Common COSMOSWorks Error Messages

Tony Tsao
July 12, 2007

Image courtesy of Sanarus Medical

Overview

Invalid Serial Number for COSMOSMotion

Cosworks.dll
Singular Matrix
Mesh and model volumes significantly different
Shell Mesh failed error after update all components
Excessive offset of midside node
Load or Restraint Transfer Failed
Warning: No bonding element is generated
Un-symmetric results with symmetric loading

Invalid Serial Number for COSMOSMotion

Error occurs when starting COSMOSMotion from Tools, Add-ins

Cause
Users are entering their SolidWorks or COSMOSWorks serial number for
COSMOSMotion during installation
This is not necessary if the user has purchased only SolidWorks Premium or
COSMOSWorks Professional and higher

Solution
Modify the COSMOSMotion installation and remove the serial number from the
installation textbox
HKey_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\SolidWorks\Licenses\Serial Numbers
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\SolidWorks\Licenses\Serial
Numbers\
Ignore the temp expiration date for COSMOSMotion if you CW Professional is
activated

Cosworks.dll
Error:
[...]\cosworks.dll cannot be loaded. Either the Add-in or one of its components is
missing
[...]\cmotionsw.dll cannot be loaded. Either the Add-in or one of its components is
missing.

Versions 2006-2007
This is due to an older version of the file sx32w.dll located in the Windows\System32
and/or the COSMOS main installation folder

Version 2005
This is due to SolidWorks and COSMOSWorks being on different service packs

Solution
Search computer for sx32w.dll
Make sure the sx32w.dll is located in both the Windows\System32 and COSMOS main
installation folder
In each folder make sure the sx32w.dll is version 6.4.0.0 and dated January 10, 2005

Singular Matrix
Reasons
Insufficient Boundary Conditions on model
There are rigid body modes and your model
is not stable
Parts are flying off into space

Solution
Check applied restraints and BCs
Check to see if your geometry has changed
Check contact conditions
Re-run your analysis with the soft spring
option turned on and plot the displacements
Turning on soft spring will allow you to
pinpoint where the improper restraints may
be

Mesh and Model Volumes Significantly Different

Error occurs after meshing

COSMOSWorks will check the volume of the mesh with the volume calculated by
SolidWorks
Causes
Geometry may be not be current
Tolerance may be too large
You are using a remote mass, in this case you can ignore the error message

Solution
Update all components/Create a new study
Turn down the tolerance to resolve smaller geometries
Check the assigned mass properties in SolidWorks for erroneous values
6

Shell Mesh failed error after update all components

I issued the update all components command after I change my geometry but I
still get a mesh failed and sometimes certain parts will not mesh. Whats wrong?

When updating geometry only solids will be updated in your model.

The update geometry will update only the solids in your model and NOT shells
Shells are user defined and the program cannot predict the user intent
Sometimes the entire shell definition will be cleared out
May also get a mesh of only part of your model.
See example
7

Excessive Offset of Midside Node

Error occurs during the analysis when using high quality shell elements. It may
also give you Jacobian is negative for an element.
Cause
One of the midside nodes is distorted too much
Using too coarse of a mesh around a highly curved region in your model
Geometries with a large thickness but small radii may cause this error as well

Solution
Use mesh controls to refine the areas that may have overly distorted nodes
Use the thick shell formulation
Plot the Jacobian in the mesh plot
8

Load or Restraint Transfer Failed

Normally occurs at the beginning of a run

Cause
Model geometry is not current
Faces or entities you have used to define loads and restraints are no longer there or
have changed
The mesh is not properly resolving the face you have applied a restraint to

Solution
Update All Components
Apply mesh controls or refine the mesh to resolve selected entity

 For shell models, the user may have selected a surface that was NOT used to define
the shell analysis
For shell models using mid-surfaces, the faces on the top and bottom of the midplane
are not the same
Eg. You cannot have a split face on the top surface and a no split face at the bottom of the
surface

10

Warning: No bonding element is generated

Occurs at the beginning of an analysis, when bonded contact is defined between

geometrical entities with a gap between them
Causes

Solver checks the ratio of target element size to gap size

Good: Element size / gap > 1.0
Bad: Gap/Element size
Gap cannot be larger than 1mm

Solution
Decreasing the clearance distance by modifying the geometry. This has pros and cons.
Increasing the target element size, but this could cause problems with the results
11

Un-symmetric results with symmetric loading

I have model that is symmetrical but my results are not
symmetrical. What happened?

Contact Conditions
12

 Hinge Behavior
Source is vertex of solid
Target is surface of shell

Rigid Behavior
Source is vertex of shell
Target is surface or solid

13

 There are different types of behavior for bonded contact

when you specify different entities as source and target
Please see the COSMOS Knowledge Base for more
information

14

Resources
COSMOS Knowledge Base
www.cosmosm.com

Siebel Solutions
VAR Resource Center

15