Setting up the Mesh

You can customize the average mesh cell size, number of boundary layers, and the thickness of the first boundary layer of the mesh. The mesh divides the part cavity into many cells. Within each cell, the simulation considers material and flow behavior to be constant. By creating a more refined mesh with smaller cells, the simulation can predict more detailed material and flow behavior at the expense of longer simulation times.

This task is optional; the app calculates default parameters to generate a mesh that is suitable for most analyses.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Mesh Setup .
  2. Optional: Customize the Mesh size.

    This value specifies the average mesh cell size, which the app calculates based on the size of your model. Small mesh cells produce a more refined mesh and more accurate simulation results, but with a cost of longer simulation execution times. The app calculates the default mesh size based on the overall dimensions of the part, and it generally produces medium quality simulation results. For the best accuracy, specify a mesh size of one-third of the part thickness or less. Smaller mesh cells can be necessary for parts with small passages in critical regions, such as gates.

  3. Specify the number of Boundary layers and the thickness of the first layer.

    Boundary layers are thin mesh cells created at the inner and outer surfaces of the part. They allow resolution of temperature and solidification effects that vary through the thickness of the part, because the surface layers can freeze while the central layers continue to flow. For high accuracy, specify two or more boundary layers.

  4. Click OK.