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User Guide - Usage

Generate mesh

This is a guide on how to generate a mesh with specific geometric sizes.

Set parameters

Overview parameters

You can set a certain number of parameters on the user interface:

  • flag_shaz: choose if a softened-heat affected zone is output in separate element set, if flag_shaz = 0, a width of clen will be displayed
  • flag_halo: choose if a halo is constructed (width of halo will be clen)
  • clen: characteristic length, i.e. size of element edge length, it also sets the width of the halo
  • t0: sheet thickness
  • hL: height of penetration of fusion zone into the sheet
  • dL: spot weld diameter
  • bHAZ: width of heat-affected zone (includes width of halo)
  • bSHAZ: width of softened heat-affected zone
  • angle_wn: inclination of weld nugget in degrees (always >= 45°!)
  • angle_haz: inclination of heat-affected zon in degrees

Set customize construction

Overview custom parameters
The default settings lead to well constructed meshes in most cases. For a more customized mesh you can also set parameters specific to the mesh construction in 10_parameters/02_custom_parameters.geo.

  • h1: set size of h1, important: h1 + h2 = hL
  • h2: set size of h2, important: h1 + h2 = hL
  • h3: set size of h3, which is the width of the halo, recommended to be 0.1 mm or less, if flag_halo = 0 then this parameter is ignored

  • h4: set size of h4, important: h1 + h2 + h3 + h4 = t0

  • b1: set size of b1, important: b1 + b2 + b3 + b4= dL

  • b2: set size of b2, important: b1 + b2 + b3 + b4= dL
  • b3: set size of b2, important: b1 + b2 + b3 + b4= dL
  • b4: set size of b2, important: b1 + b2 + b3 + b4= dL
  • b5: set size of b5, which is the width of the halo, if the normal width is supposed to be equal to h3, it is recommended to use b5 = h3/Sin(angle_wn);
  • b6: set size of b6, size of heat-affected zone
  • b7: set size of b7, size of softened heat-affected zone

  • b8: set size of b8, control how much base material is modeled

  • b200: set size of b200, is x-coordinate of Point 200, which is the center point of one of the arcs which creates the corner mesh at the tip of the spot weld

  • b201: set size of b201, is x-coordinate of Point 201, which is the center point of one of the arcs which creates the corner mesh at the tip of the spot weld
  • h201: set size of h201, is x-coordinate of Point 201, which is the center point of one of the arcs which creates the corner mesh at the tip of the spot weld, it controls the curvature of the arc at Point 7

The following parameters set the number of nodes / seeds on each line. Each parameter controls a number of lines. Refer to the diagram to see which lines use the same seeds (indicated by color). This ensures a structured mesh.

  • num_nodes_b1: set size of number of nodes b1, this is also the number of nodes at an eight of the circumference
  • num_nodes_b2: set size of number of nodes b2
  • num_nodes_b3: set size of number of nodes b3
  • num_nodes_b4: set size of number of nodes b4
  • num_nodes_b5: set size of number of nodes b5`
  • num_nodes_b7: set size of number of nodes b7
  • num_nodes_b8: set size of number of nodes b8

Export mesh

LS-Dyna

Ensure that Save group of elements is ticked, to output each material zone as a seperate element set. Parts will correspond to volume names, which are arbitrarily named in the code.

Abaqus

All material zones will automatically be output into separate element sets.