Analysis and rendering with Fusion 360

Welcome back to the Risen Blog, today we will conclude our exploration of the main features of Fusion 360, going to analyze the simulation and rendering environments.

Simulation

After having created or loaded the 3D model of the part that we want to test, we will be able to access the simulation environment, which welcomes us with the selection of the type of analysis we intend to undertake. The available options are: - Static stress, for structural load analysis - Modal frequencies, which allows to identify vibrational modalities of the particular - Cooling of electronic components, at the moment in preview allows you to check the heat dissipation of electronic boards and other components - Thermal, to verify heat flows and thermal response in stationary conditions - Thermal stress, combine static and thermal simulation - Buckling at peak load, allows you to check the load multipliers for peak loads - Non-linear static stress, allows to analyze materials with non-linear behavior or subjected to large deformations - Quasi-static event simulation, to analyze non-linear deformation such as the compression of a spring - Dynamic event simulation, allows you to simulate bumps and impacts - Shape optimization, using a system similar to that of generative design allows to reduce component weights while maintaining integrity - Injection molding simulation, check print quality according to material entry points and other parameters.

Result of a static load simulation

All these tools allow you to define the functionality of the designed part in every aspect; be careful though, almost all simulations require resolution through the autodesk cloud and the consequent expense of cloud credits or the purchase of the specific extension. Once the type of analysis we wish to carry out has been selected, we will have numerous tools at our disposal; from the simplification of the geometry to speed up the analysis process, to the definition of the constraints and the materials used, up to the definition of the process parameters to be used for molding. Once the simulation has been defined, a convenient icon will inform us if the model thus set up is ready for simulation and, if not, which corrections need to be set. The calculation phase can be carried out locally or via the cloud, depending on the performance of the PC we have available and the complexity of the analysis to be carried out.

Impact simulation

Once the simulation is completed, the results analysis interface automatically shows the minimum and maximum load points, allowing you to add other analysis points (which can also be defined via coordinates and therefore being able to analyze internal parts of the component) and allowing you to hide the parts who did not experience stress within a defined range. Fusion 360 also allows you to graphically view the deformations, both as actual and increased and produces results on all the main parameters: Safety factor; stress by von mises method, principal, shear and perpendicular; displacement both total and in each of the 3 main directions; reaction force; equivalent deformation and on different planes; contact pressure; contact force. This concerns only the static stress, for the other simulations there are as many alternatives in the respective fields.

Rendering and animation

Rendering of a cutter

We arrived to the last 2 working environments present in Fusion 360: rendering and animation. These two environments are separated as the purpose of the rendering is to create 2D (or turntable) images for the realistic presentation of our projects, while the animation environment allows you to create animated clips to show the functionality of our products and create video instructions for assembly and maintenance. The rendering environment offers the possibility to set the appearance of our objects, the environment (and the lighting) that we will use, apply decals to the surfaces, so as to represent areas with stickers or printed logos. Also you can make all the adjustments that you would find on a normal camera, such as depth of field, exposure, focal length etc. Once all the settings have been selected, it is possible to proceed with the actual rendering; also in this case we have the possibility to perform the calculation locally or in the cloud. In the second case, the cloud credits are only necessary for the calculations of very complex assemblies; in the tests carried out, not a single case was found in which cloud rendering cost something. The animation environment works in a very similar way to other programs for video editing and 3D animation; by creating key frames we will be able to modify the position of the parts and the camera to create presentation videos and exploded views. The latter are very easy to make thanks to the automatic explode command, this command allows you to separate the components at various levels, thus maintaining assembled sub-assemblies or exploding every single screw. These capabilities are primarily aimed at the marketing and safety departments, demonstrating once again how Fusion 360 points to being a central hub for the entire product development.

Conclusions

With the simulation environment you have an excellent evaluation tool for the components designed, even if slightly limited in functionality, you can easily increase them with the relative extension. The rendering and animation environments close the package offered by this program making it to all intents and purposes 360 °, also with a nod to marketing and logistics. This article concludes our overview of Fusion 360, which we will return to in the future with some tutorials.