In SOLIDWORKS Motion, Contacts can be used to define the way bodies react with each other. There are two types of Contacts available: Solid Bodies contact and Curves contact.
Within the contact definition, you can control the friction and the elastic properties between the bodies.
Contact Groups
Contacts between the bodies can be defines in multiple separate definitions, or in one definition with all bodies included in a single definition only; this is called the Contact Groups.
Contact Groups will consider contact between all selected bodies, and automatically generate multiple contact pairs. While this procedure is easy to define, considering contact for all pairs can be computationally demanding.
Contact definition with contact groups ignores contact between parts within the group; rather it considers contact between all combinations of pairs of bodies across the groups. It is possible to define a maximum of two contact groups.
Contact Friction
When defining contacts, there are three contact options which can be used, depending on the model:
- Static
- Kinematic
- None
After selecting the friction type, you need to provide:
- Static and Kinematic velocity
- Static and Kinematic coefficient of friction
Static vs Kinematic Coefficient of Friction
- Static coefficient of friction is used to calculate the force necessary to overcome friction when a body is at rest.
- Kinematic coefficient of friction is used to calculate friction forces once the body is no longer at rest.
