ANSYS Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide

ANSYS Mechanical APDL Contact Technology
Guide
ANSYS, Inc. Release 15.0

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Table of Contents
1. Contact Overview .................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. General Contact Classification ........................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Contact Capabilities .......................................................................................................................... 2
1.2.1. Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements ........................................................................................ 3
1.2.2. Node-to-Surface Contact Elements ........................................................................................... 4
1.2.3. 3-D Line-to-Line Contact .......................................................................................................... 4
1.2.4. Line-to-Surface Contact ............................................................................................................ 4
1.2.5. Node-to-Node Contact Elements .............................................................................................. 5
2. GUI Aids for Contact Analyses ................................................................................................................ 7
2.1. The Contact Manager ........................................................................................................................ 7
2.2. The Contact Wizard ........................................................................................................................... 8
2.3. Managing Contact Pairs .................................................................................................................... 9
3. Surface-to-Surface Contact ................................................................................................................... 11
3.1. Using Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements ..................................................................................... 11
3.2. Steps in a Contact Analysis .............................................................................................................. 11
3.3. Creating the Model Geometry and Mesh ......................................................................................... 12
3.4. Identifying Contact Pairs ................................................................................................................. 12
3.5. Designating Contact and Target Surfaces ........................................................................................ 13
3.5.1. Asymmetric Contact vs. Symmetric Contact ............................................................................ 14
3.5.1.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 14
3.5.1.2. Using KEYOPT(8) ............................................................................................................ 15
3.6. Defining the Target Surface ............................................................................................................. 15
3.6.1. Pilot Nodes ............................................................................................................................ 15
3.6.2. Primitives ............................................................................................................................... 15
3.6.3. Element Types and Real Constants .......................................................................................... 16
3.6.3.1. Defining Target Element Geometry ................................................................................ 16
3.6.4. Using Direct Generation to Create Rigid Target Elements ......................................................... 16
3.6.5. Using Meshing Tools to Create Rigid Target Elements .............................................................. 18
3.6.5.1. Some Modeling and Meshing Tips ................................................................................. 20
3.6.5.2. Verifying Nodal Number Ordering (Contact Direction) of Target Surface .......................... 21
3.7. Defining the Deformable Contact Surface ....................................................................................... 22
3.7.1. Element Type ......................................................................................................................... 22
3.7.2. Real Constants and Material Properties ................................................................................... 24
3.7.3. Generating Contact Elements ................................................................................................. 24
3.8. Geometry Correction for Contact and Target Surfaces ...................................................................... 25
3.8.1. Surface Smoothing ................................................................................................................ 25
3.8.2. Simplified Bolt Thread Modeling ............................................................................................. 27
3.9. Set the Real Constants and Element KEYOPTS .................................................................................. 29
3.9.1. Real Constants ....................................................................................................................... 30
3.9.1.1. Positive and Negative Real Constant Values .................................................................... 33
3.9.1.2. Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format ..................................................................... 34
3.9.1.3. Defining Real Constants via a User Subroutine ............................................................... 35
3.9.2. Element KEYOPTS ................................................................................................................... 35
3.9.3. Selecting a Contact Algorithm (KEYOPT(2)) ............................................................................. 38
3.9.3.1. Lagrange Multiplier Method Considerations ................................................................... 38
3.9.4. Determining Contact Stiffness and Allowable Penetration ....................................................... 39
3.9.4.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 39
3.9.4.2. Using FKN and FTOLN .................................................................................................... 39
3.9.4.3. Using FKT and SLTO ....................................................................................................... 41
3.9.4.4. Additional Considerations for Specifying Contact Stiffness ............................................. 41
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Contact Technology Guide
3.9.4.5. Using KEYOPT(10) .......................................................................................................... 42

3.9.4.6. Using KEYOPT(6) ............................................................................................................ 43
3.9.4.7. Chattering Control Parameters ....................................................................................... 43
3.9.5. Choosing a Friction Model ...................................................................................................... 44
3.9.5.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 44
3.9.5.2. Coefficient of Friction .................................................................................................... 45
3.9.5.3. Using TAUMAX, FACT, DC, and COHE ............................................................................... 45
3.9.5.4. Static and Dynamic Friction Coefficients ......................................................................... 46
3.9.5.5. Forced Frictional Sliding Using Velocity Input ................................................................. 47
3.9.6. Selecting Location of Contact Detection ................................................................................. 49
3.9.6.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 49
3.9.6.2. Using KEYOPT(4) and TOLS ............................................................................................. 49
3.9.6.3. Using the Surface Projection Based Contact Method (KEYOPT(4) = 3) .............................. 51
3.9.7. Adjusting Initial Contact Conditions ........................................................................................ 52
3.9.7.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 52
3.9.7.2. Using PMIN, PMAX, CNOF, ICONT, STRM. KEYOPT(5), and KEYOPT(9) .................................. 53
3.9.8. Physically Moving Contact Nodes Towards the Target Surface .................................................. 59
3.9.9. Determining Contact Status and the Pinball Region ................................................................ 60
3.9.9.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 60
3.9.9.2. Using PINB .................................................................................................................... 61
3.9.10. Avoiding Spurious Contact in Self Contact Problems ............................................................. 61
3.9.11. Selecting Surface Interaction Models .................................................................................... 62
3.9.11.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 62
3.9.11.2. Using KEYOPT(12) ........................................................................................................ 63
3.9.11.3. Using FKOP .................................................................................................................. 64
3.9.11.4. Using TBND ................................................................................................................. 64
3.9.11.5. Bonded Contact for Shell-Shell Assemblies ................................................................... 65
3.9.12. Modeling Contact with Superelements ................................................................................. 65
3.9.12.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 66
3.9.12.2. Using KEYOPT(3) in a 2-D Analysis with Superelements ................................................. 66
3.9.13. Applying Contact Stabilization Damping .............................................................................. 66
3.9.13.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 67
3.9.13.2. Using FDMN, FDMT, and KEYOPT(15) ............................................................................ 67
3.9.13.3. Checking Results After Applying Contact Stabilization .................................................. 68
3.9.14. Accounting for Thickness Effect ............................................................................................ 69
3.9.14.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 69
3.9.14.2. Using KEYOPT(11) ........................................................................................................ 69
3.9.15. Using Time Step Control and Impact Constraints ................................................................... 70
3.9.15.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 70
3.9.15.2. Using KEYOPT(7) .......................................................................................................... 70
3.9.16. Using the Birth and Death Option ......................................................................................... 70
3.10. User-Defined Subroutines for Contact Interfacial Behaviors ............................................................ 71
3.10.1. Defining Your Own Real Constant (USERCNPROP) ................................................................. 72
3.10.2. Writing Your Own Friction Law (USERFRIC) ............................................................................ 75
3.10.3. Defining Your Own Contact Interaction (USERINTER) ............................................................. 77
3.11. Controlling the Motion of the Rigid Target Surface ......................................................................... 82
3.12. Applying Necessary Boundary Conditions to the Deformable Elements .......................................... 84
3.13. Applying Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loads .................................................................................... 84
3.13.1. Applying Fluid Penetration Pressure ..................................................................................... 85
3.13.2. Specifying Fluid Penetration Starting Points .......................................................................... 86
3.13.3. Specifying a Pressure-Penetration Criterion ........................................................................... 87
3.13.4. Specifying a Fluid Penetration Acting Time ........................................................................... 87
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3.13.5. Redefining or Modifying the Pressure-Penetration Loads ....................................................... 89

3.13.6. Postprocessing Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loads .................................................................. 89
3.14. Defining Solution and Load Step Options ...................................................................................... 90
3.15. Solving the Problem ...................................................................................................................... 91
3.16. Reviewing the Results ................................................................................................................... 92
3.16.1. Points to Remember ............................................................................................................. 92
3.16.2. Reviewing Results in POST1 .................................................................................................. 92
3.16.3. Reviewing Results in POST26 ................................................................................................ 94
4. Node-to-Surface Contact ...................................................................................................................... 95
4.1. The Node-to-Surface Contact Element ............................................................................................. 95
4.2. Performing a Node-to-Surface Contact Analysis ............................................................................... 96
4.2.1. CONTA175 KEYOPTS ............................................................................................................... 96
4.2.1.1. KEYOPT(3) ..................................................................................................................... 97
4.2.1.2. KEYOPT(4) ..................................................................................................................... 97
4.2.2. CONTA175 Real Constants ...................................................................................................... 97
4.3. Using CONTA175 for Multiphysics Contact ....................................................................................... 97
5. 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact .................................................................................................................. 99
5.1. The 3-D Line-to-Line Contact Element ............................................................................................. 99
5.2. Modeling Beam-to-Beam Contact ................................................................................................. 100
5.3. Performing a 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact Analysis ......................................................................... 101
5.3.1. KEYOPTs and Real Constants ................................................................................................. 102
5.3.1.1. Real Constants R1, R2 ................................................................................................... 102
5.3.1.2. KEYOPT(3) ................................................................................................................... 103
5.3.1.3. Real Constant TOLS ...................................................................................................... 104
5.3.1.4. KEYOPT(4) ................................................................................................................... 104
6. Line-to-Surface Contact ...................................................................................................................... 105
6.1. The 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Element ...................................................................................... 105
6.2. Performing a 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Analysis ........................................................................ 106
6.2.1. KEYOPTs and Real Constants ................................................................................................. 106
6.2.1.1. KEYOPT(3) ................................................................................................................... 107
6.2.1.2. Accounting for Thickness Effect (CNOF and KEYOPT(11)) ............................................... 107
6.2.1.3. Real Constant TOLS ...................................................................................................... 107
6.2.1.4. KEYOPT(4) ................................................................................................................... 107
7. Multiphysics Contact ........................................................................................................................... 109
7.1. Modeling Thermal Contact ............................................................................................................ 109
7.1.1. Thermal Contact Behavior vs. Contact Status ......................................................................... 109
7.1.2. Free Thermal Surface ............................................................................................................ 110
7.1.3. Temperature on Target Surface ............................................................................................. 110
7.1.4. Modeling Conduction .......................................................................................................... 110
7.1.4.1. Using TCC .................................................................................................................... 110
7.1.4.2. Using the Quasi Solver Option ..................................................................................... 111
7.1.5. Modeling Convection ........................................................................................................... 111
7.1.6. Modeling Radiation .............................................................................................................. 112
7.1.6.1. Background ................................................................................................................. 112
7.1.6.2. Using SBCT and RDVF .................................................................................................. 112
7.1.7. Modeling Heat Generation Due to Friction ............................................................................ 113
7.1.7.1. Background ................................................................................................................. 113
7.1.7.2. Using FHTG and FWGT ................................................................................................. 113
7.1.8. Modeling External Heat Flux ................................................................................................. 114
7.2. Modeling Electric Contact ............................................................................................................. 114
7.2.1. Modeling Surface Interaction ................................................................................................ 114
7.2.1.1. Background ................................................................................................................. 114
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7.2.1.2. Using ECC .................................................................................................................... 115

7.2.2. Modeling Heat Generation Due to Electric Current ................................................................ 115
7.3. Modeling Magnetic Contact .......................................................................................................... 116
7.3.1. Using MCC ........................................................................................................................... 116
7.3.2. Modeling Perfect Magnetic Contact ...................................................................................... 117
8. Node-to-Node Contact ........................................................................................................................ 119
8.1. Node-to-Node Contact Elements ................................................................................................... 119
8.2. Performing a Node-to-Node Contact Analysis ................................................................................ 120
8.2.1. Creating Geometry and Meshing the Model .......................................................................... 120
8.2.2. Generating Contact Elements ............................................................................................... 120
8.2.2.1. Generating Contact Elements Automatically at Coincident Nodes ................................. 121
8.2.2.2. Generating Contact Elements Automatically at Offset Nodes ........................................ 121
8.2.2.3. Node Ordering ............................................................................................................ 121
8.2.3. Defining the Contact Normal ................................................................................................ 122
8.2.4. Defining the Initial Interference or Gap ................................................................................. 123
8.2.5. Selecting the Contact Algorithm ........................................................................................... 123
8.2.6. Applying Necessary Boundary Conditions ............................................................................. 123
8.2.7. Defining the Solution Options .............................................................................................. 124
8.2.8. Solving the Problem ............................................................................................................. 125
8.2.9. Reviewing the Results ........................................................................................................... 125
9. Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies .............................................................................................. 127
9.1. Modeling Solid-Solid and Shell-Shell Assemblies ........................................................................... 128
9.1.1. Choosing the Nodal Detection Method ................................................................................. 128
9.1.2. Controlling Behavior at the Contact Surface .......................................................................... 129
9.1.3. Controlling Degrees of Freedom Used in the MPC Constraint ................................................. 129
9.1.4. Using the MPC Approach for Multiphysics Applications ......................................................... 130
9.2. Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly ................................................................................................... 130
9.3. Surface-Based Constraints ............................................................................................................. 134
9.3.1. Defining Surface-Based Constraints ...................................................................................... 136
9.3.2. Defining Influence Range (PINB) ........................................................................................... 137
9.3.3. Degrees of Freedom of Surface-Based Constraints ................................................................. 137
9.3.4. Specifying a Local Coordinate System ................................................................................... 138
9.3.5. Additional Guidelines for a Force-Distributed Constraint ....................................................... 139
9.3.6. Additional Guidelines for a Rigid Surface Constraint .............................................................. 140
9.3.7. Additional Guidelines for a Coupling Constraint .................................................................... 140
9.3.8. Modeling a Beam-Solid Assembly ......................................................................................... 141
9.4. Modeling Rigid Bodies .................................................................................................................. 142
9.4.1. Modeling Contact between Rigid Bodies .............................................................................. 142
9.5. Overconstraint Detection and Elimination ..................................................................................... 143
9.6. Restrictions and Recommendations for Internal MPC ..................................................................... 143
10. Dynamic Contact and Impact Modeling ........................................................................................... 145
10.1. Energy and Momentum Conserving Contact ............................................................................... 145
10.1.1. Energy Conservation .......................................................................................................... 146
10.1.2. Automatic Time Stepping ................................................................................................... 146
10.1.3. Penetration and Relative Velocity ........................................................................................ 146
10.1.4. Impact Between Rigid Bodies ............................................................................................. 147
11. Spot Welds ......................................................................................................................................... 149
11.1. Defining a Spot Weld Set ............................................................................................................. 150
11.1.1. Creating a Basic Spot Weld Set with SWGEN ........................................................................ 150
11.1.2. The Components of a Spot Weld ......................................................................................... 154
11.1.3. Adding Surfaces to a Basic Set ............................................................................................ 156
11.2. Listing and Deleting Spot Welds .................................................................................................. 159
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12. Debonding ........................................................................................................................................ 161

12.1. Including Debonding in a Contact Analysis .................................................................................. 161
12.1.1. Cohesive Zone Materials Used for Debonding ..................................................................... 162
12.1.1.1. Bilinear Material Behavior with Tractions and Separation Distances (TBOPT = CBDD) .... 162
12.1.1.2. Bilinear Material Behavior with Tractions and Critical Fracture Energies (TBOPT =
CBDE) ..................................................................................................................................... 162
12.1.2. Debonding Modes ............................................................................................................. 163
12.1.3. Other Considerations for Debonding .................................................................................. 163
12.1.4. Postprocessing ................................................................................................................... 164
13. Contact Surface Wear ........................................................................................................................ 165
13.1. Including Wear in a Contact Analysis ............................................................................................ 165
13.1.1. Wear Models ...................................................................................................................... 165
13.1.1.1. Archard Wear Model .................................................................................................. 165
13.1.1.2. User-Defined Wear Model (USERWEAR) ...................................................................... 166
13.1.2. Geometry Update Due to Wear ........................................................................................... 167
13.1.3. Assumptions and Restrictions ............................................................................................. 168
13.1.4. Postprocessing ................................................................................................................... 168
A. Example 2-D Contact Analysis with Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loading .................................................. 171
A.1. Problem Description ..................................................................................................................... 171
A.2. Input File ...................................................................................................................................... 174
Index ........................................................................................................................................................ 179
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List of Figures
2.1. Contact Manager Toolbar ........................................................................................................................ 7
2.2. Example of a Contact Wizard Dialog ........................................................................................................ 9
3.1. Localized Contact Zones ....................................................................................................................... 13
3.2. Geometric Entities and Their Corresponding Rigid Target Elements ........................................................ 18
3.3. A Single Circular Target Segment Created From Arc Line Segments ........................................................ 19
3.4. Meshing Patterns for Arbitrary Target Surfaces ....................................................................................... 20
3.5. Smoothing Convex Corner .................................................................................................................... 21
3.6. Correct Node Ordering .......................................................................................................................... 21
3.7. Contact Element Types .......................................................................................................................... 23
3.8. Specification of the Contact Surface's Outward Normal .......................................................................... 25
3.9. Geometry Correction Applied to Revolute and Spherical Surfaces .......................................................... 27
3.10. Bolt Thread Dimensions ...................................................................................................................... 28
3.11. Depth of the Underlying Element ........................................................................................................ 33
3.12. Sliding Contact Resistance .................................................................................................................. 46
3.13. Friction Decay ..................................................................................................................................... 47
3.14. Contact Detection Located at Gauss Point ........................................................................................... 49
3.15. Contact Detection Point Location at Nodal Point ................................................................................. 50
3.16. Node Slippage Using Nodal Integration KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2 .................................................................. 50
3.17. Surface Projection Based Contact ........................................................................................................ 51
3.18. Contact Surface Adjustment With ICONT ............................................................................................. 54
3.19. Contact Surface Adjustment (PMIN, PMAX) .......................................................................................... 55
3.20. A Scenario in Which Initial Adjustment Will Fail .................................................................................... 56
3.21. Ignoring Initial Penetration, KEYOPT(9) = 1 ........................................................................................... 58
3.22. Components of True Penetration ......................................................................................................... 58
3.23. Ramping Initial Interference ................................................................................................................ 59
3.24. Effect of Moving Contact Nodes .......................................................................................................... 60
3.25. Auto Spurious Prevention ................................................................................................................... 62
3.26. Penalty-Based Shell-Shell Assembly ..................................................................................................... 65
3.27. Path Dependent Fluid Penetration Loading ......................................................................................... 84
3.28. Free End Points (2-D) and Free Open Edges (3-D) ................................................................................. 86
3.29. Fluid Penetration Acting Time (FPAT) Greater Than Substep ................................................................. 88
3.30. Fluid Penetration Acting Time (FPAT) Less Than Substep ...................................................................... 89
4.1. Node-to-Surface Contact Elements ........................................................................................................ 95
5.1. Line-to-Line Contact Elements .............................................................................................................. 99
5.2. Internal Contact (One Beam Sliding Inside Another) ............................................................................. 100
5.3. External Contact (Two Beams Roughly Parallel) .................................................................................... 100
5.4. External Contact (Two Beams Cross Each Other) .................................................................................. 101
5.5. Continuous Line Segments ................................................................................................................. 102
5.6. Equivalent Circular Cross Section ......................................................................................................... 103
6.1. Line-to-Surface Contact Elements ........................................................................................................ 105
6.2. Continuous Line Segments ................................................................................................................. 106
7.1. Target Temperature ............................................................................................................................. 110
8.1. Node-to-Node Contact Element .......................................................................................................... 119
8.2. Contact Between Two Concentric Pipes ............................................................................................... 121
8.3. Two Concentric Pipes, Normals Rotated Properly .................................................................................. 122
8.4. Example of Overconstrained Contact Problem ..................................................................................... 124
9.1. Example of Shell-Solid Assembly ......................................................................................................... 131
9.2. Shell-Solid Assembly (Original Mesh) ................................................................................................... 132
9.3. Shell-Solid Assembly with Shell-Solid Constraint Option ...................................................................... 133
9.4. Shell-Solid Constraint - No Intersection (use KEYOPT(5) = 4 or 5) ........................................................... 134
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9.5. Rigid Surface Constraint ...................................................................................................................... 135

