Exercise 3: Create Connectors from Existing Welds to Create New Welds of a Different Type

In this step, you will retrieve and view the model file in HyperMesh.

1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. In the User Profile dialog, set the user profile to LsDyna.
3. Open a model file by completing one of the following options:
   • Click File > Open > Model from the menu bar.
   • Click on the Standard toolbar.
4. In the Open Model dialog, open the frame_assembly_3.hm file.
5. Observe the model using various visual options available in HyperMesh (rotation, zooming, and so on).

In this step, you will create connectors from existing LS-DYNA 101 Mat100 (hexa) welds.

1. From the menu bar, click Connectors > Fe Absorb.
2. In the Automated Connector Creation and FE Absorption dialog, set FE configs to custom.
3. Set FE type to dyna 101 mat 100 (hexa).
4. Set the Elem filter toggle to select.
5. Double-click the Elem filter: Elements selector.
6. In the panel area, click elems > by collector.
7. Select the following components:
   • C_^_6_11_HEX
   • C_^_7_11_HEX
   • C_^_8_11_HEX
   • C_^_9_11_HEX
   • C_^_10_11_HEX
8. Click select.
9. Click proceed to return to the dialog.
10. Set FE connectivity to Mesh independent (projs).
11. Select the Move connectors to FE component checkbox.
12. Click Absorb.
    HyperMesh absorbs the elements into connectors at the locations of the LS-DYNA 101Mat100 (hexa) welds, and organizes them into the respective components to which the LS-DYNA 101 Mat100 (hexa) welds belong.
13. Click Close.

In this step, you will isolate the 2t connectors between the Rear_Truss_2 component and the Right_Rail_2 and Left_Rail_2 components.

1. Open the Connector Browser by clicking View > Browsers > HyperMesh > Connector from the menu bar.
2. In the Link Entity browser, while pressing Ctrl, select Rear_Truss_2, Right_Rail_2, and Left_Rail_2.
3. Right-click and select Find Between from the context menu.
   HyperMesh finds and displays ten connectors between the three components you selected.

   
   
   Figure 2.

In this step, you will add Rear_Truss_1 as a third link to four of the ten displayed 2t connectors.

1. In the Model Browser, Component folder, while pressing Ctrl, select Rear_Truss_2, Left_Rail_2, and Right_Rail_2.
2. Right-click on the selected components and select Show from the context menu.
3. Turn on the geometry display for the C^9_11_HEX component .
4. Open the Add Links panel by clicking Connectors > Assign > Links from the menu bar.
5. Activate the location: connectors selector.
6. Select the four connectors as indicated in Figure 3.

   
   
   Figure 3.

7. Set the connect what selector to comps.
8. Click comps.
9. Select the Rear_Truss_1 component.
10. Click select.
11. Set the connect what toggle to elems.
12. Select the checkbox next to search tol =.
13. In the search tol= filed, enter 5.
14. Set # of layers to total 3.

    
    
    Figure 4.

15. Click add links.
    HyperMesh updates the connector's definitions, and changes their display color to blue, as they are now 3t connections.

    
    
    Figure 5.

16. Click return.

In this step, you will unrealize the connectors for the LS-DYNA 101 Mat100 (hexa) welds.

1. In the Model Browser, turn on the geometry display for the following components only:
   • C_^_6_11_HEX
   • C_^_7_11_HEX
   • C_^_8_11_HEX
   • C_^_9_11_HEX
   • C_^_10_11_HEX
2. Open the Unrealize panel by clicking Connectors > Unrealize from the menu bar.
3. Click connectors > displayed.
4. Click unrealize.
   HyperMesh unrealizes the connectors, and deletes the weld elements associated to these connectors.
5. Click return.
6. On the Visualization toolbar, click .
7. In the Visualization tab, click .
8. Under Color by, select State.
   HyperMesh displays the connectors in yellow, which indicates that they are not realized into FE elements.

   
   
   Figure 6.

In this step, you will realize the unrealized connectors into LS-DYNA 100 Mat100 (beam) welds.

1. Open the realize subpanel of the connector Spot panel by clicking Connectors > Realize > Spots from the menu bar.
2. Click location: connectors > displayed.
3. Click type= and select mat 100.
4. In the tolerance = field, enter 5.
5. Click realize.
   HyperMesh realizes the connectors.

   
   
   Figure 7.

6. Click return.

In this step, you will save your work in HyperMesh.