Some tips about working with STL data import into Abaqus and run simulation

[Adil Memet]

Dear Friends,

I am writing this because, I would like to share some of my experience of working with STL data format Importing it into Abaqus and run FEM simulation, recently, I found a way to deal with STL data problems, mainly, STL data conversion into solid mesh data. in my case, I have a STL data from other group and I have to convert it into solid mesh first, so that I could run FEM simulation on Abaqus. first thing is import it into Autodesk Fusion 360, then from the sub-menu from "Body" check, in the case, if it shows some warning message, first you have to repair the geometry, because, it may have non-closed loops, mesh is not oriented and mesh does not have a positive volume, you can repair it first by select different method available in the repair options, then geometry shows up no more error, you can speed up by remesh the geometry by yourself or reduce mesh number. after which, you can follow the general rule of Fusion 360 in order to convert it into Solid mesh. good luck . in my case, it worked well converting STl data with more million facet into solid mesh. if you have a complex geometry data convert it into solid mesh, I hope it may help to you work as well.

 

[FEA way]

Was such a dense STL mesh necessary to capture all the details of the model ? Wasn't it possible to reduce the number of triangles before converting to solid ?

 

[Adil Memet]

Thank you much for your comment, I got the STL data from other group, it could be possible to reduced number of triangles in the case of simple or flat surface, in my case, during milling process, it has many area where, surface has to use higher number of facets to capture reliable surface mesh, I tried to reduced mesh drasticly, it could convert it, but I got some warning after importing it into Abaqus , some times, there was error as well.