9.6. Force-Distributed Constraint ............................................................................................................... 135
9.7. Coupling Constraint ............................................................................................................................ 136
9.8. Slider Link ........................................................................................................................................... 139
9.9. Free Radial Expansion Under Torque Load ........................................................................................... 139
9.10. Defining Symmetry Conditions for Force-Distributed Constraints ....................................................... 140
9.11. Beam-Solid Assembly Defined by Rigid Surface Constraint ................................................................. 141
9.12. Beam-Solid Assembly Defined by Force-distributed Constraint ........................................................... 142
11.1. Example Spot Weld Configuration ..................................................................................................... 149
11.2. Default Projection Direction for Node 1 ............................................................................................. 151
11.3. Default Projection Direction for Nodes 1 and 2 ................................................................................... 152
11.4. User-specified Projection Direction, Node 1 ....................................................................................... 152
11.5. User-specified Projection Direction, Nodes 1 and 2 ............................................................................. 153
11.6. Search Radius for Spot Weld .............................................................................................................. 154
11.7. Nodes Included in Constraint Equations ............................................................................................ 155
11.8. Beam Element Created for Spot Weld ................................................................................................ 155
11.9. Surfaces Added to Basic Spot Weld Set .............................................................................................. 157
11.10. Node Reordering for Beam Elements ............................................................................................... 158
1. Diagram of Planar Seal Model ................................................................................................................ 171
2. Meshed Planar Seal Model ..................................................................................................................... 172
3. Fluid Pressure Loading on Planar Seal ..................................................................................................... 172
4. Intermediate Fluid Pressure Distribution ................................................................................................ 173
5. Final Fluid Pressure Distribution ............................................................................................................. 173
6. Time History of Fluid Pressure for Three Contact Elements ...................................................................... 174
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List of Tables
1.1. Contact Support ..................................................................................................................................... 2
3.1. Summary of Real Constant Defaults in Different Environments ............................................................... 31
3.2. Real Constants and Corresponding Primary Variables for CONTA171-CONTA177 ..................................... 34
3.3. Summary of KEYOPT Defaults in Different Environments ........................................................................ 37
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Chapter 1: Contact Overview
Contact problems are highly nonlinear and require significant computer resources to solve. It is important
that you understand the physics of the problem and take the time to set up your model to run as effi-
ciently as possible.
Contact problems present two significant difficulties. First, you generally do not know the regions of
contact until you've run the problem. Depending on the loads, material, boundary conditions, and
other factors, surfaces can come into and go out of contact with each other in a largely unpredictable
and abrupt manner. Second, most contact problems need to account for friction. There are several
friction laws and models to choose from, and all are nonlinear. Frictional response can be chaotic,
making solution convergence difficult.
In addition to these two difficulties, many contact problems must also address multi-field effects, such
as the conductance of heat, electrical currents, and magnetic flux in the areas of contact.
If you do not need to account for friction in your model, and the interaction between the bodies is always
bonded, you may be able to use the internal multipoint constraint (MPC) feature (available for certain
contact elements) to model various types of contact assemblies and surface-based constraints (see
Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies (p. 127) for more information). Another alternative is to use con-
straint equations or coupled degrees of freedom instead of contact to model these situations (see
Coupling and Constraint Equations in the Modeling and Meshing Guide for more information). The ex-
ternal constraint equations or coupling equations are only suitable for small strain applications.
In addition to the implicit contact capabilities discussed in this guide, ANSYS also offers explicit contact
capabilities with the ANSYS LS-DYNA explicit dynamics product. Explicit capabilities are ideally suited
for short-duration contact-impact problems. For more information on the ANSYS LS-DYNA product and
its contact capabilities, see the ANSYS LS-DYNA User's Guide.
1.1. General Contact Classification

Contact problems fall into two general classes: rigid-to-flexible and flexible-to-flexible. In rigid-to-flexible
contact problems, one or more of the contacting surfaces are treated as rigid (i.e., it has a much higher
stiffness relative to the deformable body it contacts). In general, any time a soft material comes in
contact with a hard material, the problem may be assumed to be rigid-to-flexible. Many metal forming
problems fall into this category. The other class, flexible-to-flexible, is the more common type. In this
case, both (or all) contacting bodies are deformable (i.e., have similar stiffnesses). An example of a
flexible-to-flexible contact is bolted flanges.
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Contact Overview
1.2. Contact Capabilities

Five contact models are available: node-to-node, node-to-surface, surface-to-surface, line-to-line, and
line-to-surface. Each type of model uses a different set of contact elements and is appropriate for spe-
cific types of problems as shown in the following table:
Table 1.1: Contact Support
Note- Node- Surface-to-Sur- Line- Line-

to- to- Sur- face to- to- Sur-
Node face Line face
Contact Ele- 178 175 171, 173, 176 177
ment No. 172 174
Target Ele- -- 169, 169 170 170 170
ment No. 170
2-D Y Y Y -- -- --
3-D Y Y -- Y Y Y
Sliding small large large large large large
Cylindrical Y
Gap
Spherical Gap Y
Pure Lag- Y Y Y Y Y Y
range Multipli-
er
Augmented Y Y Y Y Y Y
Lagrange Mul-
tiplier
Lagrange Mul- Y Y Y Y Y Y
tiplier on Nor-
mal and Pen-
alty on Tan-
gent
Internal Multi- -- Y Y Y Y Y
point Con-
straint (MPC)
Contact Stiff- semi- semi- semi- semi- semi- semi-
ness auto auto auto auto auto auto
Auto-meshing EINTF ESURF ESURF ESURF ESURF ESURF
Tools
Lower-Order Y Y Y Y Y Y
Higher-Order -- Y (2-D Y Y Y Y
only)
Rigid-Flexible Y Y Y Y Y Y
Flexible-Flex- Y Y Y Y Y Y
ible
Thermal Con- Y Y Y Y -- --
tact
2 of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Contact Capabilities
Note- Node- Surface-to-Sur- Line- Line-

to- to- Sur- face to- to- Sur-
Node face Line face
Contact Ele- 178 175 171, 173, 176 177
ment No. 172 174
Target Ele- -- 169, 169 170 170 170
ment No. 170
Electric Con- Y Y Y Y -- --
tact
Magnetic -- Y Y Y -- --
Contact
To model a contact problem, you first must identify the parts to be analyzed for their possible interaction.
If one of the interactions is at a point, the corresponding component of your model is a node. If one
of the interactions is at a surface, the corresponding component of your model is an element: either a
beam, shell, or solid element. The finite element model recognizes possible contact pairs by the presence
of specific contact elements. These contact elements are overlaid on the parts of the model that are
being analyzed for interaction. The various contact elements, and procedures for using them, are de-
scribed in this guide.
An overview of the contact elements and their capabilities follows. For detailed information on any of
these elements, refer to the Element Reference and the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
1.2.1. Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements

Support is available for both rigid-to-flexible and flexible-to-flexible surface-to-surface contact elements.
These contact elements use a "target surface" and a "contact surface" to form a contact pair.
• The target surface is modeled with either TARGE169 or TARGE170 (for 2-D and 3-D, respectively).
• The contact surface is modeled with elements CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, and CONTA174.
To create a contact pair, assign the same real constant number to both the target and contact elements.
You can find more details on defining these elements and their shared real constant sets in Surface-to-
Surface Contact (p. 11).
These surface-to-surface elements are well-suited for applications such as interference fit assembly
contact or entry contact, forging, and deep-drawing problems. The surface-to-surface contact elements
have several advantages over the node-to-node element CONTA175. These elements:
• Support lower and higher order elements on the contact and target surfaces (in other words, corner-
noded or midside-noded elements).
• Provide better contact results needed for typical engineering purposes, such as normal pressure and
friction stress contour plots.
• Have no restrictions on the shape of the target surface. Surface discontinuities can be physical or
due to mesh discretization.
• Allow modeling of fluid pressure penetration loads.
Using these elements for a rigid target surface, you can model straight and curved surfaces in 2-D and
3-D, often using simple geometric shapes such as circles, parabolas, spheres, cones, and cylinders. More
Contact Overview
complex rigid forms or general deformable forms can be modeled using special preprocessing techniques
(see Defining the Target Surface (p. 15) for more information).
Surface-to-surface contact elements are not well-suited for point-to-point, point-to-surface, edge-to-
surface, or 3-D line-to-line contact applications, such as pipe whip or snap-fit assemblies. You should
use the node-to-surface, node-to-node, or line-to-line elements in these cases. You also can use surface-
to-surface contact elements for most contact regions and use a few node-to-surface contact elements
near contact corners.
The surface-to-surface contact elements only support general static and transient analyses, buckling,
harmonic, modal or spectrum analyses, or substructure analyses.
1.2.2. Node-to-Surface Contact Elements

CONTA175 is a node-to-surface contact element. It supports large sliding, large deformation, and different
meshes between the contacting components. Contact occurs when the element penetrates one of the
target segment elements (TARGE169, TARGE170) on a specified target surface. CONTA175 is typically
used to model point-to-surface contact applications, such as the corners of snap-fit parts sliding along
the mating surface.
You can also use CONTA175 to model surface-to-surface contact, if the contacting surface is defined
by a group of nodes and multiple elements are generated. The surfaces can be either rigid or deformable.
An example of this type of contact problem is a wire inserted into a slot.
Unlike the node-to-node contact elements, you do not need to know the exact location of the contacting
area beforehand, nor do the contacting components need to have a compatible mesh. Large deformation
and large relative sliding are allowed, although this capability can also model small sliding.
CONTA175 does not support 3-D higher-order elements on the contact surface side. The element can
fail if the target surface is severely discontinuous. No contour plots are available for contact results.
1.2.3. 3-D Line-to-Line Contact

The line-to-line contact element, CONTA176, is typically used to model 3-D beam-to-beam contact
(crossing beams or beams that are parallel to each other) or a pipe sliding inside another pipe. Some
practical applications are woven fabric and tennis racquet strings.
CONTA176 can be attached to 3-D beam or pipe elements and supports both low-order and higher-
order elements on the contact surface. The target surface is modeled with 3-D line segments (TARGE170
straight line or parabolic line elements). This element supports large sliding and large displacement
applications. For more information on how to use CONTA176, see 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact (p. 99).
1.2.4. Line-to-Surface Contact

The line-to-surface contact element, CONTA177, can be used to model a 3-D beam or shell edge con-
tacting solid or shell elements. CONTA177 supports both low-order and higher-order elements on the
contact surface. The target surface is modeled with 3-D target segment elements (TARGE170). This ele-
ment is also suitable for large sliding and large displacement applications. For more information on
how to use CONTA177, see Line-to-Surface Contact (p. 105).
Contact Capabilities
1.2.5. Node-to-Node Contact Elements

Node-to-node contact elements, CONTA178, are typically used to model point-to-point contact applic-
ations. To use node-to-node contact elements, you need to know the location of contact beforehand.
These types of contact problems usually involve small relative sliding between contacting surfaces (even
in the case of geometric nonlinearities). An example of a node-to-node contact application is the tradi-
tional pipe whip model, where the contact point is always located between the pipe tip and the restraint.
Node-to-node contact elements can also be used to solve a surface-to-surface problem if the nodes of
the two surfaces line up, the relative sliding deformation is negligible, and deflections (rotations) of the
two surfaces remain small. These are typically problems with faceted and simple geometry. An interfer-
ence fit problem is an example of a surface-to-surface problem where the use of node-to-node contact
may be sufficient.
Another use of node-to-node contact elements is in extremely precise analysis of surface stresses, such
as in turbine blade analysis.
In addition to unidirectional contact behavior, CONTA178 offers a cylindrical gap option to model contact
between two parallel pipes with small relative sliding. (For large sliding applications, see 3-D Line-to-
Line Contact (p. 4).) The two pipes can be adjacent to one another, or one pipe can be inside of an-
other hollow pipe. Also, CONTA178 can model contact between two rigid spheres; this can be either
two adjacent spheres or one sphere inside of a hollow sphere.
Chapter 2: GUI Aids for Contact Analyses
Several GUI aids are available to help you create and manage contact pairs. The Contact Manager allows
you to define, view, and edit contact pairs. It provides a convenient way to manage all contact pairs
for your entire model. The Contact Wizard, which is accessed from the Contact Manager, leads you
through the process of creating contact pairs.
The following contact-related GUI topics are available:

2.1.The Contact Manager
2.2.The Contact Wizard
2.3. Managing Contact Pairs
2.1. The Contact Manager

You can access the Contact Manager via the Contact Manager icon in the ANSYS Standard Toolbar,
or via the menu path Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Contact Pair. The Contact Manager is available
at the Begin level and in the following processors: preprocessor (PREP7), solution (SOLU), and general
postprocessor (POST1).
The Contact Manager Toolbar provides an intuitive interface for the creation and management of contact
pairs. The manager supports surface-to-surface contact analysis, node-to-surface contact analysis (using
CONTA175), and the internal multipoint constraint (MPC) method of contact .
Figure 2.1: Contact Manager Toolbar
• Contact Wizard - Accesses the Contact Wizard GUI described in The Contact Wizard (p. 8). Allows
you to manually define target and contact surfaces. Supports both 2-D and 3-D geometries as well
as rigid-flexible (with optional pilot node) or flexible-flexible contact. (Primitives are not supported
by contact wizard.) The wizard also supports surface-based constraint contact pairs.
• Contact Properties - Allows you to specify the properties of the contact pair(s) via real constants
and KEYOPTs for the contact elements used.
• Delete Contact Pairs - Deletes the contact pairs selected in the contact pair list.
• Contact Selection Options - Specifies display of contact elements, target elements, or both.
• Plot Elements/Results - Displays the elements of selected contact pairs; or displays the contact results,
if available (POST1 only), specified in the Contact Results field for selected contact pairs. Results are
displayed if Model Context is specified as "Result-"; otherwise, elements are displayed. The display
can be limited to contact, or target, or both as specified in the Contact Selection Options field. (Note
that CONTA175 results will not display graphically, but can be listed with the List Elements/Results
icon.)
GUI Aids for Contact Analyses
• Show Normals - Specifies whether or not to display the normals on the elements when plotting
contact pairs
• Flip Normals - Flips the element normals of the selected contact pair. This action is limited to the
elements specified in the Contact Selection Options field.
• Switch Contact and Target - Inverts the target surface and the contact surface with each other. This
is applicable only to flexible-to-flexible surface-to-surface contact pairs.
• List Elements/Results - Lists the elements of the selected contact pairs; or lists the contact results,
if available (POST1 only), specified in the Contact Results field for selected contact pairs. Results are
listed if Model Context is specified as "Result-"; otherwise, elements are listed. The listing is restricted
to the elements specified in the Contact Selection Options field.
• Model Context - Displays the contact pairs in the context of the entire model using a translucent
plot, or shows only the contact pairs. If set to "Result-" (POST1 only), controls display/listing of contact
pair results.
• Check Contact Status - Provides contact status information for selected contact pairs. Several options
are available (click and hold down the Check Contact Status button to access these options):
– Display a detailed listing of status information for each contact pair.
– Run a partial solution of the initial contact state (CNCHECK,POST command) that can be sub-
sequently postprocessed from the contact manager. (See CNCHECK for more information.)
– Physically move contact nodes to the target surface (CNCHECK,ADJUST command) in order to
close a gap or reduce a penetration (see Physically Moving Contact Nodes Towards the Target
Surface (p. 59).)
– Reset target element and contact element key options and real constants to their default values
(CNCHECK,RESET command).
• Contact Results - Shows the contact result items for subsequent viewing using the Plot Elements/Res-
ults and List Elements/Results icons.
The bar below the toolbar icons minimizes or maximizes the Contact Pair list box below it. The Contact
Pair list box displays the defined contact pairs. You can select contact pairs from this list for displaying
or editing purposes.
2.2. The Contact Wizard

This Contact Wizard will lead you through the process of manually creating contact pairs. The wizard
supports rigid-flexible (with optional pilot node) and flexible-flexible contact, and supports both surface-
to-surface and node-to-surface configurations. (Note that the wizard does not support rigid target
primitives.) The Contact Wizard also supports surface-based constraint contact pairs.
To use the Contact Wizard, access the Contact Manager Toolbar and click on the Contact Wizard icon.
The wizard steps you through setting up the contact analysis. Below is an example of the screens you
will see.
Managing Contact Pairs
Figure 2.2: Example of a Contact Wizard Dialog
The Contact Wizard remains unavailable (dimmed) if you haven't meshed any portion of your model.
If you wish to create a rigid-flexible model, mesh only those parts of the model which will be used as
flexible contact surfaces (do not mesh the rigid target surfaces) before launching the wizard. If you wish
to create a flexible-flexible model, mesh all parts of the model which will be used as contact surfaces
(including target surfaces) before launching the wizard.
You can specify target and contact surfaces using lines, areas, volumes, selected set of nodes, or node
components. Note that the wizard allows you to choose more than one area for the target and contact
surfaces, thus allowing multiple areas to form a single contact surface. If you specify a rigid target surface,
you will then have the option to define a pilot node for that contact pair. (The pilot node step is man-
datory if you define a surface-based constraint contact pair by picking the Pilot Node Only option.)
After you specify the target and contact surfaces, you can specify properties of the contact pair (real
constants and KEYOPTs) before creating the contact pair. When you finish specifying all the required
data, click the Create button to create the contact and target element types, a unique real constant
set with the real constant values, and the elements that make up the contact and target surfaces.
2.3. Managing Contact Pairs

As discussed in Surface-to-Surface Contact (p. 11) it is paramount that the contact elements be oriented
correctly for proper contact detection. The contact manager provides tools that help you
1. Verify that the normals of the contact and target surfaces are in the correct direction
2. Reverse normals of elements that are not oriented correctly
You can choose to display one or more contact pairs on which to perform the above listed operations.
Then you have an additional option of only displaying the contact surface or the target surface when
verifying or reversing the element normals. In addition these elements can be displayed independently
or in the context of your entire model. In the later case the contact elements are highlighted in a
translucent plot of your model.
Another important function is to edit the properties of the contact pair(s) as needed. The properties
include real constant values and key option values as discussed earlier. The Contact Properties button
in the contact manager provides a simple to use interface that allows the properties of the selected
contact pair(s) to be reviewed and modified if needed.
GUI Aids for Contact Analyses
Note that when you have multiple contact pairs, it is possible to have conflicts in the real constant
values or in the KEYOPT settings. When you have such conflicts, the properties dialog for those real
constants or KEYOPT settings is left blank.
Finally, you can display or list specific contact result items (contact status, penetration, pressure, etc.)
for the selected contact pairs. This option is only available in POST1, and only if a result set is available.
The contact results can be displayed independently or in the context of your entire model. (For CON-
TA175, results can be listed but not displayed graphically.)
Note
Prior to displaying or listing result items associated with the initial contact configuration
resulting from the CNCHECK,POST command, you need to issue the appropriate FILE and
SET,FIRST commands to read the results from the proper results file (see CNCHECK for details).
Chapter 3: Surface-to-Surface Contact
You can use the surface-to-surface contact elements to model either rigid-flexible or flexible-flexible
contact between surfaces. The Contact Manager provides an easy-to-use interface to help you construct
and manage contact definitions. You can access the manager via the Contact Manager icon in the
Standard Toolbar, or via the menu path Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Contact
Pair. See GUI Aids for Contact Analyses (p. 7) for more information on using the Contact Manager.
This chapter explains how to set up a surface-to-surface contact analysis using both the command and
GUI approaches. The following topics are available:
3.1. Using Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements
3.2. Steps in a Contact Analysis
3.3. Creating the Model Geometry and Mesh
3.4. Identifying Contact Pairs
3.5. Designating Contact and Target Surfaces
3.6. Defining the Target Surface
3.7. Defining the Deformable Contact Surface
3.8. Geometry Correction for Contact and Target Surfaces
3.9. Set the Real Constants and Element KEYOPTS
3.10. User-Defined Subroutines for Contact Interfacial Behaviors
3.11. Controlling the Motion of the Rigid Target Surface
3.12. Applying Necessary Boundary Conditions to the Deformable Elements
3.13. Applying Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loads
3.14. Defining Solution and Load Step Options
3.15. Solving the Problem
3.16. Reviewing the Results
The procedures described in this chapter also apply to node-to-surface contact analyses using CONTA175,
3-D beam-to-beam contact analyses using CONTA176, and 3-D line-to-surface contact using CONTA177
unless otherwise noted.
3.1. Using Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements

In problems involving contact between two boundaries, one of the boundaries is conventionally estab-
lished as the "target" surface, and the other as the "contact" surface. For rigid-flexible contact, the target
surface is always the rigid surface, and the contact surface is the deformable surface. For flexible-to-
flexible contact, both contact and target surfaces are associated with the deformable bodies. These two
surfaces together comprise the "contact pair." Use TARGE169 with CONTA171, CONTA172, or CONTA175
to define a 2-D contact pair. For 3-D contact pairs, use TARGE170 with CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175,
CONTA176, or CONTA177. Each contact pair is identified via the same real constant number.
3.2. Steps in a Contact Analysis

Following are basic steps for performing a typical surface-to-surface contact analysis:
1. Create the model geometry and mesh
Surface-to-Surface Contact
2. Identify the contact pairs
3. Designate contact and target surfaces
4. Define the target surface
5. Define the contact surface
6. Set the element KEYOPTS and real constants
7. Define/control the motion of the target surface (rigid-to-flexible only)
8. Apply necessary boundary conditions
9. Apply fluid pressure-penetration loads
10. Define solution options and load steps
11. Solve the contact problem
12. Review the results
Each contact-specific step also has a corresponding GUI approach where you use functions and features
on the Contact Toolbar.
3.3. Creating the Model Geometry and Mesh

