Tolerance Analysis of Flexible

Assemblies
Michael Tonks
 Outline
300

250

200

 Background 150

100

bending-only
 Method
50
plate elements
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
node
A
 Example vA

A

equilibrium position


 Geometric
B
nominal position
vB
B
Covariance
 Current Research
 Introduction
 Statistical Tolerance
Analysis (STA)…
 statistically predicts critical
assembly variations
 Why STA?
 Part variations propagate
through assemblies
 Predicting effects of
tolerance stack-up allows
designer to avoid assembly
problems
 Flexible Parts in Assemblies
 Flexible parts deform when assembled due to warping
and dimensional variations
 Produces internal stresses and deflections
 Rigid body STA cannot predict deformations and
stresses in flexible parts
 A method for analyzing flexible parts is needed
Where is Flexible STA Needed?
Aircraft
Skin Panels

Automotive
Body Panels

Plastic
Assemblies
 What is Flexible STA?
Analysis method combines
STA with finite element
analysis (FEA)
 Rigid body STA gives part
misalignment
 FEA used to model parts as flexible
bodies, rather than rigid
 Statistically predicts forces, stresses,
and deformations from assembling
flexible parts
 The Flexible STA Method
Flexible STA Method Steps
1. Determine misalignment
2. Model the compliant parts using FEA
3. Calculate covariances
A. Material
B. Geometric
4. Statistical FEA Solution for assembly
forces, stresses, and deformations
 1. Determine Misalignment
Rigid body STA is used to find the misalignment. A mean and
standard deviation of the gap is found.

A

equilibrium position
vA

nominal position
vB
B
Gap Vectors:
VA, VB = Variation of parts A and B from nominal
A , B = Equilibrium deflection after assembly
 2. Model Parts using FEA
Parts are meshed in an FEA Program:
 Create geometry
 Mesh each compliant part, place
nodes at fastener locations
 Apply displacement boundary
conditions
 Output the global stiffness matrices
 Create Super Elements MSC.Nastran
 Create Equivalent Stiffness Matrix MSC.Marc
 Create Super Element Matrices
 The equivalent stiffness matrix is condensed by eliminating
interior nodes that have no displacement
 Matrix reduced to create equivalent super-element matrix
 Small and easy to analyze
 Contains all important information
boundary nodes
boundary DOF’s coupled DOF’s
Kbb Kbi 
b Fb
interior nodes
Kib Kii 
i Fi Reduced stiffness matrix:
coupled DOF’s interior DOF’s
Kr = K bb - Kbi Kii-1 Kib
 Calculate equivalent stiffness
The Super-element matrices from the mating parts are
combined to form an equivalent stiffness matrix
Two linear
springs in series:
KA KB
FA FB


A 
B
Stiffness ratios
Equilibrium: FA = -FB 
A = [(KA + KB) KB]
-1
0 = KrA
Gap:
Stiffness:
0 = A -
FA = KA
FB = KB
A
B
B

} 
B = -[(KA + KB) KA]
-1
0
0 = KrB0

FA = -FB = [KA(KA + KB)-1KB]

0

Equivalent stiffness matrix Keq=[KA(KA + KB)-1KB]

 Problems with STA Analysis
 Some STA methods treat all nodes as
independent from all other nodes
 With real parts, nodal variations are NOT
independent
 Problem solved using covariance
 3. Calculate Covariances
 Covariance describes the interdependence between
random variables
Partially Fully
Uncorrelated Correlated correlated
y y y

x x x

 There are two sources of covariance in flexible

assemblies:
 Material Covariance
 Geometric Covariance
 3A. Material Covariance

 Displacing one node affects the displacement

of surrounding nodes
 Described by the stiffness matrix of the part
 3B. Geometric covariance
 Nodal variations are not independently
random
 Part surfaces are continuous
 Random surfaces must be used to include
covariance effects in statistical analyses
 4. Statistical FEA Solution
Completely Characterizes surface with 2 FEA solutions

 Mean FEA Solution

 F=Keq()
 Variance FEA Solution
 Geometric Covariance
cov = S  ST
 Material Covariance
Fcov = Keq cov Keq T
Force Covariance Matrix
 Example
Sample problem analyzed
using FASTA method and
Monte-Carlo Method
 Simple lap joint of two
thin plates
 Monte-Carlo method used
with covariance
 Results compared from
two methods
 Example
Standard deviation of closure force
300
Monte Carlo 300 FASTA
250 250

