Bolt pre-load

A bolt pre-load:

• Is the initial torque applied to a bolt or fastener when it is first tightened.

• Can be applied along with a service load so you can analyze contact conditions that may occur within the bolt or calculate the stresses resulting from the combination of those loads.

Use the Bolt Pre-Load boundary condition command to apply a pre-load to bolts or fasteners that you model using finite elements.

General bolt pre-load analysis process

In a pre-loaded bolt analysis, you typically:

1. (1D bolts only) Use the Bolt Connection command to both model the shank of the bolt as a 1D element and connect that element into the mesh on the surrounding part. See Modeling bolted connections for more information.Note: If you are working with Abaqus as your solver, you can define a pre-load on a bolt modeled with solid (continuum) elements. See Bolt pre-loads with Abaqus for more information.

2. Use the Bolt Pre-Load command to define the pre-load itself.

3. Use the appropriate load command to define any service loads to apply to the bolt.

4. Solve the model.

The graphic below shows an example of a bolt pre-load defined on a Simcenter Nastran model, where the bolt's shank is modeled with a CBEAM element and the bolt is connected to the mesh on the surrounding part using RBE3 elements.

Solver specific considerations

Because each solver uses a slightly different paradigm to analyze bolt pre-loads, both the process and user interface for defining a Bolt Pre-Load varies depending upon your current solver language. For more information on the bolt pre-load specifics for each solver, see Bolt pre-loads with Abaqus, Bolt pre-loads with ANSYS, and Bolt pre-loads with Simcenter Nastran and Simcenter 3D Multiphysics.

Where do I find it?

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	A Simulation file as the work part and displayed part and an active solutionSimcenter Nastran, Abaqus, ANSYS, or Simcenter Samcef as the specified solver
Command Finder	Bolt Pre-Load

How do I

Define a bolt pre-load for a bolt modeled with beam elements (Abaqus)

Define a bolt pre-load (ANSYS)

Learn more

Bolt pre-loads with Simcenter Nastran and Simcenter 3D Multiphysics

Pre-loaded bolts modeled with beam elements (Nastran)

Pre-loaded bolts modeled with solid elements (Nastran)

Bolt pre-loads with Abaqus

Constraining bolts to their pre-loaded lengths (Abaqus)

Pre-loaded bolts modeled with solid elements (Abaqus)

Pre-loaded bolts modeled with beam elements (Abaqus)

Bolt pre-loads with ANSYS

Quick links

Command reference

Pre/Post video examples

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Bolt pre-load, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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