WEBINAR on

Multi-point
Constraint (MPC)
Technology

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Agenda

Multipoint Constraint (MPC)

What are Multipoint Constraints or MPCs?

Where do we use MPCs?
Advantages of MPC over traditional contact
What is new at 12.0 for MPC

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

What is MPC?
Multi-point constraints enforce compatibility at
an interface using internally generated
constraint equations.
For example, the constraint equation that would transfer action
between ROTZ at node 2 and UY at nodes 1 and 3 has this form:

0 = UY3 - UY1 - 10*ROTZ2

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

I am happy to share the lecturing duties with you. Let me know what chapters you would like to teach.

Where do we use MPC?

MPC can be used to bond different element types

at interfaces with incompatible mesh regions:
Two solid element surfaces
Solid/Shells surfaces or edges
Beam to Shells/Solids

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

 Where do we use MPC?

MPC is the surface based constraint technology
behind:

Remote forces and displacements

Remote points
Structural and Thermal Point Mass
Joints and Springs

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Where do we use MPC?

MPC is the technology behind the joint options
available in workbench
x-axis Revolute joint
z-axis Revolute joint
Universal joint

Slot joint
Point-in-plane joint

Translational joint
x-axis Cylindrical joint

z-axis Cylindrical joint

x-axis Planar joint
z-axis Planar joint
Weld joint
Orient joint
Spherical joint
General joint
Screw joint
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Joint between flexible bodies typically consists of

two surface based constraints tied together at the
respective pilot nodes with an MPC184 element
6

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

 Where do we use MPC?

MPC is also the technology behind connecting
rigid bodies to flex bodies in workbench
Flexible
Usual 3D meshed models
Nonlinear material options

Rigid
Point mass representation of
3D geometry

Force-distributed
constraint
Connect flexible bodies to
joints

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Where do we use MPC?

Lumped mass of rigid body is represented
by MASS21 element tied to the pilot node of
flex body surface based constraints via a
TARGE170 line element

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

How does MPC differ from

traditional contact ?
Limitations of traditional bonded or noseparation contact:
Only translational DOFs apply.
Results depend on specified contact stiffness.
Multiple iterations are required to adjust
penetration in order to satisfy equilibrium even
for small deformation problems.
Occasionally spurious natural frequencies can
occur in modal analysis.

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

How does MPC differ from manually

generated constraints?
Limitations of manual constraint tools (CERIG
and RBE3)
Only suitable for small strain.
RBE3 only supports force constraints applied on
the master node, not displacements.
RBE3 requires manual definition of weighing
factors.
MPC surface constraints calculate weighing factors
automatically.

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

10

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Advantages of MPC
Improved solution efficiency over traditional
bonded contact:
For a large assemblies with MPC bonded (or
no-separation) contact, the CPU run time is
faster than the same analysis using default
algorithm.

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact
Algorithm

Iterations

CPU Time
(seconds)

Aug-Lagrange

2710

MPC

880

11

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

 Advantages of MPC
Advantages of MPC(contd):
Ease of use:
No contact stiffness is required as an input.
Internal Multi-Point Constraints will be generated
automatically at the execution of a Solve
For large deformation problems, the MPC
equations are updated during each iteration.
Shape functions are taken into account
automatically for RBE3-type of surface constraint
(force distributed); no weight factor is needed
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

12

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

New at 12.0
Overconstraint detection and elimination
When a degree of freedom is subjected to multiple
constraints, overconstraint occurs
results in solver-failure convergence difficulties or inaccurate
solutions.

The program automatically eliminates a limited set of

overconstraints detected during solution and issues
appropriate warning messages.
For troubleshooting purposes, you can display certain
eliminated constraints in the POST1 postprocessor

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

13

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

 New at 12.0
The assembly is connected with MPC contacts

Contact status
In these regions, Parts are
not correctly connected
Solution in R12:
2 elements in sweep
direction

Contact status
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

14

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

 New at 12.0
Advanced tools to improve shell and beam
connections
At 11.0,constraint
equations only built at
nodes whose target and
contact normals
intersection

At 12.0 Constraint equations

always built as long as
contact node(s) and target
segments are inside the
pinball region.

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

15

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary