Comparative Evaluation of Finite Element Models and Types of Analyses for a Bolted Joint

The present work is aimed at evaluating different ways in which a given joint can be analyzed using the Finite Element Method. The bolt is modeled using line elements (link) or area elements (continuum) and a comparative evaluation is carried out. Each of these types is further subdivided into three categories viz., plane stress, axisymmetric, and three-dimensional models. Thus a total of six models are proposed to be analyzed and compared. As the bolt shares only a small fraction of external load in a well-tightened joint, the relative flexibility of a bracket is also studied as an example in the present work. Comparing the results of these analyses it was found that the type of model used for the bolt is more important than the type of analysis. This aspect is probed further to find the essential difference between bolt as link and bolt as continuum. The analysis is carried out using ANSYS, which enables writing many parametric programs.