Create E-Lines

Use Create E-Lines tool to create evaluation lines at component interfaces.

Create E-lines tool is used to create E-Lines at the interfaces which should be evaluated for Squeak and Rattle. Create all E-Lines automatically or switch to Manual mode to create E-Lines one by one with more detailed control. You can create E-lines using two methods-
Fast Create
Use to create many E-Lines at a time to get quick and approximate overview of squeak and rattle risk zones.
Manual Create
Use to manually create one E-Line at a time and control the setup to ensure the accuracy in analysis results.

Fast Create

Create E-lines between multiple components at once without much manual intervention. Use to create many E-lines at a time, to get a quick and approximate overview of squeak and rattle risk zones.
  1. From Setup group, select Create E-Line tool.
    Figure 1.
    A guide bar will appear.
  2. Optional: Click to open edit E-line definition parameters under Options menu.
  3. Select the E-line type. Available choices are-
    • Rattle
    • Squeak
  4. Select components involved in the interface(s).
  5. Select geometric line(s) defining the interfaces.
  6. Click .
    This creates the E-Lines at the interfaces of the selected components along the geometric lines.

Manual Create

Add more control to the creation of E-lines by selecting Master and Slave entity (Component or Element) and gap direction. With these additional options, user can make sure that the Z-direction of the E-line coordinate system is aligned with the Gap Direction at realization. Use for detailed analysis to ensure accuracy in results.
  1. From Setup group, select Create E-Line tool.
    Figure 2.
    A guide bar will appear.
  2. Deactivate to open Manual mode.
  3. Optional: Click to open edit E-line definition parameters under Options menu.
  4. Select E-line type.
  5. Select Gap direction. Available choices are-
    • Normal to Master
    • In Plane to Master
  6. Select Master component or element.
  7. Select Slave component or element.
  8. Select the geometric lines which define the interfaces of the selected entities.
  9. Click
    This creates the E-Lines at the interfaces of the selected components along the geometric lines.
    Tip:
    • All E-lines can be edited at a later stage (see Manage and Review E-lines). For a potential process speed-up, you can create all lines in fast mode and edit them later.
    • To create a Single Point E-line, select an element as master and another as slave. This is used to create flexible attachments such as clips/snaps and diagonal E-lines to track opening distortion.

Create E-Lines Options

Spacing: Value for the spacing between two adjacent Evaluation Points on an E-Line

Search Distance: Value for search / gap tolerance between the selected master-slave component

Gap Direction: Realization Projection direction, controls creation of the local coordinate systems which determines the Gap Direction

Normal to Master
Figure 3.

Zdirection will be perpendicular or Normal to Master component.

In Plane to Master

Figure 4.

Z direction will be In Plane to Master component.

Contact Types: Defined Contact type for this E-Line, this is based on Youngs' modulus value of the Master and Slave FE Material.