Importing Composite Properties

This task shows you how to import a composite property.

In the analysis context, composite properties will be applied on 2D geometries on which composite design has been defined in the Composite Design workbench.
For more details, refer to the Composite Design User's Guide.

You will see here how to generate a composite finite element model from the design by:

Only available with the ELFINI Structural Analysis (EST) product.
 

Definition Based on Zones

Open the sample06.CATAnalysis document.

  1. Click Imported Composite Property in the Model Manager toolbar.

    The Imported Composite Property dialog box appears.

    • Name: lets you modify the name of the property.
    • Supports: lets you select a 2D body as support.
    • Analysis: lets you choose the zone approach or the ply approach.
      • By zone: lets you choose the zone approach.
        • Zones must have been defined in the Composite Design workbench.
        • Transition zones defined in the Composite Design workbench are ignored.
      • By ply: lets you choose the ply approach.
      • Component Edition button : lets you filter by zones or by plies.
        When clicking this button, the Filter Definition dialog box appears to lets you select the zones or plies.
        Options available in the Filter Definition dialog box are different depending on whether you have selected By zone or By ply.
        • By zone:
        • By ply:

          The ply approach lets you decide to take into account manufacturing parameters (Producibility parameters) or not. The producibility parameters allow better computation of composite fiber orientation on geometry by taking into account the way of applying fibers on this geometry.
          You can define a fiber orientation on geometry even if the geometry is collinear to the Z axis of the composite rosette. In this case, you have to select the Transfer producibility option.
          • If no producibility is applied to the plies and the Transfer producibility option is selected, theoretical values are applied.
          • Make sure that the producibility has been correctly applied in the Composite Design workbench before applying a composite property in the Generative Structural Analysis workbench.
          • Taking into account producibility parameters can be time consuming.
    • Symmetrical: lets you take into account the draping direction defined in the Composite Design workbench in the surface offset computation. By default, the Symmetrical check box is selected: the thickness is distributed symmetrically. Clear the Symmetrical check box to compute
    • Core sampling depth: lets you define an optional tolerance (Core sampling depth) to control the number of plies or zones taken into account in the analysis context. A core sampling depth equal to 0mm means that the sampling is done endlessly.

      For U-shape surfaces, you have to define a core sampling depth to avoid to core the both side of the surface.

  2. Select the support as shown below.

  3. In the Analysis list, select By zone.

    The Imported Composite Property dialog box is updated as shown below:

  4. Click OK in the Imported Composite Property dialog box.

    An Imported Composite Prorperty.1 property appears in the specification tree under the Properties.1 set.

    Note that the applied materials are not visible under the Materials.1 set in the specification tree.
    However you can edit and change the material properties.
    To do this:

    1. Select the File > Desk menu.

    2. Right-click the CompositesCatalog.CATMaterial document and select the Open contextual menu.

    3. Double-click a material to edit it.

      The Properties dialog box appears.

    4. Change the desired parameters in the Analysis tab of the Properties dialog box.

      For more details about this tab, refer to Modifying Material Physical Properties in this guide.

      The only allowed materials in the composite property definition are Isotropic, Orthotropic 2D and Fiber.

    5. Click OK in the Properties dialog box.

    In this particular example, do not change material physical properties.

  5. Click Compute , select Mesh Only in the Compute dialog box and click OK.

  6. Right-click the Properties.1 set and select the Generate Image contextual menu.

  7. Select Composite angle symbol as image and click OK in the Image Generation dialog box.

    The following image visualization is displayed:

  8. Edit the image you just generated.

    In this particular example:

    1. Double-click the Composite angle symbol.1 image.

    2. Click the More button to expand the Image Edition dialog box.

    3. Enter 6 as Lamina value.

    4. Click OK in the Image Edition dialog box.

    The image visualization is updated and lets you visualize the sixth lamina:
 

Definition Based on Plies

Open the sample06.CATAnalysis document.

  1. Click Imported Composite Property in the Model Manager toolbar.

    The Imported Composite Property dialog box appears.

    To know more about the Imported Composite Property dialog box, refer to the dialog box description.

  2. Select the support as shown below.

  3. In the Analysis list, select By ply.

    The Imported Composite Property dialog box is updated as shown below:

  4. Click OK in the Imported Composite Property dialog box.

    An Imported Composite Prorperty.1 property appears in the specification tree under the Properties.1 set.

    In this particular example, do not change material physical properties.

  5. Click Compute , select Mesh Only in the Compute dialog box and click OK.
 

Definition Based on Plies with Producibility

Open the sample64.CATAnalysis document.

The part document has been designed with producibility parameters.

To know more about the producibility, refer to the Composite Design User's Guide.

  1. Click Imported Composite Property in the Model Manager toolbar.

    The Imported Composite Property dialog box appears.
    To know more about the Imported Composite Property dialog box, refer to the dialog box description.

  2. In the Analysis list, select By ply.

  3. Select the support as shown below.

  4. Click OK in the Imported Composite Property dialog box.

    An Imported Composite Prorperty.1 property appears in the specification tree under the Properties.1 set.

  5. Click Compute , select Mesh Only in the Compute dialog box and click OK.

    A warning message appears:

    For at least one element, the Z axis of the rosette is in the element plane.
    Change the rosette orientation to get consistent angle definitions.
    Indeed the projection of the laminate direction in the element plane failed.

    You have to select the Transfer producibility check box.

  6. Double-click the Imported Composite Property.1 in the specification to edit this property.

    The Imported Composite Property dialog box appears.

  7. Click the Component Edition button .

    The Filter Definition dialog box appears.

  8. Select the Transfer producibility check box.

  9. Click OK in the Filter Definition dialog box.

  10. Click OK in the Imported Composite Property dialog box.

  11. Click Compute , select Mesh Only in the Compute dialog box and click OK.

  12. Generate a Composite angle symbol image on the Properties.1 set.

    Note that the fiber orientation has been taken into account: