group
(Or pull down Action | Object to Create | Quick Plot, on the Results form).
2. Select Stress Tensor for Select Fringe Result

3. Pull down Quantity to Maximum Principal 2D
4. Click Apply to view the stress results
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The maximum principal stress is about 333 MPa at the notch center as expected. Remember this value
for later use.
Figure 2-3
Main Index
Keyhole Model, Stress Results


There are two ways to perform a S-N analysis. The DTLib-based solver has a capability to do this, which
will be the first analysis we show. Then, at the end of this chapter we will show the alternate Classic
solver.

1. Under the Durability tab, click S-N Setup in the Stress-Life group
(Or pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Main Interface... to invoke the main MSC Fatigue form
and pull down Analysis to S-N).
2. Verify that Results Loc. is set to Node

The fatigue lives will be determined at each Node.
3. Verify that Nodal Ave. is set to Global
Element nodal stresses will be averaged to the nodes for all element contributions.
Note:
F.E. Results: Stress
S-N analysis requires stresses; you do not have a choice.
4. Verify that Res.Units is set to MPa

Model dimensions are millimeters, and forces are in Newtons, therefore stress units are MPa.
5. Pull down Solver to DTLib
The option to use the DTLib-based solver is set through the main MSC Fatigue form.
6. Enter simple_sn for Jobname
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7. Enter Simple S-N Analysis for Title
Solution Parameters
There are two subordinate forms that deal with specific settings for the fatigue analysis. The Generic
Solution Params... form allows the user to change settings that are common to all the DTLib-based
fatigue solutions. Accept all the defaults on this form.
The other form is the Solution Params... form that deals with parameters specific to the analysis at hand,
in this case the S-N analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set (any not mentioned should
remain set with the defaults).
(Or click Solution Params..., on the main MSC Fatigue form).
2. Verify that Analysis Sub Method is set to Standard

Standard S-N with a single material S-N curve data set is used.
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3. Pull down Mean Stress Correction to None

The time signal we are using is fully reversed loading (R=-1). The S-N curve that will be used was
generated by testing numerous polished test specimens at different constant amplitude, fully
reversed (R= -1) loading conditions. (The parameter (power law) that defines the S-N curve was
determined by Regression Analysis (page 883), of the raw data). Therefore no Mean Stress
Correction (page 883), is required since there is no mean stress to speak of. This will become more
clear when setting up the loading and material information forms.
4. Verify that Stress Combination is set to Max. Abs. Principal
This is the stress parameter that will be used in the fatigue analysis. The stress tensor from the FE
analysis results will be extracted at each node. However only a single stress value can be looked
up on the S-N curve. So the six component values of the stress tensor will be resolved to the
maximum absolute principal value which will be used as the stress look up parameter.
5. Verify that Certainty of Survival is set to 50.00%
This uses the scatter in the S-N data to adjust the fatigue life prediction accordingly. A higher
certainty will produce a lower life prediction and vice versa.
6. Click OK to close the Solution Params... form
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Loading Information
Define a Unit Load, Fully Reversed
Now, in order to do a fatigue analysis using linear static FE results, we must define how the load varies
with time. This is easily done in MSC Fatigue using the Loading Database Manager, PTIME. The load
will be defined as a constant amplitude, fully reversed loading. This will have the effect of oscillating the
10,000 Newton load from +10,000 to -10,000 Newtons.
1. Under the Durability tab, click S-N Loading in the Stress Life group
(Or click Loading Info..., on the main MSC Fatigue form).
2. Click Time History Manager to launch PTIME
Note:
Patran will be suspended until PTIME is closed so that any newly created load time histories
are recognized by Patran graphical interface.
3. Double-click Enter X-Y points in PTIME and enter data on the next form as indicated below
You may select any item and then click OK, or double-click the item only.
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4. Enter UNITLOAD for File Name

5. Enter Constant Amplitude, Fully Reversed Unit Load for Description 1
6. Enter Cycles for Fatigue equivalent units, and click OK
7. Enter 0, 1, -1, 0 for Next Y Value in PTIME
We are defining a single occurrence of this fully reversed, constant amplitude signal as one cycle
of the loading (for more information please visit Cycles (cycle counting), page 866). The X points
are taken as evenly spaced intervals with the Sample Rate (page 884), set to one.
8. Click OK twice and then click End
Clicking OK twice will input the data, followed by a blank line indicating the end of data input
process.
Plot the Time History
9. Double-click, Plot an entry in PTIME
(Or select Plot an entry, and click OK)
10. Click OK to accept UNITLOAD and get the plot below
Figure 2-4
Note:
Display of Unit Load.Dac
The mean of this signal is zero. In fatigue analysis, constant amplitude loading is usually
accompanied by a description of the mean, commonly referred to as the R-ratio. The R-ratio
is the minimum value of the signal divided by the maximum value and is a measure of the
signals mean value. In this case R= -1 signifying a fully reversed load where the maximum and
minimum absolute magnitudes are identical.
11. Pull down File > eXit to close the plot

12. Double-click eXit to close PTIME
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Associate the FE Load to its Time Variation

Now back on the Loading Info... form you must associate the time variation of the load that you just
created to the FE load case. This is done via a spreadsheet. Verify that the following are set on this form
(if not mentioned, please accept the default values):
1. Enter 1.0 for Equiv. Units
2. Enter 1.0 and Cycles for repeats of the loading =
This information mirrors the definition of the load time history we just created where the single
repeat of the time variation is defined as one cycle. There are two data boxes. Make sure you place
1.0 in the first and replace Repeats with Cycles in the second.
Three pieces of information must be input to the spreadsheet in the center of the form with all other
parameters using their default settings.
Load Case ID
3. Click the cell under Load Case ID
This is where you specify the FE analysis results that you will use in the fatigue analysis.
4. Click Get/Filter Results...
This will bring up a subordinate form to filter the results.
5. Check Select All Results Cases
The list box on the bottom left is filled with the only result load case that exists.
6. Click Apply
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7. Select 1.1-Default, Static Subcase under Select a Result Load Case

This will fill the cell with the numbers 1.1-3.1-, which are internal IDs necessary to identify the
result case. The other list box to the right, lists the tensor results that are available for the selected
result case. If more than one tensor result exists, you have to select it. However, when only one
exists, it is automatically selected for you by picking the results case. The cell you selected under
the Load Case ID is automatically filled for you, and the focus transfers to the cell next to it under
the Time History label.
Note:
The actual load case ID numbers you see may differ from those shown here.
Time History
8. Select the UNITLOAD row to fill the Time History cell with the time history file name
The middle cell becomes active after successfully selecting a FE load case. Another spreadsheet
(with one row) appears at the bottom of the form from which you select the time history file you
created previously. All time histories created using PTIME appear in this spreadsheet when the
Time History Cell is selected. Next, the focus will switch to the adjacent Load Magnitude cell.
Main Index

Load Magnitude
9. Verify that Divisor to Normalize Stresses has a value of 1.0 and press Enter
A specification of unity here signifies that the stresses from the FE analysis will be used as-is in
the fatigue analysis and the time variation loading that we defined will be used to scale the stresses
up or down as needed.
Note:
If you scroll the spreadsheet over to the right you will see entries for Scale Factor and Offset.
The FE stress results used by MSC Fatigue can be scaled in several different ways using the time history
created by PTIME using the Load Magnitude, Scale Factor and Offset on the Loading Info... form. The
stress time variation is determined as:
A
ij ,FEA- + C
ij ( t ) = P ( t ) -----------------------
where,
P(t) is the load as a variation of time
ij ,FEA is the stress from the finite element analysis

A is the Scale Factor
B is the Load Magnitude
C is the Offset
If the stress results are to be used as-is, then Load Magnitude and Scale Factor should be set to unity and
Offset to zero. Thus the time history will oscillate between its own maximum and minimum. To scale the
stress by 10 times, use a time history that oscillates between +/-1, and a Scale Factor of 10.0.
The Load Magnitude is normally used to normalize the stress results to simulate a unit load. It can also
be used to convert the stress values form one set of units to another. It is up to the user to be certain that
the proper combination of FE stress results, Time History, Load Magnitude, Scale Factor and Offset are
set.
10. Accept all the defaults, and click OK to close Loading Info... form
Main Index

Select the mxd Material Database
1. Under the Durability tab, click S-N Materials in the Stress Life group
(Or click Material Info..., on the main MSC Fatigue form).
2. Pull down Material Database Type to nCode MXD

In the Material Information form the Material Database Type has two different material
databases available, either of which can be used for S-N analysis: 1) nCode MXD and 2) nCode
MDB. For this example we will use the nCode MXD database.
The difference is that the mdb database is only applicable for single-curve standard material data.
To use multi-curve data sets, the mxd database must be used. Note that this choice of which is
available is enforced automatically if a multi-curve S-N Analysis Sub Method is chosen on the
Solution Params... form. This will be illustrated later in this example.
Furthermore, the default materials manager is called dtmat which can manage both MXD and
MDB style material database. If the user requires the Classic PFMAT material database manager
which can only manage MDB style database, this can be invoked from the Tools menu. The MDB
materials database is related to the Classic MSC Fatigue solvers, and can be used with the DTLibbased solver for compatibility sake. However, the newer MXD database is incompatible with the
Classic fatigue solver.
3. Click Select User Database
For this example problem, a local material database (iceflow_local.mxd) is used. This database
file name follows the standard naming convention, and locating the database in either the users
working directory or home directory will allow MSC Fatigue to automatically scan and find the
database. Note that this database is nearly identical to the database located in the MSC Fatigue
installation; it contains a few additional material datasets for use with this Quick Reference Guide.
4. Select iceflow_local.mxd
5. Click OK
Main Index

Select a S-N Dataset

A spreadsheet appears whose cells need to be filled in. We will specify an S-N curve, a material surface
finish and treatment, and a region on the model to which this combination will apply.
1. Click the cell under Material
2. Select Manten MSN under Select a Material
Scroll down the list box that appears under the spreadsheet and select the indicated material. Only
the Standard S-N material datasets appear in the listbox as extracted from the database based on
the fact that an S-N analysis is to be performed. Once the material is selected, the adjacent cell is
automatically activated.
3. Verify that Surface Finish is set to Polished
This should be already set for you by default. You can select a different Finish by changing the
pull down menu for Surface Finish.
4. Verify that Roughness is set to N/A
Roughness is not available. This is because the value of Roughness is only applicable for the
Surface Finish types Enter K-Roughness and Enter Surface Roughness which we are not using in
this example.
5. Verify that K Treatment has a value of 1
If not enter the value in the databox that appears below the spreadsheet. You need to press Enter
to accept the new value into the spreadsheet. The cell under Region will be activated then.
Note:
Main Index
You need to scroll the spreadsheet to the right, to see the additional columns.

6. Click the cell under Region

7. Select default_group for Region
Activate this cell if necessary by clicking on it. Select a Group list box should appear below the
spreadsheet. We will use the default_group which is a group of entities defined in the database. It
contains all the nodes and elements of the model. The selected group defines the area of the model
(the entire thing) to which this combination of material, finish, and treatment are to be assigned.
Any group you select must contain elements and all the associated nodes. If the group contains
elements only, an error message will be issued.
8. Select 3-At Z2 under the Region Layer
The next active cell is for the layer(s) selection. There are two layers of FE results data associated
with this model. Since the example model is subject to in-plane loading only, a single layer at Z2 is selected and necessary.
9. Click Fill Cell
Main Index

View the S-N Curve

It is of interest to view the actual S-N curve that is used to look up damage, and ultimately, calculate a
fatigue life from the stresses of the model. This is easily done using the material database manager dtmat.
Note:
Again, Patran will be suspended until dtmat is closed so that any newly created materials are
recognized by the Patran graphical interface.
1. Click Materials Database Manager to invoke dtmat

2. Pull down Database Type to nCode MXD Material Database
3. Click Browse... and navigate the directory batch to your local working directory
4. Select the local iceflow_local.mxd database, click Open, and then click OK
Note that the iceflow_local.mxd database is nearly identical to the standard database located in the
MSC Fatigue installation; it contains a few additional material datasets for use with this Quick
Reference Guide.
5. In the dtmat form, expand the nCode SN data set, and select Manten MSN
The material property values are listed under the Properties tab
6. Click Graph to view the Stress Life curve
Main Index

By default the S-N curve stress ranges are shown in MPa. Datasets are stored in SI units within the
database.
Note:
A portion of the S-N curve includes a region where the S-N curve is invalid. The S-N fatigue
analysis method is generally only good for high cycle fatigue problems, meaning that the
number of cycles to failure is generally very high.
1. Pull down Select Curve to Stress with UTS correction to see this invalid area
Note that this invalid region is below about 104 cycles. Another region of the curve is the cutoff region where the endurance limit is defined 108. Anything above this limit will be
reported back as being beyond the cut-off (infinite life).
2. Select File>Exit to close the plot and quit dtmat

3. Click OK to close the Material Info... form
The Concept of Similitude
Figure 2-5
Note:
Main Index
Tower Bridge
An S-N curve is based on the principle of similitude. This simply means that if we can
reproduce the same stress as that experienced in, say, Tower Bridge, in a test laboratory
specimen made of the same material, then we can expect the life of the two to be about the
same, if subjected to the same levels of stress.


1. Under the Durability tab, pull down S-N Analyze > S-N Full Run, in the Stress-Life group
(Or click Job Control... on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to Full Analysis).
2. Click OK to run the analysis

The database will close momentarily as the results information is extracted. When the database
reopens, the job will have been submitted.
3. Pull down Action to Monitor Job
4. Click Apply
When the message ...fatigue job complete appears, the analysis is complete.
Note:
The Monitor Job command does not update automatically. You need to click Apply to view
the current status of the job.
5. Click Cancel to close the form
Main Index


1. Under the Durability tab, pull down S-N Results > S-N Read Results, in the Stress-Life group
(Or click Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to Read
Results).
2. Click Apply to import the fatigue results

Note:
When fatigue results are imported, the following message is reported in the History
window:
The Current Spectrum has been set to fatigue spectrum for life contouring. A log_range
has also been created. Change them under Display/Spectrums(Ranges) if necessary.
This is simply a warning message to alert you to the fact that a different spectrum of colors
is set. You may have noticed that the stress plot changed color when the fatigue results were
imported, if your plot was still posted. Stress results are typically shown with red as the
high stress area. For fatigue lives, this is opposite. Using the fatigue_spectrum, the lowest
fatigue lives will be shown as red as the hot spots. Changing the spectrum is illustrated.
3. Click Cancel to close the Results form

(Or pull down Action | Object to Create | Quick Plot on the Results form).
Main Index

2. Select FEF Export, simple_snfef under Select Result Cases

Select the indicated results case. The result case will be displayed as simple_snfef, indicating it is
originated from an MSC Fatigue output file, named simple_sn.fef
3. Select Log Life, Cycles, under Select Fringe Result
4. Click Apply to view the model

Note that both Log life, Repeats, and Log life, Cycles, are available result types. Both show the
exact same result. The Log life, Repeats, is the default result value and will indicate the number
of repeats of the time history the model has survived. The Cycles is a user defined fatigue unit to
describe more accurately what Repeats of the time signal may mean. For example, it could
represent a number of Flights of an aircraft, or Laps around a test track, or Hours of operation. In
this case it is a single Cycle.
Main Index

The plot reveals the log of the fatigue life to be 5.64 cycles. This is equivalent to 105.64 = 436,516 cycles
at Node 1 with the desired Fringe Spectrum.
Figure 2-6
Quick Plot: Log of Life (Cycles)
Follow these steps if you get a different contour spectrum than the one shown on Figure 2-6:
1. Click Fringe Attributes, on Results form
2. Click Spectrum
Main Index

3. Select Fatigue Spectrum under Current Spectrum

Select the desired spectrum from the list. Any plot posted will adopt the new spectrum
immediately.
4. Click Cancel to close the Spectrum form
Tabular Listings
A csv (comma separated values) file is created by the fatigue analysis. This file is suitable for viewing
with Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet programs. The file is called simple_sn.csv. Here is a sampling
of the first few nodes:
Table 2-2
Node ID
Main Index
Excerpt of simple_sn.csv File

Shell Layer
Material Group
Damages
Life Repeats Life Equiv Cycles
Top
default_group
2.29E-06
4.37E+05
4.37E+05
Top
default_group
2.24E-06
4.47E+05
4.47E+05
Top
default_group
2.19E-06
4.56E+05
4.56E+05
Top
default_group
2.04E-06
4.89E+05
4.89E+05
Top
default_group
1.91E-06
5.23E+05
5.23E+05
Top
default_group
1.71E-06
5.86E+05
5.86E+05
Top
default_group
1.52E-06
6.57E+05
6.57E+05
Top
default_group
1.30E-06
7.71E+05
7.71E+05
Top
default_group
1.10E-06
9.07E+05
9.07E+05
10
Top
default_group
8.98E-07
1.11E+06
1.11E+05


As an optional exercise, the usage of multi-curve material models such as Multi-Mean Curve, MuLTi RRatio Curve, and Haigh Diagram is shown here.
The multi-curve analysis methods employ empirical data to account for mean stress effects rather than
analytical methods such as Gerber and Goodman. The multi-curve materials may be used (except for
Haigh Diagram) with the non-interpolate mean stress correction. However, a material curve
corresponding to R= -1 must be present.
The Multi-Mean Curve and MuLTi R-Ratio Curve methods are applicable for both S-N and E-N analysis;
the Haigh Diagram analysis is applicable for S-N analysis only. We will use the model in the previous
exercise to run a new case using one of these multi-curve methods. For this part follow the exact same
steps mentioned in the S-N analysis.
Bring up the main MSC Fatigue form and set up the subordinate forms as shown below:
(Or pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Main Interface... to invoke the main MSC Fatigue form,
and pull down Analysis to SN)

On the main MSC Fatigue form, set all the General Setup Parameters similar to those from the previous
S-N analysis, except the following:
2. Enter multi_mean for Jobname
3. Enter Multiple Mean Stress Curve for Title
Generic Solution Parameters
On the Generic Solution Params... form, set all the parameters similar to those from the previous S-N
analysis, except the following:
1. Pull down Log File Detail to High
Main Index

Solution Parameters
On the Solution Params... form, set all the parameters similar to those from the previous S-N analysis,
except the following:
1. Pull down Analysis Sub-Method to Multi Mean Curve
2. Pull down Mean Stress Correction to Interpolate
3. Click OK to close the form

Loading Information
On the Loading Info... form, set all the parameters similar to those from the previous S-N analysis. No
changes are necessary on this form.
On the Material Info... form, set all the parameters similar to those from the previous S-N analysis, except
the following:
1. Pull down Material Database Type to nCode mxd
Ensure that this is the database type selected as only this database type supports these multi-mean
SN curve. We are still using our local database located in the working directory. The Current Mat.
databox should indicate this.
3. Select Manten SN-MM
Select the indicated material data set that should appear in the Select a Material list box.
View the Mean Stress SN Curve
If you wish to view the mean stress curve associated with this dataset, run dtmat:
3. Click Browse... and navigate the directory batch to your local working directory as done before
4. Select the local iceflow_local.mxd database
5. Click OPEN, and then click OK
Main Index

6. Expand the nCode SN Mean Stress Curves

7. Select Manten SN-MM
8. Click Graph to inspect the Mean Stress Life Curves
Figure 2-7
Mean Stress Life Curves for Manten SN-MM

Open the Job Control form and submit the job, as you did for the S-N analysis. The database will close
momentarily as the results information is extracted. When the database reopens, the job will have been
submitted.
Use Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis. Note that the Monitor Job command does
not update automatically. You need to click Apply to view the current status of the job.
Review the Results
Import fatigue results as you did for the SN analysis. Next, plot the Log life, Cycles, using the Results
application as done previously, but for this analysis select FEF Export, multi_meanfef.
Main Index

Life at Node 1 is given as 104.33 = 21,379 cycles. You can also view this from the multi_mean.csv file
created by running this job.
The multi_mean.log file contains details concerning the FE results input data and calculation are given
for each entity. (Remember we set this to High output on the Generic Solution Params... form). For
example, the minimum and maximum cycle stress, as well as the number of cycles and the cycle damage
can be seen. For this particular example, the digitized S-N material curve at mean stress = 0 is reported
in the log file:
Life
3102
12651
64098
436900
4.576+06 9.45+07
3.05+11
3.3+17
Stress
800
700
600
500
400
200
100
300
Using these material data, a simple linear interpolation for a stress range of 660 MPa gives a life of 2.1E4
repeats; this agrees with the fatigue computation. Note the significant difference in computed life at Node
1 for this example versus the previous example; this is due to the difference in the material properties.
Even though the first example uses a material curve based on R-Ratio of -1 (zero mean stress), the actual
material curve differs from the digitized curve used in this example. Make a note of this life as we will
compare this life with and offset time history to demonstrate the Multi Mean Stress Curve concept.
Rerun the Analysis with a Different Mean

Leave all the parameters on the main MSC Fatigue form as is, except the following:
1. Enter multi_mean_offset for Jobname
2. Enter Multiple Mean Stress Curve, Offset the Time History Title
Leave all the parameters on the Loading Info... form as is, except the following:
3. Click the cell under Offset
4. Input 0.3 for Offset Value
You need to scroll the spreadsheet over the right to see this entry, and then change the Offset
Value. This will yield an offset range mean of 100 MPa (recall that the time history created
previously contains absolute peak values of +/-1). A 100 MPa mean stress S-N curve exists in the
database for Manten SN-MM, the material used in the analysis above.
5. Press Enter to accept the new value into the spreadsheet
Rerun the analysis using Job Control... form and then use Fatigue Results... to import the results. Next,
plot Log life, Cycles, using the Results application as done previously. The life at the same location
(Node 1) drops to approximately 103.41 = 2.570 cycles. Note that this can be read off the material curve
for mean stress = 100 MPa.
Main Index

The Bastenaire Approach

With this approach, the scatter of the fatigue tests can be used to formulate some probability of failure
(assuming a normal distribution of failures at a given stress level). Thus, a certainty of survival is
formally introduced into the S-N computation. The Bastenaire S-N curve formulation is as follows:
SE c
A - exp ---------------b-
N = -------------- B
S Eb
The parameters in this formulation are described in . The description of the material dataset, which
captures experimental data in this form, is also given in the same table.
In order to use the Bastenaire S-N approach, the appropriate material properties must be available. It is
left as an exercise for the student to investigate usage of this S-N type.
Table 2-3
Bastenaire Parameters
Description2
Parameter Name
Main Index
Material Type
Numeric code defining the type of material. The material type is required
for correct application of surface finish and stress gradient corrections.
UTS
Ultimate tensile strength. This is required to apply the static failure

criterion
Modulus of elasticity. Required for S-N when the FE results are elastic
strain
Bastenaire coefficient a parameter positioning the curve along the life

axis
Scale factor parameter
Bastenaire exponent
EB
Bastenaire fatigue limit
RR
R-ratio of test
Stress Type
Amplitude, Range or Maximum
Sd
Bastenaire scatter factor
S-N Optional Output: Stress Time History and Cycle

Count Data
The DTLib-based solver has the capability to output stress time history and cycle count information. This
can be done by running the solver from the command line, and using the appropriate command line
options. Since this can result in a large amount of data, it is recommended that this optional output is only
performed for a few entities of interest. The entities can be selected via the command line option
/ENTIDS or using hot-spot filtering techniques.
In order to output stress time history, the /TSOUT command line option is required. The command line
option /OUTTXT can be used to switch between text-based output (i.e., csv file) and binary output (i.e.,
dac file). An example command line is as follows:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /TSOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /INP=simple_sn.fin
The following text-based stress time history data files are created for each entity:
simple_sn_ts_1_.csv
simple_sn_ts_2_.csv
Using the command line option /OUTTXT=N, as shown below, results in dac file output:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /TSOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /OUTTXT=N /INP=simple_sn.fin
The following binary stress time history and metadata files are created for each entity:
simple_sn_ts_1_01.dac
simple_sn_ts_2_01.dac
simple_sn_ts_1__dac.nmd
simple_sn_ts_2__dac.nmd
Similarly, cycle count information can be output using the /CYCOUT command line option. The
command line option /OUTTXT can be used to switch between text-based output (i.e., csv file) and
binary output (i.e., nCode s3m file). Note, however, that MSC Fatigue currently doesnt have a viewer
for the s3m file. An example command line is as follows:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /CYCOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /INP=simple_sn.fin
The following text-based cycle list data files are created:
simple_sn_cyc_1_01.csv
simple_sn_cyc_2_01.csv
Using the command line:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /CYCOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /OUTTXT=N /INP=simple_sn.fin
The following binary cycle list data files are created:
simple_sn_cyc_1_.s3m
Main Index

simple_sn_cyc_2_.s3m
Main Index


The final task of this exercise is to run the same simple S-N and multi-curve S-N analyses, using the
Classic solver. Step by step instructions are not given here. Only the parameters that need to be set on
each form are given. It is left to the reader to exercise these as desired.
Simple S-N Analysis

Set the parameters on each form as indicated in the tables below. Any parameters not mentioned below
should remain set with their default settings.
Analysis
S-N
Results Loc.
Node
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Stress
Res.Units
MPa
Solver
Classic
Jobname
simple_sn_classic
Title
Simple S-N Analysis Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
Mean Stress Correction: None

Stress Combination:
Max. Abs. Principal
Certainty of Survival:
50.0
Loading Information
Load Case ID:
1.1-3.1-
Time History:
UNITLOAD.DAC
Load Magnitude:
1.0
Scale Factor:
1.0
Offset:
0.0
Main Index
Material:
MANTEN_MSN
Finish:
Polished

Treatment:
No Treatment
Region:
default_group
Layer:
Kf:
1.0
Multiplier:
1.0
Offset:
0.0

Leave all General Setup Parameters on the main MSC Fatigue form as is, except the following:
1. Pull down Solver to Classic
2. Enter Simple_sn_classic for Jobname
3. Enter Simple S-N Analysis Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is, except the following:
2. Verify that Stress/Strain Combination is set to Max Abs. Principal
Main Index

Loading Information
Leave all the parameters on the Loading Info... form as is. No changes are necessary on this form.
Leave all the parameters on the Material Info... form as is, except the following:
2. Select Manten_MSN under Select a Material
the Standard S-N material datasets appear in the listbox as extracted from the database based on
the fact that an S-N analysis is to be performed. Once the material is selected, the adjacent cell is
automatically activated.
3. Verify that Surface Finish is set to No Finish
4. Verify that Treatment is set to No Treatment

6. Select default_group under Select a Group
Main Index

8. Click Fill Cell
View the S-N Curve

1. Click Materials Database Manager to open PFMAT
Note that with the Classic solver, the material database manager used is a program called PFMAT.
2. Double-click Load > Data Set 1 in PFMAT
3. Scroll down to select MANTEN_MSN
Main Index

4. Double-click Graphical display in PFMAT, to view the S-N curve

Clicking anywhere on the curve will display coordinate values in the lower left corner of the plot.
This makes it easy to read values directly off the curve. You should be able to see the cut-off value
and the invalid region of the curve.
5. Pull down File>eXit to close the plot
6. Double-click eXit to quit PFMAT
Run the Analysis

Open the Job Control form and submit the job, as you did for the S-N analysis. The database will close
submitted. Use Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis. Note that the Monitor Job
command does not update automatically. You need to click Apply to view the current status of the job.
View the Results

When the job is complete, use Fatigue Results... in the main MSC Fatigue form to import the results.
You can also use List Results option. This is a simple utility to give you a tabular listing of results. It is
left to the user to explore this utility. View the life contour plot as done before. You should notice a fatigue
life of 105.6527 = 449,469 cycles, which compares favorably to the DTLib-based solver. Follow these
steps as a small exercise to introduce the concept of what if analysis:
1. Click Fatigue Results, on the main MSC Fatigue form
2. Pull down Action to Optimize, and click Apply
Please note that you do not need to enter a node number. This will launch the module FEFAT in
its design optimization mode. FEFAT is the FE-fatigue Classic solver used to calculate fatigue
life. It can be run in both batch and interactive modes.
3. Select Worst Case

The node with the lowest life prediction is selected automatically.
Main Index

4. Enter a Design Life of 1E+06 (a million) cycles, and click OK

The analyzer will recalculate the fatigue life at Node 1 and report the value to you.
5. Inspect the Fatigue Life report and then click End to get back to the Design Optimization menu
6. Double-click Material optimization...
7. Enter RQC100_MSN for S-N dataset, and click OK
Changing the material from MANTEN_MSN to RQC100_MSN helps to see the effect of a different
material on the fatigue life.
8. Double-click Recalculate
9. Inspect the new life report and click End

Note that the life is bettered by almost an order of magnitude.
Main Index

10. Double-click eXit to main menu to quit Design Optimization

Hint: When you change materials, they must be the same types of materials (steel vs. steel, aluminum
vs. aluminum, etc.) If you wish to change from steel to aluminum then the Youngs modulus
changes would invalidate the results. There are some general guidelines on how to do this
properly in the MSC Fatigue Users Guide.
Multi-Curve S-N Analysis

Set the parameters on each form as indicated in the table below. Any parameters not mentioned below
should remain as set in the previous example for the S-N analysis using the Classic solver.
Analysis:
S-N
Solver:
Classic
Jobname:
multi_mean_classic
Title:
Multi Mean Stress Curve - Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
Mean Stress Correction: Multiple Mean Curves

Loading Information
No changes
Material:
MANTEN
Solution Parameters
On the Solution Params... form, pull down Mean Stress Correction to Multiple Mean Curves
On the Material Info... form, note that when using multiple mean curves, clicking the Materials
Database Manager brings up an ASCII representation of these types of material data sets and does not
use PFMAT. New data sets of the type need to be entered into this ASCII file when using the Classic
solver.
Main Index

Run the Analysis

Submit the job as previously done on the Job Control... form, and then import the results using Fatigue
Results... form. You can also use the List Results option on the same form to view a tabular listing of
the results. Inspection of the results show a fatigue life of 104.2704 = 18,637 cycles. This compares
favorably with the DTLib-based solver.
Let us take a closer look at the stress time history at this node.
1. Pull down Action to Extract Time History, on Fatigue Results... form
2. Enter Node 1 for Select Nodes, and click Apply
The MFATFE module is now displayed on the first form.
3. Double-click Utilities
You may select an item and then click OK or double-click the item only.
4. Double-click Node/Element options
Main Index

5. Click OK to accept multi_mean_classic.fef as the existing Result Filename

6. Select User input
7. Enter 1 for Node/Element ID
8. Click OK
9. Double-click Time History Extraction
This will bring up a table that shows the maximum and minimum stress values for Node 1.
10. Click Cancel to close this form and bring up the graphical representation of the data
Figure 2-8
Main Index
Stress Time History Plot of Multi Mean Classic at Node 1

Remember the life calculated by this stress range with zero mean as we will compare this life to that using
an offset time history to demonstrate the Multi Mean Stress Curve concept.
11. Pull down File > eXit to close the graph
12. Double-click Return, then double-click return to Main menu
13. Double-click eXit to close MFATFE
Multi-curve Analysis with Offset

Change only the parameters shown below based on the previous multi_mean_classic job and run the
analysis again with a stress offset to demonstrate the Multi Mean Stress Curve concept.
Analysis
S-N
Jobname
multi_mean_classic_offset
Title
Multi Mean Stress Curve with Offset - Classic Solver

Loading Information
Offset
0.3
Applying an Offset value of 0.3 on the Loading Info... form, will offset the Time History and yield an
offset range mean of 100 MPa.
1. Click Loading Info... on the main MSC Fatigue form
2. Click the cell under Offset
Note that you need to scroll the spread sheet to the right to see the additional columns.
3. Enter 0.3 for Offset Value
4. Press Enter to accept the new value
5. Click OK to close the Loading Info... form
Main Index

A 100 MPa mean stress S-N curve exists in the database for MANTEN (material used in this analysis).
The life at the same location (Node 1) drops to 103.3569 = 2,275 cycles. You can see the offset stress time
history at Node 1 by extracting it again in the same manner as explained above.
Figure 2-9
Main Index
Stress Time History Plot of Multi Mean Classic with Offset, at Node 1

Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
This was a very simple analysis, the results of which should be obvious. The lowest life was naturally
predicted at the highest stressed location. Because the loading was simple, perhaps a detailed fatigue
analysis as performed here, was not necessary. In fact you could have simply extracted the highest
principal stress (333 MPa) and gone directly to the S-N curve using dtmat (or PFMAT) to assess the life.
This, of course, starts to become very impractical with anything much more complicated as you will see
in subsequent examples.
As an exercise, go back to the Material Info... form and invoke the materials database manager, dtfat (or
PFMAT if using the Classic solver), and plot the S-N curve as done before. You can read the life value
right from the curve.
Hint:
To read the correct life value from the curve for this exercise, you must multiply the
maximum principal stress at Node 1 by two (666 MPa) since the total range of the signal
is twice the stress determined by the FE analysis since it is experiencing full reversal.
Note:
Note about plasticity: fatigue cannot occur without some local plasticity. The S-N method
makes no effort to define the amount of plasticity or compensate for it in any specific manner.
All plasticity is built into the S-N curve itself.
The S-N curve used in this exercise is known as a material S-N curve. This is significant
because you must know beforehand what the S-N curve you use actually represents. In this
case the S-N curve is representative of the actual material and relates local stress () to life.
That is, the monitored stress used to create the S-N curve is the stress at the actual failure
location. This will become more clear when we discuss another type of S-N curve
(component S-N) in a later exercise.
Exit from Patran when finished with this exercise. Keep the files and directory for use in the next
exercise.
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Concluding Remarks
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Chapter 3: Rainflow Cycle Counting

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Problem Description
118
Review the Results
Concluding Remarks
129
135
119
126

Problem Description
Problem Description
This example is an extension of the previous example where the simple constant amplitude loading is
replaced with a more complex randomly varying time signal.
Invoke Patran by typing the following symbols at the system prompt or from a DOS window:
p3
or patran
If you have not already, open the same database that you created in the previous example working in the
same directory from the File | Open menu. The name of the database should be keyhole.
Objective
To predict the life of the keyhole subject to a varying load signal.
To understand how to normalize the FE stresses.
To introduce the concept to rainflow cycle counting.
To introduce the concept of damage summation.
To investigate the effect of mean stress.
To investigate the probabilistic nature of fatigue.
Note:
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The geometry and materials information are identical to that of the previous exercise.
Chapter 3: Rainflow Cycle Counting 119


To begin setup for a fatigue analysis click the Tools pull-down menu in Patran, select MSC Fatigue and
then Main Interface. This will bring up the MSC Fatigue main form from which all parameters, loading
and materials information, and analysis control are accessed.
Load the Previous S-N Analysis Parameters
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Instead of defining all the analysis parameters again, let us begin from the last analysis. Once the form is
open, type the jobname of the previous example in the Jobname databox (simple_sn) and issue a
carriage return (Return or Enter). You will be prompted to read in an old analysis setup file (it detects a
file called simple_sn.fin in your local directory and reads in the parameters).
Hint:
You can do the same thing in the Job Control... form with the Action set to Read
Saved Job.
Now change the jobname and the title:

1. Jobname: rf_cycle
2. Title: Simple S-N Analysis, Variable Loading
Loading Information
Open the Loading Info... form. Then press the Time History Manager button. This will launch PTIME.
The time variation of the load will be defined by a signal called SAETRN which is stored in the loading
central database in the installation directory.
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Copy SAETRN from the Central Database
When PTIME comes up, select Add an entry... and then Copy from central as the method of input. A
form will appear that will ask for a name. Use the List button to select SAETRN from the central
database.
Scale the Time History Load
From the PTIME main menu, select Change an entry... and then Polynomial transform. We are going
to scale up the time history to represent the actual loading applied to the component. You will be asked
for the Database Entry to transform and a new target file. Use the same name (SAETRN) for both and
allow overwrite. The transformation form will then appear. We simply want to scale the load up so all
that is needed is to input a scale factor of 10 in the second databox. Click OK when done.
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Finally a form appears allowing you to change any details associated with this time history. Enter the
following:
1. Description 1: Leave as is
2. Description 2: Blank this out
3. Load type: Force
4. Units: Newtons
5. Number of fatigue equivalent units: 1
6. Fatigue equivalent units: Repeats
Life results will be reported as the number of Repeats of this entire loading sequence and not as individual
stress cycles as in the previous exercise.
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PTIME returns to its main menu where you can select Plot an entry. Accept the default file, SAETRN.
Note that the maximum value is close to 10,000 Newtons. As a comparison to the previous example,
which oscillated in a fully reversed fashion between positive 10kN and negative 10kN, this signal varies
significantly with a very positive mean and only occasionally reaches or nears the 10kN maximum. We
therefore would expect this loading to be less damaging with all else the same.
Select File | Exit to close the plot and click or double-click the eXit switch in PTIME.
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created to the static FE load case. Go to the spreadsheet as was done in the previous example. Two things
need to be changed on this form.
1. Time History: SAETRN

Select the middle cell to make it active. Another spreadsheet (now with two rows) appears at the
bottom of the form from which you select the time history file. Click on the SAETRN row
anywhere with the mouse. This will replace the cell with the new time history file name.
2. Load Magnitude: 10,000
The next cell becomes active and a databox appears below the spreadsheet. Change this entry to
10,000. You must press a carriage return (Return or Enter) to accept the value in the databox and
fill the cell in the spreadsheet. Forgetting to do this is a common error.
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The time variation of the loading is now associated to the static FE results. Click the OK button to close
the Loading Info... form.
Note:
In the previous example we entered unity for the Load Magnitude accepting the FE load as
being the true representation of the load and thus the stresses. The time history, UNITLOAD,
scaled the stress distribution between 1 and -1 to signify the time variation of the loading. This
time the time history SAETRN is used to define the actual loading as it changes with time.
The FE load magnitude is therefore simply an arbitrary number used to obtain the stress
distribution. The stresses in the FE analysis need to be normalized by this FE load magnitude
of 10kN, to simulate the stress distribution due to a unit load.
The load magnitude acts as a divisor to normalize the stresses to obtain a stress distribution due to a unit
load as in the equation ij(t)=P(t)ij/Pfea, where ij and Pfea are the stress tensor and load magnitude from
the FE analysis, P(t) is the externally defined time variation of the loading, and ij(t) is the resulting time
variation of the stress tensor (at any particular location in the component). This can be done because the
analysis is linear elastic. Using linear elastic FE analysis and associating an external time variation of the
loading for fatigue analysis is called the pseudo-static method. It might be said that all stress analyses
are basically fatigue analyses, the differences lying in the number of cycles of applied stress. - quote
from Carl C. Osgood, Fatigue Design (1982).
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You are ready to run the fatigue analysis. Open the Job Control... form, set the Action to Full Analysis
and click the Apply button. The database will close momentarily as the results information is extracted.
When the database reopens, the job will have been submitted. You can then set the Action to Monitor
Job and click the Apply button from time to time to view the progress. When the message appears, the
analysis is complete. Close down the Job Control... form when done.
Fatigue analysis completed successfully

This analysis takes longer to run to completion than the previous example is due to the complex nature
of the time signal. The program is performing a procedure called rainflow cycle counting, referred to as
preprocessing in MSC Fatigue. Cycle counting is a mechanism to extract and count the number of
stress cycles in a signal.
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The term Rainflow is attributed to two Japanese gentlemen, Matsuishi and Endo, who invented the
method. It is based on the concept of rain drops flowing off Japanese style pagoda roofs. Time history
signals are stood on end and rain is visualized to run off of each peak or valley. Various rules were
adopted to count cycles and reversals which is beyond the scope of this text; but suffice it to say that the
end result of rainflow cycle counting is a set of constant amplitude signals and a count of the number of
cycles in each. Cycle counts can be visualized as probability density functions (PDF) or as 3-dimensional
histogram matrices as you will see later.
Damage Summation
It is important to break up a variable signal into a number of constant amplitude signals in order to assess
the life from the S-N curve. The curve itself is created by a series of constant amplitude tests. So for each
cycle in the signal you must look up the proper stress from the S-N curve. What stress to look up is the
job of rainflow cycle counting. The next challenge to tackle is the summation of the damage from each
cycle in order to report a total life due to all cycles. This is accomplished by way of the Palmgren-Miner
linear damage summation law.
This states that damage can be summed by determining the ratio of the number of cycles experienced to
the number of cycles to failure for a given stress range or level and then summing all the ratios for every
stress range. When this number, known as Miners Constant, reaches unity, failure is said to have
occurred. The predicted life is then determined by summing the percentage of life used by each stress
level for the entire time signal. Life is then reported back as to the number of times the given time signal
can be applied before failure.
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Hint:
This is where user-defined fatigue equivalent units come in handy, because rarely does one
want life reported in repeats of the time signal, but rather in more meaningful units such
as hours, miles, years, laps, missions, etc. This is accomplished by defining these userdefined units in the PTIME, loading database manager, utility. Use the Change an entry |
Edit details option.
Speeding up the Analysis

There are two ways that you could speed up this analysis.
1. First, since we already know where the failure location will be (at the point of highest stress)
because of the simplicity of this model, we could have defined a Group with only this node (Node
1) and specified it in the Materials Info... form. This however, would only calculate life at this
one node and would ignore the rest of the model.
2. Second, on the Job Control... form you can turn on the Simplified Analysis toggle. As an
exercise after you finish this problem, turn this toggle ON, change the Jobname to something else
and re-run the problem. Note how much faster the analysis proceeds relative to the first time.
What is happening is that for a normal analysis, the rainflow procedure is being applied to each
location once its stress time variation is determined. When the Simplified Analysis toggle is
turned ON, the rainflow procedure is applied to the loading time history first and the FE stresses
are used to scale the rainflow histogram matrix. This speeds up the analysis significantly for a
complex time signal for a single load. It does however, produce slightly less accurate results.
Notice the slight variation in predicted life when you do this.
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Review the Results
Review the Results

Open the Results... form on the main MSC Fatigue setup form (not to be confused with the Results
application switch on the main Patran form). With the Action set to Read Results, click Apply. The
fatigue analysis results have been read into the database. You can review the life contour plot as you did
in the previous exercise if you wish. The contour will look similar but the magnitudes will be different.
Tabular Listing
On the MSC Fatigue Results... form, change the Action to List Results and click Apply. This will start
the module PFPOST which tabularly lists the fatigue analysis results. Accepting the jobname and the
default filtering values by clicking OK a couple of times will get you to the main menu. Click or doubleclick the Most damaged nodes switch to view a tabular listing. Note the life value of approximately
105.26=184,000 repeats of the signal on Node 1. This is significantly less damaging than the previous
example considering the life is reported in repeats of the time history and not as individual cycles. To get
the number of cycles, we would have to multiply the life result by the rainflow cycle count. Click Cancel
to quit the listing and click or double-click eXit to leave PFPOST.
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Review the Results
Histogram Matrix
Let us take a look at the results of a rainflow cycle count. From the Results... form, change the Action to
Optimize and click Apply (you do not need to enter a node number) on the Results... form. This will
launch the module FEFAT in its design optimization mode. When it comes up, press Worst Case to
automatically select the node with the lowest life prediction. Enter a Design Life of 1E6 (a million)
repeats. Click the OK button. The analyzer will re-analyze the fatigue life at Node 1 and will report the
life value to you. Clicking the End button will put you into the main optimization menu.
Select Results Display and then plot Cycles histogram. This will display a histogram plot showing the
results of the rainflow cycle count for the critical location on the model. It looks a little bit like a city
skyline. Note that there are quite a few cycles that have low stress ranges and that there are fewer with
high stress ranges. The height of each tower represents the number of cycles at that particular stress range
and mean. Each tower is used to look up damage on the S-N curve and damage is summed over all towers.
A histogram cycle plot from our first example would yield only a single tower of unit height with a mean
of zero.
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Review the Results
Hint:
The accuracy of the fatigue calculation is dependent on the number of towers allowed in the
rainflow histogram. Typically it is broken up into what are called bins which is the matrix
size. These bins can be 32x32, 64x64, or 128x128. If you want to increase the accuracy, you
can run FEFAT interactively at the critical location and specify a larger bin size.
Now convert the cycle histogram plot to a damage histogram plot. This is done by either returning to the
main menu and selecting results Display | plot Damage histogram or with the cycle histogram plot still
displayed, select Plot_type | Damage. Now you can see the damage caused by each bin. Notice that the
lower stress ranges produced zero damage. All damage came from cycles in the higher stress range,
which is to be expected. Select File | Exit when done viewing the graphics.
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Review the Results
Effect of Mean Stress

Now let us investigate the effect of mean stress on the fatigue life predictions. First remember that the
S-N curve we are using was produced for an R-ratio of minus one, or no mean stress in other words. The
time history used in this example has a predominately tensile mean. The initial life prediction did not take
into consideration this mean stress and therefore could perhaps be giving a somewhat non-conservative
answer. From FEFATs design optimization menu, select Sensitivity analysis | Mean stress correction
(all) then click or double-click the Recalculate switch. A listing showing no correction plus two mean
stress correction methods appear: Goodman and Gerber. Note that both of them give more conservative
answers.
How is mean stress compensated for in the S-N analysis?
The simple way to explain this is that for both the Goodman and Gerber methods, knowing the ultimate
tensile strength (Su) and the actual stress amplitude (a) and mean (m), an equivalent stress range with
zero mean is determined. Goodman and Gerber follow these equations:
a m
------ + ------- = 1 Goodman
Se Su
a m 2
------ + ------= 1 Gerber
Se Su
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Review the Results
Graphically this looks like the plot to the right where, at least for Goodman, if you draw a line connecting
Su to the intersection of a and m and then continue it on to the stress amplitude axis, this will indicate
the equivalent stress Se with zero mean. This stress is then used to look up damage on the S-N curve.
Note:
As a stress range of a cycle becomes larger and larger, there tends to be less and less possible
variability in the mean of that cycle. This is indicated on the cycle histogram plot since the
base of these type of plots tends to be triangular in nature, which means that as the stress gets
larger, the mean stress has less of an effect on the fatigue life.
Probabilistic Nature of Fatigue

As a final exercise in this example, let us investigate two different materials as we did in the first problem.
From the main menu of FEFATs design optimization mode, select Material optimization. Change the
material S-N curve from MANTEN_MSN to RQC100_MSN and then click or double-click the
Recalculate switch again. Note that RQC100_MSN, being a much higher strength steel, gives a much
higher life prediction (357,000 repeats vs. 184,000 repeats) for no mean stress corrections. This means
RQC100_MSN is a better material to use (or does it?). Just looking at the S-N curve might indicate this
also.
Click or double-click the Original parameters button to put the material back to MANTEN_MSN and
then click or double-click the Change parameters switch and change the Design Criterion to 99. Click
OK. Double-click the Recalculate switch. Note the life of approximately 85,400 repeats. Now change
the material to RQC100_MSN as done earlier and press or double-click the Recalculate switch. The life
using the higher strength steel is now only about 30,900 repeats, less than that of the lower strength steel.
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Review the Results
This is due to the probabilistic nature of fatigue and the scatter associated with the S-N curves
themselves. By specifying 99 as the design criterion, we are asking MSC Fatigue to calculate a life value
based on a 99% certainty of survival. The larger the scatter in the original S-N data that makes up the
curve, the less certain we will be of survival and the code takes this into account by reporting a more
conservative answer. The default is a 50% probability of survival (or failure).
.
Note:
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Scatter is associated with S-N curves and other damage curves due to the fact that, for
example, if you take 10 identical test coupons and subject them to what you think are identical
tests, you will get ten slightly different answers. The material parameters associated with S-N
curves take this into consideration with the Standard Error of Log(N) (SE) determined by
regression analysis of the raw data.

Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
This exercise introduced you to rainflow cycle counting, damage summation, mean stress effects, and
the probabilistic nature of fatigue by using a randomly varying load on our simple keyhole model.
Though this example still did not help us identify critical locations since we already knew where failure
would occur, it did start to show the power of MSC Fatigue by being able to handle complex time signals
and to make compensation for parameters that may effect the fatigue life, something that would be a
daunting task to do by hand.
The next exercise will introduce the concept of a component S-N curve.
Quit from Patran when you are through with this exercise.
.
Note:
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MSC Fatigue does not take into account the frequency (speed at which cycles are experienced)
or the sequence (when a particular cycle is experienced relative to other cycles) of cycles from
a given signal. Rainflow cycle counting simply counts the number of cycles and determines
their range and mean. Frequency and sequence can have an influence on the fatigue life but is
a third or fourth order effect on life prediction in most cases. MSC Fatigue does provide you
with certain fatigue analysis utilities to determine if these influences are important after the
initial analysis using the MSC Fatigue module MTCD (for time correlated damage).

Concluding Remarks
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Chapter 4: Component S-N Analysis

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Component S-N Analysis
Problem Description
138
Geometry
Review the Results
Concluding Remarks
139
159
164
142
158

Problem Description
Problem Description
A simple bracket as shown has a design life of 7 years (61,320 hours). Loading occurs at the end of the
short section which has been welded and the component is constrained at both ends of the main bar.
Because failure is known to occur at the weld, the finite element modeling at the loading point and the
stresses found there can be ignored for the purposes of this exercise. The load applied in the model was
900 lbs total. In service, the component experiences loading of 3000 lbs in the direction of the finite
element load and 7000 lbs in the reverse direction. This occurs once every 30 minutes. Only a 4% failure
rate is allowed.
Objective
To introduce the concept of a component S-N curve.
To learn how to enter materials data into the database manager.
To determine if the component achieves its design life.
To determine what level of loading can be achieve and what failure rate could be expected - a
sensitivity study.
To understand what files are created by an MSC Fatigue analysis.
Table 4-1
Chapter 4 Necessary Files

File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bracket.op2
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Chapter 4: Component S-N Analysis 139

Geometry
Geometry
Invoke MSC Patran as you did in the previous examples. The geometry can be found in the file
bracket.op2. The results are from MSC Nastran. Copy the file to your working directory. Open a new
database in a clean, empty work directory from the File | New menu. Give the name bracket to the
database.

Press the Analysis toggle switch or tab on the main form. When the form appears set the Action to Access
Results, the Object to Read Output2, and the Method to Both (model and results) then press the Select
Results File button and select the file bracket.op2 and click Apply. The model will then appear and you
are ready to set up a fatigue analysis.

Before moving on to the fatigue analysis, press the Results application switch or tab on the main form to
view the stress results from the MSC Nastran analysis. Select Stress Tensor, from the listbox and set the
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Geometry
Quantity to Maximum Principal. Click the Apply button and note the areas of high stress mostly around
the applied load. This however, is not of concern to us. What we are interested in is the stress at Node
514 of around 2,690 PSI. This will be explained in more detail as we set up the material information.
To rotate the model, press the middle mouse button or for a two button mouse, press both at the same
time.
When you are done, press the Results switch again to close down the Results application form.
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Geometry
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To begin setup for a fatigue analysis, from the Tools pull-down menu in MSC Patran, select MSC Fatigue
and then Main Interface. This will bring up the MSC Fatigue main form from which all parameters,
loading and materials information, and analysis control are accessed.
Once the form is open, set the Main Form as follows:
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1. Analysis: S-N
2. Results Loc.: Node
This simply means that the fatigue lives will be determined at the nodes of the model.
3. Nodal Ave.: Global
Accept the default which simply means element nodal stresses will be averaged to the nodes.
4. F.E. Results: Stress
S-N analyses require stresses; you do not have a choice.
5. Res. Units: PSI
Model dimensions are inches and forces are in Pounds, therefore stress units are PSI.
6. Jobname: comp_sn
7. Title: Component S-N Analysis
Solution Parameters
Open the Solution Params... form. On this form leave all the defaults except:
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Certainty of Survival: 96
As we learned in the last exercise, the S-N data can have significant scatter associated with it. We
are asking MSC Fatigue to calculate a fatigue live with 96% certainty of survival based on the
scatter in the S-N data. This corresponds to a 4% failure rate.
Click the OK button to continue.
The component was tested under constant amplitude, fully-reversed conditions to produce S-N data. In
the previous examples we have used S-N curves that are representative of the material and independent
of geometry. They related local stress () to life. Now we have a different situation where the actual
component geometry itself as well as the material has been used in tests to create the S-N curve. This type
of S-N curve is called a component S-N curve. These type of curves relate nominal stress (S) to life and
are dependent on the geometry of the component. If you change the geometry, the curve will no longer
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be valid. The nominal stress is a location away from the actual failure location. This is usually because
it is impossible to place a measurement device such as a strain gauge in the failure location. The stress
for the S-N curve was measured using strain gauges at a point one quarter of an inch from the weld on
the main bar and 5 inches from each end of the bar. Node 514 of the model corresponds to this
measurement point for the S-N curve. The point of measurement is sometimes referred to as the
reference location.
For this model we have an S-N curve that needs to be input to PFMAT, the materials database manager.
Two methods of entering this data will be given.
Table 4-2
S-N Data Set for Bracket Assembly

Properties
SI
Imperial
S-N Properties:
Stress Range Intercept, SRI1
10,710 MPa
1553 KSI
First fatigue strength exponent, b1
-0.33333
-0.33333
Fatigue transition point (cycles), NC1
1E7
1E7
Second fatigue strength exponent, b2
-0.2
-0.2
Standard error of Log (N), SE
0.2
0.2
R-Ratio of test, RRAT
-1
-1
Youngs Modulus, E
205,800 MPa
29, 850 KSI
UTS
700 MPa
101.5 KSI
Monotonic Properties:
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Manual Entry of Materials Data
Open the Material Info... form and press the Materials Database Manager button. This will invoke
PFMAT. Once the program has started, select Create | data set 1.
You will be asked for a password to modify the central database location. If you do not enter a password
and simply press the carriage return or the OK button, a copy of the central materials database will be
copied to your local directory where you can then proceed to enter your materials data.
Note:
PFMAT always tells you at the top of its main menu whether it is connected to the central
database in the MSC Fatigue installation area or a local database in the current directory, or
even some other database that you may have created in another directory.
Now a series of forms will open requesting data entry. On the first form, Names, enter:
1. Primary name: BRACKET_SN
2. Anything else you want - not required
On the next form, Static Data, enter the generic (monotonic) information:
1. UTS: Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa): 700
2. E: Elastic modulus (MPa): 205800
Only these two parameters are required to be entered. The next form (E-N data) is for strain data. Skip
over this form by clicking the OK button. The next form is for S-N data. Select Component from the
pull-down menu.
For the rest of the data, enter the SI values as indicated in Table 4-2. Click the OK button when done.
Fracture Mechanics Data is requested next. Just click the OK button to skip over this. Multiaxial data is
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requested next. Skip over this form also by clicking the OK button. The material will be entered into the
database. Press or double-click the Graphical Display switch to view the S-N curve.
Hint:
We are entering the data here in SI units. All underlying fatigue calculations are done using
SI units. However if you wish to enter and view materials data in Imperial units, set the
preference using Preferences | Stress units | PSI. You can save this setting globally, or
just locally in your working directory (or not at all) so that each time you invoke PFMAT
it remembers to display values and plots in your units of preference.
Note:
S-N curves are characterized by a power law and thus appear as straight lines in log-log space.
The equation is S=SRI1(N)b where SRI1 is the y-intercept and b is the slope (after Basquin).
It is interesting to note historically that, although invented in 1870 by August Woehler, the SN curve was not actually displayed graphically until some 30 years later. And it was not until
10 years after that that the curves were characterized in equation form. Our curve actually has
two slopes and a transition point. If the second slope were zero it would act as a fatigue limit.
Exit from PFMAT when you are done using the File | Exit and the eXit switch.
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Batch Entry of Materials Data
Input another S-N data set. To illustrate batch mode operation of PFMAT we are going to define the
parameters of the second S-N set in a file. Using your a text editor, create a file called bracket.mat in
the working directory.
Table 4-3
Second S-N Data Set for Bracket Assembly

S-N Properties
SI
Imperial
Stress Range Intercept, SRI1 (MPa)
13950
2023ksi
Slope, b1
-0.29
-0.29
Transition life, NC1 (cycles)
2E7
2E7
Slope, b2
-0.16
-0.16
Standard error, SE
0.14
0.14
Stress ratio, RRAT
-1
-1
Enter the following lines in this file:

/OPT=CREATE
/INDB=YES
/PASS=
/MATNO=2
/PRI=BRACKET_SN2
/UTS=700
/E1=205800
/SNT=C
/SRI=13950
/B1=-0.29
/NC1=2E7
/B2=-0.16
/SE=0.14
/RRAT=-1
/OPT=EX
Then from the system prompt or a DOS window issue the following command:
pfmat @bracket.mat
The MAT file created above can also be entered in the S-N data set by using the ASCII Materials File
Reader. This form can be accessed by going to the Tools pull-down menu and selecting MSC Fatigue (for
the MSC Patran version) or Fatigue Utilities (for the Standalone version). From here, select Material
Management and then ASCII Materials File Reader.
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On the form that comes up, enter the name bracket.mat into the MAT Filename databox and click the
Apply button.
Note:
The above mentioned MAT file can also be created from scratch by using the Edit button on
the form shown above.
Either of the above mentioned two methods will put the second data set into the database. Graphically
compare bracket_sn and bracket_sn2 by running PFMAT interactively and using the Graphical
display option. To run interactively you can either just type pfmat at the system prompt or go back to Pre
& Post or MSC Patran and spawn it from the MSC Fatigue Material Info... form. Make sure both
bracket_sn and bracket_sn2 are loaded as data set 1 and 2 using Load | data set n.
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Hint:
If you do not have any S-N data, but only know E and UTS, you can have PFMAT
generate generic material properties based on empirical formulas and the type of material.
Simply enter E and UTS as if you were going to enter your own S-N data and the Material
Type Number (see the MSC Fatigue Users Guide) and the S-N parameters will be
generated automatically for you. (99=steel of unknown heat treatment) Of course you
have to turn on the Generate all parameters from UTS toggle.
Specify the Material for the Analysis
On the Material Info... form enter the following in the spreadsheet:

1. Material: BRACKET_SN
Select the cell under the Material column to activate it and select the S-N curve from the listbox
that appears below the spreadsheet. The next cell will become active.
2. Finish: No Finish
Select No Finish from the pull-down menu that appears below the spreadsheet. Finish and
treatment are not allowed in a component S-N analysis (they are built into the curve). They will
be ignored if you set them. The next cell will become active once you select the finish.
3. Treatment: No Treatment
Select No Treatment. The next cell becomes active.
4. Region: default_group
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Select default_group which contains the nodes and elements from the entire model.
Close the Material Info... form when you are done by clicking OK.
Loading Information
To create the time history which represents the actual loading conditions of the bracket, use PTIME and
the X-Y points option representing y-values only. The time history will have a maximum of 3000 lbs and
a minimum of 7000 lbs. No other information has been given so you can assume that there are no peaks
and valleys between these points and that only these two points are required. You will enter the values 0,
3000, 7000, and 0 to create this loading.
The 1/2 hour interval can be modeled using the fatigue equivalent units. This is a term relating to the real
value of one repeat of the time history. In this case, you can use 30 minutes, 1/2 hours, 1/48 days, etc.
The answer will be the same of course, but you can choose the best parameter for reporting the life of
your product.
Open the Loading Info... form and click the Time History Manager button.
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Define the Load
When PTIME comes up, select Enter X-Y points as the method of input.
Note:
If you have been working sequentially through this document, then you will already have
some entries in the PTIME database. The version of the form that is displayed will be different
than the one shown here. On this form, select Add an entry and then select the option X-y
time series, which is the equivalent of selecting Enter X-Y points on the shown form.
A form will appear that will ask for a name, description and other information. Enter the following
leaving defaults for those not mentioned:
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1. Filename: BRACKET_LOAD
2. Description 1: Bracket Loading
3. Load Type: Force
4. Units: lbs force
5. Number of fatigue equivalent units: 0.5
6. Fatigue Equivalent Units: Hours
We are defining a single occurrence of this signal as representing 1/2 hour.
Click the OK button to go on. Next you will be prompted to enter the Y points. Enter the following
numbers with a carriage return after each: 0, 3000, -7000, 0. End by putting in a blank entry and then
click the End button.
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PTIME returns to its main menu where you can select Plot an entry to make sure it took correctly. Accept
the default file, BRACKET_LOAD.
Select File | Exit to close the plot and press or double-click the eXit switch in PTIME.
created to the FE load case. Go to the spreadsheet as was done in the previous example. Select the first
cell with the mouse to activate it.
1. Load Case ID: 1.1-3.1-1This is the internal database ID. You select the FE results from the listboxes below. You must
select a Result Case, a Stress result, and a layer. Then you click the Fill Cell button to enter it in
the spreadsheet cell. The listboxes may appear empty at first. To fill them select the Get/Filter
Results... button and turn ON the Select All Result Cases toggle and click Apply.
Note:
The load case ID may be different than that shown here.
2. Time History: BRACKET_LOAD
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The middle cell should become active after selecting the FE result. Another spreadsheet appears
at the bottom of the form from which you select the time history file. Click on the
BRACKET_LOAD row anywhere with the mouse. This will fill the cell with the time history
file name.
3. Load Magnitude: 900

The next cell becomes active and a databox appears below the spreadsheet. Change this entry to
900. You must press a carriage return (Return or Enter) to accept the value in the databox below
the spreadsheet. A common mistake is to forget to press the carriage return to accept the value.
Remember we are normalizing the FE stresses by dividing by the total applied load magnitude of
900 lbs from the FE analysis to simulate a stress distribution due to a unit load. The time variation
represents the actual load magnitudes.
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The time variation of the loading is now associated to the static FE results. Click the OK button to close
the Loading Info... form.
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You are ready to run the fatigue analysis. Open the Job Control... form. Set the Action to Full Analysis
and click the Apply button. The database will close momentarily as the results information is extracted.
When the database reopens, the job will have been submitted. You can then set the Action to Monitor
Job and click the Apply button from time to time to view the progress. When the message appears, the
analysis is complete. Close down the Job Control... form when done.
Fatigue analysis completed successfully
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Review the Results
Review the Results

Open the Fatigue Results... form on the main MSC Fatigue setup form (not to be confused with the
Results application switch or tab on the main Patran form). With the Action set to Read Results, click
Apply. The fatigue analysis results have been read into the database.
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Review the Results
Just as you viewed the stresses earlier, you can view the life plot. Press the Results application switch on
the main from and select the Total Life result case and Log of Life (Hours) as the Fringe Result and
click Apply. Press the Results switch again to close the Results application.
Now, the point of putting up this life contour plot is to make a point. The plot is of absolutely no value
and is meaningless. The only node on this structure with the correct fatigue life prediction is Node 514,
the reference point of the component S-N curve. By allowing all the nodes of the model in the analysis,
MSC Fatigue treats them all as reference nodes but only Node 514 is of interest to us. This is only the
case when using component S-N curves. Contour plots from material S-N curves and the crack initiation
method are perfectly valid and meaningful.
Note:
Since only Node 514 is valid in this analysis, it would have been better to have created a group
(under Group | Create) that contained only Node 514 and then have assigned it as the region
of analysis in the Material Info... form as opposed to using default_group.
Tabular Listing
Now let us find out what the actual fatigue life is at Node 514. On the Fatigue Results... form, change
the Action to List Results and click Apply. This will start the module PFPOST which tabularly lists the
fatigue analysis results. Accepting the jobname and the default filtering values by clicking OK a couple
of times will get you to the main menu. Press or double-click the User specified nodes switch, enter 514
as the node number. Note the life value of approximately 104.115=1.303E4 repeats (=6,515 hours) hours.
This is certainly less than the design life of 7 years (61,320 hours). Click Cancel to quit the listing and
press or double-click eXit to leave PFPOST.
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Review the Results
Design Optimization
The objectives of this example have been partially met. The life of the component is below that of the
design life for a 96% confidence level. You can enter the design optimization portion of MSC Fatigue to
answer the other objectives. This can be done by picking Optimize from the Fatigue Results... form.
This time however, enter Node 514 as the node to optimize (or select it graphically from the screen).
Once in FEFATs design optimization mode, you can reanalyze the component. Enter the design life of
61,320 hours. You should obtain the same life estimate of around 6,500 hours. Click End to continue.
Note:
A file called pfatigue.ents is created when you select nodes or elements from the graphical
screen or type them into the Fatigue Results...| Optimize form. Node 514 is contained in this
file in this case. You can also simply type 514 in the Node/Element field also in FEFAT.
You will be placed into the FEFAT design optimization main menu. Select Parameter optimization |
Scaling factor to back calculate a scale factor that will be needed to achieve the appropriate design life
of 61,320 hours and then press or double-click Recalculate. This should give you a scale factor of about
0.5 which tells you that to achieve your design criteria you need a 50% reduction in load. This may be
unacceptable.
You can also set the Design criterion under Parameter optimization to determine the certainty of survival
after 7 years. Remember to press the Recalculate switch. Note that it is less than one percent. So
premature failure is certain.
You have submitted a report to your manager which has caused panic and have been asked to reanalyze
the component after using a modified welding technique, which is more expensive. After retesting, a new
S-N data set has been generated. This is BRACKET_SN2 which was imported earlier.
Try a new analysis using this modified S-N data set to see if the life is satisfactory. Reset the analysis
from the main menu of FEFAT by selecting the Original parameters switch. Next go to Material
optimization and change the S-N curve to BRACKET_SN2 and press or double-click Recalculate.
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Review the Results
You should find that the new life is around 97,000 hours or approximately 11 years. By back calculating
a scale factor again in FEFAT, you will get around 1.1, which means your component should be able to
survive a 10% overload and still maintain the design criteria. Also, the failure rate after seven years
should be less than 0.1%. This can all be seen by repeating the steps done with the new S-N curve.
Sensitivity Analysis
As one last exercise in this example, select Sensitivity analysis | Scale factors. Enter the following for
scale factors: (.5, 1.5, .1). This includes the parentheses. Press or double-click the Recalculate switch. A
sensitivity analysis will proceed and the results displayed tabularly. The scale factor input signifies (to,
from, increment) a 50% reduction to a 50% overload by increments of 10%. (You can also enter a series
of values separated by commas or spaces.)
It is, of course, more interesting to view the results graphically. Select results Display | Sensitivity plot.
The last sensitivity analysis results will be plotted. You have specified to scale the loading (or the
stresses) or you can think of the scale factors as stress concentration factors (Kt). Now you can see how
sensitive the component is to loading. The same thing can be done for certainty of survival.
Hint:
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When you do a sensitivity plot in FEFAT, it creates a couple of files, one XY (.xyd) plot
file and a template (.tem) file that can be read into Pre & Posts or MSC Patrans XY
plotting application. From the MSC Fatigue Results... form, set the Action to Plot
Sensitivity. There you will see all sensitivity plots that have been created by FEFAT. You
can simply select one and it will plot after you click the Apply button.

Review the Results
When you are done, close the plot (File | Exit) and exit from FEFAT.
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
The component S-N method is the most macro view of the world of life prediction since all the failure
mechanisms are built right into the component S-N curve: plasticity, geometry effects, residual stresses,
surface conditions, etc. When the failure mechanisms are unknown or not well understood this method
must be used. For this reason it is a completely general purpose method and lends itself well to most
applications where other methods of life prediction fail. Non-ferrous materials such as plastics, ceramics,
rubber, and composite structures as well as welds can use this method, whereas the other two main
methods of life prediction (crack initiation and crack growth) are mainly restricted to metals or materials
that behave like metals under cyclic loading conditions.
Batch Operations
In this example you ran one of the MSC Fatigue modules in batch mode. Most MSC Fatigue modules
can be run in batch mode either by including the batch commands in a file and then issuing the command
using the @ sign to direct the module to read the commands from the file (pfmat @filename). Or the
commands can be included on the same line as the command:
fefat /opt=p/inp=filename/out=filename/ov=y
Batch operation can be quite convenient if you have to do a lot of repetitive tasks. See the MSC Fatigue
Users Guide for batch operation descriptions.
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Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis

MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide Vol. 2
Main Index
A Simple -N Analysis
Problem Description
166
Concluding Remarks
171
191
194
202
209
168
166 MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide Vol. 2

Problem Description
Problem Description
A model, as shown below, aptly named the spider model because of its unique shape, is fixed at the shafts
of its three legs. The center shaft is subject to a fully reversed 15 KSI amplitude pressure loading on its
underside that oscillates in a sinusoidal fashion. A linear static finite element analysis was performed
using MSC Nastran with this load magnitude of 15 KSI.
Figure 5-1
Spider Model
Everything that you have learned thus far using MSC Fatigue and the Total Life (page 887) method, is
now also applicable to the next method of fatigue life prediction. We will build on this knowledge to
introduce and explain the Crack Initiation (page 866) method, sometimes known as the Local Strain
(page 877) method, or Strain-Life (e-N) (page 885) method. As the name implies, the Failure Criterion
(page 871), is life to initiate a crack. Once an engineering crack appears, failure is said to have occurred.
Objective
To introduce the Crack Initiation method.
To understand cyclic hardening/softening.
To learn how cyclic stress-strain and strain-life curves are created.
To understand how plasticity is accounted for.
To relate stress-life to strain-life prediction methods.
F
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Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 167

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 5-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spiderCI.op2
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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The geometry of the model and the FE results of the linear static analysis can be found in the file
spiderCI.op2.

2. Enter spider for File name

database.
4. Pull down Analysis Code to MSC Nastran
5. Click OK

(Or in the Analysis form, pull down Action | Object to Access Results | Read OP2).

3. Click Select Results File... and select spiderCI.op2 output file
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3. Pull down Quantity to von Mises
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You can rotate the model using the middle mouse button and then dragging for a better view. The areas
of interest are going to be the nodes with the highest stresses. These are nodes 981, 2314, and 3650 on
the top, inside portion of the center shaft between the three legs.
Figure 5-2
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Spider Model, Stress Results


There are two ways to perform an e-N analysis. The DTLib-based solver has a capability to do this, which
will be the first analysis we show. Then, at the end of this chapter we will show the alternate Classic
solver.

