SLOT

Connection type SLOT provides a connection where node b stays on the line defined by the orientation of node a and the initial position of node b. The line of action of the slot is the e1a-direction.

In three-dimensional analysis node b cannot move in the direction normal to the slot; i.e., the e3a direction. If node b is free to move in the normal direction, connection type SLIDE-PLANE should be used.

Related Topics
Connector elements
Connector element library
In Other Guides
*CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR
*CONNECTOR SECTION

ProductsAbaqus/StandardAbaqus/ExplicitAbaqus/CAE

Description

Figure 1. Connection type SLOT.

The line of the slot is defined by the first local direction at node a, e1a, and the initial position of node b. The SLOT connection constrains the position of node b, xb, to remain on the line of the slot. Therefore, the relative position of node b is fixed in the directions perpendicular to the slot:

y=e2a(xb-xa)=y0,

where y0 is the initial distance from node a to the slot in the local 2-direction. In three dimensions

z=e3a(xb-xa)=z0,

where z0 is the initial distance from node a to the slot in the local 3-direction. The constraint force in the slot is

f¯=f2e2a+f3e3a,

where f3=0 in two-dimensional analysis.

Node b can move along the line of the slot. The relative position in the slot is the distance between node b and node a along the e1a-direction and is defined as

x=e1a(xb-xa).

The available component of relative motion is the displacement u1, which measures the change of the relative position in length along the slot and is defined as

u1=x-x0,

where x0 is the initial distance between node b and node a along the slot. The connector constitutive displacement is

u1mat=x-l1ref.

The kinetic force in the slot is

fslot=f1e1a.

Friction

Predefined Coulomb-like friction in the SLOT connection relates the kinematic constraint forces in the connector to the friction force (CSF1) in the translation along the slot.

The frictional effect is formally written as

Φ=P(f)-μFN0,

where the potential P(f) represents the magnitude of the frictional tangential tractions in the connector in a direction tangent to the slot axis along which contact occurs, FN is the friction-producing normal (contact) force in the direction normal to the slot, and μ is the friction coefficient. Frictional stick occurs if Φ<0; and sliding occurs if Φ=0, in which case the friction force is μFN.

The normal force FN is the sum of a magnitude measure of the friction-producing connector force, FC=g(f), and a self-equilibrated internal contact force, FCint:

FN=|FC+FCint|=|g(f)+FCint|.

The force magnitude FC is computed using

FC=f22+f32.

The magnitude of the frictional tangential tractions P(f)=|f1|.

The predefined Coulomb-like friction is computed differently when the SLOT connection is used in combination with a REVOLUTE or an ALIGN connection. See CYLINDRICAL and TRANSLATOR, respectively, for the predefined friction definition in these cases.

Summary

SLOT
Basic, assembled, or complex: Basic
Kinematic constraints: y=y0,z=z0
Constraint force output: f2,f3
Available components: u1
Kinetic force output: f1
Orientation at a: Required
Orientation at b: Ignored
Connector stops: l1minll1max
Constitutive reference lengths: l1ref
Predefined friction parameters: Optional: FCint
Contact force for predefined friction: FC