Feature Focus: System Deflection in MASTA

System Deflection can be thought of as MASTA’s primary system analysis mode, providing an in-depth look at the behaviour of the complete system model under load.

In this article, we will highlight some of System Deflection’s many features which form an integral part of the transmission development process. From detailed component ratings to the concise presentation of results, System Deflection mode forms the backbone of MASTA’s robust system analysis capabilities.

The underlying system model

MASTA has a reputation for fast, accurate and reliable system analysis. This is achieved through an FE based static analysis of your complete modelled system, reduced to a collection of interconnected nodes which are fully informed by the modelled components.

This means full system simulation can be performed in a matter of seconds, but with the high degree of accuracy you would expect from more traditional, time intensive studies within specialist FE software packages.

Component Rating

System Deflection mode incorporates internationally recognised standards and combines them with the behaviour of the complete system model under load.

Gears, bearings, shafts and splines top the list rateable components. MASTA users can easily define either singular loading conditions or full duty cycles to represent an entire transmission lifetime.

Visualise your results

Numerical results are a critical part of transmission development, however equally important is the ability to visualise how your system is performing under load.

MASTA’s System Deflection mode contains a fully detailed 3D view, showing you exactly how your transmission is deflecting under load. Further enhance these visuals with the handy option to contour your components with displacements, stresses or forces.

Advanced component analysis

Sometimes, one result per component just isn’t enough. For example, a shaft with a low safety factor will need attention, but that single value won’t show you which areas are prone to failure.

MASTA’s advanced component analyses can help, providing a detailed breakdown of key component behaviour under load. Visualising a range of useful metrics, MASTA makes it easy to identify problems within components and to optimise them in minimal time. Some examples include:

  • Gear mesh alignment
  • Shaft section ratings
  • Bearing element analysis

Fully customisable reporting

Not exclusive to System Deflection, custom reporting is a MASTA-wide capability, giving you the power to view data on your own terms.

Create custom report templates for use across all your MASTA models. Share custom report templates with your colleagues and customers, ensuring everyone views critical data in a concise and user-friendly way.

Transmission housings

Accurate deflection results need a fully informed system model. This means in addition to internal components, the ability to include transmission housings is essential.

MASTA provides a full suite of tools for including housing stiffnesses from various sources, ranging from calculating housing stiffness directly from CAD geometry to the inclusion of externally calculated stiffness matrices.

MASTA’s System Deflection mode makes full use of these model details, providing advanced visualisation tools including the ability to view deformations and stresses on a housing due to the loading of the internal components.

What’s more, we can export this data in a range of formats, allowing you to utilise specialised FE tools to optimise your casing design for loaded conditions.

Want to learn more?

The next of SMT’s popular Online Training Workshops discusses MASTA’s range of system analysis modes. Recommended for both veteran MASTA users and newcomers alike, these 3-hour workshops provide a detailed look at some of the key software capabilities.

In the System Analysis Workshop, our trainers will discuss:

  • Power flow mode
  • System Deflection mode
  • Advanced System Deflection mode
  • NVH overview
  • ATSAM (Advanced Time Stepping Analysis for Modulation)

Click here to reserve your free space in our workshop.

Article by Sam Webster