1. Under the Durability tab, click e-N Setup in the Crack Initiation group
and pull down Analysis to Initiation).

Accept the default which simply means that the fatigue lives will be determined at the nodes of
the model. With a solid model this is always preferred since cracks always initiate at the surface
(unless there is an internal flaw). If set to Element, the fatigue lives would be calculated at the
element centroids.
Accept the default which simply means that the element nodal stresses will be averaged to the
nodes for all element contributions.
4. Verify that FE. Results is set to Stress
You have the choice of using either stress or strains. Either one should give you equivalent
answers. Stresses are converted to strains in this method.
5. Pull down Res.Units to PSI

Model dimensions are Inches and forces are in Pounds, therefore stress units are PSI.
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7. Enter spider_ci for Jobname

8. Enter Crack Initiation Analysis of the Spider Model for Title
Solution Parameters
in this case the e-N analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set (any not mentioned should
remain set with the defaults):
(Or click Solution Params... on the main MSC Fatigue form).
2. Verify that Analysis Sub-Method is set to Standard

The standard e-N analysis method and material datasets are used.
3. Verify that Plasticity Correction is set to Neuber
We will correct for plasticity using the Neuber method. This is explained in the next section.
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This is analogous to a mean stress correction method as was done in the S-N method. Selecting
None is equivalent to no mean stress correction.
This is the stress parameter that will be used in the fatigue analysis identical to what we have used
in all previous examples thus far.
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Loading Information
Define a Sinusoidal Unit Load - Fully Reversed
In order to do e-N fatigue analysis we must define how the load varies with time. This is easily done using
the MSC Fatigues loading database manager, PTIME. The load will be defined as a constant amplitude,
fully reversed loading. This will have the effect of oscillating the 15 KSI load from +15 KSI to -15 KSI.
1. Under the Durability tab, click e-N Loading in the Crack Initiation group
2. Click Time History Manager to lunch PTIME
3. Double-click Copy from central in PTIME

You may select any item and then click OK or double click the item only.
Note: If you have been working through this document sequentially, and did not start this exercise from
a clean working directory, then you will already have some entries in the PTIME database. The
version of the form that is displayed will be different that the one shown here. On this form, select
Add an entry and then select Copy from central.
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4. Enter SINE01 for Database Entry to Copy, and click OK

This will copy a unit sinusoidal signal to your local directory.
5. Double-click Change an entry...
6. Select edit Details in PTIME
7. Enter SINE01 for Target Filename
8. Click OK, and then click Yes to allow overwrite when asked
9. Enter Constant Ampl. Fully Reversed Sinusoidal Unit Load for Description 1
10. Pull down Load type | Units to Pressure | PSI
11. Enter Cycle for Fatigue equivalent units
We are defining a single occurrence of this fully reversed constant amplitude signal as one cycle
of the loading (for more information please visit Cycles (cycle counting), page 866).
Note:
Patran will be suspended until PTIME is closed is that any newly created load time histories

1. Double-click Plot an entry in PTIME
2. Accept SINE01 by clicking OK to get the plot below
Figure 5-3
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Display of Sine01.dac File

3. Pull down File > Exit to close the plot

Now back on the Loading Info..., associate the time variation of the load that you just created to the FE
load case, as you did in previous exercises. Fill out the spreadsheet as follows with all other parameters
using their default settings.
1. Enter 1.0 for Equiv. Units
2. Enter 1.0 and Cycles for repeats of the loading =
This information mirrors the definition of the load time history we just created where the single
repeat of the time variation is defined as one cycle. There are two data boxes. Make sure you enter
1.0 in the first box and replace Repeats with Cycles in the second.
Three pieces of information must be input to the spreadsheet in the center of the form with all other
parameters using their default settings.
Load Case ID
3. This will bring up a subordinate form to filter the results.
5. The list box on the bottom left is filled with the only result load case that exists.
6. Click Apply
8. This will fill the cell with the numbers 1.1-4.1-, which are internal IDs necessary to identify the
result case.
Note:
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Note that the actual load case ID numbers you see may differ from those shown here.

9. Select Stress Tensor under Select a Stress/Strain Tensor

The other list box to the right, lists the tensor results that are available for the selected result case.
If more than one tensor result exists, you have to select it. However, when only one exists, it is
automatically selected for you by picking the results case. The cell you selected under the Load
Case ID is automatically filled for you and the focus transfers to the cell next to it under the Time
History label.
Time History
10. Select the SINE01.DAC row to fill the Time History cell
(with one row) appears at the bottom of the form from which you select the previously created
time history file. All time histories created using PTIME appear in this spreadsheet when the Time
History Cell is selected. The focus will switch to the adjacent Load Magnitude cell.
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Load Magnitude
11. Accept the default value 1.0 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses, and press Enter
Note:
A ij ,FEA
-+C
ij ( t ) = P ( t ) -----------------------B
where,
P(t) is the load as a variation of time
ij ,FEA
is the stress from the finite element analysis

C is the Offset
If the stress results are to be used as-is, then Load Magnitude and Scale Factor should be set to unity and
the Offset to zero. Thus the time history will oscillate between its own maximum and minimum. To scale
the stress by 10 times, use a time history that oscillates between +/-1, and a Scale Factor of 10.0.
The Load Magnitude is normally used to normalize the stress results to simulate a unit load. The Load
Magnitude can also be used to convert the stress values form one set of units to another. It is up to the
user to be certain that the proper combination of FE stress results, Time History, Load Magnitude, Scale
Factor and Offset are set.
12. Accept defaults for the rest of the parameters, and click OK to close the Loading Info... form
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Create a Group
Before selecting the material we wish to use, first create a group which contains all the nodes and
elements of the finite element model except the nodes that have no stress results associated with them.
1. Pull down Group > Create
2. Enter spider_only for New Group Name

3. Pull down the Group Contents to Add all FEM
4. Click Apply
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5. Pull down Action to Modify

6. Click Change Target Group
7. Select the new group, spider_only
9. Enter Node 10000:10006 under Member List to Add/Remove
10. Click Remove
These nodes are associated to an MPC and have no FE results associated to them. They are
removed form the analysis to avoid confusion.
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This is where the major differences lie between what you have learned thus far with the Total Life method
and the Crack Initiation method.
1. Under the Durability tab, click e-N Material in the Crack Initiation group
(Or click Material Info... in the main MSC Fatigue form).

databases available, either of which can be used for an e-N analysis 1) nCode MXD and 2) nCode
MDB. For this example we will use the nCode MXD database.
To use multi-curve data sets, the mxd database must be used. Note that this choice of which is
available is enforced automatically if a multi-curve e-N Analysis Sub Method is chosen on the
Solution Params... form.
Classic fatigue solvers.
For this example problem, a local material database (iceflow_local.mxd) is used. This database
file name follows the standard naming convention, and locating the database in either the users
working directory or home directory will allow MSC Fatigue to automatically scan and find the
database. Note that this database is nearly identical to the database located in the MSC Fatigue
installation; it contains a few additional material datasets for use with this Quick Reference Guide.
4. Select iceflow_local.mxd
5. Click OK
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Select an e-N Data Set

A spreadsheet appears whose cells need to be filled in. We will specify an e-N data set, a material surface
2. Select Steel BS4360 Grade 50D, under Select a Material
In the list box that appears under the spreadsheet, select the indicated material. Only the Standard
e-N material datasets appear in the listbox as extracted from the database based on the fact that an
e-N analysis is to be performed. Once the material is selected, the adjacent cell is automatically
activated.
3. Verify that the Surface Finish is set to Polished
This should be already set for you by default. Selecting a different Finish is done by setting the
pull down that appears under the spreadsheet. We select Polished for now as most cyclic material
data is created using polished test specimens, therefore we wish to use the data as-is.
4. Verify that the Roughness is set to N/A
this example.
5. Verify that the K Treatment is set to 1
If not enter the value in the databox that appears below the spreadsheet. Press Enter to accept the
new value into the spreadsheet.
Note:
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7. Select spider_only for Region
Activate this cell if necessary by clicking on it. A list box should appear below the spreadsheet
called Select a Group. We will use spider_only. This is the group we just created in the previous
step to calculate lives for the entire model less those that have no results associated with them.
8. Select 1-(Non Layered) under the Region Layer, and click Fill Cell
The next active cell is for the layer(s) selection. This model contains only Solid elements, therefor
there is only one layer.
Cyclic Stress-Strain Curve
Let us take a look at a couple of materials we have used before:
1. Click the Materials Database Manager to launch dtmat
2. Pull down Database Type to nCode Material Database
3. Click Browse, and navigate the directory batch to mscfatigue_files\Mats from its default
4. Select Nmatmas.mdb
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5. Click Open
6. Click OK to load the database
This is the database located in the $P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/mats directory.
7. In the dtmat form, expand the Strain-Life (E-N)
8. Control-click and select both MANTEN and RQC100 materials
Although we do not use these materials in this analysis, they serve as good examples.
9. Under the Graph tab, pull down Select Curve to Cyclic Stress-Strain
10. Inspect the Cyclic Stress-Strain curves for these two materials
This plot shows how these two materials behave under cyclic loading conditions. It also shows how they
behave relative to one another. RQC100 is obviously a much higher strength steel with its yield point well
above that of MANTEN.
Three parameters (E, K, n) need to be defined in order to characterize these plots according to the
following equation that relates stress amplitude to strain amplitude:
a 1 n'
a = ------a + ------
K'
E
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The first part of the right hand side can be recognized as the elastic stress-strain equation (Hookes law)
and the second part defines the plastic strain.
This equation is identical to the Ramberg-Osgood equation that relates total strain to the elastic strain
plus plastic strain in the Monotonic Properties, (page 878), sense. The only differences are the primes ()
on K and n to signify that it represents a cyclic condition as opposed to a monotonic condition.
Cycle Hardening, Cycle Softening
Now an interesting thing to do is to view the detailed material property values for each of the two
materials we have selected.
11. Under the Properties tab, inspect the detailed material values that are displayed side-by-side
Note the Work Hardening Exponent for each of the materials:

1. The RQC100's value is relatively small.
This implies it is weaker under cyclic conditions. This is known as cyclic softening or strain
softening.
2. The MANTEN's work hardening exponent is relative large.
This implies that it is stronger under cyclic loading. This is known as cyclic hardening or strain
hardening.
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When a material softens under cyclic material properties, this can be very bad from a durability
standpoint. This is why many structures or components fail prematurely even though, supposedly, they
have been designed to remain below yield.
The problem in these cases is that the actual yield point is much lower when subject to cyclic loading.
Figure 5-4
Hint:
Cyclic Hardening and Softening
You can put the elastic line on the stress-strain curves:

Pull down Select Curve to Cyclic Stress-Strain with elastic line
Note:
Because of this hardening or softening phenomenon, it is highly suggested that if you do nonlinear (load step) FE analysis, that you use the cyclic stress-strain curve(s) and not the
monotonic ones if fatigue and durability is of concern to you.
Cyclic Material Tests

How are these cyclic stress-strain curves created?
The monotonic stress-strain curve is created by simply placing a test coupon in a servo-hydraulic test
machine and slowly increasing the load until the component breaks. The elastic modulus can be
determined from this test as well as the yield and ultimate tensile strengths. A cyclic stress-strain curve
is created through a series of tests where the strain level is precisely controlled. The load is increased until
the specified strain level is reached and then the load is reversed.
These tests are typically performed using fully reversed loading. Each test is done at a different strain
level. Initially each test will exhibit a softening or hardening effect as can be seen if the hysteresis loops
are plotted for a given test (see diagram above). Eventually the material will stabilize and stop hardening
or softening. This stable hysteresis loop is then extracted.
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The maximum stress/strain level from the stable hysteresis loop of each test is then cross-plotted onto its
own stress-strain space which then constitutes the cyclic stress-strain curve.
Figure 5-5
Stable Hysteresis Loops
Strain-Life Curve
From each of these strain-controlled tests also comes another piece of information: the number of cycles
to failure. This information can be plotted onto its own curve called the strain-life curve.
1. Under the Graph tab, pull down Select Curve to Strain-life
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You can compare the two strain-life plots for MANTEN and RCQ100. Note that they cross each other
and therefore exhibit different life behavior depending on the stain level experienced. So it is impossible
to say from the plot which would perform better.
2. Pull down File > Disconnect on the dtmat menu bar to close the Nmatsmas.mdb data base
Note:
The failure criterion (that is, when a crack has actually initiated) is determined by ASTM
standard E606. It is not a specified length of the crack, but instead a percentage drop in load
as measured by the test device. When a crack initiates the component can no longer sustain the
same level of stress for the same strain rate. If you actually looked at a test specimen after
reaching the failure point, there would appear to be an engineering sized crack of, say, 1 to 2
mm in length.
Change Material Database to MXD

1. Pull down File > Connect
4. Select iceflow_local.mxd database, click Open and then click OK
5. Expand the nCode EN data set and select Steel BS4360 grade 50D::Strain-life (E-N)
6. Under the Graph tab, pull down Select Curve to Strain life and view the plot
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This curve can be fully characterized by knowing four material parameters as shown in the equation of
the strain-life plot f ,b,f ,c):
'
b
c
- =
-----f- ( 2N f ) + f' ( 2N f )
----E
2
(Elastic)
(Plastic)
Like the stress-strain curves, it also is broken into an elastic component and a plastic component which
can also be plotted separately ((i.e., Pull down Select Curve > Strain Life with elastic and plastic
lines). The summation of the two lines makes the total strain-life curve. The following notes are made
about this plot:
1. The elastic and plastic lines cross each other at some point which is called the transition point.
2. The transition point defines the difference between High Cycle Fatigue (HCF), (page 874), versus
Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF),(page 877).
3. To the right of the transition point is considered HCF because elastic events dominate plastic
events.
4. To the left of the transition point is considered LCF because plastic events dominate elastic
events.
The software should help you to become aware of what amounts of HCF, LCF, or transition life the
component is experiencing. Why is this important?
The type of fatigue being experienced will dictate the remedy or solution. For example, in HCF you
might try a higher strength steel, or change the surface finish/treatment or mean stress (residual) to better
the fatigue life. If LCF is being experienced these remedies would have little or no effect and in some
cases, perhaps even worsen the situation. The solution there is to find a material that is more resistant to
plastic deformation, such as a more ductile material.
Note:
Main Index
Just as with the S-N method, an e-N curve is also based on the principle of similitude. This
means that if we can reproduce the same local strain as that experienced in, say, the plate
with a hole shown to the right, in a test laboratory specimen made of the same material,
then we can expect the life of the two to be about the same, when subjected to the same
strain levels.

Stress-Life vs. Strain-Life

With the strain-life plot on the screen and the elastic-plastic lines posted, take a good look at the elastic
portion of the strain-life equation. If you ignore the plastic component and take E to the other side of the
equation you get a stress equaling some constant times the number of cycles to failure raised to the power
b. This is the exact formula for the stress-life curve. So the elastic strain-life curve is, in fact, a material
S-N curve (with crack initiation as the failure criterion). The significance is that the S-N method is
nothing more that a subset of the Crack Initiation method ignoring plastic influences.
Note:
The crack initiation method, taking into account elastic and plastic contributions to fatigue
life, is more widely applicable to a greater range of problems (HCF and LCF) whereas the
Total Life method breaks down below the transition point (usually around 105 cycles) because
plasticity dominates. This is why S-N curves are only good for HCF.
5. Pull down File > Exit to quit dtmat

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1. Under the Durability tab, pull down e-N Analyze>e-N Full Run, in the Crack Initiation group
2. Click Apply
4. Click Apply
Note:
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Figure 5-6
RainFlow Cycle Counting
When the analysis starts it first converts stresses to strains if stresses have been supplied. The rainflow
counting procedure then takes place as discussed in earlier chapters. This results in a matrix of strain
cycles with their respective ranges and means. The Crack Initiation (page 866), method helps to, perhaps,
better understand rainflow cycle counting.
The reason rainflow cycle counting works so well is because it actually counts the number of stress-strain
cycles (hysteresis loops) in a time varying signal. So consider a signal stood on its end. As it is loaded
from point A to B and unloaded from point B to point C, this converts into the section A-B-C in stressstrain space. On loading from point C to D, in stress-strain space, it actually remembers it was on the
original path from A to D and the interruption B-C-B is counted as one cycle. E-F-E also counts as a cycle
as does G-H-G. All cycles fall inside of one large, outer cycle (A-D-A) representing the maximum and
minimum of the signal. Cycles with some noticeable area inside within this large, outer loop cause
damage while those that are straight lines are purely elastic and cause no damage.
Now before damage can be determined and summed for each cycle certain corrections need to take place,
the main correction being the conversion of purely elastic stresses and strains to elastic-plastic stresses
and strains. Other corrections will be dealt with in later chapters.
Plasticity is accounted for in the Crack Initiation method by the Neuber method. The elastic stresses and
strains are looked up on the elastic line and then corrected to fall onto the cyclic stress strain curve to
determine the elastic-plastic stresses and strains. This elastic-plastic strain is used to look up damage on
the strain-life damage curve.
Neubers Elastic-plastic Correction (page 870), sometimes called a Notch Correction, is based on the
simple principle that the product of the elastic stress and strain should be equal to the product of the
elastic-plastic stress and strain from the cyclic stress-strain curve.
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Then through an iterative method, the elastic-plastic stress and strain can be determined. This is
illustrated below:
Figure 5-7
Note:
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If we want to do stress-strain tracking so that we can calculate the maximum or mean stress
of each cycle we need to know what the shape of each arm of a hysteresis loop is. We get this
by using Masing's hypothesis which says that the hysteresis curve is the same shape as the
cyclic stress strain curve, but doubled up in both directions, hence the factors of two in the
equation for the cyclic stress strain curve above.


1. Under the Durability tab, pull down e-N Results>e-N Read Results, in the Crack Initiation group
(Or click Import Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to
Read Results).
2. Click Apply
Note:
window:
imported if your plot was still posted. Stress results are typically shown with red as the high
stress area. For fatigue lives, this is opposite. Using the fatigue_spectrum, the lowest
3. Click Cancel to close Results form
Review the Results

Before we actually look at the results of this analysis, let us try and predict approximately what the life
prediction will be. This will help solidify some of the concepts introduced in this chapter. We can do this
because the loading is simple, constant amplitude, and has zero mean. We need the following information
first:
Node with the highest stress: Node 2314
Maximum Principal Stress: 58,732 PSI
Youngs Modulus: 2.776e7 PSI
Strain = Stress/E (linear approximation): 2.12e-3
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An easy way to recover the Maximum Principal Stress is to use the Report function from the Results
application.
1. Under the Results tab, click Report in the Result Plots group
(Or pull down Action | Object to Create | Report, on the Results form).
2. Select Default Static Subcase

3. Select Stress Tensor under Select Report Results
4. Select Max Principal under Select Quantities
5. Click Target Entities
6. Pull down Target Entity to Nodes
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7. Enter Node 2314 for Select Nodes
8. Click Apply
The report is sent to the invoking UNIX or DOS window.
Now before doing anything else, look this strain level up on the strain-life curve as you did before:
1. Click Material Info..., on the main MSC Fatigue form
2. Click Materials Database Manager
5. Select iceflow_local.mxd database as before
6. Click Open and then click OK
7. Expand the nCode EN data set and select Steel BS4360 grade 50D::Strain-life (E-N)
8. Under the Graph tab, pull down Select Curve to Strain life
9. Inspect the graph to find the strain value of 5.0E4 reversals = 2.5E4 cycles
Note:
Material Info.... form on Classic Fatigue solver uses PFMAT rather than dtmat. If you are
working with PFMAT you can use the left mouse button and click on the curve to have the
coordinate locations reported to you in the lower left corner of the graphics screen. (On
UNIX the coordinates are reported above the graphics on the plot command line). This will
of course be an approximation.
Now correct for plasticity. The value we just read off the curve was using the elastic strain only. To find
out what the elastic-plastic strain is we need to use the cyclic stress-strain curve for BS4360-50D and
solve this equation for and , knowing e and e. This has to be done using trial and error.
ee = = 124.5
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Graphically display the cyclic stress-strain curve for BS4360-50D. On the curve find a stress and a strain
value that has the product of approximately 124.5.
This again will be an approximation. You may end up with slightly different answers than reported here
if you perform this exercise yourself:
e = 2.835e-3, s = 45,290.
Now look this new value of strain up on the strain-life as you did before. So our guess is that the life
prediction will be around 22,2880 reversal = 11,440 cycles.
Note:
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The S-N curve usually is reported as stress range (S) versus cycles to failure (N). The e-N
curve is usually reported as strain amplitude (a) versus reversals to failure (2N). Be aware of
these facts since they could throw your calculations off by a factor of two or more if you think
you are using range instead of amplitude or reversals instead of cycles.


2. Select FEF Export, spider_cifef under Select Result Cases.

The result case will be displayed as jobnamefef, indicating it is an MSC Fatigue output file.
3. Select Log Life, (Cycles) under Select Fringe Result
4. Click Apply to view stress results
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Note that the smallest life reported is at Node 2314 of approximately 10 4.18 = 1.50E4 cycles, very close
to our hand calculation of 11,440 cycles.
Figure 5-8
Quick Plot: Log life, Cycles
1. Click Fringe Attributes on the Results form
2. Click Spectrum
immediately.
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E-N Optional Output: Stress/Strain Time History and

Cycle Count Data
This addition can be located near page 215, between "Access Fatigue Results" and "Classic Fatigue
Solver":
The DTLib-based solver has the capability to output strain time history and cycle count information. This
can be done by running the solver from the command line, and using the appropriate command line
options. Since this can result in a large amount of data, it is recommended that this optional output is only
performed for a few entities of interest. The entities can be selected via the command line option
/ENTIDS or using hot-spot filtering techniques.
In order to output strain time history, the /TSOUT command line option is required. The command line
dac file). An example command line is as follows:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /TSOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /INP=spider_ci.fin
spider_ci_ts_1_.csv
spider_ci_ts_2_.csv
Using the command line option /OUTTXT=N, as shown below, results in dac file output:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /TSOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /OUTTXT=N /INP=spider_ci.fin
The following binary stress time history and metadata files are created for each entity:
spider_ci_ts_1_01.dac
spider_ci_ts_1__dac.nmd
spider_ci_ts_2_01.dac
spider_ci_ts_2__dac.nmd
Similarly, cycle count information can be output using the /CYCOUT command line option. The
command line option /OUTTXT can be used to switch between text-based output (i.e., csv file) and
binary output (i.e., nCode s3m file). Note, however, that MSC Fatigue currently doesn't have a viewer
for the s3m file. An example command line is as follows:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /CYCOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /INP=spider_ci.fin
The following text-based cycle list data files are created:
spider_ci_cyc_1_01.csv
spider_ci_cyc_2_01.csv
Using the command line:
dtfatd /FERES=PDA /CYCOUT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /OUTTXT=N /INP=spider_ci.fin
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The following binary cycle list data files are created:

spider_ci_cyc_1_.s3m
spider_ci_cyc_2_.s3m
Main Index


The final task of this exercise is to run the same simple e-N analyses using the Classic solver. Step by
step instructions are not given here. Only the parameters that need to be set on each form are given. It is
left to the reader to exercise these as desired.
Simple e-N Analysis

Analysis
Initiation
Results Loc.
Node
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Stress
Res.Units
PSI
Solver
Classic
Jobname
spider_ci_classic
Title
Simple e-N Analysis - Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
Analysis Method:
None
Plasticity Correction:
Neubar
Stress/Strain Combination
Max. Abs. Principal
50.0
Loading Information
Main Index
Load Case ID:
1.1-4.1-
Time History:
SINE01.DAC
Load Magnitude:
1.0
Scale Factor:
1.0
Offset:
0.0

Material:
BS4360-50D
Finish:
Polished
Treatment:
No Treatment
Region:
spider_only
Layer:
1-(Non Layered)
Kf:
1.0
Multiplier:
1.0
Offset:
0.0

2. Enter spider_ci_classic for Job Name
3. Enter Simple e-N Analysis - Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is, except the following:
1. Pull down Analysis Method to None
3. Verify that Stress/Strain Combination is set to Max Abs. Principal
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Loading Information
Cyclic Stress Strain Curve
2. Double-click Load
3. Select Data Set 1
4. Select MANTEN
5. Double-click Load
You may select an item and then click OK or double-click the item only.
6. Select Data Set 2 in PFMAT
7. Select RQC100
Although we do not use these materials in this analysis, they serve as good examples.
8. Double-click Graphical display in PFMAT
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9. Select Cyclic stress-strain curve plot
10. Click OK to view the plot

Clicking anywhere on the curve will display coordinate values in the lower left corner of the plot.
This makes it easy to read values directly off the curve. You should be able to see the cut-off value
and the invalid region of the curve.
Figure 5-9
Cyclic Stress-Strain Plot of Manten and RQC100 Materials
For more information and discussion on the plot, please see the first section of this tutorial for the simple
e-N analysis using DTLib-based solver.
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Plot the cyclic and the monotonic stress-strain curves in top of each other for each of the two materials
we have loaded:
1. Pull down File > New Plot to open PFMAT
2. Select cYclic Monotonic stress-strain curves plot, and click OK
3. Select data set 1 for Select material, and click OK
4. Inspect the Cyclic and Monotonic Stress-Strain Plot for MANTEN
Figure 5-10
Cyclic and Monotonic Stress-Strain Plot of Manten
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4, but this time pick data set 2, to view the curves for RQC100
Figure 5-11
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Cyclic and Monotonic Stress-Strain Plot of RQC100

It appears that RQC100s cyclic yield point is below its monotonic yield value. This implies that RQC100
is weaker under cyclic conditions. This is known as cyclic softening or strain softening. On the other
hand, MANTENs cyclic yield point is above its monotonic yield value. This implies that MANTEN is
stronger under cyclic conditions. This is known as cyclic hardening or strain hardening.
Strain-Life Curve
The Strain-Life curve can be plotted to show the number of cycles to failure:
1. Pull down File > New Plot
2. Select Strain life plot and click OK
You can compare the two strain-life plots for MANTEN and RCQ100.
4. Double click unload and select data set 1 in PFMAT
Unloading data set 1, will remove material information for MANTEN
5. Repeat step 4, but this time select data set 2 for RQC100
6. Double-click Load and select data set 1
7. Select BS4360-50 D in PFMAT
9. Select Strain life plot and click OK
Figure 5-12
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Strain Life Plot of BS4350-50D

For more information and discussion on the plot, please see first section of this tutorial for simple e-N
analysis using DTLib-based solver.
11. Double-click eXit to quit from PFMAT
13. Double-click eXit to quit from PFMAT
Run the Analysis
Open the Job Control... form and submit the analysis. When the job is complete, open the Fatigue
Results... form and import the results.
Review the Results
In the first section of this tutorial (DTLib-based Solver), we predicted approximate life prediction. Our
guess is that the life prediction will be around 22,2880 reversal = 11,440 cycles.
The calculated life from MSC Fatigues classic solver gives 10
to overhand calculations.
Main Index
( 4.13 )
= 13346 cycles, again very close

Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
This exercise has served to introduce the Crack Initiation (page 866) method, which uses local strain and
is mostly accredited to Manson and Coffin; the material parameter, c, is named after Coffin. The cyclic
stress-strain curve and the strain-life curve have been introduced as well as the Neuber notch correction
method.
Other Notch Corrections

Other elastic-plastic correction methods are available in MSC Fatigue which are valuable to use for very
low cycle fatigue where the Neuber method tends to break down and not be as accurate. To use the other
methods (Seeger-Beste or Mertens-Dittman) you need to define a parameter, p. These methods, as p
tends to infinity, revert to the Neuber method.
This parameter, p, is known as a shape factor or a limit load ratio (Lu/Ly). Ly is the yield limit and Lu is
the limit load where you assume elastic-perfectly plastic behavior yield stress (+ or -) across the whole
section. To determine Lu it becomes a simple integration (if you have a simple geometry). If you also
have a small notch, the Kt of the notch will reduce the yield load but not the limit load (much) so the
shape factor goes up. These ratios generally fall somewhere between 1.5 and 3. See the MSC Fatigue
Users Guide for a more detailed definition of p and its value for some standard shapes. The following
diagram compares an elastic-plastic FE analysis to the Neuber and other notch
correction methods.
Figure 5-13
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Notch Correction Graph

Concluding Remarks
Stresses vs. Strains

In this example we used stresses from our FE model. We could have just as easily selected the strains to
use instead. We would expect to get exactly the same answers, however there are a few things to be
aware of.
Youngs Modulus must be the same as that used in the FE analysis and that defined in the
material Steel BS4360 Grade 50D. Otherwise the strains reported in the FE model will be
different than the ones calculated by MSC Fatigue when converting stresses to strains.
The number of rainflow bins can influence the accuracy between using stress vs. strains. Try this
as an exercise to see the influence of the number of bins on the fatigue life prediction. From the
Fatigue Results... form select Re-Analyze and enter Node 981 2314 3650. These are the nodes
with the highest stresses. This will run FEFAT for you. When FEFAT appears accept all the
defaults except change the Matrix size to 64. Then do it for 128 bins. Note that the fatigue life
predictions increase to over 14,000 cycles. Now go back to the original job setup and change the
General Setup Parameter, FE Results: to Strains, and go to the Loading Info... form and select the
Strain Tensor in the Load Case ID column. Re-run the analysis and do the same Re-Analyze
operation as you did when using the stress FE results. Note that for 32 bins, the same exact
results are determined for all three nodes. Even for a higher matrix size, the strain FE results are
less conservative than when using the FE stresses. This is because the resolution of the bins is
better when using stresses.
You should be very careful using FE strains from plate models. Because many FE codes do not
calculate or do not include the out-of-plane strain (z), which is needed to determine the proper
strain combination parameter (max. abs. principal, signed von Mises, etc.), it is safer to use the
stresses from the FE analysis.
One final thing to be aware of using FE strains: the strains that are usually stored in the database
when imported from a typical analysis code such as MSC Nastran are stored as strain tensors, not
as engineering strain. MSC Fatigue multiplies the three shear strain components by two to
convert them to engineering strain before using them in a fatigue analysis. This does not happen
when external result files are used.
Mean Stress Effects

In addition to the common Smith-Watson-Topper and Morrow mean stress correction methods, the
DTLib-based solver allows to use the multi-curve material models to account for mean stress effects.
These include Multi-Mean Curve and MuLTi R-Ratio Curve. The multi-curve models tend to be more
accurate than the analytical mean stress correction methods, since they are based on empirical data.
However, this data must either already exist in the database included with MSC Fatigue, or the user must
obtain this data from testing.
Main Index
Chapter 6: Residual Stress

Main Index
Residual Stress
Problem Description
212
Geometry
Concluding Remarks
213
215
220
222
227
225

Problem Description
Problem Description
In this example problem we investigate how residual stress can be incorporated into a fatigue analysis.
The techniques used here are applicable to any type of fatigue analysis but for illustration purposes we
use the Crack Initiation method.
An injection mold, already in service, experiences a 12 KSI pressure load when it is filled. The mold
experiences premature failure in the fillet area. To investigate ways to improve the fatigue life an
overload of 20 KSI is applied to the mold to induce a compressive residual stress. Due to symmetry, only
one quarter of the actual injection mold is modeled using finite elements. The design life of the mold is
to last a half a million injections (Fills).
Objective
To illustrate how residual stress can be incorporated into a fatigue analysis
To investigate mean stress effects in Crack Initiation
To investigate surface finish and treatment
Table 6-1
Necessary Files
File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/mold_linear.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/mold_nonlin.op2
Main Index
Chapter 6: Residual Stress 213

Geometry
Geometry
The geometry of the model and the FE results of the linear static analysis and the residual stress can be
found in the files mold_linear.op2 and mold_nonlin.op2. Two FE analyses were performed on this
geometry. The first was to simulate a normal fill (the operating load) of 12.5 KSI. The second was to
simulate the overload that imposed the residual stress (20 KSI). The load was imposed and then removed
using a non-linear load step analysis in MSC Nastran.
To begin, invoke Patran in a clean working directory.
Import the Model

Open a new database from File | New and call it mold. The model was run through a MSC Nastran
analysis so keep the Analysis Preference set to MSC Nastran when asked.
Press Analysis switch or tab in Patran on the main form. When the form appears, set the Action to Access
Results, the Object to Read Output2, and the Method to Both (model and results); then, press the Select
Results File button, select the file mold_linear.op2, and click the Apply button. The model will then
appear and you are ready to set up a fatigue analysis.
Also read in the non-linear result with the Action set to Access Results, the Object set to Read Output2,
and the Method set to Results Entities, and then select the file mold_nonlin.op2.

Before moving on to the fatigue analysis however, view the stress results from the MSC Nastran analysis
if you wish by pressing the Results application switch on the main form. There are two Result Cases of
interest: LS_PRESSURE_12.5KPSI,Static Subcase and LS_PRESSURE_20KPSI_REMOVE, PW
Linear : 200.% of Load. The first is simply the static operating load and the second is the result of
removing the 20 KSI overload showing the remaining residual stress. Select Stress Tensor from the
listbox and set the Quantity to von Mises. Note the area of high stress is in the fillet area as expected.
You can rotate the model using the middle mouse button and then dragging, for a better view.
Main Index

Geometry
Main Index

By now you should know how to access the MSC Fatigue setup form and have a fairly good idea how to
set up a basic fatigue analysis. Open the form and set the General Setup Parameters as follows to run a
fatigue analysis on just the operating load case:
1. Analysis: Initiation
Main Index

5. Res. Units: PSI

6. Jobname: mold
7. Title: Crack Initiation Analysis of Injection Mold
Solution Parameters
Open the Solution Params... form. Nothing needs to be changed here. Simply accept all the defaults.
Open the Material Info... form. Set the following on this form as done in previous exercises:
1. Material: SAE4340-350A_QT
2. Surface Finish: Polished
3. Surface Treatment: No Treatment
Main Index

Loading Information
Open the Loading Info... form. Then press the Time History Manager button to launch PTIME and
define a unit load with R= . Use X-Y time series with three points (0, 1, 0) to define this simple load
simulating a fill of the injection mold form zero load to the maximum and back to zero.
Note:
As mentioned in the previous chapters, if you have been working sequentially through this
document, then you will need to select Add an entry before you can enter the X-Y point data.
Call it FILL_LOAD. Give it the following details when asked:

1. Description 1: Constant Amplitude, R=infinity, Unit Load
2. Description 2: whatever you want
3. Load type: Pressure
4. Units: PSI
5. Fatigue equivalent units: Fills
Next fill out the Loading Info... form with the following input:
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1. Load Case ID: 2.1-2.1-1This corresponds to the LS_PRESSURE_12.5KPSI result case which is the operating load only
without any residual stress. Remember, the load case IDs may not match those shown here.
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2. Time History: FILL_LOAD

3. Load Magnitude: 1.0
You are ready to run the fatigue analysis. Open the Job Control... form, set the Action to Full Analysis
and click the Apply button.
Review the Results

Open the Fatigue Results... form on the main MSC Fatigue setup form and either read the results into
the database and create a contour plot or use the tabular listing facility to find the node with the lowest
life as has been done in previous analyses. You should find that the smallest life reported is approximately
67,000 Fills, which is far off from the design goal of 500,000 Fills.
Main Index


Now we will set up the second fatigue analysis where we will include the residual stress to see how this
effects the life of the mold. The Solution Params... and the Material Info... form setups will remain
identical. Only the Loading Info... form requires a change. First change the Jobname to residual and
change the Title to something such as Mold with Residual Stress and then open the Loading Info...
form.
Include the Residual Stress

To include the residual stress in the analysis is a simple task. On the Loading Info... form set the Number
of Static Load Cases to 2. (You must press the Return or Enter key to effect a change.) Two rows will
appear in the spreadsheet. The first row should still be set from the first analysis with the load case that
represents the operating stress.
Set up the second row as follows:

1. Load Case ID: 4.7-2.1-1In the second row, select the Load Case ID column cell and select the result case which contains
the residual stress: LS_PRESSURE_20KPSI_REMOVE, PW Linear: 200.% of Load. Press
the Fill Cell button after selecting the Stress Tensor (not the Nonlinear Stresses). Again, the load
case IDs may not match those shown here.
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2. Time History: STATIC

When the next cell becomes active you will see that the bottom spreadsheet containing the names
of externally defined load histories now has two entries. The original FILL_LOAD is
accompanied by a new one called STATIC and its Type is Offset. Whenever more than one static
load case is used, you have the option of setting any one of them to be defined as a simple static
offset that does not have any time variation associated with it. This STATIC load history shows
up automatically. You do not have to create it.
3. Load Magnitude: N/A
This is automatically set to N/A since it is not applicable.
Note:
You must have at least one load case associated to a time varying load.

You are ready to run the fatigue analysis. Open the Job Control... form and set the Action to Full
Analysis and click the Apply button. What happens during the analysis when a STATIC load case is
specified is that the FE stresses from the operational load case are scaled by the magnitude of the load
history at any given time step and the FE stresses from the STATIC (residual) load case are then used to
offset the stress.
Review the Results

Open the Fatigue Results... form on the main MSC Fatigue setup form and either read the results into
the database and create a contour plot or use the tabular listing facility to find the node with the lowest
life. You should find that the smallest life reported is approximately 225,000 Fills. We have significantly
bettered the life of the mold and but appear not to have achieved the design goal of 500,000 Fills.
Main Index


As with the S-N method, there are ways with the Crack Initiation method to account for mean stress also.
The material properties (cyclic stress-strain and strain-life curves) are derived with zero mean stress
(R = minus 1). The signal used in this exercise has tensile mean stress and R= . Two methods are
available for mean stress correction: Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) and Morrow. SWT is the default and
was used in these analyses.
It is not necessary to go back and redefine anything in the original jobs to investigate the effect of mean
stress correction. Open the Fatigue Results... form if it is not already open and set the Action to
Optimize and click Apply. When FEFAT comes up in its Design Optimization mode, select Worst Case
node, enter a Design Life of 500,000, and click OK. You should see the same fatigue life at the worst
case node of about 255,000 fills or 67,000 fills for the first job. Click End to move to the main menu.
Hint:
You can do this with either job (mold or residual). Type in the name of the analysis you
want to investigate in the Jobname databox on the main MSC Fatigue job setup form.
Any options you select will retrieve the jobname and use it.
Now select Sensitivity analysis | Mean stress correction (all). Then press or double-click the
Recalculate switch. Note the life values calculated for each:
Table 6-2
Mean Stress Effects
Main Index
mold (no residual stress)
mold (with residual stress)
Smith-Watson-Topper
67,000 Fills
225,000 Fills
Morrow
132,000 Fills
323,000 Fills
Strain-Life (none)
546,000 Fills
546,000 Fills

The following observations are made:
1. Note that with no mean stress correction, the life prediction is identical. This is expected since all
residual stress is an offset. The only difference between the two analyses is that they have different
mean stresses. The actual strain range between the two is identical. If mean stress is not taken into
account, the two will give identical answers.
2. SWT gives the most conservative answer for predominately tensile signals. SWT tends not to
account too well for compressive mean stress. For this reason Morrow gives more conservative
answers for compressive signals.
3. Had we not considered mean stress in this example we might have been mislead to think that we
had met our design life of 500,000 Fills.
4. Changing the mean stress tends to only have effects in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) region. The
effect of mean stress gets washed out with low cycle fatigue (LCF) problems due to the higher
plasticity. This can be seen in the Morrow equation for mean stress where the mean stress is
accounted for only on the elastic side of the equation. The plot above also illustrates this
comparing a strain-life plot with and without Morrow mean stress correction (note only the HCF
side is effected).
f' m
b
c
Morrow
------ = ------------------( 2N f ) + f' ( 2N f )
E
2
Mean Stress
SWT mean stress correction has the effect of shifting the entire curve and plotting a new
parameter on the right hand side of the equation by multiplying by the maximum stress.
2
f'
- ( 2N f ) 2b + f' f' ( 2N f ) b + c
------ max = ------E
2
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SWT
Mean Stress

To illustrate this last point using FEFAT, do a sensitivity plot from each analysis by increasing the
loading. You will see that at higher load levels the answers tend to converge between the two analyses,
negating the effect of the residual stress. Follow these instructions assuming you are at the Design
Optimization main menu of FEFAT still:
1. Select Original parameters. This resets the analysis to all original settings.
2. Select Sensitivity analysis | Scale Factor. Enter (1,3,0.2) including the parentheses to calculate
all factors between one and three by increments of 0.2.
3. Select Recalculate. This will calculate lives based on SWT.
4. Select Change Parameters. Change the Mean Stress Correction to Morrow. Leave all other
settings as is.
5. Select Recalculate. This will calculates lives based on Morrow.
6. Select new Jobname and redo these steps with the other analysis job if you wish.
Table 6-3
Mean Stress Effects
Scale Factor

SWT
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Morrow
SWT
Morrow
1.0
67,000
132,000
225,000
323,000
1.2
23,700
37,700
51,500
65,500
1.4
10,100
15,300
18,172
21,500
1.6
5,400
7,600
8,400
9,600
1.8
3,200
4,400
4,700
5,200
2.0
2,100
2,800
2,900
3,200
2.2
1,500
1,900
1,950
2,100
2.4
1,100
1,400
1,400
1,500
2.6
820
1,050
1,040
1,100
2.8
640
814
801
860
3.0
515
650
635
680


MSC Fatigue can compensate for different surface treatments and finishes as you have noticed when
setting up analysis jobs. Up to this point we have always set the finish and treatment to either none or a
polished finish (which are the same) signifying that we wish to use the material properties as-is with
no corrections. Do the following to investigate the effect of surface finish and treatment assuming you
are still at the Design Optimization main menu of FEFAT:
1. Select Original parameters. This resets the analysis to all original settings.
2. Select Sensitivity analysis | surface Finishes (all).
3. Select Recalculate. This calculates lives based on SWT for all surface finishes.
4. Select Original parameters.
5. Select Change Parameters. Change the Surface Condition to Poor Machined. Leave all other
settings as is.
6. Select Sensitivity analysis | surface Treatment (all).
7. Select Recalculate. This calculates lives based on SWT with Poor Machined finish for all surface
treatments.
Select new Jobname and redo these steps with the other analysis job if you wish.
To meet the design life of this injection mold we could have left it machined with a poor finish and
nitrided it and not imposed a residual stress at all:
Table 6-4
Mean Stress Effects
Surface Condition
Polished
67,000 Fills
225,000 Fills
Ground
44,000 Fills
122,000 Fills
Good Machined
27,000 Fills
60,900 Fills
Average Machined
20,000 Fills
41,200 Fills
Poor Machined
15,500 Fills
29,300 Fills
Nitrided
3,170,000 Fills
946,000 Fills
Cold Rolled
738,000 Fills
287,000 Fills
Shot Peened
130,000 Fills
72,400 Fills
Surface finish and treatment corrections are imposed by changing the material properties. This is
accomplished by changing the slope of the S-N curve or for strain-life curves, the slope of the elastic line
at the endurance limit. A scale factor for each finish or treatment is stored in the materials database.
These factors are based on the UTS of the material and derived from empirical data.
Surface treatments and finishes tend again to only effect HCF jobs. To illustrate, you can perform an
exercise similar to that done in the previous section where the load was increased by doing a sensitivity
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analysis on the scale factor. Except this time do it for different surface finishes or treatments. Note that
the answers tend to converge between the various surface finish/treatments at higher load levels. The
curve to the right shows two strain-life curves, one with polished and one with some other finish, where
only the HCF end is effected.
Note:
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Shot Peening is a mechanism used to impose a compressive residual stress into the surface,
thus changing the mean stress. However, it is compensated for by surface finish/treatment
techniques.

Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
Imposing a residual stress is simply a mechanism of changing the mean stress. Residual stress can be the
result of a manufacturing process or an overload as in the case of this example. Prestress and offset
stresses due to other effects such as gravity or centrifugal forces can be accounted for in the same manner.
When these offset stresses vary over the model, generally an additional FE load case must define them.
If the offset is constant, other methods of accounting for residual stress are possible in MSC Fatigue:
Accounting for Constant Residual Stress
1. Material Info... form. On this form, if you scroll the spreadsheet over you will see a column
called Offset. Here you can impose a constant residual offset that will be applied to only the area
of your model defined in Region (Group) with the specified combination of material, finish and
treatment.
2. Loading Info... form. Aside from selecting an entire FE load case as a offset which varies from
node to node, you can also set a constant offset for any specified FE load case. If you scroll the
spreadsheet over on this form you will also see a column to specify an Offset.
3. FEFAT: Residual stress can be entered in the form of a loading or stress offset when performing
analysis interactively using FEFAT. In the Design Optimization mode, Sensitivity analysis on
residual stress is possible as well as in the Parameter optimization menu to back calculate a
residual stress to meet the design life.
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Concluding Remarks
Main Index
Chapter 7: Introduction to Crack Growth

Main Index
Introduction to Crack Growth
Problem Description
230
Concluding Remarks
233
252
254
260
232

Problem Description
Problem Description
We now revert back to our first problem, the keyhole model to introduce the concept of linear elastic
fracture mechanics (LEFM) or Crack Growth. Subject to the same loading as before and to the complex
transmission loading sequence (SAETRN), we are interested in determining what remnant of life is left
in this component after crack initiation and how long until the crack will become a catastrophic failure.
Figure 7-1
Keyhole Finite Element Model - Symmetric Half Model
A detailed discussion of fracture mechanics and its governing principles is beyond the scope of this
tutorial guide and the user is referred to the for a more detailed description. However, the concepts are
explained here in as simple terms as possible to introduce the method.
Objective
To introduce the LEFM, page 876 life prediction method, commonly referred to as Crack
Growth.
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Chapter 7: Introduction to Crack Growth 231

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 7-1
Files Required
Files Required
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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A linear static finite element analysis has been performed already with a load magnitude of 10,000
Newtons. To begin, import this model and results information into a new database using Patran.

2. Enter keyhole for File name

database.


4. Select simpleSN.op2 output file, and click OK
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Growth in the Crack Growth group
and pull down Analysis to Growth).

Element nodal stresses will be averaged to the nodes, for all element contributions.
Note:
Crack Growth analysis requires stresses; you do not have a choice.

Model dimensions are millimeters and forces are in Newtons, therefore stress units are MPa.
5. Verify that Solver is set to Classic
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6. Enter simple_cg for Jobname

7. Enter Simple Crack Growth Analysis for Title
Define a Compliance Function

For all fatigue and fracture analyses thus far, we have been defining the three major inputs: geometry,
materials, and loading. This is no different for a Crack Growth analysis except that geometry definition
takes on a different form than what we have dealt with to this point. For the Total Life (page 887), and
Crack Initiation (page 866), methods we have been tightly linked to the FE analysis and the stress/strain
distribution.
This link to FE analysis is much weaker for the Crack Growth (Propagation),(page 866) method, in which
the only information necessary is the remote stress used in the Paris Equation, defined as cyclic range of
stress intensity, K,
da- = C ( K ) m
-----dN
where:
Cyclic range of stress intensity
da-----dN
Rate of cracked growth
Paris Law coefficient
Material constant
and Stress Intensity (page 885), is defined by driving force K, the applied stress , and the crack size a.
K = Y (a)
where:
K
The driving force
The applied stress
The crack size
The compliance function
Note:
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Y is known as the Compliance Function (page 865) and describes the geometry in which the
crack exists.

The Fracture Mechanics Triangle

The driving force behind a crack that causes it to propagate is not stress or strain but the stress intensity
factor, K. (This is not to be confused with stress concentration Kt). The stress intensity factor accounts
for both the stress and the crack size and is a way of describing the stress field around a crack tip
independent of the overall geometry. The relationship between stress intensity, stress, and crack length is
known as the fracture mechanics triangle. If you know two of the corners you can derive the other.
Solution Parameters
The Solution Params... form deals with the parameters specific to the analysis at hand, in this case the
Crack Growth analysis.
Compliance Function Library

MSC Fatigue contains a library of standard crack geometries from which you can derive a compliance
function. Follow the steps below to use this library.
2. Click Compliance Generator to launch PKSOL
PKSOL is an MSC Fatigue module, that will give you access to the compliance function library.
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3. Double-click 1.Millimeters
The first thing that you are asked for is the units in which to define the geometry.
Hint:
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You may select any item and click OK, or double-click the item only.

4. Double-click 4.Generate a Y function table
5. Enter Keyhole for Output K-Solution Filename

A file called keyhole.ksn will be created containing the compliance function lookup table.
6. Click OK
7. Double-click 1. Standard specimens
8. Double-click 8.Compact tension specimen (CTS)
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This will open PKSOL module. Once the PKSOL module opens, you will be presented with a
graphic representation of the geometry to which you need to specify dimensions.
9. Click Define in PKSOL

At this point you will be asked for the dimensions of the geometry B (thickness) and W (width).
Please note that the dimensions of the keyhole model should be specified based on the picture
shown below.
10. Input 9.525 under Enter thickness, B in mm

11. Press Enter
12. Input 94 under Enter width, W in mm
13. Press Enter
14. Press Enter when asked if any changes are necessary.
You do not need to make any changes.
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15. Click Calculate to generate the compliance function
16. Select 2. Plot Y function against crack ratio

This form allows you to either plot, tabulate or create another compliance function.
Figure 7-2
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Display of Crack Growth using PKSOL module


19. Double-click eXit to close PKSOL and get back on the Solution Params... form
Hint:
The compliance library contains around 35 different crack geometries. You can view the different
geometries once you enter PKSOL by selecting option 5. Display solution library from the main
PKSOL menu. A graphical display of available geometries for the selected option is plotted.
Figure 7-2 gives you a good feel as to how the crack will grow as it gets larger; as the crack ratio (a/W)
increases, the crack growth rate also accelerates whereas, at first, the growth rate is much slower.
Back on the Loading Info... form, ensure that the following are set on this form. Any parameter not
mentioned should remain set with the defaults.
Select a Compliance Function
1. Select keyhole under Select a Compliance Function
The name of the compliance function that you created earlier should be available in this listbox.
Stress Combination
This is the stress parameter that will be used in the fatigue analysis. The stress tensor from the FE
analysis results will be extracted at each node, the maximum absolute principal calculated and
then averaged over all nodes defined in the Region specified on the Material Info... form. It is this
stress that will be used to determine the stress intensity range for each cycle.
Crack growth Information
1. Pull down Crack Length Units to Inches
Define the units in which all the below parameters will be defined.
2. Enter 0.1 for Initial Crack Length
This is the initial crack length which can be anything but zero. If zero is entered this acts as a flag
to tell MSC Fatigue to use minimum crack sizing rules to determine the minimum crack size for
valid fracture mechanics analysis. Here we have entered a typical engineering crack size that
might be detectable after crack initiation.
3. Enter 2.13 for Final Crack Length
We do not know what this will be but it cannot be any larger than from the end of the notch to the
other side of the keyhole specimen. It is very likely that the crack will not actually grow to this
size before catastrophic failure.
4. Enter 2.3 for Notch Depth
This is the physical depth of the notch (keyhole) in this compact tension specimen. By entering a
non-zero value here, MSC Fatigue will compensate for notch influences.
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5. Enter 0.375 for Notch Radius

This is the radius of notch. The default is zero.
6. Verify that Sharp Crack Radius is set to 0.0
This is a sharp crack radius. The default is zero. If zero is entered here and/or for the Notch
Radius, a minimum default is used since they cannot actually be zero.

Note:
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We have mixed units in this example using Inches in the above discussion and Millimeters
when the compliance function was defined. This is OK and there is no mismatch here because
the compliance function is a non-dimensional number and the initial crack lengths, final crack
lengths, and notch dimensions are converted to SI units internally.

Loading Information
We are going to use the same loading as was used in Rainflow Cycle Counting (page 882), but with a
different scale factor to accelerate the crack growth for illustration purposes.
1. Under the Durability tab, click Loading in the Crack Growth group
3. Double-click Copy from central in PTIME
You may select any item and then click OK, or double-click the item only.
4. Enter SAETRN for Database Entry to Copy and click OK
Note:
If you have been working through this document sequentially, and did not start this exercise
from a clean working directory, then there is a good chance that the entity SAETRN already
exists in your database. To check this,
1. Double-click List all entries in PTIME
If the entity SAETRN is listed, you will need to delete it before continuing.
2. Click OK to go back to the PTIME main menu
3. Double-click Delete entries
4. Enter SAETRN for Database Entry to Delete, and click OK
5. Click Yes and allow to delete this entry
Now that the entry has been deleted, we can get a fresh Copy from central database.
6. Double-click Add an entry...
7. Select Copy from central in PTIME
8. Enter SAETRN for Database Entry to Copy, and click OK
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Scale the Time History Load

1. Double-click Change an entry... and select Polynomial transform in PTIME
2. Click OK to accept SAETRN for Database Entry to Transform

3. Click Yes and allow overwrite when asked
4. Enter scale factor of 40 in the second databox for x < old value >
This number will scale up the time history to represent the actual loading applied to the
component.
5. Click OK to go to the next form

6. Leave the existing information for Description 1 and delete those for Description 2
7. Pull down Load type | Units to Force | Newtons
8. Enter 1 for Number of fatigue equivalent units
9. Enter Repeats for Fatigue equivalent units, and click OK to continue
Note:
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If you wish, you can plot the SAETRN time history, using Plot and Entry option in PTIME.


Now back on the Loading Info... form three pieces of information must be input to the spreadsheet in the
center of the form. Verify that the following are set on this form (if not mentioned, please accept the
default values):
1. Verify that Results Transformation is set to No Transformation
In the upper right hand corner of the Loading Info... form, set this to No Transformation. FE
results will not be transformed to the basic coordinate system before averaging. Generally you
will want to transform results to the basic coordinate system when they are element nodal
(integration points), such that proper averaging can be done. There is no need to transform
element centroidal or nodal results, since no averaging takes place for these types.
Load Case ID
This will bring up a subordinate form to filter the results
3. Check Select All Results Case, and click Apply
exists, it is automatically selected for you by picking the results case. The cell you selected under
the Load Case ID label is automatically filled for you and the focus transfers to the cell next to it,
under the Time History label. Please note that the actual load case ID numbers you see may not
match the one shown here but should be the only one available in the database.
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Time History
5. Select the SAETRN.DAC row to fill the Time History cell with the time history file name
(with one row) appears at the bottom of the form from which you select the time history file you
created previously. All time histories created using PTIME appear in this spreadsheet when the
Time History Cell is selected. Next, the focus will switch to the adjacent Load Magnitude cell.
Load Magnitude
6. Enter a value of 10,000 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses, under the load magnitude cell.
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The Load Magnitude of 10,000 Newtons is the same as that used in the previous S-N analysis and
is used to normalize the stresses such that they are due to a unit load.
7. Press Enter
You need to press Enter to accept the new value of 10,000.
8. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to close the Loading Info... form
Create a Group
Before proceeding on the Material Info... form, use Group to create a group of nodes that is representative
of the far field stress.
1. Pull down Group > Create...
2. Enter far_field for New Group Name

3. Enter Node 211:213 594:595 606:608 under Entity Selection
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These are all the nodes associated to Element 166.
4. Click Apply and then Cancel to close the Group form

The stress from these nodes will be averaged and used in the determination of the stress intensity as
earlier described in the equation:
K = Y a
This is where the departure from the other two methods can be somewhat confusing. The region that is
defined on the Material Info... form should not contain the nodes from the entire model or an interested
portion thereof, but must contain the area of the model that is representative of the stress in this stress
intensity equation.
Main Index

What this stress should be is best described as the stress that would be there if there were no crack (or
notch) in the structure. So in this case the stress would be load divided by area (P/A) where the area is
the entire cross section without the notch.
Note:
Although the above statements are true, the nodes selected here to represent the far field stress
have been chosen somewhat arbitrarily to force the crack to grow rapidly for illustration
purposes only.
On the Material Info... form a spreadsheet appears whose cells need to be filled in. However, the
spreadsheet layout is slightly different than that for other analysis types:
The Material Info... form for the Crack Growth analysis, has an Environment section, In
addition to a Material section just like before.

No Surface Finish or Treatments are applicable for this type of analysis.
Only one combination of Material, Environment, and Region can be specified. It no longer
makes sense to define multiple materials.

Select a Material and Environment
1. Under the Durability tab, click Materials in the Crack Growth group
2. (Or click Material Info..., on the main MSC Fatigue form).
4. Select Manten under Select a Material
Scroll down the list box that appears under the spreadsheet and select the indicated material. Once
the material is selected, the adjacent cell is automatically activated.
5. Select Air under Select an Environment
You only have one choice.
7. Select far_field under Select a Group
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Select a Group list box should appear below the spreadsheet. We will use the far_field group,
which is defining the area of far-field stresses. Any group you select must contain elements and
all the associated nodes. If the group contains elements only, an error message will be issued.
View the da/dN Curve

It may be beneficial to view the actual material information that will be used to look up damage and
calculate crack growth rate.
1. Click Materials Database Manager to invoke PFMAT
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You may select any item and click OK, or double-click the item only.
3. Scroll down and select MANTEN

5. Select Apparent delta k plot and click OK
You will be asked to enter an R-ratio.
6. Enter 0.5 for Stress Ratio
7. Click OK to view the da/dN curve

Note:
You can enter a couple of R-ratios if you wish. Mean stress is accounted for in Crack Growth
analysis by using the curve corresponding to a given stress cycles R-ratio.
Material response is modeled by measuring crack growth rates versus stress intensity (K) in constant
amplitude tests. From these tests are derived the da/dN curve and the threshold characteristics and
fracture toughness of the material.
In fatigue we are concerned with stable crack growth occurring below a catastrophic level. When you
plot crack growth rates against K on log scales, you get sigmoidal shaped curves like these which have
three distinct regions. There is a linear region in the middle of these curves which is described by the
Paris Equation. At the bottom end of the curves there is a threshold below which no crack growth occurs
(very similar to a fatigue limit). This is caused by crack closure and the interaction of the crack with the
micro-structure. If the mean stress is raised, the threshold decreases because the cracks are held open for
Main Index

more of the time. At the other end of the curve, crack growth rates increase as the maximum stress of
each cycle gets close to the fracture toughness of the material.
The curve you just plotted in using PFMAT, is called the Apparent K curve describing the apparent
driving force acting on the crack. However there are many effects that this equation does not take into
account, such as crack closure, corrosive environments, the influences of a notch, and static fracture
mode contributions to name a few. MSC Fatigue models these by using an Effective K curve which has
the effect of linearizing the entire Apparent K curve through all three of its distinct regions. It is this
Effective K that is the actual (effective) driving force that is then used in the Paris Equation to determine
crack growth.
9. Select Effective delta k plot
10. Click OK to view this da/dN curve
A da/dN curve is based on the principle of similitude just as with the previous two methods
discussed thus far. This simply means that if we can reproduce the same driving force as that
experienced in the real structure, in a test laboratory specimen made of the same material, then
we can expect the crack propagation rate to be about the same, when subjected to the same
driving force.
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Analyze, in the Crack Growth group

4. Click Apply
When the message Crack growth calculation completed successfully appears, the analysis is
complete.
Note:
Cycle by Cycle Growth

The only accurate way of predicting crack growth is by adopting the cycle-by-cycle approach. Normal
rainflow cycle procedures are used in Crack Growth analysis as with the other two methods, however the
cycles are reordered into their original sequence to retain the sequence effects. For each cycle the crack
extension, da, is calculated and added to the current crack size and this process continues until a failure
condition is reached.
The driving force for propagation due to each cycle is the range of stress intensity, K. For each cycle
the apparent or applied driving force is calculated from the stress range, current crack size, and geometry
(compliance function) of the component. It is then modified due to various considerations of crack
closure, history or overload effects, notch and environmental influences, and static fracture mode
contributions. The modified (effective) K is then used to determine crack extension for any given cycle
using material parameters and the Paris Equation.
Note:
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It should be clearly understood that even though the growth of microscopic cracks is governed
by linear elastic fracture mechanics, the microscopic crack extension process by fatigue still
necessitates local plasticity. At the tip of a fatigue crack there is a plastic zone. The crack tip
plastic zone is assumed to be negligibly small in relation to crack size, especially for high
strength materials, but essential to the fatigue crack growth process.

The Fatigue Crack Propagation Rectangle

As discussed earlier, the Fracture Mechanics Triangle relates stress intensity, stress, and crack length.
When speaking in terms of crack growth and overall life, a rectangular rather than a triangular
representation is used. In Crack Growth there is a relationship between stress range and life just as with
the Total Life (S-N) method except it is extended to include the initial and final crack lengths (and all
crack sizes in-between these two limits). So in a similar way to solving the triangle, the fatigue crack
propagation rectangle can be solved by knowing any three of the four corners to derive the fourth.
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Results, in the Crack Growth group
(Or click Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form).
Note:
No color contour plotting is available with Crack Growth.
Tabular Listing
2. Pull down Action to List Results, and click Apply
This will start the module PCPOST which tabularly lists the fracture analysis results and also plots
the final situation.
3. Double-click Results summary page
The main menu of PCPOST includes a host of items, the most useful perhaps, being the results
summary page.
4. Inspect the results and click End to continue

Inspection of the result summary reveals that the crack grew to a bit over 11 mm before fracture
and took over 545.74 repeats of the SAETRN time history. The mode of failure is also revealed
(stress intensity exceeding the fracture toughness of the material).
5. Double-click plot final a-N curve on PCPOST
This plot reveals how the crack grew over time. We will discuss the plot in more detail shortly.
6. Click Return to return on the plot to the main menu of PCPOST
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Interpolate Crack Sizes

Using PCPOST module, you can interpolate the life based on different crack sizes:
1. Select Interpolate life on PCPOST
2. Enter 3.54 for Initial crack size, and click OK
You can enter a different initial crack length or a different final crack length or both. It will then,
on-the-fly, report back to you the interpolated life. It is very possible that the actual initial crack
is much larger than previously thought. With this tool you can quickly assess any deleterious
effect this may have on product life. Note that an extra millimeter initial crack length (3.54 mm)
will half the life.
3. Click End and then click Cancel

4. Double-click eXit to close PCPOST
Interactive Operation
1. Pull down Action to Optimize, on the Fatigue Results... form
This will invoke the Crack Growth analyzer PCRACK. By running PCRACK interactively we can
rerun the entire Crack Growth analysis and make any changes necessary.
2. Click Apply
You will be presented with a number of setup screens, before the job is started.
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Loading Definition
The first form to open is Loading Definition form. This form is where you can alter the scaling factor or
impose a constant residual offset.
1. Accept all the defaults and click OK to continue
Output Parameters
The second form is Output Parameters, which is used for graphical updates and general output
parameters.
2. Enter 0.25 for both the Results File Output Interval and Screen Update Interval
This is done so that the updates do not occur at the end of the signal but somewhere in the middle
of the signal where the crack growth rate and stress intensity are more certainly non-zero. This
interval is simply a snap-shot at a particular time or location in the signal; so we will get four snapshots per repeat of the signal.
3. Click OK to continue
4. Click Yes and allow overwrite
Local Geometry Definition
The third form is the Local Geometry Definition form, which allows you to modify initial and final crack
length specifications and notch dimensions.
5. Click OK to accept the keyhole compliance function for K Solution Filename
The form is now updated with the Local Geometry Input parameters.
6. Accept all the defaults for these parameters, and click OK
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Material and Environment Selection

The last form allows for selection of material and environment.
7. Verify that Material Name | Environment are both set to MANTEN | AIR
8. Accept all the defaults on the Material and Environment Selection form, and click OK
The Crack Growth analysis will initiate and you will be presented with a graphical screen that
updates as the crack grows. You will see the plot update as well as the numbers on the top of the
plot, and the modifying effects to the right of the plot. The plot features crack size versus life in
cycles. When the analysis is done, you are presented with a page describing the Final Situation
just as was done in the previous section using the PCPOST module.
9. Click End when you are satisfied that the same answers are given as the original analysis
Once you click End the PCRACK- Post Analysis menu will open. This is very similar to the
main Design Optimization menu of FEFAT for Crack Initiation and Total Life jobs.
10. Double-click final a-N graph on PCRACK
Figure 7-3
Display of the Final a-N Graph for MANTEN
11. Pull down file>eXit to close the plot and get back to PCRACK
The following explanations are given from left to right and top to bottom. All of these effects are
discussed in more details in the MSC Fatigue Users Guide:
1. Repeats: This is self explanatory. This reports the number of repeats of the time history that the
component has survived.
2. Size: This reports the length of the crack at the given snap-shot in time.
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3. DLKAPP: This is the apparent stress intensity (K) or the apparent crack driving force without
accounting for any modifying effects.
4. DLKEFF: This is the effective stress intensity (K) or the actual crack driving force which is
based on the apparent K with modifying effects. All modifying effects are listed to the right of
the plot. If a modifying effect is highlighted, it was being experienced at that particular snap-shot
in time.
5. da/dN: This is the current crack growth rate at the reported time.
6. CLOSURE: This is an effect used to modify the apparent . When this modifying effect is lit,
the component is currently experiencing crack closure which necessarily slows down the crack
growth.
7. HISTORY: This modifying effect to the apparent is caused by the sequence of cycles. A large
cycle followed by many smaller cycles can actually cause a slow down in the crack growth rate
due to an extension of the plastic zone around the crack tip. This is called crack retardation. It than
takes some time for the driving force to become sufficiently large to overcome that plastic zone
and continue the crack propagation.
8. NOTCH: In our example we modeled an additional notch into our compact tension specimen.
The influence of a notch is also accounted for as a modifying effect to K apparent.
9. ENVIRON: If we had selected a material and used an alternate environment (a function of the
material properties), this modifying effect would be lit.
10. STAT FRAC: Static fracture modes are accounted for also as modifying effects. These occur
when the driving force approaches the fracture toughness of the material causing the crack to
grow rather rapidly.
Optimization
From the PCRACK-Post Analysis menu you can do numerous things such as to view the final situation
graphically or tabularly, interpolate on life as has been discussed already, or change any of the original
parameters without redoing the entire job setup. As an exercise, let us change the material from
MANTEN to RQC100 as was done with the original Total Life method in A Simple S-N Analysis (Ch. 2)
example, to see the effects on the propagation life of the component.
1. Double-click Edit analysis parameters > Select material and environment
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2. Enter RQC100 for Material Name

3. Click OK
4. Double-click Recalculate in PCRACK
5. Click Yes when asked to allow overwrite of the output file
The job will restart using the new material. Note that with RQC100, which is a higher strength
steel than MANTEN, the propagation life is a little bit longer (closer to 580 Repeats) but the final
crack size is a couple of millimeters shorter (~8.5 mm) before ultimate failure. This would
indicate that it is a more brittle material and less resistant to plastic deformation.
6. Click End to go back to the main menu
7. Double-click final a-N graph in PCRACK
Note the final situation plot has a much flatter, constant slope confirming our suspicion.
Figure 7-4
Display of the Final a-N Graph for RQC100
8. Pull down File > Exit

9. Double-click eXit to close PCRACK
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
The branch of engineering science concerned with linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is by no
means a new one. The earliest work in the UK dates back to Inglis (1913) but the major developments
took place following the research of Griffith and Rae in 1920, and Irwin in the USA in 1956; and LEFM
has since flourished.
There are three modes of crack growth. Mode I - opening, Mode II - sliding, Mode III - tearing. Of the
three modes, mode 1 is by far the most common. It is quite difficult to make cracks grow in modes 2 or
3. For these reasons MSC Fatigue only supports Mode I.
Analysis without an FE Model

It is not actually necessary to use a FE model to run a Crack Growth analysis. You can invoke PCRACK
from a system prompt by typing the symbol pcrack, or start this module by pulling down Tools >
MSC.Fatigue > Solvers > Crack Growth Analysis (pcrack)...:.
Once PCRACK is open you can preprocess (rainflow and cycle reorder), run a full fracture analysis,
output or display a time history or enter its utility menus. You may find these methods more convenient.
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Concluding Remarks
1. Double-click Utilities in PCRACK

2. Double-click Make a simple input FES file
You will be prompted for all the pertinent information including the far field stress.
Hint:
A stress tensor is expected but you can simply put in one value for the X-component and
zero for the rest and specify the X-component only to be used in the analysis.
MSC Fatigue Files

MSC Fatigue Crack Growth analysis creates the same files as the other methods with the following two
exceptions:
Table 7-2
MSC Fatigue Files
File
Description
jobname.tcy
(simple_cg.tcy)
jobname.crg
(simple_cg.crg)
Hint:
This binary file is the equivalent of the jobname.fpp preprocessing file

created after rainflow cycle counting for the other two methods. The
jobname.tcy file is also the result of the rainflow cycle count but after time
cycle reordering created by PCRACKs preprocessing phase. It serves as the
input to the actual Crack Growth analysis. The Action, Partial Analysis on the
Job Control... form will create all files up to this point and then stop.
This is the results file of a fracture analysis created by PCRACK when a Full
Analysis is requested. It is a binary file and can be processed by the result
listing facility, PCPOST, only. It cannot be read back into Patran to create life
contour plots as with the jobname.fef file created by the other methods.
If you experience difficulty with a Crack Growth job, check the following files for clues:
batlog.lst, jobname.sta, jobname.msg, pfatigue.prt. It is also
helpful to interactively run the programs from the system prompt by issuing the proper
commands: pksol, pcrack, pcpost.
Exit from Patran when finished with this exercise.
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Concluding Remarks
Main Index
Chapter 8: Design Philosophies

Main Index
Design Philosophies
Problem Description
264
e-N Analysis of Lug
Concluding Remarks
266
272
275
279

Problem Description
Problem Description
The component under design in this example is a lug assembly which is welded onto a base plate and is
loaded in the opposite direction by a cyclic load acting at the top of the lug. The finite element analysis
was carried out to simulate the load applied to the assembly during normal operation. (A sinusoidal
distributed load variation was applied around the hole.) The design life objective is 100 years of service.
Now that all three major fatigue life prediction methods have been introduced, this exercise will use all
three methods of fatigue analysis to analyze various parts of the lug assembly. Namely, you will use the
Total Life approach to determine the useful life of the welded connection. For the non-welded part, you
will use the Crack Initiation approach to investigate crack formation due to stress concentrations at the
hole followed by Crack Growth. This will also illustrate the different fatigue life design philosophies.
Since you should be quite familiar with the job setup procedure by now, only brief explanations are
provided in this exercise. To begin, open a new database and call it lug_weld. Import the MSC Nastran
model and results using the file lug_weld.op2 as has been done in previous exercises.
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Chapter 8: Design Philosophies 265

