Use the connector Bolt panel to create connectors which will be represented as a 1D element construct. There are three base methods to determine the nodes to be connected: hole detection, cylinder definition, and a combination of both.
Shell holes can be connected by their edges and/or any washer nodes. The default behavior for bolt holes is to connect every node within the solid hole, but if you add the line *ce_fe_solid_bolt_setup(0) to your hm.cfg file, then only the nodes of the top and bottom rings are connected.
When the Bolt panel is active, only bolt-type connectors display in the graphics area; graphics for other connector types are suppressed until you exit the panel.
Panel Usage
The Bolt panel is arranged into multiple subpanels. You can move freely between subpanels--your work on one subpanel will not be lost if you switch to a different subpanel. Typically one or more green command buttons on the right edge of the subpanel have to be used to execute the function once all needed entries and options have been specified.
| • | Set the panel mode by selecting the subpanel appropriate to the command you wish to execute. |
| • | In the subpanel, choose entries and options to characterize new bolts, or edit existing ones. |
Subpanels and Inputs
The Bolt panel contains the following subpanels and command buttons:
| • | Bolt: The bolt connector is created and realized in a single process. |
| • | Create: The bolt connector is created only--no realization is performed. |
| • | Realize: An existing bolt connector is realized only--no creation is performed. |
The bolt, create and realize subpanels use the same set of entry controls. They are organized in three different columns:
| 1. | The first column contains everything related to connector creation and link detection. |
| 2. | The second column contains everything related to realization type, post script and property assignment. |
| 3. | The third column contains everything related to the final connection to the link entities. |
These columns and their organization are illustrated in detail in Connector Panel Structure in the Connectors chapter. See Special Realization Types in the Connectors chapter for further information on specific realization types.
From the Bolt panel you also have direct access to the Connector Options panel, where general and connector type-specific settings can be set. In particular, settings which don’t need to be altered very often are provided there.
Input
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Description
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location
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Specify the location of the connector to be created by selecting one of the following:
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Select an existing node (also temp nodes).
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Select an existing point (fixed point or free point).
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Select a node list and specify spacing or density and end offset.
The selected nodes are just used to create internally a smoothed line, which is used exactly as a real line. The connector doesn’t remember the selected nodes
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Select a line and specify spacing or density and end offset.
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spacing /
density
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Distance between each weld location on the line (spacing), or the number of weld location on the line (density).
Only available when the location is lines.
The number of bolt points is approximated to the closest integer, based on the length of the line and spacing given while considering the end offset value given (or half spacing).
The spacing is also calculated based on the length of the line and density for the half-spacing option on the Options panel.
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split to points
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Splits the line into individual points and creates bolt connectors for each resultant point.
This check box appears if the location is defined by a nodelist/nodepath or by a line.
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connectors
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Specify the bolt connectors to be realized. Only available on the realize subpanel.
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connect what
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Select the link entities which should become link candidates. Link candidates are certain entities of a chosen Link Type, which are supposed to be connected during the realization. Entities outside the tolerance are not taken into account.
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Select the components to be added as link entities. You can choose to connect to either the geometry or elements of the selected components.
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Select the assemblies to be added as link entities. You can choose to connect to either the geometry or elements of the selected assemblies.
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num layers
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Defines how many thicknesses (layers) have to be connected at the connector position.
When the link detection is performed, the valid connector links are established with respect to the given tolerance and the selected link candidates. By default the links are reduced to the minimum needed ones.
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tolerance
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Defines a distance from the connector location. Only entities within this tolerance can be taken into account for the link detection and the final realization. So the tolerance is used twice, first for the link determination and second for the realization. In the second step the tolerance is used to verify, if adequate link candidates are available to be connected.
During pure connector creation on the create subpanel the tolerance is used for the link determination, but not necessarily (unless the checkbox in front of the tolerance field is marked) stored on the connector. So different tolerances can be used.
The tolerance used during the realization process is always written to the connector.
This approach is the same for all connector types. For most of the bolt realization types the approach is the same, though further requirements like holes of certain diameters on the links might be required for a successful realization. For cylinder bolt realization types a cylinder volume is defined by a diameter, a length L1 in the positive and a length L2 in the negative connector direction. Only links penetrating this cylinder volume are considered for the realization. If the tolerance value is lower than L1 or L2 it is updated to the higher of both values during realization.
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connect when
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This option is only available on the create subpanel, and defines when to perform the link detection. Select one of the following options:
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Adds link entity information now, directly together with the connector creation.
