Load Step clarification

[qwicker]

Hi everyone,

This is basically just to clarify my understanding of the load step. I have a part which undergoes large deformation very quickly with virtually no load. The simulation is a metal cable bending around a large cylinder. The cable starts as tangent to the cylinder then a downward force is applied to the end, ultimitely making the cable conform to the shape of the cylinder. This requires only about a 5-6 lbf load. One the cable is "contoured" to the cylinder the load should increase up to about 18000lbf.

I want to know if I can apply 2 load steps, say the first at 6lbf and the second at 18000lbf since the second load step will allow much larger time steps. Right now at a 6lbf load it is incrementing at about 1/1000th of the total load which will take a few days to solve. Once it is fully "contoured" though it should be able to solve much faster since it is not moving so much. Will the 2nd load step "continue" at the 6lbf load or is it going to try to start all over again bending the cable with a now 18000lbf load which would bisect forever...

Thanks!!