Defining contact areas

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Application: TopCASTOR 3D/TopCASTOR 2D

See also: defining bodies

Icon access:

Menu access: Mechanical analysis | Contact definition | Zones definition

Description:

This function is for defining the contact areas between the functional bodies.  These areas are represented by faces in a TopCASTOR 3D document and by edges in a TopCASTOR 2D document.

General principle:

1. If no area has been defined, enter the name of this area.  Otherwise, select the area to be edited from the drop-down list, or click on and enter the name of the new area.

2. Select the master and slave faces (or edges) by using the / rotary button.

Optional point(s):

Master and slave faces (or edges) can be added or removed by simply clicking on or to switch to the appropriate mode.

 Adjustments can be made to the contact area during editing by using the  button.

 In a TopCASTOR 2D document, you can also specify a friction coefficient.

Specific point(s):

The different bodies become transparent automatically.  The areas are colored according to a color code, the key for which is provided in the legend window .

If a contact problem is defined, the associations will not be processed.  They will be replaced by the definition of the different bodies.

Editing can be undertaken at any time in the symbolic tree "AREAS SET".

 If an area no longer has any master or slave faces (or edges), it is automatically deleted.

 Deformable/Rigid contact

 The reason for modeling the rigid surface (the mesh) is only to define the surface area (2D edges) that is in contact with the deformable surface.  If the surface area is flat  (2D straight segments), there is no need to plot it precisely.  All nodes on the rigid surface should have a displacement boundary condition (imposed blocking or displacement).  The rigid surface is the "master" surface and that of the deformable the "slave".  As the material does not form part of the analysis, it does not matter which type of material is assigned to the rigid surface.  Any node on the "slave" surface that does not have a counterpart (i.e. no "master" surface) is not regarded as a contact node.

 Deformable/Deformable contact

The user must decide which of the two contact solids should be the "master" and which the "slave".  It is recommended that the "master" should be the solid that is likely to deform the least.  The surface meshing of the "slave" should not be coarser than that of the "master", and ideally they should be equally fine.

This hypothesis relates to slight slides.  With greater stresses, some interpenetration may occur between the contact solids as a result of the massive displacement that takes place. 

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