First, create solid model entities that represent the geometry of the contacting bodies. Set element
types, real constants, and material properties as you would for any analysis. Mesh the contacting bodies
by meshing the areas or volumes with the element type that you have chosen. For more information,
see the Modeling and Meshing Guide.
Command(s): AMESH, VMESH
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Meshing> Mesh
Note
You should avoid midside-noded elements for 3-D contact surfaces when using node-to-
surface element CONTA175.
3.4. Identifying Contact Pairs

You must identify where contact might occur during the deformation of your model. Once you've
identified potential contact surfaces, you define them via target and contact elements, which will then
track the kinematics of the deformation process. Target and contact elements that make up a contact
pair are associated with each other via a shared real constant set.
The contact zone can be arbitrary; however, for the most efficient solution (primarily in CPU time), you
may want to define smaller, localized contacting zones, but be sure your zones are adequate to capture
all necessary contact. Different contact pairs must be defined by a different real constant set, even if
the element real constant values do not change. There is no limit on the number of surfaces allowed.
Designating Contact and Target Surfaces
Figure 3.1: Localized Contact Zones
Depending on the geometry of the model (and the potential deformation), multiple target surfaces
could interact with the same zone of the contact surface. In such cases, you must define multiple contact
pairs (using multiple overlapping contact elements), each with its own real constant number. See Fig-
ure 3.1: Localized Contact Zones (p. 13).
The geometry-based contact pair generation tools (see the Contact Wizard) may create unnecessary
contact and target elements which are never in contact during solution. For modeling small sliding
contact or assembly contact, you can issue CNCHECK,TRIM to remove contact and target elements
which are initially in far-field (that is, open and not near contact). The trimming is based on the contact
pinball size; the smaller the pinball radius, the greater the number of contact and target elements that
will be deleted. The contact trimming option is useful in Distributed ANSYS runs to achieve better per-
formance.
3.5. Designating Contact and Target Surfaces

Contact elements are constrained against penetrating the target surface. However, target elements can
penetrate through the contact surface. For rigid-to-flexible contact, the designation is obvious: the target
surface is always the rigid surface and the contact surface is always the deformable surface. For flexible-
to-flexible contact, the choice of which surface is designated contact or target can cause a different
amount of penetration and thus affect the solution accuracy. Consider the following guidelines when
designating the surfaces:
• If a convex surface is expected to come into contact with a flat or concave surface, the flat/concave
surface should be the target surface.
• If one surface has a fine surface mesh and, in comparison, the other has a coarse mesh, the fine mesh
should be the contact surface and the coarse mesh should be the target surface.
• If one surface is stiffer then the other, the softer surface should be the contact surface and the stiffer
surface should be the target surface.
• If higher-order elements underly one of the external surfaces and lower-order elements underly the
other surface, the surface with the underlying higher-order elements should be the contact surface
and the other surface should be the target. However, for 3-D node-to-surface contact, the lower-order
elements should be the contact surface. The higher-order elements should be the target surface.
• If one surface is markedly larger than the other surface, such as in the instance where one surface
surrounds the other surface, the larger surface should be the target surface.
• In the case of 3-D internal beam-to-beam contact modeled by CONTA176 (a beam or pipe sliding
inside another hollow beam or pipe), the inner beam should be considered the contact surface and
the outer beam should be the target surface. However, when the inner beam is much stiffer than the
outer beam, the inner beam can be the target surface.
These guidelines are true for asymmetric contact; however, asymmetric contact may not perform satis-
factorily for your model. The following section details the difference between asymmetric and symmetric
contact and outlines some of the situations that require symmetric contact.
3.5.1. Asymmetric Contact vs. Symmetric Contact

The following topics related to asymmetric contact vs. symmetric contact are available:
3.5.1.1. Introduction
3.5.1.2. Using KEYOPT(8)
Asymmetric contact is defined as having all contact elements on one surface and all target elements
on the other surface. This is sometimes called "one-pass contact." This is usually the most efficient way
to model surface-to-surface contact. However, under some circumstances asymmetric contact does not
perform satisfactorily. In such cases, you can designate each surface to be both a target and a contact
surface. You can then generate two sets of contact pairs between the contacting surfaces (or just one
contact pair; for example, a self-contact case). This is known as symmetric contact (or "two-pass contact").
Obviously, symmetric contact is less efficient than asymmetric contact. However, many analyses will
require its use (typically to reduce penetration). Specific situations that require symmetric contact include
models where
• The distinction between the contact and target surfaces is not clear.
• Both surfaces have very coarse meshes. The symmetric contact algorithm enforces the contact con-
straint conditions at more surface locations than the asymmetric contact algorithm.
If the meshes on both surfaces are identical and sufficiently refined, the symmetric contact algorithm
may not significantly improve performance and may, in fact, be more "expensive" in CPU time. In such
circumstances, pick one surface to be the target and the other the contact surface.
For a symmetric contact definition, the program may find one side of a contact surface as closed and
the other side of the surface as open. In this case, it can be difficult to interpret the results. The total
contact pressure acting on both sides is the average of the contact pressures on each side of the surface.
Defining the Target Surface

When there are several contact pairs involved in the model, and the graphical picking of contact and
target surfaces is difficult, you can just define the symmetric contact pairs and, by setting KEYOPT(8) =
2, the program will internally select which asymmetric pair is to be used at the solution stage based on
the guidelines mentioned above in Designating Contact and Target Surfaces.
Note
In any contact model, you can mix different types of contact pairs: rigid-to-flexible or flexible-
to-flexible contact; symmetric contact or asymmetric contact. However, only one type can
exist with a contact pair.
3.6. Defining the Target Surface

The target surface can be 2-D or 3-D and either rigid or deformable. For deformable target surfaces,
you will normally use the ESURF command to generate the target elements along the boundaries of
an existing mesh. You can follow the same method to generate the deformable contact surface (see
Defining the Deformable Contact Surface (p. 22) for details). If you are modeling 3-D line-to-line contact
and the underlying elements are a part of shell edges, issue ESURF,,,LINE to generate 3-D line or parabola
segments along the shell edges.
You should not use the following rigid target segments for a deformable target surface: ARC, CARC,
CIRC, CYL1, CONE, SPHE, POINT, or PILO. For rigid target surfaces, the following provides general
guidelines.
In 2-D cases, the shape of the target surface is described by a sequence of straight lines, circular arcs,
and parabolas, all of which can be represented with the target segment element TARGE169. You can
use any combination to define the complex target surface geometry. In 3-D cases, the shape of the
target surfaces is described by a sequence of triangles, quadrilaterals, straight lines, parabolas, cylinders,
cones, and spheres, which can be represented with TARGE170. You can use any reasonable combination
of low/high-order triangles and quadrilaterals to model a target surface with a complex, arbitrary geo-
metry.
3.6.1. Pilot Nodes

The rigid target surface can also be associated with a "pilot node," which is really an element with one
node, whose motion governs the motion of the entire target surface. You can think of a pilot node as
a handle for the rigid target surface. Forces/moments or rotations/displacements for the entire target
surface usually should be prescribed on the pilot node. The pilot node can be one of the nodes on the
target element or a node at any arbitrary location. The location of the pilot node is important only when
rotation or moment loading is required.
3.6.2. Primitives
You can use circle, cylinder, cone, and sphere primitives to model the target (which require real constants
to define the radius). You can combine primitive segments with general segments (such as lines, para-
bolas, triangles, and quadrilaterals) to define a target surface. Primitives cannot be defined directly in
the Contact Wizard. The primitives do not support MPC based bonded or no-separation contact.
3.6.3. Element Types and Real Constants

Before generating the target element, first define the element type (TARGE169 for 2-D or TARGE170 for
3-D):
Command(s): ET
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Element Type> Add/Edit/Delete
3.6.3.1. Defining Target Element Geometry

You define characteristics of the target element geometry through real constants R1 and R2 as follows:
• For CONTA171 and CONTA172:
– R1 is the radius if the target shape (TARGE169) is a circle.
– R2 is the element thickness if the underlying element is a superelement set as plane stress with
thickness (KEYOPT(3) = 3). The default value is 1.
• For CONTA173 and CONTA174 (also applies to node-to-surface element CONTA175, and to line-to-
surface element CONTA177):
– R1 is the radius if the target shape (TARGE170) is a cylinder, cone, or sphere.
– R2 is the radius of a cone at the second node.
• For CONTA176, used to model 3-D beam-to-beam contact:
– R1 is the radius of circular beams on the target side (target radius). Use a positive value when
modeling external beam-to-beam contact. Use a negative value to represent the inner radius of
the outer beam (or pipe) when modeling internal beam-to-beam contact.
– R2 is the radius of circular beams on the contact side (contact radius). Use a positive value for both
external and internal beam-to-beam contact.
To set the real constant number for the target elements:

Command(s): REAL
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Real Constants
For TARGE169 and TARGE170, you need only set real constants R1 and R2 (if required). For a complete
description of the target elements, element shapes, and real constants, see the description of TARGE169
and TARGE170 in the Element Reference.
Note
Specifying real constants (R1, R2) manually is necessary only if you use direct generation to
create your target elements, or if you model 3-D beam-to-beam contact with CONTA176.
You can also use the meshing tools to create the elements, or use the Contact Manager
Toolbar.
3.6.4. Using Direct Generation to Create Rigid Target Elements

To generate target elements directly, use the following command or GUI path:
Command(s): TSHAP
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> Elem Attributes
You then specify the element shape. Possible shapes are:
• Straight line (2-D and 3-D)
• Parabola (2-D and 3-D)
• Clockwise arc (2-D)
• Counterclockwise arc (2-D)
• Circle (2-D)
• Three-node triangle (3-D)
• Six-node triangle (3-D)
• Four-node quadrilateral (3-D)
• Eight-node quadrilateral (3-D)
• Cylinder (3-D)
• Cone (3-D)
• Sphere (3-D)
• Point (2-D or 3-D)
• Pilot node (2-D and 3-D)
Once you specify a target element shape, all subsequent elements will have that shape until you specify
another shape.
Note
You cannot mix 2-D and 3-D target elements on the same target surface.
You cannot mix rigid target elements with deformable target elements on the same target
surface. During solution, the program assigns a deformable status to target elements with
underlying elements and assigns a rigid status to target elements without underlying elements.
If a portion of the underlying elements of a deformable surface are deleted, an error will
occur in solution.
You can generate the nodes and elements using standard direct-generation techniques. For more in-
formation on direct generation modeling techniques, see Direct Generation in the Modeling and Meshing
Guide.
Command(s): N, E
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Nodes
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements
You can then verify your element shapes by listing the elements.
Command(s): ELIST
GUI: Utility Menu> List> Elements> Nodes + Attributes
3.6.5. Using Meshing Tools to Create Rigid Target Elements

You can allow the program generate the elements automatically using standard meshing capabilities.
The program recognizes the proper target element shape based on the solid model and ignores the
TSHAP setting.
To generate a pilot node, use the following command or GUI path:

Command(s): KMESH
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Meshing> Mesh> Keypoints
Note
KMESH always creates pilot nodes.
To generate POINT segments, use the Direct Generation method or use ESURF,,,POINT command on
selected nodes.
To generate 2-D rigid target elements or 3-D rigid line/parabola segments, use the following command
or GUI path. The program creates a single line over each line, parabolic segments over B-splines, and
arc segments over each arc and line fillet (see Figure 3.2: Geometric Entities and Their Corresponding
Rigid Target Elements (p. 18)). If all the arcs form a closed circle, the program creates a single circular
segment (see Figure 3.3: A Single Circular Target Segment Created From Arc Line Segments (p. 19)).
However, if the arcs that form a closed circle are created from imported or archived geometry (such as
IGES), the program might not create a single circular segment.
Command(s): LMESH
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Meshing> Mesh> Lines
Figure 3.2: Geometric Entities and Their Corresponding Rigid Target Elements
Figure 3.3: A Single Circular Target Segment Created From Arc Line Segments
To generate 3-D rigid target elements, use the following command or GUI path.
Command(s): AMESH
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Meshing> Mesh> Areas
If the surface segments on the solid model form a complete sphere, cylinder, or cone, then the program
automatically generates a single primitive 3-D target element through the AMESH command. By creating
fewer elements, the analysis becomes more computationally efficient. For arbitrary surfaces, you should
use AMESH to generate target elements. In these cases, the quality of the meshed target shape is not
important. It is more important that the target elements represent the rigid surface geometry well.
We recommend using mapped meshing on all possible areas. If there is no curvature on the edges of
the surface, assign one division on that edge. TARGE169 with a rigid specification will always mesh with
one element division, per line, ignoring any LESIZE setting. The default target element shape is quadri-
lateral. If you want a triangular target element shape, use MSHAPE,1. Figure 3.4: Meshing Patterns for
Arbitrary Target Surfaces (p. 20) shows the meshing patterns for arbitrary target surfaces. The following
command or GUI path will generate a mapped mesh wherever possible (otherwise, if not possible, it
will generate a free mesh).
Command(s): MSHKEY,2
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Meshing> Mesh> Areas> Target Surf
If the target surface is flat (or nearly flat), you may select low-order target elements (3-node triangular
or 4-node quadrilateral elements). If the target surface is curved you should select high-order target
elements (6-node triangular or 8-node quadrilateral). By doing so, set KEYOPT(1) = 1 in the target element
definition.
Note
Low-order target elements result in "cheaper" CPU usage in getting penetration and gap;
however, the meshed surface may not be smooth. Higher-order target elements are more
"expensive" to use in getting the penetration and gap, but they need many fewer elements
to discretize the whole curved target surface.
Note
If target elements are created via program meshing (through the KMESH, LMESH, or ESURF
commands) the TSHAP command is ignored and the program chooses the correct shape
codes automatically.
Figure 3.4: Meshing Patterns for Arbitrary Target Surfaces
3.6.5.1. Some Modeling and Meshing Tips

A target surface can be made up of two or more disconnected regions. Where possible, you should
localize the contact zone by defining multiple target surfaces (each with a different real constant
number). There are no restrictions on the shape of the rigid surfaces. Smoothing is not required. However,
you must ensure that the mesh discretization of the curved surfaces on the rigid target surface is ad-
equate. Excessively coarse discretization can cause numerical convergence problems. It can be difficult
to obtain a converged solution in a large sliding simulation if the target surface has sharp convex
corners. To avoid such modeling problems, use line or area fillet functions on the solid model to smooth
out the sharp corner, use a more refined mesh, or use high-order element in the region of abrupt
curvature changes (see Figure 3.5: Smoothing Convex Corner (p. 21)).
Figure 3.5: Smoothing Convex Corner
3.6.5.2. Verifying Nodal Number Ordering (Contact Direction) of Target Surface

The node order of the target surface elements is critical because it defines contact direction. For 2-D
contact, the associated (deformable) contact elements must lie to the right of the target surface when
moving from the first node to the second node along the target surface line (see Figure 3.6: Correct
Node Ordering (p. 21)).
Figure 3.6: Correct Node Ordering
For 3-D contact, the target element numbering should be such that the rigid surface's outward normal
points toward the contact surface. The outward normal is determined by the right-hand rule.
For 3-D line segments, the target nodes must be numbered in a sequence that defines a continuous
line. The line can be made up of linear or parabolic segments, depending on whether the underlying
beam is made up of first order or second order elements.
To check the direction of the normals, turn on the element coordinate systems.
Command(s): /PSYMB,ESYS,1
GUI: Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Symbols
If the element normals do not point toward the contact surface, select this element and reverse the
direction of the surface normals.
Command(s): ESURF,,REVE
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> Surf/Contact> Surf to Surf
or, reorient the element normals:

Command(s): ENORM
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Move/Modify> Elements> Shell Normals
Note
Contact on target primitives (such as a complete circle, cylinder, cone, or sphere), can occur
only on the outside surfaces of such target bodies.
3.7. Defining the Deformable Contact Surface

To create the deformable contact surface, you must define that surface using one of the following
contact elements:
• CONTA171 or CONTA172 (for 2-D)
• CONTA173 or CONTA174 (for 3-D)
• CONTA175 (for 2- or 3-D)
• CONTA176 or CONTA177 (for 3-D line)
The contact surface is defined by the set of contact elements that comprise the surface of the deformable
body. These contact elements have the same geometric characteristics as the underlying elements of
the deformable body. The contact surface elements are of the same order as the underlying elements
(lower- or higher-order), with compatible nodes along the edges. The higher-order contact elements
can match lower-order underlying elements by dropping the midside nodes. The underlying elements
can be solid, shell, beam, or pipe elements. The contact surface can be on either side of the shell or
beam elements. The underlying elements may also be a superelement. However, axisymmetric harmonic
elements may not be used as underlying elements.
As with the target surface elements, you must define the contact surface element type, then select the
correct real constant number (the real constant number must be the same as the one used for the target
surface for each contact pair), and finally generate the elements.
3.7.1. Element Type

The four surface-to-surface contact element types are shown in the figure below, followed by a brief
description of each element. For complete information on these element types, see the Element Reference.
Defining the Deformable Contact Surface
Figure 3.7: Contact Element Types
• CONTA171: This is a 2-D, 2-node, lower order line element that can be located on the surfaces of 2-D
solid, shell, or beam elements (such as SHELL208).
• CONTA172: This is a 2-D, 3-node, higher order parabolic element that can be located on the surfaces of
2-D solid or beam elements with midside nodes (such as PLANE183).
• CONTA173: This is a 3-D, 4-node, lower order quadrilateral element that can be located on the surfaces
of 3-D solid or shell elements (such as SHELL181). It can be degenerated to a 3-node triangular element.
• CONTA174: This is a 3-D, 8-node, higher order quadrilateral element that can be located on the surfaces
of 3-D solid or shell elements with midside nodes (such as SHELL281). It can be degenerated to 3- to 7-
node quadrilateral/triangular shapes.
The following elements can also be defined using the method described here.
• CONTA175: This is a 2- or 3-D, 1-node element that can be located on the surface of 2-D lower order and
higher order solid or beam elements or 3-D lower order solid or shell elements. Use CONTA175 for node-
to-surface contact.
• CONTA176: This is a 3-D line element that can be located on the surface of 3-D beam and pipe elements.
The element can be a 2-node line or a 3-node parabola, depending on whether the underlying element
is lower or higher order. Use CONTA176 to model 3-D beam-to-beam contact.
• CONTA177: This is a 3-D line element that can be located on the surface of 3-D beam and pipe elements
or on the edge of 3-D shell elements. The element can be a 2-node line or a 3-node parabola, depending
on whether the underlying element is lower or higher order. Use CONTA177 to model 3-D line-to-surface
contact.
Use the following command to define the contact element type.

Command(s): ET
3.7.2. Real Constants and Material Properties

After defining the element type, you need to select the correct real constant set. The real constant set
for each contact surface must be the same one used for the corresponding target surface for each
contact pair. Each contact pair must reference its own real constant number.
The program uses the material properties of the underlying elements to calculate an appropriate contact
(or penalty) stiffness. The program automatically defines a default value for tangent (sliding) contact
stiffness that is proportional to MU and the normal stiffness. If the underlying element is a superelement,
the material property set for the contact elements must be the same as that of the original structural
elements used during the formation of the superelement.
3.7.3. Generating Contact Elements

You can generate contact elements either through direct generation or by generating the surface
automatically from the exterior faces of the underlying elements. We recommend that you use automatic
generation; this approach is simpler and more reliable.
To automatically generate contact elements, follow these steps:
1. Select the nodes on the meshed deformable body. For each surface, view the node list. If you are
certain that particular nodes will never come into contact, you can omit those nodes and reduce
CPU time. However, you should always include more nodes than you think you'll need so that you
don't miss unexpected areas of contact.
Command(s): NSEL
GUI: Utility Menu> Select> Entities
2. Generate the contact elements.

Command(s): ESURF
If the contact surface is attached to areas or volumes that are meshed with solid elements, the
program automatically determines the outward normal needed for contact calculations. If the
underlying elements are beam or shell elements, you must indicate which surface (top or bottom)
is the target surface.
Command(s): ESURF,,TOP or BOTTOM
Use the TOP setting (default) to generate contact elements with their outward normals the
same as the beam or shell elements' normals. Use the BOTTOM setting to generate contact
elements with their outward normals opposite the beam or shell elements' normals. You must
make sure that all elements in the beam or shell element selection have their normals consist-
ently oriented. If the underlying elements are solid elements, then the TOP or BOTTOM setting
has no effect.
3. Check the direction of the outward normals for the contact elements. The direction of the contact
surface's outward normal is critical for proper contact detection. For 3-D surface-to-surface contact
elements CONTA173 and CONTA174, the node numbering follows the right hand rule to define its
outward normal. The contact surface's outward normal should point toward the target surface.
Otherwise, the program may detect over-penetration of the surfaces at the beginning of the analysis
and have difficulty finding an initial solution. In most of these cases, the analysis will fail immediately.
For the 3-D line-to-line contact element CONTA176 and the 3-D line-to-surface contact element
CONTA177, the contact nodes must be ordered in a sequence that defines a continuous line. Fig-
Geometry Correction for Contact and Target Surfaces
ure 3.8: Specification of the Contact Surface's Outward Normal (p. 25) illustrates both proper and
improper specification of the contact surface's outward normal.
Command(s): /PSYMB,ESYS
GUI: Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Symbols
Figure 3.8: Specification of the Contact Surface's Outward Normal
If the surface normals are specified incorrectly, you must either change them by reversing the
node number order of the selected elements.
Command(s): ESURF,,REVE
Or, you can reorient the element normals.