Problem Description
Objectives
To use the weld classifier to determine the type of weld
To determine the useful life of the weld using the Total Life method
To run a factor of safety analysis on the weld
To determine the crack initiation fatigue life of the lug itself
To investigate sensitivity of initiation life to alternative surface finishes
To determine if a crack will grow
To determine at what interval an inspection is necessary
Table 8-1
Necessary Files
File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/lug_weld.op2
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Due to symmetry, only one half of the lug assembly was modeled. Open the MSC Fatigue setup form and
set the General Setup Parameters as follows:
1. Analysis: S-N
5. Res. Units: MPa
6. Jobname: lug_weld
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7. Title: S-N Analysis of Lug Weld
Solution Parameters
Open the Solutions Params... form and set the widgets as follows leaving the defaults if not mentioned:
1. Mean Stress Correction: None
2. Design Criterion: 96
Set the design criterion at 96% certainty of survival.
3. Run Factor of Safety Analysis: ON
Turn this toggle ON. More will be explained about this analysis later.
4. Options: Life Based
5. Enter a Design Life: 100
This will correspond to 100 years of operation as will be designated when the service loading is
defined.
Since the assembly has a welded connection, it is appropriate to assess the life of this feature using the
Total Life approach since the weld material properties are unknown.
Enter the materials database manager PFMAT either from the MSC Fatigue forms or directly from the
system prompt by typing pfmat. One of the selections in PFMAT is a Weld Classifier. See if you can
determine which type of weld you are dealing with by answering the questions from the weld classifier.
Hint:
The assembly has a welded detail on the surface of a member with potential cracks
initiating at short weld attachments. The weld toe is more than 10 mm from the member
edge. The shear stress is less than half the applied direct stress.
The weld classifier should identify the weld as Class F type 2.9 if all the inputs are correct. You will refer
to this weld class in the Material Info... form. Exit PFMAT.
Open the Material Info... form and fill out the spreadsheet for a single material as follows:
1. Material: classF
4. Region: reference
The Group called reference does not yet exist so you will need to create it. The classF entry is a
component S-N curve. If you remember back to the discussion about component S-N curves you will
recall that they are representative of the components geometry (the weld in this case) and the measured
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nominal stress is from a reference location away from the weld failure itself (such as where a strain gauge
could be properly located).
For the sake of this example, let us assume that we know only approximately where this reference
location is and only within a certain tolerance. Select all the nodes on the surface one element thickness
away from the weld on the flat plate and two elements thick. The analysis will assume that each of these
nodes is the reference location respectively and we will make the determination of the worst case later.
Call the new group reference.
Note:
In this particular case the reference location for this Class F component S-N curve corresponds
to Node 284 on the model. This node is in the area away from the stress concentration but
reasonable for definition of Class F weld.
Loading Information
Open the Loading Info... form and select the Time History Manager button. The load history, to be
called LUGLOAD, consists of a single cycle with a min = 0 and max = 10. (The actual load applied is
ten times greater than that applied in the FE model.) The units are Force in Newtons. The service load
simulates the lug being lifted which happens two times a day. The fatigue equivalent unit should be Years
with one repeat of the time history simulating 1/(2lifts*365days) = 0.00137 years. Enter this information
into PTIME using Enter X-Y points where the y values are 0,10,0. To reiterate the details:
1. Filename: LUGLOAD
2. Description 1: Lug Loading
3. Description 2: whatever you want
4. Load type: Force
5. Units: Newtons
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6. Number of fatigue equivalent units: 0.00137

7. Fatigue equivalent units: Years
On the Loading Info... form, associate the time variation of the load that you just created to the FE load
case by filling out the spreadsheet.
1. Load Case ID: 1.1-3.1-1Select the only result case available, Default, Static Subcase and Stress Tensor, NONLAYERED.
2. Time History: LUGLOAD
3. Load Magnitude: 1.0
Job Control
Open the Job Control... form and set the Action to Full Analysis and click the Apply button to run the
job. Monitor the job form time to time. Since you have requested to do a Factor of Safety analysis, when
you see the message
Safety factor analysis completed successfully.
the job is complete.
Results - Factor of Safety Analysis

For the Factor of Safety Analysis, the options are None, stress based, and life based.
Stress-based analyses are relevant to S-N analysis and apply to a class of structures where fatigue lives
are essentially infinite. In the simplest sense, in order to assess the fatigue life of this class of structures,
it is useful to obtain a measure of the margin between the working (applied stress) and the fatigue
endurance stress (the limit below which no fatigue damage is incurred). The ratio of the endurance
stress/working stress is known as the factor of safety. This is ideal for hand calculations using idealized
loadings but for realistic variable amplitude loading, a more rigorous approach is used (see the MSC
Fatigue Users Guide for the equations used) that estimates the overdesign or underdesign factor on the
user-supplied reference stress. Factors close to unity indicate the design has been achieved, factors less
than unity indicate underdesign and factors greater than unity indicate overdesign.
The Life based calculation is an iterative calculation used to find the magnitude of the scaling factor on
the stress-time spectrum that will cause failure for a specified design life. The scaling factor is applied to
all cycles and is, thus, an overall factor of safety far better suited for random loading.
To begin the analysis, open the Results... form and with the Action set to Read Results, click the Apply
button to read the analysis results into the database. Next set the Action to List Results and invoke
PFPOST, the tabular listing module. If you request to list the Most damaged nodes you will see that there
are no damaged nodes. Therefore, for the weld, we have satisfied the design goal of 100 years of service
and, in fact, have designed a fail-safe structure.
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If you desire, assume that the weld is the worst class, which is Class W. Rerun the analysis using this
new S-N data set. You should see that there are still no damaging nodes and therefore, the weld does not
fail.
Infinite life does not tell us much though. For this reason we ran the Factor of Safety analysis. Open the
Results... form from the main form to make a contour plot of Safety Factor using the Factor of Safety
result case. Note that the smallest safety factor (at Node 284) is around 8 1/2 times.
When you expect a component to survive a very large number of significant loading cycles, e.g., around
108 cycles or more, it is not reasonable to make finite life predictions; you are too near to the fatigue limit
where the amount of scatter is very large. For cases like this it makes more sense to apply a Factor of
Safety method which aims to put the design below the fatigue limit by a selected safety margin. Two
methods can be used.
In general, the Stress-Based method compares the largest stress cycle that occurs in the loading sequence
to a Reference Stress (normally the fatigue limit) taking into account the mean stress.
The Life-Based method requires the target Design Life, the usage of a Material Cutoff value, and a
Maximum Factor (default is 100) to be set. The Maximum Factor is simply used to stop the analysis for
any particular location when this maximum is reached and go on to the next location. This can speed up
the analysis if lowered significantly.
The Material Cut-off is like the fatigue limit. It is the point beyond which damage will not be considered.
If you are carrying out a life-based safety factor calculation, it is clear that if you change the cutoff you
will reduce the influence of small cycles and hence get a larger safety factor. If you are doing a crack
initiation based safety factor, changing the cutoff may also change the slope of the strain-life curve if you
are using a surface finish or treatment correction. This is because the surface factors are applied at the
cutoff.
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For life-based calculations, the method is iterative. The calculation stops when the life is within a certain
percentage of the target life - 5% by default. If you increase the allowable error, the number of iterations
is reduced. This can only be changed by running FEFAT interactively.
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Note:
In an earlier exercise we stated that making a contour plot of life (or safety factor in this case)
from a component S-N analysis is meaningless and only the result at the reference location has
any meaning. This is true, except in the case where you are not quite sure where that location
is and wish to weigh the relative importance between different locations. Really only Node 284
has the correct safety factor but you can tell the relative magnitude difference if some other
node were the actual reference location. With this simple loading, it is obvious that all other
nodes will be less than Node 284 but with more complicated loading situations, this quickly
becomes unclear.
Hint:
PFPOST can also tabulate safety factor results. When you invoke PFPOST, type the .fos
extension onto the jobname. This way it will pick up the jobname.fos result file created
by a Factor of Safety analysis instead of the default jobname.fef file from regular life
analysis.

e-N Analysis of Lug
-N Analysis of Lug
Now set up a Crack Initiation analysis of the lug itself. We are not concerned about where this crack will
initiate since we know this due to the nature of the simple loading, i.e., the high stress area. We wish to
determine the life until a crack initiates in the hole. Set the General Setup Parameters as follows:
1. Analysis: Initiation
5. Res. Units: MPa
6. Jobname: lug_ci
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e-N Analysis of Lug
7. Title: Crack Initiation Analysis of Lug
Solution Parameters
Accept all the defaults on this form.
The material used in this analysis is BS4360-50D. This material is already in the materials database.
Assume there is a good machined finish with no surface treatment. Open the Material Info... form and
fill out the spreadsheet as follows:
1. Material: BS4360-50D
2. Surface Finish: Good Machined
3. Surface Treatment: No Treatment
This group contains the nodes for the entire model.
Loading Information
The load history is identical to that of the S-N analysis of the lug weld problem.
Job Control
job. Monitor the job form time to time until it is complete.
Results
Open the Fatigue Results... form from the main MSC Fatigue setup form and read the results in.
Do a contour plot of the log of the life (in Years) or list the results using PFPOST to identify the node
with the shortest life. Note that the initiation life is approximately 3000 cycles at Node 7 or about 4 years
assuming 2 lifts per day.
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e-N Analysis of Lug
On the Fatigue Results... form set the Action to Optimize, select Node 7 to run the design optimization
mode of FEFAT. Set the design life to 100. After reanalyzing Node 7 and entering into the main menu,
do a Sensitivity analysis on surface Finishes (all). Do not forget to press the Recalculate switch. Note
that a polished surface only increases the life to less than 6 years. This is obviously not sufficiently long,
even with a polished surface.
The Safe Life design philosophy would have us scrap this component after 4 to 6 years depending on
surface finish/treatment we could apply or impose. This would be OK if the component were small and
inexpensive and easy to replace such as automobile parts. However, this is not an option in the case, and
the existence of a crack will not hinder the operation, nor is it a safety critical item. However, this
calculation is only to crack initiation. There may still be many years of life left in this assembly depending
on how fast this crack propagates.
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Set up a Crack Growth analysis now to determine if a crack will grow in the lug and to determine at what
interval an inspection may be necessary. Set the General Setup Parameters as follows:
1. Analysis: Growth
5. Res. Units: MPa
6. Jobname: lug_cg
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7. Title: Crack Growth Analysis of Lug
Solution Parameters
Open the Solution Params... form. Before we can fill this form out completely we need additional
information about the crack geometry, namely the compliance function. Run PKSOL (click the
Compliance Generator button) and create a compliance function for a specimen with a double crack at
a hole in tension where R = 15mm and W = 70mm. Call it LUG. These are the PKSOL steps:
1. Millimeters
2. Generate a Y function table
3. Output K-Solution Filename: LUG
4. Cracks a holes
5. Double crack at a hole in tension
6. Define
7. R: 15
8. W: 70
9. Changes: Carriage Return - no changes
10. Calculate
Select Plot Y function against crack ratio to see the graph of the crack ratio.
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On the Solution Params... form set the following widgets and accept defaults for those not mentioned:
1. Select a Compliance Function: LUG

2. Initial Crack Length: 3
3. Final Crack Length: 55
Hint:
You can plot the compliance functions from the Solution Params... form (if you have
done so from PKSOL first) by selecting a compliance function from the listbox and
clicking the Plot button. To remove the plot, press the Unpost or Delete buttons.
Open the Material Info... form. Before filling the form out however, create a group with only Node 223
in it. Call the group far_field. Node 223 is chosen to indicate the area of nominal or far-field stress. It is
not too close to the high stress gradient where the influence of the hole is dominant. LEFM theory is
based on a nominal far-field stress.
The material again is BS4360-50D and the environment is air. The properties for this material are already
in the materials database manager. On the Material Info... form set the cells of the spreadsheet as follows:
1. Material: BS4360-50D
2. Environment: air
3. Region: far_field
This group contains the node of the far field stress point only.
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Loading Information
The load time history is identical to the previous two lug analyses.
Job Control
job. Monitor the job form time to time until it is complete.
Results
Open the Fatigue Results... form and with the Action set to List Results, click Apply to invoke
PCPOST. View the Results summary page and the final a-N curve. Note that the crack takes over 150
years to grow to a critical size before total failure. Then close PCPOST.
The Damage Tolerant design philosophy would have us determine an inspection interval. Rerun the
analysis by changing the Action to Optimize. Accept all the defaults on each setup screens presented to
you by PCRACK. When the analysis begins you will notice that the crack grows, but fairly slowly.
Therefore, you could feel good about a fairly long interval between inspections (say once a year).
When the analysis has completed, make your way back to the PCRACK Post Analysis main menu. It may
be of interest to change the initial crack size to something less than 3 mm. We assumed a 3 mm initial
crack length based on an engineering crack size from the initiation analysis. Use the Edit analysis
parameters | local Geometry option to change the crack size to 2 mm. Then Recalculate. Do it again
for 1 mm. Finally put in 0 mm which flags the code to calculate the minimum initial crack length valid
for LEFM in this case. Note that the crack hardly grows for a long time. Growth of the crack is quite
sensitive to the initial crack length. This could have been surmised from a plot of the compliance function
which shows slow growth at first but very accelerated growth at a high crack ratio. Click the Abort button
when you get tired of watching the crack grow.
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
This exercise ran all three methods of fatigue analysis to investigate different aspects of life evaluation
on the same component.
The Total Life (S-N) analysis was performed on the lug weld to demonstrate a fail safe design.
As a side note, a weld class S-N curve was used. Note that two types of S-N analysis can be performed
with a weld. Either a normal S-N analysis or an S-N analysis based on the current British Standard. The
British Standard can be turned on using the Materials Info... form by scrolling the spreadsheet to the right
and setting the Weld cell to YES. Try reruning the analysis to see the differences in results. With Weld
set to YES, various effects are taken into account according to the British Standard, such as residual stress
based on the weld class selected.
The Crack Initiation analysis was performed on the lug itself to demonstrate the safe life approach.
And finally the Crack Growth analysis was performed on the lug to demonstrate a damage tolerant
approach where inspection intervals were determined based on crack growth rate.
To be completely thorough you might also run a crack growth analysis at the lug weld. It is highly
unlikely, though, that this would yield any crack growth since the S-N analysis gave infinite life and a
safety factor of greater than 8 was achieved.
For this particular component, the safe life approach really did not avail us much. The crack initiates very
quickly in comparison to the time it takes to propagate the crack. From this perspective, we can ignore
the Crack Initiation analysis entirely.
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Concluding Remarks
Main Index
Chapter 9: Multiple Loads

Main Index
Multiple Loads
Problem Description
282
284
288
307
309
314
324

Problem Description
Problem Description
To this point we have used simple, semi-fabricated examples to illustrate concepts. Now we revert to a
more realistic, real-world example. The model is still simple but the loading is complex. This example
describes a typical multiple load case fatigue analysis as applied to a safety-critical component. Because
it is safety critical, both a Total Life (Ch. A), page 887, method (to ensure that it will survive its design
life) and a defect tolerant approach (to ensure that a crack will not grow to failure too rapidly) are
employed.
Figure 9-1
Mounting Lug Model
The component is a titanium alloy aircraft rear engine mounting lug. It is mounted across the rear of the
aircraft wing and is used to locate a pin which constrains the rear of the engine in the x-y plane. The
engine is restrained in the z-direction (direction of travel) by the front engine mounting. Thrust results in
a downward distribution of pressure and is simulated by a cos2t pressure distribution over a 90 degree
angle, amounting to a resultant force of around 1000 Newtons. The model is composed of 2D quadratic
elements. The lug is mounted very stiffly along its top edge, simulated by constraining this edge for all
degrees-of-freedom.
Loading around the lug hole is simulated by applying 8 different load cases. Each load is a separate FE
analysis and spaced every 45 degrees. A loading spectrum is available consisting of horizontal and
vertical loads that represent 1000 flights. The design life is approximately 30,000 flights.
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Chapter 9: Multiple Loads 283

Problem Description
Objectives
To assess the fatigue life of safety critical items
To demonstrate setup of multiple loading conditions
To determine the critical location
To assess a damage tolerant design
Files Required
Table 9-1
Files Required
File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/mounting_lug.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/lug.mat
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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To begin, read this model and results information into a new Patran database.

2. Enter mounting_lug for the File name

database.

(Or pull down Action | Object to Access Results | Read OP2, on the Analysis form).

4. Select mounting_lug.op2 output file, and click OK
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2. Select the Load Case 1, Static Subcase... under Select Result Cases
3. Select Stress Tensor under Select Fringe Result
4. Verify that Quantity is set to von Mises
5. Select Constraint Forces, Translational under Select Deformation Result
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Figure 9-2
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mounting_lug Model, Stress Results

Figure 9-2 and Figure 9-3 show the stress results for each load case using Von Mises Stresses. As you can
see, each load case gives a different stress distribution. It is not clear from these stress plots where the
critical location will be when combined.
Figure 9-3
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mounting_lug Model, Stress Results

We will start this example by runing a Total Life (page 887), analysis of the mounting lug similar to what
we did in the example for A Simple S-N Analysis (Ch. 2), (page 73).


Note:

6. Enter mountlug_sn_dtlib for Jobname

7. Enter S-N Analysis of Rear Engine Mounting Lug for Title
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General Parameters
The General Params... form allows the user to change settings that are common to all the DTLib-based
fatigue solutions. Click OK to accept all the defaults on this form.
Solution Parameters
The Solution Params... form deals with parameters specific to the analysis at hand, in this case the S-N
analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set (any not mentioned should remain set with the
defaults).
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3. Verify that Mean Stress Correction is set to Goodman

Accept the default Goodman mean stress correction method (which tends to be a bit conservative)
in conjunction with the Max. Abs. Principal stress to use in the fatigue analysis.
This is the stress parameter that will be used in the fatigue analysis.
5. Enter 96.00% for Certainty of Survival
This means that the component will have a 96% chance of surviving the calculated life.
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Create a Group
The fatigue problem is clearly going to be around the hole, so we can speed up the analysis by calculating
fatigue damage for this area only. To create this group we are going to enlist the help of the List function.
1. Under the Geometry tab, click Coordinates and pull down the menu to Euluer
2. (Or click the Geometry tab, and pull down Object | Method to Coord | Euler).
1. Pull down Type to Cylindrical

2. Verify hat Origin has a value of [0 0 0]
The origin of the new coordinate system is set to the Point [0 0 0].
3. Click Apply to create a new coordinate system at the center of the hole
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4. Pull down Tools > List > Create...

Two forms are oppened. The Create List form and the List A form.
5. Verify that Model is set to FEM, on Create List form

6. Pull down Object to Node |
7. Pull down Method to Attribute
8. Select Coord Value under Attribute
9. Enter Coord 1 under Refer: Coordinate Frame
10. Check R (radius)
11. Pull down R to range symbol
12. Enter 34.4 and 34.6 for radius range
All the nodes within this Radius range are selected.
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13. Click Apply

You will notice that the List A form is filled with all the selected nodes.
14. Click Add To Group...

15. Enter hole for Group Name
This will create a new group called hole, which contains all the previously selected nodes.
16. Click Apply

17. Click Cancel in both forms to close
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The group containes Nodes now but we still need the Elements:
1. Pull down Utilities > Group > Group Extend + MPCs + Exclude...
2. Click Apply and then Cancel

3. Pull down Group > Post
4. Select hole for Select Group to Post, and click Apply
The group we just created will be posted in the viewport.
Figure 9-4
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Display of Newly Created Group: Hole

Loading Information
In practice the load could be in any direction. However for practical reasons we can not have an infinite
number of load cases, so we have applied a finite number around the perimeter of the hole and will
simulate loading in any particular direction by a linear combination of the nearest two load cases. In the
original FE analysis, eight load cases were set up around the perimeter. To simplify things for this
example we use only four of these in the fatigue analysis. Of course, the more load cases you use in a
case like this, the more accurate the simulation of the load distribution at any instant.
In this analysis the four load cases used are in positive and negative x and y directions, respectively.
Originally the x and y loadings contained both positive and negative content. The problem with this is
that when you have loading via a pin, as in this case, the stress distribution for a unit negative x loading
is not -1 times the stress distribution for a positive x loading. Positive and negative loads have to be
treated as separate load cases, with separate load histories. For this reason, the x and y loadings are
separated into positive and negative parts.
Hint:
This was simply achieved using a MSC Fatigue utility routine module called MFRM
(formula processor). If you have a measured or derived time variation that you wish to
separate into positive only and negative only components, use MFRM.
Multi-file Display
Note:
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3. Double-click copy from Remote in PTIME

You may select any item and then click OK or double-click the item only.
Note:
from a clean working directory, then you will already have some entries in the PTIME
database. The version of the form that is displayed will be different that the one shown here.
On this form, select Add an entry and then select Copy from Remote.
4. Enter the location of the the directory where all the examples reside, such as:
P3_HOME\mscfatigue_files\Examples/
Note:
Do not forget the last slash (/ or \)
6. Click
7. Scroll down the list and control-select all four histories: XPOS, YPOS, XNEG, and YNEG
8. Click OK to get back to PTIME
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9. Double-click Change an entry > edit Details in PTIMEi
10. Eenter XPOS for Database Entry to Edit

11. Click OK to accept XPOS for Target Filename
12. Click Yes when asked to overwrite the existing file
13. Pull down Units to kNewtons
15. Enter Flights for Fatigue equivalent units
Each repeat of the combined load history is equal to 1000 flights.
16. Repeat steps 9 through 15 for the other time histories separately
17. Double-click Multi-channel... > Display Histories in PTIME
This will run the multi-file display module MMFD, which helps to view all four histories at once.
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18. Enter *.dac for Input Filenames and click OK

Note that the files will not appear in the Input Filenames databox, but the number of files selected
is shown below it.
19. Accept all the defaults on the form and click OK to view the files
Figure 9-5
Display of Time Histories (Xneg, Xpos, Yneg, Ypos)
Note that all the histories have positive values. The stress distributions from the FE analyses will be used
to define the actual sign (positive or negative).
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20. Pull down File > Exit to close the plots

On the Loading Info... form, the spreadsheet is used to establish the association between the load histories
(the time variation of the load) and the FE load cases. MSC Fatigue scales and combines the stress
distributions according to the time histories, to obtain the stress history for each node.
1. Verify that Equiv. Units is set to 1
2. Enter 1000 and Flights for repeats of the loading=
This information mirrors the definition of the load time history we just created where each repeat
of the combined load history is equal to 1000 Flights. There are two data boxes. Make sure you
place 1000.0 in the first and replace Repeats with Flights in the second.
3. Input 4 for Number of Static Load Cases and press Enter
The spreadsheet will have 4 rows corresponding to 4 different load cases.
Load Case ID
1. Click the cell under Load Case ID in the first row
The list box on the bottom left is filled with all eight result load cases that exist.
4. Click Apply
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5. Select 2.1-LOAD_CASE.1, Static Subcase under Select a Result Load Case

The load magnitude from each load case is around 1000 N (they vary slightly with each load case).
The time variations have been defined in kNewtons whereas the FE loads use Newtons. The other
list box to the right, lists the tensor results that are available for the selected result case. If more
than one tensor result exists, you have to select it. However, when only one exists, it is
automatically selected for you by picking the results load case. The cell under Load Case ID label
is automatically filled and the focus transeres to the next cell under Time History label.
Time History
6. Select XPOS.DAC row to fill the first row under Time History cell
appears at the bottom of the form from which you select the time history files. All time histories
created using PTIME appear in this spreadsheet when the Time History Cell is selected. Next, the
focus will switch to the adjacent Load Magnitude cell.
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Load Magnitude
7. Input 0.924 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses
To keep the loading consistent, the Load Magnitudes are defined in kNewtons. Make sure to press
Enter after you input the value. The cell under Load Magnitude is filled and the focus will switch
back to the cell under Load Case ID, in the second row.
8. Press Enter to input the new value into the spreadsheet
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 to fill out the other three rows
Use the values in Table 9-2 for load cases 3, 5, and 7 respectively. The load cases selected
correspond to Load_Case.1, Load_Case.3, Load_Case.5, and Load_Case.7.
Note:
The spreadsheet is filled out in exactly the same manner as with a single load. With multiple
load cases however, it is only necessary to Get/Filter Results... once. Each subsequent time
you fill in a cell with a load case ID, all results remain in the selection listbox. Also note that
the actual load case IDs may vary from what is shown in the table.
10. Accept all the defaults, and click OK to close Loading Info... form
Table 9-2
Selected Static Load Cases Spreadsheet

Load Case ID
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Time History
Load Magnitude
Row 1:
2.1-3.1-2- (Load_Case.1)
XPOS
0.924
Row 2:
4.3-3.1-2- (Load_Case.3)
YPOS
1.023
Row 3:
6.5-3.1-2- (Load_Case.5)
XNEG
1.121
Row 4:
8.7-3.1-2- (Load_Case.7)
YNEG
1.218
Load the Database

A material test was performed for this titanium alloy and a material S-N curve created. It needs to be
loaded into the materials database. Make sure that you have a copy of the lug.mat file in your working
directory.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue. > Material Management > ASCII Materials File Reader
2. Click Browse... and navigate the directory batch to your current working directory
3. Select lug.mat file and click OK
4. Click Apply to read in the file
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An alternative method would be to issue the

pfmat @lug.mat
command from a system prompt (not from within Patran).
Note: If you open this file, lug.mat, and examine its contents you will find all the parameters
necessary to define and load the material, lugmaterial, into the database. Any MSC Fatigue
module that runs in batch mode can accept a file of parameters to define its operation. Use the
file name as the argument with the @ symbol in front of the file name. Likewise, the parameters
themselves can be used as the arguments also, e.g. fefat /opt=a/inp=jobname/ov=y.
View the S-N Material Data Plot
5. Pull down Material Database Type to nCode MDB
7. Click Browse and navigate the directory batch to you current working directory
8. Select nmats database for File name

9. Click Open to load the database
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10. Click OK to open dtmat

11. In the dtmat form, expand the Stress-life (S-N) data set
12. Scroll down the list and select lugmaterial::Stress-life (S-N)
The material property values are listed under the Properties tab.
13. Click the Graph tab to view the Stress Life curve
Figure 9-6
lugmaterial S-N Stress Life Plot
Note: You can also pull down Select Curve to Stress Life With UTS correction and view the plot.
15. Double-click eXit to close dtmat
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Material Properties
Fill out the spreadsheet on the Material Info... form for a single material as follows. Any parameter not
mentioned should remain set with the defaults.
2. Select lugmaterial under Select a Material
the material is selected, the next cell is automatically activated.
3. Verify that Finish is set to Plished

5. Roughness is not available. This is because the value of Roughness is only applicable for the
this example
6. Verify that K Treatment has a value of 1
If not enter the value in the databox that appears below the spreadsheet. You need to press Enter
to accept the new value into the spreadsheet. The cell under Region will be activated then.
Note: You need to scroll the spreadsheet to the right, to see the additional columns.
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8. Select hole under Select a Group
Select a Group list box should appear below the spreadsheet. We will use group hole, which is the
group we just created.
9. Select 3-At Z2 under Region Layer

10. Click Fill Cell
11. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the columns, and click OK to close the Material Info... form
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4. Click Apply
Note:
Principal of Linear Superposition

In a previous example we explored the possibility of offsetting the load by imposing a residual stress. It
was treated as a multiple load case situation where one of the load cases was a simple offset of the first.
Now we have four load cases all of which vary independently of one another.
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MSC Fatigue uses the principle of linear superposition to combine all load cases together to determine
the stress variation at each node due to the combination of all loads. This is done using the following
formula:
ij, k
ij ( t ) = P k ( t ) ---------------
P fea, k
k
where the elastic FE stresses, ij, from each load case, k, are normalized by the load magnitude from the
FE analysis, Pfea and then multiplied by the time variation of the loading, Pk(t). The result of summing
over all load cases gives the total stress time variation at each location of the model. Or in terms of strains
for Crack Initiation jobs:
To summarize the procedure:

1. All load cases are normalized with respect to each FE load case magnitude, i.e., converted to unit
loads, if necessary. This is done by dividing the FE stresses by the load magnitudes and then
multiplying by the time history.
2. All normalized stress time histories for each load case are superimposed using the principal of
linear superposition.
3. The stress time history tensor is resolved down to a single scalar value versus time (as defined on
the Solution Params... form - the Stress Combination value).
4. Rainflow cycle counting is performed.
5. Any reductions and corrections (surface finish, mean stress, etc.) are applied.
6. Finally, damage is summed according to the linear damage summation rules.
Hint:
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In order to properly do linear superposition, it is important that all the time variations
used in the same analysis have the same sample rate (same number of total points). You
can easily adjust the sample rates to achieve this in PTIME using the Change an entry
> Sample rate adjust option.


Results).
2. Pull down Action to Read Results

Note:
window:
imported if your plot was still posted. Stress results are typically show with red as the high
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2. Select FEF Export, mountlug_sndtlibfef under Select Result Cases

Select the indicated results case. The result case will be displayed as, mountlug_sn_dtlibfef,
indicating it is originated from an MSC Fatigue output file named mountlug_sn_dtlib.fef.
3. Select Log of Life (Flights), under Select Fringe Result.
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As you can see a fringe plot of only the first ring of elements is shown. The lowest value of around 6 in
the spectrum/range means that the shortest predicted lifetime is around 2E6 Flights. This comfortably
exceeds the design life of around 30,000 Flights. l
Figure 9-7
Quick Plot: Log of Life (Flights)
1. Click Fringe Attributes, on the Results form
2. Click Spectrum
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Select the desired spectrum from the list. Any plot posted will adopt the new spectrum instantly.

Result Listing
The List Result option creats a list of the Most damaged nodes and the Lowest Life nodes (Node 1120).
This will be useful later.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Tabular Display (pfpost)...
2. Enter mountlug_sn_dtlib for Jobname
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3. Verify that Filter on is set to Damage > 0

As done in previous exercise, nodes with Damage > 0 have been requested.
4. Select On for Notebook Output
5. Click OK
6. Double-click Most damaged nodes (or the desired option) in the PFPOST
A listing of FE Fatigue results for this analysis will open. The worst damage occurs at Node 1120
with the lowest life.
7. Inspect the summary page and click OK to close it

You should notice that Node 1120 has the most damage, with the shortest life.
8. Double-click eXit to quit PFPOST
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The final task of this exercise is to run the same Total Life (S-N) Analysis of Engine Mounting lug, with
the Classic solver. Step by step instructions are not given here. Only the parameters that need to be set
on each form are given. It is left to the reader to exercise these as desired.
Total Life (S-N) Analysis of Engine Mounting lug

Analysis
S-N
Results Loc.
Node
Nodal Ave.
Global
Res.Units
N,mm
Jobname
mountlug_sn
Title
S-N Analysis of Rear Engine Mounting Lug Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
Mean Stress Connection Goodman

Stress Combination
Max Abs.Principal
96.0
Loading Information
No changes Necessary
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Material
lugmaterial
Finish
No Finish
Treatment
No Treatment
Region
hole
Layer:
3 - At Z2
SF:
1.0

General setup Paramaters

Leave all the General Setup Parameters on the main MSC Fatigue form as is, except the following:
2. Enter mountlug_sn_classic for Jobname
3. Enter S-N Analysis of Rear Engine Mounting Lug Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is. No changes are nessessary on this form.
Loading Information
The Loading Information for Classic Solver is exactly the same as the one for DTLib solver. Leave all
the parameters on this form as is. No changes are nessessary on this form.
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Material Properties
Fill out the spreadsheet on the Material Info... form for a single material as followes.
the material is selected, the next cell is automatically activated.
3. Verify that Finish is set to No Finish
4. Verify that Treatment is set to No treatment
6. Select hole under Select a Group
Select a Group list box should appear below the spreadsheet. We will use group hole, which is the
group we just created.
View the S-N Curve
To load the lug material database follow the exact same steps as you did for the previous alanalysis with
DTLib solver. Note that with the Classic solver, the material database manager used is a program called
PFMAT.
2. Double-click Load > data set 1 in PFMAT
You may click any item and press OK, or double-click the item only.
3. Scroll down the list and select lugmaterial

This new S-N curve has been created and loaded into the database, which now resides locally in
your working directory.
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4. Double-click Graphical Display in PFMAT

5. Select S-N Data plot
6. Click OK to view the curve
Figure 9-8
lugmaterial S-N Data Plot
7. Pull down Plot_Type > Scatter Curve

A scatter band representing +/- 2 standard deviations is shown on the graph.
9. Double-click eXit to close PFMAT
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Open the Job Control form and submit the job, as you did for the first analysis. The database will close
submitted.
Use the Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis. Note that the Monitor Job command
does not update automatically. You need to click Apply each time to see the message ...fatigue analysis
completed successfully.

When the job is complete, use Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form to import fatigue results.
View the life contour plot as done before, but this time select Total Life, mountlug_sn_classicfef under
Select Result Cases.
Figure 9-9
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Quick Plot: Log of Life (Flights)

List Results
The List Result option creats a list with the Most damaged nodes and the lowest life (Node 1120). This
will be useful later.
1. Under Fatigue Results tab, pull down Action to List Results
2. Click OK to accept mountlug_sn for Jobname

As done in previous exercise, nodes with Damage > 0 have been requested.
4. Select On for Notebook Output
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6. Double-click Most damaged nodes (or the desired option) in the PFPOST
A listing of FE Fatigue results for this analysis will open. The worst damage occurs at Node 1120
with the lowest life.
7. Click OK to close the summary page
8. Double-click eXit to close PFPOST
Design Optimization
1. Under the Fatigue Results... tab, pull down Action to Optimize, and click Apply
You do not have to select a node on this form. This will launch the module FEFAT in its design
optimization mode. FEFAT is the FE-fatigue solver used to calculate fatigue life. It can be run in
both batch and interactive mode.
2. Select Worst Case

3. Enter 30000 for Design Life
You are presented with the analysis results form which shows the worst case node.
5. Click End to close the Analysis Results form
This will take you to the main form of FEFAT Design Optimization. First we will look at the
Cycles histogram and Damage histograms, and then we will perform a sensitivity analysis on
scaling factor.
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6. Double-click results Display

7. Select plot Cycles histogram to view the Cycles histogram t
Note that the loadings in the critical region are predominantly tensile.
Figure 9-10
Cycle Histogram for Node 1120
8. Pull down File > eXit to close the plot and get bak to FEFAT
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9. Double-click results Display > plot Damage histogram to view the Damage histogram
Figure 9-11
Damage Histogram for Node 1120

A Sensitivity Analysis on Scaling Factor
Now try a sensitivity analysis on scaling factor
1. Double-click Sensitivity analysis
2. Select Scaling factors on FEFAT
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3. Enter (1, 3, 0.2) for Scaling Factors

We are applying factors from 1 to 3 by steps of 0.2.
4. Click OK
5. Double-click Recalculate in FEFAT
The Life (Flights) information corresponding to each Scale Factor is shown on the next form.
6. Click End to close the form
7. Double-click results Display in FEFAT
8. Select Sensitivity plot
Figure 9-12
Sensitivity Plot of the Mountlug model

10. Double-click eXit to main menue to quit FEFAT
This calculation indicates that a factor of 2.2 would have to be applied to the loads to cause failure
according to the design criterion. However, a factor of 2.2 puts the largest cycle (and remember
that there will only be a small number of these, maybe 30 or 60 in the design life) apparently above
the UTS of the material. This is a shortcoming of the S-N method, due to the fact that it does not
model yielding and load redistribution at all. If we wanted to design this component so that it only
just survived the design life, we would need to use the local strain approach, which is more
appropriate for low-cycle fatigue problems.
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The Total Life calculation we have just carried out is for a defect-free component. Because this is such a
safety-critical component, we should not assume that it is defect-free. The part can be inspected for
cracks, and the method used to inspect it is capable of detecting cracks of 1.5 mm or more in depth. If
inspection reveals no cracks, we should assume the worst case which is that there is a crack of 1.5 mm at
the most highly stressed location, i.e., Node 1120. We then want to know what will happen to this crack
in service. Will it grow? And if so, how long will it take to cause failure?
It is assumed that the database and the main MSC Fatigue form are still open. Copy the following files
in your current working directory and set up the Crack Growth analysis now by setting the parameters as
follows. Any parameter not mentioned should remain set with the defaults.
Table 9-3
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/lug.ksn

and pull down Analysis to Growth).

The fatigue lives will be determined at each Node
Note:
Crack Growth analysis requires stresses; you do not have a choice.

Crack Growth analysis is only available for Classic solver.
6. Enter mountlug_cg for Jobname
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7. Enter Crack Growth Analysis of Mounting Lug for Title
Solution Parameters
View the Compliance Function

A compliance function for the specimen has been created to define the crack geometry. It was empirically
derived via specimen tests and curve fit to a polynomial function. It was input using PKSOL, (by defining
the coefficients of User parametric definition).
The compliance shows roughly what the crack growth rate will be. In this particular example the crack
growth rate will increase as the crack gets larger relative to the width of the lug. The compliance function
is used to derive the driving force (K) of the crack as formulated in the Paris Law, using the equation:
K = Y(a T) a
Where T is a model dimension, in this case the width of the lug at the critical location, 24mm.
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1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Graphica Display Utilities > Quick Look Display ( mqld)
2. Pull down file > Open

3. Select lug.ksn file from your curent working directory
5. Click Full Plot to have a better understanding of the graph
Figure 9-13
Hint:
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Display of lug.ksn Compliance Function
Compliance function files .ksn have the same format as .dac (time history) files and can be
plotted by PTIME and other MSC Fatigue modules that do graphical X-Y displays such as
MQLD.

Back on the Solution Params... form, fill out the rest of the parameters as followes:
6. Select lug under Select a Compliance Function
This is a compliance function for the specimen that has been created to define the crack geometry.
In this case the starting crack size is the minimum detectable crack size of 1.5 mm and the final
crack length is the width of the lug from the critical location. In practice of course, the fracture
toughness K1C may be reached before the crack grows right through, and in any case, the Y
function may not be valid at this point. For instance, the Y function used in this calculation is not
valid beyond a/T=0.85.
8. Verify that Crack Length Units is set to Millimeters
Define the units in which all the below parameters will be based on.
9. Enter 1.5 for Intitial Crack Length
10. Enter 24 for Final Crack Length
11. Accept all the defaults, and click OK to close the Solution Params... form
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Loading Information
The loading information form is exactly the same as for the Loading nformation of the S-N Lug example,
except that we only scale down the first load case by changing the Scale Factor value.
1. Under the Durability tab, click Loading in the Carck Growth group

Note:
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On this form, select Add an entry > Copy from Remote.

4. Enter the location of the directory where the example files reside, such as P3_HOME directory,
Note:
6. Click
7. Control-select all four histories: XPOS, YPOS, XNEG, and YNEG
8. Click OK to load the files into PTIME database
9. Double-click Change an entry in PTIME
10. Select edit Details

16. Enter Flights for Fatigue equivalent units
Each repeat of the combined load history is equal to 1000 flights.
19. Double-click Multi-channel... in PTIME
20. Select Display Histories
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21. Enter *.DAC for Input Filenames and click OK

Note that the files will not appear in the databox but the number of files selected is shown below it.
22. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters on the form and click OK to view the plots
Figure 9-14
Main Index


On the Loading Info... form, the spreadsheet is used to establish the association between the load histories
(the time variation of the load) and the FE load cases. MSC Fatigue scales and combines the stress
distributions according to the time histories, to obtain the stress history for each node.
1. Enter 4 for Number of Static Load Cases , and press Enter
The spreadsheet is updated to 4 rows corresponding to 4 different load cases. There are 8 load
cases available from which Load_Case.1, Load_Case.3, Load_Case.5, and Load_Case.7 are
selected.
Load Case ID
3. Check Select All Results Cases and click Apply
exists, it is automatically selected for you by picking the results load case. The cell under Load
Case ID label is automatically filled for you and the focus transfers to the cell next to it under Time
History label.
Note:
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Time History
5. Select XPOS.DAC row to fill the first row under Time History
Load Magnitude
6. Input 0.924 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses, and press Enter
The load magnitude from each load case is around 1000 N (they vary slightly with each load case).
The time variations have been defined in kNewtons whereas the FE loads use Newtons. To keep
the loading consistent, the Load Magnitudes are defined in kNewtons. Make sure to press Enter
after you input the value. The cell under Load Magnitude is filled for you.
7. Click the cell under Scale Factor to activate it

Note:
Main Index
You need to scroll the spreadsheet to the right to see the additional columns.

8. Input 0.6999 for Scale Factor and press Enter

The loading information form for this analysis is exactly the same as for the SN Analysis of
Mounting Lug example, except that we need to scale down the first load case and change the value
scale facctor value to 0.6999.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 7 to fill out the other three rows of the spreadsheet. Use the values in
Table 9-4 for load cases 3, 5, and 7 respectively.
Note:
The Scale Factor value for the rest of the load cases does not change and remains set to 1.
Table 9-4
Selected Static Load Cases

Load Case ID
Load Magnitude
Scale Factor
Row 1:
2.1-3.1-2- (Load_Case.1)
XPOS
0.924
0.6999999
Row 2:
4.3-3.1-2- (Load_Case.3)
YPOS
1.023
Row 3:
6.5-3.1-2- (Load_Case.5)
XNEG
1.121
Row 4:
8.7-3.1-2- (Load_Case.7)
YNEG
1.218
Create a Group
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Time History
2. Enter critical_node for New Group Name

3. Verify that Group Contents is set to Add Entity Selection
4. Enter Node 1120 under Entity Selection
In this analysis, we will use the stress from the critical Node 1120 only. This stress used in the
equation for K (shown earlier) is known as the far field stress or the stress that would be there if
there were no crack (or notch influence).
5. Click Apply
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Materials in the Crack Growth group
This form looks similar to that for the S-N analysis, but has a few notable differences:
Number of Materials is grayed out, because we can consider only one material at a time.
The options to correct for Surface Fish and Roughness are no longer appropriate, but the material
may have a number of LEFM data sets for different environments.

lugmaterial has only air data, but if you select BS4360-50D there are 5 sets of different
environments.
The Region means something different here also. The software will average the stress across the
calculation region for use in the crack growth calculation.

Plot da/dN Curves
1. Click Materials Database Manager to invoke PFMAT
3. Scroll down and select lugmaterial

Main Index
5. Select Apparent delta k plot, and click OK
6. Enter 0.5 and 0.7 for Stress Ratios
Note:
You can enter a couple of R-ratios if you wish. Mean stress is accounted for, in Crack Growth
analysis by using the curve corresponding to a given stress cycles R-ratio.
7. Click OK to view the da/dN curve
Figure 9-15
Apparent K Curve for lugmaterial
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9. Select Threshold:ratio delta k plot, and click OK

This plot shows how the threshold delta K value is related to stress ratio
Figure 9-16
Threshold Ratio Plot

Select a Material and Environment
Now back on the Material Info... form, set the cells of the spreadsheet as follows:
the material is selected, the adjacent cell is automatically activated.
3. Select Air under Select an Environment
You only have one choice.
5. Select critical_node under Select a Group
Select the group you just created defining the area of far-field stress. This group contains the node
of the far field stress point only. Once the group is selected, the adjacent cell is automatically
activated.
6. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to close the Material Info...
form
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Analyze, in the Crack Growth group

4. Click Apply
When the message Crack growth calculation completed successfully appears, the analysis is
complete.
Note:

1. Under the Durability tab, click Results, in the Crack Growth group
(Or click Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form).
Note:
No color contour plotting is available with Crack Growth.
2. Pull down Action to Optimize

3. Click Apply
PCRACK will be run interactively by selecting Optimize. This is more revealing as you get an
online display of crack growth.
You will be presented with a number of setup screens, before the job is started:
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Loading Definition
The first form to open is Loading Definition form. This form is where you can alter the scaling factor or
impose a constant residual offset.
4. Click OK to accept mountlug_cg for Input Filename
Output Parameters
The second form is Output Parameters, which is used for graphical updates and general output
parameters.
6. Click Yes and allow overwrite
Local Geometry Definition
The third form is the Local Geometry Definition form, which allows you to modify initial and final crack
length specifications and notch dimensions.
7. Click OK to accept the lug compliance function for K Solution Filename
The form is now updated with the Local Geometry Input parameters.
8. Accept all the defaults for these parameters, and click OK
Material and Environment Selection
The last form allows for selection of material and environment.
9. Verify that Material Name | Environment are both set to lugmatrtial | AIR
10. Accept all the defaults on the Material and Environment Selection form, and click OK
The Crack Growth analysis will initiate and you will be presented with a graphical screen that
updates as the crack grows. You will see the plot update as well as the numbers on the top of the
plot, and the modifying effects to the right of the plot. The plot features crack size versus life in
cycles.
When the analysis is done, you are presented with a page describing the Final Situation just as
was done in the pevious excersize.
11. Inspect the answers and click End to continue
Once you click End the PCRACK- Post Analysis menu will open. This is very similar to the
main Design Optimization menu of FEFAT for Crack Initiation and Total Life jobs.
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12. Select final a-N graph in PCRACK
13. Click OK to view the final graph

Note that failure is not predicted to occur within the 30,000 Flight design life (~49,000 Flights). The final
a-N curve can usefully be used to determine acceptable inspection intervals. Note also that the crack only
grew over 5 mm before the fracture toughness of the material was exceeded.
14. Pull down File > eXit to close the graph

15. Double-click eXit in PCRACK to close the form
There are a number of other ways of postprocessing the results. These can be accessed by running
PCPOST (the List Results option from the Fatigue Results... form .) You may like to explore these if
you wish.
Main Index
Chapter 10: A Multiaxial Assessment

10
Main Index
A Multiaxial Assessment
Problem Description
342
Concluding Remarks
356
368
374
390
345

Problem Description
Problem Description
This example is a local-strain (Crack Initiation, page 866) analysis of a steering knuckle subjected to a
complex, multiple load-case loading environment.
Figure 10-1
Steering Knuckle Model
The component is a steering knuckle from a car. It is cast from a spheroidal graphite cast iron. The
obvious features are the strut mount at the top, the lower ball joint at the bottom and the steering arm on
the right. The wheel spindle goes through the large cylindrical hole in the central part.
When the vehicle is driven through a cobblestone slalom, loads are applied to the component via the strut
mount, the lower ball joint, the steering tie rod and the wheel axis.
In the FE analysis the loads are applied via loading devices in an attempt to make the transfer of loads to
the component as realistic as possible. This has been done using devices made from elements rather than
MPCs.
The model has been constrained at the wheel center (again through element loading devices) and 12 load
cases have been applied: 3 forces (1000 N in x-y-z) at the lower ball joint, the steering arm and the strut
mount, and 3 moments (1000 Nmm) at the strut mount.
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Chapter 10: A Multiaxial Assessment 343

Problem Description
Three of the 12 loads are plotted here. A linear combination of these 12 load cases can describe any
loading condition that occurs during the test track event.
Figure 10-2
Loads Applied to the Steering Knuckle
Objectives
To assess where the critical fatigue locations are in a component due to multiple loading
conditions
To explore the application of the biaxiality analysis feature and interpretation of the results
To assess the multiaxial stress state and make decisions on the validity of the fatigue analysis,
i.e., are the original uniaxial assumptions valid, does proportional loading have to be taken into
account, or does a critical plane analysis need to be done.
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Problem Description
Files Required
Table 10-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/knuckle.out
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/knuckle*.nod
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/knuckle.nod_tmpl
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/knuckle*.dac
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/knuckle.ses
Copy the above files to a new, clean working directory. Note that there are 12 .nod and 12 .dac files,
where * = 1 through 12.
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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Because this is a fairly large model with a time consuming analysis, and for the sake of simplifying this
example, it has been semi-automated for you. This is done to help speed up the study of this exercise.
However, all the steps necessary to reproduce the results manually are indicated if you desire.

2. Enter knuckle for the File name

database.

By now you should have a copy of knuckle.ses in your current working directory. Start the automated
process by running a session file (a file full of commands to be executed).
1. Pull down File > Session > Play...
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2. Select knuckle.ses file

The entire model should appear in the graphics screen, including the loading devices.
3. Click Apply
4. Click Yes to any questions
Playing this session file accomplishes the following which you can do manually if you wish:
The session file imports a neutral file containing the FE model and creates some convenient groups.
Follow these steps to do this manually:

1. Pull down File > Import...
2. Pull down Object to Model
3. Pull down Source to Neutral
4. Select knuckle.out file
The session file sets the view of the model and names it so you can recall it easily. Follow these steps
to do this manually:
1. Pull down Viewing > Named View Options...
2. Click Create View
3. Enter a name and the current view will be stored for later recall from the Named View Options...
4. Pull down File > Import...
5. Pull down Object to Results
6. Pull down Source to PATRAN 2 .nod...
7. Select knuckle.nod_tmpl template file
8. Click Apply
The template file defines what to name each column or columns of results in the result files.
9. Select the actual *.nod file

There are twelve *.nod files and you must repeat this operation 11 more times to import all files.
The template file only needs to be selected the first time however.
10. Click Apply
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Post/Create Groups
1. Pull down Group > Post...
2. Select KNUCKLE_ONLY under Select Groups to Post

The neutral file that you read in the previous step contained some convenient groups called:
KNUCKLE_ONLY and SURFACE_NODE.
3. Click Apply
Only the knuckle itself should appear in the viewport now.
4. Click Cancel to close the Group form
These groups were created automatically for you, however we digress a bit here to teach you how to
easily create some convenient groups for subsequent fatigue analysis. These techniques are especially
helpful with large solid models. This discussion is not crucial to the successful completion of this
exercise. You may skip to the next step if you wish.
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Create a Group of External Elements Only

To create a group of external elements, thus removing all internal elements use the list function:
1. Pull down Tools > List > Create
2. Pull down Model to FEM

3. Pull down Object Element
4. Pull down Method to Attribute
5. Verify that Attribute is set to Select
6. Select Elements with free faces from Picking Filters
7. Select the entier model in viewport

Graphically surround all element of the model using the mouse by clicking and dragging from the
top left corner down to the bottom right corner. All the elements with free faces will be selected.
8. Verify that List A is selcted for Tafget List
9. Click Apply to add all the elements to List A
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10. On the List A form, click Add To Group...
11. On the List Save form , enter Surface_elements for Group Name
A new group is created with only the external elements.
12. Click Apply

13. Click Cancel to close the List Save form
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Create a Group of External Nodes Only

Because fatigue damage usually only initiates on the surface of components, it is helpful to have a group
of surface nodes only. The previous group we made only contains elements. By creating groups with only
the surface nodes we can speed up the analysis by eliminating nodes from the analysis in which we are
not interested.
2. Select Surface_elements under Select Groups to Post
This is the group you just created. Post this group only.
3. Click Apply
5. Back on the Create List form, pull down Object Node
6. Pull down Method to Association
7. Select Element Face under Association
8. Scroll down the form and select B for Target List
9. Click Free face of element on Picking Filters
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10. Select the entire model in the viewport

Graphically surround all element of the model using the mouse by clicking and dragging from the
top left corner down to the bottom right corner. All the elements with free faces will be selected.
11. Click Apply
The List B form will fill with the nodes associated to the free faces.
12. Click Add To Group...
13. Select Surface_element for Group Name
14. Click Apply

Now you have a group with only the external elements and the external nodes of the model.
Click Cancel in all the forms and close them
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2. Select any of the load cases under Select Result Load Cases
4. Pull down Quantity to von Mises for load cases 7, 8 and 9 in turn
Note how the individual load cases cannot be relied upon to predict the fatigue hot spots
Surface Resolved Stresses
1. Select Load Case 1, knuckle1nod under Select Result Load Cases
3. Pull down Quantity to Z Component for this load cases
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Figure 10-3
Knuckle Model Load Case 1, Stress Result
Specifically plot the Z component stresses and note that they are very close to zero over the majority of
the model except at the loading points as would be expected. (A good look at these stresses would reveal
model quality.) The results are Surface Resolved Stresses, (p. 887) meaning the two major principal
stresses lie in the plane of the surface with the third principal stress being zero (normal to the surface).
This is important for models with solid elements especially given that 99% of cracks initiate on the
surface. The principal stresses correspond to the X, Y, and Z component stresses.
The main reason that we need surface resolved stresses is for the biaxiality analysis to properly calculate
the Biaxial - Biaxiality Ratio, (p. 865) which will be discussed later in this example. Without surface
resolved stresses it would be difficult, if not impossible, to assess the multiaxial stress state of the
component.
Many FE analysis codes will calculate surface resolved stress or may give you the option to do so. The
best approach is to first assess the magnitude of the out-of-plane component to determine if the stresses
are already surface resolved. If you find that you need to resolve your stresses, MSC Fatigue can do this
for you with a couple of easy steps. Physically the out-of-plane stresses must be zero (unless subject to
some sort of hydrostatic pressure).
Note:
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It is always good to know in what coordinate system the stresses have been output from the
FE analysis, i.e., the global system, or some defined element coordinate system.

Calculate Normals
Although this is not necessary for this example, to have MSC Fatigue surface resolve your stresses for
you during a fatigue analysis you must first create a vector file (for coordinate transformations).
The Calculate Normals option is an essential precursor to running the biaxiality analysis with a solid
model if you know your results are not surface resolved (z-normal is not zero). This routine determines
surface normals at each surface node, and writes them to the file jobname.vec.
MSC Fatigue detects the presence of this file and uses it to define a local coordinate system at each
surface node that has its z-axis normal to the surface. The stress results in the fatigue analysis input file
are then written in this coordinate system, permitting the software to carry out a biaxiality analysis in the
x-y plane only.
Do not run this unless you have some time to spare because of the size of this model. (Besides the stresses
are already surface resolved.)
2. Enter knuckle_ma_normals for Jobname

3. Click Job Control... on the main MSC Fatigue form
4. Pull down Analysis to Calculate Normals
5. Click Apply
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6. Click Yes when you are asked to proceed
Figure 10-4
A graphical depiction of a Normal Vector Caluclation
During the fatigue analysis translation surface resolved stress tensor files are created with the name
jobname_lc#.nod where the # is the load case number. There will be one file for each load case in the
fatigue analysis setup. You can read these .nod files back into the database exactly as described earlier
(using the jobname.nod_tmpl file) to evaluate the success of the surface stress resolution (by plotting
the Z component stress from these files).
Note:
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If you do run the Calculate Normals option while going through this problem, be sure to use
a different jobname than the one used in the analysis described in this chapter. The analysis
will detect the .vec file and use it if the job names are the same. This will not effect the fatigue
results but will result in an erroneous biaxiality analysis because each nodal stress tensor is in
its own local coordinate (since it is already surface resolved) which is unknown by Patran
which makes the local coordinate transformation invalid.


You are ready to set up the fatigue analysis and determine the critical location.


Accept the default which simply means that the fatigue lives will be determined at the nodes of
the model. With a solid model this is always preferred since cracks always initiate at the surface
(unless there is an internal flaw). If set to Element, the fatigue lives would be calculated at the
element centroids.
Accept the default which simply means that the element nodal stresses will be averaged to the
nodes for all element contributions.
5. Pull down Res.Units to Mpa
7. For this analysis we use the classic solver.
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8. Enter knucle_ma for Jobname

9. Enter Slalom on cobblestones, but with loads scaled by a factor of 13 for Title
Solution Parameters
The Solution Params... form deals with parameters specific to the analysis at hand, in this case the
Initiation analysis .
Ensure that the following parameters are set (any not mentioned should remain set with the defaults):
2. Verify that Analysis Sub-Method is set to S-W-T

S-W-T (Smith-Topper-Watson) is a variant on the standard strain-life methodology which takes
into account the mean stress of each cycle.
Neuber is the default elastic-plastic correction method.
4. Check Run Biaxiality Analysis
This is the only real variant from previous examples.
5. Verify that Correction is set to None
At first, this parameter is grayed out, but once you check Run Biaxiality Analysis, this parameter
becomes active. For this example we use None which is the default correction method. Other
Correction methods will be discussed laterin this chapter.
6. Verify that Stress/Strain Combination is set to Max. Abs. Principal
The Max. Abs. Principal is the default choice of Stress/Strain Combination. This is the principal
strain that has the largest magnitude (in a uniaxial test, this would be the axial strain).
7. Verify that Certainty of Survival (%) is set to 50.0
The Certainty of Survival (%) defaults to 50%. This means that the component will have a 50%
chance of surviving the calculated life. The probability is based on the scatter defined in the
material parameters.
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8. Verify that Run Factor of Safety Analysis is OFF

Many components are designed for infinite life, e.g., crankshafts; these are better analyzed using
a Run Factor of Safety Analysis. This is not covered by this demonstration.
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Loading Information
By now you should have a copy of the load variation signals in your local working directory. These files
are called knuckle*.dac where * is a wild card for the twelve load cases.
Load the Time History Files
1. Under the Durability tab, click e-N Loading, in the Crack Initiation group
2. Click Time History Manager to lunch PTIME
3. Double-click Load files in PTIME

You may select any item and then click OK or double click the item only. A form will appear
from which you can load all files at once.
Note:
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If you have been working sequentially through this document and did not start this exercise
database. The version of the form that is displayed will be tdifferent than the one shown above.
On this form, select Add an entry and then select Load Files, the equivalent of selecting Load
Files on the shown form.

4. Enter *.dac for Source Filename

5. Press the Tab so that the Target Filename databox automatically gets a wild card * placed there
6. Enter Cobblestone Loads for Description 1
7. Accept all the other defaults and click OK
All 12 KNUCKLE*.dac files will be loaded into the database.
8. Click End to accept the list of the new entries that are loaded into PTIME
Note:
Patran will be suspended until PTIME is closed is that any newly created load time histories
Customized Loads and Units
One point ought to be made here. Nine of the 12 loads are forces in Newtons. The other three are
Moments in Nmm. We loaded all files as Forces (N). In practice, this makes no difference at all to the
analysis. The load type and units are simply labels. It is up to the user to make sure that the loading in the
time history file and the loading in the FE model use consistent and compatible units regardless of how
they are labelled.
1. Double-click Change an entry in PTIME
2. Select edit Details
3. Enter KNUCKLE10 for Database Entry to Edit

4. Click OK, and then click Yes to allow overwrite when asked
5. Pull down Load type Moment
6. Pull down Units to Nmm
8. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 to change the details of the other two moments (KNUCKLE11, and 12)
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A problem you may encounter is that there may not be units defined as Nmm. Your choices could only
be Nm or Ft lbs. If you have access and privileges to modify the installation area of MSC Fatigue you
can customize the load types and units.
There are two files in
<install_dir>/mscfatigue_files/ptime (UNIX)
or on Windows:
x:\<install_dir>\mscfatigue_files\ptime (Windows)
these files are called ltypes.ind and utypes.ind. You can edit these files to add your own load types
and/or units if they do not exist. For instance, edit utypes.ind and add the following line at the bottom of
the file:
92 11 0.001 0 Nmm
The first number indicates the unit type ID; the second is the load type ID defined in ltypes.ind that the
units are associated to; the third defines the conversion from SI units (N, m); the forth is an offset; and
the fifth is the common name. See the MSC Fatigue Users Guide for more details.
If you are able to modify this file and wish to edit the details to change the moment units, you will have
to stop and restart PTIME for it to recognize the changes.
If you dont have access to modify these files then simply select Nm as the unit types since it will not
make any difference to the resulting fatigue calculations.
Note:
The only time that the actual load type and units are important is when you use the PTIME
option Change an entry > Unit conversion to convert the selected time history to other units,
although a compatibility check is made between the header of a .dac file and that specified in
the jobname.fes file.
View the Time Histories

The loads have been derived from a single test-track event, namely a slalom on cobblestones. There are
12 load histories which correspond to the 12 FE static load cases. For example, knuckle09.dac is the Z
vertical load on the strut mount corresponding to static FE load case 9. Loads are forces in Newtons (N)
and moments in Nmm. Let us take a look at these time variations of the twelve load cases that are used
in this example.
This will run the multi-file display module MMFD.
This will select all 12 but only eight will be visible at once. Note that the files will not appear in
the databox but the number of files selected will appear below it.
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4. Accept all the other defaults on the form and click OK
Figure 10-5
Note:
Display of Knuckle01.dac through knuckle08.dac Laod Cases
f you selected more than eight, use the View > Scrn_Options > Next Scrn option to view the
rest of the time histories..

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Associate FE Load case to its Load History

The spreadsheet in the Loading Info... form is used to establish the association between the load histories
and the FE load cases. The spreadsheet should be filled out accordingly.
1. Verify that Results Transformations is set to No Transformation
This is because the results are nodal and in surface resolved coordinates and we wish them to
remain so.
Note:
Depending on the coordinate system in which your stresses are defined, you may want or need
to set the Transform to Basic option ON in the Loading Info... form. This will have the effect
of transforming all results into the global system such that all results are in the same coordinate
system before nodal averaging. This ensures proper nodal averaging and that the subsequent
surface resolution will be as good as possible.
2. Input 12 for Number of Static Load Cases, amd press Enter

The spreadsheet is updated to 12 rows corresponding to 12 load cases. Note that you need to press
enter to input the new value.
3. Check Fill Down Off and change it to Fill Down ON
This tool makes it easier and more efficient to fill out the spreadsheet. If you have many load
cases, it becomes a tedious task to fill out each cell in the spreadsheet. If you turn this toggle ON
when you select anything such as a Load Case ID or Time History, all cells below the active cell
will also be filled in by selecting the next Load Case ID or Time History available.
Load Case ID
3. Check Select All Results Cases, and click Apply
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4. Select 15.1-Load Case 1, knuckle1nod under Select a Result Load Case

All the cells are automatically filled with load cases, since Fill Down is turned ON. Each cell is
filled with the numbers which are internal IDs necessary to identify the result case. The other list
box to the right, lists the tensor results that are available for the selected result case. When only
one tensor results exists, it is automatically selected for you by picking the results case. The cell
you selected under the Load Case ID is automatically filled and the focus transfers to the cell next
to it under the Time History label.
Time History
5. Select the KNUCKLE01.DAC row to fill the Time History cell
appears at the bottom of the form from which you select the previously loaded files. Again, all 12
cells are automatically filled with time histories, since the Fill Down is turned ON. Once the Time
history cell is filled the focus is then switched to the adjacent cell under Load Magnitude..
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6. Input -333.0 for Devisor to Normalize Stress, and press Enter

The other piece of information required is the FE load case load magnitude. This is used to ensure
correct scaling of the stresses. In this analysis there are a couple of peculiarities. One is that the
load case loads are set to 333 (N) instead of 1000. This effectively scales all the loads up by a
factor of 3. This has been done to make the pictures prettier - the first pass analysis showed very
little damage. The other peculiarity is the sign. This is due to a difference between the coordinate
set used in the FE model and that in which the load histories were defined.
Note:
Please note that Load Cases 3, 6, 9 and 12 have a value of +333.0 for Load Magnitude. Follow
the steps below to input the new values for these load case:
1. Uncheck Fill Down ON and change it to Fill Down OFF
2. Click the cell under Load Magnitude in the third row
3. Input +333.0 for Devisor to Normalize Stress, and press Enter
You need to press Enter to input the new value in the spreadsheet.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for load cases 6, 9, and 12 as well
5. Accept all the defaults and click OK to close the Loading Info... form
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The material information form is used to assign fatigue properties to different parts (groups) of the model.
You can have up to 20 different groups which may have any combination of materials, surface finishes
and treatments.
In this example analysis, the original material of this component is not used, instead a representative
material, for illustration purposes only, has been selected.
(Or click Material Info... in the main MSC Fatigue form).

Clicking on the material box gives access to a picklist of suitable materials from the database.
3. Select MANTEN, under Select a Material
Corrections can be made for surface finish and treatment. These are valid only for steels, though
you can set up your own corrections if desired. In the case of this analysis, no correction is made,
because the specimens were tested as-cast, i.e., with the same surface condition as the component.
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7. Select KNUCKLE_ONLY under Select a Group
The Select a Group list box should appear elow the spreadsheet. The region for this analysis is the
group containing the surface nodes only. This speeds up the analysis.
Note:
You can change the Region to the group Surface_elements that you created earlier if you wish
as long as the nodes exist in it also. A very common mistake that results in an error during
translation is that the selected group does not contain nodes when a nodal fatigue analysis has
been requested or the group does not contain elements when an element centroidal fatigue
analysis has been selected.
8. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the columns and click OK to close the Material Info... form
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1. Under the Durability tab, pull down e-N Analyze> e-N Full Run, in the Crack Initiation group
2. Click Apply
3. Click Yes to proceed
5. Click Apply
When the message ...Fatigue analysis completed successfully... appears, the analysis is complete.
Note:

Fast Analysis
Your analysis can be made to run faster if you check Simplified Analysis box in the Job Control...
control form, for a multiple load case analysis and turn it ON. The analysis will perform peak-valleyslicing to reduce the time histories and run the analysis using these reduced time histories. This quickly
identifies the nodes with the most damage and then the original time histories are used in a complete
analysis on only the identified locations. Follow the steps below to run the fast analysis:
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2. Pull down Action to Full Analysis

3. Check Simplified Analysis
4. Click Apply to submit the job

Note:
The fast analysis run does make it more difficult to view the critical locations in the form
of a contour plot because only the damaged locations are retained in a Simplified Analysis.
The contour plot will not be continuous over the entire model.
CPU Times
There are certain things that will affect the CPU time it takes to run a fatigue analysis. These are:
1. Number of Analysis Locations (Nodes or Elements). Selecting only a certain group of locations
can certainly speed up the operation. Knowing which areas to include in the group(s) you create
is the challenge if you do not know where the critical locations are before hand.
2. The Number of Load Cases. There is not much you can do about this. The number of load cases
required is generally the number of load cases required. However you may be able to eliminate
some load cases if they have no influence on the life.
3. The Number of Time History Points. The number of points in each time history is a significant
factor. The longer the time histories, the more computationally intensive is the rainflow cycle
counting procedure. Peak-valley-slicing can be used to reduce time histories and still retain the
damaging events.
4. The Processor Speed. The final influence on the CPU time is the processor speed of course.
Peak-Valley-Slicing
The original load histories which were around 44,000 points, have been reduced using a multi-channel
peak-valley-slicing program called MPVXMUL. They have been reduced down to around 1600 points.
Peak-valley-slicing is a fairly simple mechanism which tracks and extracts the peaks and the valleys of
all signals to be used in an analysis.
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Whenever a peak or a valley is encountered in one of the signals, the corresponding points from the other
signals are also retained. This procedure can be accomplished directly from PTIME:
2. Click Time History Manager to invoke PTIME
3. Double-click Multi-channel... Select Peak Valley Extract
This will run MPVXMUL. You may wish to try this while the analysis is running.
4. Select DAC for Input File Type

6. Enter KNUCKLE for Generic Input Filenamec
This screen asks for the input filenames (channels). The names of the files must have the same
(generic) name in front of the channel numbers (KNUCKLExx.DAC). Once you click OK the
form will be updated for Channels and Output Filename.
8. Verify that Output Filename is set to KNUCKLE
The output file names will have a .pvx extension.
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10. Accept all the defaults on the Analysis Set-up form and click OK
This screen is the Analysis Set-up where you specify by which method to do the slicing. For more
information please visit the MSC Fatigue Users Guide for detailed descriptions of these methods.
When you click OK, finally a spreadsheet is presented to you with the names and statistics of the
signals to be sliced.
11. Click the cell under G (Gate %) to activate it
There are two editable column, F and G. You must fill in one of these columns in order to affect
a change in the original signals.
12. Input 10 and press Enter
A 10 will appear under the File pull-down menu
13. Click Copy to copy 10 down the column for all the signals
14. Pull down File > Ok to perform the slicing

15. Click OK when you see the message ... Processing complete
This will take you back on PTIME.
A percentage gate specifies a percentage of the total stress or strain range of the time history. For example
if the largest range is 1000MPa and the gate is set to 10%, then any cycles encountered with ranges below
this gate (100MPa) will be ignored. The program does not actually count cycles but during the course of
the peak-valley extraction process, the number of turning points detected is restricted by imposing this
hysteresis gate. This gate corresponds to the smallest difference between adjacent turning points that
can be accepted.
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For turning points to be counted, they must be separated by a distance greater than the specified gate. By
these means, small disturbances or noise in the time series may be gated out from the set of extracted
turning points.
Load the files back into the Time History Database Manager
1. Back on PTIME, double-click Add an entry
2. Select Load files
3. Enter *.pvx for Source Filename

4. Press the Tab so that the Target Filename databox automatically gets a wild card * placed there
5. Enter pvx files for Description 1
6. Accept all the other defaults and click OK
The files will be loaded into the database.
7. Inspect the list of the new entries that are loaded into PTIME, and click End to continue
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Compare the before and after files in MMFD

1. Double-click Multi-channel...
This will run the multi-file display module MMFD.
3. Enter .pvx for Input Filenames
The files will not appear in the databox but the number of files selected will appear below it.
4. Accept all the other defaults on the form and click OK
5. The following plot shows the time history for the first load case where 49% gate has been used.

After you have finished with this exercise you may wish to rerun the analysis using the *.pvx files
to see the difference in the speed of the analysis and the accuracy of the answers.
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(Or click Import Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to
Read Results).
2. Click Apply
Note:
window:
fatigue lies will be shown as red as the hot spots. Changing the spectrum is illustrated.
3. Click Cancel to close the Fatigue Results form

2. Select Crack Initiation, knuckle_mafef under Select Result Cases.

The result case will be displayed as jobnamefef, indicating it is an MSC Fatigue output file.
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3. Select Log of Life, (Repeats) under Select Fringe Result

If you have rotated the model for any reason, pull down Viewing > Named View Options... , and select
nice_view to restore the original view when the session file was played. Any plot posted will adopt the
new view immediately.
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The shortest lives (greatest damage) appear to be around the loading devices, notably at the end of the
steering arm, but this is spurious and should be ignored. The real hot-spot is at Node 7977 which is on
the left most of the two ribs running down from the strut mount.
Figure 10-6
Crack Initiation, Knuckle_ma: Log of Life in Repeats
1. Click Fringe Attributes, on Results form
2. Click Spectrum
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immediately.
Result Listing
You can also use List Results option on the Fatigue Results form. This is a simple utility to give you a
tabular listing of results
1. Click Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form
1. Pull down Action to List Results .
2. Click Apply
3. Click OK to accept knuckle_ma for Jobname
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4. Enter 10 for Max. Sort Values

This will run the PFPOST to list the 10 most damaged nodes
6. Click OK to continu
7. Double-click Moset damaged nodes
The first few are all around the loading devices. Note that Node 7977, the node of interest, gives
a life of around 330 Repeats. If you list fatigue lives for all nodes, you can see that most nodes
are beyond cutoff, meaning that no damage accumulates.
Hint:
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All your listings have been written to the file pfatigue.prt, which is an ASCII file that acts
as a report file for all MSC Fatigue activity.

