PERMAS - Setting up a Contact Analysis

A guide for

SETTING UP PERMAS
CONTACT ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
PERMAS contact analysis with ANSA................................................................................................2
1. Problem description...................................................................................................................2
2. Data files................................................................................................................................... 2
3. Definition of Boundary Conditions.............................................................................................2
3.1. Definition of uniform pressure............................................................................................2
3.2. Definition of a Load Variant...............................................................................................6
4. Definition of Constraints.............................................................................................................7
4.1 Definition of Suppressed Degrees of Freedom...................................................................7
4.2 Definition of Interpolation surfaces, Contacts and Pretensions...........................................8
5. Definition of a Results Variant..................................................................................................13
6. Definition of a SITUATION.......................................................................................................13
7. Definition of a COMPONENT...................................................................................................14
8. Output the model in PERMAS format.......................................................................................14

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3. Definition of Boundary Conditions.

First, the boundary conditions of the model (loads and constraints) required for building the LOAD
VARIANT and CONSTRAINT VARIANT will be defined.
3.1. Definition of uniform pressure.
A uniform pressure of magnitude 10 will be applied over a user-defined area of the master part. For
this purpose the DISLOAD PRESS [Dstr] function will be used.
Functions within ANSA can be accessed in two ways; either from the “Modules Buttons” menu that
lie at the right part of the screen, or from the search engine that makes the procedure easier

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and quicker (hence being the recommended practice). All functions of any menu (TOPO, MESH,
DECKS etc) are available there.
In the search engine, type the name of the function or keyword,
navigate in the drop-down list of suggestions and press “Enter” to
activate the function DISLOAD PRESS [Distribute].
Notice that the order in which the functions appear in the list is
according to their frequency of use. So, most of the times the
required function is among the first two or three entries of the list.
Alternatively, the same function may be activated from the
PERMAS>LOADING>DISLOAD>PRESS[Distribute] button.
The “DISLOAD PRESS Distribution” window opens (see picture
on the left), where the user can define the Magnitude and Degree
to be distributed, the Load Set to which the forces will be
assigned, the distribution method (based on the area of each
element etc.). Fill the fields as shown in the image on the left.

To specify where the Force will be applied, a SET must be

defined.

By typing a question mark (?) in the Set field, the SET HELP list
opens where the user can specify the set to be used.

Here, the user can either pick among the

existing sets or create a new one, with click on
the 'New' button or by picking the 'New' option
of the context menu.

Note: All available functions of lists can appear

both as buttons at the bottom and in the
context menu.

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Select the “SOLIDFACET” category to pick

solid facets from the screen.

The “Feat. Area” of the selection assistant

(windows toolbar) should be activated so that
the facets whose normals form angles smaller
than 40 degrees are selected at once.

Note: The type of the entities the user is

allowed to pick, depends on the selection
done in the “Modifying SET” window.
Upon confirmation with middle mouse click, the
Set card opens where the user can give the
Set a name and ID.

Click on “OK” to confirm and close the card.

Double click on the created Set in the “SET

HELP” list.

The Id of the recently created Set is filled in the

corresponding field.

Click on “OK” to close the card. The

pressures are created.

Note: Upon activation of the function, a Load

pattern with default settings is automatically
created and its id is referenced by the LPAT
field. The load pattern can be accessed both
from PERMAS>LOADING>LPAT or by simply
typing a question mark (?) in the LPAT field.

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Pressure entities are represented by magenta

vectors (as shown in the image) that coline
with the direction along which pressure has
been defined.

Go to PERMAS>LOADING>LPAT to access
the card of the Load Pattern that references
the pressure entities.

Select the first entry “disload press” by double

clicking on it.

Activate the “FID” field by clicking on it and

type a question mark (?) in order to edit the
referenced entity.

Note: The coordinates of the points of the

curve may be read from a .txt of .csv file. This
functionality is available from the “Read” button
that lies at the bottom of the card.

