Defining the "Workpiece" and "Die" Sides
Defining the "Workpiece" and "Die" sides
Closure distance is computed between nodes on the "workpiece" and element faces (facets) on the "die". Therefore it is necessary to tell D3PLOT what each side actually is, as in Ansys LS-DYNA contacts.
Once a type has been chosen the standard D3PLOT selection menu is used to
define the actual elements or parts.
Each side may be any mixture of 2D and/or 3D elements: solids, shells, and thick shells, although in most cases (as here) shells will be used. Sides may be defined by element and/or part, and may have elements added and removed at will, and elements may be deformable or rigid. Definition by part has advantages in adaptively remeshed cases, as in this example, since the part definition is "remembered" across remeshes and the extra elements are auto-matically included in the relevant side.
Elements may not exist on both sides at once, and adding an element to one side that already exists in the other will cause it to be removed from the older definition. This cross-check is automatic. The definition panel is updated immediately to show how many elements there are on each side, and you can each side at any time to confirm your choice.