8. Click OK to close the listing form

9. Double-click eXit to close PFPOST
If you are so inclined, you may run FEFATs design optimization mode to view rainflow histogram plots
or do sensitivity analyses or a number of other activities. This is done from the Fatigue Results... form
by pulling down Action to Optimize. Since these operations have been covered in detail in previous
exercises, this will be left out of this discussion.
Hint:
The influence of individual load cases can be investigated using FEFAT from the Job
Control... form with Action set to Interactive.....
By selecting Preprocessing and analysis in FEFAT you can specify a single node to
process and then edit individual load cases to change scaling factors or even the time
histories themselves. Be aware that the jobname.fpp and jobname.fef files will be
overwritten each time however.
It is left to the User to experiment with these options.
Biaxiality - a Multiaxial Assessment

What we really want to know now, (and this is what biaxiality analysis will tell us) is whether the
analysis we have carried out is appropriate to the states of stress occurring in the component. A biaxiality
analysis accomplishes the following:
1. First we are concerned with stresses and strains at free surfaces, where a state of plane stress
exists, i.e., the stress state is two dimensional in the plane of the free surface. We therefore
simplify our attempts to understand the free surface by transforming the stress results to local
coordinate systems at each location where the x-y plane is the plane of the surface, i.e., surface
resolved stresses.
2. The principal stresses are reordered from the conventional order where z is the surface normal
stress (should be 0) and 1 and 2 are ordered in magnitude. 1 is the largest in-plane principal
(in absolute value) and 2 is therefore the other in-plane stress.
3. The biaxiality ratio is calculated for every location at every time point: ae = 2/1. The angle, p,
that 1 makes with the local x-axis is also retained for each location at every time point.
4. The surface stress state is therefore described completely by 1, ae and the angle, p.
5. ae and the angle, p, get a bit unstable when the stresses are small, so when we calculate statistics
of these parameters a gate is applied to filter out these small stresses.
It is obvious that the biaxiality ratio, ae, can take on any number between -1 and +1. There are two reasons
that we are interested in biaxiality.
1. One is that we need to know what the biaxiality is to calculate the stress-strain response correctly.
2. The other is that it affects the type and severity of fatigue damage.
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When the biaxiality analysis is negative (as indicated by the Mohr's circles of stress), the maximum shear
plane where cracks tend to initiate is oriented as shown in the diagram. In the early stages of initiation
the type A cracks grow mainly along the surface in Mode 2 (shear), before transitioning to Mode 1,
normal to the maximum principal stress.
When the biaxiality is positive however, the cracks tend to be driven more through the thickness. These
are therefore more damaging for the same levels of shear strain. Uniaxial loading is a special case.
What is Multiaxial Loading?

This table below describes what is meant by Proportional Loading, and Non-proportional Loading.
Loading in this case means the local stress state variations, not the global loading environment.
Fortunately we very often find that although the global loading environment has a complex set of out-ofphase loads, the local stress-state variations in the critical locations are much simpler. This is often
dictated by geometry - for instance the stress state at the edge of a thin metal sheet will always be uniaxial.
p
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ae
Rarity/Difficulty
Uniaxial
constant
Most common and easily dealt

with. Only one principal stress
exists, which is 1. Standard
methods are OK.
Proportional Loading
constant
1 ae 1
Less common but easily dealt

with by knowing ae to correct
from a uniaxial case.
Non-proportional Loading
may vary
may vary
Most rare and tricky to deal with.

Biaxiality Indicators
A biaxiality analysis calculates three main indicators available for graphical plotting along with the
damage and life. Open the Results form as you did previously and select the following Fringe Results:
Mean Biaxiality Ratio
This is the average value of the biaxiality ratio over the entire combined time signals for every location.
The average is carried out throughout the loading history, except values are ignored if the stress does not
exceed a gate value set by default to 20% of UTS. Zero indicates uniaxial (or below gate), -1 pure shear
(torsion), +1 equi-biaxial and 0.3 plane strain. We can see here that most of the model remains below the
gate, the critical region is very close to uniaxial and the steering arm experiences considerable shear
(torsion). If you have ratios of +0.3 or more, it may be better to use the signed Tresca strain combination
method, as this will be more conservative.
1. Under the Results tab, select Crack Initiation, knuckle_mafef under Select Result Cases
2. Select Mean Biaxiality Ratio under Select Fringe Result
3. Click Apply to view the plot
Figure 10-7
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Crack Initiation, Knuckle_ma: Mean Biaxiality Ratio

Biaxiality Ratio Standard Deviation

This parameter provides a measure of the variability of the biaxiality ratio, i.e., is the loading proportional
or not. Small values (close to zero) denote proportional loadings. Non-proportional loadings are more
difficult to handle, and the results may be misleading.
If you plot this (Pull down Display > Spectrum... and select standard_spectrum under Current
Spectrum) you will see that once again, the critical area presents no problem and all the action seems to
be on the steering arm. Proportional loading indicates that the magnitudes of 1 and 2 vary
proportionally to onr another. Large srandard deviations in the biaxiality ratio indicate nonproportionality between these two stresses.
1. Under the Results tab, select Crack Initiation, knuckle_mafef under Select Result Cases.
2. Select Biaxiality Ratio andard Deviation under Select Fringe Result
Figure 10-8
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Crack Initiation, Knuckle_ma: Biaxiality Ratio Standard Deviation

Angle Spread
This gives an indication of the mobility of the absolute maximum principal stress (range p=0180). 45 degrees or so is not a big problem. Movements of around 90 degrees or more is either
another indication of non-proportionality of loading or may occur when there is pure shear, when
the stress will flip through 90 degrees. When this occurs, MSC Fatigue may give misleading
results, although when the problem is due to shear stresses, the predictions will tend to be
conservative. Again, in the critical location the angle spread is less than 45 degrees.
1. Under the Results tab, select Crack Initiation, knuckle_mafef under Select Result Cases
2. Select Angle Spread under Select Fringe Result
Figure 10-9
Crack Initiation, Knuckle_ma: Biaxiality Ratio Standard Deviation
In this component the extra information provided makes us feel quite comfortable about the assumptions
of uniaxiality used in the initial fatigue analysis. To further enhance this confidence there are more ways
to look at the above results.
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Biaxiality Cross-Plots
Close down the Results application and go back to the main MSC Fatigue form:
1. Click Job control on the main MSC Fatigure form
2. Pull down Action to Interactive...
3. Click Apply to run the FE fatigue analyzer FEFAT

You will be presented with the main menu of FEFAT.
4. Double-click Assess multiaxiality
You may select an entry and click OK, or double-click the item only.
5. Click OK to accept knuckle_ma.fes for Input Filename

The next screen presented will ask you what location to assess besides the jobname and output
file which should be defaulted to knuckle_ma.
6. Enter 7977 for Node/Element to Select
7. Accept all other defaults and click OK to continue
The analysis will present you with a summary form.
8. Inspect the summary form and click End
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There are four main choices on main Analysis Postprocessing menu for assessing multiaxiality. Select
each one to view the results:
1. Double-click Plot all outputs
This plot simply displays the time variation of all the parameters such as the biaxiality ratio, ae, and the
angle, p, for the critical location, Node 7977. The time variation of these parameters can be interesting,
however the more useful plots are when each of these is cross-plotted against the principal stress for all
time points.
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3. Double-click Biaxiality vs. Principal
This a cross-plot of the biaxiality ratio vs. the maximum absolute principal stress for all time points at the
critical node, Node 7977. The interesting thing to note is that the biaxiality ratio, ae, tends to line up
vertically close to zero for this node indicating a uniaxial condition for the higher stress values. The lower
stress values should be gated out.
Hint:
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The gate value used was zero (the default). To properly check for mobility you should set a
reasonable gate value to exclude small stress/strain cycles that may mislead you in the
interpretation of the angle spread which will be reported larger than it really is for the damaging
cycles only.


5. Double-click Angle vs. Principal
This is a cross-plot of the angle, p, vs. the maximum absolute principal stress for all time points at the
critical node, Node 7977. Again note that for the higher stress levels, they tend to line up vertically at a
particular angle suggesting that the mobility is minimal and uniaxial conditions exist. The smaller stress
cycles do show quite a bit of mobility but they should be gated out as they are of no consequence to the
damage of the component.
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7. Double-click Angle Distribution
This is another way of looking at the stress tensor mobility. This plots displays the number of times each
angle, p, appeared during the loading sequence. A spike indicates the predominate angle. The other
angles that appeared occasionally are generally due to the lower stress cycles as indicated by the previous
plot.

9. Double-click eXit to close FEFAT
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Finally repeat these steps for a different node where there is a lot of mobility in the stress tensor, say Node
1045 which is located on the steering arm. A multiaxial condition results in plots as seen at this node:
random and scattered for ae and p not constant (flops back and forth between two predominant angles
indicating a shear condition). Note however, that the stress range is much less than that at Node 7977 and
therefore is not of concern to us.
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
This exercise has dealt with a FE model with complex geometry subject to multiple loading inputs. The
critical location was determined and a stress state evaluation was done to determine the amount of
multiaxiality at the critical location. From this the validity of the fatigue analysis was determined based
on the assumption of a uniaxial stress state. Had the loading been proved to be other than uniaxial the
following approaches must be taken:
Accounting for Proportional Loading
Proportional loading, which means ae is non-zero but constant and the stress tensor mobility is minimal,
can be accounted for on the Solution Params... form by setting the Biaxiality Correction method.Two
methods exist, both of which modify the uniaxial material properties using ae.
1. Material Parameter: The Material Parameter method basically makes a new set of parameters
(E, K' and n') for each state of stress. For example, Youngs Modulus becomes E* = E/(1-ae). It
assumes the ratio of the principal strains remains fixed and that the von Mises stress and strain
yield criteria obey the cyclic stress strain curve postyield. It is only valid to use with a maximum
strain based combination parameter (Max. Abs. Principal).
2. Hoffman-Seeger: The Hoffmann-Seeger method makes the same basic assumptions, but makes
the Neuber correction in equivalent stress-strain space. It has the advantage that it predicts all the
principal stresses and strains and can therefore be used in conjunction with any equivalent stress
or strain combination parameter.
See the MSC Fatigue Users Guide for more details on these correction methods.
Accounting for Non-proportional Loading
There is, as yet, no general agreement about how to fully deal with non-proportional loadings - it is still
a major research topic. A full multiaxial fatigue analyzer is included as part of MSC Fatigue however,
and can be run externally once an initial global location fatigue analysis has been run (at least through
the translation stage, i.e., the creation of a jobname.fes file). The module is called FEMLF and can be
invoked from the system prompt using the symbol, femlf or from the Tools pull-down menue.
This module has a few different methods and you are referred to the MSC Fatigue Users Guide for
detailed description of its usage. In general, fatigue life estimation from a non-proportional loading
situation can only be properly determined by doing a Critical Plane Analysis. This entails doing multiple
analyses at representative angles of p.
A new rainflow cycle counting procedure is also adopted which takes into consideration that a cycle may
begin on one plane and close on another. The notch correction procedure of correcting for plasticity also
becomes complicated and uses a kinematic hardening model (the equivalent of using Neuber and
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Concluding Remarks
Masings hypothesis for a uniaxial stress state). It is an advanced subject and beyond the scope of this
text. But procedures do exist in MSC Fatigue.
Note:
As of the release of this version of MSC Fatigue, the multiaxial analyzer, FEMLF, although
available, has not been fully validated. This is mainly due to the fact that the theoretical basis
is not well established or fully accepted in the circles of fatigue experts. For this reason a
number of methods are included in FEMLF.
It is best not to assume a non-proportional loading situation just because the external loading and
geometry are complex:
1. First assume a uniaxial stress state and perform the fatigue analysis.
2. Run a biaxiality analysis to produce the stress state parameters needed to evaluate multiaxiality.
3. Evaluate the biaxiality parameters at the critical locations to determine if any corrections need to
be made for proportional or non-proportional loading.
The evaluation criteria for proportional or non-proportional loading is as such:
1. If ae is close to zero and p is constant, uniaxial assumptions stand.
2. If ae is non-zero but constant and p is constant, a state of proportional loading exists.
Compensation can be made by using the Material Parameter or Hoffman-Seeger methods to
modify the uniaxial material properties.
Hint:
For ae=0 Signed Tresca, Signed von Mises and Max. Abs. Principal should give close to
the same results. If ae is negative, Max. Abs. Principal is the best choice. If ae is positive,
Signed Tresca is the best choice. These comments apply to the crack initiation approach. If
using stress life it is best to stick with Max. Abs. Principal.
3. If neither ae or p are constant but vary significantly above the stress gate, a state of nonproportional loading exists. Compensation must be made by using the full multiaxial fatigue
analyzer, FEMLF to do critical plane analysis.
Note:
Critical plane analyses can be computationally expensive since they requires multiple
calculations at every location.
Important: FEMLF only analyzes multiaxial fatigue, so before running FEMLF you must run a
Multiaxial CI or Multiaxial FOS job and then Run FEMLF from a system or DOS prompt.
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Concluding Remarks
1. Pull down Tools > MSC. Fatigue > Solvers > Global Multi-Axial fatigue (femlf)...
2. Select Crack nitiation life analysis
3. Click OK
4. Click OK to accept knuckle_ma.fes for Input Fatigue Filename
5. Enter 1045 as the node of interest
Remember this is the node on the steering arm that appeared to have some degree of multiaxiality.
6. Accept all the defaults and click OK to run the analysis
7. Clicking OK to continue and get to the Display Menu
Note:
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The FEMLF utility is not working in Patran 2012.2. This issue will be fixed in later
versions.

Concluding Remarks
From here you can plot cycle/damage histograms or damage polar plots to see the results of the critical
plane analysis. Try rerunning the analysis at this node for all the different methods to see the variability.
The table below summarizes the results.
Multiaxial Method
Life
Uniaxial Solution
~97,300
Normal Strain
~106,000
SWT-Bannantine
~316,500
Shear Stress
~18,500
Fatemi-Socie
~27,000
Wang-Brown
~30,500
Wang-Brown + mean
~26,000
Rerun the analysis using Node 7977. This was the critical node from our uniaxial analysis. The biaxiality
analysis showed us that the most popular angle, p, at most time points for values above the stress gate
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Concluding Remarks
was around -40 degrees. This means that if we were to perform a critical plane analysis we would see the
majority of the damage at -40 degrees in a polar plot. This is indeed the case as shown.
Main Index
Chapter 11: Spot Weld Analysis

11
Main Index
Spot Weld Analysis
Problem Description
397
Concluding Remarks
399
403
415
416
420
423
446
458
473
479
461

Introduction
Introduction
The spot weld module carries out fatigue life predictions for spot-welds joining two steel sheets. The bar
element forces are used to calculate the structural stresses in each spot-weld nugget and the adjacent
sheets. The dynamic stresses are derived from load data, using either a quasi-static or transient approach
to stress history determination.
This method is geometry independent and provides a convenient way to predict the location and life of
fatigue sensitive spot-welds.
Main Index
Chapter 11: Spot Weld Analysis 397

Problem Description
Problem Description
In this analysis, a portion of a vehicle body is analyzed to determine the dependability of the spot welds
that hold the metal sheets together in various locations. The spot welds are represented with CBAR
elements. The shell elements near the welds are about 10 mm in size and the dimensions of the sheet
elements is approximately twice of the weld diameter. The sheets are separated by half the thickness of
the sheet pair. CBAR nodal forces are recovered from the Nastran analysis.
Figure 11-1
Spot Weld Model
The forces and moments of these CBAR elements are recovered in the FE analysis and used in a
subsequent spot weld fatigue analysis. The actual fatigue analysis of the spot welds is based on the Total
Life or S-N method.
Objective
To illustrate spot weld fatigue analysis setup and usage.
To determine the location of the weak spot welds due to the imposed loading conditions.
To determine safe loading levels for the given model and loading conditions by performing a
Factor of Safety analysis.
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Problem Description
Files Required
Table 11-1 Files required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/qs_spotweld.bdf
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/shock_spot.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/shock_loads_out01.dac
Start Patran
On Windows, double click Patran on the desktop or from the Start menu in the lower left corner
of the desktop
Note:
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2. Enter spotweld for the File name

3. Verify that Set Working Directory to Database Location is checked ON
database.
4. Click OK
6. Click OK
Import the Model

In order to start the analysis we need to import the MSC Nastran input file first.
1. Pull down File > Import
2. Pull down Source to MSC.Nastran Input

3. Select qs_spotweld.bdf for File Name
4. Click OK to import the model
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Access Results
2. Pull down Methods to Result Entities (Results only)

4. Select shock_spot.op2
5. Click Apply to import the models results

1. Under the Results tab, click Vector in the Result Plots group, and pull down Method to Scalar
(Or on the Results form, pull down Action | Object | Method to Create | Marker | Scalar).
2. Select the first load case for Select Result Cases

3. Select Bar Forces, Rotational for Select Scalar Result
4. Click Display Attributes
5. Enter 0.03 for Scale Factor
6. Pull down Scalar Style to Sphere
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7. Un-check Show Scalar Label
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Because the CBAR are very small in comparison to the overall model dimensions, they have been plotted
as small spheres to visualize their location on the model. The spheres have been color coded according
to element rotational magnitude for the first load case.
Figure 11-2
Result Marker Plot: Element Rotational Magnitude for First Load Case
Since the spot welds are modeled as stiff CBAR elements, only a coarse mesh is required. The CBAR
elements are used as force transducers to obtain forces and moments transmitted through the spot weld.
MSC Nastran CBAR forces and moments are used to calculate structural stresses in the actual fatigue
analysis.
The spot welds are placed between the sheets joining the mid-planes of the two sheets of shell elements,
and perpendicular to both. The length of the spot weld and the sheet separation should therefore be half
the sum of the sheet thicknesses. There is no need for any refinement of the mesh around the spot-welds.
The only requirement for the shell elements used to model the sheets, is that they transmit the correct
loads to the bar elements. In fact, the best results are achieved when the dimensions of the shell elements
are quite largemore than twice the diameter of the weld nuggets.
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Spot Welds in the Advanced Fatigue group
and pull down Analysis to Spot Weld).
Note: Results Loc.: Both
Results Loc. is automatically set to Both. Since we are working with

CBAR elements, both the element numbers and the node IDs associated
with the elements are necessary. Fatigue calculations will occur at the two
end nodes and the element centroid (or weld nugget).
Nodal Ave.: Global This setting does not have any bearing on a spot weld analysis. The default
is set. You do not have a choice.
F.E. Results: Force
Forces and moments will be extracted from the database as opposed to

stresses as with all other fatigue analyses. The stresses will be determined
from the forces and moments. The default option is Force.
2. Pull down Res.Units to N,mm

Units are now in forces and moments, and not stresses. The default is N, mm.
4. Enter spotweld_dtlib for Jobname

5. Enter Spot Weld Analysis Example for Title
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General Parameters
There are two subordinate forms that deal with specific settings for the fatigue analysis. The General
Params... form allows the user to change settings that are common to all the DTLib-based fatigue
solutions. The new options/functionalities added on the solution parameter form are described below.
Click OK to accept all the defaults for these parameters.
Number of Threads: The number of simultaneous analysis threads to be used for this run. This
allows a job to be spread over a number of processors and can decrease the elapsed time of the
job. The number of threads can be an integer value between 1 to 10; default is 1.
Log File Detail: Defines the level of details in the dtfat log file. The options are, LOW,
MEDIUM, and HIGH.

Output Max/Min: Determines whether to output maximum and minimum cycle stresses at each
calculataion entity.
Time History Compression: Determines how to compress the input time history data for the
purposes of speeding up the calculation, possibly at the loss of accuracy of result. It is

particularly useful when running jobs to locate high-damage locations. This option should be
used with caution, since not all loading cycles are used in the calculation. The options are
NONE, PEAK-VALLEY, and LIMITS.
Gate Units: The units for setting the Gate property, used if Time History Compression is set to
PEAKVALLEY.
Gate: The gate value if Time History Compression is set to PEAK-VALLEY.
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Solution Parameters
in this case the Spot Weld analysis. The new options/functionalities added on the solution parameter form
are described below:
1. Click Solution Params... on the main MSC Fatigue form
2. Verify that Mean Stress Correction is set to None
3. Verify that Overall Scale Factor is set to 1
Overall Scale Factor is a scale factor on stress. This can be used effectively to include some safety
factor on the design. Note that this scale factor is applied in a global sense over the entire analysis
domain.
4. Verify that Certainty of Survival (%) is set to 50
This parameter has been discussed in detail in previous exercises. By default it is set at 50%. It is
the association with the scatter of the S-N curve. To be 90% confident of reaching the design life,
set this value to 90. For our example problem simply accept the default of 50%.
5. Accept all the defaults and click OK to close the Solution Params... form
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Loading Information
Load the Time History Files
1. Click Loading Info..., on the main MSC Fatigue form
3. Double-click Load files in PTIME and enter data on the next form as indicated below
Note:
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If you have been working sequentially through this document and did not start this exercise
form a clean working directory, then you will already have some entries in the PTIME
database. The version of the form that is displayed will be different than the one shown here.
On this form, select Add an entry and then select Load files, which is the equivalent of
selecting Load files on the shown form.

4. Enter *.dac for Source Filename, press Tab

By now you should have a copy of the load variation signals in your local directory. They are
called shock_loads_out*.dac where * is a wild card for the three load cases. This will load all
three *.dac files into the database, so that Target Filename automatically gets a wild card *.
5. Enter some value for Description 1 such as Load Cases
6. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK
PTIME will show you a list of the new entries that were loaded.
7. Click End when you see a list of all three load cases
Note:
Patran will be suspended until PTIME is closed, so that any newly created load time histories
Load Case ID
This tool makes it easier and more efficient to fill out the spreadsheet.

This is where you specify the FE analysis results that you will use in the fatigue analysis
This will fill the list box on the bottom left with all 3 result cases.
6. Select the first load case under Select a Results Load Case
There should be three load cases available under Select a Results Load Case.
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7. Select either 1.1 Bar Forces Rotational or 1.2 Bar Forces Translational
Both result cases must exist, but in this example only one needs to be selected. Note that all three
cells are automatically filled with their corresponding load cases since Fill Down is turned ON.
After selecting the result case, the focus transfers to the next cell under the Time History label.
Note:
The actual Load Case ID numbers you see may differ from those shown here.
Time History
8. Scroll down to select the row containing shock_loads_out01
The time history database is queried and all available time histories are displayed in a spreadsheet
below the main spreadsheet. Again all rows are filled in, because the Fill Down is checked ON.
Make sure shock_loads_out01, shock_loads_out02, and shock_loads_out03 are associated
with load cases 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The Load Magnitude cell is now activated.
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9. Verify that Divisor to Normalize Stresses is set to 1.0
10. Accept the default values for all other columns and click OK to close Loading Info... form
Create a Group of CBARS

Before we commence on the exercise, create a group of CBARs that represent the spot welds.
2. Enter bar for New Group Name

3. Double-click FEM Entity in the Picking Filters bar to expand it
4. Click Beam element
5. Using the mouse, select the entire model in the viewport

The Entity Selection box is filled with element numbers
6. Click Apply to create the group
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Setting up the material information for a spot weld analysis is similar to other fatigue analyses with a few
differences. The major difference is that you must define groups with bars, CWELD, or CHEXA
elements.
The first part of this chapter is using a group of cbars; then, at the end of the chapter we will show the
analysis using CWELD, and CHEXA groups. Please note that if you are using CHEXA welds, these
should first be converted to equivalent bar elements using Tools > MSC Fatigue > Hex to Bar Results...
The spot weld nuggets themselves can differ in radius, and the sheets to which they attach can differ in
thickness. For each combination of spot weld nugget radius and sheet thicknesses you must define a
group. Also each location on the spot weld (sheet 1, sheet 2, nugget) can be associated with a different
S-N curve.
Select the MXD Material Database

4. Click Browse...
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5. Select iceflow_standard.mxd
The iceflow_standard.mxd is located in $P3_HOME/mscdtfat_files/mats directory.
6. Click Open and then click OK
7. Expand nCode Spot Weld data set in dtmat
8. Control-select Spot; Generic Nugget and Spot; Generic Sheet data sets
In this example, we will use the generic spot weld S-N curves for the nugget and the sheets.
9. Click Graph to view the Stress Life curves for both data sets
10. Pull down File > Exit to close dtmat

Input Material Information
1. Pull down Spot Weld Diameter Method to SPREADSHEET
The SPREADSHEET option determines how the diameter of spot weld is computed, whether
from a spreadsheet or a user file:
FILE: The diameter is derived from the minimum thickness of the two sheets either side of the
weld by performing a lookup on a table. The table is held in the file spotweld.sys, which
normally resides in the central nssys directory. If this file exists in the current working
directory or the home directory, then these will be used in preference to the central file.
SPREADSHEET: The diameter is entered directly in the property WeldDiameter, specified in
the units of Weld Diameter Units.
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2. Verify that Number of Groups has a value of 1

Up to 4000 different combinations of spot weld nugget diameters, sheet thicknesses, and
corresponding S-N curves can be created. If you change this setting, be sure to press Enter to
affect the change. The spreadsheet rows will update to the number you specify here.
3. Click the cell under Group

4. Select Bar for Element Type
5. Select the group bar under Select a Group
6. Check Create Sub Group
The Create Sub Group option splits a selected group into a series of groups, based on the thickness
pairs found at the end of the bar elements, and load up the cells automatically.
7. Click Fill Cell
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As the BDF file has been imported at the start of this exercise, all cells will be filled automatically in the
Material Information form. Automatic group creation, means grouping CBARs that connect across the
same flange thickness pairs, is feasible when the bulk data file for a model is read into the Patran
database. The auto-grouping will fail unless the element properties contain thickness information. If a
model is to be created by importing a finite element model, the BDF file should be imported first and then
the results file. The MSC Nastran results file does not contain shell thickness information.
Note: The Number of Groups should be set to 19. If an extra group of bars with 0 inch thickness is
created, follow the steps below to remove it:
1. Click Delete Rows...
2. Pull down Delete function to Single Row
3. Enter 1 for Row to Delete and click Apply
After deleting the first row (the row with 0 inch shell thickness T(sh1)), you should only
have 19 groups in the spreadsheet. (bar2 to bar20)
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Although you do not need to fill the cells manually on the form, yet the remaining cells are described
below for your reference:
Diam:
This is the spot weld nugget diameter for the specified group of spot welds. If the properties for
this model were in the database, this would have been calculated automatically from a look up
table (see MSC Fatigue Users Guide). Note that the units must be consistent with that specified
in the General Setup Parameters. The diameter is specified in millimeters (and the sheet
thicknesses).
S-N(nug): spot_nugget_generic
This is the S-N curve for the spot weld nugget.

S-N(sh1): spot_sheet_generic
This is the S-N curve for the top sheet of the spot weld.
T(sh1):
This is the thickness of the top sheet.

Note:
S-N(sh2): spot_sheet_generic
This is the S-N curve for the bottom sheet of the spot weld.
T(sh2):
This is the thickness of the bottom sheet.

SF: 1.0
This is an additional scale factor you may apply in the form of a Kf, if desired.
Now that you have successfully filled in the spreadsheet, click OK to close the Material Info... form.
Main Index


1. Click Job Control..., on the main MSC Fatigue form
3. Click Apply
Note:
5. Click Apply
6. Click Cancel to close the Job Control... form
As already mentioned, this method requires spot welds to be modeled as bar, CWELD, or CHEXA welds
in MSC Fatigue. The forces transmitted through these CBAR elements are used to calculate the structural
(nominal) stresses in the weld nugget and the adjoining sheet metal at intervals around the perimeter of
the nugget. These stresses can then be used to make fatigue life predictions on the spot weld using a SN (Total Life) method. Life is calculated using Linear Damage Summation (Miners rule).
Main Index


1. Click Fatigue Results..., on the main MSC Fatigue form

Note:
window:

1. Under the Results tab, click Vector in the Result Plots group, and pull down Method to Scalar
(Or on the Results form, pull down Action | Object | Method to Create | Marker | Scalar).
2. Select FEF Export, spotweld_dtlibfef under Select Result Cases

The result case will be displayed as spotweld_dtlibfef, indicating it is originated from an MSC
Fatigue output file named spotweld_dtlib.fef
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3. Select Log life, Repeats for Select Scalar Result

6. Pull down Scalar Style to Sphere
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Figure 11-3
Result Marker Plot: Log of Life Repeats
Follow these steps if you get a different contour spectrum than the one shown in Figure 11-3
9. Click Fringe Attributes in the Results form
10. Click Spectrum
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11. Select fatigue_spectrum for Current Spectrum

immediately.
Tabular Listings
Two results files are created by a fatigue analysis.The jobname.fef (spotweld_dtlib.fef) file is the normal
result file and the jobname.csv (spotweld_dtlib.csv) file stores the results in tabular format. You can open
this file with Microsoft Excel and check the results. Besides these, MSC Fatigue also creates a number
of other files during an analysis. Here is a sampling of the first few nodes:
Table 11-1
Node ID
Main Index
Excerpt of spotweld_dtlib.csv File

Element
ID
Material
Group Damage
Plane
Angle
Max
Force
Location
Life
Repeats
27440
27867
bar2
5.77 E-14 0
Sheet1
642.6
1.73 E+13
27440
27867
bar2
3.24 E-18 20
Sheet1
642.6
3.08 E+17
27440
27867
bar2
5.69 E-12 40
Sheet1
642.6
1.76 E+11
27440
27867
bar2
5.58 E- 09 60
Sheet1
642.6
3.88 E+08
27440
27867
bar2
5.79 E-08 80
Sheet1
642.6
1.73 E+07
27440
27867
bar2
2.47 E-07 120
Sheet1
642.6
4.06 E+06
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

Stress-based analyses are relevant to S-N analysis and apply to a class of structures, where fatigue lives
are essentially infinite. In order to assess the fatigue life of this class of structures, it is useful to obtain a
measure of the margin between the working (applied stress) and the fatigue endurance stress (the limit
below which no fatigue damage is incurred). The ratio of the endurance stress/working stress is known
as the Factor of Safety. This is ideal for hand calculations using idealized loadings, but for realistic
variable amplitude loading, a more rigorous approach is used that estimates the overdesign or
underdesign factor on the user-supplied reference stress.
Bring up the main MSC Fatigue form and set up the subordinate forms as shown below:

Leave all General Setup Parameters on the MSC Fatigue form as is, except the following
2. Enter spotweld_ dtlib_safety_factor for Jobname
3. Enter Spot Weld Analysis with Safety Factor for Title
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General Parameters
On the General Params... form, set all the parameters similar to those from the previous analysis. No
changes are necessary on this form.
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on Solution Params... form as is, except the following:
1. Check Run Factor of Safety Analysis
2. Enter the IE-6 for Target Damage

Loading Information
Leave all the parameters on the Material Info... form as is. No changes are necessary on this form.
Main Index

submitted.
does not update automatically. You need to click Apply each time to see the message ...fatigue job
complete.
Review the Results
Import the fatigue results as you did in the first part of this analysis. Next, plot the Log life, Repeats, using
the Results application as done previously, but for this analysis (spotweld_dtlib__safety_factorfef).
Figure 11-4
Main Index
Result Marker Plot: Scale Factor from Back Calculation


The final task of this exercise is to run the same Spot Weld analysis using the Classic solver. Step by step
instructions are not given here. Only the parameters that need to be set on each form are given. It is left
to the reader to exercise these as desired.
Files Required
Table 11-2 Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spot.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/horizontal.asc
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/vertical.asc
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/torque.asc
Spot Weld S-N Analysis

Analysis
Spot Weld
Results Loc.
Both
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Force
Res.Units
N,mm
Jobname
Spotweld_classic
Title
Spot Weld Analysis Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
50.0
Loading Information
Main Index
Load Case ID:
2.1-1.1- , 3.2-1.1- , 4.3-1.1-
Time History:
HORIZONTAL.DAC, VERTICAL.DAC, TORQUE.DAC
Load Magnitude:
1000, 1000, 100000
Scale Factor:
1.0

Group:
bar
Diam:
4.5
S-N (nug):
spot_nugget_generic
S-N (sh1):
spot_sheet_generic
T (sh1):
1.8
S-N (sh2):
spot_sheet_generic
T (sh2):
1.8
SF:
1.0

(Or pull down Action | Object to Access Results | Read OP2 on the Analysis form).

4. Select spot.op2 output file
5. Click OK

2. Enter spotweld_classic for Jobname
3. Enter Spot Weld Analysis Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
There is only one setting on Solution Params... form for Spot Weld analysis using the Classic solver,
namely the design criterion, or Certainty of Survival. Leave the default value for this parameter.
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Loading Information
This is identical to all other fatigue analyses using the pseudo-static method. Transient FE results are also
supported. Loading Info... form appears identical to all other analyses discussed thus far.
Define the Load Service
In our analysis we have three FE loads, thus the need to associate three time variations of the loading.
3. Double-click ASCII convert + Load in PTIME
Note:
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If you have been working sequentially through this document, and did not start this exercise
database. The version of the form that is displayed will be different. On this form, select Add
an entry and then select the option ASCII convert + Load, which is equivalent of selecting
ASCII convert + Load on the shown form.

4. Enter Horizontal for ASCII Filename

5. Click OK to accept this file
6. Enter Horizontal load for Description1
7. Pull down Load Type to Force
8. Pull down Units to Newtons
9. Accept all other defaults and click OK
PTIME will show you a list of the new entries that were loaded.
10. Repeat steps 3 to 9 for the other two files (vertical.asc and torque.asc)
The first two (HORIZONTAL and VERTICAL) represent transmission (horizontal) and
suspension (vertical) loading and are forces in Newtons. The third is a moment due to a bracket
loading (TORQUE) in Nmm.
Note: Remember the torque time history is a moment and the moment units are Nmm. If these units
are not available see the section on A Multiaxial Assessment (Ch. 10), for a discussion.
Note:

1. Back on PTIME, double-click Multi-channel >
2. Select Display Histories to invoke MMFD
3. Enter *.dac for Input Filenames
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4. Click OK to accept the files

Note that the files will not appear in the Input Filenames databox, but the number of files selected
is shown below it.
5. Click OK to view the time history plots
Figure 11-5
Display of Horizontal, Vertical and Torque Time Histories

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Load Case ID

This tool makes it easier and more efficient to fill out the spreadsheet
The list box on the bottom left is filled with the only result load case that exists
6. Click Apply
7. Select the first load case under Select a Results Load Case
There should be three load cases available under Select a Results Load Case.
8. Select either Bar Forces, Rotational or Bar Forces, Translation
Both must exist, but in this example only one needs to be selected. Note that all three cells are
filled with the three load cases because you had Fill Down turned ON. After selecting the result
case, the focus transfers to the next cell under the Time History label.l
Note:
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The actual Load Case ID numbers you see may differ from those shown here.

Time History
9. Click the cell under Time History
10. Scroll down to select the row containing HORIZONTAL.DAC
below the main spreadsheet. Again all rows are filled in because Fill Down is ON. Make sure that
horizontal, vertical, and torque are associated with load cases 1, 2, and 3 respectively.
Load Magnitude
1. Click the cell under Load Magnitude
These are the load magnitudes as applied in the FE analysis.
2. Input 1000 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses and press Enter
Again all rows are filled with this value (1000) because Fill Down is ON. This is appropriate for
load cases 1 and 2 but load case 3 needs to be set to 100,000.
3. Click the cell under Load Magnitude, in the third row
4. Input 100,000 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses and press Enter.
5. Accept the default values for all other columns, and click OK to close the Loading Info... form
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View the S-N Curve
S-N curves for Spot Weld analysis are determined by testing specimens similar to that shown. The system
requires an S-N curve for each metal sheet and for the weld nugget at load ratio R=0, plus a mean stress
sensitivity factor and a standard error parameter (used when setting the Certainty of Survival on the
Solution Params... form). The formulation of the S-N curve is as follows:
( S ) = SRI1 ( Nf )
b1
for Nf < Nc1, the transition life. For Nf > Nc1 a second slope b2 is used. It is possible to correct each
cycle with amplitude S and mean stress Sm to calculate an equivalent stress amplitude S0 at R=0:
The MSC Fatigue materials database contains around ten S-N curves for specific spot weld types. In this
example we will use the generic spot weld S-N curves for the nugget and the sheets. You can view these
S-N curves by following the steps shown below:
Main Index

3. Scroll down and select spot_nugget_generic

5. Scroll down and select spot_sheet_generic
6. Double-click Graphical display in PFMAT, to view the S-N curves
7. Clicking anywhere on the curve will display coordinate values in the lower left corner of the plot.
This makes it easy to read values directly off the curve.
Figure 11-6
Main Index
S-N Data Plot

8. Pull down File>eXit to close the plot

Selected Groups Information
spreadsheet.
2. Select Bar for Element Type
3. Select the group bar under Select a Group
We will use the bar which is he group that you created in the previous Spot Weld analysis using
DTLib Solver. Any group you select must contain elements and all the associated nodes. If the
group contains elements only, an error message will be issued.
4. Click Fill Cell
5. Click the cell under Diam

6. Enter 4.8 for Diameter value and press Enter to accept the new value
7. Verify that S-N(nug) is set to spot_nugget_generic
This is the S-N curve for the spot weld nugget.
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8. Verify that S-N(sh1) is set to spot_sheet_generic

This is the S-N curve for the top sheet of the spot weld.
Note:
You need to scroll the spreadsheet to the right to see the additional parameters.
9. Click the cell under T(sh1)

This is the thickness of the top sheet.
10. Enter 1.8 for T(sh1) Value and press Enter
The cell under S-N(sh2) is activated.
11. Verify that S-N(sh2) is set to spot_sheet_generic
This is the S-N curve for the bottom sheet of the spot weld.
12. Click the cell under T(sh2)

This is the thickness of the bottom sheet.
13. Input 1.8 for T(sh2) Value: and press Enter to accept the new value
The cell under SF is activated.
14. Verify that Multiplier Value is set to 1 and press Enter
This is an additional scale factor you may apply in the form of a Kf if desired.
Main Index


submitted. Use the Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis. The job, because of the
complexity of the loading, and the number of spot welds takes a few minutes to run.
Stress and fatigue damage are calculated at 10 degree intervals around the spot weld for the two sheets.
This also increases the calculation times.
Note:
By default, calculations at the nugget are not done. You must run the Spot Weld analyzer,
SPOTW, interactively to do nugget calculation or to reduce the number of angle calculations
around the spot weld.
As already mentioned, this method requires spot welds to be modeled as stiff CBAR elements in MSC
Nastran. The forces transmitted through these CBAR elements are used to calculate the structural
(nominal) stresses in the weld nugget and the adjoining sheet metal at intervals around the perimeter of
the nugget. These stresses can then be used to make fatigue life predictions on the spot weld using a SN
(Total Life) method. Life is calculated using Linear Damage Summation (Miners rule).
View the Results

When the job is complete, use Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form to import the results.
Two results files are created by a Spot Weld analysis:
The jobname.fef (spotweld.fef) file is the normal result file that is similar to other result files and
is the result file read into the database. It contains ten columns corresponding to worst damage,
life, and log of life for each spot weld including the angle of failure, the node ID (sheet 1, 2 or
the nugget - ID=0), and the maximum force encountered.
The other results file is called jobname.spt (spotweld.spt). It is an ASCII file that is queried by
the actual spot weld analyzer, SPOTW, with result reported at all angles and locations.
Identify Critical Spot Weld
Under the Results tab, inspect the new SPOT WELD ANALYSIS, spotweld_classicfef result case
available. If you select this result case you will see all the values that you can plot. However, because the
spot welds are very small in comparison to the rest of the model dimensions and because the results are
stored as elemental results, the Results application is not practical to use. (You will not be able to see a
contour plot). It is better to graphically view the results at these CBAR by making element marker plots.
This is done using the Insight application.
Before invoking Insight, make sure that the group bar is posted along with the default_group.
2. Verify that both groups bar and default_group are selected under Select Groups to Post
Main Index

Follow the steps below to view fatigue results using Insight application:
1. Under the Results tab, click Insight in the Insight group
A new graphical window will open and the Insight application is shown.
2. Pull down Action | Tool to Create | Marker

3. Click Results Selection...
A new form opens from which you can select jobname.fef result.
4. Select SPOT WELD ANALYSIS, spotweld_classicfef under Current Load Case(s)
5. Click Update Results
6. Select Log of Life in (Repeats), under Marker Result
7. Click OK to close the Results Selection form

8. Click Marker Attributes..., on Insight Imaging form
9. Pull down Type to Sphere
10. Pull down Scale to Screen
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12. Click OK to close the Marker Attributes... form

This will take you back on the Insight Imaging form
13. Pull down Target to Elements
14. Un-check Use All Posted
Turning this option off allows you to select a group.
15. Select bar under Target Groups
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16. Click Apply to view the marker plot
Figure 11-7
Spotweld Marker Plot Using Insight Application
Using color mapped markers, you can easily and quickly identify the critical spot welds in the model.
Follow the steps below to experiment with the marker plot:
1. Pull down Action to Modify
2. Pull down Object to Marker
3. Select the marker plot you just made (the default name is Marker_1)
4. Apply any changes you wish
You can change any setting you wish such as the marker type, the scale factor, and the color
mapping. Also try plotting some of the other results. When
5. Click Insight to close the form and return to the standard graphics screen
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Result Listing
1. Under the Durability tab, click Fatigue Results..., on the main MSC Fatigue form
2. Pull down Action to List Results...
This runs the Spot Weld analyzer SPOTW in its List global results mode.
3. Click Apply
4. Click OK to accept spotweld_classic for Results Filename
5. Inspect a list of Damage and Life results on SPOTW, and click End
6. Click Cancel to close the Fatigue Results... form
Now try to run SPOTW module from the interactive mode:
You can now see all the options available on the main menu of SPOTW.
9. Click Apply
Main Index

The analysis was performed in batch mode through Patran, however you can also run it interactively
using the first selection on SPOTW, Estimate fatigue life.
Listing the results from the Fatigue Results... form put you directly into List global results. Another
result listing option available on SPOTW is lisT.spt file:
10. Double-click lisT.spt file in SPOTW
11. Click OK to accept spotweld_classic.spt for Results Filename

12. Verify that Damage is selected for List Type
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A Results summary of the worst damaged element will be displayed.
14. Inspect the result summary form, and click End
This will put you back on the main menu of SPOTW.
Polar Plots
1. Double-click Results polar plot
2. Click OK to accept spotweld_classic.spt for Results Filename

3. Verify that Damage is selected for Plot parameter and click OK to view the plot
This will spawn a graphical program called MPOD that displays polar plots of damage. These
plots show life for the nugget and the two sheets around the circumference of the spot weld
showing you at which angle the worst damage occurs. It is very much like a critical plane analysis
display.
Figure 11-8
Main Index
Polar Plot of Life at Worst Case Element


5. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to create a new Results Polar plot
6. Select Maximum stress range for the Plot parameters
Figure 11-9
Polar Plot of Spotweld at Worst Element
The second plot shows the maximum stress ranges for the sheets and the nugget. Note that three curves,
are displayed, one for the nugget and each sheet. Sheet 2 shows the most stress range and thus the reason
for damage appearing from only sheet 2 in the first polar plot above. The stress range in the other sheet
and the nugget do not cause much, if any, damage.
Note:
Main Index
You may not see a third curve corresponding to the nugget calculations as shown in the plots
above when you do this on your own. This is because by default the nugget is not calculated.
If you want the nugget calculations, you have to turn them on when running SPOTW
interactively.

8. Pull down File > eXit to close the plot and return to SPOTW
Sensitivity Analysis
SPOTW also has a Design Optimization mode very similar to that of FEFAT. In fact, most of the same
options exist. Only those that are different are discussed here. There are two ways to invoke Design
Optimization:
It can be accessed directly from the Fatigue Results... form, when Action is set to Optimize
Or you can enter it from the Job Control... form, when Action is set to Interactive, and then
double-click Design Optimization
Main Index

In both cases you must supply an element number or specify the WORST element, to enter the main
menu of SPOTW- Design optimization. The calculation will proceed with a summary page and then you
are placed in the SPOTW- Design Optimization main menu where you can do a multitude of things
similar to the FEFAT fatigue analyzer optimization mode. Follow the steps below once you are in the
Design Optimization mode:
1. Select Worst Case for Element Selection
2. Enter 1E+06 for Design Life
The calculation will proceed with a summary page and then you are placed in the Design
Optimization main menu where you can do a multitude of things similar to the FEFAT fatigue
analyzer optimization mode.
4. Inspect the summary page and click End
5. Double-click Sensitivity analysis > sheeT 2 thickness
Main Index

6. Enter (1.0,3.0,0.5) for sheet 2 thickness

The numbers indicate thicknesses from 1 mm to 3 mm by increments of 0.5 mm will be analyzed.
7. Click OK
8. Double click Recalculate
Before you see the plot you have to recalculate the analysis.
9. Inspect the summary form and click End to continue
10. Double-click result Display
11. Select Sensitivity plot
You can view a graphical display of the results.
Figure 11-10
Sensitivity Plot of Spotweld at Worst Element

13. Double-click eXit to main menu
14. Double-click eXit to close SPOTW
Note:
Main Index
Although the sensitivity analysis of differing sheet thicknesses is insightful, changing the
thicknesses of the sheets necessarily changes the moments which are not taken into
account. Therefore this is simply an approximation. A full validation should be done by
changing the thicknesses in the FE model and recalculating the forces and moments.

You can also view the sensitivity plots directly in Patran:

2. Pull down Action to Plot Sensitivity
3. Select spotweld32285ptl under Select Sensitivity Data
4. Click Plot
This plot should be exactly the same as the sensitivity plot shown on Figure 11-10.
Figure 11-11
Main Index
Sensitivity Plot of Spotweld at Worst Element


A simple CWELD element model is used to demonstrate the procedure. The model consists of 2
Channels and a middle sheet Spot welded at the location indicated by the arrow. The three sections are
connected by 2 CWELDs using the GRIDID option, with each CWELD connecting a Channel section
and the middle sheet. One channel section is loaded with 25N loads in the X, Y & Z directions while the
legs of the other channel are clamped at the edges.
The 3 sheet connection used in this and the next exercise will be useful in the discussion on three sheet
calculations.
Figure 11-12
Note:
CWELD Model
Currently, only CWELD configurations which provide IDs for GA and GB work properly
in MSC Fatigue. If GA and GB are not given, the resultant forces and moments from the
element center are mistakenly used for computing stresses in the upper and lower sheets
during the fatigue analysis.
Objective
To illustrate Spot Weld fatigue analysis with CWELDS
Reading CWELD results from the MSC Fatigue or Fatigue Utilities menu
To illustrate the auto spot weld group creation on the Materials form
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Files Required
Table 11-3 Files required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spot_cweld.bdf
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spot_cweld.op2
Copy the above files in a clean working directory.

2. Enter cweld for the File name

database.
4. Click OK
6. Click OK
Import the Model

To start the analysis we need to import the MSC Nastran input file first.
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3. Select Spot_cweld.bdf for File Name
4. Click Apply to import the model
5. Inspect the MSC Nastran Input File Import Summary and click OK
Access Results

4. Select spot_cweld.op2
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Set up the Spot Weld Analysis

Note: Results Loc.: Both Results Loc. is automatically set to Both. Since we are working with CBAR
elements, both the element numbers and the node IDs associated with the
elements are necessary. Fatigue calculations will occur at the two end nodes
and the element centroid (or weld nugget).
Nodal Ave.: GlobalThis setting does not have any bearing on a spot weld analysis.
F.E. Results: Force Forces and moments will be extracted from the database as opposed to
Units are now in forces and moments, and not stresses. The default is Newtons and millimeters.
4. Enter spotweld_cweld_dtlib for Jobname
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5. Enter Spot Weld Modeled as CWELDS for Title
General Parameters
solutions. Accept all the defaults on this form.
Solution Parameters
in this case the Spot Weld analysis. The new options/functionalities added on the solution parameter form
are described below:
This parameter has been discussed in detail in previous exercises. It is the association with the
scatter of the S-N curve. For our example problem simply accept the default of 50%.
Create Cweld Groups

Just like in the previous exercise, we have to create a group that represents the CWELD Spot welds.
Main Index


2. Enter cwelds for New Group Name
3. Click FEM entity in the Picking Filters bar
4. Click Connectors
5. Using the mouse, select the entire model in the viewport

The Entity Selection box is filled with element numbers.
6. Click Apply to create the group and then click Cancel to close the Group form
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Loading Information
One at a time, load the three files horizontal.asc, vertical.asc, and torque.asc into the load history
database. You should have a copy of these files in your current working directory, as mentioned in
previous steps.
Note:
Main Index
an entry and then select the option ASCII convert + Load which is the equivalent of
selecting ASCII convert + Load on the shown form.

4. Enter Horizontal.asc for ASCII Filename

5. Enter Horizontal for Time History and click OK to continue
6. Enter Horizontal force for Description1
7. Verify that Load Type | Units are set to Force | Newtons
8. Accept all other defaults on this form and click OK
Note:
Load Case ID
3. Check Select All Results Cases, and click OK
The list box on the left is filled with the only result load case that exists.
4. Select the only load case available under Select a Result Load Case
5. Select Weld Forces, Rotational, or Weld Force Translational
Both must exist but only one needs to be selected. You can select either Weld Forces, Rotational,
or Weld Force Translational and the results should be the same. The cell you selected under the
Load Case ID label is automatically filled for you and the focus transfers to the cell next to it,
under Time History label.
Note:
Main Index

Time History
below the main spreadsheet. The cell under Load Magnitude is now active.
Load Magnitude
7. Input 999 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses and press Enter
Normalize the loading history by specifying the maximum value of 999 in the load magnitude
cell. Note that you need to press Enter to accept the new value.
Main Index

3. Select CWELD for Element Type
4. Check Create Sub-groups
5. Select the group cweld under Select a Group
This is the group you just created for this analysis.
6. Click Fill Cell

The Material Info... form cells will load up automatically with 2 groups. Each group of spot welds
connects a different pair of flange thicknesses, determined from the properties in Model input file.
From the form it can be seen that 2 CWELDS groups are created connecting a thickness pair of
(1.2,0.6) and (0.6,1.2) mm respectively. These are based on the orientation of the CWELD
defined in the input deck. The diameters are also filled in automatically and are calculated values
based on the flange thicknesses.
7. Click the cell under Diam
The diameters are calculated from the flange sheet thicknesses from an internal table in the
software and are based on mm units. Users may define their look up table in a Spotweld.sys ascii
file and place the file in the run directory.
8. Enter 5.4839 for Diameter Value
For this exercise, change the diameters of both groups to 5.4839 mm. The reason for this will be
evident in the next exercise.
9. Press Enter to accept the new diameter value into the spreadsheet
Main Index

10. Repeat steps 7 to 9 for the second group cweld2 and change the diameter value to 5.4839

3. Click Apply
Main Index

4. Pull down Action to Monitor Job and click Apply

When the message ...fatigue job complete appears, the analysis is complete
Note:
5. Click Cancel to close Job Control form


Note:
window:
4. Click Cancel to close Fatigue Results... form

There are several ways to view the results files associated to this analysis. The jobname.fef
(spotweld_cweld_dtlib.fef) file is the normal result file, and the jobname.csv (spotweld_cweld_dtlib.csv)
file stores the results in a tabular format. You can open this file with Microsoft Excel and check the
results. Besides these, MSC Fatigue also creates a number of other files during an analysis.
Main Index


The final task of this exercise is to use the same Cweld model and run it with the Classic solver. Step by

Analysis
Spot Weld
Results Loc.
Both
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Force
Res.Units
N,mm
Jobname
spotweld_cweld_classic
Title
Spot Weld Modeled as Cwelds using Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
50.0
Loading Information
Load Case ID:
3.1-5.1-
Time History:
HORIZONTAL.DAC
Load Magnitude:
999
Main Index
Group:
cwelds
Diam:
5.4839
S-N (nug):
Spot; generic Nugget
S-N (sh1):
Spot; generic Sheet
T (sh1):
1.2
S-N (sh2):
spot_sheet_generic
T (sh2):
0.6


2. Enter spotweld_cweld_classic for Jobname
3. Enter Spot Weld Modeled as CEWELDS using Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Loading Info... and Material Info... forms as is. No changes are necessary
on these forms.

submitted. Use the Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis.
View the Results

When the job is complete, read the results into the database. You can also use List Results.... This is a
simple utility to give you a tabular listing of results:
1. Pull down Action to List Results on the main MSC Fatigue form
This will run the SPOTW module.
2. Click Apply
3. Click OK to accept cweld for Results Filename
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4. Inspect the SPOTW result summary form

The minimum life of 3.19E12 repeats is reported in the middle sheet (0.6 mm thickness), as
expected.
5. Click More to see more detailed results
6. Click End to close SPOTW

For more complex models, Users may want to read the results into the Patran database and display results
using marker plots as per the previous exercise.
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This modeling technique utilizes HEX elements to model the spot weld where the weld is connected to
the flanges by MPCs. MSC Nastran Grid Point Force (GPFORCE) results must be recovered on the
HEX8 nodes for MSC Fatigue to extract Spotweld forces and moments for analysis.
The same model from the previous exercise is used with the CWELD connections replaced by
CHEX/MPC connections. The model plot is shown below:
Figure 11-13
CHEX/MPC Model
Objective
To illustrate Spot Weld fatigue analysis with CHEX/MPC
Converting CHEX/MPC results to equivalent BAR results
To illustrate the auto spot weld group creation on the Materials form
Displaying Analysis results on the CHEX Spotwelds
Table 11-4 Files Required

Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spot_chex.bdf
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spot_chex.op2
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2. Enter chex for the File name

database.
4. Click OK
6. Click OK
Import the Model

In order to start the analysis we need to import the MSC Nastran input file first.

3. Select spot_chex.bdf for File Name
4. Click OK to import the model
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Access Results

4. Select spot_chex.op2

Note: Results Loc.: Both
Results Loc. is automatically set to Both. Since we are working with CBAR
elements, both the element numbers and the node IDs associated with the
elements are necessary. Fatigue calculations will occur at the two end nodes
and the element centroid (or weld nugget).
Nodal Ave.: Global This setting does not have any bearing on a spot weld analysis.
F.E. Results: Force Forces and moments will be extracted from the database as opposed to
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Units are now in forces and moments, and not stresses. The default is Newtons and millimeters.
4. Enter spotweld_chex _dtlib for Jobname
5. Enter Spot Weld Modeled as CHEX/MPC for Title
General Parameters
solutions. Accept all the defaults on this form.
Solution Parameters
in this case the Spot Weld (cweld) analysis.
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Convert CHEX/MPC to Equivalent BARs

1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > HEX to BAR Results
2. Pull down Select to All Hex8 SW

The are two options available. If All HEX8 SW is selected, then all HEX8 elements that are
attached to MPCs will be grouped and processed. The second option, Hex8, allows the User to
specify the HEX elements that are to be processed as Spotwelds. A warning message is issued if
the HEX elements selected do not have any MPCs associated with them.
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3. Select the only result case available

Note:
Only the element GPFORCE results belonging to the selected results case will be used.
4. Click Options...
The Options activates another form, for accessing additional utilities. A new primary results name
can be specified to distinguish the extracted Spotweld forces. This is useful for assigning names
for results from multiple loadcases. Since we only have a single loadcase, we will accept the
assigned name.
5. Verify that Create Moments for Check is unchecked
For this exercise, we will not create moments for check but the User may exercise this option
independently. The Create Moments for Check option when selected generates nodal moments
that can be used for visualization and checking purposes. The Spot weld elements are placed in
List A, that can be viewed and processed from Tools > List > Create...
The tolerance is used to check equilibrium of the forces in the Spot Weld.
6. Click Close on the Options form

Only the element GPFORCE results belonging to the selected results case will be used.
7. Click Apply on the Job Control form
8. Click Cancel to close the HEX to BAR Results form
Element forces and moments of the selected spot weld elements are calculated. The results for the
selected result case will be named:
'Spot Weld Forces, Rotational'
'Spot Weld Forces, Translational'
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Loading Information
You should have a copy of the horizontal.dac file in your current working directory, as mentioned
previously.
Note:
an entry and then select the option ASCII convert + Load which is the equivalent of
selecting ASCII convert + Load on the shown form.
4. Enter Horizontal.asc for ASCII Filename
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5. Enter Horizontal for Time History

7. Enter Horizontal load for Description1
8. Verify that Load Type | Units are set to Force | Newtons
9. Accept all other defaults on this form and click OK
Note:
Load Case ID
3. Check Select All Results Cases, and click OK
This will fill the list box on the left with the only result load case that exists. Select this load case
under Select a Result Load Case.
4. Select 5.1-Spot Weld Forces, Rotational or 5.2-Spot Weld Forces, Translational
Both must exist but only one needs to be selected. You can pick either and the results should be
the same. The cell you selected under the Load Case ID label is automatically filled for you and
the focus transfers to the cell next to it, under Time History label.
Note:
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Time History
below the main spreadsheet. The cell under Load Magnitude is now active.
Load Magnitude
6. Enter 999 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses and press Enter
Normalize the loading history by specifying the maximum value of 999 in the load magnitude
cell. Note that you need to press Enter to accept the new value into the spreadsheet.
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1. Click Material Info... on the main MSC Fatigue form
3. Select Hex for Element Type
4. Click Fill Cell
Note:
The same number of Spot Weld groups are created as per the previous exercise. The flange
thickness associations are also the same. The only difference is that the diameters of the Spot
weld nuggets are calculated from the volumes of the HEXA elements instead of through
derivation from the flange sheet thicknesses. We will use this diameter for results comparison
with the previous exercise.
The default nugget/sheet materials for DTLib solver should be Spot; Generic Nugget and Spot Generic
Sheet. Follow the steps below to change these settings:
1. Click the cell under S-N (nug)
2. Scroll down the listbox and select Spot;Generic Nugget under Select a Material
The cell under S-N(sh1) is now activated.
3. Select Spot; Generic Sheet under Select a Material
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4. Click the cell under S-N (sh2)

5. Select Spot; Generic Sheet under Select a Material
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 but this time change the parameters in the second row for Group 2

At this point, it is worth examining the Groups that have been created:
2. Verify that SPOTWELDS and SW_PSXX_PSYY groups are present

Notice that there are 2 groups: SPOTWELDS and Groups labeled SW_PSXX_PSYY. The
SPOTWELDS contains all the extracted Spot Weld CHEX elements. The SW_PSXX_PSYY are
the equivalent CBARS that and are located between the first and fifth node of each CHEX
element, where PSXX and PSYY are the PSHELL identifiers for the flanges the Spot Weld
connects to.
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2. Pull down Action to Full Analysis and click Apply
3. Pull down Action to Monitor Job and click Apply

Note:

There are several ways to view the results files associated to this analysis. The jobname.fef
(spotweld_chex_dtlib.fef) file is the normal result file, and the jobname.csv (spotweld_chex_dtlib.csv) file
stores the results in a tabular format. You can open this file with Microsoft Excel and check the results.
Besides these, MSC Fatigue also creates a number of other files during an analysis.
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The final task of this exercise is to use the same Cweld model and run it with the Classic solver. Step by

Analysis
Spot Weld
Results Loc.
Both
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Force
Res.Units
N,mm
Jobname
spotweld_chex_classic
Title
Spot Weld Modeled as CHEX/MPC using Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
50.0
Loading Information
Load Case ID:
3.2-5.1-
Time History:
HORIZONTAL.DAC
Load Magnitude:
999
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Group:
cwelds
Diam:
5.4839
S-N (nug):
spot_nugget_generic
S-N (sh1):
spot_sheet_generic
T (sh1):
1.2
S-N (sh2):
spot_sheet_generic
T (sh2):
0.6


2. Enter spotweld_chex_classic for Jobname
3. Enter Spot Weld Modeled as CHEX/MPC using Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
3. Select Hex for Element Type
4. Click Fill Cell
Note:
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The default nugget/sheet materials for Classic solver is set to spot_nugget_generic and
spot_sheet_generic and should not be changed.


submitted. Use the Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis.
View the Results

When the job is complete, read the results into the database. You can also use List Results.... This is a
simple utility to give you a tabular listing of results:
1. Pull down Action to List Results on the main MSC Fatigue form
This will run the SPOTW module.
2. Click Apply
3. Click OK to accept spotweld_chex_classic for Results Filename
4. Inspect the SPOTW result summary form
The minimum life of 6149 repeats is reported in the middle sheet (0.6 mm thickness), as expected.
5. Click More to see more detailed results
6. Click End to close SPOTW

Note:
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Apart from the damage angle, the results are identical to the previous exercise. The damage
angle, is correct in both cases as it is relative to the definition of the orientation of the weld.

Additional Postprocessing for CHEX/MPC Spot Welds

An additional postprocessing menu, apart from the regular postprocessing tools used in the previous
exercises, is available that allows display of results on the faces on the Spot Weld Hex8 elements. Users
are encouraged to exercise this menu on their own by importing the results into the database and posting
the Spotweld group to the display.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC. Fatigue > Post Processing Hex8 Spotwelds
2. Select the Jobname.fef under Select Result Case

3. Select the desired Result Type
4. Click Apply to display the results on the posted group and then click Cancel to close the form
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Three Sheet Calculations

As is the case above, you may find the necessity of analyzing spot welds that connect three sheets. In
general, joints with three or more sheets spot welded together are more difficult to make efficiently and
are undesirable from a durability point. They should be avoided as much as possible in design.
Sometimes they may be unavoidable, or alternative designs may be uneconomic.
As demonstrated in this chapter, there is no reason why cases where three sheets are spot welded together
are analyzed by treating them as two separate welds, as demonstrated above. However, the analysis
methods currently used are not validated for these cases. This problem is the subject of current research
and until a validated solution has been found, a temporary fix called a 3 sheet correction has been
provided.
In the example problems used above, the lowest life is on the middle sheet (in this case it is logical since
the loads are the same on all sheets and the middle sheet has the lower thickness) but generally for 3 sheet
connections with all parameters being equal (sheet thicknesses and loads) failures are predicted in the
middle sheet, which rarely occur in practice. For this reason, a simple fix has been implemented. We will
use the results from our last exercise to demonstrate this fix as the results from a 3 sheet connection are
always required before this can be used.
2. Pull down Action to Interactive
3. Click Apply
4. Double-click 3 sheet correction option on the SPOTW
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5. Click OK to accept chex.spt for Results Filename

The jobname.spt result file just created will detect three sheet spot welds in the .spt file and will
create a new jobname.fef results file in which failure at the middle sheet (the common node
between the two spot welds) is ignored. The worst result for the remaining calculation points is
written to both spot weld elements in the resulting .fef file. The figures below show the results of
the 3 sheet connection correction.
6. Click More
7. Click End
This option makes postprocessing the results easier by eliminating spurious predicted failures at the
middle sheet. Note however, that if the middle sheet really would fail (as we have noted above that the
life predicted on the middle sheet is indeed correct as it has the lowest thickness), this will not be
predicted either! However this does not appear to happen much in practice.
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
The spot weld module is robust, easy to use, and is an integrated part of MSC Fatigue. It finds all the spot
welds that cause problems. The method is generally applicable and handles multiaxial loadings. Spot
weld duty cycle analysis enables you to go one step further and access damage from multiple sequences
and events.
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Concluding Remarks
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Chapter 12: Seam Weld Analysis

12
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Seam Weld Analysis
Problem Description
482
Concluding Remarks
484
485
489
498
499
505
513
522
504

Problem Description
Problem Description
SEAMW is a specialized MSC Fatigue module for predicting the fatigue life of seam welded thin sheet
structures. The solver only considers the weld area which is extracted automatically and the whole model
need not be analyzed, hence provides accurate results in speedy manner.
This example will demonstrate the Seam Weld Analysis with DTLib in MSC Fatigue. The tubes are
welded as shown and a point load of 394N is applied to the top of the upper tube.
Figure 12-1
Seam Weld Model
The structure is meshed predominantly with CQUAD4 elements representing the midplanes of the
metal sheets.
The weld bead is represented by a single row of shells and the mesh around the weld is regular with
elements of around 5mm. The elements top surface is facing the welder. The formulation for the seam
weld solver requires this particular element orientation.
Objective
To define weld, toe, and root regions of weld as distinct from overall structure.
To estimate fatigue life of weld using stresses from the toe and root.
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Chapter 12: Seam Weld Analysis 483

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 12-1
Files Required
File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/master_teetube_oriented.bdf
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/master_teetube_b.op2
Start Patran
On Windows, double click on the Patran icon on the desktop or from the Start menu in the lower
left corner of the desktop

Note:
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(Or pull down File > New)
2. Enter seam_weld for the File name

database.
4. Click OK
5. Pull down Analysis Code as MSC Nastran
6. Click OK
Import the model

In order to start the analysis, we need to import the MSC.Nastran input file first.
2. Pull down Source to MSC. Nastran Input

3. Select master_teetube_oriented.bdf
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Access Results

4. Select master_teetube_b.op2 output file
Note:
This op2 file contains the results from a MSC Nastran run using the STRESS(cubic) case
control command that extrapolates element centroidal results to the nodes using a cubic
extrapolation function and PARAM, SNORM, 22.5 which generates shell normals to improve
the accuracy of results in curved shells. Refer the MSC Nastran Users Guides for more
information on these commands.

In order to carry out the fatigue analysis of the weld, we need to create two groups, one containing the
weld elements and the other containing the plate elements. To demonstrate the unique group extraction
capability of this module, we will only create the weld group and use the default group for the plate group.
First, lets create a group containing the weld elements.
2. Enter weld for New Group Name
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3. Enter Elm 1422:1477 for Entity Selection
4. Click Apply
Note that the group will be highlighted in the plot :
Figure 12-2
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Highlighted Weld Group


(Or on the Results form, pull down Action | Object to Create | Quick Plot).

4. Pull down Quantity to Maximum Principal
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Figure 12-3
Max Principal Stress Results
The second loadcase is identical to the first case except that the load is applied in the opposite direction.
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Fatigue Solver Preference
The option to use the DTLib-based fatigue solver is controlled with the Patran environment variable
FAT_USE_DTLIB. This is set through the MSC Fatigue interface. This exercise is based on this solver.
1. Pull down Tools>MSC Fatigue>Preferences...
2. Pull down DTLib-based Job Setup to YES

3. Click Apply

1. Under the Durability tab, click Seam Welds in the Advanced Fatigue group
(Or pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Main Interface... -see above picture of the pull down
menu- to invoke the main MSC Fatigue form and pull down Analysis to SEAM_weld).
2. Pull down Results Loc. to Element

The fatigue lives will be determined at the element centroid of the model.
3. Enter seamweld_toe for Jobname
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4. Enter Seam Weld Analysis Example for Title
The result locations are at nodes, averaging is performed using the elements except the weld elements
connected to an analysis node. Only FE nodal stress results are permitted.
Note: Analysis:
SEAM_weld
Results Loc.: Both

Nodal Ave.: Global
Res. Units :
MPa
Model dimensions are millimeters and forces are in Newtons,

therefore stress units are MPa.
Solution Parameters
fatigue solutions. Accept all the defaults on this form. The new options added on the Generic Solution
Parameters form for seam weld analysis are described below:
Number of Processors: The number of simultaneous analysis threads to use for this run. This
allows a job to be spread over a number of processors and can decrease the elapsed time of the
job. The number of threads can be an integer value between 1 to 10. The default value is 1.
Log File Detail: Defines the level of details in the dtfat log file. The options are: LOW,
MEDIUM, and HIGH. The default value is LOW.
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Output Max/Min: Determines whether to output max and min. cycle stresses at each calculation
entity.
Time History Compression: Determines how to compress the input time history data, for the
purposes of speeding up the calculation, possibly at the loss of accuracy of result. It is

particularly useful when running jobs to locate high-damage locations. This option should be
used with caution, since not all loading cycles are used in the calculation. The options are
NONE, PEAKVALLEY, and LIMITS.
Gate Units: The units for setting the Gate property, used if Time History Compression is set to
PEAKVALLEY.
Gate: The gate value is used when the Time History Compression is set to PEAKVALLEY.
in this case the Seam Weld analysis.
1. Click Solution Params..., on the main MSC Fatigue form.
The new option added on the Solution Parameters form for seam weld analysis is described below:
Overall Scale Factor: Overall Scale Factor is a scale factor on stress. This can be used
effectively to include some safety factor on the design. Note that this scale factor is applied in a
global sense over the entire analysis domain.
Thickness Correction: This option is available only for the DTLib-based solution. Further, it is
only available for the Fatigue Preference FE Results Access = Direct Access. The Thickness
Correction option can be selected via the Seam Weld Solution Parameters form.
A thickness (size effect) correction may be applied, based on the thickness t of each element.
This works as follows:
If t = Tref (the reference thickness or threshold), there is no effect.
If t > Tref the fatigue strength is reduced at all lifetimes by a factor
thickness exponent. (We use the factor to increase the stress.)
, where n is the
The reference thickness, Tref, should be specified in the fatigue material properties. The default
value is 1.0.
Loading Information
Load Case ID
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Clicking this cell will activate Result Parameters. This is where you specify the FE analysis
results that you will use in the fatigue analysis.
This will fill the list box on the left with the only result load case that exists.
5. Click OK
6. Select the first load case under Select a Result Load Case
result case. If more than one tensor result exists, you will have to select it. However, when only
one exists, it is automatically selected for you by you picking the results case. The cell you
selected under the Load Case ID label is automatically filled for you and the focus transfers to the
cell next to it under the Time History label.
Note:
Either load case can be picked and the final results should be the same.
Note:
Time History:
7. Scroll down and select the SINE01.DAC row to fill the Time History cell
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(with one row) appears at the bottom of the form from which you select the previously created
time history file. All time histories created using PTIME appear in this spreadsheet when the Time
History Cell is selected. When one is selected, the focus will switch to the adjacent Load
Magnitude cell.
Note:
Load Magnitude:
8. Accept the default value 1.0 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses
A ij ,FEA
ij ( t ) = P ( t ) ------------------------+C
B
where,
Put) is the load as a variation of time
ij ,FEA
is the stress from the finite element analysis

C is the Offset
If the stress results are to be used as-is , then Load Magnitude and Scale Factor should be set to unity
and the Offset to zero. Thus the time history will oscillate between its own maximum and minimum. To
scale the stress by 10 times, use a time history that oscillates between +/-1, and a Scale Factor of 10.0.
The Load Magnitude is normally used to normalize the stress results to simulate a unit load. The Load
Magnitude can also be used to convert the stress values form one set of units to another. It is up to the
user to be certain that the proper combination of FE stress results, Time History, Load Magnitude, Scale
Factor and Offset are set.
This form is used to create the seam weld analysis groups and select the fatigue properties of the weld
material. The fatigue analysis can be carried out at the toe, root, or throat of the weld using the nodal
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stresses. You need to enter the weld group, the plate group (or the default group), and the weld location.
The software creates a group of the shared nodes between these.
Create a Seam weld group
We are creating a a weld group of nodes at toe in this example, but you can also select root or throat. The
seam weld analysis of throat group is only useful for the laser-type welds.
1. Under the MSC Fatigue tab, click Materials Info... to open SEAM-Weld Materials Information
3. Select default_group for Plate Group and weld for Weld Group
Hint:
Select the appropriate values from the Groups in Model box and then click respective
Select Group button for defining Plate and Weld groups.
4. Pull down Weld Type to FILLET

5. Pull down Weld Location to TOE
6. Check Create Node List
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7. Enter toe for Group Name
8. Click Apply
A warning message about the contribution from triangular elements that end up in the created
group is displayed. Ignore this message. A new group called MW_toe will be created.
Note:
Since, the Create Node List checked, you can now create a node list for plotting various results
by clicking in the Node list text box and then selecting nodes from the display of the
MW_group (e.g., 1025, 139, 1040, 135, 1041, 142, 1038, 132, 1039, 148, 1042, 144, 999, 151,
995). The result plotted is in the order in which the nodes are selected, i.e. the x-axis is the node
list. Selecting Create Node List creates a node list file and the list may be reversed by clicking
on the reverse node list . Click Cancel to return to the Materials Info... form.
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Internally, MSC Fatigue appends MW_ to the beginning of the newly created group name. A new group
containing the nodes and elements along the weld_toe is now posted in the display window as shown.
Note that only the toe elements are extracted which is the unique feature of this module. The new group
should be automatically posted to the viewport and look like the diagram below. If not, you can post it as
follows:
2. Select MW_toe from Select Groups to Post
3. Click Apply
The new group is stored in the database with a MW_groupname. Note that groupname cannot have any
spaces, either leading, trailing or anywhere in between. There is no limit on the number of
MW_groupname groups that may be created and analysis is performed and results are reported on the
MW_groupname groups. If a MW_groupname group exists in the database the group cell in the main
form gets populated automatically.
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The following values will be filled automatically in the remaining cells of the Materials Information
form:
SN Flexible_Stiff: seam_steel
Multiplier: 1.0
Offset: 0.0
Type: FILLET
Location: TOE
If required, the type and location of the weld that was set on Seam-weld Groups form can be modified
here on Materials Information form.
4. Accept the values as is for the current exercise and click OK to close the form
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1. Under the MSC Fatigue tab, click Job Control...
3. Click Apply
5. Click Apply
Note:
6. Click Cancel when done
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1. Under the MSC Fatigue tab, click Import Fatigue Results...
On the Fatigue Results form, the fer/NEF toggle is added; the default toggle setting is FALSE.
For DTLib-based solutions, the default is to import the fer file rather than fef file; this has two
effects:
Shell element results now are imported as a single Results Case, rather than for for _Top and
_Bottom; separate layers are created for layered results

Duty Cycle results now contain Event results; a separate Results Case is created for each
Event, with the Results case name formed as: "FER Export_jobname_eventname", as well as
a Results Case for the entire duty cycle named as "FER Export_jobname_ALL"
3. Click Apply Click Apply to import the fatigue results
Note:
window:
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1. Click the Results tab and pull down Action | Object | Method to Create | Marker | Scalar
2. Select FEF Export, seamweld_toefef for Select Result Cases

originated from an MSC Fatigue output file named simple_sn.fef.
3. Select Log life, Repeats for Select Scalar Result

5. Enter 0.03 for Scale Factor and pull down Scalar Style to Sphere
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7. click the Apply to view the model
Figure 12-4
Stress Results, Marker Plot
Follow these steps if you get a different contour spectrum than the one shown in Figure 12-4
2. Click Spectrum
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immediately.