3.2. Definition of a Load Variant.

Finally, the Load pattern needs to be assigned
to a Load Variant.
In order to create one, go to
PERMAS>LOADING>L.VARIANT and in the
Load Variant List window that opens, click on
“New” to create a new Load Variant.

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Give an appropriate name to the current Load

Variant and in the “LPATS” field type the Ids of
the Load Patterns that will be referenced in
this Load Variant (Note that the entries must
be “comma” separated).

Alternatively, type a question mark to access

the “LPAT Help” window and pick Load
Patterns from the list.

The Load Pattern with ID one (1) must be

assigned to the “LPATS” . Click on “OK” to
close the card.

4. Definition of Constraints.

The procedure for creating constraints, as well as contacts and pretensions is demonstrated.
4.1 Definition of Suppressed Degrees of Freedom.
Suppressed Degrees of Freedom will be defined at the lower part of the base to restrain all
translations.
Bring the whole model back to visible and
press the “F4” button to in order to get a
convenient view angle of the model to apply
the constraints.

Activate the
PERMAS>CONSTRAINTS>SUPPRESS[Node
] function to constrain the translational
Degrees of Freedom of the Base.

To facilitate the selection procedure, activate

the “Feat.Area” selection tool;
and pick the lowest layer of nodes of the base
part.

Middle click to confirm the selection. The

“SUPPRESS” card prompts.
Give an appropriate name to the constraints
and in the “DOFS” field specify only the
translational degrees of freedom to be
constrained by entering “123”.

Note: The visibility of the models entities and

boundary conditions is controlled from the
flags on the Database Browser:

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4.2 Definition of Interpolation surfaces, Contacts and Pretensions.

At this point, interpolation surfaces (MPC ISURFACE), CONTACTs and PRETENSIONs will be
defined in the following regions:
• MPC ISURFACE between the Bolt Heads and the projection of their areas on the cover
part.
• CONTACT between the Base and the Cover part.
• PRETENSION THREAD for the body of the bolts
For this, activate the PERMAS>AUXILIARIES>CONT.DETECT which is a tool for automating
recognition of mating surfaces. The user can then inspect them one-by-one and choose whether to
create interpolation surfaces, contacts or pretensions.

Upon activation of the function, the

“Contact Flanges Data” card opens.

Choose to create “Isurface” but no

templates.

In the “Proximity Search

Parameters” keep the default values
and settings.

Click on “OK” to confirm.

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PERMAS - Setting up a Contact Analysis
 PERMAS - Setting up a Contact Analysis

Go to RESULTS>R.VARIANT and in the

“RESULTS VARIANT” card keep the default
options. Hence the results variant will have the
ID 1 and will be assigned to the COMPONENT
with ID 1.

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6. Definition of a SITUATION.

A situation that will reference the sole Component of the model as well as the Load, Constraint and
Results variant with ID1 will be created.

Go to AUXILIARIES>SITUATION to create a
new Situation. In the “Situation” card that opens
assign to the relative fields the Component,
Constraint variant, Load variant and Results
variant with ID 1.

Click on “OK” to confirm and exit the card.

7. Definition of a COMPONENT.

As soon as an entry that need to be referenced by component is created, for example, a Load
variant, a Component that references it is created. The same applies to the rest of the Variants.
Hence, the component that exists in the database already references those entries.

Access the component by activating the

AUXILIARIES>COMPONENT function.
The component card already references all
types of variants currently in the model as well
as the Situation (see picture on the left).

The only action that needs to be performed is to

switch the “DISP” degree of freedom to “YES”
so that only displacements will be calculated
during the solution phase.

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8. Output the model in PERMAS format.

The Model is now ready to be exported;

Activate the File>Output>Permas function.

Select the location where the file will be saved

and name it as “end_cup_result.dat”.

The Permas output Parameters window opens

where the user can specify several output
options. Note that it is possible to export All,
Visible or Model.

Select the “Model” option.

Refer to ANSA UG chapter 15.3 for more
details on FE-Model output.

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