Perform a Structural Analysis in an Instrument Panel Substrate using ANSA

OBJECTIVE 

          To clean up the geometry of the Instrument panel part and extract the mid surface using manual and auto-generated tools. Mesh the geometry with an element size of 5mm and separate the FE model of it. The different parameters for the mesh quality are set to check the quality of the mesh.

Instrument Panel

           It is a control panel usually located directly ahead of a vehicle's driver, displaying instrumentation and controls for the vehicle's operation which includes the speedometer, tachometer, odometer, engine coolant temperature gauge, fuel gauge, turn indicators, gearshift position indicator, seat belt warning light, parking-brake warning light and engine malfunction lights.

Different methods for Mid Surface extraction

Offset--> Faces - Function offsets selected faces by a given distance to create new faces. The depending on the direction of offsetting the sign for the distance is chosen and confirmation whether to delete the original faces.

Middle --> Faces - Function creates a middle face between two selected faces. The new face will lie on a new surface that is created between the surfaces of the two selected faces. The shape of the resulting middle face is a combination of the perimeter shapes of the two selected ones. 

Mid-Surface --> Casting - A Completely automatic function is used to create FE shell elements that represent the middle skin of a solid description. Select the model to be extracted and it creates a separate PID for the created FE-shell.

Provide the values depending on the requirement before this tool the mesh quality parameters are set since the mid surface is created automatically the distortion in the shell is possible which are correct using align and the project tools.

Align --> Grids - Function aligns grid points with a line, a plane, a curve, elements or a working plane.

Project --> Shell mesh - Function projects all kinds of points like 3D-points, connection points, grids and hot points of an FE- or macro-mesh on other meshed macros or FE-surfaces to reconstruct the respective mesh so that the new mesh grids coincide with these points.

PROCEDURE

Import the geometry into ANSA and check for geometry errors in the model.

Topo mode of Geometry and Geometry errors of the check.

Mid Surface extraction - The manual method is used for this method the middle and offset tool is used for this purpose. The tool does not create a separate PID for the mid surface so create PID and provide names for it.

                                                                Mid Surface Extract

The using meshing tools the mid surface meshing operation is performed and then release option is used to separate the FE and geometry model. The thickness for these PIDs is provided.

Release --> Elements - Function releases the shell or solid elements, which have been generated on Macro Areas, from the underlying geometry or volume respectively. The node and element ID's remain intact.

                                                            FE model of Mid surface

PIDs of IP Substrate 1

Quality Criteria Check

Tools used to correct the quality criteria

Reconstruct --> Shell mesh - Function is a powerful tool for the creation of a high-quality surface mesh. It examines a given mesh and performs re-meshing to correct problematic areas and optimize the overall quality of the mesh according to the mesh parameters. For geometry mesh (macro-areas) all modifications are made on the underlying CAD surface.

Smooth --> Shell mesh - Function automatically applies smoothing attributes to 'relax' the mesh on already meshed macro-areas or FE-model shell mesh. The function may be applied to selected meshed macro-areas (geometry) and/or FE-model shell mesh according to the chosen sub-option.

Fix Quality --> Shell mesh - Function improves element quality on meshed macros and FE-models according to all selected quality criteria except "Aspect ratio" and "Max element Length".

MV Surf --> Grids - Function moves a selected mesh node on the Macro Area's surface or a perimeter node along the perimeter segment on which it lies. Also, it moves a node belonging to the FE-model mesh on the surface which is defined by the adjacent shell elements.

Similar tools are used for the other geometry.

 IP SUBSTRATE 2

Geometry Model

The casting option under the mid surface is used to extract the FE shell for the geometry and the check middle surface option is heck the deviation from the actual and extracted the model and errors are fixed.

Check Middle Surface dialog box

Calculate the Mid Surface thickness and Create PID for the thickness.

The maximum thickness value for the FE shell is provided. Create PIDs with a step size of 0.5 and use materials from the middle is chosen. The check type is chosen from the type of model used since we need to create an FE shell from the geometry model this option is selected.

Substrate with different thickness

IP SUBSTRATE 3

Geometry Model 

A similar procedure as that of the IP Substrate 2 is used. 

Substrate with different thickness

IP SUBSTRATE 4 

Geometry Model

Properties dialog box

Substrate with different thickness

IP SUBSTRATE 5

Geometry Model

Properties dialog box

Substrate with different thickness

Final model of different substrate

IP Substrate 2

IP Substrate 3

IP Substrate 4

IP Substrate 5

CONCLUSION

              The mid surface extraction for the different parts of the instrument panel is created successfully using manual and automated tools. The element size of 5mm is used for meshing and the quality criteria of the mesh are checked and corrected.