Creating a slide region control restriction

You can specify a slide region control, or contact, geometric restriction for a shape optimization. A slide region control geometric restriction results in an optimized model with a face that contacts a specified surface and follows the contours of the surface. You can select the specified surface from the model. Alternatively, the specified surface can be a surface of revolution generated by a rotating a selected face about a selected axis. You choose the axis of rotation by specifying the starting and ending coordinates of a vector representing the axis. You can use the global coordinate system, or you can create a datum coordinate system (see Methods for creating a datum coordinate system, for more information).

Related Topics
Creating a geometric restriction in a topology or sizing optimization
Creating a geometric restriction in a shape optimization

Context:

If you select the face from the model, the definition of the surface slide control restriction is complete. If you select a face that will be used to form a surface of revolution, the Optimization module selects the master node from the nodes on the face. By default, the master node is the node on the face that the optimization moves out the most (the most growth) or moves in the least (the least shrinkage). The optimization displaces the master node, and the surface slide restriction forces an equal displacement to the rest of the nodes on the face (the slave nodes) so that the contact conditions are satisfied.

  1. From the main menu bar, select Geometric RestrictionCreate.

    The Create Geometric Restriction dialog box appears.

    Tip: You can initiate the Create procedure in two other ways:

    • Click Create in the Geometric Restriction Manager. (You can display the Geometric Restriction Manager by selecting Geometric RestrictionManager from the main menu bar.)

    • Click the tool in the Optimization module toolbox.

  2. From the Create Geometric Restriction dialog box that appears, enter the name of the geometric restriction.

  3. Select Slide region control from the list of geometric restrictions, and click Continue.

  4. From the viewport, select the faces to which the surface slide control will be applied. For more information, see Using the face curvature method to select multiple faces.

    If you would rather select from a list of existing face sets, do the following:

    1. Click Sets on the right side of the prompt area.

      Abaqus/CAE displays the Region Selection dialog box containing a list of available sets.

    2. Select the set of interest, and click Continue.

    Note:

    The default selection method is based on the selection method you most recently employed. To revert to the other method, click Select in Viewport or Sets on the right side of the prompt area.

  5. When you have finished selecting faces, click Done in the prompt area.

    The Edit Geometric Restriction dialog box appears.

  6. Select the approach that you will use to define the contact surface.

  7. If you selected the Free-form approach, select the contact surface.

  8. If you selected the Conserve a turnable surface approach, do the following:

    1. Select the starting point and the ending point of a vector representing the axis of rotation.
    2. Select the coordinate system that defines the vector. You can select the global coordinate system, or you can create a datum coordinate system (see Methods for creating a datum coordinate system, for more information).
    3. Enter the tolerance in the X-, Y-, and Z-axes.

      The Optimization module uses the tolerance to identify the nodes on the contact surface.

  9. If desired, toggle on Ignore in first design cycle (default). When the optimization starts, it assumes the surfaces are in contact. If the surfaces are not in contact, the Optimization module issues a warning and tries to continue. If you toggle off Ignore in first design cycle and the surfaces are not in contact, the Optimization module issues an error message and stops execution.

  10. Click OK to create the slide region control geometric restriction and to exit the editor.