Automatic Surface Contact Generation

[tstanley]

I have used this feature of NEiNastran on several projects joining metal plates and shapes to composite parts. They run successfully. On the complex parts it isn't easy to know, but on one or two of the simple shapes I've had the feeling that the elements generated for the contact have had the effect of stiffening up the assembly more than I would have expected. The distance parameter that was used is large enough so that an element on one side could possibly be linked up to more than one element on the opposite side. In some cases the distance parameter is set large because of the different mesh sizes on the opposing surfaces. In these cases also a solid mesh was joined to a surface mesh. In the more complex one it is because a tube was placed flat against a plate. Both were surface meshes in this case.

Is it possible that so many elements are generated that the additional elements are adding too much stiffness to the assembly?

Tom Stanley