5. Click Apply on the Results form
Tabular Listing
Two result files are created by a fatigue analysis: 1) a jobname.fef file which is the normal result file and
2) a jobname.csv file that stores the results in tabular format. You can open this file with Microsoft Excel
and check the results.
Besides these, MSC Fatigue also creates a number of other files during an analysis. For more information
about these files, see: MSC Fatigue Output Files.
Note:
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The material properties and models have been improved in the new MSC Fatigue. Hence,
the analysis results may not match with that of the previous versions and caution is advised
while comparing the results.

The process of seam weld analysis of the root and throat subgroups is identical to that of the toe group.
Only you need to pull down the Weld Location to ROOT or THROAT in place of TOE on the Create
Seam-weld Group form. Note that throat is useful only for laser-type of welds.
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MSC Fatigue previously only allowed the user to analyze a single weld location and type in any given
analysis. This new feature contains logic to automatically locate all pertinent weld regions, based on weld
type. It also allows more than a single weld to be analyzed in a single run. In order to perform the Multiregion analysis, the FE Results Access option in the Fatigue Preferences must be set to Direct Access. To
opt back to the single weld region-at-a-time mode, set the FE Results Access Preference option to fes file.
The tee-tube model features a fillet weld with a single row of weld elements. The configuration has a toe
region and a root region, which can both be detected automatically. The following steps outline how to
set up the multi-region seam weld analysis.
1. Ensure the FE Results Access option in the Fatigue Preferences is set to Direct Access
2. Open the Material Info Form, and note the Weld Location drop-down menu is no longer visible
since all applicable weld locations are automatically detected and available for analysis
3. Set the Weld Type to Fillet
4. Select the Plate and Weld groups
5. Set the Group Name as seamweld
6. Click Apply
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The Material Info form spreadsheet automatically is populated with the weld toe and root regions, as
shown below. Note the weld location is appended to the group name, and the appropriate Location is set
in the spreadsheet.
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The weld groups created are as shown in the following figures. The toe elements are shown in green, and
the root elements shown in gold.
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Figure 12-5
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Nodes and elements in the toe region group

Figure 12-6
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Elements and nodes in the root region group

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Figure 12-7
Root region damage, no thickness correction
Figure 12-8
Toe region damage, no thickness correction


The final task of this exercise is to run the same simple Seam-weld analyses using the Classic solver. Step
by step instructions are not given here. Only the parameters that need to be set on each form are given. It
is left to the reader to exercise these as desired.
Set the Fatigue Solver Preference

1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Preferences...
2. Pull down DTLib-based Job Setup to No
This will ensure that the Classic fatigue solver is used. If the main MSC Fatigue form is not open,
open it now.
3. Click Apply
Seam Weld Analysis

Analysis
SEAM_weld
Results Loc.
Both
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Stress
Res.Units
MPa
Jobname
seam_weld
Title
Seam Weld Example - Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
Mean Stress Correction:
OFF
50.0
Loading Information
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Load Case ID:
2.1-1.1-
Time History:
SINE01.DAC
Load Magnitude:
1.0

Loading Information
Scale Factor:
0.5
Offset:
0.0
SN Flexible:
SEAM_STEEL_FLEX
SN Stiff:
SEAM_STEEL_STIFF
Flex Ratio:
0.5
M1/M2 Ratio:
2.5
Multiplier:
1.0
Offset:
0.0
Multiplier:
1.0
Offset:
0.0
Solution Params...
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is, except for the following:
1. Pull Down Mean Stress Correction to OFF
Mean Stress correction that is based on the Haigh Diagram, can be set ON or OFF. For this
example we will turn it OFF.
Loading Info...
Leave all the parameters on the Loading Info... form as set from the previous analysis with DTLib
solver, except for the following:
3. Click the cell under Scale Factor and enter 0.5
4. Press Enter to input the new value
Run the Analysis
Open the Job Control... form and submit the analysis. Use the Monitor Job command to check the status
of the analysis. You need to click Apply each tine to see the message job excecution has ended .
When the job is complete, click Import Fatigue Results... to open the Results
Pull down Action to Read Results and click Apply
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View Fatigue Results

The Insight application will be used to plot the results of the seam weld model.
1. Under the Results tab click Insight in the Insight group
A new graphical window will open and the Insight application will appear.
2. Verify that Action is set to Create

3. Pull down Tool to Marker
4. Click Results Selection...
5. Select Seam Weld Analysis, seamweld_classicfef under Current Load Case
6. Click Update Results and select Log of Life (Repeats) under Marker Result
7. Click Result Options
8. Click OK to accept all the defaults on this formClick Marker Attributes...

9. Pull down Type Sphere to Screen
10. Pull down Scale to Screen
12. Click OK to close the Marker Attributes form
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13. Pull down Target to Elements

14. Click the Apply to view the marker plot
Using color mapped markers, you can easily and quickly identify the critical spot welds in the model:
Figure 12-9
Seamweld Marker Plot Using Insight Application
To experiment with the marker plot you can change any setting you wish such as the marker type, the
scale factor, and the color mapping. You can also try plotting some of the other results.
15. Pull down Action | Object to Modify | Marker
16. Select the marker plot you just made (the default name is Marker_1)
17. Apply any desired changes
18. Click Insight when finished to return to the standard graphics screen
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Listing the Fatigue Results

1. Under the MSC Fatigue tab click Import Fatigue Results...
2. Pull down Action to List results and click Apply
3. Select seamweld_classic for Jobname and click OK

This brings up the PFPOST form that allows the user to filter the results listing. In this example,
nodes with Damage>0 have been requested.
4. Verify that Filter on is set to Damage
5. Select On for Notebook Output, and click OK
6. Double click Most damaged nodes (or the desired option) in the PFPOST
The worst damage occurs at node 87 with 5.856E6 repeats to failure.
7. Click OK to exit from the results listing program and then double-click eXit to close PFPOST
To plot the listed results using the Interactive menu of the solver (MFATFE), follow the instructions:
1. Under the MSC Fatigue tab click Job Control...
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2. Pull down Action to Interactive

3. Click Apply
The MFATFE menu is displayed.
4. Select seamweld_classic for Input Fatigue Filename
5. Click OK
6. Double click Utilities
7. Double click Node/ Element options

8. Click OK to accept seam_weld_classic.fef Result Filename
9. Select Worst case for Selection method
10. Click OK
11. Select Time History Extraction in MFATFE
The software then reads the list and extracts the required values from the FEF file and creates five
DAC files for plotting results in MQLD.
12. Click OK
13. Select Return and then click OK to get back to the MFATFE- Utilities form
14. Double click return to Main menu and then
15. Double click eXit in MFATFE-Fatigue Analyser
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16. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Quick Look display(mqld...)
The five DAC files created by MFATFE, plot five different graphs in MQLD, which are Ratio,
Bottom Stress, Top Stress, Bending Stress, and Axial Stress.
17. Pull down File > Open and select the desired file for seamweld_classic_87 to view each plot as
shown below:
Ratio
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Bottom stress
Top Stress
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Bending Stress
Axial Stress
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
The seam weld module is a powerful tool for the fatigue analysis of continuously welded thin
sheetstructure. The analysis group extraction functionality inos extremely useful as it removes the burden
on the analyst on having to create weld groups on the toe side of the weld.
Predictions using the generic material properties will in general be conservative, but users may modify
the properties or create their own.
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Chapter 13: Rotating Structures

13
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Rotating Structures
Problem Description
524
Concluding Remarks
530
537
538
547
526

Problem Description
Problem Description
This simple example is used to demonstrate the Wheels module in MSC Fatigue. To aid in quick
familiarity with this module .op2 files for Windows and Unix platforms are included for the model shown
below.
Figure 13-1
Hollow Cylindrical Model
The model is an 80 in (L) by 20in (R) hollow cylindrical modeled with cquad4 elements (t=0.01in.)
meshed using a 10 in. by 10 degree increment mesh. The tube is clamped at each end and point loads of
0.5 lb. have been applied at 10-degree increments in separate subcases on the peripheral nodes. The
reason for the application of the load of this magnitude is due to the fact that the wheels module, treats
the output stresses in KSI units and any significant stresses in the plates will lead to erroneous
interpretation of reported lives.
Objectives
To illustrate Wheels/Rotating Structures module in MSC Fatigue.
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Chapter 13: Rotating Structures 525

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 13-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/cylinder_model.op2
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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2. Enter qsg_demo for the File name

database.
4. Click OK
5. Select Based on Model for Tolerance
6. Enter 80 under Model Dimension
8. Verify that Analysis Type is set Structural
9. Click OK
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4. Select cylinder _model.op2 output file and click OK

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2. Select Default, Static Subcase under Select Result Cases

4. Pull down Quantity to Max Principal 2D
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Figure 13-2
Note:
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Hollow Cylindrical Model Stress Results
The figure above shows the results for the first Result case. If you were to select the first nine
subcases using the same Fringe Result and Quantity value, you would see an 80-degree
Rotation of the load in 10-degree increments.


1. Under the Durability tab, click Wheel/Rotational in the Advanced Fatigue group
and pull down Analysis to Wheels).

Note:
This analysis requires stresses; you do not have a choice.
4. Pull down Res.Units to PSI

6. Enter qsg_demo for Jobname
7. Enter Rotating Structures for Title
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Solution Parameters
The Solution Params... form deals with parameters specific to the analysis at hand, in this case the
Wheels analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set (any not mentioned should remain set with
the defaults).
1. Under the Durability tab, click Wheel/Rotational in the Advanced Fatigue group
and pull down Analysis to Wheels).
2. Verify that Mean Stress Correction is set to Goodman

Accept the default Goodman mean stress correction method. Biaxiality analysis or the stress
combination methods are not available, since the Wheels module performs a critical plane S-N
analysis using surface resolved stresses at every surface node. Although this is not necessary for
this model, other models, in particular solid element models, will require stresses to be surface
resolved. The option to generate surface normals is available from the job control menu.
3. Verify that Surface Angle in Degrees is set to 10
The surface angle selects the increment at which the analysis will be performed. In this case
surface stresses will be resolved in 10-degree increments as well as the analysis.
4. Verify that Certainty of Survival is set to 50%
The certainty of survival is not selectable in this module the S-N curve is used without any
modifications.
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Loading Information
This form allows us to specify the loading environment.
2. Enter 1 for the Number of Loading Conditions
The default number of load conditions is 5 and for this module it is important to understand the
concept of a load condition.
3. Press Enter
You need to press Enter each time you want to input a new value into the spreadsheet.
The load condition represents a particular type of loading. The first load condition could be the set of
subcases for one revolution that define a straight roll, the second could be a set of subcases for one
revolution that define a turning condition, and similarly for the third, fourth and fifth load conditions. A
typical usage profile for a wheel is shown in Table 13-2:
Table 13-2
Sample Usage Profile for a Wheel Analysis
Loading Condition
Vertical Load (Ib)
Lateral Load (Ib)
Required Mileage
Straight Roll
11,300
42,500
15% Inboard Turn
11,300
1,700
3,250
15% Outboard Turn
11,300
-1,700
3,250
30% Inboard Turn
11,300
3,400
250
30% Outboard Turn
11,300
-3,400
250
In our example, 36 subcases (loads at 10 degree increments 360/10=36 subcases) constitute the first
and only load condition. Make sure to change the Number of Loading Conditions to 1. This means that
only one loading condition will need to be entered. The .op2 file contains the results for the 36 subcases
that will be used as the load condition.
Table 13-3 illustrates how the stress at every surface angle and rotational angle (this is merely the same
load applied in the next subcase at the node corresponding to a 10-degree rotation) is extracted and
damage computed for the load condition. The stress time history at an analysis node is a sequence of
stresses extracted from each subcase for every surface angle for each rotational increment (subcase).
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In the table below the stress time history for the analysis node for a surface angle is the column
associated with the surface angle. It is also worth noting that since the stress time histories are created
from the subcases there are no .dac files required for analysis.
Table 13-3
Stresses Computed for the Load Condition at Every Surface Angela

Surface angle
Rotational Angle = subcase #
10
20
350
360
0 (subcase 1)
1,10
1,20
1,350
1,360
10 (subcase 2)
2,10
2,2
2,350
2,360
20 (subcase 3)
3,10
3,2
3,350
3,360
30 (subcase 4)
4,10
4,2
4,350
4,360
...
...3
...
...
...
...
350(subcase 36)
36,1
36,2
36,350
36,360
Damage DL
D1,L
D2,L
...
D36,L
D36,L
The loading form allows user selectable units for reporting life. Here, approximately 500 repeats of the
loading is equivalent to 1 mile. Enter the respective quantities in the cells as shown in the Loading
Information form.
1. Click the cell under Loading Condition ID
Clicking this cell will update the form. This is where you specify the loading condition that you
will use in the fatigue analysis.
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3. Select Default, 36 subcases, under Select Result Case(s)

4. Click Filter
This will display all the subcases in the lower list box under Select Result Case(s). Here all the
subcases are lumped into one but it is possible to remove subcases, that appear in the lower
window, by picking the subcase and clicking Remove.
5. Click Add
Since, we are using all subcases, we will accept them by clicking Add.
6. Click Close to get back to the Loading Information form
This will fill the Select Loading Condition Results listbox on the Loading Information form.
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7. Select Default 1. (1:36)-1.1The Loading Condition ID cell will now be filled with the numbers 1.( 1:36 )-1.1-, which are
internal IDs necessary to identify the result case. The other list box to the right, lists the tensor
results that are available for the selected result case. If more than one tensor result exists, you have
to select it. However, when only one exists, it is automatically selected for you by picking the
results case. The cell under the Load Condition ID is automatically filled for you, and focus
transfers to the cell next to it under the Design Life (MILES).
8. Enter 1000 for Design Life in MILES

Since we previously set the life reporting units to miles, we will set the design life to 1000 miles.
The design life is the target distance and allows reporting a factor of safety on the calculated life.
9. Press Enter
10. Verify that Load Magnification Factor is set to 1
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3. Select 7075_HV_T6 under Select a Material
Once the material is selected, the adjacent cell is automatically activated.
This should be already set for you by default. You can select a different finish by changing the

7. Select default_group for Select a Group
spreadsheet. We will use the default_group which is a group of entities defined in the database. It
contains all the nodes and elements of the model. The selected group defines the area of the model
(the entire thing) to which this combination of material, finish, and treatment are to be assigned.
8. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to close the Material Info...
form
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3. Click Apply to run the analysis

When the message ...fatigue analysis completed successfully appears, the analysis is complete.
Note:
5. Click Apply
6. Click Cancel to close Job Control... form
Note:
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The Calculate Normals option is available. This would be used to generate surface normal
files for solid element models.


1. Click Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form

Note:
window:
imported, if your plot was still posted. Stress results are typically shown with red as the
high stress area. For fatigue lives, this is opposite. Using the fatigue_spectrum, the lowest

This analysis will create the usual fatigue result file qsg_demo.fef. This file contains the following items
Node
LC1 Angle angle of lowest life at the node for load condition 1
LC1 Damage worst damage at the node for load condition 1
LC1 Life life in equivalent units at the node for load condition 1
LC1 Log of Damage log of damage at the node for load condition 1
LC1 Log of Life log of life at the node for load condition 1
Log of Worst Damage For a single load condition, this is identical to (5). For multiple
conditions this is the log of the sum of damage from all load conditions.
Log of Worst Life Log of (11).
Worst Angle -- For a single load condition, this is identical to (2). For multiple conditions this is
the surface angle which has the highest accumulated damage from all load conditions.
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Worst Damage For a single load condition, this is identical to (3). For multiple conditions this
is the sum of damage from all load conditions.

Worst Life For a single load condition, this is factor of safety. For multiple conditions this is
sum of the factors of safety of each load condition.

2. Select Rotating Structures, qsg_demofef under Select Result Cases

Scroll down the list and select the indicated results case. The result case will be displayed as
Rotating Structures, qsg_demofef, indicating it is originated from an MSC Fatigue output file,
named Rotating Structures, qsg_demo.fef
3. Select LCI Log of Life, under Select Fringe Result
4. Click Apply to view fatigue results
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The fringe plots show the expected results and since the boundary conditions do not change and the
loading is identical for every subcase, the maximum and minimum principal stresses for every subcase
are identical. Consequently, we see progressive concentric circles of increasing life from the lowest in
the middle of the cylinder (area of maximum stress under the applied load) to highest in between the
constrained ends and the middle.
Figure 13-3
Note:
Quick Plot; LC1 Log of Life
Plots of the other items (from Select Fringe Results) are not shown here. The user may want
to exercise these other options and review their plots.
1. Click Fringe Attributes, on the Results form
2. Click Spectrum
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immediately.
Wheels Interactive Menu

1. Under the Durability tab, click Job Control..., on the main MSC Fatigue form

4. The FEROT main form appears.
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FEROT module has several options available; we will go over some of these options in the section below:
Analyze
1. Double-click Analyze
We are now going to analyze the FES file and create a ROT file.
2. Click OK to accept qsg_demo.fes for Input FES filename

This is the fes. file that has been previously created. Then the output filename defaults to
Jobname.fef (which for our example is qsg_demo.fef) but an alternative name may be supplied.
3. Select Yes for create the ROT file
This file provides the user with useful information on the stress contribution and damage for each
load condition at the analysis nodes for each rotational increment of the wheel (remember this is
dependant on the number of subcases that were specified to define a revolution) and each surface
angle increment. For large models, this listing can be quite extensive and the option is provided
to turn this OFF.
4. Click OK to create the .ROT file

The .ROT can be accessed from your current working directory and is suitable for viewing with
a text editor.
Each cell represents a stress from the surface angle and the subcase (rotational angle). Each row
is a stress time history for the node at the particular surface angle and may be plotted by using the
extract time histories from the interactive menu. The lower figure shows the damage values for
each surface angle increment for load condition 1 and the maximum damage. The row labeled D0
shows the damage sum from all load conditions for each surface angle increment.
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A sample output of the ROT file is shown below:
Results post-process
1. Double-click Results post-process on the main FEROT form
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2. Click OK to accept qsg_demo for Input results filename

This menu allows further postprocessing of the results that requires the .ROT file for input to
generate a new output results file username.fef file). This file can either be listed or read back into
the MSC Fatigue database by specifying the same Jobname in the main form as the output
filename. There are two extraction options available:
Select Specific Angle for Extract
The first option will Extract results at a specific angle at all analysis nodes. Since the surface angle
selected for our example case was 10 degrees, results may only be extracted for angles in tendegree increments up to 360 degrees.
Select Worst Case for Extract
The second option will Extract the worst (lowest life, maximum damage) results for all conditions
including the worst case (accumulated damage from all conditions) results.
3. Click OK to accept qsg_demo for Output filename

4. Click Yes when asked to overwrite
A new ROT file is created in your current working directory.
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Extract Time Histories

1. Double-click Extract Time Histories is selected on the main FEROT form
2. Click OK to accept qsg_demo.fes for Input FES filename

3. Enter node number 501 for Calculation points
You can also click list to display the calculation nodes available.
4. Enter number 1 for Load Conditions
You can also click list to display the load conditions available.
5. Enter 0 for Angles (degrees)
This is the surface angle at which the stress time history is desired. For this example, we will use 0
6. Click OK to continue and get back to main menu of FEROT

A .DAC file is created in your current working directory. You can view a plot of the stress time
history using the graphic module MQLD (quick look display) as shown below:
7. Double-click eXit to close FEROT
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8. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display > Quick Look Display (mqld)...
9. Pull down File > Open

10. Select the qsg_demo_cp501_l01_a00.DAC file you just created
An extension will be added to the filename that identifies the node number, load condition and the
surface angle.
11. Click Open to view the plot
Figure 13-4
Display of qsg_demo Time History file; Node 501 and Load Condition 1
12. Pull down File>Exit to close the plot
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Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
The wheels capability allows fatigue analyses on wheels for a variety of loading conditions and can also
be applied to any rotating body. This tool is particularly powerful as it performs a critical plane analysis
at the analysis surface nodes for multiaxial loading.
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Concluding Remarks
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Chapter 14: A Software Strain Gauge

14
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A Software Strain Gauge
Problem Description
550
565
578
Concluding Remarks
594
552
553

Problem Description
Problem Description
A physical prototype of the engine mounting lug that was studied earlier is placed in a test laboratory and
subject to an external service loading environment. A hardware strain gauge rosette is placed on the
prototype in a strategic location near a suspected failure location and the strain time history is captured.
Figure 14-1
Mounting Lug Model
The prototype is also created as a finite element model. A software strain gauge is created in the same
location as that of the physical prototype. FE results are extracted and converted to the same coordinate
system as the rosette. A subsequent fatigue analysis is done on both the physically measured strain time
history and that simulated by the finite element model for comparison and correlation purposes.
Objective
To create a software strain gauge on the FE model in the same location and orientation as the
physical strain gauge

To extract FE results in the same coordinate system as the gauge
To synthesize the measured strain history from the FE model
To run fatigue analyses on both measured and simulated strain histories for comparison purposes
To assess the stress state in the prototype at the measurement location
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Chapter 14: A Software Strain Gauge 551

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 14-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/soft_sg.fin
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/soft_sg_m1.dac
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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2. Enter softsg for the File name

database.
4. Click OK
5. Pull down Analysis Code to MSC Nastran and click OK


4. Select mounting_lug.op2 output file and click OK
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The Software Strain Gauge (Soft S/G) application in MSC Fatigue is a special tool, mainly for use with
measured strain results, to do test-analysis correlations, comparisons and validations. Soft S/G allows a
direct correlation to be made between measured strain histories obtained using resistance strain gauges
and predicted strain histories from the surface of finite element models. This is achieved by applying
simulated strain gauges to the surface of the FE model in the same positions as real strain gauges on the
corresponding component.
The simulated gauges consist of one or more thin shell elements which are fitted to the surface of the FE
model. The gauges can then be used to extract the results of previously carried out FE stress/strain
analyses at the locations and in the orientations defined. Then, using MSC Fatigue and one of its modules
called SSG, it is possible to synthesize the stress or strain histories from the gauges in a way which is
directly comparable with direct strain measurements.
Hint:
Users may also find the Soft S/G useful simply for obtaining static stress and strain results
from particular locations within elements, or in particular directions.
Follow the steps below to open the main MSC Fatigue form and set up the Soft S/G analysis:
1. Under the Durability tab, click Software Strain Gauges in the Advanced Fatigue group
and pull down Analysis to Soft S/G).
You will notice that the form changes appearance from the normal setup form and only displays three
main options. Each of these options will be invoked in turn
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The Gauge Tool

The first option we will discuss is the Gauge Tool. This aplication is for placement, creation and
modification of the software gauges.
Create a Soft S/G
Creating a Soft S/G is a two step process.
Select a point on the surface of your model to place the gauge and define the gauge orientation.
Define a surface area on which to place the gauge.
These are all done conveniently from the Gauge Tool. Once the gauge is created you can always modify
its location and orientation or delete it if necessary.
1. Click Gauge Tool in the main Soft S/G form
2. Pull down Action to Create
3. Pull down Object to MM-120WR
This is the gauge name. The names that appear in this pull-down are fully customizable with a
gauge definition file. See below for more details.
4. Verify that Method is set to XYZ
5. Enter 1 for Gauge Number
Set gauge number to 1 and it will increment automatically. The gauge number will be padded with
zeros so as to always be three digits.
6. Select Plastic
When the time comes this will be a flag used to indicate that elastic-plastic correction is requested
and the resulting output time histories will have had the correction applied to them. If Elastic is
selected the resulting time histories will remain purely elastic.
7. Enter Node 1175 for Select a Point
Click in the databox to activate the Picking Filters menu. You can use any of the standard
mechanisms from this menu to graphically select or define a valid point. The point however, must
exist on the surface of the model for proper creation. For the purposes of this exercise, enter Node
1175 in the databox.
8. Enter Coord 0.1 for Select Gauge X Axis

For this exercise enter Coord 0.1. This specifies to use the global x-axis as the gauge x-axis. You
can achieve the same by selecting 1-direction from the Picking Filters and then graphically
selecting the global axis from the viewport.\
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9. Click Apply
When you click Apply, a yellow marker is shown on the location that you selected to create the
gauge. The form will also update for the second step which is to define the area for the gauge.
10. Pull down Element Type to 2D to Shell elements

The Picking Filters changes to allow selection of either shell elements or faces of solid elements
depending on the Element Type setting.
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11. Enter Elm 166 167 178 179 for Select Shell Elements
Click in the databox to activate the Picking Filters menu. Enter Elem 166 167 178 179 in the
databox or graphically select the four elements (using the Shift key) around the point of interest.
Note:
The only requirement for selecting an area of elements around the point is that the area be
large enough to contain the gauge. If the area is not large enough an error will occur. Note
that the relative angles, gauge length, and gauge width are displayed on the form for
informational purposes. Also, if there is too much curvature, the gauge creation may fail.
You should choose relatively flat areas for gauge placement.
12. Click Apply to create the gauge
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You may wish to zoom in on the area of interest for a better view using View Corners :
13. Under the Durability tab, click View Corners in the Viewport group
14. Click and drag the mouse around the gauge area to zoom in
Figure 14-2
Display of Soft Strain/Gauge
The Gauge Definition File

All gauges that appear as selections under the Object pull-down are defined in a file called gauges.def
that exists in the main MSC Fatigue installation area for UNIX in
$P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/gauges.def
or for Windows in
$P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/gauges.def
This file is fully customizable to allow additions or changes to gauge types. You simply need to define
the gauge type (single, tee, rosette), whether it is stacked or planar, the configuration (rectangular, delta,
other), the units, and the coordinates, besides giving it a name. See the MSC Fatigue Users Guide for
details or use the file contents as a guide to customization.
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The file can exist in the local work directory, your home directory or in the installation area and will be
recognized in this order also. A variety of gauge types is shown below.
Figure 14-3
Dipslay of Diggerent Gauge Types
Modify the Soft S/G

Back on the Gauge Tool form, we need to modify the gauge that we have created thus far because it is
not quite what we want.
1. Pull down Action to Modify, on the Gauge Tool form
The gauge needs to be translated and rotated since the node where we placed it and the orientation
do not match the exact spot that it exists on the prototype. On the prototype, the gauge was placed
two millimeters to the left from the current location and the gauge needs to be rotated 30 degrees
counterclockwise.
2. Select 001 under Select Gauge to Modify
We are not changing the type of the gauge but simply the location and orientation.
3. Enter -2.0 for Delta X
This is the displacement to move the gauge in the x-axis direction of the existing gauge.
4. Enter 0.0 for Delta Y
This is the displacement to move the gauge in the y-axis direction of the existing gauge.
5. Enter 30 for Delta Theta
This is the rotation in degrees that the gauge is to be rotated relative to the current orientation.
6. Pull down Element type to 2D: Shell elements
Again select 2D: Shell elements as the means to define the surface.
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7. Enter Elem 166 167 178 179 under Select Shell Elements
Select the same elements as before to define the surface where the modified gauge will be placed.
To properly modify the location and orientation, you must select a surface area that will contain
the new location and orientation of the modified gauge or an error will occur, e.g., if you translate
the gauge off of the defined area.
8. Verify that Reverse normal is OFF (not selected)
If necessary you can reverse the normals of the gauges. The gauge outward normals are calculated
as the average of the outward normals of the selected elements or faces.
9. Click Apply
10. Answer Yes to any question and then click OK if you see any errors
You need to click Yes and OK several times and then you notice see that the gauge has been
created and modified to the proper location and orientation.
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11. Click Cancel close the Gauge Tool form

The Gauge Group
When a Soft S/G is created it appears graphically on the screen as one, two, or three quadrilateral
elements. Additionally a special group is created for each strain gauge. The name of these groups take on
the form:
dms_n_m_oo_ppp
where
dms is the German abbreviation for strain gauge.
n is t or b indicating whether the results set is extracted from the top or bottom of underlying
shell elements making up the Soft S/G.

m is the gauge type number (its unique type identifier)
oo is either el or ep indicating elastic or elastic-plastic
ppp is the number of the gauge applied to the model, e.g., 001, 002, etc.
The element and node numbers are contained in the groups. The rest of the necessary information resides
in the name of the group and in the subsequent results extraction.
FE Results Extraction
The next step is to extract the results from the FE result sets and create new result types in the location
and orientation of the Soft S/G.
1. Click Results Extraction... on the main Soft S/G form
Another form will appear listing all available result cases that contain MSC Nastran stress results
and all available Soft S/Gs that have been created. The process is simple.
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2. Click Select All to select all of the Available Loadcases

For this exercise, we will select all Available Loadcases. Make sure you extract results from all
the necessary result cases if you have multiple load inputs. If the results are from a transient
analysis, make sure you select all time steps.
3. Select 001 under Strain Gauges
In our case there is only one Gauge vailable.
4. Click Apply
5. Click Yes when asked to proceed
A message window will pop-up reminding the user that The current group should contain all
nodes and elements with valid model results. Just select Yes to continue.
Two new result types are created after the results extraction is complete for each stress analysis load case
selected. Under each selected set of load case results, the two new subcases are:
Gauge Stress, Average
Gauge Stress, Centroidal
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Post the Sofware S/G group before viewing the stress results:
2. Select dms_t_4_ep_001 under Select Groups to Post
3. Click Apply
View Stress Results
2. Select Load_Cases1, Static Subcase... under Select Result Cases

In this example we will use Load_Case 1 as a sample.
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3. Select either Gauge Stress, Average or Gauge Stress, Centroidal under Select Fringe Results
The results in the Gauge Stress, Average subcase are, for each element, the average of the results
from the four corners of the element and the element centroid. For Gauge Stress, Centroidal, they
are the results from the origin of the gauge coordinate system.
4. Click Apply
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5. Click Apply to view the stress results on the Soft S/G
Figure 14-4
Fringe Results : Load_Case1, Gauge Stress, Average
For a rosette or tee gauge, the average results will, in general, be a little different for each element,
depending on the stress field in which the gauge is placed.
For Centroidal results, the same results should be written to all the gauge elements.
Now that you have successfully seen the stress results, use Group > Post... to post both default group
and dms_t_4_ep_001.
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In order to proceed we must create an MSC Fatigue input file and then use this file as input to the Soft
S/G (SSG) application module that will produce our synthesized stress/strain time histories. The goal at
this point, is not to do a fatigue analysis but to create the combined time history at the gauge location and
in the gauge orientation.
Setup the Fatigue Analysis

To create the MSC Fatigue input file change the analyis type and set the General Setup Parameters as
described below:
Note:
You can also expedite things by copying the MSC Fatigue setup file soft_sg.fin to your current
working directory and reading it in as shown below:
1. Click Job Control... on the main MSC Fatige form
2. Pull down Action to Read Saved Job
3. Click Select .fin File
4. Select soft_sg.fin for File Name and click OK
5. Click Apply to read the file into the database
If you read the soft_sg.fin file in, then you can skip ahead to page 358 and run the translation.

(Or pull down Analysis to Initiation on the main MSC Fatigue form ).
2. Verify that Results Loc. is set to Element

The fatigue lives would be calculated at the element centroids.
Note:
Nodal Ave.: Global
Element nodal stresses will be averaged to the nodes for all element
contributions; you do not have a choice.

Only stresses are extracted into the gauge coordinates.
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4. Pull down Res.Units to MPa.

6. Enter soft_sg for Jobname
7. Enter Soft S/G AnalysisExample-Elastic/Plastic for Title
Solution Parameters
Ensure that the following Parameters are set on Solution Parameters form:
2. Verify that Analysis Sub-Method is set to SWT

You can use either Neuber, Mertens-Dittmann, or Seeger-Beste methods according to which
elastic-plastic correction method you wish to use in the Soft S/G. If you select Mertens-Dittmann
or Seeger-Beste you will be required to enter shape factors on the material information form.
Analysis for any gauges which are elastic will ignore this selection. If you want to estimate
elasticplastic strains, you should ensure that the gauges have ep included in the group name.We
will correct for plasticity using the Neuber method.
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4. Check Run Biaxiality Analysis

This should be set to ON. There will be no need to execute the Calculate Normals option because
the stress analysis results written to the gauges are already in a surface resolved coordinate
system.
5. Pull down Correction to Hoffman-Seeger
Select Hoffmann-Seeger. The option, Material Parameter is not allowed for Soft S/G. Analysis
for any gauges which are elastic will ignore this selection (the same as setting it to None).
6. Verify that Stress/Strain Combination is set to Max. Abs. Principal
7. Click OK to accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters on the Solution Params... form
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Loading Information
The Loading Info... form should be used in the same way as for any other MSC Fatigue job. The results
can be from a transient analysis (time step analysis) or from a set of static load cases which will be
associated to time variations in the normal way (which are defined using PTIME).
When selecting actual results, the user should choose one of the following result types for the extracted
strain gauge results:
Gauge Stress, Average
for the stresses averaged from the four corners and the centroid of each strain gauge element, or
Gauge Stress, Centroidal
for the stresses at the centroid of each gauge element.
If neither of these exist, it means you have not extracted results to the software strain gauges from the FE
model results as done in the previous section.
Use the exact same time histories as in a previous example of the engine mounting lug. See the Multiple
Loads (Ch. 9) for a review. The basics are repeated here for convenience sake:
1. Under the Durability tab, click Loading in the Carck Initiation group
Note:
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Note:
On this form, select Add an entry > Copy from Remote.
4. Enter the location of the directory where the example files reside, such as P3_HOME directory,
Note:
6. Click
7. Control-select all four histories: XPOS, YPOS, XNEG, and YNEG
8. Click OK to load the files into PTIME database
9. Double-click Change an entry > edit Details in PTIME
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18. Enter *.DAC for Input Filenames

Note that the files will not appear in the databox but the number of files selected is shown below it.
20. Select Seperate for Display Type
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21. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to view the plots
Figure 14-5
On the Loading Info... form, fill out the spreadsheet as followes:
1. Enter 4 for Number of Static Load Cases , and press Enter
The spreadsheet is updated to 4 rows corresponding to 4 different load cases. There are 8 load
cases available from which Load_Case.1, Load_Case.3, Load_Case.5, and Load_Case.7 are
selected.
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Load Case ID
result case.
6. Select 4.1-Gauge Stress, Average under select a Stress/Strain Tensor
If more than one tensor result exists, you have to select it. For this example you must select the
Gauge Stress, Average stress tensor in order to fill the Load Case ID cells correctly, and then the
focus will transfer to the adjacent cell under Time Histoy label.
Note:
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Time history
7. Select XPOS.DAC row to fill the first row under Time History
8. Input 0.25 for Divisor to Normalize Stresses, and press Enter

9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 to fill out the other three rows of the spreadsheet. Use the values in
Table 14-2 for load cases 3, 5, and 7 respectively.
Table 14-2
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Selected Static Load Cases
Row #
Load Case ID
Time History
Load Magnitude
Row 1:
2.1-3.1-2- (Load_Case.1)
XPOS
0.25
Row 2:
4.3-3.1-2- (Load_Case.3)
YPOS
0.25
Row 3:
6.5-3.1-2- (Load_Case.5)
XNEG
0.25
Row 4:
8.7-3.1-2- (Load_Case.7)
YNEG
0.25

The Material Info... form is used to assign material and other information to the individual gauges. The
strain gauge software requires that each gauge be a group, consisting of one shell element for each leg.
Valid group names take the form dms_m_n_oo_pp as described previously.
The strain gauge software will assume for a tee gauge or a rosette that gauges 1-3 are in numerical order
of elements. Gauges are numbered in an counterclockwise direction. The Material Info... form and
spreadsheet should then be filled in as follows:
(Or click Material Info... on the main MSC Fatigue form).
1. Enter 1 for Number of Materials

This should be set to the number of strain gauges that are to be processed. For our example, it will
be set to 1. Therefore, on the spreadsheet, there will be one row for each gauge or rosette.
Note:
There is a limit of 20. If more that 20 are to be processed you will have to break the analysis
up into multiple analyses.

2. Select RQC100 under Select a Material
This is the material on which the gauge is positioned.
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This is not used, so any setting is OK.
5. Select the name of the group defining the gauge
7. Select dms_t_4_ep_001 for Select a Group
Select the name of the group defining the gauge.
Note:
8. Verify that Kf is set to 1.0

This is a surface finish correction factor and is not used by the strain gauge software. Leave blank
or set it to 1.
9. Verify that Shape factor is set to 0.0
This is the shape factor (Formzahl) or plastic strain concentration factor required for the MertensDittmann and Seeger-Beste methods. Valid values are greater than 1. Typical values are around
1.5 to 3.0. Zero (0) can also be used and is interpreted as infinity. In this case both methods reduce
to the Neuber method. Leave this blank or set it to 0.0.
10. Verify that Multiplier is set 1.0
11. Verify that Offset is set 0.0
12. Accept all te defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to close the Material Info... form
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Job Control
1. Under the Durability tab, pull down e-N Analyze > e-N Translate Only, in the Crack Initiation
group
(Or click Job Control... on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to Translate
Only).
2. Click Apply
This will save or create the MSC Fatigue job (soft_sg.fin) file and run the PAT3FAT translator
to produce the intermediate (soft_sg.fes) input file required by SSG when you click Apply.
Run Soft S/G (SSG) Analysis

When the translation is complete you are ready to run the SSG analysis.
1. Under the Durability tab, click Software strain gauges in the Advanced Fatigue group
(Or pull down Analysis to Soft S/G, on the main MSC Fatigue form).
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SSG Analysis
1. Click SSG Analysis..., on the main Sof S/G form
2. Enter SOFT_SG.FES for Input Filename

You will be asked for the MSC Fatigue input file (jobname.fes) you created in the previous
section. You can also click List
and select the jobname.fes file
3. Click OK to accept all other defaults on the SSG input screen
4. Verify that Output Type is set to Strain
5. Click OK to start the software strain gauge extraction process. The process will take place quickly
Note:
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The extracted strain time history can now be used to correlate with the direct test signal.

As indicated in the first section of this excersie, you should have a copy of three signals that represent
the actual measured time histories in your current working directory. These files are soft_sg_m1.dac,
soft_sg_m2.dac, and soft_sg_m3.dac, one for each leg of the rosette. The Soft S/G analysis, using SSG,
also created a simulated strain signal for each leg. If you look in your working directory you should also
see three files called soft_sg00101.dac, soft_sg00102.dac, and soft_sg00103.dac.
Overlays and Cross Plots

Once the strain histories have been extracted in the gauge coordinates, there are a number of things that
may be done to compare the software strain gauge results directly with the measured strains. The most
obvious is direct signal comparisons using the multi-file display module (MMFD).
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Multi-File Display (mmfd)....
You can also invoke MMFD from PTIME using Multi-channel... > Display Histories option.
Else MMFD can be invoked from a system prompt by typing mmfd.
2. Click List
3. Select all six time histories of interest mentioned above
Three of these time histories are from the Soft S/G analysis and the other three represent measured
strains that you just copied to your directory.
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4. Select Overlay for Display Type

5. Select Yes for Alter Setup
When you request to alter the setup, an additional screen appears. On this screen we want to
request that only two plots per page be displayed.
7. Select 2 for Plots Per Page
8. Accept all the default and click OK to continue
A final setup page will be displayed that specifies which signals are displayed on which page.
9. Click the cell under Page (column C), in the first row
A pull-down menu appears allowing you to set the page number.
10. Select 1 for Soft_sg00101.dac
We want to overlay gauge leg one of the measured signal with gauge leg one of the synthesized
signal, and two with two and three with three respectively. So set the leg one signals to display on
page one, leg two files to display on page 2 and leg three files to display on page 3.
11. Click the cell under Page (column C), in the 4th row
12. Select 1 for Soft_sgm1.dac
13. Repeat steps 9-12 for the rest of the signals
14. Pull down File > OK when done
15. Click OK to accept the defaults on the Overlay setup form
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16. Click OK to accept the defaults of the Y-axis Alignment form

The first overlay plot for leg one will be displayed.
17. Pull down Plot_Type > Cross-plot to change the overlay plot to a cross-plot
In cases where there appears to be an almost one-to-one correspondence, it might be better to
show a cross-plot instead. You will need to click OK several times (accepting the defaults) before
the cross-plot is displayed. You can go back to overlay by using Plot_Type | Overlay
Figure 14-6
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Comparison between Measuerd and Synthesiezed Signals (Leg 1)

18. Pull down View > Scrn_Options > Next Scrn to display the next plot
You will need to click OK several times (accepting the defaults) before the next plot screen is
displayed. The overlay and cross-plots for the three gauge legs are shown below comparing the
measured to the synthesized signals.
Figure 14-7
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Figure 14-8
19. Pull down File > eXit to close the overlay plots or cross plots.
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Signal Statistics
Another means of comparison is to look at the signal statistics that are displayed by MQLD. This plot
shows the maximum, minimum, mean, standard deviation, and RMS values for the displayed plot.
Note:
Only one of the .dac files can be selected at a time using this method.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Quick Look Display (mqld)
You can also invoke MQLD from PTIME using Plot an Entry > Display Histories option. Else
MQLD can be started from a system prompt by typing mqld.
Rosette Analysis
Now perform a rosette analysis. A rosette analysis requires the strain signals from the different legs of
the gauge as input. In this section we will run two rosette analyses, one with the three synthesized signals
and the other with the three signals representing the measured strains. You can do this by invoking MSSA
module:
1. Pull down Tools >MSC Fatigue >Advanced Fatigue Utilities >Stress-Strain Analysis (mssa)..
You can also access this module from the system prompt by typing mssa.
2. Double-click 1 - Strain Gauge Rosette Analysis
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3. Select Analyze
This wil open Rossette Input Options form.
4. Click OK to accept all the defaults on this form

Our Rosette Type is Rectangular and Stacked, also the Output Type requested is set to straiN.
The next screen requests the three signals representing each leg of the rosette.
5. Click List
6. Select soft_sg_m1.dac from your current working directory
You only need to select the frist measured signal and the other two will be selected automatically.
7. Click Open to load the selected signals
8. Select Yes for Biaxiality Ratio
9. Accept all other default values and click OK
The rosette analysis will commence.
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10. Select Plot all outputs to see all these signals

After the analysis, you are placed into a postprocessing menu where you can plot the outputs of
the rosette analysis. The outputs are maximum, minimum, absolute maximum, signed shear
strains, and the angle, f, and biaxiality ratio, ae, as a function of time. All of these outputs can be
plotted
11. Click OK to view the plots

Note:
Please note that not all of the plots will appear on the same screen.
Pull down View > Scrn_Options > Edit Screen
Click each cell under Page (column c)
Select 1 for all the files
All 6 output plots will be shown in one screen now.

12. Pull dwon File>eXit to close the plots and get back to post processing menu of MSSA
13. Successivley plot Biaxiality vs. Principal, Angle vs. Principal, and angle Distribution
Note the general uniaxial nature of this particular problem.
14. Double-click Main menue to get back to the MSSA Stress-Strain Analysis form
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15. Repeat this operation (steps 1-14) for the other three synthesized signals, soft_sg3000101,
soft_sg3000102, and soft_sg3000101.dac
Note:
The output that you get out of a rosette analysis is dependent on the type of gauge and how
many legs it has.
Compare the outputs from the first run with the measured signals as shown below. The plots on the left
show Measured Rossette Analysis Output whereas the plots on the right show Synthesized Rossette
Analysis Output:
Figure 14-9
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All Output vs Time

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Figure 14-10
Biaxiality vs Principal
Figure 14-11
Angle vs Prinsipal

Figure 14-12
angle Distribution
Single Location Uniaxial Life Analyzer

MSC Fatigue also provides a single location analyzer for use directly with measured strains called MCLF
(for crack initiation analysis - critical life fatigue). It is based on uniaxial assumptions. MSLF is the
equivalent stress based single location analyzer (stress-life fatigue).
You can feed any of the strain signals into MCLF or any of the outputs from the rosette analysis to
calculate a fatigue life.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Single Location e-N Analysis
(mclf)...
You can also invoke MCLF by typing mclf at the system prompt.
2. Enter soft_sg_uniaxial for jobname
When MCLF first appears you must give it a job name or select an existing job. Since none exist
yet, enter in soft_sg_uniaxial.
3. Click Yes
You will be asked whether you would like to create this new job.
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4. Select hoMogenous for Material Type

A number of input screens will be presented to you. The input for each of these screens is
mentioned below.Service Loading Environment Form
5. Enter soft_sg_.abs for Filename

You can also click List
to select the maximum absolute principal strain output signal from
the rosette analysis using the synthesized strain gauge results. We could use any one of the
output signals from the Soft S/G analysis or the rosette analysis. To see the file with the file
browser you will have to change the filter to view files with extensions .abs.
Note:
MCLF assumes elastic-plastic correction has taken place already by default, otherwise you
must set the Strain Type to Fully Elastic to invoke a notch correction procedure.
Model Parameters Form

7. Select All for Mean Stress Correction
Set the mean stress correction to All. The strain signal we are using has a very tensile mean
(positive). Since it is easy enough to analyze all mean stress corrections, let us do so. We should
notice the S-W-T method giving the most conservative answers.
Material Data Input Form
You can also use List
to choose the material RQC100 or simply type in the name

Geometry Definition Form
11. Accept all defaults on this form and click OK
The analysis will commence and a summary page of results will be displayed. Note that S-W-T
(Smith-Watson-Topper) gives a bit below 350 Repeats of the signal as the life.
12. Click End to continue
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Postprocessing Options
Now run the analysis again with the maximum absolute principal signal from the rosette analysis using
the measured signals.
13. Double-click Loading environment
14. Eenter soft_sg_m.abs for Filename

A summary page of results will be displayed.
17. Click End to close the summary form
18. Double-click eXit to close MCLF
The table below compares the life values from the measured signals to the synthesized signals:
Mean Stress Method
Measured
Simulated
None
~ 1118
~ 743
Smith-Watson-Topper
~565
~ 344
Morrow
~ 717
~ 456
Single Location Multiaxial Life Analyzer

MSC Fatigue also provides a single location multiaxial analyzer for use directly with measured strains
called MMLF (for crack initiation analysis - multiaxial life fatigue).
You can feed the three strain signals from the Soft S/G analysis directly into MMLF to calculate a fatigue
life based on multiaxial techniques.
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1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Multi-Axial Life Analysis
(mmlf)...
You can also invoke MMLF by typing mmlf at the system prompt.
2. Enter soft_sg_multi for Jobname
When MMLF first appears you must give it a job name or select an existing job. Since none exist
yet, enter in soft_sg_multi.
3. Click Yes
You will be asked whether you would like to create this new job.
4. Select Strain Life for Select Job Type
A number of input screens will be presented to you. The input for each of these screens is
mentioned below:
Rosette Input Options Form

1. Accept all the defaults on this form and click OK
The rosette of interest to us is Rectangular and Stacked.
Service Loading Environment Form
2. Enter soft_sg300101.dac for Gauge1
You can also use the List and select the three signals generated by the Soft S/G analysis. Each one
of these represents one of the three legs of the software strain gauge. These files are
soft_sg300010*.dac.
Note:
MMLF assumes elastic-plastic correction has taken place already. It has no notch correction
procedures built into it as does FEMLF or MCLF.
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Calculation Parameters Form

6. Select 7. All (1-6) for Damage Accumulation Method
Selcting 7. All (1-6), helps us see the difference between the various analysis types and see
which gives the most conservative answers.

Material Data Input Form
You can alos use List to choose the material RQC100 from the list.
The analysis will commence and a summary page of results will be displayed after a some what lengthy
calculation. Note the lives given.
Postprocessing Options Form
Now run the analysis again with the measured signals. From the Post Processing Options select Loading
environment. Change the Gauge file names to soft_sg_m*.dac.
10. Enter soft_sg_m1.dac for Gauge1
You can also use List to select the three measured signals or type them in by hand.
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A summary page of results will be displayed.
15. Click End to close the summary form
16. Double-click eXit to close MMLF
The table below lists the life values from the measured vs. the synthesized signals:
Mean Stress Method
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Measured
Simulated
Normal Strain
~1120
~755 482
SWT/Bannantine
~270 292
~230 124
Shear Strain
~960 962
~655 400
Fatemi-Socie
~1070
~695 396
Wang-Brown
~65 6510
~435 235
Wang-Brown + Mean
~265 264
~210 95

Concluding Remarks
Concluding Remarks
Once the strain histories have been generated from the FE model, they may readily be compared with the
corresponding measured strains from the real component. The possible methods for comparing them
shown in this exercise are:
Multi-File Display (MMFD) to overlay or cross-plot the data
Comparison of signal statistics (max, min, RMS, etc.)
Strain gauge rosette analysis option (MSSA)
Single location uniaxial fatigue analysis (MCLF)
Single location multiaxial fatigue analysis (MMLF)
Correlation is a very important aspect of reliable durability calculations. If a correlation exercise

indicates that there is poor qualitative and quantitative correlation between predicted and measured
strain histories, any fatigue calculations are also likely to give poor results. Likely causes of poor
correlation are:
Errors in setting up the MSC Fatigue job, particularly in matching the correct channels to the
correct load cases with the correct scaling factors

Errors in calculating the loading histories
Poor definition of the loads and boundary conditions, or missing loads
Inadequate meshing
Inaccurate strain gauge placement
Inappropriate analysis (e.g. quasi-static when the problem is dynamic)
Poor materials
Non-proportional loadings together with high levels of plasticity
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Chapter 15: Vibration Fatigue

15
Main Index
Vibration Fatigue
Problem Description
596
Review the Results
616
Comparison studies
634
598
603
615
620
637

Problem Description
Problem Description
A simple bracket is subject to random vibration excitations defined by loading power spectral
density (PSD) functions, which induce serious fatigue damage around the attachment location (the
circular hole). The bracket is subject to three input loads: vertical and horizontal forces and a
twisting moment, at the far end of the slot. The model is constrained around the circular hole. A
random vibration analysis is performed by combining FE frequency response analysis results
using three unit loads combined with the loading input PSDs. Fatigue damage is calculated due
to each independently.
The FE model uses 5% critical structural damping. Frequency response was computed at 26 frequencies,
ranging uniformly from 0 to 50 Hz. The model is composed of QUAD4 elements, which have 30 mm
thickness. Extent of the model is about 500 mm. The bolt hole is crudely modeled with nodes around the
periphery constrained in all six DOFs. The frequency content of the loading PSD tapers off and is
essentially zero by 50 Hz.
Figure 15-1
Bracket Model
Objective
Random Vibration Analysis using transfer function generated by MSC Nastran (from OP2 file).
We will analyze for 1 input PSD and then repeat for 2 further load cases.
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Chapter 15: Vibration Fatigue 597

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 15-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bs_fresp_v.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bs_fresp_h.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bs_fresp_t.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/7d_44-50.dac
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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The geometry of the model and the FE results of the frequency response analysis (transfer
functions) can be found in the files bs_fresp*.op2.

2. Enter bracket for File name

All files will be created in the working directory, which is the directory location of the database.


4. Select bs_fresp_v.op2 output file, and then click OK
5. Click Apply to import the first model
6. Pull down Method to Result Entities
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8. Select bs_fresp_h.op2 output file, and click OK
9. Click Apply to import the second model
10. Repeat steps 5 to 8 for bs_fresp_t.op2 output file

2. Select BS_FRESP_V, Freq=0.... under Select Result Cases

BS_FRESP_V corresponds to the first load case (Vertical). Note that Frequency Response is
computed at 26 frequencies, ranging uniformly from 0 to 50 Hz.
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Note the areas of high-stress. You can rotate the model using the middle mouse button and then dragging
for a better view.
Figure 15-2
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Stress Results for Frequencies 0 and 50 (Vertical Load)

Figure 15-3
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Stress Results for Frequencies 0 and 50 (Horizontal Load)

Figure 15-4
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Stress Results for Frequencies 0 and 50 (Twist Load)


There are two ways to use these transfer functions to do a random response analysis. The DTLib-based
Vibration Fatigue solver has a capability to do this, which will be the first analysis we show. Then, at the
end of this chapter we will show the alternate Vibration Fatigue analysis using the Classic solver which
has a wider set of capabilities.

1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr.Setup in the Vibration Fatigue group
and pull down Analysis to Vibration).
2. Pull down Results Loc. to Node

3. Pull down Nodal Ave. to Global
The fatigue lives will be determined at the element centroids of the model.
Note:
Vibration Fatigue uses S-N curves which require stresses; you do not
have a choice.

The option to use the DTLib Vibration Fatigue solver is set through the main MSC Fatigue form.
6. Enter bs_fresp_v for Jobname
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7. Enter Fatigue due to Vertical Force PSD for Title
Solution Parameters
in this case the Vibration analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set accordingly (any not
mentioned should remain set with the defaults:

4. Verify that Loading Method is set to PSD
A PSD input loading is used.
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5. Verify that Stress Combination is set to Max. Abs Principal

6. Pull down PSD Cycle Count Method to Dirlik
Although Lalanne is the default, for this particular example use Dirlik.
7. Pull down Interpolation Method to Lin-Lin
Linear interpolation is required since starting frequency is chosen as 0.
8. Enter 128 for Cycle Count Option Description1,2
Since relatively few frequencies are used in the FE model, a large number of bins is not required.
Using a larger number of bins comes at an increased processing cost.
9. Verify that Exposure Duration has a value of 1.0
The result of the fatigue calculation is damage per second.
10. Enter -120 for Noise Floor
11. Verify that Overall Scale Factor is set to 1.0
12. Verify that Multi-axial Assessment is set to None
Loading is along a single axis, so no multi-axial state of stress is expected.
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This parameter is identical to that used in regular time based S-N analysis using the scatter in the
S-N data to adjust the life prediction based on a probability of survival.
Loading Information
Create PSD Loading
In many cases the loading will be specified directly in the form of PSDs of input load, as is the case with
MILHBK-810-G or ITOPS where PSDs of acceleration are specified. In this example, we will generate
our input PSDs from loading time history files, using an FFT tool (MASD) within PTIME.
1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr.Loading in the Vibration Fatigue group
2. Click PSD Manager to launch PTIME
Note:
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3. Double-click creaTe psd from time in PTIME

You may select any item and then click OK, or double-click the item only. This module has
multiple functions which are beyond the scope of this text. We wish to create a Power Spectral
Density function from a time series, using MASD module.
Note:
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database. The version of the form that is displayed will be different. On this new form, select
Add an entry and then select the option creaTe psd from Time, as shown below, which is
the equivalent of selecting creaTe psd from Time on PTIME.

4. Enter 7d_44-50.dac for Input Filename

5. Click OK to accept this file
6. Pull down Output Type to Power Spectral Density
8. Pull down FFT Buffer Size to 1024: 0.9766 Hz width
This setting determines the number of points to define the PSD over the full frequency range. The
full frequency range is from zero to 500 Hz which will give 1.024 pts/Hz or 512 points.
10. Enter 7d_44-50 for Output Filename
A file called 7d_44-50.psd will be created.
11. Select Yes for Plot Output and click OK to continue
The PSD for vertical load is created and a summary page is shown.
12. Inspect the summary page and click End to view the plot
You can view the PSD plot, using the graphic module MQLD (quick look display).
Figure 15-5
Display of PSD Plot of the Vertical Load
13. Pull down View > Window X

14. Input 0 for minimum frequency, and press Enter
15. Input 50 for maximum frequency, and press Enter
Defining a range for the graph gives you a better view of the PSD plot. Note the frequency content
of this signal tapers off and is almost zero by 50 Hz.
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16. Pull down File > Exit to close the plot and return to PTIME
17. Enter Vertical Load for Description1
19. Enter Repeats for Fatigue equivalent units
These last two inputs are ignored for a Vibration Fatigue analysis, but something must be
supplied. All fatigue lives are reported back in seconds, hours or years.
20. Repeat steps 1-19 for the other two time histories and create 8d_44-50.psd and 9d_44-50.psd
files for the horizontal and twist loads respectively.
Hint:
PSDs can be created in a number of ways. They can be created as shown here from existing
time signals. They can also be imported as ASCII text files (Add an entry... > ASCII
convert + load) or they can be created manually by supplying xy points (Add an entry...>
x-Y psd entry).

Results Parameters
1. Verify that Results Type is set to Transfer Function
Note that DTLib-based Vibration Fatigue only allows frequency response FE results. This is the
only choice.
2. Pull down Results Transformations to No Transformation
This is the default setting, and uses the frequency response results as-is. Transform to Basic
allows FE tensor results to be transformed to the basic coordinate system. DTLib- based Vibration
Fatigue does not allow to use full 3-D FE results, and therefore transformation to basic may cause
important components not aligned with the basic coordinate system to be ignored. Therefore,
unless you have a specific need, we suggest you leave the default.
3. Pull down Load Input to Single
Note that DTLib-based Vibration Fatigue currently only allows a single input. No other choice is
available.
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Frequency Response
1. Click the cell under Frequency Resp. to activate it
Clicking this cell will activate Result Parameters. This is where the Transfer Function from the
FE analysis is selected.
3. Select the BS_FRESP_V, for Vertical, from Select Result Case(s)
4. Click Filter
All subcases (frequencies) associated with this Transfer Function are displayed in the lower
listbox. This form is quite versatile. You can remove various frequencies if you wish. You can
filter based on various criteria. You can do multiple selections and fill the Loading Info... form
listbox with multiple transfer function results (which will be necessary for a multiple input load
analysis). It is suggested that you play with this form a bit to understand its usage.
5. Click Add to transfer the Result Case IDs

6. Click Close to get back to the Loading Info... form
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7. On the Loading Info... form, select BS_FRESP_v, 2.(1:26)- under Select a Results Load Case
This result case is representing all the frequencies in the Transfer Function Result Case. This will
fill the cell with the numbers 2.(1:26)-1.1- which are internal IDs necessary to identify the result
case. The other list box to the right, lists the tensor results that are available for the selected result
case. If more than one tensor result exists, you have to select it. However, when only one exists,
it is automatically selected for you by picking the results case. The cell you selected under the
Frequency Resp label is automatically filled for you and the focus transfers to the cell next to it,
under the Input PSD label.
Note:
Input PSD
1. Select 7D_44-50.PSD for Select a PSD File Name
This is the PSD representing the vertical force which we created earlier.
2. Click OK to close Loading Info... form
Vibration Fatigue analysis makes certain assumptions of loading input. Those assumptions are that the
signal is Random, Stationary, and Gaussian in nature.
Hint:
If you ever have the need to check the stationarity of a time signal, use the MSTATS utility
module. MSTATS will give you running statistics of a signal and plot them for you. The
increment of time history and overlaps can be specified. This is a very useful mechanism
to determine stationarity.
Random means that the signal contains no deterministically dominant event such as a spike
occurring occasionally or a superimposed dominating sine wave. Truly random signals can only
be characterized by their statistics such as root mean square (rms) and mean levels.
Stationary means that those statistics are not changing significantly with time. Any section of the
signal should show very close statistical agreement.
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Gaussian means that the peak and amplitude probability density function are gaussian in nature
or follow a bell shaped curve as shown here. If you draw tram lines through a signal and count
the number of times the signal passes through it and plot that as a density function it is gaussian
if it follows a bell shape. An example of a non gaussian signal is a pure sine wave. However
adding multiple sine wave together quickly becomes gaussian.
This form is used to assign material and other information to regions of the model. In fact is identical to
the time domain S-N material set up from which you should be familiar with from the previous exercises.
1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr. Materials in the Vibration Fatigue group

On the Material Information form the Material Database Type has two different material
databases available, either of which can be used for Vibration Fatigue analysis: 1) nCode MXD
and 2) nCode MDB. For this example we will use the nCode MXD database.
To use multi-curve data sets, the mxd database must be used. Furthermore, the default materials
manager is called dtmat which can manage both MXD and MDB style material database.
If the user requires the Classic PFMAT material database manager which can only manage MDB
style database, this can be invoked from the Tools menu. The MDB materials database is related
to the Classic Fatigue solvers, and can be used with the DTLib-based solver for compatibility
sake. However, the newer MXD database is incompatible with the Classic fatigue solvers.
For this example problem, a local material database (iceflow_local.mxd) is used. However, the
database name iceflow_local.mxd follows the standard naming convention, and locating the
database in either the user working directory or home directory will allow MSC Fatigue to
automatically scan and find the database.
4. Select icflow_local.mxd, and click OK
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2. Select MANTEN MSN under select a Material
Scroll down the listbox that appears under the spreadsheet, and select the indicated material.

pull down that appears under the spreadsheet.
this example.
5. Verify that the K Treatment has a value of 1
If not enter the value in the data box that appears below the spreadsheet to accept the new value
into the spreadsheet.
Note:
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called Select a Group. We will use the default_group. This is a default group of entities defined
in the database. It contains all the nodes and elements of the model. The selected group defines
the area of the model (the entire thing) to which this combination of material, finish, and treatment
are to be assigned. Any group you select must contain elements and all the associated nodes. If
the group contains elements only, an error message will be issued.
8. Select 2-At Z2 for Region Layer
9. Click Fill Cell
10. Accept the default values for the rest of the cells, and click OK to close Material Info... form
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr. Analyze in the Vibration Fatigue group
(Or click Job Control..., on the main MSC Fatigue form and pull down Action to Full Analysis).

4. Click Apply
Note:

Note:
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This analysis will create the usual files: the job parameter file: bs_fresp_v.fin, the fatigue
input file: bs_fresp_v.fes, the fatigue results file: bs_fresp_v.fef, and the csv results file:
bs_bresp_v.csv. Also a message and status file are created: (bs_fresp_v.msg,
bs_fresp_v.sta).

