Apply a Material

Create and apply a custom material to your beam to control its properties.

This task shows you how to:

Specify the Material Properties

Define custom properties for a steel material to apply to your beam.

The simulation properties associated with the material are used to define the physics simulation.

  1. From the Compass, click Material Definition .
  2. From the Material Tools section of the action bar, click Create Material .
  3. Enter Steel as the core material title.
  4. Click Add domains, select Simulation Domain and clear the other domains.
  5. Click OK.
    The material appears in the tree.
  6. From the tree, double-click the Steel material.
  7. In the Edit Definition dialog box that appears, enter a density of 7800kg_m3 and click OK.
  8. From the tree, double-click the material simulation domain under Steel.
  9. In the Material Definition dialog box that appears, select Density and enter a density of 7800kg_m3.
  10. Select Mechanical > Elasticity > Elastic.
  11. Enter a Young's modulus of 200GPa and a Poisson's ratio of 0.3.

    Note: The app automatically converts the Young's modulus to its base units (N/m²).

  12. Click OK.

Create the Simulation

Create a simulation for your beam.

  1. Select the physical product tab (Cantilever Beam) to return to your beam model in Part Design.
  2. From the Compass, click Structural Scenario Creation.
  3. Select Structural as the simulation type, and click OK.
    The app creates a simulation.
  4. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Simulation Properties .
  5. Enter Cantilever Beam Simulation as the Title, and click OK.

    Renaming your simulation allows you to identify it easily when you search for it.

  6. Select Share > Save > Save All, and save your work.

    Tip: You can also press Ctrl+S to save your work. Save your work often.

Define the Finite Element Model

Define the beam's finite element model.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Finite Element Model .
  2. Select Automatic as the method of initialization, and click OK.
  3. Rename the finite element model.
    1. From the tree, right-click on the Finite Element Model, and select Properties.
    2. Enter Cantilever Beam Finite Element Model as the Title, and click OK.

Apply the Material

Apply the custom material to your beam.

  1. From the material commands in the action bar, click Pick Material .

    Note: The material commands appear under the Material Palette command in the action bar.

    The cursor changes to a pipette.
  2. Return to the Material Editor tab, and click Steel in the tree.
    You are returned to your beam simulation in Structural Scenario Creation.
  3. Click on your beam, and select Close context toolbar .
    The material applied to the beam appears in the tree.