Nonlinear, Contact & Connectors (CSWE-S Core)
Nonlinear materials, large deformation, hyperelastic gaskets, and the contact-troubleshooting playbook expected on CSWE-S.
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About this course
Course overview
Where most analysts get stuck — and exactly where CSWE-S separates experts from professionals. This course goes deep on geometric and material nonlinearity, hyperelastic and elasto-plastic behavior, and the contact-set strategies that decide whether your study converges in 5 minutes or runs overnight. Every exercise is built from real CSWE-S-style problems.
Curriculum
What you'll cover
Nonlinear Material Models
Plasticity, strain hardening, hyperelasticity (Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden), and matching SOLIDWORKS material curves to lab data.
Geometric Nonlinearity & Large Deformation
When linear assumptions fail, snap-through, post-buckling, and load-stepping strategies for stable convergence.
Advanced Contact
Self-contact, friction-driven analyses, contact damping, and the diagnostic loop for non-convergence — mesh, contact stiffness, time step, restart.
Connector Mastery
Pre-loaded bolt convergence, link and rigid connectors for assemblies you cannot afford to fully mesh, and connector force extraction for hand-verification.
Outcomes
By the end you'll be able to
- Set up and converge nonlinear studies on plastic, rubber, and contact-driven assemblies
- Diagnose and fix contact non-convergence without random parameter changes
- Use connectors strategically to keep CSWE-S models solvable in exam time
- Verify FEA results against analytical hand calculations
Who it's for
- • Senior FEA analysts
- • Design engineers shipping products with rubber, plastic, or contact-heavy assemblies
- • CSWE-S candidates
Prerequisites
- • CSWP-S level competency or completion of Static, Frequency & Buckling course
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