Often, motion studies are solved with the assumption that all joints used in the study are rigid. This is to simplify the analysis.
However in the physical world, nothing is absolutely rigid as materials have the ability to deform elastically and plastically. To simulate the actual behavior of the model, you need to apply flexible joints.
In SOLIDWORKS Motion, bushings are the flexible mates. They are added to model flexible mates used on physical suspensions. Busing elements allow deformation by some amount.
Typical bushings used in automotive vehicle design consist of steel-on-steel, urethane, or nylon. The stiffness and damping characteristics of these bushings are measured by SAE testing methods.
Bushings can be defined in either Translational or Torsional direction and with specific properties:
Translational
- Isotropic: Select to apply uniform translational properties. Clear to specify different properties in each direction. For example, a bushing mount for a suspension arm has different properties in the Z-axis than in the X-axis or Y-axis.
- Stiffness: Enter the translational stiffness coefficient.
- Damping: Enter the translational damping coefficient.
- Force: Enter the preload applied.
Torsional
- Isotropic: Select to apply uniform torsional properties. Clear to specify different properties in each direction. For example, a bushing mount for a suspension arm has different properties in the Z-axis than in the X-axis or Y-axis.
- Stiffness: Enter the torsional stiffness coefficient.
- Damping: Enter the torsional damping coefficient.
- Force: Enter the preload applied.