Modified on
03 Aug 2022 08:17 pm
Skill-Lync
A connector is a mechanism that specifies how an object (vertex, edge, or face) is connected to another object or the ground. By often simulating the desired behaviour without having to build the precise shape or specify contact circumstances, connectors make modelling simpler. Connections can be created as spot-weld, seam-weld, adhesive, bolts and masses. A realized connector will be considered as the successful representation of a CAD model in preprocessing and the connecting parts can be considered as connected.
There are three different states in the connector's realization. They are:
Successfully created connectors (realized connectors) will be represented in Green colour as shown below:
The unrealized connector will be represented in Yellow colour as shown below:
Failed connectors will be represented in Red colour as shown below:
Now let’s create some connectors and look into the possible ways to realize the connections and detect the common errors.
The process of joining the workpieces that are made of similar or dissimilar materials along a continuous seam is known as a Seam weld. In Hypermesh, seam panels under connectors will help to represent the Seam weld connection between the components.
A. Steps to be followed to create Seam - Quad (angled+Capped+L) Weld:
Note:
B. Steps to be followed to create Seam - Hexa Adhesive Weld:
A) Midpoint:This option will position the hexa element to the exact mid-location of the component's edge as shown below:
B) Offset from edge: This option will position the hexa element upto to a certain distance from the edge of the components. Offset value can be specified in the location which is shown below as per connection data.
C) Positive edge: This option will position the hexa element away from the free edges (outside) of the component as shown below:
D) Negative edge: This option will position the hexa element, inside the free edges of the component as shown below:
A) Elem length: It specifies the length of the Hexa element along the seam connector.
B) weld length/scale (elem): It specifies the number of the Hexa weld element, which is realized.
C) break length/scale (elem): It specifies the amount of space to create in between the hexa welds.
Spot welding is a resistance welding process that is used primarily for welding two or more metal sheets together by applying pressure and heat to the weld area. Heat for the welding process will be obtained from resistance to electric current. Realized spot weld in HyperMesh will represent the connection between the components.
A) Steps to be followed to create Spot Weld:
Note: Diameter value can be specified for Hexa element type.
Adjust realization: Adjust the realization itself, such as allowing non-normal realizations for the sake of locating nodes to create the realization.
A) Find nearest nodes: Connection can be established based on the closer nodes, which lies in the search tolerance value.
b) Project and find nodes: This option will project the connection and then it will search for the closer nodes.
C) Ensure projection: This option will project the connection alone, it wont establish the connectivity with the nodes as shown below:
a). Smooth: Adjusts the mesh in such a way that the closest node to each layer is moved into the position of the projection point. The advantage of this option is that neither the element IDs nor the node IDs will be changed, and the element topology will remain the same.
b). Remesh: This option will remesh the mesh of the entities after the connection has been established between the components to achieve better link connectivity.
c). Quad transition: This option will create quads to serve as a transition between the selected entities to get a spot weld connection.
Note: Quad size will determine the size of the quad elements created near the spot weld region as shown below:
Note: For a realization which does not need any node connection and the connection is primarily defined via a solver-specific card or the nodes which need to be connected are defined by just a cylinder.
Bolted joints are one of the most common elements in construction and machine design. A connection between structural members is made with plates and bolts, as opposed to a riveted or welded construction. In HyperMesh, we use the RBE2 elements to represent the Bolt connection, since it has more stiffness.
A) Steps to be followed to create Bolt connection:
A) Use dynamic vector: It will be the default option, and it automatically determines the connector vector dependent on the projection directions during the link detection.
B)Use the existing vector: It will use the existing vector associated with the connector to define the bolt direction during realization. If no vector is associated so far, the dynamic vector option is used instead.
C) Define a new vector: It will define and associate a new vector with the connector by selecting the Nodes as N1, N2 and N3 in order to define the bolt direction during realization.
Create hole, if none - After the realization, this option will create a hole in the mesh, if there is no pre-existing hole in the model. Here Model A shows the failed connectors Model B shows the Bolt connection created successfully.
Hint: Hole will be created in the FEA model alone, not on the surface of the component.
Use hole, if available - This option will utilize the hole, which is present on the top surface of the component and it will realize the Bolt connection.
Note: For the last two above-mentioned options, we have two sub-options:
By changing the option to “fill & remesh hole, if available”, from the default option, we can realize the connection between the components (refer Fig 15).
Fill & remesh hole, if available - This option will fill the pre-existing hole present in the model and also remesh the model to realize the Bolt connection.
Hints: Re- realizing connectors can be done in the following two ways:
Author
Navin Baskar
Author
Skill-Lync
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