Associate the FEM with the Simulation and Examine the Mesh

Associate the imported finite element model (FEM) with the simulation, and examine the mesh.

Simulations require an associated FEM, which is an alternative representation of 1D, 2D, or 3D geometries. If you create an FEM after creating a simulation, Mechanical Scenario Creation associates the FEM with the simulation automatically. However, if you import a model that includes a predefined FEM to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you must associate the FEM with the simulation manually.

In this example, you associate the predefined FEM with the simulation. The mesh in this FEM has already been set up properly for this type of analysis. You will examine how the face capture tool was used in the local mesh specifications. Using this tool ensures that the mesh contains shared nodes at the interface of the weld and the welded part.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Finite Element Model .
  2. In the Finite Element Model dialog box, select the predefined FEM named myNameBucket weld study A.1, and click OK.
  3. From the tree, review the model's structure.

    The welds are separate products (and are, in fact, bundles of welds created in the Weld Design app). In addition, some parts of the FEM are represented by abstraction shapes. An abstraction shape is a container into which you can copy the original model to allow complete editing without impacting the source content.

  4. Examine the mesh. You can review the mesh settings of one of the parts connected by the weld to see where the face capture tool is used. This tool configures the mesh so that the weld and the connected part share nodes where they are in contact.
    1. From the tree, expand myNameBucket weld study A.1 > Nodes and Elements.

      Tip: Press F3 to display the tree if it is not visible.

    2. Right-click the first meshed part named Right Mount, and click Reframe On.
    3. Expand Right Mount > Mesh Specifications, and click Face Capture.3.
      The app highlights the part of the mesh defined by the specification. You can zoom in for a closer look.
    4. From the tree, double-click Face Capture.3.
    5. Select Visualize captured mesh to highlight the area of the mesh between the fillet and the bracket with nodal condensation (that is, shared nodes).

    The shared nodes appropriately represent the material bond formed during the welding operation.