Command(s): ENORM
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Move/Modify> Elements> Shell Normals
Note
ESURF,,TOP or BOTTOM and checking the direction of outward normals will not apply to
node-to-surface contact (CONTA175) because it is a single-node element with no surface
normal associated with it.
3.8. Geometry Correction for Contact and Target Surfaces

Two types of geometry correction are available:
3.8.1. Surface Smoothing
3.8.2. Simplified Bolt Thread Modeling
3.8.1. Surface Smoothing

In general, curved contact and target surfaces can be well approximated by linear (lower order) or
quadratic (higher order) contact and target elements when the mesh is sufficiently refined. However,
in certain circumstances this is not the case; for example, when linear elements are used or when the
midside nodes of quadratic elements do not lie exactly on the initial curved geometry because a third
party mesh generator was used. Thus, in some contact applications, using a faceted surface in place of
the true curved geometry can significantly affect the accuracy of contact stresses.
To avoid this problem, you can use an optional geometric correction for circular segments and for
spherical and revolute (cylindrical) surfaces via SECTYPE and SECDATA section commands. Geometry
correction is available for surface-to-surface contact elements; TARGE169, TARGE170, CONTA171, CON-
TA172, CONTA173, and CONTA174.
A circular correction can be applied to 2-D segments approximating a portion of a circular (or nearly
circular) arc. Use the commands:
SECTYPE,SECID,CONTACT,CIRCLE
SECDATA,X0,Y0 ! circle center location in global Cartesian coordinates (XY plane)
A spherical correction can be applied to surfaces approximating a portion of a sphere (or nearly a
sphere). Use the commands:
SECTYPE,SECID,CONTACT,SPHERE
SECDATA,X0,Y0,Z0 ! sphere center location in global Cartesian coordinates
A revolute (cylindrical) correction can be applied to surfaces approximating a portion of a revolution

(or nearly a revolution), such as a cylinder or cone. Use the commands:
SECTYPE,SECID,CONTACT,CYLINDER
SECDATA,X1,Y1,Z1,X2,Y2,Z2 ! location of two ends of cylindrical axis in global Cartesian coordinates
The circular correction requires that you specify the circle's center location in global Cartesian coordinates.
The spherical correction requires that you specify the sphere's center location in global Cartesian co-
ordinates. The cylindrical correction requires that you input the axis of revolution in global Cartesian
coordinates.
The defined geometry correction can be applied to specific contact and target elements via a section
ID. Use the SECNUM command prior to creating contact and target elements to associate the elements
with a particular section ID, or use the EMODIF command to assign a section ID to existing elements.
You can apply more than one geometry correction to the same contact or target surface. In the peg
and slot example below, the peg is one contact surface. Two geometry corrections are applied to this
contact surface: a revolute correction on the conical body and a spherical correction on the spherical
tip. The cylindrical slot (target surface) requires only a revolute correction.
Geometry Correction for Contact and Target Surfaces
Figure 3.9: Geometry Correction Applied to Revolute and Spherical Surfaces
spherical correction revolute correction
Original model configuration Finite element model showing results
This geometry correction technique assumes that the initial locations of the contact or target element
corner nodes (but not necessarily the midside nodes of quadratic elements) lie on the true initial surface
geometry. Geometry correction is most beneficial for small deflection analyses (small or large sliding).
3.8.2. Simplified Bolt Thread Modeling

When simulating bolts, detailed modeling of the bolt threads may not be practical since it requires a
refined mesh discretization on both the bolt and the bolt hole in order to accurately model the thread
geometry and achieve solution convergence. This detailed mesh discretization can also be computationally
expensive. For system level modeling where the primary bolt function is to transfer a load, the thread
detail is sometimes not necessary.
The bolt thread modeling technique available via the contact elements allows you to include the beha-
vior of bolt threads without the added thread geometry and mesh discretization detail. Calculations
are performed internally to approximate the behavior of the bolts. This feature offers simplified modeling
with the near accuracy of a true threaded-bolt model. Bolt thread modeling is available for contact
elements CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, and CONTA175.
This technique can be applied to a 3-D model or a 2-D axisymmetric model. The mesh discretization of
the threads is not needed. Instead, you model smooth cylindrical surfaces on both the bolt and the
bolt hole geometries, which helps to ensure good quality element meshes. The contact normal is
computed internally based on the user-specified thread geometry data and the two end points of the
bolt axis. The following figure shows a bolt geometry with the primary parameters needed to define
the thread.
Figure 3.10: Bolt Thread Dimensions
Pitch
dm
dr
d (x 2, y 2,z 2 ) (x1 , y 1,z 1)
Thread
Angle 2α
Bolt Geometry Hole Geometry
Use the section commands SECTYPE and SECDATA to input the required data:
SECTYPE,SECID,CONTACT,BOLT
SECDATA,Dm,P,ALPHA,N,X1,Y1,Z1,X2,Y2,Z2
where
Dm = Mean pitch diameter, dm
P = Pitch distance, p
ALPHA = Half-thread angle, α
N = Number of starts (defaults to 1)
X1, Y1, Z1, X2, Y2, Z2 = Two end points of the bolt axis in global Cartesian coordinates
Use the SECNUM command to associate the contact elements with a particular section ID, or use the
EMODIF command to assign a section ID to existing contact elements. Assign the section ID only to
the contact elements on the thread region of the bolt geometry.
Either the bolt or bolt hole can be the contact surface. However, it is highly recommended that you
apply the contact surface to the bolt and the target surface to the bolt hole.
Symmetric contact should not be used for bolt thread modeling. If symmetric contact is defined, the
program will assume asymmetric contact and will usually select the bolt surface as the contact surface.
The value of the mean pitch diameter, dm, should be between the values of the major diameter (d) and
the minor diameter (dr); see Figure 3.10: Bolt Thread Dimensions (p. 28) for details. If you only know
the major diameter, you can input a rough estimation for the mean pitch diameter by using this equation:
dm = d - 0.65p
In order to achieve better accuracy, the mesh size over the thread region should be smaller than a
quarter of the pitch distance, p. The half-thread angle, α, should be smaller than 90 degrees and larger
than 0 degrees (α defaults to 30 degrees). The number of thread starts, n, defaults to 1 for a single-
Set the Real Constants and Element KEYOPTS
threaded bolt; specify n = 2 for a double-threaded bolt. For a 3-D contact model, input a positive half-
thread angle for the right-hand thread and input a negative angle for the left-hand thread.
Either a general bolt-thread model or an unidirectional bolt-thread model can be defined. Input a pos-
itive mean pitch diameter dm for a general bolt thread model in which contact can occur on both side
of the threads (the bolt is either in compression or in tension); input a negative mean pitch diameter
dm for the unidirectional bolt-thread model.
Specify X1, Y1, Z1 and X2, Y2, Z2 in Global Cartesian coordinates for the two end points of the axis of
the bolt. For any 2-D axisymmetric model, X1 = Z1 = X2 = Z2 = 0 must be specified. The order of the
two end points is not important for the general bolt thread model. However, it must be chosen appro-
priately for the unidirectional bolt thread model. The vector (from the first point to the second point)
should be oriented to point from the tip of the bolt to the head of the bolt if the bolt is in tension. The
bolt axis should be flipped (that is, from the head to the tip) if the bolt is in compression. Contact may
not be engaged if an incorrect bolt axis direction is specified. You should always check the stresses in
the bolt to make sure that the contact surface is correctly constrained if the unidirectional bolt thread
model is defined.
Keep the following points in mind when using this bolt thread modeling technique:
• The implementation of bolt thread modeling is based on a small strain formulation. The solution ac-
curacy may be affected when the bolt rotates by a relatively large angle with respect to its original
position.
• This technique is valid only for standard straight threads. It is not applicable for nonstandard threads
(such as tapered threads and buttress threads).
• The maximum stress in the thread region may vary with mesh density. However, the overall stress
distribution remains similar in pattern.
• Using Gauss point as the location of contact detection (KEYOPT(4) = 0) is not recommended unless
the mesh is sufficiently refined.
• Using nodal point, normal to target, as the location of contact detection (KEYOPT(4) = 2) is not recom-
mended.
3.9. Set the Real Constants and Element KEYOPTS

The program uses several real constants and KEYOPTs to control contact behavior using surface-to-
surface contact elements. For more information in addition to what is presented here, refer to the indi-
vidual contact element descriptions in the Element Reference.
If you decide the real constant and KEYOPT settings you have specified for a particular contact pair are
not appropriate, you can use the CNCHECK,RESET command to reset all values back to their default
settings. Some real constants and key options are not affected by this command; see CNCHECK for
details.
In many cases, certain default settings may not be appropriate for your specific model. You can issue
the CNCHECK,AUTO command to obtain optimized KEYOPT and real constant settings in terms of ro-
bustness and efficiency. Usually, only the undefined or default KEYOPT settings and real constants are
changed. Refer to the CNCHECK command description for details of which settings are typically changed.
You should always verify these changes by issuing the CNCHECK,DETAIL command to list current contact
pair properties. If necessary, you can overwrite the optimized settings by redefining specific KEYOPTs
(KEYOPT command) and real constants (RMODIF command).
3.9.1. Real Constants

Two real constants, R1 and R2, are used to define the geometry of the target surface elements. The re-
maining are used by the contact surface elements.
• R1 and R2 define the target element geometry.
• FKN defines a normal contact stiffness factor.
• FTOLN is a factor based on the thickness of the element which is used to calculate allowable penet-
ration.
• ICONT defines an initial closure factor (or adjustment band).
• PINB defines a "pinball" region.
• PMIN and PMAX define an allowable penetration range for initial penetration.
• TAUMAX specifies the maximum contact friction.
• CNOF specifies the positive or negative offset value applied to the contact surface.
• FKOP specifies the stiffness factor applied when contact opens.
• FKT specifies the tangent contact stiffness factor.
• COHE specifies the cohesion sliding resistance.
• TCC specifies the thermal contact conductance coefficient.
• FHTG specifies the fraction of frictional dissipated energy converted into heat.
• SBCT specifies the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.
• RDVF specifies the radiation view factor.
• FWGT specifies the weight factor for the distribution of heat between the contact and target surfaces
for thermal contact or for electric contact.
• ECC specifies the electric contact conductance or capacitance per unit area.
• FHEG specifies the fraction of electric dissipated energy converted into heat.
• FACT specifies the ratio of static to dynamic coefficients of friction.
• DC specifies the decay coefficient for static/dynamic friction.
• SLTO controls maximum sliding distance when MU is nonzero and the tangent contact stiffness (FKT)
is updated at each iteration (KEYOPT(10) = 2) or when KEYOPT(2) = 3.
• TNOP specifies the maximum allowable tensile contact pressure.
• TOLS adds a small tolerance that extends the edge of the target surface.
• MCC specifies the magnetic contact permeance (3-D only).
• PPCN specifies the pressure-penetration criterion (surface contact elements only).
• FPAT specifies the fluid penetration acting time (surface contact elements only).
• COR specifies the coefficient of restitution for impact between rigid bodies using impact constraints
(KEYOPT(7) = 4).
• STRM specifies load step number for ramping penetration.
• FDMN specifies the stabilization damping factor in the normal direction.
• FDMT specifies the stabilization damping factor in the tangential direction.
• FDMD specifies the destabilizing squeal damping factor (3-D only).
• FDMS specifies the stabilizing squeal damping factor (3-D only).
• TBND specifies the critical bonding temperature.
Real constant defaults can vary depending on the environment you are working in. The following table
compares the program default values with those of the ANSYS Workbench product. See your ANSYS
sales representative for more information about ANSYS Workbench.
Table 3.1: Summary of Real Constant Defaults in Different Environments
Real Constants Description ANSYS ANSYS

Mechanical Work-
APDL De- bench
fault Default
No. Name
1 R1 Radius associated with target geo- 0 n/a
metry [5]
2 R2 Radius associated with target 0 n/a
geometry
1
Superelement thickness [5]
3 FKN Normal penalty stiffness factor 1 [1]
4 FTOLN Penetration tolerance factor 0.1 0.1
5 ICONT Initial contact closure 0 0
6 PINB Pinball region [2] [2]
7 PMAX Upper limit of initial penetration 0 0
8 PMIN Lower limit of initial penetration 0 0
9 TAUMAX Maximum friction stress 1.00E+20 1.00E+20
10 CNOF Contact surface offset 0 0
11 FKOP Contact opening stiffness 1 1
12 FKT Tangent penalty stiffness factor 1 1
13 COHE Contact cohesion 0 0
14 TCC Thermal contact conductance 0 [3]
15 FHTG Frictional heating factor 1 1
Real Constants Description ANSYS ANSYS

Mechanical Work-
APDL De- bench
fault Default
No. Name
16 SBCT Stefan-Boltzmann constant 0 n/a
17 RDVF Radiation view factor 1 n/a
18 FWGT Heat distribution weighing factor 0.5 0.5
19 ECC Electric contact conductance 0 [7]
20 FHEG Joule dissipation weighting factor 1 n/a
21 FACT Static/dynamic ratio 1 1
22 DC Exponential decay coefficient 0 0
23 SLTO Allowable elastic slip 1% 1%
24 TNOP Maximum allowable tensile contact [6] [6]
pressure
25 TOLS Target edge extension factor [4] [4]
26 MCC Magnetic contact permeance 0 n/a
27 PPCN Pressure-penetration criterion 0 n/a
28 FPAT Fluid penetration acting time 0.01 n/a
29 COR Coefficient of restitution 1 1
30 STRM Load step number for ramping pen- 1 1
etration
31 FDMN Normal stabilization damping factor 1 n/a
32 FDMT Tangential stabilization damping 0.001 n/a
factor
33 FDMD Destabilizing squeal damping factor 1 n/a
34 FDMS Stabilizing squeal damping factor 0 n/a
35 TBND Critical bonding temperature n/a n/a
1. FKN = 10 for bonded. For all other, FKN = 1.0, but if bonded and other contact behavior exists, FKN = 1
for all.
2. Depends on contact behavior (rigid vs. flex target), NLGEOM,ON or OFF, KEYOPT(9) setting, KEYOPT(12)
setting, and the value of CNOF (see Using PINB (p. 61)).
3. Calculated as a function of highest conductivity and overall model size.
4. 10% of target length for NLGEOM,OFF.
2% of target length for NLGEOM,ON.
5. R1 and R2 are used to define the target element geometry. See Defining Target Element Geometry (p. 16)
and the target element descriptions (TARGE169 and TARGE170) for details on how they are used for
different geometries.
6. TNOP defaults to the force convergence tolerance divided by contact area at contact nodes.
7. Calculated as a function of lowest resistivity and overall model size.
Command(s): R
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Real Constants
3.9.1.1. Positive and Negative Real Constant Values

For the real constants FKN, FTOLN, ICONT, PINB, PMAX, PMIN, FKOP, FKT, SLTO, and TNOP, you can
specify either a positive or negative value. The program interprets a positive value as a scaling factor
and interprets a negative value as the absolute value. The program uses the depth of the underlying
element as the reference value to be used for ICONT, FTOLN, PINB, PMAX, and PMIN. For example, a
positive value of 0.1 for ICONT indicates an initial closure factor of 0.1 x depth of the underlying element.
However, a negative value of 0.1 indicates an actual adjustment band of 0.1 units. Contact related settings
(ICONT, FTOLN, PINB, PMAX, PMIN, FKN, FKT, SLTO) are always averaged across all contact elements in
a contact pair.
Figure 3.11: Depth of the Underlying Element (p. 33) shows the depth of the underlying element for a
solid element. If the underlying elements are shell or beam elements, the depth will usually be 4 times
the element thickness. The final contact depth may also be adjusted based on the average contact
length when the shape of the underlying element is relatively thin.
Figure 3.11: Depth of the Underlying Element
Each contact pair has a pair-based depth which is obtained by averaging the depth of each contact
element across all the contact elements in a contact pair. This can avoid the problem of very different
element-based depths when there are meshes with large variations in element sizes.
Note
When the contact pair depth is too small (for example, 10-5), the machine precision may not
guarantee the accuracy of penetration to be calculated. You should scale the length unit in
the model.
3.9.1.2. Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format

For certain real constants, you can define the real constant as a function of primary variables by using
tabular input. Table 3.2: Real Constants and Corresponding Primary Variables for CONTA171-CON-
TA177 (p. 34) lists real constants that allow tabular input and their associated primary variables.
Use the *DIM command to dimension the table and identify the variables. Keep in mind that you should
follow the positive and negative convention for the real constant values. The possible primary variables
used in tabular input are:
Time (TIME)
X location (X) in local/global coordinates
Y location (Y) in local/global coordinates
Z location (Z) in local/global coordinates
Temperature (TEMP degree of freedom)
Contact pressure (PRESSURE); specify positive index values for compression, negative index
values for tension
Geometric contact gap/penetration (GAP); specify positive index values for penetration, negative
index values for an open gap
Note that the primary variables X, Y, and Z represent the coordinates of the contact detection points
at the beginning of solution (undeformed configuration). Coordinate system applicability is determined
by the *DIM command.
When defining the tables, the primary variables must be in ascending order in the table indices (as in
any table array).
When defining real constants via the R, RMORE, or RMODIF command, enclose the table name in %
signs (i.e., %tabname%). For example, given a table named CNREAL3 that contains normal contact
stiffness (FKN) values, you would issue a command similar to the following:
RMODIF,NSET,3,%CNREAL3% ! NSET is the real constant set ID associated with the contact pair
For more information and examples of using table inputs, see TABLE Type Array Parameters in the ANSYS
Parametric Design Language Guide; Applying Loads Using TABLE Type Array Parameters in the Basic
Analysis Guide; and the *DIM command in the Command Reference.
Table 3.2: Real Constants and Corresponding Primary Variables for CONTA171-CONTA177
Real Constants TIME Location TEMP PRESSURE [2] GAP [3] %_CNPROP%
(X,Y,Z) [6]
[1]
Num- Name
ber
3 FKN x x x x [4] x x
9 TAU- x x x x x x
MAX
10 CNOF x x
11 FKOP x x x x x
12 FKT x x x x x x
14 TCC x x x x [5] x x
17 RDVF x x x x x
Real Constants TIME Location TEMP PRESSURE [2] GAP [3] %_CNPROP%
(X,Y,Z) [6]
[1]
19 ECC x x x x [5] x x
26 MCC x x x x x
27 PPCN x x x x x x
31 FDMN x x x x x
32 FDMT x x x x x
35 TBND x x x x x x
1. Coordinates of the contact detection points at the beginning of solution (undeformed configuration).
2. Contact normal pressure via the primary variable PRESSURE. For PRESSURE index values, specify positive
values for compression; negative value for tension.
3. Geometric contact gap/penetration via the primary variable GAP. For GAP index values, specify positive
values for penetration; negative values for an open gap.
4. Contact pressure at the end of the previous iteration, if it exists.
5. When the contact element type does not contain any structural degrees of freedom, the real constants
TCC, ECC, and MCC should not be defined as a function of the contact pressure.
6. See Defining Real Constants via a User Subroutine (p. 35).
3.9.1.3. Defining Real Constants via a User Subroutine

You can write a USERCNPROP.F subroutine to define your own real constants. The real constants that
can be defined via this user subroutine are noted in the real constant table found in each contact element
description.
When defining real constants with the R, RMORE, or RMODIF command, you must use the reserved
table name _CNPROP and enclose it in % signs (%_CNPROP%). When a value field on one of these
commands is set to %_CNPROP%, the program internally calls the user-defined subroutine USERCNPROP.F.
For example, to specify your own normal contact stiffness, FKN, you would issue a command similar to
the following:
RMODIF,NSET,3,%_CNPROP% ! NSET is the real constant set ID associated with the contact pair
If several real constant values are defined via %_CNPROP% for a given contact pair, the subroutine will
be called for each of these real constant entries. Therefore, you can use a single USERCNPROP subroutine
to modify multiple real constant values. For details, see Defining Your Own Real Constant (USERCN-
PROP) (p. 72).
3.9.2. Element KEYOPTS