Review the Results
Review the Results

1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr. Results in the Vibration Fatigue group
(Or click Fatigue Results..., on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to Read
Results).
2. Click Apply to import fatigue results

Note:
window:

2. Select FEF Export, bs_fresp_vfef, under Select Result Cases

You need to scroll down the list to see the result case displayed as bs_fresp_vfef, indicating it is
originated from an MSC Fatigue output file named bs_fresp_v.fef
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Review the Results
3. Select Log Life, SECONDS, under Select Fringe Result
Figure 15-6
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Quick Plot: Log life, Seconds for Vertical Load

Review the Results
2. Click Spectrum

Select the desired spectrum from the list. Any plot posted will adopt the new spectrum right away.
Vibration optional output: Response PSD, damage and stress

range histograms
The DTLib-based solver has the capability to output Response PSD, damage histogram, and stress range
histograms. This can be done by running the solver from the command line, and using the appropriate
command line options. Since this can result in a large amount of data, it is recommended that this optional
output is only performed for a few entities of interest. The entities can be selected via the command line
option /ENTIDS or using hot-spot filtering techniques.
In order to produce the output data, the /VIBOUT command line option is required. The command line
hst file). An example command line is as follows:
dtfatd /FERES=FES /VIBOUT=Y /ENTIDS=71 /INP= bs_fresp_h_sn.fin
The following text-based response psd, damage histogram, and stress range histogram data files are
created for each entity:
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Review the Results
bs_fresp_h_damage_1_.xmh
bs_fresp_h_rainflow_1_.xmh
bs_fresp_h_psd_1_01.csv
Using the /OUTTXT=N command line option, binary data files are produced. The hst files can be viewed
using mp3d.
dtfatd /FERES=FES /VIBOUT=Y /OUTTXT=N /ENTIDS=71 /INP= bs_fresp_h_sn.fin
The following text-based response psd, damage histogram, and stress range histogram data files are
created for each entity:
bs_fresp_h_psd_1_.s3m
bs_fresp_h_damage_1_01.hst
bs_fresp_h_rainflow_1_01.hst
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The final task of this exercise is to run the same Vibration Fatigue analysis using the Classic solver. Step
by step instructions are not given here. Only the parameters that need to be set on each form are given. It
is left to the reader to exercise these as desired.
Vibration Analysis
Analysis:
Vibration
Results Loc.:
Node
Nodal Ave.:
Global
F.E. Results:
Stress
Res.Units:
MPa
Jobname:
bs_fresp_v_classic
Title:
Fatigue due to Vertical Force PSD - Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
Analysis Method:
Dirlik
None
Stress Combination:
Max. Abs. Principal
50.0
Loading Information
Result Type:
Transfer Function
Results Transformation:
Transform to Basic
Load Input:
Single
Frequency Resp:
2.(1:26)-1-1(BS_FRESP_V)
Input PSD:
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7D_44-50.PSD

Material:
MANTEN
Finish:
Polished
Treatment:
No Treatment
Region:
default_group
Layer:
2- At Z2
Kf:
1.0
Multiplier:
1.0
Offset:
0.0

2. Enter bs_fresp_v_classic for Jobname
3. Enter Fatigue due to Vertical Force PSD - Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is. No changes are necessary on this form:
1. Verify that Analysis Method is set to Dirlik
The default is Dirlik which is the recommended method. If you select All, all the analysis methods
mentioned in the theoretical background section will be used.
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Loading Information
Leave all the parameters on the Loading Info... form as is. No changes are necessary on this form. Once
PSDs are created, you can view the original signals and their corresponding PSDs as shown below:
View the Original Signals and Their Corresponding PSDs
1. Click PSD Manager, in the Loading Info... form
2. Double-click Multi Channel...
3. Select Display Histories in PTIME
4. Click Input Filenames
5. Control-select all three 7d_44-50, 8d_44-50, and 9d_44-50 .DAC files
6. Click OPEN and then, click OK
Figure 15-7
Display of Vertical, Horizontal and Twist.dac Files
7. Pull down File > Exit

8. Repeat steps 2 to 5 but this time select all three .PSD files
9. Click OPEN and then click OK
10. Pull down View > Window X
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11. Input 0 for Xmin, and press Enter

12. Input 50 for Xmax and press Enter
Figure 15-8
Display of Vertical, Horizontal and Twist.PSD Files
13. Double-click eXit to quit PTIME
2. Scroll down and select MANTEN for Select a Material
The adjacent cell for Finish is now activated.
3. Pull down Surface Finish to Polished
The adjacent cell for Treatment is now activated.
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The selected group defines the area of the model (the entire thing) to which this combination of
material, finish, and treatment are to be assigned.
7. Select 2-At Z2 for Region Layer, and click Fill Cell
Run the Analysis

Open the Job Control form and submit the job, as you did for the first part of the analysis. The database
will close momentarily as the results information is extracted. When the database reopens, the job will
have been submitted.
Use Monitor Job command to check the status of the analysis. Note that the Monitor Job command does
not update automatically. You need to click Apply each time to see the message ...fatigue analysis
completed successfully. Open Fatigue Results..., on the main MSC Fatigue form to import the results.
View the life contour plot as done before.
Figure 15-9
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Quick Plot: Log life, Seconds for Vertical Load, Classic Solver

Response PSD
Before we go on, let us look at another feature of the Vibration Fatigue analysis. You can view the stress
response PSD plot of Node 72 using FEVIB module:
1. Under the Durability tab, click Extract PSD in the Vibration Fatigue group
Note:
You can also start FEVIB from the system prompt and select Output power spectrum. Once
FEVIB is open select Jobname.fes file from your current working directory. For this example
use bs_fresp_v.fes file
2. Enter Node 72 for Select Nodes, and click Apply

Node 72 is the node with the worst condition.
3. Verify that Generic Output Filename is set to bs_fresp_v

Be aware that all file names created from the FEVIB module will have the node number appended
to the output filename.
4. Verify that Combination method is set to Abs Max principal
5. Select Linear for Interpolation Method
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6. Select Yes for Stationary Check Output
7. Click OK, inspect the summary form and then click End
8. Select plot Power vs Frequency for Plot Option
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Figure 15-10
Response PSD plot of Node 72 Using FEVIB Module
View the Frequency Response Function (FRF)

1. Under the Results tab, click Graph in the Result Plots group
(Or on the Results form, pull down Action | Object | Method to Create | Graph | Y vs X).
2. Shift-select BS_FRESP_V, Freq =... for all frequencies ranging from 0 to 50 Hz

4. Pull down Quantity to Max Principal
5. Pull down X to Global Variable
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6. Pull down Variable to Frequency

8. Pull down Target Entities to Nodes
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10. Click Apply to view the Frequency Response plot for the Vertical load case
Figure 15-11
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Frequency Response Function Plot of Node 72

Using Results option, you can create a text file that contains the FRF used to create the plot shown on
Figure 15-11. These values correspond to the critical location (Node 72).
1. Under the Results tab, click Modify, in the XY Plots group
2. Pull down Object to Curve

3. Select default_Graph30 under Existing Curves
4. Click Data from Keyboard...
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5. Check Write XY Data to File
6. Click Apply
7. Enter Vertical_FRF_Node72 for File name, and click OK
A .xyd file named Vertical_FRF_NODE72.xyd is created in your current working directory. This file
contains the FRF values at Node 72 for Vertical load. Open the file with a text editor, and import it into
a spreadsheet.
Table 15-2
Excerpt of Vertical_FRF_NODE72.xyd File
Frequency (HZ)
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Frequency Response (FRF)
0.016050307
0.016058956
0.016067606
0.016211106
0.016338341
10
0.016504796
...
...
46
0.037180092
48
0.041824769
50
0.047928005

Input PSD
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Convert Binary .dac to ASCII
(mtda)...
2. Enter 7d_44-50.psd for Input Filename, and click OK

The MDTA module converts the 7d_44-50.psd file to an .ASC file with the same name.
3. Click OK to accept the 7d_44-50 file for output file name

4. Click OK to create the .ASC file
The 7d_44-50.asc file is located in your current working directory. Open the .ASC file with a text editor,
and import the Force values in the same spreadsheet you created previously. Note that the frequency
values (x-axis values) are ranging from 0 to 50 with 0.976563 increments.
Table 15-3
Excerpt of 7d_44-50.asc File
Frequency (HZ)
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Force (Newton^2/Hz)
0.976563
100932
1.953126
640418
2.929689
1.85361 E+6
....
....
49.804713

Response PSD Plot

You can get a Response PSD plot at the critical location, by multiplying the loading input PSD by the
the FRF values (squared), for each frequency. Table 15-4 shows the sampling values used to generate the
Response PSD plot at the critical Node 71. This plot is similar to the Response PSD plot Figure 15-10,
you created earlier, using FEVIB module.
Table 15-4
Response PSD Data Spreadsheet
Frequency (HZ)
Frequency Response FRF
0.01605031
0.976563
0.01605896
100932
26.02936168
1.953126
0.01606761
640418
165.3354069
0.01606802
6.60 E+05
170.4993289
2.929689
0.01609283
1.85 E+06
480.0463782
3.906252
0.01611889
2.00 E+06
518.5147704
0.01612139
2.03 E+06
526.5478508
...
...
...
...
49.804713
0.044804866
50
0.047928005
Note:
FRF^2 x Load (Mpa^2/Hz)
Linear Interpolation is used to get the loading values for frequencies in between.
Figure 15-12
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Force
Response PSD plot of Node 72 using Microsoft Excel

Comparison studies
Comparison studies
At this point you are presented with three options for displaying different types of plots.
The Frequency Response plot at Node 72 for the Vertical load case
The input PSD plot for the Vertical load case
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Comparison studies
The response PSD plot at Node 72 for the Vertical load case
This is, of course, calculated by multiplying the input PSD by the Transfer Function (squared).
For multiple inputs this becomes a matrix operation.
Additional Job Setups - Multiple Load Inputs

Now that you have seen how to set up the vertical load vibration analysis job you can repeat the setup
procedures for the other two single input load (horizontal and twist loads). For the three single load input
jobs you can follow the table below for vibration analysis. Use the default values for those parameters
that are not specified.
Table 15-5
Multiple Load Inputs
General Setup Parameters Vertical
Horizontal
Twist
Jobname:
bs_fresp_v
bs_fresp_h
bs_fresp_t
Title:
Vertical Load
Horizontal Load
Twist Moment
Solution Parameters
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Loading Method:
PSD
None
Stress Combination:
Max. Abs. Principal

Comparison studies
Solution Parameters
PSD Cycle Count Method:
Dirlik
Freq. Selection Method:
Loading& FRF
Interpolation Method:
Lin-Lin
Cycle Count Bins:
128
Exposure Duration:
1.0
Noise Floor:
-120
Overall Scale Factor:
1.0
Multiaxial Assessment:
None
50.0
Loading Information
Vertical
Horizontal
Twist
Transfer Function
Result Type:
Transfer Function
Transfer Function
Results Transformation:
No Transformation
No Transformation No Transformation
Load Input:
Single
Single
Single
Frequency Resp:
2.(1:26)-1.1-
3.(27:52)-1.1-
4.(53:78)-1.1-
(BS_FRESP_V)
(BS_FRESP_H)
(BS_FRESP_T)
7D_44-50.PSD
8D_44-50.PSD
9D_44-50.PSD
Input PSD:
Material:
MANTEN MSN
Finish:
Polished
Treatment:
No Treatment
Region:
default_group
Layer:
2 (at Z2)
Again, after each fatigue analysis is finished, read the results into the database as done previously. You
can also view the Life Contour Plot for each case using the Results application.
Tabular Listing
A csv (comma separated values) file is created by the fatigue analysis. This file is suitable for viewing
with Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet programs.
Main Index

Using Classic Fatigue Solver to Perform Multiple Input

Analysis
Although the DTLib- based Vibration Solver can only accept single input (PSD) loadings, the Classic
Vibration Solver is capable of (simultaneous) multiple input correlated or uncorrelated (PSD) loadings.
For more derails on this please contact an MSC.Software technical representative.
Main Index
Main Index
Chapter 16: Swept Sine Analysis,(Shaker Table Fatigue)

16
Main Index
Swept Sine Analysis,

(Shaker Table Fatigue)
Problem Description
640
Review the Results
642
647
659
660
671
669

Problem Description
Problem Description
In many vibration specification requirements like MIL-HBK-810F or ITOPS there are several types of
input load requirement. Chapter 15 covered the standard case of the loading being in the form of an input
PSD. For that analysis a transfer function (FRF result) was used to describe the model behavior.
In this chapter, we are going to use the same model description (FRF/transfer function) but we are going
to apply a different type of loading which is another typical test loading - a sine sweep. The magnitude
of the sine sweep will be described in a loading file and the purpose of this analysis is to find the fatigue
damage caused by this sine sweep loading.
Figure 16-1
Bracket Model
Objective
Evaluate the fatigue damage caused by a swept sine loading.
Main Index
Chapter 16: Swept Sine Analysis,(Shaker Table Fatigue) 641

Problem Description
Files Required
Table 16-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bs_fresp_v.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bs_fresp_h.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/bs_fresp_t.op2
Start Patran
of the desktop
Note:
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The geometry of the model and the FE results of the frequency response analysis can be found in
the files bs_fresp*.op2. By now you should know how to invoke Patran.

2. Enter bracket for File name

All files will be created in the working directory, which is the directory location of the database.


4. Select bs_fresp_v.op2 output file, and then click OK
5. Click Apply to import the first model
6. Pull down Method to Result Entities
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8. Select bs_fresp_h.op2 output file, and then click OK
9. Click Apply to import the second model
10. Repeat steps 6 to 9 for bs_fresp_t.op2 output file

2. Select BS_FRESP_V, Freq=0, under Select Result Cases

BS_FRESP_V corresponds to the first load case (Vertical). Note that Frequency Response is
computed at 26 frequencies, ranging uniformly from 0 to 50 Hz.
3. Select Stress Tensor, under Select Fringe Result
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Note the areas of high-stress. You can rotate the model using the middle mouse button and then dragging
for a better view.
Figure 16-2
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Stress Results for frequencies 0 and 50 (Vertical Load)

Figure 16-3
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Stress Results for frequencies 0 and 50 (Horizontal Load)

Figure 16-4
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Stress Results for frequencies 0 and 50 (Twist Load)


There are two ways to use these transfer functions to do a random response analysis. The DTLib-based
Vibration Fatigue solver has a capability to do this, which will be the first analysis we show. Then, at the
end of this chapter we will show the alternate Classic Vibration solver which has a wider set of
capabilities.

and pull down Analysis to Vibration).

The fatigue lives will be determined at the element centroids of the model.
Note:
F.E. Results: Stress Vibration Fatigue uses S-N curves which require stresses; you do not
have a choice.

The option to use the DTLib Vibration Fatigue solver is set through the main MSC Fatigue form.
Main Index

6. Enter bs_fresp_t_sweep for Jobname

7. Enter Fatigue due to Twist Swept-Sine Loading for Title
Solution Parameters
in this case the Swept Sine analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set accordingly (any not
mentioned should remain set with the defaults:
(Or on the main MSC Fatigue form, click Solution Params...).

4. Pull down Loading Method to Sine Sweep
A swept sine input loading is used.
5. Verify that Stress Combination is set to Max. Abs Principal
6. Pull down PSD Cycle Count Method to Dirlik
Although Lalanne is the default method, for this particular example we use Dirlik.
7. Verify that Freq. Selection Method is set to Equally Spaced
The Frequency Response Functions (FRF) used in the FE model are uniform and extend to 50 Hz.
The loading PSD has frequencies from 0 to 500 Hz, but no appreciable content after 50 Hz.
Therefore, an equally spaced frequency range will be used for the PSD response.
8. Enter 2.0, 52.0, 2.0 for Min/Max/Interval Frequency
This range and interval uses the maximum useful information from both the FRF and the loading
PSD. Note that the starting frequency for sine sweep is non-zero, since a static loading is not
permissible on Swept Sine Analysis.
9. Pull down Interpolation Method to Lin_Lin
Linear interpolation is required since starting frequency is chosen as 0.
10. Enter 64 for Cycle Count Option Description1,2
Since relatively few frequencies are used in the FE model, a large number of bins is not required.
Using a larger number of bins comes at an increased processing cost.
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11. Enter 10 for Expose Duration

The result of the fatigue calculation is damage in ten second.
12. Enter -120 for Noise Floor
13. Enter 5 for Overall Scale Factor
14. Verify that Multiaxial Assessment is set to None
Loading is along a single axis, so no multiaxial state of stress is expected.

This parameter is identical to that used in regular time based S-N analysis using the scatter in the
S-N data to adjust the life prediction based on a probability of survival.
Main Index

Loading Information
The appearance of the Loading Info... form differs slightly depending on the Loading Type selected in
the Solution Params... form. That is, it depends on whether the selected loading type is PSD or Sine
Sweep.
For PSD loading the loading input is a PSD (of force, acceleration, etc.) whereas for Sine Sweep loading
the loading input is an amplitude versus frequency (of force, acceleration, etc.) and the information
should be loaded to a dac file. Some additional information is required for Sine Sweep loading, including
Sweep Type, Rate and Number of Sweeps. Before completing this form, the amplitude vs. frequency data
file for the sine sweep loading should be created.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue Advanced Loading Utilities > Multi-Channel Editor (mcoe)
2. Double-click Create, on MCOE form
Note: Please note that, PTIME can also be used to create the amplitude vs. frequency data files.
However, PTIME doesn't allow the setting of the X-axis labels, and the default label (time,
seconds) can be confusing. Furthermore, PTIME always starts the X-axis data points at X=0; no
base offset is allowed.
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3. Enter swept_loading_twist.dac for Input Filename(s)

This will then bring up a form to define the file properties.
4. Click OK twice
5. Enter 0.1 for Sample Rate
This will set a fixed increment in frequency of 10 Hertz.
6. Enter 2.0 for Base Offset
This will start the frequency data at 2 Hertz.
7. Enter Frequency for X-axis Label
8. Enter Hertz for X-axis Units
9. Enter Moment for Y-axis Label 100
10. Enter Nmm for Y-axis Units
11. Click OK to start defining the loading data
When the MCOE data definition spreadsheet appears, enter data for the first 11 points as follows:
1. Click the cell under twist Moment to activate it
2. Input 1.0E+6 for the first data point
A large number is needed because the bending moment unit (N-mm) is very small.
3. Press Enter to accept the new value
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3, this time for data points 2, 3, and 4
This will set the twist load to 1E6 N-mm for frequencies 2 - 32. Again, a large number is needed
because the bending moment unit (N-mm) is very small.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for data points 5-11, but enter 0 this time
The twist load for the remaining frequencies is set to 0.
6. Click Opts
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7. Select Plot, and then click OK to view the graph
Figure 16-5
Display of Swept Sine Loading
8. Pull down File > Exit to close the graph

9. Pull down File > Ok
10. Click Yes when asked to save
The data is saved to the new sewpt_loading_twist.dac file.
Once the excitation (Amplitude vs. Frequency) files are created, you can proceed to fill out the
appropriate information on the Loading Info... form.
1. Click Time History Manager to open PTIME
2. Double-click Load files in PTIME
Note: If you have been working through this document sequentially, and did not start this exercise form
a clean working directory, then you will already have some entries in PTIME database. The
version of the form that is displayed will be different, than what is shown here. On this new form
double-click Add an entry and select Load files, which is the equivalent of selecting Load Files
on PTIME.
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3. Enter swept_loading_twist.dac for Source Filename

4. Enter Swept-Sine Twist Load for Description1
5. Pull down Load type | Units to Moment | Nmm
6. Click OK to continue and then double-click eXit to close PTIME
Results Parameters:
1. Verify that Results Type is set to Transfer Function
The Swept Sine Analysis only allows frequency response FE results. No other choice is allowed.
2. Verify that Results Transformations is set to No Transformation
This is the default setting, and uses the frequency response results as-is. Transform to Basic
allows FE tensor results to be transformed to the basic coordinate system. Swept Sine Analysis
does not allow to use full 3-D FE results, and therefore transformation to basic may cause
important components not aligned with the basic coordinate system to be ignored. Unless you
have a specific need, we suggest you leave the default.
Swept Sine Parameters
1. Pull down Load Input to Single
The Swept Sine Analysis currently only allows a single input. No other choice is allowed.
2. Pull down Sweep Type to Linear Hz/Sec
The excitation will be ramped up linearly in Hertz/second at the rate defined in the sweep rate
below.
3. Enter 1.0 Hz/Sec for Sweep Rate
Note that the sweep rate depends on the sweep type defined above. For this example, the
excitation will be ramped up linearly at 1 Hertz per second. This will apply for all selected
frequencies. (Note that the frequency selection is defined on the Solution Parameters form.)
4. Enter 10 for Number of Sweeps
For this example, the simulation prescribes 10 sweeps through the selected range of frequencies
at the rate defined above. The damage/life estimated from the fatigue analysis will be for 10
sweeps at the amplitudes for each frequency defined in the loading amplitudes file.
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Frequency Resp
1. Click the cell under Frequency Resp
Clicking this cell will activate Result Parameters. This is where the Transfer Function from the
FE analysis is selected.
3. Select the BS_FRESP_T, 26 subcases from Select Result Case(s)
4. Click Filter
All subcases (frequencies) associated with this Transfer Function are displayed in the lower
listbox. This form is quite versatile. You can remove various frequencies if you wish. You can
filter based on various criteria. You can do multiple selections and fill the Loading Info... form
listbox with multiple transfer function results (which will be necessary for a multiple input load
analysis). It is suggested that you play with this form a bit to understand its usage.
5. Click Add
6. Click Close
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7. In the Loading Info... form, select BS_FRESP_T, 4.(54:78)- under Select a Results Load Case
This result case is representing all the frequencies in the Transfer Function Result Case. The cell
you selected under the Frequency Resp label is automatically filled with numbers 4.(53:78)-1.1which are internal IDs necessary to identify the result case. The next cell under the Amplitude vs.
Frequency label is now active.
Note:
Amplitude vs. Frequency

8. Select SWEPT_LOADING_TWIST.DAC under Select a DAC File
The .DAC file represents the twisting load amplitude vs. frequency which we created earlier.
Selecting the file will fill the activated cell.
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The Material Info... form is used to assign material and other information to regions of the model. In fact
it is identical to the time domain of A Simple S-N Analysis (Ch. 2),page 73, material set up form, which
you should be familiar with from previous examples.
Hint:
If you ever have the need to check the stationarity of a time signal, use the MSTATS utility
module. MSTATS will give you running statistics of a signal and plot them for you. The
increment of time history and overlaps can be specified. This is a very useful mechanism
to determine stationarity.
1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr. Materials in the Vibration Fatigue group
(Or on the main MSC Fatigue form, click Material Info...).

In this form, the Material Database Type has two different material databases available, either of
which can be used for S-N analysis: 1) nCode MXD and 2) nCode MDB. For this example we
will use the nCode MXD database. The difference is that the mdb database is only applicable for
single-curve standard material data. To use multi-curve data sets, the mxd database must be used.
Classic fatigue solvers.
For this example problem, a local material database (iceflow_local.mxd) is used. However, the
database name iceflow_local.mxd follows the standard naming convention, and locating the
database in either the user working directory or home directory will allow MSC Fatigue to
automatically scan and find the database.
4. Select icflow_local.mxd, and click OK
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6. Select MANTEN MSN under select a Material
7. Verify that the Surface Finish is set to Polished

pull down that appears under the spreadsheet.
this example.
If not enter the value in the data box that appears below the spreadsheet. You need to press Enter
to accept the new value into the spreadsheet. Scroll the spreadsheet to the right to see the
additional columns. The focus is transferred to the next cell, under Region
Note:
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called Select a Group. We will use the default_group. This is a default group of entities defined
in the database. It contains all the nodes and elements of the model. The selected group defines
the area of the model (the entire thing) to which this combination of material, finish, and treatment
are to be assigned. Any group you select must contain elements and all the associated nodes. If
the group contains elements only, an error message will be issued.
with this model. Since the example model is subject to in-plane loading only, a single layer at Z2
is selected and necessary.
13. Click Fill Cell
14. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters, and click OK to close the Material Info...
form.
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1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr. Analyze in the Vibration Fatigue group
(Or click Job Control..., on the main MSC Fatigue form, and pull down Action to Full Analysis).

4. Click Apply
Note:

This analysis will create the usual files: the job parameter file, bs_fresp_t_sweep.fin, the fatigue input
file, bs_fresp_t_sweep.fes, the fatigue results file, bs_fresp_t_sweep.fef, and the csv results file
bs_bresp_t_sweep.csv. Also a message and status file are created (bs_fresp_t_sweep.msg,
bs_fresp_t_sweep.sta).
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Review the Results
Review the Results

1. Under the Durability tab, click Vibr. Results in the Vibration Fatigue group
(Or on the main MSC Fatigue form, click Fatigue Results..., and pull down Action to Read
Results).
2. Click Apply to import results

Note:
window:
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2. Select FEF Export, bs_fresp_t_sweepfef under Select Result Cases

The result case will be displayed as FEF Export, bs_fresp_t_sweepfef, indicating it is originated
from an MSC Fatigue output file named FEF Export, bs_fresp_t_sweep.fef
3. Select Log Life, SECONDS, under Select Fringe Result
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Figure 16-6
Quick Plot: Log life, Seconds for Twist Swept Sine Loading
Follow these steps if you get a different contour spectrum than the one shown Figure 16-6:
2. Click Spectrum

4. Select the desired spectrum from the list and click Cancel to close the Spectrum form
Any plot posted will adopt the new spectrum right away.
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View the Frequency Response Function

1. Under the Results tab, click Graph in the Result Plots group
(Or on the Results form, pull down Action | Object | Method to Create | Graph | Y vs X).
2. Shift-select BS_FRESP_T... (Twist) for all Frequency Responses ranging from 0 to 50 Hz

5. Pull down X | Variable to Global Variable | Frequency
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7. Pull down Target Entities to Nodes
9. Click Apply to view the Frequency Response plot for the Twist load case
The maximum principal stress at the critical node (Node 71) for all frequencies is given in the
figure below. It can be seen that the response is flat at the lower frequencies:
Figure 16-7
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Frequency Response Function at Node 71

Using Results option, you can create a text file that contains the FRF values at Node 71. These values
are used to create the previous plot shown on Figure 16-7.
1. Under the Results tab, click Modify, in the XY Plots group
(Or on the Results form, pull down Action | Object to Modify | XYWindow)
2. Pull down Object to Curve

3. Select default_Graph30 under Existing Curves
4. Click Data from Keyboard...
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5. Check Write XY Data to File
6. Click Apply
7. Enter Twist_FRF_Node71 for File name, and click OK
A .xyd file named Twist_FRF_NODE71.xyd is created in your current working directory. This file
contains the FRF values at Node 71 for Twist load. Open the file using a text editor and import it
into a spreadsheet.
Table 16-2
Excerpt of Twist_FRF_NODE71.xyd
Frequency (HZ)
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4.7299971 E-05
4.7301695 E-05
4.7306818 E-05
4.7315156 E-05
4.7326426 E-05
10
4.7340200 E-05
...
...
46
4.75806359E-05
48
4.74326283 E-05
50
4.73218668 E-05

Swept Sine
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Convert Binary .dac to ASCII
(mtda)
2. Click OK to accept swept_laoding_twist.dac for Input Filename

The MDTA module converts the swept_laoding_twist.dac file to an .ASC file with the same name.
4. Click OK, when you see the message Processing Completed Successfully
The swept_laoding_twist.asc file is located in your current working directory. Open the .ASC file, and
import it in the same spreadsheet you made previously. Note that the twist load is set to 1.00E+6 N-mm
for frequencies 2-32, and 0 for frequencies 42-50.
Note:
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Equivalent Stress Response

You can get an Equivalent Stress Response plot at the critical Node 71, by multiplying the FRF values to
the Loading values for each frequency. Table 16-3 shows the sampling values used to generate the
Equivalent Stress Response plot at the critical location, Node 71:
Table 16-3
Equivalent Stress Response
Frequency (HZ)
Swept Sine
FRF x Load (Mpa/Hz)
4.7299971 E-005
4.7301695 E-005
1.00 E+06
4.73 E+01
4.7306818 E-005
1.00 E+06
4.73 E+01
...
...
...
...
32
4.7304744 E-005
1.00 E+06
4.73 E+01
34
4.7211728 E-005
8.00 E+05
3.78 E+01
36
4.7077676 E-005
6.00 E+05
2.82 E+01
38
4.6889832 E-005
4.00 E+05
1.88 E+01
...
...
...
...
42
4.6280096 E-005
50
4.3218668 E-005
Note:
Figure 16-8
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Equivalent Stress Response Plot of Node 71


A hand calculation is performed to rationalize the results from the sine sweep analysis. The maximum
stress is located at Node 71 of the model. The maximum principal stress at Node 71 for all frequencies
is given in the plot of the Frequency Response Function below. It can be seen that the response is flat at
the lower frequencies.
Figure 16-9
FRF Plot of Node 71
Since the sine sweep analysis is basically a summation of the stresses due to the response at the specified
frequencies, a hand calculation computes the life due to these stresses. Note that because the sweep rate
is constant for all frequencies, the number of repeats of a given loading increase with frequency.
Note:
In order to simplify the hand calculation, a small range of frequencies (for example
frequencies 2-4) is selected.
The highest damaged elements are given below for the reduced frequency selections chosen in the hand
calculation (see table). It can be seen that the computed damage value agrees reasonably well with the
hand calculations.
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The important sine sweep analysis parameters for this test case are as follows:
Frequency Selections
2 to 4 Hz, increment 2 Hz
Sweep Rate
1 Hz/s
Number of Sweeps
10
Frequency Response @ elem

111 (max principal)
4.75E5 MPa @ frequencies of interest (read from the Frequency

Response plot of Node 71, shown on Figure 16-9)
Loading Value
1E6 @ frequencies of interest (2 - 4HZ)
Max Stress @ Elem 111 due to 4.75E5 * 1E6 = 47.5 MPa

Loading
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Max stress @ elem 111 with

5 * 47.5 = 237.5 MPa
Stress Range @ elem 111
2 * 237.5 = 475 MPa
Damage @ Elem 111 due to

One Cycle @ 473 MPa
4.21E-7 (using SRI1 = 8948 MPa, b1 = -0.2)
Number of Cycles at Max

Stress for Sine Sweep
10 * (2 + 4) = 60
Damage @ Elem 111 for 60

Cycles @ Max Stress
4.21E-7 * 60 = 2.53E-5


This type of analysis can not be currently done with the classic solver.
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Chapter 17: Temperature Corrected Fatigue

17
Temperature Corrected Fatigue
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674

This section demonstrates the temperature-corrected fatigue analysis in MSC Fatigue. A simple example
is used to highlight the features.
Temperature corrected fatigue analysis enables the calculation of uniaxial E-N or S-N fatigue through
utilization of temperature corrected materials data at non-ambient temperatures. Temperatures may be
assigned to the analysis group globally, by group (region) or extracted from a Thermal case in the Patran
database.
The temperatures are steady state (i.e. constant with time) and do not include time varying or creep effects
but may vary across the FE model.
Note:
Temperature corrected fatigue analysis may be performed with S-N and E-N analysis only.
Optimization and Fast Analysis options are not available.
Please also note that for DTLib-based analysis using the Direct FE Results Access method,
temperatures may currently only be assigned globally or by group.
Objective
To introduce temperature corrected fatigue analysis.
Table 17-1

File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/plate_thermal.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/plate_structural.op2
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Chapter 17: Temperature Corrected Fatigue 675

Import the Model

In a clean working directory, create a new database called Thermal. In the first exercise, we will assign
the temperatures to the analysis group from an MSC Nastran Thermal case.In the Analysis Preference
set the Analysis Code to MSC Nastran and the Analysis Type to Thermal. Click OK.
Press the Analysis tab in Patran on the main form. When the form appears, set the Action to Access
Results, the Object to Read Output 2, and the Method to Both (model and results); then click the Select
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Results File button, select the file plate_thermal.op2, and press the Apply button. View the temperature
results from the results menu. A fringe plot of the temperature profile is shown below:
Click on Preferences and set the Analysis Code to MSC Nastran and the Analysis Type to Structural.
Import the results for the mechanical case by setting the Action to Access Results, the Object to Read
Output2, and the Method to Results Entities. Select the plate_structural.op2 file and click the Apply
button.
View the results from the results menu. A fringe plot of the Von Mises stress is shown below.
Note:
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The stress units are in Pascals since the model dimensions are in meters and the applied force
is in Newtons


Temperature corrected Fatigue is available for S-N or E-N analysis only. Set the MSC Fatigue form as
follows:
1. Analysis: S-N
2. Results Loc.: Nodal
5. Res. Units: Pascals
6. Jobname: Thermal_test
7. Title: Temperature test case
Solution Parameters
Accept all the defaults on this form.
Temperature assignments to the analysis entities are made on this form. There are 4 methods, Global,
Region, Temp. Case, or ASCII Temp to assign temperatures to the analysis group(s) from the Temp
Type pull down menu. Global assigns the same temperature to all the analysis groups, Region allows the
user to specify temperatures on the analysis groups on the material form (an extra cell has been added to
the material form to specify temperatures), Temp. Case extracts the temperatures from a Thermal
analysis case from the Patran database, and ASCII Temp requests that the user assign a default global
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temperature and then specify the name of the TDS file to use in overwriting the temperature for certain
nodes. For Global, Region, Temp. Case, or ASCII Temp, an ASCII materials database is used
(nmats.htd) that is copied form the installation directory to the users run directory to facilitate editing
and addition of material data. Click on the Materials Database Manger button to view the .htd file with a
text editor. Just like other analysis types, the list of available materials will be displayed in the list box on
the material form. The regular Material database is displayed via PFMAT if the default Temp. Type of
None is selected.
In this exercise, we will set the Temp. Type to Temp. Case. As suggested at the end of this Chapter, users
may want to exercise this form by using the Global, Region, and ASCII Temp definitions.
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From the Temp. Type optionmenu, select Temp. Case. A button called Get Temperature Case appears
on the Materials Info... form. Click on the Get Temperature Case button. Click on the Fill Databox
button and click the OK button to accept the temperature case. Temperatures from this case will be
assigned to the analysis group selected on the material form.
Set the remaining widget values as follows:
1. Temp. Units: Celsius
2. Number of Materials: 1
3. Material: AL_PISTON
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Your form should look like the one below. Ignore any warning messages that come up and click OK to
accept the inputs.
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Loading Information
There is no change to the Loading Info... form. Set the Load Case ID to the only available value. Set the
Time History to SINE01. Accept all other default values and click OK to accept the inputs. The
completed form is shown with all the inputs.
Note:If If SINE01 does not exist in your list of available Time Histories, then use the Time History
Manager button to Copy from Centeral the needed DAC file.

Open the Job Control... form. Set the Action to Full Analysis and click the Apply button. On job
completion, open the Fatigue Results... form and set the Action to Read Results and click the Apply
button. This will read the results into Patran.
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The log of damage result is shown below. As expected, the highest damage is at the fixed end where the
maximum stresses and temperatures occur.
Verification: Run the same example with a global temperature of 20C. Damage at the same location
should be approximately three times lower.
Note:If To access the results for Thermal_test and the verfication job:
1. Open the Fatigue Results... form
2. From the drop down list select List Results.
3. Click Apply.
4. The PFPOST appears.
5. Fill in the appropriate job name and click OK.
6. Set Filter on Damage > 0 and click OK
7. Select the button Most damaged nodes and click OK
8. A Listing of FE Fatigue results for the respective job appears.
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Chapter 18: Aerospace Spectrum Loads

18
Main Index
Aerospace Spectrum Loads
File Definitions
Example Problem
Conclusion
685
695
687
684


This section describes the aerospace spectrum file support in MSC.Fatigue. It extends the previously
cumbersome methods for generating stress spectra for the aerospace sector by making use of a spectrum
file consisting of load events that reference static stress cases in a load control file. Load time histories
are not required as stress spectra are generated entirely from the information in ASCII editable Spectrum
(extension .spe) and Load Control files (extension .lcs). In essence, the stress spectrum at each analysis
location (nodes or elements) is generated by stepping through a sequence of static load cases that are
defined in the Load Control file.
Objective
To illustrate the concept of generating a stress spectrum using the Spectrum and Load Control
files to create a fully reversed stress cycle.

To show the results obtained here are identical to those obtained in the first exercise in Chapter 2
of the Quick Start Guide.

Aerospace spectra are not supported for the following analysis types:
Strain data in FES file
Seam weld
Spot weld
Vibration fatigue
Multi-analysis (duty cycle analysis)
Fast Analysis
Critical Plane & Multiaxial Analysis
Table 18-1 Chapter 16 Necessary Files

File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/example.spe
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/example.lcs
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Chapter 18: Aerospace Spectrum Loads 685

File Definitions
File Definitions
Spectrum file
Spectrum files are ASCII and must have a .spe extension. Format, explanation of each input, and a typical
file are shown below.
<Spectrum file V2>
<Description>
<Scatter Factor>
<Number of cycles>
<Number of flights>
<Stress Factor>
Flight, <Flight number>, <Number of sequences>, <Number of
repeats>
<Sequence name>, <Repeats>, <Case 1>,...,<Case J>
<Sequence name>, <Repeats>, <Case 1>,...,<Case K>
.
.
The header "Spectrum File V2" must be the first line in the .spe file. Scatter factor accounts for scatter in
materials and loads data. The calculated life will be divided by this factor.
The Number of Cycles and Stress Factor parameters have not been implemented. Therefore, these values
should be set to 1.
The "#" character is used to denote comments. All text appearing after the "#" are ignored.
Example Spectrum File

Spectrum file V2
Example
1
1
2
1
Flight, 1, 3, 15
# 'Flight', Flight Number,
No. of repeats
Push Back, 7, 1, 2, 0, 3, 1, 2, 1 # Sequence name, repeats,
cases,...
Engine Run-up, 9, 0, 5, 0, 1, 5, 1
Taxi, 20, 0, 2, 0, 1, 4
Flight, 2, 2, 10
Take-off, 1, 10, 11, 0, 10, 50
Gear retract, 5, 0, 25, 0
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File Definitions
Load Control file

Load Control files are ASCII and must have a .lcs extension. Format, explanation of each input, and a
typical file are shown below.
<Description>
<Units>
<Number of load cases>
<Number of FE cases>
<Divisor 1>,...,<Divisor m>
<ID1>, <Desc1>, < scale 1>,..., <scale m>
...
<IDn>, <Descn>, <scale 1>,..., <scale m>
The number of FE cases has to be greater than or equal to 2. Blank lines after the 5 header lines are
ignored, as is anything after the # character. The ID must be a positive integer. The divisor values are the
scale factors (as divisors) for normalizing the stresses, and must not be zero.
Example Load Control File

Title
Units
10
# Number of load cases
5
# Number of FE cases
1.0,1.0,1.0,1.0,1.0
# Divisor Values for normalizing stresses
0,Load 0,0,0,0,0,0
1,Load 1,-1.000,.5125, 0.2,0.4,-1.8
2,Load 2,.55,-.76, 0.3,0,1.1
3,Load 3,0.5,-0.4,1.8,3.3,1.0
4,Load 4,-2.000,.5, 0.6,0.7,1.9
5,Load 5,.65,-.77,3.4,9.1,2.5
10,Load 10,1.1,2.5,6.8,9.0,-2.0
11,Load 11, 4.1,1.4,-4.3,-2.4,-1.0
25,Load 12, 4.2,2.4,-3.4,-2.4,-1.0
50,Load 50, 4.4,-0.4,-6.5,-2.4,-1.0
In the example files above, the spectrum file is made up of 2 flights that references one or more of the 10
load cases. Each load case is comprised of 5 static FE Cases that are factored to compute the stress for
the given load case.
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Example Problem
Example Problem
In a clean working directory, start Pre & Post or MSC.Patran and import the model and results using the
MSC.Nastran results file simpleSN.op2 into a new database called load_spec.
Open the main MSC Fatigue form and set Analysis to S-N, Results Loc. to Node, Node Ave. to Global,
F.E. Results to Stress, Res. Units to MPa, Jobname to load_spec, and Title to Load Spectrum Analysis.
Solution Parameters
Open the Solution Params form and verify that the Mean Stress Correction is set to None and that the
Stress Combination is set to Max. Abs. Principal. Click OK to accept the inputs.
Open the Material Info form and set Material to MANTEN_MSN, set Finish to No Finish, set Treatment
to No Treatment, and set Region to default_group. Click OK to accept the inputs.
Loading Information
Classic Solver
The Aerospace Loading capability is invoked by setting the Job Setup for widget to Load Spectrum.
Note the absence of the reference to the load time history database as this is not required for handling
aerospace spectrum files. Instead there are two navigation bars pointing to the location of the Spectrum
nd Load Case files. See the form below:
Users can browse to the directories containing these files and edit the files to create their own Spectrum
and Load Control files. The example Load Control and Spectrum files are shown below. Stresses for the
2 FE- Cases are read from the Patran database.
Note that in the given example, the same FE case is selected twice. This is because at least two FE cases
must be used for the Aerospace Loading capability. Since the stress due to a fully reversed load is to be
modeled, the FE case is scaled first by +1.0, and then by -1.0.
QSG Sample Load File
N
3
2
1.0,1.0
0,Load 0, 0.0,0.0
1,load +1, 1.0, 0.0
2,load -1, 0.0, -1.0
SPECTRUM FILE V2
QSG Sample Spectrum File
1
1
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Example Problem
1
1
Flight, 1,1,1
Block1,1, 0,1,2,0
DTLib Based Solver
The DTLib-based solver has three properties not available for the classic solver. These are listed, along
with available options, in the table below:
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Example Problem
Parameter
Event Processing
Description
Event processing method
Options
Independent
Events (i.e., loading blocks) are
processed independently
CombinedFull
Whole duty cycle is processed in full
CombinedFast
Whole duty is processed with
optimizations which may slightly
affect results
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Default Value
Independent

Example Problem
Parameter
Output Event Results
Description
Whether to output per
event results or not in duty
cycle mode.
Options
True
Results for each loading block are
output to the fatigue results files
(.fer, .csv)
Default Value
False
False
Only the total result for all loading
blocks are output.
Aero Spectrum Events
Specifies how spectrum

flights or sequences are
considered as events for
analysis.
Sequences
A flight is defined in the spectrum file
by one or more sequences. Each of
these sequences is treated as a separate
event. The EventProcessing property
in the analysis engine determines how
these events are used in the fatigue
calculation.
Flights
All the load case sequences within a
flight are combined to treat each flight
as a separate event. The sequences
within each flight are processed as if
they were one single sequence which is
built up from the individual sequences
defined for the flight. The
EventProcessing property in the
analysis engine determines how these
events are used in the fatigue
calculation. This option effectively
analyses the whole duty cycle by
flights which gives less detailed results
but a much quicker analysis.
The Loading Info form for the DTLib-based solver is shown below:
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Sequences

Example Problem
Run Fatigue Analysis

Open the Job Control form. Set the Action to Full Analysis and click Apply. When the job is completed
open the Results form on the main MSC.Fatigue setup form and set the Action to Read Results. Click
Apply. This will read the results into the database. The Log of damage, together with the stress
timehistory at node 1 is identical to the example in Chapter 2 of the Quick Start Guide.
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Example Problem
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Example Problem
Exercise: Change the number of repeats for the flight in the spectrum file to 2 and compare the results
with the above. Damage at Node 1 should double. The individual event (Block 1) may also be repeated
to obtain the same result.
The DTLib-based solver has the capability to output cycle count information. This can be done by
running the solver from the command line, and using the appropriate command line options. Since this
can result in a large amount of data, it is recommended that this optional output is only performed for a
few entities of interest.
In order to output stress time history, the /TSOUT command line option is required. The command line
.s3m file). An example command line is as follows:
dtfat /FERES=FES /CYCOUT=Y /OUTTXT=Y /ENTIDS=1-2 /INP=load_spec.fin
load_spec_cyc_1_01.csv
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Example Problem
load_spec_cyc_2_01.csv
This output can be very useful in determining the most damaging events in the loading spectrum. The
current example only contains a single loading block, so it is not particularly useful. The cycle output for
Node 1 is shown in the figure below, which was created using the contents of the csv file.
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Conclusion
Conclusion
Spectrum and Load Control files may be constructed to produce realistic loading spectra for aerospace
applications. Although the example used for demonstration purposes is simple, the versatility of the tool
is evident as complex spectra can be constructed by utilizing the two input files and the FE Cases.
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Conclusion
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Chapter 19: Duty Cycle Analysis

19
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Duty Cycle Analysis
Introduction
698
Problem Description
700
706
719
720
728
745
702
698

Introduction
Introduction
This is a powerful feature that allows the analyst to access damage from multiple sequences and events,
through an intuitive interface that allows the analyst to set up realistic usage sequences. A typical usage
sequence may be a car running at a certain gross weight and subjected to various events such as turning,
braking, and traveling over potholes.
It is very useful for the analyst to identify which events contribute significant damage in a usage sequence
or which usage sequence (e.g., different weight configurations) cause significant damage. In either case,
the Duty Cycle capability in MSC Fatigue allows the user to simulate usage profiles (sequences)
consisting of multiple events, as illustrated in the following example.
Note that the Duty Cycle capability may be used in conjunction with the Time History Compression
feature. Time History Compression allows the user to filter out less damaging loading cycles and speeds
up processing. Once the most locations are identified, an analysis without time history compression can
be performed to include all loading cycles.
The DTLib-based duty cycle feature differs from the previous MSC Fatigue Multiple Analysis tool in a
number of ways:
1. A single duty cycle job is performed rather than performing multiple independent analysis and
summing the damage at the end. This is typically much more efficient, in that the translate & run
or multiple jobs is not required.
2. A new application called dcbuilder is used to define the duty cycle. Further, duty cycles can be
nested to form a master duty cycle. The dcbuilder application can easily recognize multi-channel
time history files. A built-in auto-mapping facility is available to make time history and load case
matching much easier than before.
3. Three levels of Event Processing are available. This allows the user to assess damage from events
independently, or conversely to consider the sequence of events together so that large magnitude
cycles are allowed to be closed in a different event than that in which it was initiated.
4. The new capability can be used in conjunction with the Time History Compression feature to
selectively remove less-damaging cycles from the duty cycle analysis. This can be performed all
in one analysis, with no pre-processing of the time history files necessary.
5. The implementation of the dcbuilder doesnt currently support load case-based Scale factors,
Offsets, and Dividers. Also, support for duty cycle analysis with transient and frequency response
results is not currently available.
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Chapter 19: Duty Cycle Analysis 699

Introduction
Definitions
Table 19-1
Definitions
Term
Description
Sequence
One or more events that make up a given usage scenario; e.g., the events driving
over a rough surface and then a smooth surface at a particular weight
configuration may be one sequence.
Event
An event consists of loading conditions used to define the event. It may take a
number of conditions to completely define an event. For example, a taxi event
for an aircraft may require 1 loading condition at the nose gear and 2 load
conditions at the main landing gears.
Condition
A particular combination of a FE results case and an associated time history file;

this may also be referred to as a loading condition.
Channel
Point on the structure where a load or acceleration data is measured; a channel

is normally associated with only one coordinate direction. This is also the
location where FEM loads are applied for an FE analysis.
DCY
A configuration file for specifying which conditions and events are to be used
in constructing the Usage profile.
CAE Duty Cycle
One or more events that make up a given usage scenario. This is identical to
Sequence. Note that a duty cycle may itself be constructed from a number of
nested CAE Duty Cycles or Sequences.
Rules to be Aware Of
1. The dcbuilder application does not allow the use of duplicate names for the events; this includes
duty cycle definitions which include nested duty cycle definitions
2. The dcbuilder application, by default, automatically names events based on the time history
names; for this reason, it is suggested that names of time histories reflect the event they are
associated with
3. The DTLib-based solver only allows duty cycle definitions to be composed of explicitly defined
events or duty cycle files; schedule files and laf files are not currently supported
4. The dcbuilder application sorts time history file names as they are added to an event definition;
for this reason, it is important to name time histories in such a manner that the sorted order is
related to their association with the FE load cases
5. A duty cycle definition can include other duty cycle definitions. This is accomplished by defining
an event as a CAE Duty Cycle, and associating the event with an existing dcy file.
6. The previous Duty Cycle capability allowed the definition of sequences and events; the dcbuilder
allows only the definition of events. In order to define a duty cycle similar to the previous
capability, each sequence should be defined as a separate duty cycle file. A master duty cycle
definition can then be constructed using the separate duty cycle files as CAE Duty Cycle-based
events.
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700

Problem Description
Problem Description
The multiple analysis capability is available for the DTLib-based S-N, E-N, Spot Weld, and Seam Weld
analysis methods. We will demonstrate the Multiple Fatigue Analysis tool with a problem using our
shock tower model from the Spot Weld example.
In this analysis, the shock tower portion of a vehicle body is analyzed as a companion study to
the spot weld analysis. The spot welds are represented with CBAR elements. Constraints and
loads are applied at certain locations, in order to simulate gravity and road loads. The sheet metal
stresses are recovered from the Nastran analysis.
Figure 19-1
Spot Weld Model
Objective
To illustrate duty cycle fatigue analysis setup and usage.
To determine the critical location due to the imposed loading conditions.
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Problem Description
Files Required
Table 19-2
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/qs_spotweld.bdf
P3_HOME/mscdtfat_files/examples/shock.op2
P3_HOME/mscdtfat_files/examples/Event_A_01.dac
P3_HOME/mscdtfat_files/examples/Event_B_01.dac
P3_HOME/mscdtfat_files/examples/Event_C_01.dac
Start Patran
On Windows, double click Patran the desktop or from the Start menu in the lower left corner of
the desktop
Note:
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702


2. Enter fatigue for File name

database.
Import the model

To start the analysis, we need to import the MSC Nastran input file first.
2. Pull down Source to MSC. Nastran Input

3. Select qs_spotweld.bdf for File Name
5. Inspect MSC Nastran Input File Import Summary and click OK
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Access Results
2. Pull down Method to Result Entities (Results Only)

4. Select shock.op2 output file
5. Click Apply


3. Select Stress Tensor, for Select Scalar Result
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704

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Because the CBAR are very small in comparison to the overall model dimensions, they have been plotted
to the left as small spheres to visualize their location on the model. The spheres have been color coded
according to element rotational magnitude for the first load case.
Figure 19-2
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Stress Tensor Results for First Load Case
706


There are two ways to perform the Duty Cycle analysis. The DTLib-based solver has a capability to do
this, which will be the first analysis we show. Then, at the end of this chapter we will show the alternate
Classic solver.

and pull down Analysis to E-N).

This simply means that the fatigue lives will be determined at the nodes of the model. With a solid
model this is always preferred since cracks always initiate at the surface (unless there is an internal
flaw). If set to Element, the fatigue lives would be calculated at the element centroids
Accept the default which simply means element nodal stresses will be averaged to the nodes for
all element contributions.
4. Pull down FE Results to Stress
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7. Enter duty_cycle for Jobname

8. Enter Duty Cycle Analysis for Title
Solution Parameters
fatigue solutions.
1. Click Generic Solution Params..., on the main MSC Fatigue form
2. Check Output Max/Min Stress
The maximum and minim stresses encountered at each location are reported in the results files.
3. Verify that Time History Compression is set to None
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708

This is the default value. Initially, we will apply no Time History Compression. Later on in the
chapter we will discuss other THC options for Duty Cycle analysis.
4. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters, and click OK to close the form
The other one is the Solution Params... form that deals with parameters specific to the analysis at hand,
in this case the Duty Cycle analysis. Accept all the defaults on this form. For more information on these
parameters visit the Solution Parameters (page 707), section for A Simple e-N Analysis (Ch. 5).
Loading Information
In the spot weld scenario, a set of three load cases was applied to the model. For the duty cycle analysis,
three different loading events are to be considered. These are denoted as Event_A, Event_B, and
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Event_C. These events are for illustration purposes only and dont correspond to any real-world
scenario.
1. Under the Durability tab, click E-N Loading in the Crack Initiation group
2. Pull down Job Setup for to Duty Cycle

This will cause the Loading Information form to be updated for a Duty Cycle analysis.
3. Input 3 for Number of Static Load Cases, and press Enter
The spreadsheet is updated to three rows. The modeled events use FE stress results from 3 static
load cases. Note that you need to press enter to input the new value.
This tool makes it easier and more efficient to fill out the spreadsheet.
5. Pull down Output Event Results to True
Setting Output Event Results to True will show the damage due to each individual event, and the
summation of all three events in the .csv file
Load Case ID
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The list box on the bottom left is filled with all 3 result load cases.
4. Select _FZ=1000_N.SC1, Static Subcase, under Select a Result Load Case
All three cells are automatically filled with load cases, since the Fill Down is turned ON. Please
note that load cases are added in the same order as they were imported to Patran. For each load
case, a different time history will be applied corresponding to the different events. This mapping
takes place in the duty cycle definition in next section.
5. Select Stress Tensor under Select a Stress/Strain Tensor
The other list box to the right lists the tensor results that are available for the selected result case.
If more than one tensor result exists, you have to select it. This will fill all the rows with numbers
such as 2.1-2.1-, which are internal IDs necessary to identify the result case.
Note:
The Duty Cycle feature has three processing options, which are controlled via the Event Processing
option on the Loading Information form.
The simplest option is Independent, which computes damage from each event independently.
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The Combined Full option basically concatenates all event time histories for a given channel, in
an attempt to ensure that any large cycles are closed even if closing occurs in an event different
than the initiating event. The Combined Fast option is similar to Combined Full, except that
some optimization is done to enhance processing speed over the Full method; results are
somewhat affected, however.
The Output Event Results option allows to output fatigue results for each event to the csv file,
as well as for the entire duty cycle. By default, only the full duty cycle results are output. The
fatigue results imported to Patran currently only contains the full duty cycle results. The csv file
can be viewed with a text editor, Microsoft Excel, or a similar spreadsheet program.
Create Duty Cycle Information
1. Click Create Duty Cycle Information... to invoke dcbuilder
This application operates in a wizard-type format, to guide the user through the creation process.
2. Select Create New
3. Click Next to proceed to the next form

4. Pull down Type to CAE Duty Cycle
Other types of load scheduling files can be setup using dcbuilder. However, these are not
discussed in this document.
5. Accept the remaining default values on the setup form, and then click Next
In the current scenario, a duty cycle will be created with three events. Each event corresponds to various
time history loadings being applied for each static FE load case. Since the DTLib-based method requires
on a single job, as opposed to the previous method which launched multiple jobs, all pertinent FE load
cases must be included in the job setup.
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712

Furthermore, a time history file must mapped to each FE load case. To remove the effect of an FE load
case from an event, the associated time history should be composed of zero loads throughout the history.
The current implementation of the duty cycle builder application uses an auto-mapping feature to make
selection and mapping of time history files to the FE load cases as easy as possible. For this reason, it is
best to name the time history files in a consistent manner that identifies each with a particular load case.
For example, the current scenario uses the following naming convention:
Event_name_id.dac
Where name is the name of the event and id is the id of the FE load case the time history is applied to.
As of the 2012 dcbuilder implementation, there is no way to disable to auto-mapping of time history files
to load cases. For this reason, it is advised to use a naming convention which identifies time history files
with FE load cases; at minimum, the naming convention should preserve the ordering of time history files
with the selected FE load cases.
Note:
In cases where an existing duty cycle definition is to be used, the name of the .dcy file can be
typed into the Duty Cycle File Name text box on the Loading Information form; alternatively,
clicking Browse allows you to navigate to the file location and select it. You can also click
Edit, to change or modify an existing file, or start dcbuilder from a command window by
typing $P3_HOME/bin/dcbuilder on the command line.
Create an Event
For this example, Time Series-type events are to be created since a combination of static FE stress results
and time history files are used to create a time history of stress.
1. Click Add Events...
2. Select Time Series to open the Test Selection form
3. Check Expand Channels to expand the list of time history files

4. Select Event_A_ under Available Test
All three .dac event files are displayed under Available tests window.
5. Click Add highlighted test
Selected tests will be displayed in tests selection box.
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6. Repeat steps 6 and 7, for events B and C
7. Click OK to get back to the dcbuilder form

8. Click the cell under Repeats and enter 80 for Event_A_
9. Click the cell under Repeats and enter 120 for Event_B_
10. Click the cell under Repeats and enter 5 for Event_C_
11. Press Enter to input the new values in the spreadsheet
12. Verify that the cell under Active is checked for all three events
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714

13. Click Next to get back to dcbuilder

14. Enter duty_cycle.dcy for File
15. Click Finish

16. Click OK to get back on the Loading Info... form
17. Click Browse
18. Select duty_cycle.dcy for File Name
When a new dcy file is created, the name of the new file must still be entered in the Loading Info....
form.
19. Click OK to load the file you just created

Note:
You can also enter duty_cycle.dcy for Duty Cycle File Name, in the Loading Info... form and
load the file.
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Create a Group
1. Pull down Utilities > Group > Groups From Properties
2. Click Apply and then Cancel to close the Groups From Properties form
4. Scroll down and select prop pshell. 0111, under Select Groups to Post
This will post the selected group to current viewport.
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716

5. Click Apply to post the group
Figure 19-3
Properties Group pshell.0111

databases available, either of which can be used for crack initiation analysis: 1) nCode MXD and
2) nCode MDB. For this example we will use the nCode MXD database.
3. Click Select Standard Database
For this example problem the default MXD material database is selected (iceflow_standard.mxd).
A single material region is to be analyzed, which corresponds to the shock tower box.
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Select an e-N Data Set

A spreadsheet appears whose cells need to be filled in. We will specify an e-N data set, a material surface
2. Scroll down and select Hot Rolled HSLA Steel HSLA4, under Select a Material
In the list box that appears under the spreadsheet, select the indicated material. Only the datasets
applicable for the given analysis sub-method appear. Once the material is selected, the adjacent
cell is automatically activated.

This should be already set for you by default. We select Polished for now as most cyclic material
data is created using polished test specimens, therefore we wish to use the data as-is.
this example.
If not enter the value in the databox that appears below the spreadsheet to accept the new value.
Note that you need to press Enter to accept the new value into the spreadsheet. The cell under
Region is now activated.
Note:
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718

7. Scroll down and select prop pshell_0111 for Region

called Select a Group. We will use porp pshell_0111. This is the group we just created in the
previous step. The cell under Layer is now activated.
8. Select both layers 6-Z1 and 7-Z2 under Region Layer

9. Click Fill Cell
10. Accept all the defaults and click OK to close the Material Info... form
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1. Under the Durability tab, pull down e-N Analyze > e-N Full Run, in the Crack Initiation group
2. Click Apply
4. Click Apply
Note:
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720


Results).
2. Click Apply
Note:
window:
3. Click Cancel to close Results form

2. Select FEF Export, duty_cyclef_Topfef, under Select Result Cases

The result case will be displayed as jobnamefef, indicating it is an MSC Fatigue output file. There
are two layers of FE results data associated with this model. This is the result case associated with
the top layer.
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3. Select Life, (Repeats) under Select Fringe Result
Figure 19-4
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Duty Cycle Life of Shock Tower Box (Top Layer)
722

You can also view the life contour plots of the bottom layer:
5. Select FEF Export, duty_cycle_Bottomfef, under Select Result Cases
6. Select Life, (Repeats) under Select Fringe Result and click Apply
Figure 19-5
Duty Cycle Life of Shock Tower Box (Bottom Layer)
2. Click Spectrum
Select the desired spectrum. Any plot posted will adopt the new spectrum immediately.
Main Index

Tabular Listing
The most critical locations can be found by viewing the sorted fatigue results in the csv file or by viewing
the fringe plots of damage or life. In this example, Node 27406 is the most critical location. The damage
due to each individual event, and the summation of all three events are shown in the .csv file.
Table 19-3
Node
ID
Shell
Layer
Excerpt of duty_cycle.csv File

Material Group
Damage
Max
Stress
Min
Stress
Max
Strain
Min
Strain
Event
Name
Life
Repeats
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
185.4
-158.2
9.84 E-04
-8.03 E-04
Event_A
1.00 E+30
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
169.5
-156
8.79 E-04
-7.97 E-04
Event_B
1.00 E+30
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
6.66 E-08
180.7
-195.6
9.84 E-04
-0.00106
Event_C
1.50 E+07
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
6.66 E-08
185.4
-195.6
9.84 E-04
-0.00106
ALL
1.50 E+07
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.01631
293.8
-313.1
0.002648
-0.00345
Event_A
61.3
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.0359
291.6
-302.2
0.00262
-0.003
Event_B
27.85
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.007286
324.1
-313.1
0.003999
-0.00344
Event_C
137.3
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
.0595
324.1
-313.1
0.003999
-0.00345
ALL
16.81
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Note:
There are two shell layers present for each node; this is because we picked two layers on
the Material Info... form.
Time History Compression

Time history compression is a means in which lower damage cycles can be ignored in an analysis.
Although this can dramatically speed up processing, it should be used judiciously since some damaging
cycles are filtered out. This is especially true using the Limits option, where only the extreme maximum
and minimum time history values are retained.
Generally, time history compression is useful to locate critical locations in a structure in order to allow
detailed analysis in the critical locations. This is especially the case in duty cycle analysis where typically
a large number of time histories is involved, with consequent large computing times.
The Time History Compression (THC) feature can be controlled via the Generic Solution Parameters
form. Note that THC is available for all fatigue analysis types except shaker table analysis. Furthermore,
it cannot be used with transient FE results cases.
Using the Peak-Valley specifies that peak valley slicing will be carried out. A rainflow gate is used when
setting the Gate and Gate Units properties. The peak valley slicing causes a reduction in the number time
history turning points so that, when the reduced time history is rainflow cycle counted any cycles that
have ranges less than the Gate value are discarded. The Gate value can be expressed either as an absolute
value in the same units as the time history, or as a percentage of the maximum range of the time history.
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724

Using the Limits causes a very severe reduction in the time history. In this case, only the maximum and
minimum values of each channel are retained; all other points are discarded, including the corresponding
points from all the other channels. It approximates the worst cycle, but discards many other damaging
cycles.
To illustrate the use and effect of the Time History Compression feature, the previous duty cycle model
will be analyzed with a couple different THC options used. In the first example, the Limits option is used;
in the second example the Peak-Valley option is used. Bring up the main MSC Fatigue form and set up
the subordinate forms as shown below:
and pull down Analysis to E-N).

2. Enter duty_cycle_THC_Limits for Jobname
3. Enter Duty Cycle Analysis using the Limits THC for Title
Leave all the parameters on Generic Solution Params... form as is, except the following:
1. Click Generic Solution Params... on the main MSC Fatigue form
3. Pull down Time History Compression to Limits
4. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to close the form
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Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is. No changes are necessary on this form.
Loading Information
Leave all the parameters on the Material Info... form as is. No changes are necessary on this form.
submitted.
does not update automatically. You need to click Apply each time to see the message ...fatigue job
complete.
Tabular Listing
Import the fatigue results as you did in the first part of this analysis. Now open the csv file and inspect
the life damage for the same node 27406, using the Limits THC option.
Table 19-4
Node
ID
Shell
Layer
Excerpt of duty_cycle_THC_Limits.csv File

Material Group
Damage
Max
Stress
Min
Stress
Max
Strain
Min
Strain
Event
Name
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
185.4
-158.2
9.84 E-04
-8.03 E-04
event_A
1.00 E+30
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
169.5
-156
8.79 E-04
-7.97 E-04
event_B
1.00 E+30
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
6.66 E-08
180.7
-195.6
9.48 E-04
-0.00106
event_C
1.50 E+07
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
6.66 E-08
185.4
-195.6
9.84 E-04
-0.00106
ALL
1.50 E+07
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.01274
293.8
-313.1
0.002648
-0.00345
event_A
78.52
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.01434
291.6
-302.2
0.00262
-0.003
event_B
69.71
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.001461
324.1
-313.1
0.003999
-0.00344
event_C
684.4
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.02854
324.1
-313.1
0.003999
-0.00345
ALL
35.04
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Rerun the Analysis with a Different THC

Leave all General Setup Parameters on MSC Fatigue form as is, except the following:
1. Enter duty_cycle_THC_Peak_Valley for Jobname
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Life
Repeats
726

2. Enter Duty Cycle Analysis using the Peak_Valley THC Option for Title
1. Click Generic Solution Params... in the main MSC Fatigue form
3. Pull down Time History Compression to Peak-Valley
4. Enter 50 for Gate
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submitted.
Tabular Listing
Import the fatigue results as you did in the first part of this analysis. Now open the csv file and inspect
the life damage for the same node 27406, using the Peak-Valley THC option.
Table 19-5
Node
ID
Main Index
Shell
Layer
Excerpt of duty_cycle_THC_Peakcalley.csv File

Material Group
Damage
Max
Stress
Min
Stress
Max
Strain
Min
Strain
Event
Name
Life
Repeats
27384
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
42.8
-47.41
2.14 E-04
-2.37E-04
event_A
1.00E+30
27384
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
43.97
-48.73
2.20 E-04
-2.44E-04
event_B
1.00E+30
27384
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
56.95
-52.70
2.85 E-04
-2.64E-04
event_C
1.00E+30
27384
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
53.11
-57.44
2.85 E-04
-2.64E-04
ALL
1.00E+30
27384
Top
prop_pshell.0111
48.09
-43.28
2.40 E-04
-2.16E-04
event_A
1.00E+30
27384
Top
prop_pshell.0111
49.15
-44.12
2.46 E-04
-2.21E-04
event_B
1.00E+30
27384
Top
prop_pshell.0111
53.11
-57.44
2.66 E-04
-2.87E-04
event_C
1.00E+30
27384
Top
prop_pshell.0111
53.11
-57.44
2.66 E-04
-2.87E-04
ALL
1.00E+30
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
185.4
-158.2
9.84 E-04
-8.03E-04
event_A
1.00E+30
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
169.5
-156
8.79 E-04
-7.97E-04
event_B
1.00E+30
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
6.66 E-08
180.7
-195.6
9.48 E-04
-0.00106
event_C
1.50E+07
27406
Bottom
prop_pshell.0111
6.66 E-08
185.4
-195.6
9.84 E-04
-0.00106
ALL
1.50E+07
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.01605
293.8
-313.1
0.002648
-0.00345
event_A
62.31
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.03586
291.6
-302.2
0.00262
-0.003
event_B
27.88
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.00724
324.1
-313.1
0.003999
-0.00344
event_C
138.1
27406
Top
prop_pshell.0111
0.05915
324.1
-313.1
0.003999
-0.00345
ALL
16.91
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
728


The final task of this exercise is to run the same Duty Cycle analysis using the Classic solver. We will
demonstrate the Multiple Fatigue Analysis tool with a simple problem using our keyhole model from the
section for A Simple S-N Analysis (Ch. 2), (page 73). Step by step instructions are not given here. Only
the parameters that need to be set on each form are given. It is left to the reader to exercise these as
desired.
Files Required
Files Required
Duty_Cycle Analysis
Analysis
S-N
Results Loc.
Node
Nodal Ave.
Global
F.E. Results
Stress
Res.Units
MPa
Jobname
duty_cycle_classic
Title
Duty Cycle Analysis Classic Solver

Solution Parameters
None
Loading Information
Main Index
Job Setup for
Duty Cycle
Load Case ID:
1.1-3.1-
Time History:
UNITLOAD.DAC
Load Magnitude:
1.0
Scale Factor:
1.0
Offset:
0.0

Material:
MANTEN_MSN
Finish:
No Finish
Treatment:
No Treatment
Region:
default_group
Layer:
3-At Z2

(Or pull down Action | Object to Access Results | Read OP2 on the Analysis form).

4. Select simpleSN.op2 output file
5. Click OK

We will use S-N setup to demonstrate the Multiple Fatigue Analysis tool for Classic solver.
(Or on the main MSC Fatigue form, pull down Analysis to S-N).

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730


5. Enter duty_cycle_classic for Jobname
6. Enter Duty Cycle Analysis Classic Solver for Title
Solution Parameters
Leave all the parameters on the Solution Params... form as is, except for the following:
2. Verify that Stress Combination is set to Max Abs Principal
Main Index

Loading Information
2. Verify that Result Type is set to Static

3. Pull down Job Setup for to Duty Cycle
This will cause the Loading Information form to be updated.
4. Click Get Duty Cycle Information... to open the Duty Cycle Setup form
Data for this form may be filled out sequentially (i.e. complete definition of a sequence followed
by the next sequence) or added randomly. However, in the latter case, the user has to exercise
caution to ensure that the data being entered is for a particular sequence and event. In the example
below, we shall use the Sequence method. Start by filling the data for the first sequence, wt1 and
then use the same procedure to input information for the second sequence, wt2.
Note:
If the user has for example, three sequences, and wishes to enter data for Sequence 3, one
of the cells in the Sequence Information spreadsheet for Sequence 3 must be active. The
same logic applies to entering Time History data for a particular event. If the user wishes
to enter data for an event, its corresponding sequence should be active.
Sequence Information for wt1

1. Input 2 for Number of Sequences and press Enter
You need to press Enter each time you want to input a new value into the associated cell. This
option sets the number of rows to display in the spreadsheet for entering the sequence information.
The maximum number of sequences allowed is 10. For this exercise, we will have 2 sequences.
The cell for Sequence Name is now activated.
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732

2. Input wt1 for Master Event Sequence Name and press Enter
In this case the sequence fill down option is checked OFF, so you have to enter the sequence
names individually by clicking in the respective cells. You can check the box and change it to
Sequence Fill Down ON. The values that are entered for each cell in the Sequence spreadsheet
are repeated automatically for all rows. In the case of the Sequence Name, an underscore followed
by an incrementally increased number will be appended to the name the user entered (i.e., wt
becomes wt1, wt2, etc.). Once you input the name and press Enter, the cell under Number of
Repeats is activated.
Note:
Avoid using an underscore in the sequence name such as "myseq_1, myseq_2".
3. Input 1 for Number of Repeats of Master Sequence and press Enter

For wt1 sequence we use the default value of 1. The cell for Number of Events is now activated.
Note:
Please note that sequence wt2 has 2 repeats and 4 events. For more information on this
sequence please visit Table 19-7.
4. Input 3 for Number of Events, and press Enter

This number also sets the number of rows to display in the Event Information spreadsheet. The
maximum number of events per sequence is 100 and the default is 1. This signifies that the first
sequence wt1, shall have 3 events.
Note:
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Import Duty Cycle Setup Data can be used to import a previously saved Duty Cycle Setup
file named <jobname>.cfg.

Note:
Delete Sequence can be used to delete the sequence and associated information (event, time
histories, etc.) associated with the sequence. The delete function allows single or multiple
deletes. Sequences may be added by incrementing the number of remaining sequences. We
shall proceed to defining the events specified for each sequence.
Event Information
The event information for each sequence is added by clicking on the sequence name cell or anywhere in
the row for the sequence and defining the event information for the selected sequence, in the Event
Information spreadsheet. Since we defined 3 events for the first sequence, 3 rows are displayed for
sequence wt1. The second sequence wt2, shall have 4 events available. For more information on the
values for each event or sequence please see Table 19-7 and Table 19-8, at the end of this section.
1. Click the cell under Sequence Name for sequence wt1, and activate it
Clicking anywhere in the row for wt1, will set the focus on the first sequence. Start to fill the data
for the first event of this sequence.
2. Click the cell under Event Name in the first row, and activate it
3. Input Push_back for Event Name and press Enter
The Number of Repeats cell is now activated.
4. Verify that Number of repeats is set to 1, and press Enter

The Number of Time Histories cell is now activated.
Note:
We shall assign 1 repeat for every event except the flight event in both sequences, where we
will define 2 repeats.
5. Verify that Number of Time Histories is set to 1, and press Enter
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734

This number also sets the number of rows in the load association spreadsheet. In this exercise, we
will use a single time history for each event. Note that this cell is available for the Static Duty
Cycle case only.
Note:
Delete Event can be used to delete a selected event and associated information with it. The
delete function allows single or multiple deletes.
Note:
Add Event can be used to clear the widgets and allow information to be added for a new
event after the selected event. If no selection is made, the event is added at the top.
Loading Data Input

The load data needed and the look of the load data spreadsheet will change based on what kind of Duty
Cycle analysis will be run. For the Static case, multiple rows are possible and we will need Time History
data. For the Vibration case, we only have one row and we will need Frequency data and maybe even
PSD data. The following section of the documentation will discuss all three types but we will be using
the Time History data for our example:
Frequency Response Data:
When Analysis is set to Vibration on the main MSC Fatigue form, and Result Type is set to Transfer
Function on the Loading Info... form, the load data section of the Duty Cycle Setup form looks like the
following:
Frequency Response
Selecting this cell will display, a Result Load Case listbox and a Stress Tensor listbox, just like it
does for the non-duty cycle case. The only difference is that there is no layer information
associated with the cell. This has been automated and the current layer information is written to
the CFG file.
Input PSD Cell
Selecting this cell displays a listbox containing a list of all the PSD files in the current directory.
The user can use Browse to go and select a PSD from a different directory. The Create PSD from
DAC option on the form allows users to create a new PSD file from an existing DAC file. The
resulting file will be placed in the current working directory unless otherwise specified.
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Random Response
When Analysis is set to Vibration on the main MSC Fatigue form, and Result Type is set to Power
Spectrum on the Loading Info... form, the load data section of the Duty Cycle Setup form looks like the
following:
Result Case Data
When the Result Type is set to Transient for most of the analysis types, the load data section of the Duty
Cycle Setup form looks like the following:
Result Case Cell
Selecting this cell will display a Result Time Steps listbox and a Stress/Strain listbox just like it
does for the non-duty cycle case. The only difference is that there is no layer information
associated and the correct layer information is written to the CFG file.
Scale Factor Cell
The default value for this cell is 1.0.

