Using AutoGEM Settings — Mixed Meshes Page 1 of 6

Exercise: Using AutoGEM Settings — Mixed Meshes

Before you begin Hide/Unhide

Training Files:
Download the training files using the button below, if you have not done so already.

Download

Procedure Setup:
1. To avoid naming conflicts, it is recommended you save your work, click File > Close until no models
display, then click File > Manage Session > Erase Not Displayed.

2. Click File > Manage Session > Set Working Directory and navigate to the
PTCU\CreoParametric2\Simulate_Modeling\MixedMeshes folder and click OK

3. Click File > Open and double-click MESHING_SIMULATE.PRT .

Objectives
Create a mixed mesh using solid and shell elements.

Scenario
In this exercise, you explore some of the meshing capabilities using Creo Simulate.

Creo Parametric users open MESHING.PRT

Task 1. Create a volume region.

1. In the ribbon, select the Refine Model tab.

2. Click Extrude from the Volume Region drop-down menu in the Regions group. The Extrude
dashboard appears.

3. Select the Placement tab.

4. Click Define. The Sketch dialog box appears.

5. Select the surface shown in the model.

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Figure 1

6. Click Sketch.

7. In the ribbon, select the Sketch tab.

8. Click Sketch View from the Setup group to orient the sketch plane.

9. Sketch a circle with a 25.0 mm diameter centered on the hole as shown.

Figure 2

10. Click OK to return to the Extrude dashboard.

11. Click Specified Depth and type 65.0 in the field.

12. Click Apply-Save Changes .

Task 2. Create the shell pair.

1. In the ribbon, select the Refine Model tab.

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2. Click Shell Pair > Detect Shell Pairs from the Shell Pair drop-down menu in the Idealizations
group. The Auto Detect Shell Pairs dialog box appears.

3. Verify Use Geometry Analysis is selected.

4. Type 1.0 in the Characteristic Thickness field.

5. Click Start. The Auto Detect Shell Pairs dialog box closes.

6. In the model tree, expand Idealizations and Shell Pairs. Note that there are three shell pairs
listed. Select each shell pair to highlight it in the model.

7. Right-click ShellPair1 and select Delete. Click Yes in the Confirmation dialog box.
This shell pair needs to be deleted because we want to account for uniform thickness in the
stress evaluation.

8. Click Review Geometry from the AutoGEM group. The Simulation Geometry dialog box
appears.

9. Review that the shell surfaces were paired successfully. Note the color green is assigned by
default in Creo Simulate for all the Shell Surfaces found in the model. Light gray color has been
allocated to the Solid Surfaces. You can change the color by clicking Change Color .

10. Click Apply. Note the mid-plane compression in the model, as shown.

Figure 3

11. Click Close.

Task 3. Apply a mesh to the model.

1. In the ribbon, select the Refine Model tab.

2. Click AutoGEM from the AutoGEM group. The AutoGEM dialog box appears.

3. Keep all the default settings and click Create. The model is meshed as shown. Note the magenta
lines connecting the Shells to the Solids. These are links automatically created by default in Creo
Simulate when Solid and Shell elements are connected. They account for rotational coupling
between these types of elements.

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Using AutoGEM Settings — Mixed Meshes Page 4 of 6

Figure 4

Since the Solid elements do not have degrees of freedom enabling them to rotate, and
since Shells have all available translation and rotation degrees of freedom, the software
uses these links to properly transfer the deformations from Shells to Solids.

4. In the AutoGEM Summary dialog box, click Close.

5. In the Diagnostics:AutoGEM Mesh dialog box, click Close.

6. In the AutoGEM dialog box, click Close. Click No when prompted to save the mesh.

Task 4. Apply a new mesh using new AutoGEM settings.

1. Select Settings from the AutoGEM drop-down menu in the AutoGEM group. The AutoGEM
Settings dialog box appears. On the Settings tab, select Create Links Where Needed.

2. Select the Limits tab. Complete the fields as shown.

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Figure 5

3. Click OK.

4. Click AutoGEM from the AutoGEM group. The AutoGEM dialog box appears.

5. Keep all the default settings and click Create. The model is meshed as shown. Note the magenta
lines connecting the Shells to the Solids. These are links automatically created by default in Creo
Simulate when Solid and Shell elements are connected. They account for rotational coupling
between these types of elements.

Figure 6

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Using AutoGEM Settings — Mixed Meshes Page 6 of 6

Since the Solid elements do not have degrees of freedom enabling them to rotate, and
since Shells have all available translation and rotation degrees of freedom, the software
uses these links to properly transfer the deformations from Shells to Solids.

6. In the AutoGEM Summary dialog box, click Close.

7. In the Diagnostics:AutoGEM Mesh dialog box, click Close.

8. In the AutoGEM dialog box, click Close. Click No when prompted to save the mesh.

Task 5. Adjust the AutoGEM settings to eliminate the solid shell links.

1. Select Settings from the AutoGEM drop-down menu in the AutoGEM group. The AutoGEM
Settings dialog box appears.

2. Select the Settings tab. Uncheck Create Links Where Needed.

3. Click OK.

4. Click AutoGEM from the AutoGEM group. The AutoGEM dialog box appears.

5. Keep all the default settings and click Create.

Figure 7

There are no more magenta links between the elements. You have induced hinges
between the elements. If a load is acting on this component, it may cause the regions
modeled using Shells elements to pivot where connected to the Solid elements.

6. In the AutoGEM Summary dialog box, click Close.

7. In the Diagnostics:AutoGEM Mesh dialog box, click Close.

8. In the AutoGEM dialog box, click Close. Click No when prompted to save the mesh.

This completes the exercise.

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