How to give shell to shell contact in ABAQUS?

[Rajnan07]

Hello everyone. I am doing quasi static compression analysis in ABAQUS. For my model I am using 3D planar shell and there are two plates in the top and bottom of my model. Bottom plate will be fixed and top plate will be given loading velocity in Y direction. Top plate, bottom plate and my actual model, three of them will be shell and I am using surface to surface contact between the plates and my model, but I am getting error as ‘edge based surface cannot be used in a contact pair’.
Can someone please tell me how to give contact between two shell elements?

 

[FEA way]

Use general contact, currently it’s the recommended type of contact in most cases.

 

[Rajnan07]

Thank you for your reply. I have tried using general contact, but I am still getting this same error.

 

[FEA way]

Can you attach the .inp file or at least pictures showing the parts that you want to connect with contact constraints ?

 

[Rajnan07]

 

[FEA way]

Model it as 2D geometry (mesh with plane stress elements) and you won't get any errors like that.

 

[Rajnan07]

yes you are right. I already did that. But my motive is to mesh it with shell S4R element. I am unable to do that. Whenever I am trying with shell element its showing that contact error.

 

[FEA way]

Then you can use tie constraint to connect these parts.

 

[Rajnan07]

I cannot use tie constraint for connection purpose because the top plate will be given loading velocity.

 

[FEA way]

Maybe you could at least use continuum shell elements instead of conventional shells.