SimLab 10.

SimLab 10.0
Release Notes

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SimLab 10.0

System
Import/Export Geometry translator is added to convert CATIA models to STEP and Parasolid. UG NX 7.0 import supported in addition to NX 6.0 and 7.5. Import of sketch details from STEP files written from CATIA supported. STEP import enhanced. Ansys shell and solid element import and Nodes & Elements reading for CDB format are supported. Abaqus NSET and ELSET Generate card reading issues fixed. User Interface View | Preference o CAD o Solver Added a toggle to list the ansys element types in property dialog. Option added to control STEP display quality. o Meshing Option added to control the Min and Max interior angle of the surface mesh. Added a toggle to create volume mesh output in new model.

Scribble zoom is supported. Rectangle and Polygon De-selection is supported. Overlapping Elements in Trials has been renamed to Find Crack/Wedge. Elements with sharp angle (ridges) within a face can be identified using Find Crack/Wedge option.

Standard views and model rotation are added in a separate toolbar. FE model rotation and graphics performance improved. Based on model size, graphics performance has improved by 3 to 6 times. Renaming of ProE bodies is supported.

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SimLab 10.0

Geometry
Edge | Create | Chaining o Option to find the element edge loop on a plane is added. Face | Gasket Imprint o Group input is supported. After imprint, local remesh on the adjacent faces is added. Face | Show Adjacent o Option to highlight the adjacent face having same normal on the same plane is added. Body | Create | Race o Outer and Inner needle bearing creation supported. Model | Compare o This identifies difference in geometry between the two CAD or FEM models. o The difference in geometry will be added to groups.

Meshing
Mesh Control o When surface tri-meshing CAD geometry, users can select a pre-existing, overlapping mesh as input. This input mesh will be included in the final surface mesh. This option is available as Include Mesh in body mesh control. o Merge tiny fillets option is added in fillet mesh control dialog. o Bug in Washer mesh control Scale factor has been fixed. o Robustness of multiple region mesh controls in combination with other local mesh controls is improved. Surface Mesh o Tri Mesh with improved interior angle on thin surfaces is supported. Local Remesh o In addition to Local remesh on FEM model, Local mesh is also supported on CAD geometry. QCheck o Automated Tri mesh cleanup operation based on Aspect ratio is improved.

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SimLab 10.0 o Interior angle based clean up is supported for Tri and Tet mesh. Both Min and Max cleanup is supported. o Edge length based clean up is supported for Tri and Tet elements. Both Min and Max clean up is supported. o Preserve mesh control is considered while performing edge length based cleanup. Tools | Layered Elements o Option to create body for each layer of element supported. o Tet Layers can be created without interior nodes (Steiner points). Tools | Change Layers | Element o Selected hex elements can be refined. Tools | M x N Meshing o Option to easily create iso-mesh pattern on 4 sided faces is added. Tools | Smoother o Number of iterations for mesh smoother can be controlled through UI. Tools | Acoustic Meshing o Acoustic mesh tool added to generate layers of tetra mesh for acoustic analysis. o Concave shape is ensured for outer most surface.

Assembly
Align o Zero area elements removed automatically during plane alignment.

FEM
Renumber o Renumbering for selected bodies is supported. Tools | Set Node ID | Pin Boss o Mid node renumbering is supported. o Renumbering for selected face is supported. Tools | Modify Features | Translate o Translation improved to trim the surfaces if it hits the boundary of the opposite side.

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SimLab 10.0

Analysis Structural
Thermal Load o Thermal load user interface simplified. Surface Interaction o Abaqus Change friction supported. Contact o Press fit, Interference amplitude and Gap conductance details are included in contact definition file. o Ansys contact options real constants and keyopts supported. o Option to set master and slave surface names supported. Connections | RBE o User can define RBE Center node ID. Connections | MPC o MPC creation between bodies supported. o Ignore edge option supported to select the edges whose nodes are not needed for MPC creation. Connections | Spring Damper (Ansys) o Degree of freedom support is added. Set Master DOF o Set Master DOF for Ansys is supported. Property o Ansys Shell and Solid element types are added. o Ansys section offset option added in beam property. o Initial gasket thickness and Initial gap options added for Abaqus gasket property. Export o Abaqus o Element position and output file option added in set output request. o HW Name and HW Color cards supported for RBEs to maintain Body (collector) information. o Output request for each load step is supported. o Step and linear static options enhanced. o Write loads on shell option enhanced to support contacts for thermal export. o Amplitude card supported for DSLOAD (pressure load).
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SimLab 10.0 o Nastran o Transition element (Tet7 instead of Tet10) is supported for models with Tet10-Hex8 interface. o Ansys o RBE2 export modified CERIG with Mass21 at RBE2 center node is supported. o Contact element node connectivity bug fixed. o Property Id written as Element Type (ET) number. o Rigid bar Nodes to Nodes option written out as CERIG. o Element Shape checking (SHPP) toggle added in Export dialog. o Several Solid and Shell element types export supported. See Appendix -A for details.

Results
Export Results o User can specify a range to export nodes, where the result value is within that range. Tools | Results Spec o Set and Group options are supported in results spec. Tools | Import Spec o Min and max value of results can be calculated on Sets and Groups defined in results spec. Tools | Remove Displacement o Remove Displacement option added to remove the displacement (obtained from the result) from the nodal coordinates of the selected faces. This option can be used for bore machining.

