Fast Conversion from Solids to Shells. A midsurface illusion? 1

[StaffanC]

Hi,

I'm quite new to FEA. Picking it up quite fast, I beleive
Is there any Windows software, available, that will help you through the tedious work of converting a solid model assembly to a shell model?
I'm using Pro/Mechanica in integrated mode which has the built-in midsurface extraction. Using any conventional CAD/FEA systems you usually end up with a midsurface shell model full of gaps. The latter being subject to the tedious work of manually tying it all together.
So, folks, please make my day and tell me all about the beutiful new software that will take my IGES, SAT... solid assemblies and quickly extract midsurfaces, trim/extend them all together for me to use for shell element analysis.
Wish You All a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year
Cheers,
Santa

 

[elogesh]

Hai,

I don't know what is the level of complexity involved with your parts
There is no inbulit function in windows to do that.

You have to think about building a simplified CAD model required for analysis.If you give enough care in model buildings, you can overcome few of the issues,but

Automatic mid-surface extraction was difficult affair in the CAD packages.If you have created the part by specifying the shell thickness,reduced that to half in order to get the mid-surface.

We are also manually extracting the mid-surface in some occasions.

But one good thing is, if you have solid mesh, you can create shell mesh based on free surface of the elements in many of the commercial FE packages.

Happy christmas & New Year.

Regards,
logesh.e

 

[tld23]

CADfix, I beleive has the most advanced mid-surface extraction reoutins, see:

http://www.transcendata.com/products_cadfix.htm

The software will also allow repair, defeaturing etc of the model.
TERRY