200 200

150 150

100 100

50 50

0 0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
node node
• 5,000 FE solutions •2 FE solutions
•Large sample size •Very similar results
required for accuracy
•Very Fast
• Slow
 Method Comments
 Covariance matrix critical
for accurate results 300

 Material covariance
250

200
method well established 150

 Best geometric covariance 100

method not yet determined 50

0
 Best way to characterize 5 10 15 20 25
node
30 35 40

surface is difficult question

 Geometric Covariance Methods
 Three surface modeling
methods have been
developed to calculate
Geometric Covariance
 Bezier Curves
 Polynomial Curves
 Spectral Analysis
 Polynomial Method
Surface Profile
Variation of points is i-1 i i+1
i-2
constrained to be a
y
polynomial curve x
yi = co + c1·xi + c2·x + c3·xi3
i
2

 Sensitivity matrix found in terms of neighboring points

yi = ... + si-2·yi-2 + si-1·yi-1 + si·yi + si+1·yi+1 + ...
 Sensitivity matrix gives continuity conditions used in finding
the geometric covariance curve
 Polynomial Covariance Matrix
 Matrix shows
interdependence
between any two
nodes
 Interdependence
created with
3rd order
polynomial
 Polynomial Method
i-1 i i+1
i-2

y
x

 Advantages
 Simple to apply
 Can handle long wavelengths
 Disadvantages
 Does not consider frequency spectrum
 Must be matched to wavelength of surfaces
 Spectral Analysis Method
Models surface variation as a finite sum of discrete sinusoids
FFT Frequency 2
spectrum
1.5

Auto-
0.5
spectrum
1.5
0
0 20 40 60 80
1
frequency
IFFT Auto-
0.5 correlation
2
0
0 20 40 60 80 1
frequency
0

-1

-2
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
separation distance
 Create Covariance Matrix
 Because the covariance is assumed to be independent of
location, every row of the covariance matrix is similar
 Variance, the diagonal terms of the covariance matrix, is
the autocorrelation function at zero separation
 The autocorrelation function can be shifted to form each
row of the geometric covariance matrix:
Autocorrelation Geometric Covariance Matrix

0
 Wavelength Effect
Wavelengths of surface variation effects stress in part
Standard deviation of assembly stress x
5000

4000

3000

\L=1 \L=1/2
2000

1000

\L=1/3 \L=1/4
 Spectral Analysis Method

 Advantages
 Models surface variations
 Takes in account wavelengths of variations
 Disadvantages
 Cannot model wavelengths longer then part lengths
 Current Limitations

 Results of three Geometric Covariance

methods have never been fully compared
 Spectral Analysis Method cannot analyze
variations with wavelengths greater then
surface length
 Never applied to production assemblies
 Flexible STA Research
Sponsor:
Boeing Phantom Works
3 Year Project
Goal:
Create software analysis
package for aircraft
assemblies
 Research Plans
 Research to be
conducted at BYU
 First Year Plans:
 Two Masters Research
Projects
 Develop measurement
techniques
 Preparation for creation
of analysis software
Application to Production Assemblies
Leading Edge Assembly
Partnership with Boeing/Salt Lake Flexible Skin
Rigid
 Test Assembly Requirements: Spars
1. Small enough to be measured on the
BYU CMM machines.
2. Not too complex. Not too many parts
3. All metal parts. Joined by metal
fasteners. Assembly
4. Assembly force required to close gaps
between mating parts.
5. Available in small quantities for
measurement purposes.
 Project 1
Goal: To create a method that
combines the strengths of
current methods
 Analyze simple 3-D problem
with all current geometric
covariance methods and
compare results
 Create hybrid method that can
analyze surface wavelengths +
longer than mating surfaces
 Project 2
Goal: Apply Flexible STA
methods to a real assembly
 Use rigid body STA to find gap
variation
 Measure real parts
 Characterize variation
statistically
 Use hybrid flexible STA
method to predict resultant
deflections, stresses, and forces
when assembled
 Conclusion
 Flexible assembly
STA research at BYU
moving from
theoretical to real
applications
 Will be important tool
for:
 Aerospace
 Automotive
 Electronic
 Many More!
Questions?