Defining the fastener properties

You use the Property tabbed page to define the radius and the mass of the fastener. You can also specify the connector section and the orientation of the local directions at each end of the connector. Depending upon the connection type, a local orientation for the first node of the connector is required, optional, or not applicable. Depending upon the connection type, a local orientation for the second node of the connector is optional or not applicable. For the local orientation requirements for each connection type, see the summary tables in Connection-type library.

Related Topics
About fasteners
Understanding attachment points and lines
In Other Guides
Connection types
Mesh-independent fasteners

Context:

For a description of how you can combine connector orientations and fastener orientations, see Defining the fastener orientation.

  1. From the Edit Fasteners dialog box, display the Property tabbed page.

  2. Enter the Physical radius of the fastener to define the radius of its circular projection on the connected surfaces. Abaqus uses this information to define the geometric section properties of the fastener.

  3. Enter any Additional mass that the fastener adds to the model. The mass is assigned to each fastener and lumped to the fastening points.

  4. Display the Section tabbed page, and choose the method that you will use to model each fastener.

    • Choose Connector section and select a connector section to model the point-to-point connection with connectors. Like other uses of connectors in Abaqus/CAE, the connection can be fully rigid or allow for unconstrained relative motion in the local connector component directions. In addition, you can specify deformable behavior using a connector behavior definition that includes the effects of elasticity, damping, plasticity, damage, and friction.

    • Choose Rigid MPC to model a perfectly rigid fastener with a rigid, or beam, multi-point constraint (MPC).

    If you choose a connector section that uses a basic, assembled, or complex connection type to model the fasteners, you can request output of connector element output variables. However, if you use a beam MPC to model the fasteners, no output is available from the fasteners.

  5. Display the Connector Orientation 1 tabbed page to define the local directions for the first node of the connector. The Connector Orientation 1 tabbed page is available only if you use a connector section to model the fasteners.

    1. In most cases Abaqus/CAE orients the nodes at both ends of the connector with the global coordinate system; however, some connection types that are referred to by the connection section require local directions. Click to select a datum coordinate system that specifies local directions at the first node of the connector. Click to create the datum coordinate system if it does not already exist.
    2. Do either of the following:

      • Choose No modifications to CSYS to use the selected datum coordinate system.

      • If desired, choose Additional rotation angle and specify an additional rotation angle and the axis about which Abaqus/CAE will apply the additional rotation. The additional rotation (in degrees) is applied to both directions orthogonal to the selected axis.

  6. Display the Connector Orientation 2 tabbed page to define the local directions for the second node of the connector. The Connector Orientation 2 tabbed page is available only if you select a datum coordinate system that specifies local directions for the first node of the connector.

    1. Click to select a datum coordinate system that specifies local directions for the second node of the connector. Click to create the datum coordinate system if it does not already exist.
    2. Do one of the following:

      • Choose Use orientation 1 to define the same local directions that you specified on the Connector Orientation 1 tabbed page.

      • Choose No modifications to CSYS to use the selected datum coordinate system.

      • If desired, choose Additional rotation angle and specify an additional rotation angle and the axis about which Abaqus/CAE will apply the additional rotation. The additional rotation (in degrees) is applied to both directions orthogonal to the selected axis.