Time History Data
When the Result Type is set to Static for most analysis types, like the current example, the load data
section on the Duty Cycle Setup form looks like the following:
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736

We will be using Time History Data for the current duty cycle analysis:
1. Set the focus on the first row of the Event Information spreadsheet
Again if the user wishes to enter data for an event, its corresponding sequence should be active.
2. Click the cell under Time History in the first row, and activate it
Selecting this cell will display a listbox containing the list of DAC files found in the current
directory
3. Scroll down and click Browse, under the Time History Directory
This will cause a browser dialog box to be displayed. You will not be able to see Browse unless
you activate the Time History cell.
4. Navigate the directory batch to P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/Ptime
5. Scroll down the list and select Sine01.dac for File name
Selecting a DAC file from the directory will load up the first cell and a list box shall display all
the DAC files in that directory for subsequent picking.
6. Verify that the cell under Time History (for Push_back event) is filled with Sine01.dac
7. Click the cell under Result Cases

Selecting this cell will display a list box for that shows the Results Load Cases and Results Types.
Notice the absence of a layer selection this has been automated and the correct layer information
will be extracted based on the results type.
10. Select 1.1-Default, Static Subcase, under Select a Result Load Case
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result case. The Normalizing Load cell is now activated.
11. Input 1 for Normalizing Load, and press Enter

The default values are 1.0, 1.0 and 0.0 respectively. The max/min value in the entered time history
will be displayed to allow the user to normalize the time history. For this example, the following
normalizing values shall be applied to every occurrence of the time histories in Table 19-6.
12. With the focus set on the first sequence, repeat steps 1 through 11, this time for events taxi and
flight, in the 2nd and 3rd rows respectively. Use Table 19-6 to input the associated data for these
events.
Table 19-6
Event Information for wt1
Event Name
# of Repeats
# of Time Histories
Time History
Normalizing Load
Push_back
Sine01.dac
taxi
Saetrn.dac
999
flight
Saebrakt.dac
738
Sequence Information for wt2

After you are done with wt1 sequence, start filling the spreadsheet for the second sequence wt2. Reestablish the focus anywhere on the second sequence, and add the information in the same manner as you
did for the previous for sequence (wt1).
1. Click the cell under Sequence Name, in the second row to activate it
Main Index
738

2. Use values in Table 19-7 to fill out the spreadsheet for wt2 sequence
Table 19-7
Sequence Information
Sequence Name
Number of Repeats
Number of Events
wt1
wt2
Event Information for wt2

The Event Information spreadsheet for the second sequence should be filled out in the same manner as
the first sequence. However, since we defined an extra event for wt2, a fourth event named Land should
be added to the event information spreadsheet for sequence wt2. Use values in Table 19-8 to fill out the
information for this sequence.
Table 19-8
Event Information for sequence wt2
Event Name
# of Repeats
# of Time Histories
Time History
Normalizing Load
Push_back
Sine01.dac
taxi
Saetrn.dac
999
flight
Saebrkt.dac
738
Land
Saetrn.dac
999
Manage Duty Cycle Data

1. Click Save File to save the current setup as a .CFG file
Main Index

The current setup will be saved as existing_jobname*.cfg file in your current working directory
(i.e., duty_cycle_classic.cfg).
Note:
A warning message will be issued advising if a .CFG file exists in the directory to prevent
accidental overwriting of a previous setup. If a user does not wish to overwrite an existing
.CFG file, the Job Name may be changed on the main MSC Fatigue form to force a save to
the changed Job Name.
2. Click Cancel to close the Duty Cycle Setup form, and then OK to close the Loading Info form

3. Scroll down and select MANTEN_MSN, under Select a Material
8. Select 3-At Z2 under Region Layer
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740

9. Click Fill Cell
10. Cick OK to close the Material Info... form
Setting Preferences
Before running the analysis, you need to change some settings:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Preferences...
On the MSC Fatigue Preference form, you can change the solver settings of the analysis at hand.
2. Pull down Duty Cycle Jobs to One at a Time
Main Index

This option allows you to run each event separately, rather than the Multiple option where all
different cases for each event are ran at once.
3. Click Apply
Run the Analysis
Open the Job Control... form and submit the analysis. Use Monitor Job command to check the status of
the job. When the message duty_cycle_wt1_flight.sta:Fatigue analysis completed successfully... appears,
the analysis is complete. Please note that this message is shown for each separate event.
Note:
Main Index
742

View the Damage Results

Import results using Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form. A Duty Cycle job is
automatically detected in the run directory and results are read accordingly.
The form should display the results for the 2 sequences, wt1 and wt2 as shown below.
1. Select duty_cycle_wt1 under Select Result Cases

This is the Duty Cycle result at the bottom surface for sequence wt1. In the example used, results
for the top and bottom surface are identical and for illustration and comparison purposes, only the
results for the bottom surface are shown.
2. Select Damage, under Select Fringe Results
3. Click Position...
Main Index

4. Select At Duty Cycle
5. Click Close to get back to the Results form

6. Click Apply to view the results
Figure 19-6
Sequence wt1, Damage Results at Duty Cycle
7. Under the Home tab, click View Corners, in the Viewport group
You can zoom to have a better view of the results.
Main Index
744

8. Using your mouse, draw a rectangle around the area you want to zoom in
9. Repeat steps 1-8 to plot the results for duty_cycle_wt2
Note:
If you get an error while plotting the results for duty_cycle_wt2, re-import results using
Fatigue Results... on the main MSC Fatigue form. In this case, an underscore followed by an
incrementally increased number will be appended to the name of the result file (i.e.,
duty_cycle_wt2 becomes duty_cycle_wt2_2 indicating that the fatigue result file has been
imported twice). You cam plot the second file and view the Damage results.
Table 19-9 shows the Damage results at Node 1 for each of the events and sequences:
Table 19-9
Damage Results at Node 1
Sequence
Event
Damage (Node1)
wt1
3.66E-4
wt1
Push_back
2.22E-6
wt1
Taxi
5.46E-6
wt1
Flight
3.58E-4
wt2
Main Index
Duty Cycle
7.43E-4
wt2
Push_back
2.22E-6
wt2
Taxi
5.46E-6
wt2
Flight
3.58E-4
wt2
Land
5.46E-6
Note:
The Duty Cycle results are, as expected, the sum of the damage in each sequence note that
the Duty cycle result for sequence wt 2, takes into account the repeat factor specified for this
sequence. In addition, the damage results for Flight event in both sequences are based on the
number of repeats (2) applied to this event.
Note:
The damage results for Flight event in both sequences take into account the number of repeats
(2) applied to this event.


An example of the Hot-Spot Filtering is given below. A three event duty cycle provides the loading with
three time histories exciting the model in different directions. Although this is a fairly small model, it is
useful to illustrate the Hot-Spot filtering methods.
Since this model uses time history loading, FE Data Only and Simple Range assessment methods are both
applicable. For this example, the FE Data Only method is used. Using this option, the von Mises stress
for each load case is summed for each entity and the entities ranked in decreasing order. Only the higherranked entities are retained for the fatigue analysis. With this method, no superposition of the FE results
with the time histories is performed in the Hot-Spot location phase. This is the quickest assessment
method, and can be useful for cases where there are large variations in stress within the model.
An analysis is performed for each Elimination Mode option. First, an analysis is performed using
Elimination Mode Highest Percent Points = 10. In this case, 10 percent of the FE entities with the
highest assessed stress are found and retained for the subsequent fatigue analysis.
Main Index
746

Main Index

Next, an analysis is performed using Elimination Mode Highest Percent Values = 90. In this case, the
FE entities with an assessed stress within 90 percent of the highest assessed stress of any entity are found
and retained for the subsequent fatigue analysis.
Main Index
748

Main Index

Next, an analysis is performed using Elimination Mode Highest Count = 100. In this case, the 100 FE
entities with the highest assessed stress are found and retained for the subsequent fatigue analysis.
Main Index
750

Finally, an analysis is performed using Assessment Method = Actual Analysis and Elimination Mode
Highest Percent Values = 90. Time History Compression will be used to speed up the critical location
assessment, but none will be used in the subsequent analysis. In this case the FE entities with an assessed
damage within 90 percent of the highest assessed damage of any entity are found and retained for the
subsequent fatigue analysis.
Main Index

Main Index
752

While the Hot-Spot Filtering feature can be successfully used in concentrating analysis resources on the
most critical locations, care should be taken to understand how the highest stress or damage are assessed.
One should also be careful not to overly limit the likely number of entities selected.
Main Index
Chapter 20: Multi-layer Support

20
Main Index
Multi-layer Support
Problem Description
Files Required
Scenario 1:
756
Scenario 2:
761
755
754

Problem Description
Problem Description
A thin rectangular plate with four composite plies is modeled with PCOMPG property cards in Nastran.
The fiber orientation of each ply is parallel to the long axis of the plate. Each ply is composes of a carbonepoxy material. The Nastran model is subjected to a pure bending load. It is desired to compute the
fatigue life for this plate when subjected to a unit load with R-Ratio 0.
$ Composite Property Record created from material record :

$ graphite_epoxy_laminate
$ Composite Material Description : uniaxial laminate
$
$PCOMPG PID
Z0
NSM
SB
FT
TREF
GE
PCOMPG
1
5000.
HILL
$
GPLYID1 MID1
T1
THETA1 SOUT1
100
1
.0625
0.
YES
200
1
.0625
0.
YES
300
1
.0625
0.
YES
400
Note:
Main Index
.0625
0.
LAM
YES
The following "Multi-layer Support" example may imply that MSC Fatigue supports
composite materials. In fact, MSC Fatigue does not currently have a means to specify local
ply directions for laminated composites or directional characteristics of short fiber
composites. Attempting to use MSC Fatigue 2013 for composites analysis presupposes that
the major axis of stress is aligned with the direction in which material properties are
defined. This example is a very special case.
Chapter 20: Multi-layer Support 755

Files Required
Files Required
Table 20-1
Files Required
File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/pcompg_bending.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/iceflow_local.mxd
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/pcompg_bending.bdf
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/unitload.dac
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/unitload_add1.dac
Previously, MSC Fatigue could only support analysis of upper and lower surfaces of shell elements.
Multi-layered composite materials may be comprised of tens or hundreds of plies. The new multi-layered
element support allows the selection of top, bottom, and intermediate shell layers. In order to access the
multi-layer support feature, the FE Results Access option in the Fatigue Preferences must be set to Direct
Access.
Main Index

Scenario 1:
Scenario 1:
1. Start Patran and import the pcompg_bending.bdf and op2 files. Note that the bdf file is required
in order to import element properties
2. Start MSC Fatigue with the following Fatigue Preference settings:
a. FE Results access = Direct Access

b. Solver Preference = DTLib
c. Read Results = .fer
3. Set up the main form using S-N analysis, and all the rest defaults
Main Index

Scenario 1:
4. Set the Generic Parameters using all defaults, except for the following:
a. Output Max/Min Stress = Yes
5. Set up the Solutions Parameters form using all defaults
Main Index

Scenario 1:
6. Set up the Loading Info form using the single results case and unitload_add1.dac, and all
remaining settings as defaults
7. Set up the Materials Info form as shown below:
Main Index

Scenario 1:
a. Set Composite = Yes

b. Select the custom material, Carbon Epoxy 0
c. Select all 4 layers, noting that the Patran layer ID appears in the spreadsheet rather than the
Nastran global ply ID
Main Index

Scenario 1:
8. Run the job, and import the results after a successful run; note that the fer file contains results on
all four layers; the layer selection should be similar to that shown in above figure.
9. Plot the results, noting that the results are uniform on each ply with the ply-by-ply results shown
in the table below.
10. Some notable content in the fin file can be compared with the figure.
Node
Main Index
Shell
layer
Material
Group
Layer
Number
Damage
Max
Stress
Min
Stress
Life
Bottom
SHELL_2
100
2.47E-04
-450
4050
Mid
SHELL_2
200
-150
1.00E+30
Mid
SHELL_2
300
150
1.00E+30
Top
SHELL_2
400
2.47E-04
450
4050

Scenario 2:
Scenario 2:
An alternative scenario is given, where material properties are assigned on a ply-by-ply basis; this is a
more realistic scenario, since laminated composites rarely have all plies with identical properties.
A hypothetical graphite-epoxy material has properties as shown below. S-N curves for lamina with fiber
orientations of 0 and 45 degrees is given.
The hypothetical layup is defined as given below.

$PCOMPG PID
Z0
PCOMPG
1
$
GPLYID1 MID1
100
1
200
1
300
1
400
1
Main Index
NSM
T1
.0625
.0625
.0625
.0625
SB
5000.
THETA1
0.
45.
45.
0.
FT
HILL
SOUT1
YES
YES
YES
YES
TREF
GE
LAM

Scenario 2:
A number of groups are created, which each contain all nodes and elements in the plate model. Groups
are named by global ply ID. On the Material Information form, each group is assigned a particular
material and a particular layer as shown below.
Damage results on each ply are given below.
Main Index

Scenario 2:
Main Index

Scenario 2:
Main Index
Chapter 21: Fatigue Utilities

21
Main Index
Fatigue Utilities
Problem Description
Material Management
785
818
836
Other Utilities
851
766
767
783
843

Problem Description
Problem Description
A number of utility modules exist in MSC Fatigue to help in the proper set up and interpretation of fatigue
analysis. These utilities are a subset of the test-based fatigue software, nSoft, (created by nCode
International, MSCs fatigue technology partner) packaged for the FE-fatigue analyst. They are broken
into six main categories:
Material Management
A brief description is given of each of these categories in this chapter with examples where appropriate.
For full details of a modules operation, see the MSC Fatigue Users Guide. Most of the modules
described here can be accessed by typing their program name at the system prompt. For example, to
invoke MASD, type masd. They can also be accessed under one of the five pull-down menus found from
Tools > MSC.Fatigue pull-down menu.
Files Required
Table 21-1
Files Required
Files Required
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/1pk.asc
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/chex.op2
Main Index
Chapter 21: Fatigue Utilities 767

MSC Fatigue has the following preprocessing modules:
Low Damage Removal
Calculate Stress Gradient

1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Preferences...
(Or pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Fatigue Pre-Processing > Set Fatigue Environment
Variable... for previous versions of Patran)
Fatigue preferences can be set and saved for a subsequent session, just like any other Patran preference.
In order to save the preference settings from one session to another, a settings.pcl file should be created
and located in the current working directory or the user home directory. The $P3_HOME/settings.pcl
file can be copied to the user's preferred location for this purpose. Please be sure to remove the Read
Only attribute from the file.
Note that the previous methods using the p3epilog.pcl file or system environment variable for setting the
preferences are still valid. However, the current session settings can be saved only via the settings.pcl
file.
The fatigue preferences are set through a pcl command as follows (the default settings are shown here):
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_USE_FATTRANS", "YES" )
pref_env_set_real( "FAT_MAX_NUM_WORDS", 1.E+7 )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_DISABLE_AM", "YES" )
Main Index

pref_env_set_string( "FAT_DC_WAIT", "NO" )

pref_env_set_string( "FAT_USE_MFATFE", "NO" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_LAY_FILT_OVR", "NO" )
pref_env_set_string( "FAT_USE_DTLIB", "YES" )
Low Damage Removal

The Low Damage Removal utility is designed to extract areas of the model that are likely to sustain high
damage. These areas are then grouped based on User selection of existing User created groups or
automatically extracted material groups resident in the Patran database. In the example shown below, you
may select all or pick one or more of the automatically extracted material groups.
Main Index

The Von mises stress or strain results from all selected loadcases are scanned and for each material
group, a group is created that contains the top User selectable percentage of loaded entities in that group.
The solution sequences that utilize stress or strain results can benefit from this extraction. The only
exception to this is Seam weld, and although this utility can be used to identify the critical areas, users
will have to exercise caution in using the extracted groups as the Seam weld module performs an
extraction of the seam off the weld group and it is possible that the weld may not be a part of the extracted
group.
For the force-based Spotweld solution sequence, critical Spot weld elements are extracted based on the
magnitudes of the translational and rotational components. Either the material group associated with the
Spot weld elements or a group containing only the Spot weld elements (recommended) is used for the
extraction.
The groups extracted by this utility may then be used in a subsequent fatigue analysis for a quick
assessment of the high damage areas of the model.
Note:
This extraction performed by this Utility does not take into account the phasing from
Superpositioning of the results for multiple channel loading. FASTAN should be used in this
case as proper account of the phasing is taken into account to extract high damage areas.
The Low Damage Removal utility can be accessed by selecting the option from the Fatigue
Preprocessing pull-down menu, as shown:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Fatigue Pre-Processing > Low Damage Removal...
2. Pull down Type to either Group or Material

These are the only options available.
3. Select either the material names or group names that are of interest
Main Index

4. Select loadcases of interest under Select Load Case Names

5. Enter the percentage of loaded entities desired for Top % of Loaded Entities
The default value is 10 but you can select a value anywhere from 1 to 20. (i.e., If you select 15
then the top 15 percent of damaged entities will be added to the new group)
6. Click Apply
The results data for each selected material name or group name is processed and the top requested
percent of elements with the worst damage are put into a group using the following naming
convention: HD_material name or HD_group name. (ie. If you selected mat1.1 and mat1.2 then
two new groups would be created. One called HD_mat1.1 and the other called HD_mat1.2).
These new groups can then be used in the Materials Information form to quickly identify the
Fatigue hot-spots in the Model.

If fatigue calculations are made based on either local elastic stresses calculated from FE, or based on
nominal stresses and Kt values, over conservative life predictions may result. This is particularly a
problem with many engine and powertrain components where combinations of sharp stress
concentrations, small fillet radii and notch-insensitive cast materials can lead to the effect being quite
large. The stress gradient correction adopted in MSC Fatigue is based on a method described in the FKM
Guideline "Analytical Strength Assessment of Components in Mechanical Engineering" 5th edition,
2003, English version, Tr. E. Haibach published by VDMA, Frankfurt. ISBN 3-8163-0425-7.
This method, which considers only normal cases, shear cases, and positive stress gradients, is an
endurance limit approach. It does not allow corrections at shorter lifetimes or specify how it might be
applied to a general multiaxial case.
In MSC Fatigue we are effectively applying the same factor to the strength at all lifetimes. This means
predictions at shorter lifetimes may still be somewhat conservative, but not as conservative as predictions
made with no stress gradient correction.With the application targeted for such components, the stress
gradient correction has only been implemented for solid element FE models and users should not use this
for shell element models.
As an example, we will here calculate the stress gradients on a cantilever beam, imported from the MSC
Nastran results output file, chex.op2, located in P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples. Create a copy of
this file in your current working directory and follow the steps below:
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2. Enter beam for File name

3. Verify that Set Working Directory to Database Location is checked ON and click OK
database.
4. Pull down Analysis Code to MSC Nastran and click OK

4. Select chex.op2 output file and click OK
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Fatigue Pre-Processing > Calculate Stress Gradients
2. Verify that Action is set to Create
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3. Select default_group under Select Group Name

4. Click Select All Load Cases
5. Click Apply
A SG_Default_group_skin and 2 results load cases corresponding to the selected load cases are
created. The results load cases are labeled SG_Bend1, Static Subcase and SG_Pull2, Static
Subase.
The create group function has created 2 results load cases on group, SG_default_group_skin.
This group consists of surface skin elements on which the surface stresses and the calculated
gradients can be displayed.
6. Click Cancel to close this form
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You can view the plots of the Von Mises surface stresses and Gradients for SG_Bend1 case on the
SG_default_group_skin as shown below:
2. Select SG_Bend1, Static Subcase for Select Fringe Result

3. Select surface stress, Components under Select Fringe Result
4. Verify that Quantity is set to von Mises
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Figure 21-1
Quick Plot; SG_BEND1, Surface Stress Components, von Mises Stress
6. Select surface stress, Gradient Components under Select Fringe Result
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7. Click Apply
Figure 21-2
Quick Plot; SG_BEND1, Surface Stress, Gradient Components, von Mises
Plotting the stress gradients and the surface stresses is useful in ensuring that the calculated gradients
(since this is a regular results load case, all components may be viewed separately) and the surface
stresses make sense. It can also help isolate problematic areas in the model (e.g. abrupt gradient changes)
and help the analyst understand load paths in the structure.
Set up the Fatigue Analysis

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Note:
4. Verify that Res.Units is set to PSI

6. Enter gradient_vv for Jobname

7. Enter Stress Gradient Analysis for Title
Solution Parameters
The Solution Params... form deals with parameters specific to the analysis at hand, in this case the S-N
analysis. Ensure that the following parameters are set (any not mentioned should remain set with the
defaults).
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3. Check Use Stress Gradient
4. Pull down Gradient Res. Units to inches
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Loading Information
Load Case ID

5. Select 4.3-SG_BEND1, Static Subcase under Select a Result Load Case
exists, it is automatically selected for you by picking the results case. The cell under the Load
Case ID label is automatically filled for you, and focus transfers to the cell next to it under the
Time History label.
Note:
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Time History
6. Select the Sine01.DAC row to fill the Time History cell with the time history file name
(with one row) appears at the bottom of the form. All time histories created using PTIME are
shown in this spreadsheet when the Time History Cell is selected. Select the time history file the
7. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the parameters and click OK to close the Loading Info... form

2. Select 2014_HV_0 under Select a Material
Scroll down the list box that appears under the spreadsheet and select the indicated material.
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6. Select SG_Default_group_skin for Select a Group
spreadsheet. We will use the SG_default_group_skin which is the group created earlier.
7. Select 2-Layer 1 for Region Layer

The next active cell is for the layer(s) selection. You need to scroll the spreadsheet to the right to
see this cell. Only a single layer 2-Layer is selected.
8. Click Fill Cell
9. Accept all the defaults for the rest of the columns and click OK to close the Material Info... form
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4. Click Apply
When the message ... job execution has ended appears, the analysis is complete.
Note:
The Monitor Job command does not update automatically. You need to click Apply to
view the current status of the job.

Results).

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View Damage Results

2. Select Total Life, gradient_vvfef under Select Result Cases

originated from an MSC Fatigue output file, named simple_sn.fef
3. Select Damage under Select Fringe Result
4. Click Apply
The maximum damage should be 2.06-006 at Node 16
Note:
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If the same fatigue job is run without stress gradients, a 29% over conservative estimate of
the damage is obtained at the critical location (Node 1).

Material Management
Material Management
This module makes use of PFMAT by either calling it directly or by processing a predefined file.
Materials Database Manager - PFMAT

PFMAT allows the user to access the materials database to add, edit, or view the data. The data stored in
the database define the monotonic and cyclic properties for materials. The cyclic properties include
stress-life, strain-life, cyclic stress-strain and crack growth rate curves.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Material Management > Materials Database Manager
(Or click Materials Database Manager on the Material Info... form to invoke PFMAT).
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Material Management

ASCII Materials File Reader allows the user to create and edit MAT files directly from the GUI and can
be started as follows:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Material Management > ASCII Materials File Read...
2. Click Apply
This will read the specified MAT file into the materials database creating the material defined in
the file.
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Load Management - PTIME
The main module delivered with any basic MSC Fatigue system is PTIME. This basic module has been
used extensively throughout these example problems.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Load Management (ptime)...
(Or click Time History Manager on the Loading Info... form to invoke PTIME).
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PTIME allows for the following:

ASCII file load
xy point entry
graphical edit
waveform creation (including white noise)
block definition
matrix creation
polynomial and lookup table transformation
unit and sample rate conversion
From PTIME it is possible to access certain display and manipulation modules that have already been
described in the various exercise problems in this manual such as:
Multi-File Display (MMFD)
Quick Look Display (MQLD)
Three Dimensional Display (MP3D)
Two Parameter Display (MTPD)
In addition to PTIME, the following utility modules exist to help in the definition of loading information:
Arithmetic Manipulation - MART

MART allows you to take any time signal or even a histogram and apply arithmetic operations such as
adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing by a constant. You can normalize a signal to a new mean,
raise it to a power, apply trigonometric or logarithmic functions, take the absolute value or use the linear
equation Y=mX+c. You can apply these arithmetic operations to the entire signal or only a portion
thereof.
For example, we can use PTIME to Copy from central the signal SAETRN.dac, and then use MART to
raise the SAETRN.dac signal from 1000 seconds to the end of the signal by the power 1.1.
1. Double-click Copy form central in PTIME
2. Enter saetrn for Database Entry to Copy and click OK
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3. Double-click Change an entry... > edit Details in PTIME

4. Verify that SAETRN is selected for Database Entry to Edit
5. Click OK
6. Click Yes when asked to overwrite
7. Pull down Load type | Units to Force | Newton
8. Double-click eXite to close PTIME
Now start MART to apply arithmetic operation
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Arithmetic Manipulation
(mart)...
(Or start MART from the system prompt by typing mart).
2. Double-click Raise to a power
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3. Enter saetrn.dac for Input Filename

4. Click OK
The form is updated so you can enter new values for the output file.
5. Enter saetrn2.dac for Output Filename
6. Enter 1.1 for Raise to Power
7. Enter 1000 for From
Change the default value in the databox to 1000. This will raise all Y values to the power 1.1
starting at 1000 seconds to the end of the signal.
8. Enter Force and Newton for Ylabel and Units databoxes respectively
A summary of all the output data is shown.
10. Inspect the summary form and then click End
11. Double-click eXit to close MART
You can view before and after results of saetrn.dac using MMFD module:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display > Multi-File Display (mmfd)...
This will select all the .dac files in your working directory. Note that the number of files selected
is 2 (saetrn.dac and saetrn2.dac).
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Figure 21-3
Display of Saetrn.dac Signal Raised to the Power of 1.1
Multi-Channel Editor - MCOE

MCOE allows you to tabularly view, edit or create multiple time signals (files/channels) simultaneously.
1. Pull down Tools >MSC.Fatigue >Advanced Loading Utilities >Multi Channel Editor (mcoe)
(Or start MCOE from the system prompt by typing mcoe).
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2. Double-click Edit
You will be presented with a screen to select files. The operation of selecting files is identical
whether you are browsing, editing, or creating. When creating you simply enter a file name and
click OK for each column of data.
3. Enter *.dac for Input Filename(s) and click OK

This will automatically select all the .dac files in your current working directory. Note that the
number of the files selected is 2. These are saetrn.dac and saetrn2.dac files, created from the
previous section.
4. Click the OK two times
A spreadsheet with four columns will appear. The first two columns are fixed data corresponding
to the point number and the time. Only the right two columns of data are editable. You can edit
any cell in these two right columns. start by selecting the column with the cursor or using the
arrow keys and then type the new value.
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Table 21-2 diatribes a number commands at the top of the spreadsheet that are useful for editing and
viewing data.
Table 21-2
MCOE Commands for Editing and Viewing Data
Description
Command
File
This has only two options, Back or OK. Both will end the editing session and quit from
MCOE. Only OK will actually save any changes.
View
These commands under this pull-down are simple. They allow you to scroll up or down,
right or left, or to the beginning or end of the spreadsheet.
Goto
This allows you to specify which row to go to based on the X value (time).
finD
This will find the next row in the current column with the value specified based on the
criteria of greater than, less than, between, or closest to.
Opts
This is perhaps the most useful of the commands for editing the tabular data. These
options are discussed below.
Pref
This sets preferences. For example, how you would like to select cells, or view number
formats in the columns. You can even scale the X-axis (time) and define the format of
exported files.
Next
This finds the next number based on the previously set finD command.
5. Click Opts
You will see the following options that are available for editing the spreadsheet (see the MSC
Fatigue Users Guide for options not mentioned here). Experiment with any of these as you see fit
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Gap: This command appends the specified duration of time onto the end of a signal. You type a
number into the automatically selected cell and a linear interpolation occurs filling the cells inbetween. The next time duration gap is determined from you entering another data value in the
selected cell with interpolation occurring again. This cycle continues until you select another cell
or invoke some other command.
Delete: This deletes all cells within the specified time duration. Cells below the deleted cells
move up and close the gap.

Copy: Copies the data values in the specified time duration.
paSte: Pastes values that have been copied into the specified time duration overwriting any
existing values.
cYcle: Appends a saw tooth type signal to the end of a column by specifying the
maximum/minimum, range, number of cycles and mean.

Insert: Inserts the number of points or the time duration specified at the current row for the
specified columns. A start and end data value are requested and intermediate values are linearly
interpolated.
Append: Appends to the end of the signal the length of time or the number of points specified. It
also requests a beginning and ending value and all other values in-between are linearly
interpolated.
Join: This command asks for a start time and an end time and changes all values in-between
based on a linear interpolation for the specified data columns.

Export: Creates a file with default extension .txt of the columns of data in the spreadsheet.
Plot: Plots the specified columns using the MMFD multi-file display program.
Rescale and offset: Specifies a start time and an end time, the column(s) to apply the scaling and
offset, and the scale factor and the offset values.

Format columns: This allows you to hide or unhide columns from the spreadsheet, fix (or unfix)
them to protect columns from data entry if desired, and to group columns for multiple column
operations in other options.
eXit: This is the same as OK from the File pull-down to save and exit.
Quit: This is the same as Back from the File pull-down exit without saving.
Note:
A back up of each file specified is created with extension .bak. So you can always retrieve the
original data if you make a mistake.
Rainflow Cycle Counter - MCYC

The rainflow cycle counter, mCYC, processes a time series signal, by extracting fatigue cycles according
to the rainflow cycle counting algorithm. The utility is useful as it allows the user to count cycles using
the same parameters (gate, range, bin width) for comparing and assessing various time signals.
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The results are presented in the form of a range-mean or a max-min matrix which can be displayed or
used as input to mCLF or MSLF. In addition, a file containing a description of each cycle can be
generated. If the time of each cycle can be stored, this file may also be used in crack growth analysis.
For example, use PTIME to Copy from central the time history, SAETRN, then start the Rainflow
Cycle Counter:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Rainflow Cycle Counter
(Or start MCYC from the system prompt by typing mcyc).
2. Verify that saetrn.dac is selected for Input Filename and click OK

By default, mCYC expects the input data to be a standard .dac file, but files with the correct
internal format but different file extensions must have their names entered in full e.g.
filename.pvx
Cycle Files
1. Select Cycle Files for Output Type
You can select Histogram, Cycles Files, or Both. The layout of the lower part of the MCYCInput Parameters form and the next form will depend on the selection made here. Store Cycle
Time and Cycles Filename are only activated if Cycles File or Both are selected. However if you
select Histogram or Both, the Histogram File, Range Parameters and Mean Parameters are
activated as shown on the next section.
2. Enter a value for Gate
The Gate is used to filter cycles (e.g. 75 which is approximately 10% of the max indicated value
747). The value entered here must be in physical units (usually microstrain) and greater than zero.
If the gate value is more than half the size of the largest cycle in the input file, an error message
will be issued. All cycles bigger than the gate will be counted.
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3. Select one of the two options available (Time or Points) for Window Type
Selecting one or the other changes the next input to time or points.
4. Enter a value for both Start Time and End Time
If you have selected Points for Window Type then you need to enter Start Point and End Point.
(e.g. start+6 -start 6 seconds or points from start and end-100 - end 100 seconds or points from
end). The default is START and END.
5. Select one of the two options available (No, Yes) for Store Cycle Time
If Yes is selected, a time based cycles file (.tcy) is generated that can be used in crack growth
analysis. If no is selected, a .cyc file is generated that stores the ranges and means from the largest
cycle onwards.
6. Enter a name for Cycles Filename
7. Select one of the three options available (No, Yes or Slow) for Sort Cycles
The .tcy file can be re-ordered if desired using Sort Cycles. If No is selected the cycles are sorted
in order of size. Note that if sorting is not carried out, it is possible that a crack growth analysis
will be wrong since the order of the cycles is important in crack growth analysis. If Yes is selected
the cycles are sorted in order of time. Slow selects an old method for sorting which requires less
disk space than the current faster method. If disk space is not a concern, do not use this option.
8. Enter a value for WSR Exponent
The WSR component field is for the exponent on which to base the weighted stress range (range
2-10). The value of 2 would give a rms of stress ranges, the default of 3 gives a root mean cube
used typically with welded joint S-N curves. For crack growth, the Paris Law exponent, m, should
be used.
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A results summary form is displayed if only Cycles Files was selected.
10. Inspect the form and click End to close it

Histogram Limits
Follow the steps below If you select Histogram or Both for Output Type:
1. Select Histogram for Output Type
The Histogram File, Range Parameters and Mean Parameters are activated.
2. Enter a value for Gate
3. Select Time for Window Type
4. Enter a value for both Start Time and End Time
5. Enter a name for Histogram File
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6. Click OK
The fields that are activated depend upon whether the environment keyword HISTFORM is set to
MINMAX (use the full range from minimum to maximum values) or BINSIZ (specify on the
minimum and the bin width).
Min (Range) - For the purposes of scaling the histogram, the range of the smallest cycle to be
represented in the histogram must be entered in physical units. If there are any cycles smaller
than the minimum range specified, then those cycles will be excluded from the histogram.
Max (Range) - For the purposes of scaling the histogram, the range of the largest cycle to be
represented in the histogram must be entered in physical units. If there are any cycles larger than
the maximum range specified, then those cycles will be excluded from the histogram.
No. of Bins - To scale the histogram, specify the number of bins into which to classify the cycle
ranges. Any integer up to a maximum of 128 may be entered.

Min (mean) - For the purposes of scaling the histogram, the smallest mean value to be
represented must be entered in physical units. If there are any cycles whose mean values are
smaller than the value specified, then those cycles will be excluded from the histogram.
Max (mean) - For the purposes of scaling the histogram, the largest mean value to be
represented must be entered in physical units. If there are any cycles whose mean values are
greater than the value specified, then those cycles will be excluded from the histogram.
No. of Bins - To scale the histogram, specify the number of bins into which to classify the cycle
means. Any integer up to a maximum of 128 may be entered.

If the environment variable HISTFORM is set to BINSIZ (set in mENM) then this field is
displayed. The format (size and shape) of the histogram can be set by specifying the bin width.
By default the program calculates the bin width needed to include the maximum values in the
input file but the user can enter a smaller or larger width.
Max-Min - The max-min option will plot a histogram based on a count of cycles between the
between the maximum and minimum cycle. To scale the histogram, specify the number of bins
into which to classify these cycles. Any integer up to a maximum of 128 may be entered.
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9. Click Yes when asked to view the histogram
The output histogram using the range-mean option is shown below.
Figure 21-4
Display of Cycle Histogram Distribution for SAETRN
Formula Processor - MFRM

MFRM is a formula processor for time series data or histogram files. It is a very powerful tool that
includes its own programming language. Virtually any formula can be applied to any number of time
history or histogram files. The formulas are defined via an ASCII template file that is created manually
using a text editor. MFRM then reads the template file and executes the commands. After execution the
resultant files can be graphically displayed.
Follow the steps below as a quick example:
1. Define a file called example.frm using any text editor with the following content:
; --- Define all the files --%QYFIL /FILE=F1 /PROMPT="Enter filename" /TYPE=INPUT
%DFFIL /FILE=F2 /NAME=positive /TYPE=OUTPUT /OV=y
%DFFIL /FILE=F3 /NAME=negative /TYPE=OUTPUT /OV=y
%DFFIL /FILE=F4 /NAME=positive2 /TYPE=OUTPUT /OV=y
%DFFIL /FILE=F5 /NAME=negative2 /TYPE=OUTPUT /OV=y
;
; --- Carry out the calculations --;
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%BEGIN
;
%IF(F1 > 0)
F2=F1
%ELSE
F2=0
%ENDIF
%IF(F1 < 0)
F3=F1
%ELSE
F3=0
%ENDIF
F4=MAX(F1,0)
F5=MIN(F1,0)
;
%END
2. Pull-down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Formula Processor (mfrm)
(Or start MFRM from the system prompt by typing mfrm).
3. Select Run the formula template
4. Click List
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5. Select example.frm as the template file that you just created and click OK
6. Enter saetrn.dac input filename and click OK
You will be prompted for an input file. This can be any .dac formatted type of time series file. For
example, use saetrn.dac from the previous section for an input file. The processing will begin
once this input file has been selected.
7. Select Plot results files
Figure 21-5
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A Plot of the Resulting F2, F3, F4, and F5 Files

If you look carefully at the template file you can see what operations are being executed. The first line
prompts for the input file to process. Internally the input file will be known as a variable called F1.
The next four lines define output files that will be internally knows as variables F2, F3, F4, and F5
respectively. They are given the names positive, negative, positive2, and negative2. The default file
extension is .dac.
The next section of the template file contains the operations to be performed. These operations take F1
and break it up into its positive component and its negative component. This can be accomplished in two
ways. The first way is done in the first IF-ELSE-ENDIF command by setting any points greater than
zero in file F1 to file F2 and anything less than zero to zero. The second IF-ELSE-ENDIF command
then does the negative side. The final two lines accomplish the exact same task by using the intrinsic math
function MAX and MIN by taking the maximum or minimum of each point in the signal by comparing
to zero.
MFRM has the ability to perform very complex operations using IF statements, LOOPs, arithmetic,
logarithmic and trigonometric functions as well as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and
raising to a power. See the MSC Fatigue Users Guide for a full description of the MFRM commands and
language syntax.
File Cut and Paste - MLEN

MLEN allows you to adjust the length of time signals by extracting or deleting sections, and
concatenating files. Signals can be reversed and the starting and ending points of each signal can be
smoothed. These operations can be on a single file or multiple files simultaneously.
For example, use PTIME to Copy from central the three SAE histories, SAETRN, SAESUS, and
SAEBRAKT.dac. Then use MLEN to extract a section from each simultaneously such that each signal
is the same length.
1. Double-click Copy form central in PTIME
2. Click List
3. Shift select SAESUS, and SAEBRAKT for Database Entry to Copy
Note that the signal Saetrn already exist in your current working directory from the previous
sections, so you do not need to select it again.
4. Click OK
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6. Pull-down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > File Cut and Paste (mlen)...
(Or start MLEN from the system prompt by typing mlen).
7. Double-click 2. Extract Section - Multiple File

You may select an item and click OK or double-click the item only.
8. Double-click Separate filenames as the Entry Method
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9. Enter saetrn.dac, saesus.dac, saebrakt.dac for Input Filenames and click OK

When entering multiple Input Filenames, add a comma to seperate each name..
10. Click OK to update the form

11. Select Modify extension
12. Enter mod for New Extension
13. Select Time[X-axis] for Window Selection
14. Verify that Start Time is set to START
15. Enter 1898 for End Time
1898 seconds, corresponds to the maximum time of the shortest signal. The first 1898 seconds of
each signal is extracted and new files called saetrn, saesus, and saebrakt.mod are created.
16. Click OK and then click End

17. Double-click eXit to close MLEN
Use MMFD to view the before (.dac) and after (.mod) displays of the signals:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display > Multi-File Display (mmfd)...
Note that the number of files selected is 3 (saesus.dac, saebrakt.dac and saetrn.dac).
4. Pull down View > Window X to change the range for x-axis
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5. Input 1650 for Xmin and press Enter

6. Input 2250 for Xmax and press Enter
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Figure 21-6
Display of SAE Hisotries (.dac) Befor Extraction
Figure 21-7
Display of SAE Hisotries (.mod) After Extraction

Multi-File Manipulation - MMFM

MMFM is a module that allows for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and vector addition of
multiple time signals.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Multi-File Manipulation
(Or start MMFM from the system prompt by typing mmfm).
Addition of individual files is as such: file1 + file2 + ... + fileN.

Subtraction of individual files is as such: file1 - (file2 + file3 + ... + fineN).
Multiplication is as such: file1 * file2 * ... * fileN.
Division is as such: file1 / (file2 * file3 * ... * fileN).
Vector addition is performed as follows: (file12 + file22)1/2 or (file12 + file22 + file32)1/2.
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Experiment by taking the three signals from the previous exercise and performing the various arithmetic
operations. For example, here is a plot where the three signals were added together. Note that the original
signals were of varying length. You can display the plot using MQLD.
Figure 21-8
Peak-Valley Extraction - MPVXMUL

MPVXMUL extracts turning points (maxima and minima or peaks and valleys) from single
parameter files such as .dac and RPC multiple data - channel files. The peak valley extraction process
maintains synchronous phase by writing corresponding data values to all the output files whenever a
turning point is found in any channel. Facilities for gating out small peak valley pairs by absolute value
or by percentage of range, on each channel, are available.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Peak-Valley Extraction
(MPVXMUL)...
(Or start MPVXMUL from the system prompt by typing mpvxmul).
2. Select DAC or RPC for the Input File type and click OK
3. Enter a name for Generic Input Filename, and click OK

4. Enter your desired value for Channels, and Output Filename
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5. Select either No or Yes for Write time file

6. Click OK
See the MSC.Fatigue Users Guide for file naming conventions and other information. The range
of cycles from rainflow analysis can be used as the gate in the completion of your analysis. This
information along with other relative data is entered on the analysis setup form that is displayed.
See the MSC.Fatigue Users Guide for more information.
Note:
Input .dac files exist as families of files with a common generic name but with different numbers
appended to the name which denotes the channel number (i.e., test01.dac, test02.dac, etc., where test
is the generic name).
Simultaneous Values Analysis DAC/RPC - MSIMMAX

MSIMMAX performs simultaneous values analysis on either multi-channels in a single RPC file or
multiple DAC files from the same test. Two analysis methods are available. The first uses a control
channel, from which turning points are extracted and scanned for the highest peaks, the lowest valleys or
the highest absolute maxima. Up to 50 of these events may be saved, with their positions in the data. The
simultaneous values of all the other channels at these positions are saved into the output files. The second
method scans each of the input channels for the single largest maximum, minimum or absolute
maximum. For each channel, the simultaneous values of all other channels at the position of the largest
event is saved into the output files. The output file created is a tab separated ASCII file suitable for input
to a spreadsheet or word processing package. Follow the steps below to open this module:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Simultaneous Values
Analysis DAC/RPC - MSIMMAX
2. Select DAC or RPC for the Input File type and click OK
Note:
Input .dac files exist as families of files with a common generic name but with different
numbers appended to the name which denotes the channel number (i.e., vib01.dac, vib02.dac,
etc., where vib is the generic name).
3. Copy the file Sine01.dac from P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/Ptime to your current working

directory
4. Enter sine for Generic Filename
This form is the Filename Input form which allows the names of the input and output files to be
specified. For an input file type of RPC the RPC Filename field appears and for an input file type
of DAC the Generic Filename field appears.
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5. Enter a value for Channels, and Output Filename

6. Select either Yes or No for Recalculate Statistics
7. Click OK
The final form for MSIMMAX is the Analysis Definition form. This form allows you to choose
between Sort Channel analysis and All Channels analysis. It is here that the limits are set and
the event type is selected. This information along with other relative data is entered on the form
that is shown below. See the MSC.Fatigue Users Guide for more information.
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Amplitude Distribution - MADA

MADA, amplitude distribution analysis, calculates the probability density distribution (which defines the
probability of finding a value of a particular magnitude within the population of measured values) and
other function of a time signal.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Amplitude Distribution
2. Enter saetrn.dac as input to MADA and click OK
3. Pull dwon Analysis Type to Prob. Distribution and click OK
This will create the saetrn.ada file here which is the probability density function of Y-values.
5. Click Yes when asked to plot the output
Figure 21-9
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Display of saetrn.ada, Probability Density Function of Y-Values

Auto Spectral Density - MASD

MASD performs a frequency analysis of a time signal to determine frequency content. Various output
types are available which are beyond the scope of this text. Perhaps the best use of this module comes in
vibration fatigue problems for converting time signals into power spectral density functions (PSDFs).
As an example, let us convert the time signal SAETRN, used in many of the previous sections in this
chapter into a PSDF, which will quickly show us the frequency content of the signal.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Auto Spectral Density
(masd)...
(Or double-click creaTe psd from time in PTIME).
2. Enter saetrn.dac for Input Filename
The form is updated so you can enter output information.
4. Pull down Output Type to Power Spectral Density
5. Click OK
6. Accept all the defaults on this form and click OK to continue
7. Select Yes for Plot Output and click OK
You are presented with a Results Summary form.
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8. Click End to close the summary form and view the plot
Figure 21-10
A display of the resulting PSDF is shown above. Note that only one predominate frequency is present in
the signal at around 1/2 Hz plus a DC component at zero Hz. This PSDF could be used as input to a
vibration fatigue analysis.
Fast Fourier Filtering - MFFF

MFFF uses filtering techniques to remove frequency content from a signal. As an example, invoke
PTIME and follow the steps below to create a white noise signal:
1. Double-click Add an entry... > white Noise in PTIME
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2. Enter noise for Filename

3. Enter noise for Description 1
4. Enter 100 for Total Time of Signal and click OK
This will create a signal with frequency content at all frequencies. To see this start MASD:
5. Double-click Add an entry... > creaTe psd from time in PTIME to start MASD
6. Enter NOISE.DAC for Input Filename
7. Verify that Output Type is set to Power Spectral Density, and click OK
The time signal will be converted to a PSDF and displayed (if Plot Output was turned ON). Since it has
frequency content across all frequencies it appears very random looking in the frequency domain just as
it does in the time domain. Use MMFD to view both plots of the original time signal and its
corresponding PSD.
8. Double-click Add an entry... > multi Channel > Display Histories in PTIME to start MMFD
9. Enter Noise.dac, Noise.psd for Input Filenames
10. Click OK twice to view the plots
Figure 21-11
Now start MFFF to apply Fast Fourier Filtering:
11. Pull down Tools MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities> Fast Fourier Filtering (mfff)...
12. Enter NOISE.DAC for Input Filename and click OK
13. Enter NOISE2 for Output Filename
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14. Select 3 band pass for Filter Type

15. Enter 20 for Lower Edge Cutoff Freq.
16. Enter 30 for Upper Edge Cutoff Freq.
17. Click OK
18. Inspect the summary form and click END
19. Again invoke MASD to convert the new signal, noise2.dac to a PSDF (noise2.psd)
20. Use MMFD as described in previous section to view the PSD plots before and after filtering
Notice that all frequency content has above 30 Hz and below 20 Hz was removed from the signal.
Figure 21-12
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Butterworth Filtration - MBFL

MBFL also uses filtering techniques to remove frequency content from a signal and can be accessed from
Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Butterworth Filtration (mbfl)...
If you perform the same steps as the previous section on the MFFF module and apply a Band pass filter
between 20 and 30 Hz on the NOISE.DAC file, with the new Output Filename set to NOISE3, you will
get the lower plot as shown here. Notice the difference in the filtering between MBFL and MFFF. MBFL
allows for some leakage and gives a smoother transition instead of completely eliminating frequency
content.
Frequency Response Analysis - MFRA

MFRA performs frequency response analysis and calculates the transfer function of a single input, single
response system. Perhaps the most useful application of this module is to compute the cross correlation
function between the two supplied response signals. These correlation terms can then be used as input to
a vibration fatigue analysis. As an example:
1. Copy over the three files 1pk.asc, 2pk.asc, 3pk.asc from P3_HOME\mscfatigue_files\examples
to your current working directory
2. Double-click Add an entry... > ASCII convert+load
This option will load these three signals which can be thought of as three input of a multiple load
case problem acting simultaneously but in separate locations of an FE model.
3. Enter 1pk.asc for ASCII Filename and click OK
4. Enter 50 for Sample Rate
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5. Pull down Equally Spaced Data to X-y pairs and click OK

6. Enter something for Description 1
7. Click OK to load the file
8. Repeat steps 2-7 to load 2pk.asc and 3pk.asc files
9. Double-click eXit to quit from PTIME when you are done converting the files
Note:
These are large ASCII files and take some time to load.
10. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Loading Utilities > Frequency Response
Analysis (mfra)...
(Or start MFRA from the system prompt by typing mfra).
11. Select Transfer Function Analysis and click OK
12. Enter 1pk.dac for Input Filename

13. Enter 2pk.dac for Response Filename
14. Click OK to accept the files

16. Enter pk1_2 for Generic Output Filename and click OK
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17. Double-click Results Display

18. Click OK to accept pk1_2 for Generic Results Name
19. Select 7.All result files and click OK
20. Repeat the same steps for 1pk.dac vs. 3pk.dac and 2pk.dac vs. 3pk.dac using the Generic
Output Filename, pk1_3 and pk2_3 respectively.
When the analysis is done, you can then use these PSDF and their cross correlation terms as loading input
to a vibration fatigue analysis. By using PTIME you can set up the PSD matrix information for these three
input loadings from Add an entry... > Psd matrix, the size of the matrix being 3x3. All the files from
the transfer function analysis (*.sxx, *.syy, *.sxy) must be loaded into PTIME first. The matrix of PSDF
and cross correlation files would look like this:
pk1_2.sxx or
pk1_3.sxx
pk1_2.sxy
pk1_3.sxy
pk1_2.sxy
pk1_2.syy or
pk2_3.sxx
pk2_3.sxy
pk1_3.sxy
pk2_3.sxy
pk2_3.syy or
pk1_3.syy
Note:
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The diagonal terms in the PSD matrix of PSD and cross term files could also be created using
MASD directly.

Statistical Analysis - MRSTATS

MRSTATS analyzes a time signal and produces a number of running statistics about the signal, each of
which can be plotted by the standard plotting routines such as MQLD (quick look display), MTPD (two
parameter display), or MMFD (multi-file display). To start this utility pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue
> Advanced Loading Utilities > Statistical Analysis (mrstats)...
The statistics that are determined are running: RMS (.rms), Standard Deviation (.rsd), Mean (.mea),
Maximum Value (.max), Minimum Value (.min), Absolute Maximum Value (.abs), Area Under Data
(.are). Each new signal is defined by its extension. The statistics are determined by breaking the signal
into segments and calculating the statistics on each segment. The length of a segment and the overlap of
each adjacent segment is user definable. Try running saetrn.dac through MRSTATS. Shown here are the
statistical signals produced from running MRSTATS against the SAE signal saetrn.dac.
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Header/Footer Manipulation - MFILMNP

MMFILMNP allows you to view and manipulate/change header and extra detail information in any
signal. It also can be used to validate the integrity of a file. Use this module if you wish to quickly and
easily change axis labels or units and title information or you wish to validate the signal which will try
and correct or flag any problems with the file. To start this utility pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue >
Advanced Loading Utilities > Header/Footer Manipulation (mfilmnp)...
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Aside from the FE based fatigue analyzers described in detail in these exercises, the following fatigue
analysis utilities are also available, some of which have been described in earlier exercises. Most accept
stress or strain response data as input. These response signals can be measured or simulated from FE
analysis. For instance, FEFAT has the ability to output the stress or strain response time signal at any
desired location on the FE model. FEVIB also has the same ability to output a response PSDF at any
location. These can be used as input to the single location fatigue analyzers described below.
Single Location S-N Analysis - MSLF

MSLF is a Total Life or S-N analyzer. It accepts a stress response time signal as input in the form of a
.dac file. It also can accept rainflow histograms or simple constant amplitude or maximum/minimum
input. Operation is simple and very similar to that of the FE equivalent fatigue analyzer FEFAT.
When invoked the first time, you are led through a series of setup screens to define the job. Once the job
is defined, you are then taken to a Postprocessing Options menu where you can modify any aspect of the
job setup and recalculate the results.
As an example, use PTIME to copy from central the three SAE time histories SAETRN, SAESUS,
SAEBRAKT, if they have not already been copied over from an earlier exercise. We will assume they
are stress responses this time. Follow the steps below to start MSLF:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Single Location S-N Analysis
(Or start MSLF from the system prompt by typing mslf).
2. Enter slf_example for Jobname

3. Answer Yes to the ensuing question
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4. Enter saetrn.dac for Filename

7. Verify that Mean Stress Correction is set to None and click OK
8. Enter MANTEN for Dataset Name and click OK
9. Verify that Kf value is set to 1 and click OK
10. Pull down Cycles File to Yes
The analysis will proceed, the results will be presented.
12. Inspect the results summary and click End
Eventually you will be placed in the Post Processing Options menu.
13. Answer Yes to any overwrite permission questions
14. Double-click multiple File in Post Processing Options form
15. Enter saetrn.dac, saesus.dac, saebrakt.dac for Input Filename(s)

16. Click OK
The number of files select should be 3.
The analysis will take place again except this time all three time signals (which are being treated
as stress time histories) will be processed and the fatigue lives reported for each.
18. Double-click eXit to quit MSLF when you are finished
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Single Location e-N Analysis - MCLF

MCLF is a single location Crack Initiation fatigue analyzer. It accepts a strain response time signal as
input in the form of a .dac file. It also can accept rainflow histograms or simple constant amplitude or
maximum/minimum strain input. Operation is simple and very similar to that of the FE equivalent fatigue
analyzer FEFAT.
When invoked the first time, you are lead through a series of setup screens to define the job. Once the job
is defined you are then placed in a Post Processing Options menu where you can modify any aspect of
the job setup and recalculate the results.
As an example, use the three SAE time histories SAETRN, SAESUS, SAEBRAKT, that you copied
over from the previous exercise with MSLF and then follow the steps below to start MCLF:
Note:
If you dont have a copy of the SAE time history signals in your current working directory use
Copy from central in PTIME similar to the previous exercises. See section Arithmetic
Manipulation - MART
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Single Location e-N Analysis
(Or start MCLF from the system prompt by typing mclf).
2. Enter a new job name such as clf_example

4. Select hoMogenous for Material Type
5. Enter saetrn_clf.dac for Filename
6. Enter 2 for Scale Factor
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8. Verify that Mean Stress Correction is set to None and click OK

9. Enter MANTEN for Dataset Name and click OK
10. Verify that Kf value is set to 1 and click OK
11. Pull down Cycles File to Yes and click OK
The analysis will proceed, the results will be presented.
12. Inspect the results summary form and click End
Eventually you will be placed in the Post Processing Options menu.
14. Double-click multiple File in Post Processing Options form
15. Enter saetrn.dac, saesus.dac, saebrakt.dac for Input Filename(s)

16. Click OK
The number of files selected should be 3.
The analysis will take place again except this time all three time signals (which are being treated
as strain time histories) will be processed and the fatigue lives reported for each.
18. Click OK to close the form with the multiple file results
Note:
You can display cycle and damage plots or go back and change any of the inputs using
Recalculate and Display Results options.
As one last exercise:

19. Double-click Output definition
20. Pull down Hysteresis loops to Yes and click OK
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22. Inspect the results summary page and click End
23. Double-click Display results > Hysteresis loops
The five largest hysteresis loops will be displayed.
Figure 21-13
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24. Double-click eXit to quit MCLF when you are finished

Note:
MCLF can accept either measured or purely elastic signals such as those from FE. If purely
elastic signals are fed to MCLF, it will perform elastic-plastic correction. Measured data is
assumed to be the true strains and therefore undergoes no correction. You must specify this
on the Service Loading Environment form.
Cycle and Damage Analysis - MCDA

MCDA is a 2D cycle and damage histogram display program. It allows you to look at cycles vs. range or
cycles vs. mean of cycle or damage data or both simultaneously. You may specify up to two different
cycle histograms with default extensions of .cyo for comparison purposes. It automatically looks for a
corresponding .dhh, damage histograms, if they exist.
As an example in the last exercise using MCLF, you analyzed three different time signals, saetrn.dac,
saesus.dac, and saebrakt.dac. Corresponding .cyo and .dhh files should exist in your working directory.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Cycle and Damage Analysis
(Or start MCDA from the system prompt by typing mcda).
2. Specify saetrn.cyo and saesus.cyo as the Name of Cycles Histogram and Second Cycles
Histogram respectively and click OK to continue
3. Select Plot Damage/Cycles - File 1
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4. Click OK to see both damage and cycles superimposed on each for Saetrn
5. Pull down File > Return to get back to Plot Options menu
6. Select Plot Damage/Cycles - File 2 and click OK to the plots for Saesus
7. Both plots clearly show that the cycles cause the most damage.
Note:
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MCDA can be spawned directly from MCLF (and MSLF) from the Display results >
damage Analysis menu, if you pull down Cycles File to Yes for output.

Cycles File Lister - MCYL

MCYL is a convenient utility to list a cycles file to the screen or a file. Cycle files are produced by various
MSC.Fatigue programs and have the extensions .cyc, .clf, .slf, or .tcy. For example in the previous
exercise a cycles file called saetrn.slf was produced.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Cycles File Lister (mcyl)...
(Or start MCYL from the system prompt by typing mcyl).
2. Double-click list a Cycles file and select saetrn.slf for Input Filename to list the cycles file
A cycles and/or damage matrix can also be created from a cycles file or listed to the screen or a file. A
cycles or damage matrix can also be written to a file that is formatted for import to a spreadsheet program.
Note:
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You can spawn MCYL from both MCLF and MSLF to list cycle files and matrices directly
from the Display Results > List cycles menu if you pull down Cycles File to Yes for output.

Time Correlated Damage - MTCD

MTCD is a time correlated damage analyzer. It is similar in nature to MCLF in that it is strain based and
calculates damage based on Crack Initiation, the difference being that damage is summed over time and
in the sequence that the cycles are seen. To see this do the following:
Use the SAE time history SAETRN as in the previous MCLF example. Again we are assuming this
signal is a strain response.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue> Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Time Correlated Damage
(Or start MTCD from the system prompt by typing mtcd).
2. Enter tcd_example for Jobname

4. Enter saetrn.dac for Filename
5. Enter 2 for Filename and click OK
7. Enter MANTEN for Material Name and click OK
8. Click OK on each setup screen to accept all defaults as you are presented with each one
The analysis will proceed, the results will be presented and eventually you will be placed in the
Post Processing Options.
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10. Select Display Results > Time-Damage plot
Note that this plots the strain time signal above a damage file. The damage is shown vs. time and
distinctly shows where in the time signal most of the damaging events are occurring.
Figure 21-14
11. Pull down File > eXIt to close the plot
12. Double-click Output Definition on MTCDs Post Processing menu
13. Select Cumulative for Output Filetype and click OK
15. Click Yes when asked to overwirte
16. Inspect the summary form and click End to continue
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17. Select Display Results > Time-Damage plot to view the new plot
Note that this time the plot of damage is cumulative over time.
18. Pull sown File > eXit to close the plot

19. Double-click eXit to quit MTCD when you are finished
Single Location Vibration Fatigue - MFLF

MFLF is a single location, stress-based fatigue analysis module that accepts stress response PSDFs as
input. This module has also been mentioned in an earlier chapter. As an example of usage copy over the
original SAE history saetrn.dac to your working directory. This signal is assumed to contain a stress time
response.
Use MASD to convert the time signal into the frequency domain by converting it to a PSDF. See the
section on MASD in this chapter for instruction on how to do this. Use all the default settings. The output
file name should be saetrn.psd.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue> Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Single Location Vibration
(Or start MFLF from the system prompt by typing mflf).
2. Enter saetrn.psd for Input Filename and click OK
3. Accept all defaults on this form and click OK to continue
4. Enter saetrn_slv for Output Filename and click OK to continue
5. Enter MANTEN for Dataset Name and click OK to continue
6. Click OK on each setup screen to accept all defaults as you are presented with each one
The analysis will proceed, the results will be presented in a summary form, and eventually you
will be placed in the Post Processing Options.
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8. Select Display results... > Cycles histogram

10. Double-click eXit to quit MFLF when you are finished
Note:
This example is for illustration purposes only. The signal used in this example is not actually
an appropriate signal to use in that it is not truly random or gaussian as required by a random
vibration fatigue analysis.
Stress-Strain Analysis - mSSA

Stress-Strain Analysis processes rosetta data and finite element data from MSC Fatigue, including
software strain gauges. this module can be accessed from Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue
Utilities > Stress-Strain Analysis (mssa)...
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MSSA creates outputs suitable for use by either the stress or strain-life fatigue analyzers. It also provides
an indication of the state of multiaxiality present, suggests possible processing routines through the
fatigue analyzers and has a multiaxial fatigue analyzer that works by using a MSC Fatigue .fes file.
In addition to this, the module can be used to convert elastic-plastic strain records, measured on one
material, to that of another material. It can also convert elastic-plastic strain records to equivalent fully
elastic ones and visa-versa.
Multi-Axial Life Analysis - MMLF

MMLF is a single location multiaxial fatigue analyzer based on Crack Initiation and has been briefly
referred to in a previous chapter. It requires three strain input signals which typically come from strain
gauge rosettes. For rectangular rosettes the signals are separated by 45 degrees. For delta rosettes the
signals are separated by 60 degrees.
As an example, take the three SAE histories that we have been using thus far (saetrn.dac, saesus.dac,
saebrakt.dac), except run them through MLEN and chop them all to 1800 seconds.(See the previous
section on File Cut and Paste - MLEN, page 800 to learn how to do this.) We will assume that these new
signals are from a rectangular rosette.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue> Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Multi-Axial Life Analysis
(Or start MMLF from the system prompt by typing mmlf).
2. Enter mlf_example for Jobname
4. Click Starin-life for Select Job Type
5. Verify that Input Type is set to Rosette
6. Verify that Rosette Type is set to Rectangular
7. Enter saetrn.mod, saesus.mod and, saebrakt.mod for Gauge 1, 2 and 3 respectively
Note:
MMLF does not accept input files of variable length, use MLEN to extract a section from
each of the SAE histories, such that each signal is the same length.
If you changed the name or extension of the histories to .mod in MLEN, enter the new name
or extension in step 7.
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10. Enter MANTEN for Material Name and click OK
11. Enter mlf_example for Results name and click OK
12. Answer Yes to allow overwrite
The analysis will proceed, the results summary will be presented and eventually you will be
placed in the Post Processing Options.
14. Select Display results >
Plot any of the results you wish in this menu selection.
Damage histogram
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damage pOlar plot
Cycle histogram.
Note:
Strain signals input to MMLF are assumed to be elastic-plastic. No elastic-plastic corrections are
performed in MMLF. Use MSSA and/or SSG to do this if necessary from FE data.

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Crack Growth Data Analysis - MFCG

MFCG calculates the Paris Law coefficient, C, and exponent, m, in the expression da/dN = C(K)m from
actual raw test data obtained under constant amplitude loading conditions. Start MFCG as follows:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Crack Growth Data Analysis
(Or start MFCG form a system prompt by typing mfcg)..
Kt/Kf Evaluation - MKTAN

MKTAN is the database library for calculating the stress concentration factors, Kt, of various geometries.
In a sense it is very similar to the PKSOL utility function for calculating compliance functions for Crack
Growth analysis.
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The value of Kt calculated can be used as the Kt or Kf input to the single location analyzers, MSLF and
MCLF. Both a secured database of standard geometries and a user database for user defined geometries
is available.
The elastic stress concentration factor, Kt, is the ratio of the maximum stress at a stress raiser to the
nominal stress computed by the ordinary strength- of-material formulae, using the dimensions of the net
section. It can be used to account for the presence of a notch within a component or structure.
The magnitude of the Kt required depends on the nature of the notch and its geometry. It is well known
that small notches have less effect in fatigue than is indicated by Kt. This has led to the idea of a fatigue
concentration factor, Kf, which is normally less than Kt, being introduced and being used to replace Kt
within Neuber's rule. Kf is related to Kt according to:
Kf = 1 + (Kt - 1) / {1 + ( p' r ) }
where:
p' is a material constant dependent on grain size and strength and r is the notch root radius.
As an example of calculating a Kt value:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Advanced Fatigue Utilities > Kt/Kf Evaluation (mktan)...
(Or start MKTAN from the system prompt by typing mktan).
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2. Select Calculate > Secure Database from the MKTAN Main Menu
3. Select 3. Holes from the list and click OK

4. Select 1. Elliptical hole in an infinite plate and click OK
5. Click Calculate
6. Input 2 for b and press Enter
7. Input 1 for a and press Enter
The Kt calculated will be displayed.
Note:
This utility is mostly useful for measured responses where the measurement is a nominal value away
from the actual failure location or stress concentration. With FE based fatigue calculation, the stresses
and strains are all local, therefore Kt is always unity. Naturally, additional Kt or Kf values may be
entered in these cases if the FE is not capturing some stress concentration.
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Several display routines and three plotting/printing routines exist in MSC Fatigue. Before using the
plotting/printing modules to plot or display a graphical screen dump, you must capture the image to a file.
This is done from any graphical display in MSC Fatigue using by pulling down File > Hardcopy. You
will be prompted to supply a file name and a plot title. The file name can be anything, and you do not
need to supply a file extension. The extension of .plt will automatically be appended to the file name.
Graphical Editing-mGED
This module is the multi-channel interactive graphical editor for time series data allowing online
manipulation of a signal. Tasks such as cleaning up bad data, creating data, extending a signal, spike
removal, etc., are all easy and quick to carry out. This module can also operate in batch. For multi-channel
edits it creates its own NCL macro so that operations defined for one channel can be applied to all others,
without the need to do them interactively (on DOS platforms a BTP module is created). The assumption
is that the other signals are from the same test or at least exhibit the same sample rate, etc.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Graphical Editing (mged)...
(Or start mGED from the system prompt by typing mged).
Multi-File Display - mMFD

This module displays single parameter data files. The files may contain any type of sequential data
including time series, power spectra, time at level distributions, etc.
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Files may be displayed across four screen pages, with a maximum of eight files per page. Thus, allowing
up to 32 files to be presented. Three modes are offered for displaying the files on each page. They are:
separate plots, overlaid plots, and cross-plots.
Separate plots are those where each file is plotted independently of the others. Overlaid plots are where
all of the files are plotted using common axes. Cross-plots are where one file nominally forms the Xvalues against which the other files are plotted on common axes.
As an example, use the two time histories noise.dac, and noise.psd that you created in previous exercises
and view them with MMFT:
1. Pull down Tools > MSC Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Multi-File Display (mmfd)...
(Or double-click Multi-channel > Display Histories... in PTIME, to start MMFD).
2. Enter snoise.dac, and noise.psd for Input Filename

You can enter multiple input files if desired, just add a comma between filenames as shown:
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3. Click OK to accept the input files

Note that the number of the files selected changes to 2.
4. Click OK to update the form
5. Select Separate for Display Type and click OK
Quick Look Display - mQLD

This module displays single channel data file. The file must be in the .dac format, which includes time
histories, ASD results, ADA results, and any other results that have a constant X-axis increment. Use
mTPD for pared (X-Y) data and mP3D for histogram and waterfall data. Access mQLD from Tools >
MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Quick Look Display (mqld)....
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Two Parameter Display - mTPD

The two parameter display module displays pared (X-Y) data files. Displays may be scaled in various
ways. Functions for windowing specific fields and picking off coordinate pairs are also available. After
the data has been displayed, a menu will appear. Select your options and give the name of a data file to
display. The file is assumed to be in the local directory and have an extension .mdf. If you wish to access
another directory or use a file with a different extension, you will need to type in a fuller file specification.
Access mTPD from Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Two Parameter Display
Polar Display - mPOD

The polar display module displays pared (X-Y) data files. Displays may be scaled in various ways.
Functions for windowing specific fields and picking off coordinate pairs are also available. After the data
has been displayed, a menu will appear. Select your options and give the name of a data file to display.
The file is assumed to be in the local directory and have an extension .pod. If you wish to access another
directory or use a file with a different extension you will need to type in a fuller file specification.
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For example use MPOD module to view the .pdm file created in previous sections (for more details on
this file please see the section on Multi-Axial Life Analysis - MMLF, page 830).
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Graphical Display Utilities > Polar Display (mpod)...
(Or start MPOD from the system prompt by typing mpod).
2. Enter mlf_example.pdm for Input Filename
Three Dimensional Display - mP3D

This module is the histogram and waterfall display module. It accesses a standard nSoft histogram or
waterfall file and provides a 3D graphical representation in the form of a tower, surface, or waterfall plot.
The display can then be zoomed into, and positioned using rotation, tilt, and quadrant operations may
expose hidden areas. For histogram files originating from fatigue analysis damage/cycles files may be
plotted directly.
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In addition, mP3D will display the sum total occurrences of values along the X or Y-axis and display the
result as a 2D plot. For waterfall files, 2D plots of X-slice and Y-slice may be produced.TS
For example use mP3D module to view the saetrn.cyo file from the previous sections (for more details
on this file please see the section on Cycle and Damage Analysis - MCDA, page 830).
Access mP3D from Tools > MSC.Fatigue >Graphical Display Utilities >Three Dimensional Display:
Plot File (.plt) Display - MQPLOT (for UNIX)

MQPLOT is a UNIX based plotting utility where once you have created a.plt file you can load them into
MQPLOT for easy plotting and printing. You can load multiple files into MQPLOT and use it as a slide
show program also. To print the currently displayed plot, simply use the File > Print menu command.
For this to work you must have defined a printer using the MPLTSYS module explained next.
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Plot File (.plt) Display - MWNPLOT (for Windows)

MWNPLOT is a Windows based plotting utility where once you have created a .plt file you can load
them into MWNPLOT for easy plotting and printing. You can load multiple files into MWNPLOT and
use it as a slide show program also. To print the currently displayed plot, simply use the File > Print
menu command. Any compatible printer on the network can be accessed if you have added it to your list
of printers using the standard Windows Add Printer command. Access MWNPLOT as follows:
1. Pull down Tools >MSC.Fatigue >Graphical Display Utilities >Plot File (.plt) Display
(Or start MWNPLOT from a system prompt by typing mwnplot).
2. Pull down File > Load to load your desired .plt file
3. Pull down File > Load to print the currently displayed plot
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Six file translation utilities exist in MSC Fatigue. These utilities can be invoked as follows:
Convert Binary .dac to ASCII - MDTA

MDTA converts standard MSC Fatigue .dac files into ASCII form. This can also be done using the
MCOE. The difference is that MDTA can be run in batch mode and MCOE can not.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Convert Binary .dac to ASCII
(Or start MDTA from the system prompt by typing mdta).
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Convert ASCII to Binary .dac - MATD

MATD converts ASCII files into standard MSC Fatigue .dac files. This can also be done using PTIME.
The difference is that MATD can also process multi-channel ASCII files, thus creating multiple .dac files
from a single ASCII input file. Both run in batch mode for easy processing of multiple ASCII files.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Convert ASCII .dac to Binary
(Or start MATD from the system prompt by typing matd).
Signal Regeneration - MREGEN

MREGEN will take a three dimensional (three parameter) histogram matrix and will regenerate the time
signal from it. The resulting time signal is statistically equivalent to the original in that it will give the
same cycle count.
Note:
The MREGEN utility is not working in patran 2012.this issue will be fixed
in the futer versions.
As an example of this, take the SAE signal saetrn.dac and run it through MSLF (for more information
please see the section on Single Location S-N Analysis - MSLF,page 818). This will create a cycles
histogram file called saetrn.cyo.
1. Pull down Tools > MSC.Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Signal Regeneration
2. Double-click Range-Mean Rainflow Matrix to convert it to a time signal
Be sure to give it another output file name so as not to overwrite the original signal. Plot the new
signal vs. the old signal using MMFD (multi-file display).
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As a final exercise you might want to run the new signal through MSLF and then compare the new
rainflow cycle count matrix to the old. They should look almost identical in nature. Use MP3D to plot
each .cyo file.
Note:
The life estimate may not be the same because the scale factor is not applied to the cycles file.
Scale the time history (using MART or PTIME) in order to use a scale factor of 1.0 to create
the cycles file in MSLF. Then run this through MREGEN.
Convert RPC File to .dac - MREMDAC

MREMDAC is used to convert an MTS RPC (remote parameter file - .rsp) into a set of MSC Fatigue
compatible .dac files. Access this module from Tools > MSC.Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities >
Convert RPC File to .dac
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Convert .dac to RPC file - MDACREM

MDACREM is used to take a set of .dac files and convert them back into an MTS RPC file. These files
come from data accumulated in MTS test simulation machines. Access this module from Tools >
MSC.Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Convert .dac to RPC File
Convert PSD File to Time History (.dac)

MREGEN can be used to convert a PSD file into a time history (.dac) whose PSD will approximately
match that of the input PSD.
As an example, let us convert the PSD data contained in the ascii file, test_psd.asc (located in the folder
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples) into a time history file. Copy this file to your local working
directory.
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1. Pull down Tools >MSC.Fatigue > File Conversion Utilities > Signal Regeneration
2. Select PSD and click OK
3. Select Ascii XY for Put Type

Inputs can be an MSC/nCode format PSD file (e.g. generated by MASD) or a Binary or ASCII
XY file.
4. Enter test_psd.asc for Input Filename and click OK
5. Verify that Output Filename is set to test_psd
6. Enter 1000 for Signal Duration
The number 1000 is the signal duration time (in seconds). The default Duration does not give an
accurate representation of the input PSD. The longer the duration of the sample, the better will be
the generated time history.
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7. Accept the defaults for all the other options, and click OK
A summary form providing the header details of the .dac file, as shown below, will be displayed.
8. Click on End, to complete the regeneration.

