Multiple Materials in One Body - Workbench 1

[jacobfern]

Hello,
I'm using ANSYS to do a static structural FEA analysis of a partial knee implant. I'm using an external program to mesh the knee and assign material properties. Because bones have non uniform density, the program also applies individual material properties to each element. After applying material properties, I export the mesh as a .cdb file, and use Finite Element Modeler in Workbench to import the mesh. Here, each element has the appropriate material properties. Next, when I drag the model into a static structural analysis, the materials are available, but only one of them is applied to the whole bone. Is there a way to keep the individual material properties for each element? Thanks!

 

[kan123]

If you already have a mesh and material properties from another code, why even use Workbench at all? Many analysts only use WB as a preprocessor and then use Classic ANSYS ("Mechanical APDL") for solutions. Classic is less restrictive and you'll have a better chance to see what the code is doing when you inspect the output file.

 

[jacobfern]

True... I tried that first, but I'm trying to import two (or more) separate meshes. When using APDL, it doesn't know what to do with the second mesh. I think that it's using node numbers that already exist in the first mesh, which results in an explosion of elements all across the screen. Kind of cool looking, but not very useful. If I could just figure out how to fix that problem, then I'd be set...

 

[kan123]

Try the NUMOFF command. Read in the first model, use NUMOFF to make room for the next, etc.

 

[jacobfern]

Thanks! I've been searching for that command for days!