Bending a Beam into a Möbius Strip using an Alignment Element

The new alignment element available in ADINA 8.9 can be used in many interesting industrial applications involving translations and rotations of parts and assemblies.

We illustrate the use of this element with a training video based on Primer Problem 58 from ADINA 8.9.

In this problem, the beam shown in Figure 1 is first bent into a ring. Next, the free ends of the original beam are twisted to form the Möbius strip shown in Figure 2. This problem can be solved with the 900 nodes version.

Figure 1  Schematic of the beam in Primer Problem 58

Figure 2  The Möbius strip obtained by twisting the beam (lines perpendicular to the beam axis indicate the thin beam cross-section)

The video for this example is presented in 4 sections so that it is easier for you to review certain parts if necessary.

Forming the ring
• Part 1: Model Setup
• Part 2: Program Run and Post-Processing I

Forming the Möbius strip
• Part 3: Rotation Alignment Setup
• Part 4: Program Run and Post-Processing II

Keywords:
Beam, Möbius strip, twisting, alignment element