Each contact element includes several KEYOPTS. We recommend using the default settings, which are
suitable for most contact problems. For some specific applications, you can override the defaults. The
element KEYOPTS allow you to control several aspects of contact behavior.
• Degrees of freedom (KEYOPT(1))
• Contact algorithm (defaults to augmented Lagrangian) (KEYOPT(2))
• Unit control for normal contact stiffness (KEYOPT(3)) of surface-to-surface contact (see the note below
for other meanings of KEYOPT(3))
• Location of contact detection point (KEYOPT(4))
• CNOF Automated adjustment (KEYOPT(5))
• Contact stiffness variation range (KEYOPT(6))
• Time step control and impact constraints (KEYOPT(7))
• Asymmetric contact selection (KEYOPT(8))
• Effect of initial penetration or gap (KEYOPT(9))
• Contact stiffness update (KEYOPT(10))
• Shell thickness effect (KEYOPT(11)) (not applicable to CONTA176 or CONTA177)
• Behavior of contact surface (rough, bonded, etc.) (KEYOPT(12))
• Behavior of fluid penetration load (KEYOPT(14))
• Effect of stabilization damping (KEYOPT(15))
• Squeal damping controls (KEYOPT(16))
Note
KEYOPT(3) has different meanings, depending on the element type and other circumstances:
• For 2-D and 3-D surface-to-surface contact (CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174),
KEYOPT(3) can be used to control the units of the absolute normal contact stiffness (that
is, when a negative value is specified for FKN) under certain conditions. See Using FKN
and FTOLN (p. 39).
• For 2-D surface-to-surface contact (CONTA171, CONTA172), if superelements are present

in the model, KEYOPT(3) specifies the stress state. See Using KEYOPT(3) in a 2-D Analysis
with Superelements (p. 66).
• For node-to-surface contact (CONTA175), line-to-line contact (CONTA176), and line-to-

surface contact (CONTA177), KEYOPT(3) specifies the contact model (force-based or traction-
based).
• For line-to-line contact (CONTA176), KEYOPT(3) also specifies the type of beam-to-beam
contact.
KEYOPT defaults can vary depending on the environment you are working in. The following table
compares the default values between the program, the Contact Wizard, and the ANSYS Workbench.
(See your ANSYS, Inc. sales representative for more information about ANSYS Workbench.) Rows that
are highlighted in bold indicate different behaviors between the environments.
Table 3.3: Summary of KEYOPT Defaults in Different Environments
KEY- Description ANSYS Contact ANSYS Work- ANSYS Work-

OPT Mechan- Wizard bench De- bench, De-
ical AP- fault Linear fault Nonlin-
DL (bonded, no ear (standard,
sep) rough)
1 Selects DOF* Manual Auto Auto Auto
2 Contact Algorithm Aug. Aug. Aug. Lagr. Aug. Lagr.
Lagr. Lagr.
3 Unit control for normal No unit No unit n/a n/a
contact stiffness control control
4 Location of contact detec- gauss gauss gauss gauss
tion point
5 CNOF/ICONT adjustment No ad- No ad- No adjust No adjust
just just
6 Contact stiffnes variation Use de- Use de- Use default Use default
fault fault range range
range range
7 Element level time incre- No con- No con- No control No control
ment control trol trol
8 Asymmetric contact selec- No ac- No ac- No action No action
tion tion tion
9 Effect of initial penetration Include Include Exclude all Include all
or gap all all
10 Contact stiffness update Between Between Between iter- Between itera-
load itera- ations tions
steps tions
11 Beam/shell thickness effect Exclude Exclude Exclude Exclude
12 Behavior of contact sur- Stand- Stand- Bonded n/a
face ard ard
14 Behavior of fluid penetra- Itera- Itera- n/a n/a
tion load tion- tion-
based based
15 Effect of stabilization Active n/a n/a n/a
damping only in
first
load
step
16 Squeal damping controls Damp- n/a n/a n/a
ing scal-
ing
factor
*Manual: Requires user to define.
Auto: Selection is based on DOF of underlying element.

Command(s): KEYOPT, ET
3.9.3. Selecting a Contact Algorithm (KEYOPT(2))

For surface-to-surface contact elements, the program offers several different contact algorithms:
• Penalty method (KEYOPT(2) = 1)
• Augmented Lagrangian (default) (KEYOPT(2) = 0)
• Lagrange multiplier on contact normal and penalty on tangent (KEYOPT(2) = 3)
• Pure Lagrange multiplier on contact normal and tangent (KEYOPT(2) = 4)
• Internal multipoint constraint (MPC) (KEYOPT(2) = 2)
The penalty method uses a contact "spring" to establish a relationship between the two contact surfaces.
The spring stiffness is called the contact stiffness. This method uses the following real constants: FKN
and FKT for all values of KEYOPT(10), plus FTOLN and SLTO if KEYOPT(10) = 2.
The augmented Lagrangian method (which is the default) is an iterative series of penalty methods. The
contact tractions (pressure and frictional stresses) are augmented during equilibrium iterations so that
the final penetration is smaller than the allowable tolerance (FTOLN). Compared to the penalty method,
the augmented Lagrangian method usually leads to better conditioning and is less sensitive to the
magnitude of the contact stiffness. However, in some analyses, the augmented Lagrangian method may
require additional iterations, especially if the deformed mesh becomes too distorted.
The pure Lagrange multiplier method enforces zero penetration when contact is closed and "zero slip"
when sticking contact occurs. The pure Lagrange multiplier method does not require contact stiffness,
FKN and FKT. Instead it requires chattering control parameters, FTOLN and TNOP. This method adds
contact traction to the model as additional degrees of freedom and requires additional iterations to
stabilize contact conditions. It often increases the computational cost compared to the augmented
Lagrangian method.
An alternative algorithm is the Lagrange multiplier method applied on the contact normal and the
penalty method (tangential contact stiffness) on the frictional plane. This method enforces zero penet-
ration and allows a small amount of slip for the sticking contact condition. It requires chattering control
parameters, FTOLN and TNOP, as well as the maximum allowable elastic slip parameter SLTO.
Another method, the internal multipoint constraint (MPC) algorithm, is used in conjunction with bonded
contact (KEYOPT(12) = 5 or 6) and no separation contact (KEYOPT(12) = 4) to model several types of
contact assemblies and kinematic constraints. See Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies (p. 127) for
more information about how to use this feature.
3.9.3.1. Lagrange Multiplier Method Considerations

The Lagrange multiplier methods (KEYOPT(2) = 3, 4) and MPC approach (KEYOPT(2) = 2) do not support
the Gauss point detection option (KEYOPT(4) = 0) for surface-to-surface contact. They support the
nodal detection options for surface-to-surface contact and node-to-surface contact. When using these
options, be careful not to overconstrain the model. The model is overconstrained when a contact node
has prescribed boundary conditions, CE and CP equations. The program usually detects and eliminates
the overconstraints. However, there is no guarantee that the program will eliminate all the cases of
overconstraint. You should always verify your model carefully to address this issue. The Lagrange mul-
tiplier also introduces more degrees of freedom which may result in spurious modes for modal and
linear eigenvalue buckling analyses. The augmented Lagrangian method would be a better choice for
these analysis types.
The Lagrange multiplier methods (KEYOPT(2) = 3, 4) introduce zero diagonal terms in the stiffness
matrix. Any iterative solver (e.g., PCG) will encounter a preconditioning matrix singularity with these
methods. Therefore, you should switch to sparse solver.
If overconstraint occurs in bonded shell-shell assemblies when using the MPC algorithm, you can switch
to the penalty method or the augmented Lagrangian method. See Bonded Contact for Shell-Shell As-
semblies (p. 65) for more information.
For 3-D higher order contact elements (CONTA174), the Lagrange multiplier method is applied at each
contact node (including mid-side nodes), but the penalty method is applied on the center of the contact
elements, even when KEYOPT(2)=3,4 is set.
3.9.4. Determining Contact Stiffness and Allowable Penetration

The following topics related to determining contact stiffness and allowable penetration are available.
3.9.4.2. Using FKN and FTOLN
3.9.4.3. Using FKT and SLTO
3.9.4.4. Additional Considerations for Specifying Contact Stiffness
3.9.4.7. Chattering Control Parameters
For the augmented Lagrangian method and penalty method, normal and tangential contact stiffnesses
are required. The amount of penetration between contact and target surfaces depends on the normal
stiffness. The amount of slip in sticking contact depends on the tangential stiffness. Higher stiffness
values decrease the amount of penetration/slip, but can lead to ill-conditioning of the global stiffness
matrix and to convergence difficulties. Lower stiffness values can lead to a certain amount of penetra-
tion/slip and produce an inaccurate solution. Ideally, you want a high enough stiffness that the penet-
ration/slip is acceptably small, but a low enough stiffness that the problem will be well-behaved in
terms of convergence.
The program provides default values for contact stiffnesses (FKN, FKT), allowable penetration (FTOLN),
and allowable slip (SLTO). In most cases, you do not need to define the contact stiffness. In addition,
we recommend that you use KEYOPT(10) = 2 to allow the program to update the contact stiffness
automatically.
3.9.4.2. Using FKN and FTOLN

For certain contact problems, you may choose to use the real constant FKN to define a normal contact
stiffness factor. The usual factor range is from 0.01 - 1.0, with a default of 1.0. The default value is ap-
propriate for bulk deformation. If bending deformation dominates, we recommend using a smaller value
(0.1). You can also define an absolute normal contact stiffness by specifying a negative value for FKN.
In addition, FKN can be defined as a function of primary variables by using tabular input (i.e., %tab-
name%). The possible primary variables include time, temperature, initial contact detection point location
(at the beginning of solution), contact pressure of the previous iteration (positive PRESSURE index values
indicate compression, negative PRESSURE index values indicate tension), and current geometric penet-
ration (positive GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP index values indicate an open
gap). For more information, see Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining FKN. To use this subroutine, you must
specify the table name %_CNPROP% as the real constant value. For more information, see Defining Real
Constants via a User Subroutine (p. 35).
If you input an absolute normal contact stiffness by specifying a negative value for FKN, you can control
the units by using KEYOPT(3). By default, the units of the user-specified absolute normal contact stiffness
is FORCE/LENGTH3. You can change the units to FORCE/LENGTH by setting KEYOPT(3) = 1. This KEYOPT(3)
= 1 setting is valid only when a penalty-based algorithm is used (KEYOPT(2) = 0 or 1) and the absolute
normal contact stiffness is explicitly specified. Using KEYOPT(3) = 1 is not recommended in conjunction
with nodal detection options (KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2) if any midside nodes exist for the CONTA174 3-D
contact element. (KEYOPT(3) has different meanings in other situations. For more information, see the
description of KEYOPT(3) in Element KEYOPTS (p. 35).)
Note
The default contact normal stiffness is affected by defined material properties, element size,
the user-defined penetration tolerance (FTOLN), and the total number of degrees of freedom
in the model. Many factors may be applied to the actual contact normal stiffness during the
solution. The default contact stiffness listed in the Contact Manager or by the CNCHECK
command may be different from the actual contact stiffness reported by the ETABLE com-
mand. You should check the value reported by ETABLE to confirm that the appropriate
contact normal stiffness is used.
Use real constant FTOLN in conjunction with the augmented Lagrangian method. FTOLN is a tolerance
factor to be applied in the direction of the surface normal. The range for this factor is less than 1.0
(usually less than 0.2), with a default of 0.1, and is based on the depth of the underlying solid, shell, or
beam element (see Figure 3.11: Depth of the Underlying Element (p. 33)). This factor is used to determine
if penetration compatibility is satisfied.
Contact compatibility is satisfied if penetration is within an allowable tolerance (FTOLN times the depth
of underlying elements). The depth is defined by the average depth of each individual contact element
in the pair. If the program detects any penetration larger than this tolerance, the global solution is still
considered unconverged, even though the residual forces and displacement increments have met
convergence criteria. You can also define an absolute allowable penetration by specifying a negative
value for FTOLN. In general, the default contact normal stiffness is inversely proportional to the final
penetration tolerance; the tighter the tolerance, the higher the contact normal stiffness.
When you use real constant FTOLN in conjunction with KEYOPT(10) = 2, the normal contact stiffness
(used for the penalty method and the augmented Lagrange method) will be updated at each iteration
based on the current mean stress of the underlying elements and the allowable tolerance (FTOLN times
the depth of the underlying elements). See also Using KEYOPT(10) (p. 42).
Note
When the contact stiffness is too large (for example, 1016), the machine precision may not
guarantee good conditioning of the global stiffness matrix. In this case, you should scale the
force unit in the model if possible.
Note
FTOLN is also used in the Lagrange multiplier methods (KEYOPT(2) = 3, 4) as a chattering

control parameter.
3.9.4.3. Using FKT and SLTO

The program automatically defines a default tangential contact stiffness that is proportional to MU and
the normal stiffness FKN. The default tangential stiffness corresponds to a default value of FKT = 1.0. A
positive value for FKT is a factor; a negative value indicates an absolute value of tangential stiffness.
For KEYOPT(10) = 2, or when the Lagrange multiplier on normal and penalty on tangent option is used
(KEYOPT(2) = 3), the program updates tangential contact stiffness based on current contact normal
pressure, PRES, and maximum allowable elastic slip, SLTO (KT = FKT*MU* PRES/SLTO). The real constant
SLTO is used to control maximum sliding distance when FKT is updated at each iteration. The program
provides default tolerance values which work well in most cases.
You can override the default values for SLTO (1% of average contact length in pair) by defining a scaling
factor (positive value when using command input) or an absolute value (negative value when using
command input). A larger value will enhance convergence but compromise accuracy. Based on the
tolerance, current normal pressure, and friction coefficient, the tangential contact stiffness FKT can be
obtained automatically. In certain cases users can override FKT by defining a scaling factor (positive
input value) or absolute value (negative input value) (see Positive and Negative Real Constants for more
information).
In addition, FKT can be defined as a function of primary variables by using tabular input (i.e., %tab-
(at the beginning of solution), current contact pressure (positive PRESSURE index values indicate com-
pression, negative PRESSURE index values indicate tension), and current geometric penetration (positive
GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP index values indicate an open gap). For more in-
formation, see Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining FKT. To use this subroutine, you must
3.9.4.4. Additional Considerations for Specifying Contact Stiffness

FKN, FTOLN, FKT, and SLTO can be modified from one load step to another. They can also be adjusted
in a restart run.
Determining a good stiffness value may require some experimentation on your part. To arrive at a good
stiffness value, you can try the following procedure as a "trial run":
1. Use a low value for the contact stiffness to start. In general, it is better to underestimate this value
rather than overestimate it. Penetration problems resulting from a low stiffness are easier to fix than
convergence difficulties that arise from a high stiffness.
2. Run the analysis up to a fraction of the final load (just enough to get the contact fully established).
3. Check the penetration and the number of equilibrium iterations used in each substep. If the global
convergence difficulty is caused by too much penetration (rather than by residual forces and displacement
increments), FKN may be underestimated or FTOLN may be too small. If the global convergence requires
many equilibrium iterations for achieving convergence tolerances of residual forces and displacements
rather than the resulting penetration, FKN or FKT may be overestimated.
4. Adjust FKN, FKT, FTOLN, or SLTO as necessary and run the full analysis. If the penetration control becomes
dominant in the global equilibrium iterations (that is, if more iterations were used to converge the
problem to within the penetration tolerance than to converge the residual forces), you may increase
FTOLN to permit more allowable penetration or increase FKN.
In addition, keep these points in mind when specifying contact stiffness:
• For bonded contact and rough contact, the program uses MU = 1.0 to calculate tangential contact
stiffness. The default tangential contact stiffness is proportional to the normal stiffness when the
contact status is closed or open (near-field). When an absolute value of tangential stiffness is specified
(a negative value input for FKT), the tangential stiffness remains unchanged regardless of the contact
status.
• Generally, the contact stiffness, FKN and FKT, has units of FORCE/LENGTH3. However, for contact
force-based models the contact stiffness has units FORCE/LENGTH. This applies to CONTA175 with
KEYOPT(3) = 0, CONTA176 with KEYOPT(3) = 0 or 1, and CONTA177 with KEYOPT(3) = 0. In addition,
the absolute normal contact stiffness (i.e., a negative value input for FKN) can have units of
FORCE/LENGTH under some circumstances; see Using FKN and FTOLN (p. 39) for more information.

The normal and tangential contact stiffness can be updated during the course of an analysis, either
automatically (due to large strain effects that change the underlying element's stiffness) or explicitly
(by user-specified FKN or FKT values). KEYOPT(10) governs how the normal and tangential contact
stiffness is updated when the augmented Lagrangian or penalty method is used. In most cases we re-
commend that you use KEYOPT(10) = 2 to allow the program to update contact stiffnesses automatically.
The possible settings for KEYOPT(10) are:
• KEYOPT(10) = 0: the contact stiffness will be updated at each load step if FKN or FKT is redefined by the
user. Stiffness and other settings (ICONT, FTOLN, SLTO, PINB, PMAX, and PMIN) are averaged across contact
elements in a contact pair. The default contact stiffness is determined by underlying element depth and
material properties.
• KEYOPT(10) = 2: the normal contact stiffness will be updated at each iteration based on the current mean
stress of the underlying elements and the allowable penetration, FTOLN, except in the very first iteration.
The default normal contact stiffness for the first iteration is the same as described for KEYOPT(10) = 0. If
bisections occur in the beginning of the analysis, the normal contact stiffness will be reduced by a factor
of 0.2 for each bisection. The tangential contact stiffness will be updated at each iteration based on the
current contact pressure, MU, and allowable slip (SLTO).
Note
When a Lagrange multiplier method (KEYOPT(2) = 3, 4) or MPC algorithm (KEYOPT(2) = 2) is

used, KEYOPT(10) is ignored.

The default method of updating normal contact stiffness is suitable for most applications. However, the
variational range of the contact stiffness may not be wide enough to handle certain contact situations.
For example:
• In the case of a very small penetration tolerance (FTOLN), a larger normal contact stiffness is often needed.
• If convergence difficulties are encountered (due to nonlinear materials, localized contact, etc.), a downward
adjustment to stiffness may be helpful.
• To stabilize the initial contact condition and to prevent rigid body motion, a smaller normal contact stiffness
is required.
The allowed contact stiffness variation is intended to enhance stiffness updating when KEYOPT(10) =
2 by calculating an optimal allowable range in stiffness for use in the updating scheme. To increase the
stiffness variational range, set KEYOPT(6) = 1 to make a nominal refinement to the allowable stiffness
range, or KEYOPT(6) = 2 to make an aggressive refinement to the allowable stiffness range.
Use of KEYOPT(6) is not recommended when contact convergence is relatively easy as it might produce
an unnecessary drop in contact stiffness.
3.9.4.7. Chattering Control Parameters

The Lagrange multiplier methods (KEYOPT(2) = 3, 4) do not require contact stiffness, FKN and FKT. Instead
they require chattering control parameters, FTOLN and TNOP, by which the program assumes that the
contact status remains unchanged. FTOLN is the maximum allowable penetration and TNOP is the
maximum allowable tensile contact pressure.
Note
A negative contact pressure occurs when the contact status is closed. A tensile contact
pressure (positive) refers to a separation between the contact surfaces, but not necessarily
an open contact status. However, the sign of the contact pressure is switched during post-
processing.
Note
For contact force-based models, TNOP is the maximum allowable tensile contact force. This
applies to CONTA175 with KEYOPT(3) = 0, CONTA176 with KEYOPT(3) = 0 or 1, and CONTA177
with KEYOPT(3) = 0.
The behavior can be described as follows:
• If the contact status from the previous iteration is open and the current calculated penetration is
smaller than FTOLN, then contact remains open. Otherwise the contact status switches to closed and
another iteration is processed.
• If the contact status from the previous iteration is closed and the current calculated contact pressure
is positive but smaller than TNOP, then contact remains closed. If the tensile contact pressure is larger
than TNOP, then the contact status changes from closed to open and the program continues to the
next iteration.
The program provides reasonable defaults for FTOLN and TNOP. FTOLN defaults to the displacement
convergence tolerance. TNOP defaults to 10% of the force convergence tolerance divided by the contact
area at contact nodes.
When providing values for FTOLN and TNOP:
• A positive value is a scaling factor applied to the default values.
• A negative value is used as an absolute value (which overrides the default).
The objective of FTOLN and TNOP is to provide stability to models which exhibit contact chattering
due to changing contact status. If the values you use for these tolerances are too small, the solution
will require more iterations. If the values are too large, however, the accuracy of the solution will be
affected as a certain amount of penetration or tensile contact force is allowed.
3.9.5. Choosing a Friction Model

