Example: Generating a shell mesh on a welded structure

Estimated time to complete this course: 20 minutes

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4.2.1 Characteristics and modeling of welded structures
A model of a welded structure has the following characteristics:

The plates have a constant thickness, but thickness varies between components.
The plates are welded together and reinforced with gussets and ribs.
The weld geometry may or may not be represented.
The analysis model is based on a CAD assembly that is composed of many plates represented as solid bodies. You can create
midsurfaces for these components.
The plates are modeled with thin shell elements.

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4.2.2 Generating a shell mesh on a welded structure
1. Begin with a CAD assembly made of solid bodies. The assembly can either be created using this software or imported into it.

The figure shows a simple assembly made of solid bodies.

2. Edit or generate CAD data for analysis.

-Generate midsurfaces of components.

-Idealize the geometry (for example, remove small holes).

-Retain center point locations where connections are needed.

-Define weld geometry if needed.

The figure shows the assembly from step 1, after midsurfacing.

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In the following figure, the midsurfaces are displayed and the solid polygon bodies are hidden. The midsurfaces of the components have
a gap between them.

3.Edit polygon geometry.

o Eliminate gaps by stitching the midsurfaces together.

o Remove sliver faces left behind by stitching. Use geometry abstraction tools.

The figure shows the midsurfaces after they are stitched. The gap is gone, but there is a now a sliver face.

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4. Define CAE entities such as material and physical properties. Shell thickness can be linked to CAD solid body thickness.
5. Generate a shell mesh on the model.

The figure shows the model meshed with quadrilateral elements. The stitched faces maintain continuity in the mesh along shared edges.

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4.2.3 Activity: Generate a shell mesh on a welded structure
You will learn how to:

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4.2.3.1 Open the FEM
The boom_fem.fem file has mesh collectors and physical property tables for each part in the boom assembly.

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4.2.3.2 Reset dialog box memory
The options you select in dialog boxes are preserved for the next time you open the same dialog box within a given session. Restore the
default settings to ensure that the dialog boxes are in the expected initial state for each step of the activity.

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4.2.3.3 Make the midsurface the work layer

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4.2.3.4 Examine the assembly
To learn how the model is constructed, explore the components in the assembly. Examine the mesh collectors and associated physical
property tables.

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4.2.3.5 Change the display to static wireframe
Change the display to Static Wireframe so that you can more easily select edges.

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4.2.3.6 Stitch the first rib to the top
Stitch the top edge of the boom rib to the boom top.

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4.2.3.7 Stitch the ears to the faces of the boom top
The Stitch Edge dialog box is still open from the previous step.

Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the bottom edges of each ear to faces of the boom top. Note that there are two edges on
the bottom of each ear. For each ear, select both edges and the two faces to stitch them to.

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4.2.3.8 Stitch top edges to side faces
To analyze this assembly, you need to stitch the top of the model to both the left and right sides of the model. However, to simplify this
activity, you will only work with the right side. First, change the display to shaded.

Shaded with Edges (Top Border barRendering Style list)

Next, stitch top edges to faces on the right side.

Stitch Edge (Polygon Geometry group)

the eight edges of BOOM_TOP that are next to the right side (zoom in to see these edges)

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4.2.3.9 Stitch bottom edges to right side faces
The Stitch Edge dialog box is open from the previous step.

Stitch edges of the boom bottom to the faces on the right side.

the seven edges of BOOM_BOTTOM that are next to the right side (zoom in to see these edges)

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4.2.3.10 Stitch the rib to the right side
Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the edge of the boom rib to a face on the right side.

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4.2.3.11 Stitch the top of the second rib to the top
Examine the assembly. You just stitched the BOOM_RIB_1 component to the right side of the part. You now need to stitch the
BOOM_RIB_2 component to the right side of the part, but this time you will use a different workflow.

Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the top of the BOOM_RIB_2 component to the BOOM_TOP component.

Rotate the assembly until you can see where the edge of the BOOM_RIB_2 component is relative to the BOOM_RIGHT component. You
can see that there is a large gap between the edge and the face.

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4.2.3.12 Split the edge of the side
You need to close the gap between the rib and the side of the boom. Begin by splitting the edge of the BOOM_RIGHT component.

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4.2.3.13 Split the face between the rib and the side
The next step is to split the face between the BOOM_RIB_2 and BOOM_RIGHT components.

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4.2.3.14 Collapse the edge between the rib and the side

Collapse Edge (Polygon Geometry groupMore list)

Move the cursor so the edge is highlighted, and click the end point.

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4.2.3.15 Stitch the rib to the right side
Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the edge of the BOOM_RIB_2 component to the nearby face of the BOOM_RIGHT
component.

Tip You may need to rotate the assembly to select the face on the BOOM_RIGHT component.

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4.2.3.16 Split edges
To see the part shape more clearly, change the display back to Shaded with Edges.

Shaded with Edges (Top Border barRendering Style list)

Notice that the part has sliver (very thin) faces along the BOOM_RIGHT component.

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4.2.3.17 Split faces
The next step in removing sliver faces is to split the faces.

Split Face (Polygon Geometry group)

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4.2.3.18 Remove the sliver faces along the side plates
Remove the sliver faces from the right side of the assembly.

Delete Face (Polygon Geometry group)

select the sliver faces at the top of the BOOM_RIGHT component

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4.2.3.19 Hide one side of the part
To better visualize the part, hide the left side of it.

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4.2.3.20 Mesh the top

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4.2.3.21 Mesh the remaining polygon bodies
The 2D Mesh dialog box is still open from the previous step.

The edges that were stitched together are shared by the two intersecting faces. Therefore, the meshes of each face maintain continuity
along the stitched edges.

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4.2.3.22 Display element thickness

Simulation Navigator

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4.2.3.23 Change element thickness along weld lines

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4.2.3.24 Display the new thickness information

Simulation Navigator

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