Plots of the input file, and the regenerated time history file are shown below.
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As an exercise, recreate the PSD from the regenerated time history, and compare it with the input psd.
The comparison should be something like the one shown below.
Cross Platform Conversion - MCONFIL

MCONFIL is a utility to convert standard MSC Fatigue type binary files for cross-platform compatibility.
For example, if you created or acquired a number of time signals as .dac files on a PC and needed to
transfer them to a UNIX workstation you would need to run all the .dac files through CONFIL to byte
swap them. Other files that are necessary to convert using MCONFIL are ptime.tdb, the time history
database file, nmats.mdb, the materials database file, and any compliance functions with extension .ksn
as well as any other one, two or three parameter files. Access this module form Tools > MSC.Fatigue >
File Conversion Utilities > Cross Platform Conversion
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Waterfall File Create - MWFLCRE

MWFLCRE allows creation of waterfall plots from multiple single parameter files. For example, say you
had a PSD plot for each RPM of a motor from 1100 RPM to 4500 RMP in 50 RPM increments. You could
combine all RPM PSD plots into a single three parameter waterfall plot with this utility. Conversely, you
can break waterfall plots up into individual single parameter history plots. Three parameter plots can be
displayed using the MP3D graphic utility. Access this module form Tools > MSC.Fatigue > File
Conversion Utilities > Waterfall File Create
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Other Utilities
Other Utilities
Environment Settings - MENM
This module allows the user access to the nSoft environment files: the local environment (ENVI.USR),
the global or central environment (ENVI.SYS), and the home environment (ENVI.HOM). Each of these
three environment files is made up of a keyword/value string pair where the keyword can be up to 8
characters in length and the value up to 120 characters in length. They are used to define the default
settings (e.g. pen colors) and to pass information from program to program (e.g. last used file). Access
this module from Tools > MSC.Fatigue > Environment Settings (menm)...
There are three environment settings available for this module:

Local environment - Only programs running in the directory where the file resides can access
the local environment file.
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Other Utilities
Home environment - The home environment file resides in the home directory as is defined in
the system registry on Windows or it resides in the same directory as the normal logon home
directory for UNIX. Only the owner of the home directory can access this file.
Global environment - The global environment file resides in the NSSYS directory and may be
accessed by many users.

Environment Copy Allows the user to specify the source and target environments to use in
the copy process. Individual entries, selected entries or all entries may be copied from the source
environment to the target.
For each of the three environment settings the user can do the following:
1. List environment to screen - this option lists all the defined keyword/value pairs to the screen.
2. Output environment to file - this option outputs all the defined keyword/value pairs to an ASCII
file. It allows the file to be overwritten or to have the pairs appended to it. The character separating
the keyword and value may be specified, along with a filter to allow a subset of keywords to be
written.
3. Add or alter keyword - this option allows the addition of new keyword/value pairs to the selected
environment, and also allows existing keyword values to be modified. If altering a keyword, the
keyword may be selected from a list using the F3 key or clicking List.
4. Remove keywords - this option allows keywords to be deleted from the environment. A single
keyword may be typed in, or a wildcard may be used to define a set of keywords to be deleted.
Keywords may be selected from a list using the F3 key or clicking List.
5. Clear environment - this option allows the environment to be deleted. All keywords will be
destroyed. If the environment file is to be deleted, answer Yes.
An example of an environment variable that the user might want to create is PFCONAMP. This
environment variable is used for constant amplitude zero mean time histories. It allows life to be
calculated directly from the true max-min cycle, which is stored along with the matrix. In order to make
use of this environment variable the user would need to invoke MENM and set the environment keyword
PFCONAMP to ON.
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Chapter 22: Miscellaneous Features

22
Main Index
Miscellaneous Features
Problem Description
854
Group Averaging
855
856
857
858
859
862

Problem Description
Problem Description
This section discusses a few of the other features of MSC Fatigue not discussed thus far. No in-depth
discussions or exercises are given for them, except for the Multiple Fatigue Analysis. For the other
features you can take any of the models and job setups used in this chapter and experiment as you see fit.
The following files will be required to demonstrate some of the features:
Table 22-1

File
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/patran_els.fin
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/key_tran.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/key_stat.op2
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/transient.fin
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/static.fin
P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/key_tran.asc
P3HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/simpleSN.op2
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Chapter 22: Miscellaneous Features 855


In the General Setup Parameters on the main MSC Fatigue setup form you can select Element for the
Results Loc. This simply means that calculated fatigue lives will be determined at the element centroids.
The following comments are made with respect to this feature:
1. It only makes sense to use this with 1D or 2D elements since fatigue cracks tend to initiate on the
surface.
2. FE results in the database that exist at nodes or integration points will be averaged to the element
centroid.
3. External nodal PATRAN Results files cannot be used if Element is specified. And the converse
is true also.
4. When postprocessing element centroidal results, it is best to color code the elements as opposed
to making a fringe contour plot
.
This is done in the Results application. To specify that a fringe plot be element filled, use the Display
Attributes mode after selecting the appropriate result to plot and change the Style to Element Fill. An
example of this type of plot using the results from the patran_els.fin setup file from one of the earlier
mini-exercises is shown here.
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Group Averaging
Group Averaging
In the General Setup Parameters on the main MSC Fatigue setup form you can select Group as the Nodal
Averaging method. The default is Global and when set, element nodal results or results at gauss
(integration) points are extrapolated to and averaged at the nodes from all element contributions. When
this feature is set to Group, the averaging is done only for those elements in the current group. The
following comments are made with respect to this feature:
1. This applies to nodal fatigue calculations only.
2. You must make sure you have the proper group set to be the current group. The current group is
always displayed in the title of the graphics window. Use Group | Set Current... to set the current
group.
3. Only one material and surface finish/treatment combination can be set with this feature.
4. This feature is convenient to use when you want to exclude the contributions of adjacent elements
that may not be appropriate to include in the averaging such as when different materials or
properties butt up against each other or you have some geometric features or element types.
As a simple explanation of this feature consider the four nodes to the right. For element nodal results,
each of them has contributions from the surrounding elements shown as number in magenta (small font).
These stresses are an indication of model quality. If they are all identical the element quality is perfect.
This is rarely the case, however.
When Global averaging is set, all element contributions are considered in the averaging. Thus the stress
values used will be as shown in blue (large font). If only the center element exists in the current group
and Group averaging is set, the stress values at the nodes used in the analysis will be the contributions
from the center element only. If the center element and the bottom three elements are in the current group
then the averaged stresses will only contain the contribution from those elements as shown in green.
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This is an extremely useful utility for a number of reasons. First it gives you a sanity check in case you
are having trouble understanding the results. It also gives you access to the single location analyzers
MSLF and MCLF which will be discussed and illustrated later in this guide.
This feature is accessed from the main MSC Fatigue setup form in the Results... form by setting the
Action to Extract Time History. Simply select the node or element of the model graphically and click
Apply (or you can type the node or element number manually with Node or Elem supplied in front
of the actual entity ID). This will invoke FEFATs Time History Creation mode.
Note:
You do not have to supply a node or element number; but if you do not, you will have to supply
one within FEFAT before a successful operation. When a node or element is supplied, a file
called pfatigue.ent is created from which FEFAT extracts the ID. This file will be empty if you
do not supply a number, in which case, you have to manually supply the ID in FEFAT.
When FEFAT begins, you will be presented with a simple setup screen which contains a few items that
can be modified if so desired. Click the OK button to extract the time history. For multiple load cases,
this will create the actual combined stress or strain time history before (and used for) rainflow cycle
extraction. Simple statistic of the signal are also given, such as maximum, minimum and mean values.
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This is also a useful utility if you wish to quickly identify on the graphics screen which node (or element)
has the most damage or the shortest life. This feature is accessible from the main MSC Fatigue setup form
in the Results... form by setting the Action to Identify Location. There are several options depending on
which type of analysis you have performed and what results are available.
For nodal results, the node with the shortest life is highlighted, circled and pointed to with a vector arrow
which also reports the life value. The life is also reported in the invoking form with the node number
indicated in the databox.
For elemental results, the element is highlighted.
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It is possible to start with a rainflow matrix as the load input (for a single load case only) as opposed to
a time history file. There are two ways to do this using PTIME:
1. Convert a load history into a rainflow matrix.
Do this from Add an entry | rainflow Matrix. Select the time history file and click OK. The file
will undergo rainflow cycle counting and a new matrix file will be created. This matrix file can
then be selected in the spreadsheet on the Loading Info... form instead of a time history. The file
will have a .cyh extension instead of a .dac extension.
Hint:
A Fast Analysis (on the Job Control... form) does exactly this. It converts the
load history to a rainflow matrix and then simply scales the histogram according
to the stress or strain instead of doing a rainflow cycle count for each location for
a single load case analysis.
2. Import an ASCII definition of a matrix.

This is also done under Add an entry | rainflow Matrix, in a very similar fashion as reading an
ASCII time history. The format of the ASCII file takes on a specific form however. It is possible
to define the matrices in two forms:
Range Bin - Mean Bin - Number of Cycles
Range Value - Mean Value - Number of Cycles
As an example let us say we want to define a load to have the following spectrum:
Number of Cycles
Range
2.0
0.0
10
1.0
0.5
10
1.0
-0.5
20
0.5
1.0
20
0.5
-1.0
Create a file with the following format and numbers:
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Mean

#V6.0
# Example using range_mean_data
BINS=32
MEAN_MIN=-1.1
MEAN_MAX=1.1
RANGE_MIN=0
RANGE_MAX=2.1
RANGE_MEAN_DATA:
2 0 5
1 0.5 10
1 -0.5 10
0.5 1 20
0.5 -1 20
END_DATA
Note that the file defines the number of bins (32, 64, or 128), the maximum and minimum values on the
x and y axes (range and mean) and then specifies the range and mean data that will be placed in the bins.
The values in the RANGE_MEAN_DATA are <range value>, <mean value> and <number of cycles>.
The maximum and minimum values on the x and y axes must be slightly larger than the largest specified
range and/or mean value for any bin. This file results in the matrix shown to the side.
Note:
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The maximum and minimum values of the range and mean axes will determine the accuracy
of the matrix. Each entry in the ASCII file must be able to fall into a unique bin or an error will
occur on import.

Run PTIME and select Add an entry | rainflow Matrix. Then specify to input the matrix via an ASCII
file and select the file that you created. Give the matrix the name range and import the file as Force in
Newtons. Be sure to give it a description also. Then plot the entry.
If you know what bins to place cycles in you can define the ASCII file in terms of
#V6.0
# Example using bin_data
BINS=32
MEAN_MIN=-1.1
MEAN_MAX=1.1
RANGE_MIN=0
RANGE_MAX=2.1
BIN_DATA:
31 15 5
16 9 10
16 23 10
8 2 20
8 32 20
where BIN_DATA now replaces RANGE_MEAN_DATA and the data to be entered is <range bin
number>, <mean bin number>, and <number of cycles>. If you import this file it should give you a matrix
that looks equivalent to the one shown for our RANGE_MEAN_DATA values.
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For constant amplitude zero mean time histories, there is an environment keyword that allows life to be
calculated directly from the true max-min cycle, which is stored along with the matrix. Set the
environment variable PFCONAMP to ON. Use the MENM utility to do this. Refer to Section 16.7 for
details.
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Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms
Main Index
Glossary Terms
864

Glossary Terms
Glossary Terms
Note:
The terms and definitions in this appendix may have multiple meanings to different people.
The definitions give here are as used in the context of this guide.
Amplitude
Amplitude is half of the range of a cycle. It is the maximum less the minimum divided by two.
August Woehler
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Appendix A: Glossary of Terms 865

Glossary Terms
This German gentleman is probably the most famous of all fatigue researchers being the Father of
Fatigue as many know him. He is responsible for the invention of the stress-life or S-N method of
fatigue life prediction. See Stress-Life (S-N), (page 886).
-Solution
See Compliance Function, (page 865).

Biaxial - Biaxiality Ratio
For surface resolved stresses the two major principal stresses lie in the plane of the surface with the third
principal stress being zero (normal to the surface). The principal stresses therefore, correspond to the X,
Y, and Z=0 component stresses. The ratio of the minimum in-plane stress divided by the maximum inplane stress defines the biaxiality ratio. This ratio can take on any number between -1 and 1. Zero
indicates a uniaxial state of stress with only one principal stress being non-zero.
Broad Band
See Wide Band, (page 888).

Compliance Function
For crack growth analysis, a compliance function needs to be defined. This is also known as a -function
or a K-solution. It is defined based on the crack geometry and the dimension of the specimen. In physical
terms it is simply a measure of how the compliance (stiffness or flexibility) of the structure changes as
the crack propagates. These functions take on the form of look up tables in the software and can be
defined in terms of a polynomial equation or selected from a standard library set. They are then used in
the crack growth rate (Paris) equation to determine the stress intensity for any given stress cycle and, in
turn, used to determine a incremental crack size.
da- = C ( K ) m Paris Equation
-----dN
K = Y a Stress Intensity
Compliance Function
Component S-N
This is an S-N curve which is tied to a specific component geometry and relates nominal stress (S) to life.
The stress that is looked up on the S-N curve is not the actual stress at the failure location (in general) but
the stress as measured in a location away from the failure. This is usually because of the impracticality
of placing a strain gauge at the failure location. The S-N curve can only be used for components with the
same geometry (and material) as that used to create the S-N curve. The components themselves are used
as test specimens to create the S-N curves (such as a weld class). These types of S-N curves are not used
to identify the location of a possible fatigue failure since this location is already identified by the nature
of the S-N curve. Instead they are used to evaluate resistance to variation of the loading. These S-N
curves are generally used when the failure mechanism is not well modeled with material S-N curves or
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Glossary Terms
other methods. They represent a more macro way of characterizing the failure mechanism by building
into the curve all influences on the fatigue life, i.e., plasticity, geometry, residual stress, etc. The challenge
when using these S-N curves with FE analysis is to know where the measured or reference location is,
which is the stress that should be used to look up damage using these S-N curves.
Crack Initiation
See Strain-Life (e-N), (page 885).

Crack Growth (Propagation)
See LEFM, (page 876).

Critical Plane Analysis
The principal stress tensor axis can rotate from time step to time step when subject to multiple load inputs.
A fatigue analysis done at various angles is said to be a critical plane analysis. The plane that exhibits the
most damage is said to be the critical plane. These types of analyses are typically illustrated using a polar
plot of damage versus angle.
Cycles (cycle counting)
A stress or strain cycle is one event that may or may not cause damage. A single constant amplitude, fully
reversed sine or triangle wave that passes upwards positively through its mean will register a stress cycle
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Glossary Terms
each time. Many methods of counting cycles in a randomly varying signal have been adopted and
abandoned over the years. The rainflow cycle counting method is the most widely accepted. Another way
to understand cycle counting is illustrated by the diagram where a portion of a time signal is stood on end
and then each point is mapped onto stress-strain space. This simulates loading and unloading where the
material may yield producing a hysteresis loop. Each loop represents one stress cycle. Cycles with
noticeable inner area are damaging and cycles which appear as straight lines are purely elastic and cause
no damage. For any time varying load, all cycles will fall with in one outer, large cycle representative of
the maximum and minimum of the signal. So in short, cycle counting counts the number of hysteresis
loops and keeps track of their range/mean or maximum/minimum values.
Cyclic Properties
Cyclic material properties are those that are obtained from a material test similar to a monotonic test with
one big difference. The loading is reversed and cycled at various load levels. From these tests are derived
the cyclic stress-strain curve and the strain-life curve used in crack initiation analysis. At each load level
the stabilized hysteresis loop is extracted, its maximum stress/strain value extracted and plotted onto a
single plot to create the cyclic stress-strain curve.
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Glossary Terms
Cyclic Hardening
This is a behavior exhibited by materials that, when subject to cyclic loading, actually strengthen with
time. This is illustrated by the hysteresis loops becoming taller and skinnier on stress-strain space. The
yield strength become greater.
Cyclic Softening
This is a behavior exhibited by materials that, when subject to cyclic loading, weaken with time. This is
illustrated by the hysteresis loops becoming shorter and fatter on stress-strain space. The yield strength
lessens
.
da/dN Curve
This is the crack growth rate (da/dN). It is a material characteristic and as such, is treated as a material
data set and is obtained by experiments. It relates the growth rate of a crack to stress intensity (K), or
in other words, the driving force of the crack. There are three regions on a da/dN curve. Region 1 is the
threshold region where the driving force is not great enough to grow a crack (like a fatigue limit). Region
2 is the linear region of the curve where behavior is described by the Paris equation. Region 3 is where
static or fast fracture occurs as the driving force reaches or becomes very near to the fracture toughness
of the material.
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Glossary Terms
Damage (Log of Damage)
Damage is the reciprocal of Life. Sometimes it is reported in log base(10) units mainly for convenient
contour plotting.
Damage Summation
This is the mechanism of summing the damage from the various stress cycles. All cycles are identified
using rainflow cycle counting. Damage due to each is determined from the appropriate damage curve
such as an S-N or strain-Life curve. Damage is then summed using the linear damage summation law as
defined by Palmgen and Miner which simply states that each cycle causes a damage which is equal to
1/(number of cycles to failure at that load level). When you apply a series of cycles, damage is added up
linearly until the total is unity (1) when failure is predicted. Fatigue damage is a non-linear process, but
we find that if we have a fairly random repeated sequence it works satisfactorily.
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Glossary Terms
Damage Tolerant
This is a fatigue life design philosophy which adopts the crack growth method and is used in conjunction
with the fail safe philosophy. A crack or flaw is assumed to exist and its growth rate determined to set up
specific inspection periods to ensure that the flaw will not grow to any critical size between these
inspections.
Deterministic
This is a loading event which can be determined at any point in time, such as a constant amplitude sine
wave. Repeatable loading falls into this category. This is in opposition to a random load where no events
can be determined at any given point in time or more specifically, where the next sequence of events
cannot be determined from any previous events.
Durability
Durability is the conglomeration of all aspects that effect the life of a product and usually concerns itself
with much more than just fatigue and fracture, but also loading conditions, environmental concerns,
material characterizations, and testing simulations to name a few. A true product durability program in
an organization that takes all of these aspects and more into consideration.
Elastic
Elastic behavior refers to a component or material, which when subject to loading conditions that cause
structural deformation, if removed, returns to its original state. No permanent state of deformation is left
when the loads are removed. Linear elastic analysis denotes that as the loads vary, the responses vary in
a linear and elastic manner relative to the loads. For instance if you double or triple the load, the responses
will double or triple respectively. Whether the stresses exceed the yield or even the ultimate stress is not
taken into account.
Elastic-plastic Correction
See Neubers Rule, (page 880).
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Glossary Terms
Endurance Limit
This is similar to the fatigue limit and is an imposed limit of reversals on strain-Life curves above which
the component is said to have infinite life. This limit, referred to as the material cut-off, is set to 2e8
reversals but can be changed by the user.
Failure Criterion
The criterion that defines failure such as catastrophic failure into two or more pieces, until an engineering
crack of 2mm appears, or until a crack reaches a critical size to be deemed unsafe. Understanding the
failure criterion in a fatigue analysis is very important. The material properties used in any fatigue
analysis, be it an S-N curve, strain-Life curve, or crack propagation da/dN curves, define the failure
criterion.
Fail Safe
This is a fatigue life design philosophy which adopts the total life (S-N) method generally where failure
cannot be tolerated. Therefore built in redundancy is generally used such that if a failure were to occur,
the structure would fall into a state that it would survive until repair can be accommodated.
Fatigue
This is a failure under a repeated or otherwise varying load which never reaches a level sufficient to cause
failure in a single application. The initiation and growth of a crack, or growth from a pre-existing defect,
until it reaches a critical size, such as separation into two or more parts
Fatigue Concentration Factor, Kf
This is similar to the stress concentration, Kt, except it accounts for the fact that small notches have less
effect on fatigue than is indicated by Kt. This has led to the idea of a fatigue concentration factor, Kf,
which is normally less than Kt, being introduced and being used to replace Kt within Neubers rule. Kf is
related to Kt according to
Kf = ( 1 + ( Kt 1 ) ) ( 1 +
p' r )
where p is a material constant dependent on grain size and strength and r is the notch root radius.
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Glossary Terms
Fatigue Limit
This is a stress level below which no fatigue failures will occur. See Stress-Life (S-N), (page 886).
Fourier Analysis
In simplistic terms, Fourier analysis is the ability to represent a finite length of time signal by the sum of
a series of sine waves with varying amplitudes, frequencies, and phases.
Fracture
A fracture is the growth or propagation of a crack once it has been initiated. Fracture also denotes sudden
breakage of a component or structure in two. However for the purposes of this manual it refers to the life
prediction method of crack growth as implemented using LEFM. See LEFM, (page 876).
Fracture Mechanics Triangle
The fracture mechanics triangle states that if any two of the three variables are known, through fracture
mechanics and their relationships to one another, the other can be determined.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Frequency Domain
The time domain relates a variable (stress) to time and describes how the variable changes with time.
Time signals can also be represented in the frequency domain which relates the variable to frequency,
describing how that variable changes with or is affected by frequency. The time and frequency domains
present the same information in different ways, helping the engineer understand the effect a signal or
response may have on a structure. Consider, for example, a random signal which when converted to the
frequency domain shows only content at 10 Hz. This signal when applied to a structure with natural
frequencies well above 10 Hz may not be damaging at sufficiently low enough levels. However if the
structure has natural frequencies in the 10 Hz range, the signal would be far more damaging. Being able
to view a signal in the frequency domain can alert an engineer to this potential danger.
Gaussian
For a random signal and for most engineering purposes the amplitude Probability Density Function
(PDF) will be approximately Gaussian. This means that the density distribution will take on a bell like
curve as shown here where the highest levels of the signal are the least probable of occurring. See also
Power Spectral Density (PSD), (page 881).
Gerber Mean Stress
This is a mechanism to correct for a non-zero mean stress range for the S-N method. See Mean Stress
Correction, (page 877).
Goodman Mean Stress
This is a mechanism to correct for a non-zero mean stress for the S-N method. This is a more conservative
method than the Berber one. See Mean Stress Correction, (page 877).
Main Index

Glossary Terms
High Cycle Fatigue (HCF)
This is the ability of a component or structure to withstand or survive many stress cycles. S-N analysis
applications deal completely in the high cycle regime and are not valid in the low cycle regime. The
technical definition of high cycle versus low cycle fatigue is where the elastic and plastic strain-Life
curves cross each other on the strain-Life plot. This is known as the transition life above which is high
cycle fatigue and below which is low cycle fatigue. It is clear that above the transition life elastic events
dominate and below it, plastic events dominate. S-N analysis does not compensate for plastic events in
an adequate way as the strain-life method does and for this reason is not a good choice for low cycle
fatigue problems. The strain-life method can handle both high and low cycle fatigue problems. The
transition life is generally around 104 or 105 cycles and is material dependent.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Hysteresis
This is a material behavior that is illustrated by loading a material beyond its yield point and then
unloading it and perhaps reversing the load until it yields in compression and cycling. When the stress
and strain are cross plotted, they create plots such as the one shown here. Each loop is a hysteresis loop.
This phenomenon is know as the Baushinger effect after the German engineer that first documented this
behavior of most metallic materials.
Inverse Fourier Transform
The ability or methodology of converting a frequency domain signal back into the time domain by
recreating the time signal from a power spectral density (PSD) function is called the Inverse Fourier
Transformation. Because no phase information is kept with a PSD, random phases are created. The
regenerated time signal will not be exactly the same as the original but will be statistically equivalent.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Irregularity Factor
This is a parameter for describing or characterizing a process such as a time signal or a power spectral
density function. For a time signal, it is defined as the ratio of the number of times a signal passes upward
in a positive manner through the mean of a signal divided by the number of peaks. In the frequency
domain, the irregularity factor is determined from its moments. The irregularity factor takes on values
between zero and one, one describing a narrow band process and non-zero values describing wide or
broad band processes. A value of unity describes a process whose peaks and adjacent valleys are roughly
the same order of magnitude but of opposite sign whereas a value of near zero represents a signal that has
an infinite number of peaks versus upward mean crossings, e.g., a dominate sine wave with noise
superimposed on top of it.
K-Solution
See Compliance Function, (page 865).

LEFM
Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics. This is the art of crack growth prediction as determined from linear
elastic stresses. It assumes only a localized plastic zone around the crack tip and uses the stress intensity
or driving force of the crack to determine crack growth rates according to the Paris equation.
Life (Log of Life)
The Life (Log of Life) is the result reported as to how long a component or structure will last. This life
can be reported in terms of stress cycles or reversals survived, however this is usually not a convenient
way of reporting it. Time series are generally given some sort of fatigue equivalent units such as laps,
miles, hours, missions, etc., which are more descriptive to a user in describing the life. A repeat of a time
history may have many stress cycles but can be described as representative of, say, 30 times around a
cobblestone test track. The life is then reported as laps. Because the computed life of a component can
vary dramatically from location to location on the component itself, the life is often reported in log (base
10) units. This is convenient because the spread can be from some small finite number (1000) to infinite
Main Index

Glossary Terms
life (the cutoff being around 1018). This helps spread out contour bands on graphical plots for better
visualization and for xy plots.
Local Strain
See Strain-Life (e-N), (page 885).

Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF)
Low cycle fatigue is the inability of a component or structure to withstand or survive many stress cycles.
See High Cycle Fatigue (HCF), (page 874).
Material Cut-off
See Endurance Limit, (page 871).

Material S-N
This is an S-N curve that relates local stress () to life. These types of curves are generally obtained
through material tests of highly polished test coupons where the monitored stress is the stress experienced
at the failure location. These type of S-N curves are geometry independent; that is, the S-N curves are
valid for any geometry and are only dependent on the actual material that they represent. All plasticity
modeling is built into the curve.
Mean
Mean is the average value of a cycle or signal. It is the maximum plus the minimum divided by two for
a simple constant amplitude oscillating signal as shown here. Note that the two small cycles in the stressstrain plot have the same strain range but have different mean stress.
max + min
m = ----------------------------------2
This is a technique for correcting or compensating for non-zero mean signals when looking up damage
on damage curves that have been created with zero mean (R=0) signals in a test laboratory. Various
Main Index

Glossary Terms
methods exist for both the S-N and strain-life methods. Fracture mechanics uses different da/dN curves
for different R-ratios.
Miners Constant
Miners constant is the damage summation constant that defines failure, usually set to unity (1). See
Damage Summation, (page 869).
Monotonic Properties
Monotonic material properties are those that are obtained from a material test. Test coupons are placed
in servo-hydraulic machines and loaded in a single application of steady load increase through the yield
point of the material and to ultimate fracture of material. From these tests come various material
parameters such as Youngs Modulus (E), the yield strength (y), and the ultimate tensile (UTS). The load
is not reversed, nor is it cycled to obtain these properties.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Morrow Mean Stress
A mechanism to correct for non-zero mean stress for the strain-life method. See Mean Stress Correction,
(page 877).
Multiaxial
Multiaxial means that the stress state is not uniaxial. More than one principal stress exists. The biaxiality
ratio, ae, defined as the minimum in-plane stress divided by the maximum in-plane stress (for surface
stresses), is non-zero. There are two different degrees of multiaxial stress states: proportional and nonproportional. Proportional multi-axial or proportional loading refers to the principal stresses always
being in proportion to one another in magnitude and are stationary. Stationary means that the principal
stress axes do not rotate significantly with time or in other words, the maximum and minimum principal
stresses are always in the same direction. Non-proportional loading is the opposite of this where the two
principal in-plane stresses are not proportional to each other at any given time, nor is the principal stress
axis always in the same direction.
Narrow Band
This is a signal which contains frequency content predominantly at or around one frequency which when
converted to the frequency domain appears as single peak spanning only a portion of the frequencies.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Neubers Rule
This is one of a few mechanisms to correct for plasticity given only elastic stresses and strains. The
Neuber method enables us to predict elastic-plastic stress and strain by providing a way of estimating the
amount of stress and strain redistribution. You should remember that this is an approximation! Basically
the elastic strain excursion is calculated from the FE model, and the stress is assumed to be *E. Then
the elastic-plastic stress and strain excursions is estimated by drawing a rectangular hyperbola through
this point and seeing where it intersects the hysteresis curve.
Non-proportional Loading
See Multiaxial, (page 879).

Notch Correction
This is a term that is adopted in the FE-fatigue world to signify the correction from purely elastic stresses
and strains to elastic-plastic stresses and strains. See Elastic-plastic Correction, (page 870). Historically
the term comes from determination of stress at a notch while taking measurements away from the notch
and using a stress concentration factor, Kt, knowing that the material has yielded in the notch area and an
additional correction needs to be made to determine the true stress (and/or strain).
Paris Equation
This is the main equation that governs the LEFM (crack growth) method and relates the crack growth
da- = C ( K ) m , where C and m are material constants.
rate (da/dN) to stress intensity (K). -----dN
Plasticity
Fatigue does not generally involve major changes to the properties of the bulk of the material in a
component. In most components that have failed by fatigue, the processes that lead to the fatigue failure
are confined to the region around the crack tip. Fatigue is always caused by plastic deformation. Plasticity
is an irreversible process of deforming the material beyond its yield point. Some who have experienced
fatigue failures may say there is no plastic deformation in my component, or the FEA results showed
that all stresses were below yield. If there is a fatigue failure, then there must be plastic deformation,
even if it is confined to only a few grains, or to a very small region around the tip of a crack or a notch.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Power Spectral Density (PSD)
The term originated with electronic engineers in the 1940s trying to characterize equipment noise. The
PSD is a way of describing a random time signal. A random signal is random because there is no way of
predicting a future section of the signal from previous sections. Therefore some sort of statistical method
of describing these signals was devised. By taking a time signal, squaring it, and taking its average you
get what is called the mean square value. If the squared signal is passed through a low pass filter at
various cut-off frequencies, the mean value can be plotted as a function of frequency. The slope of this
curve describes the density of the mean square with respect to frequency and is called a spectrum. The
term spectral density comes from the fact that it is a property with respect to frequency such as a
rainbow which is the variations of frequency in the colors of visible light. The term power dates back
to the electrical engineers who used power as the key parameter. Dynamicists have simply adopted the
term. In simple summary, a PSD is nothing other than an equivalent representation of a random time
signal in a different domain, which has certain advantages over the time domain. In terms of Fourier
analysis, the area under any infinitesimal strips of the PSD represents the mean square of the sine wave
at that frequency where a time signal is made up of a number of sine waves summed together.
Probability Density Function (PDF)
Two important Probability Density Functions (PDF) can be computed from a stress or strain time history.
These are the amplitude and peak PDFs as shown. The best way to visualize these parameters is to draw
tram lines horizontally through the time history and then count either the number of times the signal
Main Index

Glossary Terms
crosses the tram lines or the number of times a peak occurs in-between the tram lines. The complete PDFs
are obtained by repeating this process for all horizontal levels in the signal. For most engineering
purposes the amplitude PDF will be approximately Gaussian. Furthermore, for a narrow band process the
peak PDF will be approximately equivalent to the Rayleigh PDF. A PDF, therefore, is the probability of
a certain stress or strain level occurring and is represented as a density distribution.
Proportional Loading
See Multiaxial, (page 879).

R-Ratio
This is a measure of the mean stress or the mean of constant amplitude signal or the mean of a stress cycle.
R = -1 is a fully reversed signal or a cycle with zero mean. R = 0 is a signal which goes from zero to a
maximum value and returns to zero. R = infinity is the reverse where the signal goes from zero to a
negative maximum value and back to zero.
See Cycles (cycle counting), (page 866).

Random Vibration
This is excitation due to loading which is random in nature. That is to say that at any particular point in
time it is impossible to determine anything specific about the loading. It can only be described by its
statistics such a mean level, rms, standard deviation, etc. This is in opposition to a loading event which
can be determined at any point in time, such as a constant amplitude sine wave. Random vibration is
usually dealt with in the frequency domain by converting signals to power spectral density functions
(PSDs).
Range
Range is the total absolute magnitude between the maximum and minimum values of a cycle. Note that
the two small cycles in the stress-strain plot have the same stress and strain range but have different mean
stress.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
= max min
Reference Location
When dealing with component S-N curves, this is the location on the test specimens used to create the SN curve. The nominal stress axis of the S-N curve relates stress levels at this location to failure. When
using a component S-N curve in conjunction with finite element models you must know the equivalent
location (reference location) as only stress from this location relates to the S-N curve.
Regression Analysis
Regression analysis is the art of taking measured data such as that for an S-N curve and determining an
equation to describe the curve from the raw data, also called curve fitting.
Residual Stress
This is a permanent stress that is left behind in a component or structure after unloading. Residual stress
can be caused or induced in a number of ways such as shot peening, overloads, and manufacturing
processes to name a few. Residual stresses can be tensile (positive) or compressive (negative) in nature
and can be beneficial to bettering fatigue life (compressive) or detrimental (tensile).
Root Mean Square (rms)
By taking a time signal, squaring it, then taking the average, you get the mean square of the signal. If you
take the square root of the mean square of the signal you get the root mean square (rms). The rms is a
parameter that allows you to gauge the overall intensity of a signal relative to another random signal.
Safe Life
This is a fatigue design philosophy which adopts the crack initiation method. In general it is applied to
relatively inexpensive components which can easily be thrown away and replaced. In addition it is
applied to structures or parts where the initiation of a crack takes up the majority of the life relative to the
growth of the crack or where it is intolerable to have a crack in the structure. This philosophy generally
produces fairly optimized structures and is used heavily in the ground vehicle industry. A failure of a
component designed with this philosophy should not have catastrophic consequences.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Sample Rate
When measuring a signal, the sample rate is the number of times you take a sample in a given period of
time, usually one second. It is the frequency of samples in number/second. Sampling too slowly can
cause important loading events to be missed.
Spectral Moments
Spectral moments are used to obtain other statistical properties of the PSD. The n-th spectral moment m n
of a PSD is defined by
(S) =
S ( f ) f df
Stress Concentration Factor, Kt
This is a factor which relates stress at one point in a structure to stress at another point. For example, the
stress concentration factor for a large plate with a hole is three (3). This relates the nominal stress (P/A)
at an area away from the hole to the stress at the radius of the hole. Concentration factors have come about
due to the fact that it is difficult to place a measurement device directly on the highest stressed area.
Therefore some factor had to be established to convert measured response to actual responses at critical
locations. In FE fatigue based analysis, Kt is generally taken as unity (1), since in this case we do know
the stress at the critical area. In fact we know the local stress at all locations.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Stress Intensity
In simplistic terms, this is the driving force that causes a crack to propagate forward. It controls the stress
around a crack tip and is know as K (not to be confused with Kt or Kf, the stress and fatigue concentration
factors). When the magnitude of K reaches the fracture toughness of a material, failure occurs. K is a
function of the crack length, a, the nominal or far field stress away from the crack, and other geometric
dimensions of the component or structure and has units of stress-length1/2.
Strain Hardening
See Cyclic Hardening, (page 868).

Strain-Life (-N)
This is a fatigue life prediction method commonly referred to as crack initiation, or local strain. It
only concerns itself with the initiation of a crack. The method is called strain-life because it relates
local strain to life. It is a fairly recent and well accepted method of fatigue life prediction brought about
by the work of many but principally the Americans, Manson and Coffin in the mid 1950s. This work
would not have been possible without the invention of the servo-hydraulic test machine. These machines
allowed strains to be precisely controlled as opposed to stresses which are near impossible to control.
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Because of this the scatter in material data for the strain-life method is much less than that of the S-N
method and a more accurate prediction of fatigue life can be made.
Strain Softening
See Cyclic Softening, (page 868).

Stress-Life (S-N)
This is a fatigue life prediction method commonly referred to as total life because it does not make a
distinction between initiating or propagating a crack but instead considers only the total life of the
component until failure into two or more pieces. The method is called stress-life because it relates
nominal or local stress to life. It was the first method of fatigue life prediction conceived by the German,
August Woehler in the late 1800s due to his work in the railway industry. His famous rotating-bending
Main Index

Glossary Terms
tests gave rise to the concept of the S-N curve. These curves are generally denoted in log units and some
materials exhibit a fatigue limit, a stress level below which no fatigue failures will occur.
STW Mean Stress
This is a mechanism to correct for non-zero mean stress for the strain-life method. See Mean Stress
Correction, (page 877).
Surface Resolved Stresses
Surface resolved stresses are the stress on the surface of a structure or component which is said to be in
a state of plane stress. The two principal stresses are in the plane of the surface while the third principal
which is normal to the surface is zero. Finite element shell element models produce surface resolved
stresses by default. However many solid element models produce stress results in elemental coordinate
systems and need to be transformed into surface resolved stresses. Surface resolved stresses are needed
to correctly calculate biaxiality ratios and perform multiaxial assessments
Total Life
See Stress-Life (S-N), (page 886).

Transfer Function
A Transfer Function is a way of relating one quantity to another. In the frequency domain the structure
is modeled by a linear Transfer Function relating input loads to output responses. The output from the
model is expressed as a PSD. In frequency response analysis these Transfer Functions are determined by
subjecting the model at the input load point to a series of sine waves with unit amplitude over the
frequency range of interest. Multiplying the input PSD of load by the Transfer Function then gives the
response PSD.
PSD input TF = PSD response
Main Index

Glossary Terms
Uniaxial
This is the stress state of a component or location in a component where only one principal stress exists,
all others being zero. The biaxiality ratio, ae, defined as the minimum in-plane stress divided by the
maximum in-plane stress (for surface stresses), is zero in this case. The principal stress is also stationary;
that is, the principal stress is always in the same direction and not rotating such as a rod in tension.
White Noise
White noise is a signal which contains frequency content from all frequencies and when converted to the
frequency domain, is a constant line. A sharp sudden impact is also a form of signal which contains
content at all frequencies.
Wide Band
Wide band is a signal which contains frequency content at more than one frequency which when
converted to the frequency domain can appear as multiple spikes or as a broad curve spanning multiple
frequencies.
Main Index
Appendix B: Material Listing

Main Index
Material Listing
Material Types
890
Material Listing
892
Alternative Names
899

Material Types
Material Types
This table shows PFMAT material classes.
Table B-1
Material Type Numbers and Descriptions
Number
Main Index
Description
Type undefined
Flake cast iron (FCI)
Ferritic cast iron with compacted graphite (FCICG)
Pearlitic cast iron with compacted graphite (PCICG)
Bainitic cast iron with compacted graphite (BCICG)
Ferritic cast iron with spheroidal graphite (FCISG)
Ferrite/pearlite cast iron with spheroidal graphite (FPCISG)
Pearlitic cast iron with spheroidal graphite (PCISG)
Bainitic cast iron with spheroidal graphite (BCISG)
Cast steel with less than 0.2% carbon (CSL2C)
10
Normalized cast steel with 0.2-0.4% carbon (NCS24C)
11
Quenched & tempered cast steel with 0.2-0.4% carbon (QTCS24)
12
Normalized cast steel with 0.4-0.7% carbon (NCS47)
13
Plain carbon wrought steel with < 0.2% carbon (PCWS)
14
Hot rolled/normalized plain carbon wrought steel, 0.2-0.4% carbon (HNPCWS24)
15
Quenched & tempered cast steel with 0.4-0.7% carbon (QTCS47)
16
Quenched & tempered plain carbon wrought steel, 0.2-0.4% carbon (QTPCWS24)
17
Hot rolled/normalized plain carbon wrought steel, 0.4-0.7% carbon (HNPCWS47)
18
Quenched & tempered plain carbon wrought steel, 0.4-0.7% carbon (QTPCWS47)
19
Normalized low alloy wrought steel (NLAWS)
20
Quenched & tempered low alloy wrought steel (QTHSLAWS)
21
Normalized Ni/Cr/Mo wrought steel (NNCMWS)
22
Quenched & tempered Ni/Cr/Mo wrought steel (QTNCMWS)
23
Austenitic stainless steel (ASS)
24
Ferritic stainless steel (FSS)
25
Martensitic stainless steel (MSS)
26
Annealed plain carbon wrought steel, 0.2-0.4% carbon (APCWS24)
27
Annealed plain carbon wrought steel, 0.4-0.7% carbon (APCWS47)
Appendix B: Material Listing 891

Material Types
Table B-1
Material Type Numbers and Descriptions
Number
Main Index
Description
28
Normalized carbon/manganese steel (MCMS)
29
Quenched and tempered carbon/manganese steel (QTCMS)
30
Hardened chromium steel (HCS)
31
Quenched and tempered chromium steel (QTCS)
99
Steel of unknown heat treatment (STEEL)
100
Wrought aluminium (WA)
101
Wrought aluminium-copper alloy (WACA)
102
Wrought aluminium-manganese alloy (WAMNA)
103
Wrought aluminium-magnesium alloy (WAMGA)
104
Wrought aluminium-magnesium-silicon alloy (WAMGSA)
105
Wrought aluminium-zinc alloy (WAZA)
106
Cast aluminium alloy (CAA)
107
Wrought complex special purpose aluminum alloys (WCSPAA)
200
Wrought copper (WCU)
201
Wrought brass (WBR)
202
Wrought aluminium bronze (WABR)
203
Cupronickel (CUPNI)
204
Nickel silver (NIAG)
205
Wrought phosphor bronze (WPHBR)
206
Wrought copper beryllium (WCUBE)
207
Cast copper alloys (CCUA)
300
Titanium alloy (TA)
400
Wrought magnesium alloys (WMGA)
401
Cast magnesium alloys (CMGA)
500
Fusible alloys, solders (FUSSOL)
600
Cast zinc alloys (CZINCA)
700
Wrought nickel alloys (WNIA)
701
Cast nickel alloys (CNIA)
800
Precious metals (PRECMET)
900
Clad materials (CLADMAT)
1000
Thermoplastics (THERPLAS)
1001
Thermosetting plastics (TSETPLAS)

Material Listing
Material Listing
This table lists all materials that are delivered with the MSC Fatigue system and available datasets.
Table B-2
MSC Fatigue Material Listing (MPa)

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
150M19
2.07E5
682
E-N
2.25Cr1Mo
2.3E5
603
2014-T6_125_HF
7.27E4
483
2014_HV_0
7.17E4
200
M.S-N
2014_HV_T4
7.17E4
410
M.S-N
2014_HV_T6
7.17E4
470
M.S-N
2017_HV_T31
7.17E4
300
C.S-N
2024-T3
7.25E4
460
2024_HV_O
7.17E4
200
M.S-N
2024_HV_T3
7.17E4
450
M.S-N
2024_HV_T4
7.17E4
410
M.S-N
2024_HV_T851
7.17E4
410
M.S-N
2024_HV_T86
7.17E4
410
M.S-N
2219-T851
7E4
448
LEFM
2219_HV_T62
7.17E4
320
M.S-N
2219_HV_T81
7.17E4
410
M.S-N
2219_HV_T87
7.17E4
470
M.S-N
2789_370
1.628E5
436
E-N
2789_420
1.724e%
468
E-N
2789_600
1.737E5
591
E-N
2789_700
1.615E5
885
E-N
2789_800
1.62E5
890
E-N
2TA11
1.171E5
1233
E-N
3.5NCMV
2E5
1320
3003_HV_H14
7.17E4
200
M.S-N
3003_HV_H16
7.17E4
200
M.S-N
3003_HV_H18
7.17E4
220
M.S-N
3004_HV_H34
7.17E4
215
M.S-N
LEFM
E-N
LEFM
LEFM

Material Listing
Table B-2

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
3004_HV_H38
7.17E4
295
M.S-N
3004_HV_O
7.17E4
200
M.S-N
300M
2.07E5
1900
LEFM
316
1.9E5
590
LEFM
349S52
1.9E5
991
E-N
352S52
1.735E5
1027
E-N
5052-H32
6.96E4
231
E-N
5052_HV_H34
7.17E4
215
M.S-N
5052_HV_H38
7.17E4
295
M.S-N
5052_HV_O
7.17E4
200
M.S-N
5056_HV_CON
7.17E4
260
C.S-N
5083_114_CF
6.9E4
414
5083_87_CF
6.9E4
385
E-N
526M60
2.02E5
939
E-N
5454_NONE_CF
6.9E4
334
E-N
605M30
2E5
705
E-N
605M36
2.07E5
835
E-N
6061-T6 80 HF
7.27E4
340
E-N
6061-T6_NONE_CF
6.9E4
389
E-N
6061-T6_NONE_SHEET
6.96E4
314
E-N
6061_HV_O
7.17E4
150
M.S-N
6061_HV_T4
7.17E4
215
M.S-N
6061_HV_T6
7.17E4
305
M.S-N
7075-T6
7.09E4
558
7075_HV_O
7.17E4
220
M.S-N
7075_HV_T6
7.17E4
570
M.S-N
709M40
2.1E5
781
E-N
7175-T73_NONE_HF
7.13E4
524
E-N
722M24
2.05E5
976
E-N
817M40
2E5
1277
E-N
826M31
2E5
1209
E-N
835M30
2E5
1550
LEFM
LEFM
LEFM

Material Listing
Table B-2

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
835M30_V
1.943E5
1034
E-N
A533B
2E5
552
AISI1012
2E5
333
E-N
AISI1020
2E5
416
E-N
AISI_4340
2E5
1700
alphafe
2.1E5
1700
E-N
ASTMA536
1.447E5
480
E-N
B40PK
2E5
394
E-N
B40PO
2E5
438
E-N
B50XF
2E5
486
E-N
B50XK-CR
2E5
461
E-N
B50XK-HR
2E5
450
E-N
B55XF
2E5
488
E-N
B60RO
2E5
503
E-N
B80RK
2E5
610
E-N
B80XF
2E5
645
E-N
Beryllium
2.894E5
323
E-N
bs1452-260
1.253E5
277
E-N
BS376_Nickel
2.068E5
366
E-N
BS4360-43A
2.07E5
486
E-N
BS4360-43C
2.07E5
478
E-N
BS4360-43D
2.07E5
490
E-N
BS4360-50D
1.914E5
480
E-N
classB
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classC
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classD
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classE
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classF
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classF2
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classG
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
classW
2.07E5
500
C.S-N
Cold_rolled_sheet
2E5
303
LEFM
LEFM
E-N
LEFM
LEFM

Material Listing
Table B-2

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
Copper
1.136E5
206
E-N
DP1
2E5
659
E-N
DP2
2E5
753
E-N
EIBSG1400
1.75E5
1407
E-N
EICG315
1.51E5
315
E-N
EICG400
1.5E5
404
E-N
EICG493
1.63E5
493
E-N
EN24V
1.902E5
1047
E-N
EZ33A_HV_T5
4.4E4
140
FeE255TM
2E5
475
E-N
FeE37D
2E5
388
E-N
FeE420TM
2E5
490
E-N
FeE52D
2E5
550
E-N
HSLA4
2E5
486
E-N
HT-30
7.1E4
355
E-N
HY130
2E5
1010
LEFM
HY80
2E5
735
LEFM
HYBRID_CASTIRON
1.51E5
296
E-N
hypress20
2E5
445
E-N
hypress23
2E5
437
E-N
hypress26
2E5
523
E-N
hypress29-4
2E5
544
E-N
hypress29-8
2E5
539
E-N
IMI685
1.2E5
955
INC718
2.041E5
1304
E-N
MANTEN
2.034E5
552
E-N
MANTEN_MSN
2.034E5
600
M.S-N
MANTEN_SN
2.034E5
600
C.S-N
Mild_Steel
2E5
462
E-N
Nitro
2E5
483
E-N
Nitro-sa
2E5
648
E-N
Rephos
2E5
421
E-N
M.S-N
LEFM
LEFM

Material Listing
Table B-2

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
RQC100
2.034E5
863
E-N
LEFM
RQC100_MSN
2.034E5
800
M.S-N
RQC100_SN
2.034E5
800
C.S-N
RQT501
2E5
590
E-N
LEFM
RQT701
2E5
825
E-N
LEFM
RR58
7.5E4
450
SAE1006_85A_HR
2.07E5
318
E-N
SAE1006_85B_HR
2.07E5
318
E-N
SAE1006_85_HR
2.07E5
318
E-N
SAE1008_91_HR
2.07E5
363
E-N
SAE1015_80_NORM
2.07E5
415
E-N
SAE1018_106_HR
2.07E5
354
E-N
SAE1018_118_QT
2.07E5
496
E-N
SAE1018_209_QT
2.07E5
696
E-N
SAE1020_107_HR
2.07E5
441
E-N
SAE1020_108_ANLD
2.07E5
392
E-N
SAE1030_128A_HR
2.07E5
454
E-N
SAE1030_128_HR
2.07E5
454
E-N
SAE1035_169_CON
2.1E5
550
SAE1045_225_ANLD
2.07E5
751
E-N
SAE1045_390_QT
2.07E5
1343
E-N
SAE1045_450_QT
2.07E5
1584
E-N
SAE1045_500_QT
2.07E5
1956
E-N
SAE1045_595_QT
2.07E5
2239
E-N
SAE1045_705_QT
2.07E5
2067
E-N
SAE1045_HV_HR
2.07E5
671
E-N
SAE1050_189_CON
2.1E5
637
M.S-N
SAE1055_251_CON
2.1E5
860
M.S-N
SAE1080_371_QT
2.07E5
1298
E-N
SAE1080_410_QT
2.07E5
1432
E-N
SAE1080_421_AUST
2.07E5
1349
E-N
SAE1315_155_CON
2.1E5
530
LEFM
M.S-N
M.S-N

Material Listing
Table B-2

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
SAE1522_289_HR
2.07E5
1005
E-N
SAE1522_304_HR
2.07E5
1088
E-N
SAE1541_362_QT
2.07E5
1200
E-N
SAE1561_234_HR
2.07E5
836
E-N
SAE2310_138_CON
2.1E5
480
M.S-N
SAE2335_217_CON
2.1E5
745
M.S-N
SAE30304
1.87E5
670
SAE4130_259_QT
2.07E5
895
SAE4130_267_CON
2.1E5
912
SAE4130_366_QT
2.07E5
1426
E-N
SAE4142_380_QT
2.07E5
1412
E-N
SAE4142_400_QT
2.07E5
1550
E-N
SAE4142_450A_QT
2.07E5
1929
E-N
SAE4142_450_QT
2.07E5
1757
E-N
SAE4142_475A_QT
2.07E5
2032
E-N
SAE4142_475_QT
2.07E5
1929
E-N
SAE4142_560_QT
2.07E5
2239
E-N
SAE4142_670_QT
2.07E5
2446
E-N
SAE4340_242_HR
2.07E5
826
E-N
SAE4340_350A_QT
2.07E5
1171
E-N
SAE4340_350B_QT
2.07E5
1171
E-N
SAE4340_350C_QT
2.07E5
1240
E-N
SAE4340_409_QT
2.07E5
1467
E-N
SAE5160_434_QT
2.07E5
1584
E-N
SAE52100_517_H
2.07E5
2011
E-N
SAE8630_254_NORM
2.07E5
785
E-N
SAE8640_361_QT
2.07E5
1373
E-N
SAE9262_260_NORM
2.07E5
923
E-N
SAE9262_271_QT
2.07E5
999
E-N
sra_60
2E5
531
E-N
sra_70
2E5
570
E-N
st00
2.1E5
347
E-N
LEFM
E-N
M.S-N

Material Listing
Table B-2

Name
Main Index
UTS
Data types
Ti-6Al-4V
1.2E5
986
LEFM
unsg10200
2E5
393
1.400...
2E5
496
Sp.Wld
1.4301_III...
1.875E5
670
Sp.Wld
1.4301_IIIC
2E5
670
Sp.Wld
1.4589
2E5
523
Sp.Wld
AlMg5Mn
7E4
300
Sp.Wld
FePo4
2E5
313
Sp.Wld
spot_nugget_generic
2.1E5
500
Sp.Wld
spot_sheet_generic
2.1E5
500
Sp.Wld
ZSTE380
2E5
484
Sp.Wld.
E-N

Alternative Names
Alternative Names
This table lists all materials delivered with the MSC Fatigue system and any alternative names by which
they may be known.
Table B-3
MSC Fatigue Material Alternative Names

SAE (USA)
DIN(German)
W.Nr.(German)
British
Steels
Main Index
SAE1006_85A_HR
D8-2
1.0313
040A04,En2A
SAE1006_85B_HR
D8-2
1.0313
040A04,En2A
SAE1006_85_HR
D8-2
1.0313
040A04,En2A
SAE1008_91_HR
St13
1.0333
050A04
SAE1015_80_NORM
C15
1.0401
050A15
SAE1018_106_HR
080A17
SAE1018_118_QT
080A17
SAE1018_209_QT
080A17
SAE1020_107_HR
C22
1.0402
070M20,En3
SAE1020_108_ANLD
C22
1.0402
070M20,En3
SAE1030_128A_HR
080A30,En5B
SAE1030_128_HR
080A30,En5B
SAE1035_169_CON
Cm35
1.1180
060A35
SAE1045_225_ANLD
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1045_390_QT
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1045_450_QT
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1045_500_QT
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1045_595_QT
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1045_705_QT
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1045_HV_HR
Ck45
1.1191
060A45
SAE1050_189_CON
C53
1.210
060A52
SAE1055_251_CON
C55
1.0535
070M55,En9
SAE1080_371_QT
060A81
SAE1080_410_QT
060A81
SAE1080_421_AUST
060A81
SAE1315_155_CON
SAE1522_289_HR
20Mn5
1.1133
120M19

Alternative Names
Table B-3

SAE (USA)
Main Index
DIN(German)
W.Nr.(German)
British
SAE1522_304_HR
20Mn5
1.1133
120M19
SAE1541_362_QT
36Mn5
1.1167
150M36,En15B
SAE1561_234_HR
SAE2310_138_CON
708A30
SAE2335_217_CON
SAE30304
X5CrNi18_9
1.4301
304S16,En58E
SAE4130_259_QT
708A30
SAE4130_366_QT
708A30
SAE4130_267_CON
SAE4142_380_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4120_400_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4142_450A_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4142_450_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4142_475A_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4142_475_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4142_560_QT
42CrMo4
1.7225
708A42,En19C
SAE4340_HV_NONE
SAE4340_242_HR
40CrNiMo6
1.6565
817M40,En24
SAE4340_350A_QT
40CrNiMo6
1.6565
817M40,En24
SAE4340_350B_QT
40CrNiMo6
1.6565
817M40,En24
SAE4340_350C_QT
40CrNiMo6
1.6565
817M40,En24
SAE4340_409_QT
40CrNiMo6
1.6565
817M40,En24
AISI4340M_HV-NONE
SAE5160_434_QT
55Cr3
1.7176
527A60,En48
SAE52100_517_H
100Cr6
1.3505
539A99,En31
SAE8630_254_NORM
30NiCrMo2_2
1.6545
SAE8640_361_QT
40NiCrMo2_2
1.6546
SAE9262_260_NORM
60SiCr7
1.7108
SAE9262_271_QT
60SiCr7
1.7108
835M30,En30B
St52
BS4360-50D
ASTM A542 Class 2,3
2.25Cr1Mo

Alternative Names
Table B-3

SAE (USA)
DIN(German)
W.Nr.(German)
British
3.5NiCrMoV
316_S/S
A553B
HY80
HY130
MANTEN
MANTEN_SN
NAMTEN_MSN
RQC100
RQC100_SN
RQC100_MSN
RQT501
RQT701
Aluminum Alloys and Other Light Alloys
Main Index
2025_T3
2219_T851
5056_HV_CON
Al_Mg5
3.3555
2014-T6_125_HF
6061-T6_80_HF
5052-H32
6061-T6_NONE_SHEET
6061-T6-NONE_CF
2014_HV_O
Al_Cu4_Si_Mg
3.1255
2014_HV_T4
Al_Cu4_Si_Mg
3.1255
2014_HV_T6
Al_Cu4_Si_Mg
3.1255
2017_HV_T31
Al_Cu4_Si_Mg
3.1355
2024_HV_O
Al_Cu_Mg2
3.1355
2024_HV_T3
Al_Cu_Mg2
3.1355
2024_HV_T851
Al_Cu_Mg2
3.1355
2024_HV_T4
Al_Cu_Mg2
3.1355
2024_HV_T86
Al_Cu_Mg2
3.1355
2219_HV_T87

Alternative Names
Table B-3

SAE (USA)
W.Nr.(German)
British
2219_HV_T81
2219_HV_T62
3003_HV_H18
3003_HV_H16
3003_HV_H14
3004_HV_H38
3004_HV_H34
3004_HV_O
5052_HV_H38
5052_HV_H34
5052_HV_O
5083_114_CF
5083_87_CF
5454_NONE_CF
6061_HV_O
6061_HV_T4
6061_HV_T6
7075_HV_O
Al_Zn_Mg_Cu1.5
7075_HV_T6
Al_Zn_Mg_Cu1.5
7175-T73_NONE_HF
HT30
RR58
EZ33A_HV_T5
TI-6Al-4V
IMI685
Weld Geometries
BSB5400:CLASS B
BSB5400:CLASS C
BSB5400:CLASS D
BSB5400:CLASS E
BSB5400:CLASS F
BSB5400:CLASS F2
Main Index
DIN(German)

Alternative Names
Table B-3

SAE (USA)
BSB5400:CLASS G
BSB5400:CLASS W
Main Index
DIN(German)
W.Nr.(German)
British

Alternative Names
Main Index
Appendix C: Support
Main Index
Support
Where to Get Help
Technical Support
MSC Offices
908
906
907

Where to Get Help
Where to Get Help

If you have a question about MSC Fatigue, try finding the solution in our online help system. Its easy to
find with our context-sensitive and topical help system. Once in the help system, you can find any related
topic using the hypertext (indicated by red-colored text); or you can access any document in the system
using the Navigation Menu, which appears at the top of every page.
The online help system consists of a large group of view-only documents containing hypertext
commands that link MSC Fatigue to the help system, and link the documents to each other to display
related information. These hypertext documents allow you to explore information nonsequentially, using
the paths provided via hypertext. The hypertext is indicated with red-colored text. This system was
designed to make it easy to obtain quick-access to the documentation while using MSC Fatigue.
Accessing Help from a Form

If you need help interpreting the buttons on a form or figuring out which step to take first, move the cursor
onto the form and press the F1 key. The help system will display the appropriate page of the online help,
describing the form and indicating what you need to do to continue.The F1 key works in MSC.Fatigue
Pre & Post. Other MSC Fatigue modules also have on-line help which is accessed by pressing the help
button on the form or from a pull-down menu. Some of these use Adobe Acrobat PDF files.
Main Index
907
Technical Support
Technical Support
For technical support phone numbers and contact information, please visit:
http://www.mscsoftware.com/Contents/Services/Technical-Support/Contact-Technical-Support.aspx
Support Center (www.simcompanion.mscsoftware.com)
Support Online. The Support Center provides technical articles, frequently asked questions and
documentation from a single location.
Email:
mscfatigue.support@mscsoftware.com
In addition to our technical support centers, MSC has developed a broad network of local offices, staffed
by a knowledgeable team, who can provide product assistance of any kind. For the location of the office
nearest you, call (800) 732-7284 or refer to the MSC Offices.
Preparing to Call the Hotline

When you call the Support Hotline (1-800-732-7284), the phone will be answered by an auto-attendant.
If this is your first time contacting Support, please be prepared to provide the following information:
Name
Phone number
Fax number
E-mail address
Company name and address
Name of product you are using
Version number of the product
Category of call
System information
Manufacturer (Sun, SGI, IBM, HP, NT, etc.)
Model or chip (e.g., r10000 for SGI)
OS Version (Solaris 2.5, IRIX 6.2, AIX...)
Graphics board (for graphics problems)
RAM (for hardware problems)
Available disk space (for hardware problems)
Description of the problem
If all engineers are busy, you will have the option of waiting on hold for the next available engineer, or
you may leave a message for a callback from an engineer. We recommend that you wait on hold whenever
possible.
Main Index

MSC Offices
MSC Offices
MSC Software Corporation is the industry leader for engineering analysis solutions. For more detailed
information on any of our advanced analysis programs, contact your local MSC representative.
MSC Fatigue Support North America
Corporate
2 MacArthur Place
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(800) 732-7284
MSC Software Corporation

2 MacArthur Place
Santa Ana, CA 92707 USA
Email
Telephone: (800) 345-2078
mscfatigue.support@mscsoftware.com
Fax: (714) 784-4056

Europe
MSC Software GmbH
Am Moosfeld 13
81829 Munich, Germany
Telephone: (49) (89) 43 19 87 0
Fax: (49) (89) 43 61 71 6
Asia Pacific
MSC Software Japan Ltd.
Shinjuku First West 8F
23-7 Nishi Shinjuku
1-Chome, Shinjuku-Ku
Tokyo 160-0023, JAPAN
Telephone: (81) (3)-6911-1200
Fax: (81) (3)-6911-1201
Worldwide Web
www.mscsoftware.com
Main Index
MSC.Fatigue Quick Start Guide
Index
ABAQUS results file import, 14

add load signals, 804
addition, 786
advanced fatigue analysis and display, 818
advanced loading manipulation, 785
alternative material names, 899
amplitude, 864
amplitude distribution analysis, 808
analysis modules, 28
angle distribution, 388
angle spread, 383
ANSYS results file import, 16
arithmetic manipulation, 786
assumptions, 2, 33
August Woehler, 864
auto spectral density, 809
averaging, 856
band pass filter, 813

batch entry, 149
batch operations, 164
Baushinger effect, 875
beta-solution, 234, 865
biaxiality analysis, 379
biaxiality indicators, 381
biaxiality plots, 386
biaxiality ratio, 380, 865
broad band, 865
Butterworth filtration, 813
calculate normals, 354

compliance, 28, 234, 865
compliance function library, 235
component S-N, 138
component S-N curve, 145, 865
correlation techniques, 578
Main Index
CPU times, 369

crack growth, 9, 866
crack growth analysis, 230, 275, 324
crack growth data analysis, 833
crack growth rate, 868
crack initiation, 3, 9, 866
crack initiation analysis, 166, 212, 272, 342,
820
critical location analysis, 820
critical location identification, 858
critical plane analysis, 393, 866
cross correlation terms, 813
cross platform file conversion, 849
cross plots, 384
customer support, 906
cut and paste signals, 800
cycle by cycle growth, 252
cycle counting, 118, 192, 866
cycles and damage analysis, 823
cycles file lister, 825
cyclic hardening, 185, 868
cyclic material properties, 4, 867
cyclic softening, 185, 868
cyclic stress-strain curve, 183
da/dN curve, 335, 868

DAC to RPC translation, 846
damage, 869
low
removal, 768
damage summation, 118, 127, 869
damage tolerant, 7, 870
data management, 28
definitions, 3
design optimization, 161, 222
design philosophies, 6, 264
deterministic, 870
divide load signals, 804
division, 786
durability, 3, 870
elastic, 870
elastic-plastic correction, 192, 870
element centroidal calculations, 855
Endo, 127
endurance limit, 270, 871
environments, 248, 337
executables, 28
external results files, 24
extract time history, 857
factor-of-safety analysis, 269

fail safe, 6, 871
failure criterion, 871
fast analysis, 128, 368
fast Fourier filtering, 810
fatigue, 3, 871
fatigue concentration factor, 871
fatigue equivalent units, 153, 225, 876
fatigue limit, 872
file conversion, 30
file import, 76, 232, 284, 345, 424, 527, 552,
729, 771
file translation utilities, 843
files, 261
filters, 810, 813
finite element methods, 5
finite element results, 76, 232, 284, 345, 424,
527, 552, 729, 771
finite element results import, 10
five box trick, 4
formula processor, 797
Fourier analysis, 872
fracture, 3, 230, 275, 324, 872
fracture mechanics triangle, 235, 872
frequency domain, 873
frequency response analysis, 813
gauge definition file, 557

gauge group, 560
Main Index
gauge tool, 554

Gaussian, 873
geometry information, 4
Gerber mean stress, 873
Goodman mean stress, 873
gradients
stress, 770
graphical display, 29
groups, 267, 333, 348
help, 906
high cycle fatigue, 223, 874
high pass filter, 813
histogram import, 859
histogram matrix, 130
Hoffman-Seeger, 390
hotline, 907
hypertext, 864
hysteresis, 875
I-DEAS Master Series universal file import, 25

import histogram, 859
interpolate crack sizes, 255
introduction, 2
inverse Fourier transform, 875
irregularity factor, 876
job submittal, 92, 307, 537, 615, 659, 781
k-solution, 234, 865, 876
life, 876
life contour plots, 160
life estimation process, 7
life prediction methods, 5
linear elastic fracture mechanics, 230, 876
linear superposition, 307
INDEX 911
load control
aerospace
file, 686
load manipulation, 29
loading database, 120
loading information, 4
load-strain relation, 7
local strain, 3
local strain analysis, 166, 212
local strain method, 877
low cycle fatigue, 223, 877
low pass filter, 813
MARC results file import, 17

marker plots, 402, 705
Masings hypothesis, 193
material cut-off, 270, 877
material information, 4
material listing, 892
material names, 899
material parameter, 390
material scatter, 133
material S-N curve, 877
material tests, 186
material types, 890
materials database, 87, 88, 302, 410, 716, 717
Matsuishi, 127
mean stress, 877
mean stress correction, 118, 132, 222, 877
Miners constant, 878
Miners rule, 869
modules, 28
monotonic material properties, 4, 147, 878
Morrow mean stress, 223, 879
MSC offices, 908
MSC.Nastran model import, 12
MSC.Nastran results import, 10
MSC.Patran Advanced FEA file import, 14
MSC.Patran FEA result file access/import, 26
multiaxial assessment, 342, 379
multiaxial fatigue analysis, 830
multiaxial loading, 380
multiaxial stress state, 879
multiaxiality, 389
Main Index
multi-channel creator/editor, 789

multi-file cut and paste, 800
multi-file display, 295, 361
multi-file manipulation, 804
multiple loads, 282, 342, 754
multiplication, 786
multiply load signals, 804
narrow band signal, 879

Neubers rule, 192, 880
nitriding, 225
non-linear static FE analysis, 213
non-proportional loading, 380, 390
notch correction, 7, 209, 880
notches, 235
offices, 908
optimization, 258
OUTPUT2 file import, 11
Palmgren-Miner rule, 127

Paris equation, 880
PATRAN neutral and results file import, 18
peak-valley slicing, 369
PFMAT
menu options, 51
plasticity, 880
plotting signals, 123
polar plots, 393
power spectral density (PSD), 881
principal stress axis, 383
probabilistic nature of fatigue, 133
probability density function (PDF), 881
proportional loading, 380, 390
rainflow cycle counting, 118, 126, 192, 882

random vibration, 882
range, 882
reference location, 146, 267, 883
regression analysis, 883
residual stress, 212, 220, 227, 883

result listings, 636
results extraction, 560
results tabular listing, 160
root mean square (rms), 883
rosette analysis, 583
r-ratio, 882
safe life, 6, 883

sample rate, 884
sensitivity analysis, 162
sequence effects, 252, 826
shot peening, 226
signal reconstruction, 844
signal statistics, 583
S-N analysis, 74, 118, 138, 266, 818
S-N curve, 886
S-N method, 3
software strain gauges, 550, 576
spectrum
aerospace
file, 685
spot weld analysis, 397
spot weld definitions, 402
static analysis, 77, 285, 352
statistical analysis of signals, 816
strain hardening, 185, 885
strain softening, 185, 886
strain-life, 3
strain-life analysis, 212, 272
strain-life curve, 187, 885
strain-life relation, 8
stress
gradients, 770
stress concentration, 871, 884
stress concentration library, 833
stress intensity, 885
stress range, 882
stress results, 77, 285, 352
stress vs. strain, 210
stress-life, 3
stress-life analysis, 266
stress-life curve, 886
stress-life vs. strain-life, 190
stress-strain curve, 183
Main Index
stress-strain tracking, 193

STW mean stress, 223, 887
subtract load signals, 804
subtraction, 786
superposition of loads, 307
surface conditions, 225
surface nodes, 348
surface resolved stress, 352, 887
technical support, 907

time correlated damage analysis, 826
total life, 3, 9, 887
total life analysis, 74, 118, 266
transfer function, 887
uniaxial fatigue analyzer, 588

uniaxial loading, 380
uniaxial stress, 888
units, 360
universal file import, 25
using strains, 210
utilities, 30, 766
vibration fatigue analysis, 828
waterfall plots, 850

welds, 266
white noise, 888
wide band, 888
XDB file import, 11
Youngs modulus, 210

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MSC Fatigue 2013

MSC Software Corporation

MSC Software GmbH

MSC Software Japan Ltd.

When to Use Which Method?

Different Methods of FE Import

MSC Fatigue Modules

MSC Fatigue Output Files

About this Guide

iv MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

DtmatThe New Database Manager

FE Results Access Option

A Simple S-N Analysis

Geometry and FE Stress Results

Multi-Curve S-N Support

Simple S-N Analysis

Rainflow Cycle Counting

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Component S-N Analysis

vi MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

Run the Fatigue Analysis

Review the Results

A Simple e-N Analysis

Geometry and FE Stress Results

Set Up First Fatigue Analysis

Investigate Surface Finish/Treatment

Introduction to Crack Growth

Geometry and FE Stress Results

viii MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

S-N Analysis of Lug Weld

LEFM Analysis of Lug

Geometry and FE Stress Results

Run the Fatigue Analysis

Classic Fatigue Solver

x MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

Crack Growth Analysis of Engine Mounting Lug

Geometry and FE Stress Results

Access Fatigue Results

Spot Weld Analysis

Factor of Safety Analysis of Spot Weld

xii MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

Access Fatigue Results

Classic Fatigue Solver

Seam Weld Analysis

Creating a Weld Group

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Access Fatigue Results

Seam Weld Analysis of Root and Throat Groups

Classic Fatigue Solver

Geometry and FE Stress Results

Run the Fatigue Analysis

Access Fatigue Results

xiv MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

Wheels Interactive Menu

A Software Strain Gauge

Geometry and FE Stress Results

Create a New Database in Patran

Review the Results

Using Classic Fatigue Solver to Perform Multiple Input Analysis

Swept Sine Analysis,

Geometry and FE Stress Results

xvi MSC Fatigue QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

View the Life Contour Plot