The following topics related to choosing a friction model are available:
3.9.5.2. Coefficient of Friction
3.9.5.3. Using TAUMAX, FACT, DC, and COHE
3.9.5.4. Static and Dynamic Friction Coefficients
3.9.5.5. Forced Frictional Sliding Using Velocity Input
In the basic Coulomb friction model, two contacting surfaces can carry shear stresses up to a certain
magnitude across their interface before they start sliding relative to each other. This state is known as
sticking. The Coulomb friction model defines an equivalent shear stress τ, at which sliding on the surface
begins as a fraction of the contact pressure p (τ = µp + COHE, where µ is the friction coefficient and
COHE specifies the cohesion sliding resistance). Once the shear stress is exceeded, the two surfaces will
slide relative to each other. This state is known as sliding. The sticking/sliding calculations determine
when a point transitions from sticking to sliding or vice versa.
As an alternative to the program-supplied friction model, you can define your own friction model with
the USERFRIC subroutine (see Writing Your Own Friction Law (USERFRIC) (p. 75)). Furthermore, you can
define your own contact interaction behavior with the USERINTER subroutine (see Defining Your Own
Contact Interaction (USERINTER) (p. 77)).
For frictionless, rough, and bonded contact, the contact element stiffness matrices are symmetric.
Contact problems involving friction produce unsymmetric stiffnesses. Using an unsymmetric solver is
more computationally expensive than a symmetric solver for each iteration. For this reason, the program
uses a symmetrization algorithm by which most frictional contact problems can be solved using solvers
for symmetric systems. If frictional stresses have a substantial influence on the overall displacement
field and the magnitude of the frictional stresses is highly solution dependent, the symmetric approx-
imation to the stiffness matrix may provide a low rate of convergence. In such cases, choose the unsym-
metric solution option (NROPT,UNSYM) to improve convergence.
3.9.5.2. Coefficient of Friction

The interface coefficient of friction, MU, is used for the Coulomb friction model. You can input MU as
a material property for the contact elements. Use MU = 0 for frictionless contact. For rough or bonded
contact (KEYOPT(12) = 1, 3, 5, or 6; see Selecting Surface Interaction Models), the program assumes in-
finite frictional resistance regardless of the specified value of MU.
MU can have dependence on temperature, time, normal pressure, sliding distance, or sliding relative
velocity. Suitable combinations of up to two fields can be used to define dependency; for example,
temperature only, temperature and sliding distance, or sliding relative velocity and normal pressure. If
the underlying element is a superelement (MATRIX50), the material property set must be the same as
the one used for the original elements that were assembled into the superelement.
Note that if the coefficient of friction is defined as a function of temperature, the program always uses
the contact surface temperature as the primary variable (not the average temperature from the contact
and target surfaces).
The program provides two models for Coulomb friction: isotropic friction (2-D and 3-D contact) and
orthotropic friction (3-D contact). The isotropic friction model is based on a single coefficient of friction,
MU. You can use either TB command input (recommended method) or the MP command to specify
MU. The orthotropic friction model is based on two coefficients of friction, MU1 and MU2. Use TB
command input to specify MU1 and MU2 in two principal directions (see the element descriptions for
CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177 for a description of the principal directions
for each individual element). See Contact Friction in the Material Reference for details on how to specify
the coefficients of friction.
3.9.5.3. Using TAUMAX, FACT, DC, and COHE

The program provides one extension of classical Coulomb friction: real constant TAUMAX is maximum
contact friction with units of stress. This maximum contact friction stress can be introduced so that,
regardless of the magnitude of normal contact pressure, sliding will occur if the friction stress reaches
this value. You typically use TAUMAX when the contact pressure becomes very large (such as in bulk
metal forming processes). TAUMAX defaults to 1.0e20. Empirical data is often the best source for TAUMAX.
σy
Its value may be close to , where σy is the yield stress of the material being deformed.
You have an option to define TAUMAX as a function of primary variables by using tabular input (i.e.,
%tabname%). The possible primary variables include time, temperature, initial contact detection point
location (at the beginning of solution), current contact pressure (positive PRESSURE index values indicate
compression, negative PRESSURE index values indicate tension), and current geometric penetration
(positive GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP index values indicate an open gap). For
more information, see Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining TAUMAX. To use this subroutine, you
must specify the table name %_CNPROP% as the real constant value. For more information, see Defining
Real Constants via a User Subroutine (p. 35).
Another real constant used for the friction law is the cohesion, COHE (default COHE = 0), which has
units of stress. It provides sliding resistance, even with zero normal pressure (see Figure 3.12: Sliding
Contact Resistance (p. 46)).
Figure 3.12: Sliding Contact Resistance
Two other real constants, FACT and DC are involved in specifying static and dynamic friction coefficients,
as described in the next section.
3.9.5.4. Static and Dynamic Friction Coefficients

The coefficient of friction can depend on the relative velocity of the surfaces in contact. Typically, the
static coefficient of friction is higher than the dynamic coefficient of friction.
The program provides the following exponential decay friction model:
µ= × + − − × rel
where:
µ = coefficient of friction.
MU = dynamic coefficient of friction.
FACT = ratio of static to dynamic coefficients of friction. It defaults to the minimum value of
1.0
DC = decay coefficient, which has units of time/length. Therefore, time has some meaning in
a static analysis. DC defaults to zero. When DC is zero, the equation is rewritten to be µ = MU
for the case of sliding and µ = FACT*MU for the case of sticking.
Vrel = slip rate calculated by the program.
For the isotropic friction model, MU is input using the MP command or the TB command as explained
above. For orthotropic friction, MU is the equivalent coefficient of friction computed from MU1 and
MU2 which are specified with TB command input:
µ12 + µ22
µ=
Figure 3.13: Friction Decay (p. 47) shows the exponential decay curve where the static coefficient of
friction is given by:
µs = ×
Figure 3.13: Friction Decay
µ
s
MU
V rel
You can determine the decay coefficient if you know the static and dynamic coefficients of friction and
at least one data point (µ1 ; Vrel1). The equation for friction decay can be rearranged to give:
 µ − 
=− ×ℓ  
rel1  − × 
If you do not specify a decay coefficient and FACT is greater than 1.0, the coefficient of friction will
change suddenly from the static to the dynamic value as soon as contact reaches the sliding state. This
behavior is not recommended because the discontinuity may lead to convergence difficulties.
3.9.5.5. Forced Frictional Sliding Using Velocity Input

In a static analysis, you can model steady-state frictional sliding between two flexible bodies or between
a flexible and a rigid body with different velocities. In this case the sliding velocities no longer follow
the nodal displacements, and they are predefined through the CMROTATE command. This command
sets the velocities on the nodes of the element component as an initial condition at the start of a load
step. The program determines the sliding direction based on the direction of the sliding velocities.
This feature is applicable to 3-D contact (CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175) and is primarily used for
generating sliding contact at frictional contact interfaces in a brake squeal analysis. In this case, the
contact pair elements (either the contact elements or the target elements) on the brake rotor need to
be included in the rotating element component (CM command) that is specified on the CMROTATE
command. We recommend that you include only the contact elements or only the target elements in
the element component.
Velocities defined by CMROTATE will be ignored for the following contact definitions:
Frictionless contact
Rough contact (KEYOPT(12) = 1)
Bonded contact (KEYOPT(12) = 3, 5, 6)
MPC contact (KEYOPT(2) = 2)
Note
You should always verify the sliding direction when the velocities defined by CMROTATE
are applied on nodes that are shared by more than one frictional contact pair. In this situation,
you can redefine any contact elements that have a potentially incorrect sliding direction as
frictionless contact.
The amplitude of the sliding velocity defined by CMROTATE will affect the solution when the friction
coefficient is specified as a function of sliding velocity via the command TB,FRIC, or when static and
dynamic friction is defined via the real constants FACT and DC.
In a complex eigenvalue extraction analysis using the QRDAMP or DAMP methods (see MODOPT), the
effects of squeal damping will contribute to the damping matrix. The squeal damping can be identified
as two parts: destabilizing damping and stabilizing damping.
You can activate destabilizing squeal damping by one of the following methods:
1. Define friction as a function of sliding velocity via the TB,FRIC command.
2. Define static/dynamic friction via real constants FACT and DC.
3. Define a constant friction-sliding velocity gradient via real constant FDMD in conjunction with KEYOPT(16)
= 1.
4. Specify the destabilizing squeal damping coefficient directly (either a positive or negative value) in con-
junction with KEYOPT(16) = 2.
When the destabilizing squeal damping is included by method (1) or (2), you can study its effects by
using FDMD as a scaling factor (KEYOPT(16) = 0); FDMD defaults to 1.0. The program multiplies the in-
ternally calculated destabilizing damping by this factor.
You can specify a constant friction-sliding velocity gradient directly via FDMD by setting KEYOPT(16) =
1. The defined gradient has units of TIME/LENGTH and it is negative in general.
You can also specify the destabilizing squeal damping coefficient directly via FDMD by setting KEYOPT(16)
= 2. The defined damping coefficient has units of MASS/(AREA*TIME) and it is negative in general. In a
linear non-prestressed modal analysis, this is the only way to take the destabilizing squeal damping
effects into account.
The stabilizing squeal damping is deactivated by default. To activate it, you must specify the scaling
factor via the real constant FDMS. FDMS defaults to 0.0. The program multiplies the internally calculated
stabilizing damping by this factor. By setting KEYOPT(16) = 1 or KEYOPT(16) = 2 you can specify the
stabilizing squeal damping coefficient directly via FDMS. The defined damping coefficient has units of
MASS/(AREA*TIME) and it is positive in general. In a linear non-prestressed modal analysis, this is the
only way to take the stabilizing squeal damping effects into account.
If squeal damping is included in a brake squeal modal analysis that uses the QR Damp eigensolver
(MODOPT,QRDAMP command), care should be taken not to generate a damping matrix with large
values (coefficients) relative to the values of the stiffness matrix. The accuracy of the QRDAMP eigen-
solver is based on the assumption that the values in the damping matrix are at least an order of mag-
nitude smaller than the stiffness matrix values. If large squeal damping matrix values are generated in
conjunction with a QRDAMP modal solution, then the QRDAMP eigensolver could produce spurious
zero modes, which can generally be ignored. In this case, the non-zero eigenvalues from the QRDAMP
modal solution are still accurate. It is recommended that you use the DAMP eigensolver (MODOPT,DAMP)
to check the final solution.
3.9.6. Selecting Location of Contact Detection

The following topics related to selecting the location of contact detection are available:
3.9.6.2. Using KEYOPT(4) and TOLS
3.9.6.3. Using the Surface Projection Based Contact Method (KEYOPT(4) = 3)
Contact detection points are located at the integration points of the contact elements which are interior
to the element surface. The contact element is constrained against penetration into the target surface
at its integration points. However, the target surface can, in principle, penetrate through into the contact
surface, see Figure 3.14: Contact Detection Located at Gauss Point (p. 49).
Figure 3.14: Contact Detection Located at Gauss Point
Surface-to-surface contact elements use Gauss integration points as a default, which generally provide
more accurate results than the nodal detection scheme, which uses the nodes themselves as the integ-
ration points. The node-to-surface contact element, CONTA175, the line-to-line contact element, CON-
TA176, and the line-to-surface contact element, CONTA177, always use the nodal detection scheme.
3.9.6.2. Using KEYOPT(4) and TOLS

The nodal detection algorithms require the smoothing of the contact surface (KEYOPT(4) = 1) or the
smoothing of the target surface (KEYOPT(4) = 2), which is quite time consuming. You should use this
option only to deal with corner, point-surface, or edge-surface contact (see Figure 3.15: Contact Detection
Point Location at Nodal Point (p. 50)). KEYOPT(4) = 1 specifies that the contact normal be perpendicular
to the contact surface. KEYOPT(4) = 2 specifies that the contact normal be perpendicular to the target
surface. Use this option (KEYOPT(4) = 2) when the target surface is smoother than the contact surface.
Figure 3.15: Contact Detection Point Location at Nodal Point
Be aware, however, that using nodes as the contact detection points can lead to other convergence
difficulties, such as "node slippage," where the node slips off the edge of the target surface, see Fig-
ure 3.16: Node Slippage Using Nodal Integration KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2 (p. 50). In order to prevent node
slippage, you can use real constant TOLS to extend the target surface when the default setting still
cannot avoid the problem. For most point-to-surface contact problems, we recommend using CONTA175;
see Node-to-Surface Contact (p. 95) later in this guide.
Figure 3.16: Node Slippage Using Nodal Integration KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2
Smoothing is required for nodal detection algorithms, and it is performed by averaging surface normals
connected to the node. As a result, the variation of the surface normal is continuous over the surface,
which leads to a better calculation of friction behavior and a better convergence.
Real constant TOLS is used to add a small tolerance that will internally extend the edge of the target
surface when you define the contact detection at the nodal point (KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2). TOLS is useful
for problems where contact nodes are likely to lie on the edge of targets (as at symmetry planes or for
models generated in a node-to-node contact pattern). In these situations, the contact node may re-
peatedly "slip" off the target surface and go completely out of contact, resulting in convergence difficulties
from oscillations. Units for TOLS are percent (1.0 implies a 1.0% increase in the target edge length). A
small value of TOLS will usually prevent this situation from occurring. The default value is 10 for small
deflection and 2 for large deflection (NLGEOM, ON).
The definition of KEYOPT(4) in node-to-surface contact element CONTA175 is different. KEYOPT(4) = 1

for surface-to-surface contact is equivalent to KEYOPT(4) = 1 for node-to-surface contact. However,
KEYOPT(4) = 2 for surface-to-surface contact is equivalent to KEYOPT(4) = 0 for node-to surface contact.
See KEYOPT(4) (p. 97). For the 3-D line-to-line contact element CONTA176 and the 3-D line-to-surface
contact element CONTA177, KEYOPT(4) is not used to select the location of contact detection, and the
contact normal is always perpendicular to both the contact and target surfaces. For CONTA176 and
CONTA177, KEYOPT(4) is used to specify a surface-based constraint type.
3.9.6.3. Using the Surface Projection Based Contact Method (KEYOPT(4) = 3)

You can define the surface projection contact method by setting KEYOPT(4) = 3 for surface-to-surface
contact elements (CONTA171 through CONTA174). For this method, the contact detection remains at
contact nodal points. This option enforces a contact constraint on an overlapping region of the contact
and target surfaces (see Figure 3.17: Surface Projection Based Contact (p. 51)) rather than on individual
contact nodes (KEYOPT(4) = 1, 2) or Gauss points (KEYOPT(4) = 0). The contact penetration/gap is
computed over the overlapping region in an average sense. The advantages of using this option are
the following:
• In general, it provides more accurate contact tractions and stresses of underlying elements compared
with other KEYOPT(4) settings.
• The results are less sensitive to the designation of the contact and target surface.
• It satisfies moment equilibrium when an offset exists between contact and target surfaces with friction.
• Contact forces do not jump when contact nodes slide off the edge of target surfaces. The real constant
TOLS is not used with this option.
Figure 3.17: Surface Projection Based Contact
Contact element
n
Target element
Initial Element Positions Overlapping Region after

Surface Projection
There are certain disadvantages to using surface projection based contact, as follows:
• This method is computationally more expensive since more nodes are included in each contact con-
straint condition, especially if 3-D higher order contact/target elements are used in the model. This
effect will be more obvious when a modal has a large percentage of contact/target elements, or
when the target elements are much more refined than the contact elements.
• This method calculates the penetration/gap over the contacting area in an average sense. When a
model has corner or edge contact, the averaged penetration/gap could be quite different than the
real geometric penetration observed at contact nodes. In this situation, mesh refinement is usually
required in order to achieve an accurate solution.
Note
The surface projection contact method currently does not support the following:
1. Thermal contact modeled via a “free thermal surface” definition.
2. Rigid surfaces defined by primitive target segments
3. 3-D contact/target elements with partially dropped midside nodes (dropping all midside
nodes is supported)
3.9.7. Adjusting Initial Contact Conditions

The following topics related to adjusting initial contact conditions are available:
3.9.7.2. Using PMIN, PMAX, CNOF, ICONT, STRM. KEYOPT(5), and KEYOPT(9)
Rigid body motion is usually not a problem in dynamic analyses. However, in static analyses, rigid body
motion occurs when a body is not sufficiently restrained. "Zero or negative pivot" warning messages
and impractical, excessively large displacements indicate unconstrained motion in a static analysis.
In simulations where rigid body motions are constrained only by the presence of contact, you must
ensure that the contact pairs are in contact in the initial geometry. In other words, you want to build
your model so that the contact pairs are "just touching." However, you can encounter various problems
in doing so:
• Rigid body profiles are often complicated, making it difficult to determine where the first point of
contact might occur.
• Small gaps between element meshes on both sides of the element pair can be introduced by numer-
ical round-off, even if the solid model is built in an initially-contacting state.
• Small gaps can exist between the integration points of the contact elements and target surface ele-
ments.
• For surface projection based contact, a numerical gap distance can exist even though geometric
penetration is observed at a contact node. This can occur because the numerical distance is obtained
over the overlapping area in an average sense.
For the same reasons, too much initial penetration between target and contact surfaces can occur. In
such cases, the contact elements may overestimate the contact forces, resulting in nonconvergence or
in breaking-away of the components in contact.
The definition of initial contact is perhaps the most important aspect of building a contact analysis
model. Therefore, you should always issue the CNCHECK command before starting the solution to
verify the initial contact status. You may find that you need to adjust the initial contact conditions. The
program offers several ways to adjust the initial contact conditions of a contact pair.
3.9.7.2. Using PMIN, PMAX, CNOF, ICONT, STRM. KEYOPT(5), and KEYOPT(9)
The following techniques can be performed independently or in combinations of one or more at the
beginning of the analysis. They are intended to eliminate small gaps or penetrations caused by numer-
ical round-off due to mesh generation. They are not intended to correct gross errors in either the mesh
or in the geometric data.
1. Use real constant CNOF to specify a contact surface offset.
Specify a positive value to offset the entire contact surface towards the target surface. Use a
negative value to offset the contact surface away from the target surface.
Note
If user-defined values are input for both CNOF and PINB, you must ensure that PINB
is greater than CNOF. Otherwise, CNOF will be ignored. However, if a user-defined
CNOF is input and the PINB value is left at its default value, the PINB value will be
adjusted so that it is larger than the CNOF value, as described in Using PINB.
Note
For the CONTA177 line-to-surface element, CNOF can be used to model thickness
of the underlying beam elements. Input half of the beam thickness for CNOF to
properly model the thickness effects. See Accounting for Thickness Effect (CNOF and
KEYOPT(11)) (p. 107) for more information.
The program can automatically provide the CNOF value to either just close the gap or reduce
initial penetration. Set KEYOPT(5) as follows:
1: Closes the gap
2: Reduces initial penetration
3: Either closes the gap or reduces initial penetration
Tabular input can also be used to define CNOF. The tabular input can be defined as a function
of time and/or initial contact detection point location (at the beginning of solution) in global
or local coordinates. For more information, see Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
As an example of when tabular input may be useful, consider the case of a CAD geometry
based on nominal values. The geometry may lack a slight curvature variation that is important
for analysis purposes. Moving nodes to the actual positions can be a tedious process, yet using
the original geometry and neglecting the slight variation in curvature will result in a different
contacting area. Consequently, use of CNOF as a function of location allows you to easily include
curvature that varies with location without having to modify the original CAD geometry.
2. Use the real constant ICONT to specify a small initial contact closure. This is the depth of an "adjust-
ment band" around the target surface. A positive value for ICONT indicates a scaling factor relative
to the depth of the underlying elements. A negative value indicates an absolute contact closure
value. The value of ICONT defaults to zero if KEYOPT(5) = 0, 1, 2, or 3. (The ICONT default is different
when KEYOPT(12) = 6 for bonded-initial contact; see Selecting Surface Interaction Models (p. 62)
for more information). If KEYOPT(5) = 4, the program provides a small (but meaningful) value for
ICONT according to the geometric dimensions, and prints a warning message stating what value
was assigned. Any contact detection points that fall within this adjustment band are internally shifted
to be on the target surface (see Figure 3.18: Contact Surface Adjustment With ICONT (p. 54)(a)). Only
a very small correction is suggested; otherwise, severe discontinuity may occur (see Figure (b)).
The difference between CNOF and ICONT is that the former shifts the entire contact surface
with the distance value CNOF, the latter moves all initially open contact points which are inside
of adjustment band ICONT onto the target surface.
Figure 3.18: Contact Surface Adjustment With ICONT
(a) before adjustment
Contact
Surface
arget Surface
I ONT

(b) after adjustment
Potential Contact
discontinuity Surface
arget Surface
3. Use real constants PMIN and PMAX to specify an initial allowable penetration range. When either
PMAX or PMIN is specified, the program brings the target surface into a state of initial contact at
the beginning of the analysis (see Figure 3.19: Contact Surface Adjustment (PMIN, PMAX) (p. 55)). If
the initial penetration is larger than PMAX, the program adjusts the target surface to reduce penet-
ration. If the initial penetration is smaller than PMIN (and within the pinball region), the program
adjusts the target surface to ensure initial contact. Initial adjustment for contact status is performed
only in translational modes.
Such adjustment of initial contact status will be performed for a rigid target surface that has
either prescribed loads or displacements. Similarly, a target surface that has no boundary con-
ditions specified may also be adjusted for initial contact.
When all the target surface nodes have a prescribed value of zero, the initial adjustment using
PMAX and PMIN will not be performed.
The program treats applicable degrees of freedom for target surface nodes independently. For
example, if you specify the UX degree of freedom to be "zero," then no initial adjustment is
possible along the X direction. However, the PMAX and PMIN options will still be activated in
the Y and Z directions.
The initial status adjustment is an iterative process. The program uses a maximum of 20 iterations.
If the target surface cannot be brought into an acceptable penetration range (i.e., in the range
of PMIN to PMAX), the analysis proceeds with the original geometry. The program issues a
warning message in such circumstances, and you may need to manually adjust your initial
geometry.
Figure 3.20: A Scenario in Which Initial Adjustment Will Fail (p. 56) illustrates a problem in which
initial contact adjustment iteration will fail. The UY degree of freedom for the target has been
restrained. Therefore, the only possible adjustment for initial contact is in the X direction.
However, in this problem, any movement of the rigid target surface in the X direction will not
establish initial contact.
For flexible-to-flexible contact, this technique not only moves the entire target surface but also
moves the whole deformable body which attaches to the target surface. Make sure there is no
other contact surface or target surface connecting with the deformable body.
Figure 3.19: Contact Surface Adjustment (PMIN, PMAX)
Figure 3.20: A Scenario in Which Initial Adjustment Will Fail
4. Set KEYOPT(9) to adjust initial penetration or gap; see Figure 3.21: Ignoring Initial Penetration, KEY-
OPT(9) = 1 (p. 58).
True initial penetration includes two parts:
• Penetration or gap due to geometry
• Penetration or gap due to user-defined contact surface offset (CNOF).

