PCONT

Bulk Data Entry

PCONT – Contact Property

Description

Defines properties of a CONTACT interface.

Format

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)
PCONT	PID	GPAD	STIFF	MU1	MU2	CLEARANCE	SEPARATION
	FRICESL

The following optional continuation lines are used to define nonlinear penalty for the S2S contact interface. Only one of each of these continuation lines are allowed on a single PCONT entry.

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)
+	STFEXP	C0	P0

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)
+	STFQDR	C0	ALPHA1	ALPHA2	ALPHA3

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)
PCONT	34			0.3	0.25

Enforced stick condition:

PCONT

STICK

Field

Contents

PID

Property identification number.

No default (Integer > 0)

GPAD

“Padding” of the interface to account for additional layers, such as shell thickness. This value is subtracted from the contact gap opening as calculated from the location of nodes. See comment 1.

Default = THICK (Real, NONE or THICK)

STIFF

Relative stiffness of contact interface. See comment 2.

Positive value (STIFF = Real > 0.0) is directly prescribed stiffness.

Negative value (STIFF = Real < 0.0) defines a stiffness scaling factor. The stiffness scaling factor is equal to |Real < 0.0|. The scaling is applied to the automatic stiffness value (the stiffness value when STIFF = AUTO).

Default = AUTO (AUTO, SOFT, HARD, Real > 0.0, or Real < 0.0)

MU1

Coefficient of static friction (μs) or Friction coefficient table (integer) referencing a TABLES1 entry. See comment 3.

Default = 0.0 (Real > 0.0, Integer > 0, STICK or FREEZE)

MU2

Coefficient of kinetic friction (μk). (Ignored in linear analysis). See comment 3.

Default = MU1 (0.0 < Real < MU1)

CLEARANCE

Initial gap opening between master and slave, irrespective of the actual distance between the nodes. See comment 4.

Default = not prescribed (Real or blank).

SEPARATION

Flag indicating whether the master and slave can separate after the contact has been closed. Applied only to frictional, SLIDE, and STICK contacts with S2S or large-displacement N2S.

YES: Separation could happen even after the contact is closed.

NO: No separation happens once the contact is closed.

Default = YES (YES or NO)

FRICESL

Frictional elastic slip – distance of sliding up to which the frictional transverse force increases linearly with slip distance. Specified in physical distance units (similar to U0 and GPAD). See comment 3.

•	Non-zero value or blank activates respective friction model based on Elastic Slip Distance.

•	Zero value activates friction model based on fixed transverse stiffness KT.

Default = AUTO (Real > 0.0 or AUTO)

STFEXP

Indicates that the exponential nonlinear penalty parameters are to follow:

C0, P0

Parameters defining the exponential function. See comment 2.

C0: Default = AUTO (Real > 0.0 or AUTO)

P0: Default = AUTO (Real > 0.0 or AUTO)

STFQDR

Indicates that the quadratic nonlinear penalty parameters are to follow:

C0, ALPHA1, ALPHA2,
ALPHA3

Parameters defining the quadratic function. See comment 2.

C0: Default = 0.0 (Real ≥ 0.0)

ALPHA1: Default = AUTO (Real > 0.0 or AUTO)

ALPHA2: Default = AUTO (1.0>Real > 0.0 or AUTO)

ALPHA3: Default = AUTO (1.0>Real > 0.0 or AUTO)

Comments

The initial contact gap opening is calculated automatically based on the relative location of slave and master nodes (in the original, undeformed mesh). To account for additional material layers covering master and slave objects, the GPAD entry can be used. GPAD option THICK automatically accounts for shell thickness on both sides of the contact interface (this also includes the effects of shell element offset ZOFFS or composite offset Z0), when the master and/or slave are shell surfaces (SET of shell element types or SURF of shell element faces). The THICK option will only apply automatic padding if shells are selected for master/slave in the contact interface (for example, padding is not applied for “skinned” solid elements that are selected as a master/slave in the contact interface). For further information, refer to Contact Interface Padding in the User's Guide.

Option STIFF=AUTO determines the value of normal stiffness for each contact element using the stiffness of surrounding elements. Additional options SOFT and HARD create respectively softer or harder penalties. SOFT can be used in cases of convergence difficulties and HARD can be used if undesirable penetration is detected in the solution. A negative value for STIFF indicates that a stiffness scaling factor equal to |Real < 0.0| is defined. This scaling is applied on the stiffness value via STIFF = AUTO. For further information, refer to Penalty-based Contact in the User's Guide.

Optional continuation lines STFEXP and STFQDR are available for the definition of exponential and quadratic penalties. These penalties do not apply to FREEZE contact, they are also ignored for contacts in linear analysis.

For further information, refer to Linear and Nonlinear Penalty in the User's Guide.

MU1=STICK is interpreted in OptiStruct as an enforced stick condition – such contact interfaces will not enter the sliding phase. Of course, the enforced stick only applies to contacts that are closed. Note that, in order to effectively enforce the stick condition, frictional offset may need to be turned off. For further information, refer to Friction in the User's Guide.

MU1=FREEZE enforces zero relative motion on the contact surface – the contact gap opening remains fixed at the original value and the sliding distance is zero. Also, rotations at the slave node are matched to the rotations of the master patch. The FREEZE condition applies to all respective contact elements, no matter whether open or closed. Also, this condition is effective irrespective of the frictional offset setting.

MU1 set to an integer value references a TABLES1 ID. TABLES1 entries (xi,yi) correspond to pseudo time-friction coefficient values. For nonlinear subcases, table lookup is performed to compute a value for the coefficient of friction based on the pseudo-time value of the current increment. An error message is issued and OptiStruct will stop, if a negative value is returned. If a zero value is returned, the CONTACT that refers to the PCONT entry will be treated as frictionless. For linear subcases, the friction coefficient at pseudo-time zero will be used. MU2 will be ignored, if MU1 is provided as TABLES1 ID.

If FRIC is not explicitly defined on the PCONTX/PCNTX# entries, the MU1 value on the CONTACT or PCONT entry is used for FRIC in the /INTER entries for Geometric Nonlinear Analysis. Otherwise, FRIC on PCONTX/PCNTX# overwrites the MU1 value on CONTACT/PCONT. For further information, refer to Friction in the User's Guide.

4.	For further information on clearance, refer to Contact Interface Parameters in the User's Guide.

5.	This card is represented as a property in HyperMesh.