Mesh the Part

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Mesh the part

To mesh the metal part:

  1. Click 3DQuickForm, Create Mesh
  2. Click OK to accept the default mesh size
  3. If no mesh is created, repeat step 1 and half both global mesh size and minimum mesh size.

 

Note: Finite element analysis is very sensitive to Mesh quality, visual check the mesh output and make certain correction on the model is required sometimes.

Show Unmeshed Faces

Face cannot be meshed in some occasional due to improver mesh size.

To identify unmeshed face when the warning message is appear

  1. Click OK and RMS Project folder, select Show Unmeshed Faces …
  2. Select listed face and 3DQuickForm will zoom the unmeshed face
  3. Re-mesh the project by using preserved edge or reduce the mesh size.

 

Offset mesh

Default mesh created can be offset, the sign of the offset determine the offset direction, the preview of the offset mesh is RED in color.

 

Set Preserved Edges

This setting can preserved the geometry accuracy after meshing

To preserve edges tolerance:

  1. RMS Punch Part folder and select Set Preserved Edges
  2. Select Edges which accuracy to be preserved
  3. Click OK and re-mesh the project. The selected edges are preserved.

Mesh consideration

Aspect Ratio

3DQuickForm generate triangular mesh. In order to have successful simulation, the mesh quality must be good enough. Aspect ratio is used to measure the quality of mesh which is defined as the longest side divided by min altitude.

 Aspect Ratio = BC/AD

The best aspect ratio is the case of equilateral triangle. The worst aspect ratio the solver can tolerate is less then 10.

 

As the mesh quality is driven by the faces form the punch part, modification of the part is required sometimes in order to have a more stable simulation.

Example

 

Meshes from tiny faces usually create poor aspect ratio mesh

 

Element can not be greater then the face size, the aspect ratio of those elements from tiny faces usually bad.

Solution

 

Use SolidWorks Delete Face and fill with tangency option to simplify the region to get a better mesh

Long needle like face create VERY BAD elements which can affect the accuracy of the result up to 5%

Solution

Use delete face and fill with tangency option

 

 

Show Bad Element Faces

If bad element is exist (Aspect ratio > 10). A command is available from Project folder shortcut menu to identify the faces generate the bad quality element.

To identify bad element faces:

  1. RMS the project tree, if  Show Bad Element Faces is available, select it
  2. Select the face from the list and 3DQuickForm zoom it to fit.
  3. Click OK to exit

 

Normally, bad faces are created from tiny faces and the face adjacent to the tiny face will be affected as well. The following 3 faces are reported by Show Bad Element Faces. And only Face A & B have to handle.  

To get rid of the bad elements:

  1. Click Insert, Surface, Delete Surface
  2. Select the tiny faces and it adjacent faces
  3. Click Delete and Fill, check Tangent fill
  4. Click OK to finish
  5. Re-mesh the project.

 

Note: Both meshes output were accepted by the Solver and the result only have 1% deviation.