Tutorial 1: Stress analysis of a connecting rod
In this tutorial you will learn to quickly set up a basic structural simulation of a connecting rod and conduct stress analysis using the SimScale Workbench.

Figure 1: Stress field on the connecting rod under pressure load
Step-by-step
Getting started
- The tutorial project “Tutorial 1: Connecting rod stress analysis” has been imported and is open in your SimScale Workbench.
I. Simulation Creation
- To create a new simulation, click on the 'Create Simulation' button.
Figure 2: First step to creating a simulation in SimScale
- Select 'Static' as the Analysis Type and click 'Create Simulation'.
Figure 3: Selecting 'Static' analysis for connecting rod stress analysis
- A new Simulation tree will automatically be generated in the left side of your screen, containing all parameters and settings required to start the simulation.
II. Model
- You will need to define the direction of gravity for your simulation. In this case the gravity will move in the negative y-direction. To modify the direction of gravity, click on 'Model'.
Figure 4: Defining gravity in SimScale
- Here, you can determine the magnitude and direction of the gravity that will be applied in the simulation.
Figure 5: Defining magnitude and direction of gravity, with '9.81' m/s as the magnitude and e_y as '-1' to indicate gravity moving in the negative-y direction.
III. Material Assignment
- To assign a material to your model, click on the '+' button next to Materials in the simulation tree.
Figure 6: First step to assigning a material in SimScale
- The Material Library will open. Scroll down to select 'Steel' and click 'Apply'.
Figure 7: Lists of pre-defined materials for structural analysis and assigning them to a model.
- The material will automatically be assigned to the connecting rod.
Note: The color blue indicates that you are in Assignment mode.
Figure 8: Steel with its physical properties applied to the connecting rod model. Assigned part will turn blue when material is selected.
IV. Boundary Conditions Assignment
Two boundary conditions (Pressure-Load and Fixed Support) need to be assigned.
- Add the 'Pressure' boundary condition first
- To create a new boundary condition, click on the '+' button next to Boundary conditions in the simulation tree. Select 'Pressure' in the lists of the boundary conditions.
Figure 9: Selecting the pressure boundary condition in SimScale
- Set the pressure value to '200' bar. You can change the units by clicking on it and selecting 'bar' as the unit of pressure.
Figure 10: Entering the amount of pressure and changing the units to 'bar'.
- Now we need to select the faces on which the pressure should act. In the viewer, select the two inner faces at the smaller opening of the rod.
Note: The color turns blue, indicating that they will be assigned to the current boundary condition.
Figure 11: Pressure boundary condition applied to the two inner faces of the small opening.
- To create a new boundary condition, click on the '+' button next to Boundary conditions in the simulation tree. Select 'Pressure' in the lists of the boundary conditions.
- Adding the 'Fixed Support' boundary condition
- Add another boundary condition by clicking on the '+' button next to Boundary conditions in the simulation tree. Select 'Fixed Support'.
- Select all the inner faces at the upper end of the connecting rod in the viewer.
Figure 12: Fixed support boundary condition applied at the other end of the connecting rod.
V. Simulation Run
Now you are ready to start your first simulation run.
- The Numerics, Simulation Control and Mesh sections are set by default and do not have to be changed for this case.
- Create a simulation run by clicking on the '+' button next to Simulation Runs in the Simulation tree.
Figure 13: Starting a simulation run in SimScale
- In the New Run dialog click 'Start' to start the simulation run.
Figure 14: Starting a simulation run in SimScale with resource estimation displayed
- Once the simulation run is finished, the status will be changed to Finished in the run settings panel.
Figure 15: Example of a finished run
VI. Simulation Results
- To access the post-processor you can click 'Post-process results' or 'Solution fields' under your run to load the solution fields in the Post-processor.
Figure 16: Double access to the built-in post-processor
- Click on 'Results' to see the results of the simulation.
- Now scroll down and choose 'von Mises stress' from the scalar list 'SCL' under the Results Config section to view the stress results.
Figure 17: Steps to visualizing von Mises stress
- Take a look at the stress field displayed on the model in the viewer. Regions of high stress load are colored red while lower stress regions are shown in blue.
Figure 18: von Mises stress distribution on a connecting rod
Congratulations! You just finished your first Stress Analysis simulation on SimScale!
Find more tutorials on our website: SimScale Tutorials and User Guide