See Figure 3.22: Components of True Penetration (p. 58).
Keep in mind that the effects of KEYOPT(9) are dependent on settings for other KEYOPTs. The
indicated initial gap effect is considered only if KEYOPT(12) = 4 or 5 (no separation always or
bonded always).
KEYOPT(9) offers the following settings for adjusting initial penetration or gap:
• To include initial penetration or gap from both geometry and contact surface offset, set
KEYOPT(9) = 0. This is the default.
• To ignore initial penetration or gap from both geometry and contact surface offset, set KEY-
OPT(9) = 1.
• To include the defined contact surface offset (CNOF) but ignore the initial penetration or gap
due to geometry, set KEYOPT(9) = 3.
• Set KEYOPT(9) = 5 to include the defined contact surface offset (CNOF) but ignore the initial
penetration due to geometry. Even when KEYOPT(12) is not set to 4 or 5, this setting for
KEYOPT(9) will also ignore the initial force in open-gap springs as long as contact is detected
within the pinball region.
For problems such as an interference fit, over-penetration is expected. These problems often
have convergence difficulties if the initial penetration is step-applied in the first load step. You
may overcome convergence difficulties by ramping the initial penetration over the first load
step, see Figure 3.23: Ramping Initial Interference (p. 59). The following KEYOPT(9) settings
provide ramping capabilities:
• To ramp the total initial penetration or gap (CNOF + the offset due to geometry), set KEYOPT(9)
= 2.
• To ramp the defined contact surface penetration or gap (CNOF), but ignore the penetration
or gap due to geometry, set KEYOPT(9) = 4.
• Set KEYOPT(9) = 6 to ramp the defined contact offset (CNOF) but ignore the initial penetration
due to geometry. . Even when KEYOPT(12) is not set to 4 or 5, this setting for KEYOPT(9) will
also ignore the initial force in open-gap springs as long as contact is detected within the
pinball region.
For the above KEYOPT(9) settings, you should also set KBC,0 and not specify any external loads
in the first load step. In addition, make sure that the pinball region is big enough to capture
the initial interference.
By default, the ramping options are active only within the first load step. However, you may
have a situation where there are multiple interference fits that you want to model sequentially
(that is, the interference present in each contact pair will be resolved in different load steps).
You can define the load step number in which the ramping option will take place for a given
contact pair by using the real constant STRM. For example, you may want to perform a different
loading in load step 1, then resolve an interference fit in load step 2 for one contact pair, and
finally resolve an interference fit in load step 3 for another contact pair. To accomplish this, you
would set STRM = 2 for the first contact pair and set STRM = 3 for the second contact pair. Note
that contact will still be active prior to the load step specified by the STRM real constant.
You can use the above techniques in conjunction with each other. For example, you may wish to set
a very precise initial penetration or gap, but the initial coordinates of the finite element nodes may not
be able to provide sufficient precision. To accomplish this, you could:
1. Use CNOF to specify a penetration (positive value) or gap (negative value).
2. Use KEYOPT(9) = 5 to resolve the initial penetration in the first substep (or KEYOPT(9) = 6 to
gradually resolve the initial penetration).
Figure 3.21: Ignoring Initial Penetration, KEYOPT(9) = 1
Figure 3.22: Components of True Penetration
Figure 3.23: Ramping Initial Interference
The program provides a printout (in the output window or file or via the CNCHECK) of the model's
initial contact state for each target surface at the beginning of the analysis. This information is helpful
for determining the maximum penetration or minimum gap for each target surface.
If no contact is detected for a specific target surface, the program issues a warning. This occurs when
the target surface is far from contact (i.e., outside of the pinball region), or when the contact/target
elements have been killed.
See Positive and Negative Real Constants for more information on these real constants.
3.9.8. Physically Moving Contact Nodes Towards the Target Surface

You can adjust the initial contact status in order to close the gap by doing one of the following:
(a) Define an initial contact adjustment via real constant ICONT. (ICONT may change the shape of
the contact detection surface.)
(b) Define a contact offset via real constant CNOF. (CNOF does not change the shape of the contact
detection surface.)
(c) Ignore the penetration by setting KEYOPT(9) = 1. (KEYOPT(9) = 1 does change the shape of the
contact detection surface.)
However, these adjustment methods do not truly change the physical locations of contact nodes; rather,
the contact detection locations are adjusted.
The initial adjustment due to (a) is applied only once in the beginning of the contact analysis, where
each contact detection point within the ICONT range is made to be in initial contact with the target
surface. The contact adjustments due to (b) and (c) offset the entire contact detection surface to close
any gap that is present. In doing so, methods (b) and (c) introduce a "rigid region" between the contact
and target surfaces during the entire analysis, which can cause a certain amount of residual force if a
large rotation appears at the contact surface. This problem can be alleviated by issuing the
CNCHECK,ADJUST command, which physically moves contact nodes towards the target surface under
the following circumstances:
• Only when using the nodal detection option (KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2), or when using CONTA175 or CONTA177,
or when using CONTA176 with KEYOPT(3) = 0 (parallel beams).
• Initially open contact nodes inside the ICONT zone.
• Initially penetrated nodes with KEYOPT(9) = 1.
After issuing the CNCHECK,ADJUST command, the coordinates of the nodes that have been moved are
modified as shown in Figure 3.24: Effect of Moving Contact Nodes (p. 60). You can change other contact
related settings in PREP7 (for example, set KEYOPT(4) = 0 to use the Gauss detection option) and save
the Jobname.DB file. Issuing the SAVE command before issuing the CNCHECK,ADJUST command is
recommended in order to resume the Jobname.DB file with the original contact configuration.
For those contact pairs whose contact nodes you do not wish to physically move towards target surface,
do not define KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2.
Figure 3.24: Effect of Moving Contact Nodes
3.9.9. Determining Contact Status and the Pinball Region

The following topics related to determining contact status and the pinball region are available:
3.9.9.2. Using PINB
The position and motion of a contact element relative to its associated target surface determines the
contact element status. The program monitors each contact element and assigns a status:
• STAT = 0 Open far-field contact (open and not near contact)
• STAT = 1 Open near-field contact
• STAT = 2 Sliding contact
• STAT = 3 Sticking contact
A contact element is considered to be in near-field contact when its integration points (Gauss points
or nodal points) are within a code-calculated (or user-defined) distance to the corresponding target
surface. This distance is referred to as the pinball region. The pinball region is a circle (in 2-D) or a sphere
(in 3-D) centered about the Gauss point.
3.9.9.2. Using PINB

Use real constant PINB to specify a scaling factor (positive value for PINB when using command input)
or absolute value (negative value for PINB when using command input) for the pinball region. You can
specify PINB to have any value. By default, and assuming that large deflection effects apply (NLGEOM,ON),
the program defines the pinball region as a circle for 2-D or a sphere for 3-D of radius 4*depth (if rigid-
to-flexible contact) or 2*depth (if flexible-to-flexible contact) of the underlying element. (See the discus-
sion of element depth in Positive and Negative Real Constant Values (p. 33).) If you include no large-
deflection effects (NLGEOM,OFF), the default pinball region is half that of the large-deflection case. (For
the no-separation (KEYOPT(12) = 4) and bonded-always (KEYOPT(12) = 5 options, the PINB default is
different than described here. See Selecting Surface Interaction Models (p. 62) for more information.)
Note
If you input a value for real constant CNOF (contact surface offset) and the default PINB value
(as described above) is less than the absolute value of CNOF, the default for PINB will be set
to the absolute value of (1.1*CNOF).
The computational cost of searching for contact depends on the size of the pinball region. Far-field
contact (open and not near contact) element calculations are simple and add little computational de-
mands. The near-field calculations (for contact elements that are nearly or actually in contact) are slower
and more complex. The most complex calculations occur once the elements are in actual contact.
Setting a proper pinball region is useful to overcome spurious contact definitions if the target surface
has several convex regions. However, the default setting should be appropriate for most contact problems.
Note
The program will warn you when there is an abrupt change in status (for example, from far-
field to closed) during a contact analysis. This may indicate that the substep increment is
too large, or possibly (but not likely) that the pinball value (PINB) is too small.
See Positive and Negative Real Constants for more information on this real constant.
3.9.10. Avoiding Spurious Contact in Self Contact Problems

In some cases of self contact, the program may erroneously assume contact between a contact and
target surface that are in very close geometrical position as shown below.
Figure 3.25: Auto Spurious Prevention
Location where
spurious contact
Contact normal most likely occurs
Target normal
The program alerts you when it first detects spurious contact in each load step. If the program encounters
such contact on the first load step, you'll see the following error message:
Contact element x has too much penetration related to target element y. We
assume it (may be more elements) is spurious contact.
If the program encounters an abrupt change in contact that it classifies as spurious contact, you'll see
the following message:
Contact element x status changed abruptly with target element y. We assume
it (may be more elements) is spurious contact.
The program issues such messages only once per load step. It does not notify you of additional cases
of spurious contact that were ignored during the load step.
3.9.11. Selecting Surface Interaction Models

The following topics related to selecting surface interaction models are available:
3.9.11.3. Using FKOP
3.9.11.4. Using TBND
3.9.11.5. Bonded Contact for Shell-Shell Assemblies
The surface-to-surface contact elements support normal unilateral contact models as well as other
mechanical surface interaction models.
As an alternative to the program-supplied contact interactions, you can define your own interfacial
model with the USERINTER subroutine (see User-Defined Subroutines for Contact Interfacial Behavi-
ors (p. 71)).

Use KEYOPT(12) to model different contact surface behaviors.
• KEYOPT(12) = 0 models standard unilateral contact; that is, normal pressure equals zero if separation
occurs.
• KEYOPT(12) = 1 models perfectly rough frictional contact where there is no sliding. This case corres-
ponds to an infinite friction coefficient and ignores the material property MU.
• KEYOPT(12) = 2 models no separation contact, in which the target and contact surfaces are tied (al-
though sliding is permitted) for the remainder of the analysis once contact is established.
• KEYOPT(12) = 3 models "bonded" contact, in which the target and contact surfaces are bonded in all
directions (once contact is established) for the remainder of the analysis.
• KEYOPT(12) = 4 models no separation contact, in which contact detection points that are either initially
inside the pinball region or that once involve contact always attach to the target surface along the
normal direction to the contact surface (sliding is permitted).
• KEYOPT(12) = 5 models bonded contact, in which contact detection points that are either initially
inside the pinball region or that once involve contact always attach to the target surface along the
normal and tangent directions to the contact surface (fully bonded).
• KEYOPT(12) = 6 models bonded contact, in which the contact detection points that are initially in a
closed state will remain attached to the target surface and the contact detection points that are initially
in an open state will remain open throughout the analysis.
For all types of bonded contact (KEYOPT(12) = 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), separation of contact can be modeled
using the debonding feature. For more information, see Debonding (p. 161).
For the no-separation option (KEYOPT(12) = 4) and the bonded-always option (KEYOPT(12) = 5), a relat-
ively small PINB value (pinball region) may be used to prevent any false contact. For these KEYOPT(12)
settings, the default for PINB is 0.25 (25% of the contact depth) for small deformation analysis
(NLGEOM,OFF) and 0.5 (50% of the contact depth) for large deformation analysis (NLGEOM,ON). (The
default PINB value may differ from what is described here if CNOF is input. See Using PINB (p. 61) for
more information.)
For the bonded-initial option (KEYOPT(12) = 6), a relatively large ICONT value (initial contact closure)
may be used to capture the contact. For this KEYOPT(12) setting, the default for ICONT is 0.05 (5% of
the contact depth) when KEYOPT(5) = 0 or 4.
See Positive and Negative Real Constants for more information on the real constants mentioned above.
Note
For bonded contact definitions (KEYOPT(12) = 5 or 6), if the contact is not in a “just touching”
position, you may find that no zero modes appear for free vibration. To avoid this issue, use
the MPC approach instead of other contact algorithms.
3.9.11.3. Using FKOP

Real constant FKOP is the stiffness factor applied when contact opens. FKOP is only used for no separ-
ation or bonded contact (KEYOPT(12) = 2 through 6). If FKOP is input as a scaling factor (positive value
for command input), the true contact opening stiffness equals FKOP times the contact stiffness applied
when contact closes. If FKOP is input as an absolute value (negative value for command input), the
value is applied as an absolute contact opening stiffness. The default FKOP value is 1.
In addition, FKOP can be defined as a function of primary variables by using tabular input (i.e., %tab-
(at the beginning of solution), and current geometric gap distance (positive GAP index values indicate
penetration, negative GAP index values indicate an open gap). For more information, see Defining Real
Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining FKOP. To use this subroutine, you must
No separation and bonded contact generate a "pull-back" force when contact opening occurs, and that
force may not completely prevent separation. To reduce separation, define a larger value for FKOP. Also,
in some cases separation is expected while connection between the contacting surfaces is required to
prevent rigid body motion. In such instances, you can specify a small value for FKOP to maintain the
connection between the contact surfaces (this is a "weak spring" effect).
For bonded contact, the default contact opening stiffness is affected by the normal contact stiffness.
However, the tangential stiffness remains unchanged when an absolute value of tangential stiffness (a
negative value input for FKT) is specified, regardless of the contact status or the value of FKOP.
3.9.11.4. Using TBND

In most welding processes, after the materials around contacting surfaces exceed a critical temperature,
the surfaces start to melt and bond with each other. To model this, you can specify the critical temper-
ature using real constant TBND; as soon as the temperature at the contact surface (Tc) for closed contact
exceeds this melting temperature, the contact will change to “bonded.” The contact status will remain
bonded for the rest of analysis, even if the temperature subsequently decreases below the critical value.
The contact surface temperature Tc is obtained either from a coupled thermal-structural solution in
which the TEMP degree of freedom is present or from a temperature body load applied to a model
having structural degrees of freedom only.
In addition, TBND can be defined as a function of primary variables by using tabular input (i.e., %tab-
(at the beginning of solution), current contact pressure (positive PRESSURE index values indicate com-
pression, negative PRESSURE index values indicate tension), and current geometric penetration (positive
GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP index values indicate an open gap). For more in-
formation, see Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining TBND. To use this subroutine, you must
When defining TBND via tabular input or the user subroutine, the TBND real constant should be defined
as a bonding state other than the critical temperature: as soon as the value of TBND returned from the
table definition or from the user subroutine is equal to or larger than 1.0, the contact is changed to
“bonded.” The contact status will remain bonded for the rest of the analysis, even if the TBND value
obtained from the table or the user subroutine subsequently falls below 1.0.
3.9.11.5. Bonded Contact for Shell-Shell Assemblies

The bonded contact options (KEYOPT(12) = 5 or 6) can be used with the MPC approach (KEYOPT(2) =
2) to model various types of assemblies (see Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies (p. 127)). When this
method is used to model shell-shell assemblies, there may be cases where the MPC approach causes
the model to be overconstrained. To alleviate this problem, you can use a penalty-based method for
shell-shell assemblies. Using the penalty-based method constrains rotational DOFs in addition to
translational DOFs. This capability is available for contact elements CONTA173, CONTA174, and CONTA175
in conjunction with TARGE170.
To use this method, first set KEYOPT(2) = 0 or 1 (augmented Lagrangian or penalty function) and KEY-
OPT(12) = 5 or 6 (bonded always or bonded initial contact) in the contact elements. Setting KEYOPT(5)
= 2 (shell-shell constraint) for the target elements will cause this penalty-based method to be used.
The penalty stiffness used for rotational DOFs is equal to (contact stiffness used for translational DOFs)
* (contact length). The contact stiffness for translational DOFs is input by real constant FKN, or defaults
to an internal value. The contact length is always calculated internally and it is printed in the output
file. The figure below shows the difference in using a conventional penalty-based shell-shell assembly
and this method.
Figure 3.26: Penalty-Based Shell-Shell Assembly
Note
In the case of a penalty-based shell-shell assembly, spurious rotational energy exists if there
are gaps or penetrations between the contact and target surfaces. This can affect the accuracy
of the solution. In this case it is recommended that you use a shell-solid constraint type by
setting KEYOPT(5) = 3, 4, or 5 on the target element, which requires use of the MPC algorithm
(KEYOPT(2) = 2 on the contact element).
3.9.12. Modeling Contact with Superelements

The following topics related to modeling contact with superelements are available:
3.9.12.2. Using KEYOPT(3) in a 2-D Analysis with Superelements
The surface-to-surface contact elements can model a rigid body (or one linear elastic body) contacting
another linear elastic body undergoing small motions. These elastic bodies can be modeled using su-
perelements, which greatly reduces the number of degrees of freedom involved in the contact iteration.
Remember that any contact or target nodes must be either all master nodes of the superelements or
all slave nodes of the superelements. When the contact pair is built in original elements used to generate
superelements, the contact status will not change from its initial status.
Because the superelement consists only of a group of retained nodal degrees of freedom, it has no
surface geometry on which the program can define a contact and target surface. Therefore, the contact
and target surface must be defined on the surface of the original elements before they are assembled
into a superelement. Information taken from the superelement includes nodal connection and assembly
stiffness, but no material property or stress states (whether axisymmetric, plane stress, or plane strain).
One restriction is that the material property set used for the contact elements must be the same as the
one used for the original elements before they were assembled into superelements.
3.9.12.2. Using KEYOPT(3) in a 2-D Analysis with Superelements

Use KEYOPT(3) to provide information for a 2-D analysis with superelements. In elements CONTA171
and CONTA172, the options are as follows:
• No superelement used (KEYOPT(3) = 0)
• Axisymmetric, use with superelements only (KEYOPT(3) = 1)
• Plane strain or plane stress with unit thickness, use with superelements only (KEYOPT(3) = 2)
• Plane stress with thickness input, use with superelements only (KEYOPT(3) = 3). Note that for this
case, use real constant R2 to specify the thickness.
In a 3-D contact analysis (CONTA173, CONTA174), KEYOPT(3) is not used to specify the stress state when
superelements are present. The program automatically detects whether the underlying element is a
superelement.
For 2-D and 3-D analyses without superelements, KEYOPT(3) of the contact elements can be used to
control the units of normal contact stiffness in some circumstances. Note that when superelements are
present, normal contact stiffness always has the units FORCE/LENGTH3.
Note
KEYOPT(3) has different meanings in other situations. For more information, see the description
of KEYOPT(3) in Element KEYOPTS (p. 35).
3.9.13. Applying Contact Stabilization Damping

The following topics related to applying contact stabilization damping are available:
3.9.13.2. Using FDMN, FDMT, and KEYOPT(15)
3.9.13.3. Checking Results After Applying Contact Stabilization
Rigid body motion often occurs in the beginning of an analysis due to the fact that the initial contact
condition is not well established. The causes may include:
• Small gaps between element meshes on both sides of the element pair can be introduced by numerical
round-off, even if the solid model is built in an initially-contacting state.
• Small gaps can exist between the integration points of the contact elements and target surface elements.
• For surface projection based contact, a numerical gap distance can exist even though geometric penetration
is observed at a contact node. This can occur because the numerical distance is obtained over the over-
lapping area in an average sense.
For standard contact (KEYOPT(12) = 0) or rough contact (KEYOPT(12) = 1), you can use real constants
FDMN and FDMT to define contact damping scaling factors along contact normal and tangential direc-
tions. The primary goal of this contact stabilization technique is to damp relative motions between the
contact and target surfaces for open contact. It provides a certain amount of resistance to reduce the
risk of rigid body motion.
The damping forces are calculated by:

dn = ∫ ∗ n∗ c
dt =∫ ∗ t∗ c
where Vn and Vt are the relative velocities along the normal and tangential directions, and Ac is the
area domain of the contact surface. The units of the damping coefficients of FDMN and FDMT are
FORCE/(AREA*VELOCITY). For the contact force-based model (used by CONTA175, CONTA176, and
CONTA177), the units are FORCE/VELOCITY.
The specified damping coefficients should be large enough to prevent rigid body motion, but small
enough to insure a solution. The ideal values are fully dependent on the specific problem, the time of
the load step, and the number of substeps.
3.9.13.2. Using FDMN, FDMT, and KEYOPT(15)

