My Multibody Project Problem

Hello

I have a project that I couldn't find a way to do it.

https://grabcad.com/library/chain-sprocket-animation-1

In that link there is a chain sprocket model and my teacher wants me to simulate that model in simscape multibody. I downloaded the parts and assemble files, and after I import solidworks to matlab, there are lots of warnings in the commend window.Those chain and sprockets has to turn(move) but because of that warnings I cannot made them move. I almost watched every youtube videos but I can't find the solution.

Can you please help me to move chain and sporckets?

[Luke Halberstadt]

The animation link doesn't work for me. Can you provide a screenshot of the system and/or a new animation link?

Answer 1

[Steve Miller]

I exported the model from SolidWorks, imported into Simscape Multibody, and dealt with enough of the warnings to get it to run. There are some settings in the CAD model that make it a bit awkward to work with - there are many mates that were added for the animation in CAD that are not necessary in a multibody simulation, so I followed the diagnostics that Simscape Multibody provides and commented out the unneeded blocks.

The next step, getting it to turn the sprockets, can be done in an abstract or a detailed way.

1. Abstract - have the chain links move along a Point-to-Curve Constraint and use the Common Gear Constraint to move the sprockets. This will simulate quickly but will not capture variation in gear speed as chain links engage/disengage.
2. Detailed - Use the Point Cloud block to add points to the sprockets for contact modeling, and add Spatial Contact Force blocks between each chain segment and each sprocket. This will take longer to compile and run due to the added detail, but it will also capture the variation in speed more accurately.

In the model I attached, the chain loop is not properly closed, again due to the CAD model lacking the correct mate definitions.

--Steve