A tolerance analysis method based on assembly deformation simulation with stable contact

Abstract

Purpose The assembly simulation in tolerance analysis is one of the most important steps for the tolerance design of mechanical products. However, most assembly simulation methods are based on the rigid body assumption, and those assembly simulation methods considering deformation have a poor efficiency. This paper aims to propose a novel efficient and precise tolerance analysis method based on stable contact to improve the efficiency and reliability of assembly deformation simulation. Design/methodology/approach The proposed method comprehensively considers the initial rigid assembly state, the assembly deformation and the stability examination of assembly simulation to improve the reliability of tolerance analysis results. The assembly deformation of mating surfaces was first calculated based on the boundary element method with optimal initial assembly state, then the stability of assembly simulation results was assessed by the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm to improve the reliability of tolerance analysis. Finally, combining the small displacement torsor theory, the tolerance scheme was statistically analyzed based on sufficient samples. Findings A case study of a guide rail model demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method. Research limitations/implications The present study only considered the form error when generating the skin model shape, and the waviness and the roughness of the matching surface were not considered. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the proposed method is original in the assembly simulation considering stable contact, which can effectively ensure the reliability of the assembly simulation while taking into account the computational efficiency.