HM-3410: Create Area Connectors

In this step you will open and view the model file.

1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. In the User Profile dialog, select OptiStruct.
3. Click OK.
4. Open a model file by clicking File > Open > Model from the menu bar, or clicking on the Standard toolbar.
5. In the Open Model dialog, open the frame_assembly_1.hm file.
   The model appears in the graphics area.
6. Observe the model using various visualization options available, such as rotation and zooming.

In this step you will load the Connector Browser.

1. Open the Connector Browser by clicking View > Browsers > HyperMesh > Connector from the menu bar.
2. Review the layout of the Connector Browser. Currently there are no components or connectors listed because there are no connectors in the model.
   Note: You can use the Connector Browser to view and manage the connectors in your model. The top portion of the browser is referred to as the Link Entity Browser, and it displays information about the linked entities in your model. The middle portion is referred to as the Connector Entity Browser, and it contains a list of the connectors in your model. The bottom portion of the browser is referred to as the Connector Entity Editor, and it displays attributes assigned to the connector(s) selected in the Connector Entity Browser. HyperMesh groups the connectors based on their connection type.

   
   
   Figure 1.

In this step you will create an adhesive connection between component Left_Rail_1 and Left_Rail_2 on the top flange.

1. In the Model Browser, Components folder, isolate Left_Rail_1 and Left_Rail_2.
2. Zoom into an area displaying the two flanges and inspect the elements to be joined.
3. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > Component from the context menu.
   HyperMesh creates and opens a component in the Entity Editor.

   Note: HyperMesh makes this new component the current component.
4. For Name, type area_edit_panel.
5. Open the Area panel by right-clicking in the Connector Entity Browser and selecting Create > Area from the context menu.
6. Set the location selector to elems.
7. Select one element on the top flange of the Left_Rail_1 component as indicated in the following image.

   
   
   Figure 2.

8. Click elems >> by face.
   The entire flange is selected.

   
   
   Figure 3.

9. Set the connect what selector to comps.
10. Click comps.
11. Select the components, Left_Rail_1 and Left_Rail_2.

    
    
    Figure 4.

12. Click select.
13. In the tolerance= field, type 10. The connector will connect any selected entities within this distance.
14. Click type= and select adhesives.
15. Set the hexa thickness to shell gap.
    Note: This option projects directly to the shell component and takes no account of the thickness of the shell components.

    
    
    Figure 5.

16. Click create.
    A new adhesive area connector is created.
17. Click return.
18. Inspect the new adhesive.
19. In the Connector Entity Browser, right-click on the adhesive connector and select Unrealize from the context menu.
    The connector becomes unrealized, and the Entity Editor opens and displays the selected connectors corresponding attributes.
20. In the Entity Editor:
    1. Set Hexa Thickness Option to (T1+T2)/2. This takes into account the thickness of each shell part.
    2. For Coats, type 3.
       This option increases the number of hexas through thickness from 1 to 3.
21. In the Connector Entity Browser, right-click on the unrealized adhesive connector and select Rerealize from the context menu.

    
    
    Figure 6.

In this step you will create an adhesive connection between component Left_Rail_1 and Left_Rail_2 on the bottom flange.

1. Go to the area panel.
2. Set the location selector to nodes.
3. Click node list >> by path.
4. Select the row of nodes on the outer flange of the Left_Rail_1 component by first selecting the left most node on the bottom flange of Left_Rail_1 and then selecting the right-most node on the bottom flange as indicated in the following image.

   
   
   Figure 7.

5. In the width= field, type 10.
6. In the offset= field, type 3.
7. Next to connect what, click comps.
8. Select Left_Rail_1 and Left_Rail_2.
9. Click select.
10. Click create.
    Note: The default mesh size for these mesh independent area connectors (when choosing by nodes/lines/surfs) is 10. However, you can specify a different elem size if needed.
11. Go to the edit subpanel.
12. Select remesh.
13. Use the location: connectors selector to select the area connector you just created in Step 4.10.
14. In the element size= field, type 3.

    
    
    Figure 8.

15. Click mesh. The connector unrealizes if there is a pre-existing mesh.
16. In the Connector Entity Browser, select the unrealized connector.
17. In the Entity Editor:
    1. Set Hexa Thickness Option to const_thickness.
    2. For Const Thickness, type 0.3.
18. In the Connector Entity Browser, right-click on the unrealized connector and select Rerealize from the context menu.
19. Inspect the new adhesive created.
    Note: When creating area connectors from elements, HyperMesh automatically meshes the area connector using the current mesh. If the area connector is created from nodes, lines, or surfaces and the default mesh is unsuitable from the area subpanel, then you can apply a manual mesh.

    
    
    Figure 9.