How does SOLIDWORKS Simulation automatically treat a Sheet metal part with uniform thickness?

When working with sheet metal parts in SOLIDWORKS Simulation, the software automatically treats them as shell elements. This approach is particularly effective because shell elements are designed to efficiently model thin structures where one dimension is significantly smaller than the other two.

In the case of sheet metal, which typically has a uniform thickness and can be considered a thin-walled structure, the shell element representation simplifies the calculations while still capturing crucial structural behavior under loads. By treating the part as a shell, SOLIDWORKS Simulation reduces the number of elements needed to accurately analyze the part, leading to faster computations and less memory usage, without compromising the accuracy of the analysis. This is especially important for sheet metal applications where bending and other such deformations are prevalent.

In contrast, treating sheet metal parts as solids or other types of elements could complicate the analysis and increase computational demands without significant benefits. Therefore, the automatic assignment of sheet metal parts as shell elements is a key feature that enhances modeling efficiency and effectiveness in the simulation process.