About Connection Properties | |||||
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Definitions
Definitions can be useful before starting to work with connection properties in an assembly context.
- Engineering Connections
- Engineering connections define a set of constraints between components (product, 3D part, 3D shape...). They contain typed relations that represent kinematics interactions between components. Engineering connections are created in the Assembly Design workbench. See Assembly Design User's Guide: User Tasks: Engineering Connections.
- Connection Properties
- The connection properties define the connected geometries, that is to say the geometric entities that are physically connected within an engineering connection. Self-connection properties are connection properties between two geometries of a same part.
Important: When you define a connection property, you have to explicitly select the geometries that are used to define the engineering connection. You can add a connection property:
- In the Assembly Design workbench when you create an engineering connection (if the Structural Analysis product is installed). See Adding Simulation Connection Properties.
- In the Finite Element Model workbench using the Connection Property Manager capability. See Using the Connection Property Manager.
Connection properties are stored under a Simulation set under the selected engineering connection in the specification tree. The Simulation set is created the first time you add a connection property.
- Connection Meshes
- The connection meshes are the finite element modeling of the physical interactions between components.
A connection property needs to be meshed to be considered by the solver when performing a simulation. If a connection property is not meshed, it will be ignored by the solver.
To learn more about connection meshes, see About Connection Meshes.
Connection meshes are stored under the Nodes and Elements set of the finite element representation in the specification tree.
Methodology
To work in an assembly context and to simulate an assembly model, you have to create and mesh connection properties to model the interaction between geometries in the assembly.
Here is a recommended methodology to work in an assembly context:
- Create engineering connections.
- Create connection properties in the Assembly Design workbench. See Adding Simulation Connection Properties.
- In the assembled product, create an assembled finite element representation. See Finite Element Modeling User's Guide: Finite Element Model Representation: Accessing the Finite Element Modeling Workbench.
- Include the connection properties in the assembled finite element representation to create the associated connection meshes. See Using the Connection Property Manager.
- Create a structural analysis simulation, add preprocessing specifications, compute it, and visualize the result of the simulation. See Structural Analysis User's Guide.
Engineering Connections and Connection Properties
The list of available connection properties depends on the type of the selected engineering connection.
| Engineering connection type | Connection Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distant | User-defined | Face face | Fastened | Bolt | Weld | |
| Spherical | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Cylindrical | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Revolute | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Prismatic | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Planar | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Rigid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Screw | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Point curve | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Point surface | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Gear | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Rack | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Cable | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| User-defined | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Free * | Yes * | Yes * | No | No | No | Yes * |
| * You have to use a free engineering connection with a Fix in space constraint type and a Measured constraint mode to create self-connection properties. | ||||||
Supports for Connection Properties
To define a connection property, you have to select the connected geometries that are the supports of the connection property. See About Connection Properties.
The list of authorized supports depends on the type of connection property:
- Supports for a Distant Connection Property
- Supports for a User-defined Connection Property
- Supports for a Face Face Connection Property
- Supports for a Fastened Connection Property
- Supports for a Bolt Tightening Connection Property
- Supports for a Spot Weld Connection Property
- Supports for Seam Weld Connection Property
- Supports for a Curve-curve Weld Connection Property
- Supports for a Surface Weld Connection Property
Supports for a Distant Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a distant connection property.
| First selection | Second selection |
|---|---|
| Points | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Edges or 1D mechanical features | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features |
| Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features |
| Geometric groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Boundary groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Proximity groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Important: Geometric, boundary, and proximity groups under a mesh must belong to finite element model representations of sub-products. You cannot select groups that belong to the assembled finite element model representation. |
Supports for a User-defined Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a user-defined connection property.
| First selection | Second selection |
|---|---|
| Points | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Edges or 1D mechanical features | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Geometric groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Boundary groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Proximity groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Important: Geometric, boundary, and proximity groups under a mesh must belong to finite element model representations of sub-products. You cannot select groups that belong to the assembled finite element model representation. |
Supports for a Face Face Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a face face connection property.
| First selection | Second selection |
|---|---|
| Points | Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Edges or 1D mechanical features | Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features | Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Geometric groups created under a mesh | Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features |
| Boundary groups created under a mesh | Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features |
| Proximity groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Important: Geometric, boundary, and proximity groups under a mesh must belong to finite element model representations of sub-products. You cannot select groups that belong to the assembled finite element model representation. |
Supports for a Fastened Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a fastened connection property.
| First selection | Second selection |
|---|---|
| Points | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Edges or 1D mechanical features | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Geometric groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Boundary groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Proximity groups created under a mesh | Points Edges or 1D mechanical features Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features Geometric groups created under a mesh Boundary groups created under a mesh Proximity groups created under a mesh |
| Important: Geometric, boundary, and proximity groups under a mesh must belong to finite element model representations of sub-products. You cannot select groups that belong to the assembled finite element model representation. |
Supports for a Bolt Tightening Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a bolt tightening connection property.
| First selection | Second selection |
|---|---|
| Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features | Faces or 2D/3D mechanical features |
Supports for a Spot Weld Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a spot weld connection property.
| First selection | Second selection * | Welding points |
|---|---|---|
| 2D mechanical feature | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Points Geometrical sets Publications |
| PartBody | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Points Geometrical sets Publications |
| * A second selection is not required for self-connections. | ||
Supports for Seam Weld Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a seam weld connection property.
| First selection | Second selection * | Welding lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2D mechanical feature | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Edges or 1D mechanical features Geometrical sets Publications |
| PartBody | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Edges or 1D mechanical features Geometrical sets Publications |
| * A second selection is not required for self-connections. | ||
Supports for a Curve-curve Weld Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a curve-curve connection property.
| First selection | Second selection * | Welding lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2D mechanical feature | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Edges or 1D mechanical features Geometrical sets Publications |
| PartBody | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Edges or 1D mechanical features Geometrical sets Publications |
| * A second selection is not required for self-connections. | ||
Supports for a Surface Weld Connection Property
The following table lists the connected geometries that you can select as supports for a surface connection property.
| First selection | Second selection | Welding surfaces |
|---|---|---|
| 2D mechanical feature | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Fills Geometrical sets Publications |
| PartBody | 2D mechanical feature PartBody |
Fills Geometrical sets Publications |
| * A second selection is not required for self-connections. | ||