Stepwise Guide To Using Extrude option in ANSA

A comprehensive multidisciplinary pre-processing tool for CAE, ANSA offers all the capabilities required for building a full model, from CAD data to ready-to-run solver input files, in a single integrated environment. Due to the abundance of features and tools that fit various demands, ANSA is widely used in the automotive industry.

 

Extrude in ANSA

(Topo>surface>Extrude):

It is one of the methods to create a surface. If we have less than 3 single cons or curves to create a surface, we can use this option. Because the Surface → New option will not give a proper surface if we have less than 3 cons or curves. For example, if we have the incomplete cad like below,

 

 

For the above case, we can not try this with the Surface → New option because we do not have sufficient single cons to create a surface. If we try to create a new surface by Surface → New option, we will not get the expected CAD geometry. (Refer to the image below)

 

 

There are four different methods available in extrude.

• Extrude
• Sweep
• Glide 
• Revolute

Let’s understand them one by one with examples.

 

Sweep Method in Extrude

Here’s what you should know about the sweep method in extrude:

• It will be very useful when we want a cylindrical or circular surface.
• It needs two inputs 
• Path curve or con (it should be circular)
• Profile curve or con (it can be straight con or curved)
• After clicking this command, select the profile con and middle click and then select the path curve or con

 

 

 

Revolute Method in Extrude

Here’s what you should know about the revolute method in extrude:

• It will be useful when we have only one curve or con for creating the surface.
• It needs one profile curve and two 3D points
• The surface will be created based on the 3D points.
• The 3D points can be created by using Points>On COG>Edges

 

 

• First, we have to select the profile and middle click and select the two 3D points that you have

 

 

• Then the new dialog box will appear

 

 

• Check the numerical input option which is used to create a surface with user input
• Smax is the height of the con or curve
• Tmax is the ending point of the surface creation. For example, if we give 180, it will create half of the circular surface.
• Leave other settings default and click ok it will create a new surface.

 

 

Glide Method in Extrude

Here’s what you should know about the glide method in extrude:

• It is also similar to a sweep option but we have extra options like the reverse path option. Note: It will not create a proper surface in a curve region.
• It needs two inputs 
• Path curve or con (it should be single)
• Profile curve or con (it can be straight con or curved)
• After clicking this command, select the profile con and middle click and then select the path curve or con

 

 

 

Extrude Method

Here’s how to work with the classic extrude method:

• It is very similar to the sweep but it has the extra options 
• Users can define a vector in which the surface will be created.
• Possible to select the surface and element.

 

 

• It needs two inputs 
• Extrusion profile curve or con
• Direction Profile curve or con or two points
• After clicking this command, select the Extrusion profile con and middle click and then select the direction Profile curve or con

 

 

 

 

 

Hope this article helps you work with Extrude in ANSA easily.