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Surface/Face Definition in an Extruded Part Normal to Axis. How?

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motalaat

Structural
Jul 2, 2010
1
Hi colleagues,

I have created simple solid part of a cuboid to represent a long square bar (to be loaded transversally). I drew a square sketch then extruded it. Along the length, I defined a few datum planes to assist me in controlling mesh density at locations where high stress gradient will be applied.

The part is sub-divided to cells at the datum planes. The longitudinal lines/edges are seeded between each datum plane at a different spacing. I meshed the part using linear hex (structured) bricks -pretty straightforward so far.

I am attempting to define a surface which would contain the nodes and element faces at each datum plane, i.e. a cross-section normal to the extrude direction. There should be a geometry face there created by the process of partitioning the original long part into cells. I go to the part definition to define a surface but it refuses to pick that face and keeps insisting on picking faces normal to it. The only two faces CAE is willing to recognize normal to the extrude direction are the start and end faces. I tried "unselecting" everything from view except the "faces" I want at the datum planes - still cannot pick them up to define a surface.

The only "way" I found was to define the surface as mesh-based, not geometry-based, which is tedious and labor inefficient for later modifications. Even that sometimes would refuse to select the element faces in question as if they didn't exist and selected some other faces instead. Anyone who can figure out how to do the simple task of telling Abaqus that the interface between the two divided partitions is a face even when it is normal to the extrude direction?

Thanks,

MT
 
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It can't be done as a surface must have a normal direction to it, and internal faces don't have an outward normal to them as there is no 'out'. I'm not sure why you'd need an internal surface but one way round the problem would be to split the part into two two parts at the surface and then tie the two parts back together again in the assembly.

Tara

 
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