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Creates a connector without any specific information regarding its links. The links are determined when performing the final realization with respect to the connector position.
Using this option defines the re-connect rule at fe-realize for all created links.
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reconnect rule
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This option is only available on the create subpanel, and is useful in situations where the parts to be connected have been changed/replaced. While realizing the connector, Engineering Solutions looks for link entities based on the re-connect rule:
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No re-connect rule is defined. If the link entity is not currently in the model, the connector with this re-connect rule will fail to realize.
If no re-connect rule is defined for a link, this link disappears from the connector, when the linked entity is deleted.
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Use the selected link entity’s IDs to re-connect. If the link entity is not currently in the model, the connector with this re-connect rule will search for entities with the same ID.
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Use the selected link entity’s names to re-connect. If the link entity is not currently in the model, connectors using this re-connect rule search for entities with the same name.
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Input
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Description
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type
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Identifies the realization type which should be used. Which realization types are listed here depends on the configuration file loaded under fe file on the general connector Options panel.
The realization type is a description of the FE representation. The provided list depends on the active user profile.
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default post script/
user post script/
no/skip post script
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Specifies whether or not a post script has to be used for the specific realization type. These scripts are used to automatically create materials, properties, and/or contacts necessary for realizing the connectors.
| • | default: Default for any realization type having a post script defined in its FE configuration. |
| • | user: Specify your own TCL file which should be used. Such a file can perform a special treatment on the FE representation. |
| • | no/skip: Default for all realization types without any post script defined. No post script is used. |
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elems to current comp / connector comp
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Determines which component the FE representations are stored in once they have been realized.
This toggle only displays on the realize subpanel if no/skip post script is used.
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property / no property
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Specifies whether or not a certain property gets assigned.
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Select a pre-defined property to assign to all newly created elements.
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No property gets assigned to all newly created elements.
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direct property assignment
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Assigns a property directly. If this check box is cleared, a property is assigned to the destination components.
This option only appears when as property treatment property = is chosen and the user profile is Nastran, OptiStruct, RADIOSS or Abaqus.
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use dynamic vector/
use existing vector/
define a new vector
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Defines how the bolt direction vector should be determined. Every bolt connector gets a vector associated during its first realization:
| • | use dynamic vector: This is the default option. The connector vector is automatically determined dependent on the projection directions during the link detection. |
| • | use existing vector: The existing vector associated with the connector will be used to define the bolt direction during realization. If no vector is associated so far, the dynamic vector option is used instead. |
| • | define a new vector: A new vector will be defined and associated with the connector, then used to define the bolt direction during realization. |
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Input
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Description
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mesh dependent/
mesh Independent
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Determines whether the realizations require a node connection. For a realization which doesn’t need any node connection and the connection is primarily defined via a solver-specific card or the nodes which need to be connected are just defined by a cylinder, such as Bolt (cylinder spring) for RADIOSS (Block Format), then use the mesh independent option. In all other cases the mesh dependent option should be used.
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thread length
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Defines the dimensions of the rigid elements connecting the bolt shaft models as bar.
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consider existing holes only/
create hole, if none/
use hole, if available/
fill and remesh hole, if available
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In the past a bolt realization always required a hole for each layer existent in the initial mesh. For 2D meshes this is not necessary anymore, because the imprint capability allows punching the needed holes into the mesh before the final realization is performed, so the mesh can be manipulated in a pre-step. This makes it possible to punch holes, to move holes, to close holes, to create washers, and so on.
These options are described in detail in the section for Realization Methods in the Bolt Panel in the HyperMesh User's Guide.
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realize and hole detect details
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Opens a temporary panel, from which you can define hole detection requirements. See the section for Realization Methods in the Bolt Panel in the HyperMesh User's Guide.
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Input
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Description
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create
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Creates the connector(s) with provided input (if sufficient).
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realize
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Realizes a bolt connector.
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reject
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Reverts the last action.
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preview
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Use Preview to analyze bolt connectors that contain some sort of cylinder definition in the graphics area.
Once you click preview, Engineering Solutions unrealizes and updates the selected connectors to reflect its realization type. Engineering Solutions also updates all of the cylinder dimensions (diameters, lengths, factors) and displays the appropriate cylinders.
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options
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Opens the Connector Options panel, where various settings can be defined.
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return
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Exits the panel.
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See Also:
Example of Connecting Assemblies
FE Configuration File
Connector Definition
Connector Realization
Connectors Module
Alphabetical List of Panels
