Contact definition : Node or Surface??? 1

[Pitch82]

Hi,

I'm using ABAQUS/Explicit and i'd like to modelize contact between a tool and a sheet. I use a master/slave contact algorithm with penalty methods. To define the slave surface i can choose Node or Surface. I get results which are very differents from one to the others. What should I choose? Where did the difference come from? I think from interpolation...
Regards
Pitch

 

[xerf]

That's very interesting. Is your model identical when performing the analysis ?

What does the documentation say about the underlying formulation used when choosing Node vs Surface ?

 

[Pitch82]

The model in the two cases are indentical. I've only changed the definition of the slave surface.

I've looked for explanation in the manual and I've found it yet.

 

[xerf]

What results are very different ?

 

[Pitch82]

The temperature fields and the mechanical fields... When I recalculate the friction coefficient, in one case I didn't find the one I put in input... And my goal is to make a thermomechanical analysis so it's a big problem...

 

[xerf]

Did you read the overview from
ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual
-> 2.3.3 Defining node-based surfaces ??


"A node-based “surface”:

should be used with caution or not at all if accurate contact stresses are needed or if heat will be exchanged between the two surfaces;"

 

[Pitch82]

Thank you, it will help me a lot in the future. Any way I concluded the same idea that there is in the manual : use of the element-based surface defintion...