Rigid Body Assumptions Only Take a Multibody Model So Far

Multibody simulation has long treated components as rigid, and for many problems that assumption holds up fine. But once vibration, load induced deformation, or dynamic interaction between components start shaping the outcome, a purely rigid model can miss real design issues that only surface later during physical testing. Bringing rigid and flexible bodies into the same simulation closes that gap, though it introduces its own set of questions: how much flexibility to add, and how to add it without sacrificing accuracy or letting computation time spiral.

Webinar Scope

This webinar demonstrates how rigid and flexible body dynamics can be combined within a single multibody simulation. You'll see how flexible bodies get represented and folded into a multibody system, how to judge when flexibility needs modelling versus when a rigid assumption is good enough, and why the coupled approach tends to produce more accurate predictions of system behavior.

Topics Covered

• Where rigid body multibody simulation falls short

• Representing flexible bodies inside a multibody system

• Coupling rigid and flexible bodies within one simulation

• Judging where flexibility matters and where it doesn't

• Getting flexible body data from modal reduction or FE import

• Practical considerations for stable, accurate coupled simulations

• Design issues that only become visible once flexibility is included

What Coupled Rigid Flexible Simulation Delivers

• Dynamic system behavior predicted with greater accuracy

• Vibration or deformation issues caught earlier

• Confidence in results without treating every component as flexible

• A practical middle ground between simple rigid body models and full FE analysis

• Compatible with your existing Abaqus solver license

Who Should Attend?

• Multibody simulation engineers aiming to capture flexible component behavior

• Analysts whose rigid body results haven't matched physical test data

• Engineers working in automotive, rail, aerospace, or machinery design

• Abaqus license holders looking to extend into multibody simulation

• Anyone weighing when flexibility needs modelling against when rigid is sufficient