Creating Compatible Meshes for Line Fasteners

You can join shell parts using a line fastener to create a mesh compatible with the parts.

This procedure shows you how to use the Mesh Creation app to create compatible surface meshes of quadrilateral elements on the shells, then create a line fastener in Structural Model Creation to join the meshes. Alternatively, you can create the compatible weld mesh specifications directly in the line fastener definition. For more information, see Create a Line Fastener with Shell Elements and a Compatible Mesh.

Before you begin: In a single finite element model representation, you must have either two shell parts or a single shell part to fasten (weld) to itself to create a fastener with a compatible mesh.
See Also
About Line Fasteners
Defining Line Fasteners
Resolving Weld Curve Seeding Issues
In Other Guides
Creating and Editing Surface Meshes
Project Weld Curves
  1. In the Mesh Creation app, create a mesh for the first part joined by the weld:
    1. From the Mesh section of the action bar, click Surface Quad Mesh .
    2. Select the shell part.
    3. Specify the remaining parameters for the surface mesh.
    4. In the Local Specification section, click Project Weld Curve .
    5. Select the edges that are to be welded.

      The selected edges create a mesh constraint along the seam to be welded.

    6. Specify the remaining parameters for the weld curve projection.
    7. Click Mesh.
    The mesh is created with an Imposed Weld Curve constraint on the edges to be welded.
  2. If you are joining two parts (not using the Self welding option), repeat the process from Step 1 to create a mesh for the second part to be welded.

    Important: The mesh specifications for each part, especially the element size, must match in the weld area. For the Project Weld Curve local specification, you must select the same edges on the same part that you selected in Step 1.

    By using the same edges, you are creating an identical constraint on both parts to enforce mesh compatibility along the weld.

  3. When you define the line fastener in the Structural Model Creation app, select the same edges used to create the imposed weld curve constraints.
  4. Identify and resolve any incompatible mesh seeding issues.

    For more information, see Resolving Weld Curve Seeding Issues.