Special
Bolt Modeling Bolt Head additional bolt type (Bottom RBE) supported. Option to automatically identify pretension section and create pretension for solid bolt is added. New connection method supported (Bolt & Nut, Tapped).

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SimLab 10.0

Excite Advanced Crankshaft Meshing - Region: A cylinder region can be defined and the node on the cylinder can be used as RBE slave nodes. Engine Modeling Injector modeling A template to model injectors is added. Valve seat load A tool to calculate Valve seat Force or Pressure from Firing pressure and Seat dimensions. One Push Meshing Option file (*.opt) import supports edge mesh control with average element size.

Mid-Mesh Modeling - Beta

Mid-Mesh Extraction tool allows the creation of mid-mesh for complex models using a semi-automated process. The modeling process is designed for o IP Models, Injection Molded Parts, HVAC Models Refer to Appendix -B for the list of tools added for the Mid-mesh extraction process.

Automation
Refer to Appendix-C for the list of Support tools for automation. When running the script in batch mode with -No Graphics flag, no console window will pop-up.

Licensing
License feature for results module will be checked out only when selecting the results toolbar. Delay in SimLab start up has been fixed.

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SimLab 10.0

Installer
SimLab uninstaller is registered in Add/Remove programs at the time of installation. Option to create SimLab shortcut for all users is added. Option added to set the environmental variables required for importing CATIA using STEP approach.

Known Issues
FEM | Node | Move | Offset Undo/Redo is not working as intended.

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SimLab 10.0

Appendix A: Ansys Element Types

Solid Element Types
Tet4 SOLID285 SOLID65 SOLID164 SOLID185 SOLID45 Tet10 SOLID92 SOLID187 SOLID227 SOLID168 SOLID98 SOLID186 SOLID226 SOLID95 Hex8 SOLID45 SOLID185 SOLID164 SOLID5 SOLID65 Hex20 SOLID95 SOLID226 SOLID186 Wedge6 SOLID45 SOLID185 SOLID164 SOLID5 SOLID65 Wedge15 SOLID95 SOLID226 SOLID186

Shell Element Types

Tri3 SHELL63 SHELL181 SHELL41 SHELL163 Tri6 SHELL93 SHELL281 Quad4 SHELL63 SHELL181 SHELL41 SHELL163 Quad8 SHELL93 SHELL281

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SimLab 10.0

Appendix B: Mid Mesh Tools

Make End Surface Mid-Line for the Ribs/clips/hinges/clamps etc can be extracted automatically using this tool. Select Face Identify all the connected shiny/base surfaces of the body. Create volume Tool to isolate the ribs/clips from the body. This is useful in the auto-mid-plane process to separate the sections from the main body. Break Tool is useful to create the mid-surfaces for the ribs/clips/sections etc. Face-Face Break Tool is useful to resolve the intersection between the extracted mid-surfaces. Connect Surfaces Connect the gaps between the extracted mid-surfaces. Auto mid Plane Automatic extraction can be done using this tool. Compute Thickness Calculate the thickness for the extracted surfaces. Show Thickness Shows contour plot for the calculated thickness. 2D Tools Construction Surface Tool is used to create a plane for the die/mold direction. From 2Points Line can be created using the two selected points. Align Edge Created lines can be aligned to the mid position of the two selected edges. Extend Edge Created lines can be extended to connect the gaps.

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SimLab 10.0 Trim Edge Intersections between the created lines can be removed. Create Circle Circles can be created using the given arc and radius. Create Fillet Fillets can be introduced between two lines. Show Protrusion Face Identify the redundant surfaces. Show Free and Non-Manifold Vertices Identify the gaps and intersections in the 2d sketches.

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SimLab 10.0

Appendix C: Automation Tools

a) Newly added script support Import/ Export File | Translate | CATIA to STEP File | Translate | CATIA to Parasolid File | Import | Ansys

User Interface Show | Entities | Face | Overlapping CAD Face Rename group Merge Bodies

Geometry Body | Create | Cylinder Edge | Chaining

Meshing Auto Cleanup | Auto Tri Clean Tools | Wrapper Mesh Tools | Smoother Tools | Change Layer | Element

Analysis Structural | Connection | Manual RBE

Results Tools | Import Spec

Special Bolt Modeling | Solid Pretension Excite | Crank | Advanced Crankshaft Meshing Region Engine Modeling | Injector Modeling Engine Modeling | Valve Seat Load

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SimLab 10.0 b) Existing script Enhanced Import/Export FEM Tools | Set Node ID | Pin Boss Mid Node renumbering. File | Import | STEP Sketch/Wire frame option supported. Face | Gasket Imprint Group support added. Body | Merge - Instead of ids, model name and body name used. Body | Unmerge - Instead of ids, model name and body name used. Tools | Smoother Number of iteration supported.

Geometry

Meshing

c) Parameterization Import/Export File | Import | Parasolid Parameterization supported for scaling units. Contact Parameterization supported for import contacts using contact definition file. Material Material name parameterization supported. Sets | Node Parameterization supported for point coordinates.

Structural

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