Input

Description

FE configs

Type of FE realization (one or more entities) that needs to be converted to connectors.  For example, rigid identifies all rigid elements in the model and creates connectors for each one of them.  The FE config can be a simple type (weld, rigids, spring, and so on) or custom types defined in the FE config file (ACM, LS-DYNA MAT100, and so on). For custom types, the FE type can be chosen in an additional line.

Elem filter

Allows you to choose between selecting the displayed elements or a smaller selection from which you can identify and create connectors.  The available options are:

Elements

Only available when Elem filter is set to select.  Allows you to select the elements from which the FE corresponding to the chosen FE config, are determined and converted to connectors.

To clear the elements selector, and de-select all elements, click .

FE connectivity

Provides information on how the selected FE config is connected to the connecting parts (links).  For many FE config types, this option is predetermined.  But for some types of weld representations, multiple configurations of connectivity are valid.  In such cases, you should select the type that is best for the model.  For example, a Nastran CWELD element is a mesh-independent weld, which does not directly connect to the shell elements; depending on how it was generated, plot elements are sometimes used to connect the CWELD to the shells.  In such situations, you should select option 2 - mesh independent (head), rather than option 3.  Depending on the FE config selected, one or more connectivity types are valid.  The three types available are:

Maximum link distance

Only connections in which the link distance is smaller than this value are considered for absorption.  Depending on the unit system used, it may be useful to increase or decrease the value.  Very large values can affect performance.

Re-connect rule:

Useful in situations where the parts to be connected have been changed/replaced.  While realizing the connector, Engineering Solutions looks for link entities based on the re-connect rule:

Move connectors to FE component

When active, this option saves the connector entities into the component of the mesh that they are linked to.

Save MCF

This optional feature allows you to export all the connectors that have been created from FE to a master connection file.  Type in a new file name, or click Open and select the file name for the master connection file.  If this field is left blank, the master connection file is not created.

Absorb

Performs the FE absorb process.  In this process, all the entities that comprise an FE config are identified.  A connector is created at each such location and all the FE entities are added to the realization of the connector.

This process does not (re-)create or renumber any new FE entities; it simply takes the identified group of existing FE that forms a connector and marks it as the realization of the connector.  For example, if you choose to absorb all the ACMs in a model, it identifies the hexa elements and the attached RBE3 elements; creates a new connector at the center of the hexa elements; then adds the hexa elements and all the RBE3 elements as the FE realization of the connector (marking the connector as realized/green).

Input

Description

Elem filter

Allows you to choose between selecting the displayed elements or a smaller selection from which you can identify and create connectors.  The available options are:

Displayed

Search the displayed elements to find the FE entities representing adhesives, and convert them to connectors.

Select

Activates an element collector, allowing you to select a portion of the model.  In this case, the function searches only the selected elements to find the adhesive representations and convert them to connectors.

Elements

Only available when Elem filter is set to select.  Allows you to select the elements from which the FE corresponding to bonds are determined and converted to connectors.

To clear the elements selector, and de-select all elements click .

enhanced approach

The absorption of solid seams and area connectors can be performed on all elements in a model.

In order to identify valid connector elements from such a selection, instead of identifying regular solid parts as connections, certain characteristics need to be true.

Note: The pre-selection of valid connection elements helps to absorb connectors faster.

Select this checkbox when some of the characteristics the tool is looking for might be too strict for certain connections, thus preventing them from being absorbed, even though they represent solid connections.

The enhanced approach requires a pre-selection of only connection elements. The complete selection is treated as valid connection elements, and only connector creation and link detection is performed.

Seam

When activated, hexa adhesives and Penta (Mig) can be absorbed as seam connectors as long as they have a regular pattern. Regular means that the section does not change along the seam.

If the hexa adhesive does not have a regular pattern, it might be absorbed as area connectors, if the check for area is marked. This will also happen for adhesives with regular patterns, if the seam checkbox is not marked.

During absorption the element pattern, dimensions, and tolerance will be detected and stored on the connector.

It is recommended that you use this option in case you have connections with heads, because it will lead to a better performance and a safer link detection.

Check this box off to also consider connections without head elements. Link detection will rely on projections.

Area

When activated, hexa adhesive with irregular patterns can be absorbed as area connectors as long as they have a clear number of coats.

During absorption the number of coats and tolerance will be detected and stored on the connector.

It is recommend that you use this option in case you have connections with heads, because it will lead to a better performance and a safer link detection.

Check this box off to consider connections without head elements. Link detection will rely on projections.

This option provides better control of the identification of adhesives. The general identification approach allows the creation of adhesive connectors even from single elements, if all other rules are observed. Normally these single elements should be absorbed into spots; this checkbox allows you to also absorb single elements into an adhesive connector.

However, to prevent you from doing this by mistake, even when this option is selected, it only becomes activated if all of the selected 3D elements belong to a unique component.

With tie contact

When activated, links are determined by investigating the tie contacts. Only entities that are part of a tie contact will be considered for links.

Group links

During absorption the top and bottom side of the solid connection is identified.

When Group links is enabled, all found links connected to the top side of the solid connection are combined into one group link and all of the found links connected to the bottom side are combined to a second group link.

When realizing a connector that is defined with group links it is guaranteed that at each testpoint valid projections for both group links have to be found in order to have a successful connection. That behavior encourages more reproducible results.

Maximum link distance =

Only connections in which the link distance is smaller than this value are considered for absorption.  Depending on the unit system used, it may be useful to increase or decrease the value.  Very large values can affect performance.

Re-connect rule:

Useful in situations where the parts to be connected have been changed/replaced.  While realizing the connector, Engineering Solutions looks for link entities based on the re-connect rule:

Move connectors to FE component

When active, this option saves the connector entities into the component of the mesh that they are linked to.

Save MCF

This optional feature allows you to export all the connectors that have been created from FE to a master connection file.  Type in a new file name, or click Open and select the file name for the master connection file.  If this field is left blank, the master connection file is not created.

Absorb

Performs the FE absorb process. In this process, all the entities that comprise an FE config are identified. A connector is created at its location and all the FE entities are added to the realization of the connector.

This process does not (re-)create or renumber any new FE entities; it simply takes the identified group of existing FE that forms a connector and marks it as the realization of the connector.

Input

Description

Group filter

Allows you to choose between using all groups or doing a smaller selection of certain groups.  The available options are:

Groups

Only available when Group filter is set to select.  Allows you to select the groups.

To clear the groups selector, and de-select all groups, click .

NSM Entity Type

The connector created during NSM absorption gets an NSM entity type attribute. It is written into the connector and is considered during the next realization. It also influences the state of the absorbed connector (see below).

Upon creation of nsm connectors, the FE data (nsm group entity) is realized and a new component (CE_Mass_inc_<include name>) is created inside the current include.  The newly created connectors will reside in this new component.  Each include is meant to host its own CE_Mass_inc_<include name> component, and HM will produce a warning if the component name already exists in a different include.  This helps ensure that unrealizing and rerealizing nsm connectors will keep the FE data in its original include.

The absorption routine always looks for elements which exclusively reference to the same property (directly or indirectly) and can be combined into one or more component links. If this is not possible, the single elements are linked in the connector individually. Thus, the links created during the absorption look the same independent of the settings for the NSM entity type attribute.

Three different attributes can be set to the absorbed connectors:

re-connect rule

This option is useful in situations where the entities to be connected will be exchanged in a subsequent process. While re-realizing the connector, Engineering Solutions looks for link entities based on the re-connect rule:

Save MCF

This optional feature allows you to export all the connectors that have been created from FE to a master connection file.  Type in a new file name, or click Open and select the file name for the master connection file.  If this field is left blank, the master connection file is not created.

Absorb

Performs the FE absorb process.  In this process all selected non structural mass groups are identified  and a mass connector is created for each of these groups.  The group is then referenced to the appropriate connector. The connector position is in the middle of a virtual box surrounding all referenced group elements.

This process does not (re-)create or renumber any new FE entities; it simply marks groups as realizations of connectors.

If you choose to unrealize that connector, the referenced group is deleted.