The program computes the damping coefficients internally based on several factors:
• Contact stiffness
• Pinball radius
• Gap distance
• Number of substeps
• Size of time increment for the current substep
In general, contact stabilization damping should only be used for preventing rigid body motion when
other initial contact adjustment techniques are not efficient or not suitable for a particular situation.
Therefore, contact stabilization is deactivated by default.
As an exception, however, the automatic contact stabilization technique will be enabled if all of the
following conditions are encountered:
1. Gauss point based contact (KEYOPT(4) = 0) or surface projection based contact (KEYOPT(4) = 3) is
used.
2. The entire contact pair is in open status.
3. A geometric penetration is detected at any contact nodal point, despite condition 2 above.
Without this automatic contact stabilization, rigid body motion may occur. If you wish to deactivate
automatic contact stabilization, you can simply set KEYOPT(15) = 1.
You can activate contact stabilization damping manually by specifying real constants FDMN and FDMT.
Use a positive value of FDMN to specify a damping scaling factor in the normal direction. FDMN defaults
to 1.0. You can overwrite the internal normal damping coefficient by specifying a negative value. The
units of the damping coefficient are FORCE/(AREA*VELOCITY). For the contact force-based model (used
by CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177), the units are FORCE/VELOCITY.
Use a positive value of FDMT to specify a damping scaling factor in the tangential direction. The tan-
gential contact damping is activated only when the normal damping is activated. FDMT defaults to
0.001. You can overwrite the internally calculated tangential damping coefficient by specifying a user
defined value (use a negative value for command input). The units of the damping coefficient are
FORCE/(AREA*VELOCITY). For the contact force-based model (used by CONTA175, CONTA176, and
CONTA177), the units are FORCE/VELOCITY.
Both FDMN and FDMT can be defined as a function of primary variables by using tabular input (i.e.,
%tabname%). The possible primary variables include time, temperature, initial contact detection point
location (at the beginning of solution), and current geometric gap distance (positive GAP index values
indicate penetration, negative GAP index values indicate an open gap). For more information, see De-
fining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining FDMN and FDMT. To use this subroutine,
you must specify the table name %_CNPROP% as the real constant value. For more information, see
Defining Real Constants via a User Subroutine (p. 35).
The contact stabilization damping is activated if all of the following conditions are met:
• Standard contact (KEYOPT(12) = 0) or rough contact (KEYOPT(12) = 1)
• Contact status is near-field
• The first load step, unless KEYOPT(15) = 2 or 3
• The entire contact pair has an open contact status in the previous substep, unless KEYOPT(15) = 3
When KEYOPT(15) = 0, 1, or 2, stabilization damping will not be applied in the current substep if any
contact detection point had a closed status in the previous substep. However, when KEYOPT(15) = 3,
stabilization damping is always applied as long as the current contact status is near-field, regardless of
the contact status of the previous substep.
3.9.13.3. Checking Results After Applying Contact Stabilization

Stabilization can alleviate convergence problems, but it can also affect solution accuracy if the applied
stabilization energy or damping forces are too large. In most cases, the program automatically activates
and deactivates contact stabilization damping and estimates reasonable damping forces. However, it
is good practice to check the stabilization energy and forces to determine whether or not they are ex-
cessive.
The contact stabilization energy (accessed via the AENE label on the ETABLE command) should be
compared to element potential energy. The energies can be output in the Jobname.OUT file (via the
OUTPR command). You can also access the energies as follows:
• In POST1 via PRENERGY, PRESOL, PLESOL, and ETABLE commands.
• In POST26 via ENERSOL and ESOL commands.
If the contact stabilization energy is much less than the potential energy (for example, within a 1.0
percent tolerance), the results should be acceptable and there should be no need to check the stabiliz-
ation forces or tractions further.
You can check the contact pair based damping tractions (maximum normal damping pressure and
maximum tangential damping stress) via the NLHIST and NLDIAG commands. If the maximum damping
tractions are much smaller than the maximum contact pressures (for example, within a 0.5 percent
tolerance), the results are still acceptable.
3.9.14. Accounting for Thickness Effect

The following topics related to thickness effects are available:
You can account for the thickness of shells (2-D and 3-D) and beams (2-D) using KEYOPT(11). (This does
not apply to 3-D beam-to-beam contact.) For rigid-to-flexible contact, the program automatically shifts
the contact surface to the bottom or top of the shell/beam surface. For flexible-to-flexible contact, the
program automatically shifts both the contact and target surfaces which are attached to shell/beam
elements. By default, the program does not account for the element thickness, and beams and shells
are discretized at their mid-surface in which penetration distance is calculated from the mid-surface.

When you set KEYOPT(11) = 1 to account for beam or shell thickness, the contact distance is calculated
from either the top or the bottom surface as specified previously in Steps in a Contact Analysis (p. 11).
Note
Only use KEYOPT(11) = 1 to account for thickness when you have shell or beam elements
with nodes located at the middle surface.
When building your model geometry, if you are going to account for thickness, remember the offsets
which may come from either the contact surface or target surface or from both. When you specify a
contact offset (CNOF) along with setting KEYOPT(11) = 1, it is defined from the top or bottom of the
shell/beam, not the mid-surface. When used with SHELL181, SHELL208, SHELL209, SHELL281, or EL-
BOW290, changes in thickness during deformation are also taken into account.
Note that KEYOPT(11) is not used with the line-to-line contact element (CONTA176). For the line-to-
surface contact element (CONTA177) KEYOPT(11) is only used for shell elements on the target side.
Note
For shell and beam contact, the penetration and gap distances are always measured from
the midsurface of the shell or beam element. Any defined offset of the shell or beam element
is ignored by the contact elements.
3.9.15. Using Time Step Control and Impact Constraints

The following topics concerning time step control and impact constraints are available:
Time step control is an automatic time stepping feature that predicts when the status of a contact
element will change and cuts the current time step back.
Impact constraints are used in a transient dynamic analysis to satisfy the momentum and energy balance
at the contact and target interface. See Dynamic Contact and Impact Modeling (p. 145) for more inform-
ation.

Use KEYOPT(7) = 0, 1, 2, or 3 to control time stepping, where KEYOPT(7) = 0 provides no control (the
default), and KEYOPT(7) = 3 provides the most control.
• KEYOPT(7) = 0: No control. The time step size is unaffected by the prediction. This setting is appropriate
for most analyses when automatic time stepping is activated and a small time step size is allowed.
• KEYOPT(7) = 1: Time step size is bisected if too much penetration occurs during an iteration, or if the
contact status changes dramatically.
• KEYOPT(7) = 2: Predict a reasonable increment for the next substep.
• KEYOPT(7) = 3: Predict a minimal time increment for the next substep.
Use KEYOPT(7) = 4 to activate impact constraints.
• KEYOPT(7) = 4: Use impact constraints for standard or rough contact (KEYOPT(12) = 0 or 1) in a transient
dynamic analysis with automatic adjustment of the time increment.
3.9.16. Using the Birth and Death Option

The surface-to-surface contact and target elements allow birth and death. The elements can be removed
for part of an analysis and then reactivated for a later stage. This feature is useful for modeling complex
metal forming processes where multiple rigid target surfaces need to interact with the contact surface
at different stages of the analysis. Springback modeling often requires removing the rigid tools at the
end of the forming processes. This option cannot be used with "no separation" or bonded contact.
User-Defined Subroutines for Contact Interfacial Behaviors
3.10. User-Defined Subroutines for Contact Interfacial Behaviors

Three user subroutines are available for modifying or monitoring contact elements (CONTA171 to
CONTA178):
• USERCNPROP.F - Allows you to perform a user-defined operation on real constants based upon your
own nonlinear function
• USERFRIC.F - Allows you to write your own friction laws
• USERINTER.F - Allows you to write your own contact interaction behaviors
The user subroutines are called for each contact detection point of active contact pairs in each iteration
during the solution. The input to these user subroutines includes the current and previous contact
status, contact stresses, normal penetration/gap, tangential slip increments, and temperatures at the
contact detection point and the corresponding interacting point on the target surface.
You can specify the number of extra state variables (NSTV) to be saved for the user subroutines via the
NSVR command. The maximum number of extra state variables should not exceed 840. The total
number of integration points of an element (nintp) is a supplied input argument for the subroutines.
Therefore, the number of additional state variables per integration point is NSTV/nintp.
Use the USEROU subroutine to store user-supplied element outputs in the non-summable miscellaneous
(NMISC) record. You must enter the USRCAL command in order to activate the USEROU subroutine.
The maximum number of user-defined output items cannot exceed 120 and should be less than or
equal to NSTV on the NSVR command. The number of NMISC records can be obtained by this function
call: etyiqr(ITYPE,-110).
Keep the following points in mind when using any of these subroutines to define contact interfacial
behaviors:
• The user subroutines USERCNPROP, USERFRIC, and USERINTER all modify the contact behavior, so
only a single subroutine should be used for a given contact pair. However, you can use all three
subroutines in a single model as long as each subroutine acts on a unique contact pair.
• In order to implement the USERFRIC or USERINTER subroutine in your model, you must define related
properties via the TB family of commands and assign the associated material ID to the contact ele-
ments. See Writing Your Own Friction Law (USERFRIC) and Defining Your Own Contact Interaction
(USERINTER) for more information.
• The use of USERFRIC or USERINTER overrides the behavior of program-supplied interfacial features
(for example, debonding defined via the TB,CZM command, impact constraints defined by KEYOPT(7)
= 4, surface interaction models defined by KEYOPT(12)). Therefore, you must take care if behaviors
implemented by such features are desired. In this case, you must program the desired behavior into
the USERFRIC or USERINTER subroutine instead of relying on program input.
• The user subroutines USERFRIC and USERINTER should not be used if the fast thermal transient solver
option (THOPT,QUASI) is being used.
• You can use the /UPF command in batch mode to link user subroutines into ANSYS. The /UPF com-
mand method cannot be used when the program is run in interactive mode.
For more information on the /UPF command and other methods of implementing user subroutines,
see Compiling and Linking UPFs on Linux Systems and Compiling and Linking UPFs on Windows Systems
in the Guide to User-Programmable Features.
3.10.1. Defining Your Own Real Constant (USERCNPROP)

The USERCNPROP subroutine allows you to define your own contact properties via real constants. For
example, you can define a nonlinear contact pressure-penetration relationship instead of utilizing a
linear one (that is, using a constant contact stiffness). The contact stiffness can be varied due to pressure,
penetration, temperature, and your own state variables.
The real constants that can be defined via this user subroutine are noted in the real constant table
found in each contact element description (CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175,
CONTA176, CONTA177, and CONTA178).
Some of the most commonly used input and output arguments for USERCNPROP are discussed below.
For a complete list of input and output arguments, see the description of USERCNPROP in the Guide to
User-Programmable Features.
When defining user-defined real constants with the R, RMORE, or RMODIF command, you must use
the ANSYS reserved table name _CNPROP and enclose it in % signs (%_CNPROP%). When a value field
in one of these commands is set to %_CNPROP%, the program internally calls the USERCNPROP sub-
routine. For example, to specify your own normal contact stiffness, FKN, you would issue a command
similar to the following:
RMODIF,NSET,3,%_CNPROP% ! NSET is the real constant set ID associated with the contact pair
You can define the real constant as a function of certain input arguments as described in the following
table:
USERCNPROP Description
Input Argu-
ment
kstat Contact status
stress(1) Tangential stress in direction 1
stress(3) Contact normal pressure (positive value for compression;
negative value for tension)
stress(4) Heat flux flowing into contact surface
stress(5) Heat flux flowing into target surface
stress(6) Electric current density flowing from contact surface to
target surface
Certain passed-in arguments such as contact status (kstat), contact pressure (stress(3)), and tangential
stresses (stress(1) and stress(2)) are not current (that is, from the current iteration) for real constants
FKN, TAUMAX, CNOF, FKOP, FKT, PPCN. FDMN, FDMT. In this case, the values from the previous iteration
are used instead. However, the contact status, contact pressure, and tangential stresses are current for
all non-structural related real constants (such as TCC, ECC, MCC, RDVF).
Other input arguments include those listed in the following table. These arguments are all current.
USERCNPROP Description
Input Argu-
ment
strain(1) Tangential slip increment in direction 1
strain(2) Tangential slip increment in direction 2
strain(3) Normal penetration/gap (positive value represents penetra-
tion, negative value represents gap)
strain(4) Temperature at the contact detection point
strain(5) Temperature at the target point
strain(6) Voltage at the contact point
strain(7) Voltage at the target point
strain0(i) Array variable containing the above values at the end of
the previous substep
intIn(1) to in- Integer values such as element number, analysis type, and
tIn(21) so on
realIn(1) to real- Real values such as contact element length, pinball radius,
In(12) and so on
Real constants can be defined in the time or frequency domain, depending on the analysis type. For
static and transient analyses, the input argument realIn(7) represents the current time value. For har-
monic analysis, realIn(7) represents the current frequency value.
You can also define your real constants as a function of extra solution-dependent state variables. The
extra state variables can be updated and used within the user subroutine. Use the NSVR command to
specify the number of extra state variables that need to be saved for the USERCNPROP subroutine, as
described in the table of input/output arguments shown below.
USERCNPROP Description Notes

Input/Output
Argument
usvr User-defined state variables Use the NSVR command to size the usvr array
and to set nuval to the same value as the number
of variables on NSVR. This array is passed in as
the values at the beginning of the substep. If any
of the solution-dependent state variables are be-
ing used for the user-defined interaction behavior,
they must be updated to the values at the end
of the substep (when kupdhis = 1).
keyerr Element level error key Key to indicate if there are any element for-
mulation errors such as abrupt changes in
contact status or too much penetration. The
error could be caused by an incremental step
that is too large or an illegal model.
= 0, no error (preset value before

calling)
= 1, error(s) occurred

Input/Output
Argument
The program decides to stop the analysis or
cutback the substep (bi-section) based on
other user input and information at a higher
level.
The user subroutine passes in the position of the real constant in the real constant table (kcnprop), and
you need to return the value of the relevant real constant, cnprop(1). If the real constant is a function
of contact gap/penetration, contact pressure, or temperature, you can also return the associated deriv-
atives as described in the following table:

Output Argu-
ment
cnprop(1) Updated value of the real constant
cnprop(2) Derivative of the real constant with For example, the thermal conductance TCC can
respect to the gap function be defined as a function of geometric penetra-
tion/gap (positive value for penetration, negative
value for gap). If the real constant is not a func-
tion of gap, you simply return cnprop(2) = 0.0.
cnprop(3) Derivative of the real constant with For example, the thermal conductance TCC can
respect to contact pressure be defined as a function of contact pressure
(positive value for compression, negative value
for tension). If the real constant is not a function
of pressure, you simply return cnprop(3) = 0.0.
cnprop(4) Derivative of the real constant with If the real constant is not a function of temperat-
respect to temperature at the con- ure at the contact point, you simply return cn-
tact detection point prop(4) = 0.0.
cnprop(5) Derivative of the real constant with If the real constant is not a function of temperat-
respect to temperature at the target ure at the target, you simply return cnprop(5) =
0.0.
The subroutine can be called multiple times for a contact detection point during each iteration, based
on how many real constants are defined through the label %_CNPROP%. Be careful to define the correct
position of the user-defined variables (usvr) during each call. Otherwise, the previously defined variables
could be overwritten during subsequent access to the subroutine within an iteration.
You can preassign the contact pair ID (RID in the example below) to a parameter (‘PAIRID’ in the example
below) and then call subroutine PAREVL inside of USERCNPROP to get the contact pair ID. Follow the
example below as a template for using this function inside of USERCNPROP:
cName = 'PAIRID'
subc(1) = 0.0d0
call parevl(cName,0,subc(1),2,RID,string,kerr)
In this way, one unified USERCNPROP routine can handle contact properties not only for different real
constants, but also for different contact pairs.
3.10.2. Writing Your Own Friction Law (USERFRIC)

The USERFRIC subroutine allows you to program your own friction model for 2-D and 3-D contact ele-
ments (CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, CONTA177, and CONTA178)
when the existing program-supplied friction models are not adequate. The frictional stresses can be
defined as a function of variables such as slip increments, sliding rate, temperature, and other input
arguments. You can specify a number of properties or constants associated with your friction model,
and you can introduce extra solution-dependent state variables that can be updated and used within
the subroutine.
Some of the most commonly used input and output arguments for USERFRIC are discussed below. For
a complete list of input and output arguments, see the description of USERFRIC in the Guide to User-
Programmable Features.
After writing a USERFRIC subroutine to program your friction model, you incorporate the model in your
analysis by using the TB,FRIC command with TBOPT = USER and specifying the friction properties on
the TBDATA command, as shown below. The number of friction properties is defined through NPTS
on the TB,FRIC command.
TB,FRIC,1,,2,USER ! Activate user defined friction model; NPTS = 2
TBDATA,1,PROP1,PROP2 ! Define friction properties
Field variables specified with the TBFIELD command are not available for TB,FRIC,,,,USER.
Use the NSVR command to specify the number of extra state variables that need to be saved for the
USERFRIC subroutine.
Use the USEROU subroutine to store user-supplied element outputs in non-summable miscellaneous
(NMISC) records. You must enter the USRCAL command in order to activate the USEROU subroutine.
The maximum number of user-defined output items should not exceed the number of user-defined
state variables.
The USERFRIC subroutine is called at the contact detection point when the contact is closed.
Some of the input arguments are described in the following table:
USERFRIC In- Description Notes

put Argument
dslip(ncomp) Slip increment for the current sub-
set
pres Current normal contact pressure
(positive value for compression;
negative value for tension)
tau(ncomp) Frictional stress component at the The passed-in values include the contribution
beginning of the substep. from Lagrange multipliers if the Lagrange multi-
plier method (KEYOPT(2) = 4) is specified.
kn Current normal contact stiffness
kt Tangential contact stiffness You can use the passed-in values for computing
the frictional stresses. However, you can also pick
a suitable value that allows minimal tangential
elastic slip during sticking without adversely af-
fecting the convergence. A possible choice could

put Argument
be kt = mu*kn. For the Lagrange multiplier
method (KEYOPT(2) = 4), you should use a small
kt (several orders of magnitude smaller than
mu*pres).
tcont Current temperature at the contact
point
ttarg Current temperature at the target
point
uprop(npropu) User-defined frictional properties
defined through the TB,FRIC com-
mand
kupdhis Key to indicate if history-dependent kupdhis = 1: update (converged)
variables (user-defined) need to be kupdhis = 0: do not update (not con-
updated after the substep has converged)
verged
Some of the input/output arguments are described in the following table:

put/Output
Argument
kstat Contact status: You can make decisions about the sticking/sliding
condition based on the slip increments and the
far-field (kstat = 0) updated frictional stresses.
near-field (kstat = 1)
sliding (kstat = 2)
sticking (kstat = 3)
tau(ncomp) Updated frictional stress This is passed in as the values of the frictional
stress component at the beginning of the substep
and must be updated to the values at the end of
the substep. The passed-in values include the
contribution from Lagrange multipliers, if the
Lagrange multiplier method (KEYOPT(2) = 4) is
defined. In the user subroutine, you can define
the friction stresses as a function of slip increment
(dslip), normal contact pressure (pres), and other
input arguments or user-defined state variables.
slip(ncomp) Total accumulated slip This is the accumulated value of dslip from the
previous substeps.
mu Friction coefficient This is passed in as the value at the beginning of
the current substep. It is updated to be the value
at the end of the current substep.
You must define the following output arguments:
USERFRIC Description Notes

Output Argu-
ment
dt(i,j) Partial derivative of frictional The partial derivative of frictional stresses with
stresses and normal pressure with respect to the temperatures dt(1,4), dt(1,5), dt(2,4),
respect to the slip increments, nor- and dt(2,5) can be used only for coupled thermal-
mal gap distance, and temperatures structural and coupled thermal-electrical-structural
analyses in which the frictional stresses are
defined as a function of the surface temperatures.
dtdp(ncomp) Partial derivative of frictional This contributes to the element stiffness matrix
stresses with respect to the normal when a Lagrange multiplier method (KEYOPT(2)=
pressure 3 or 4) is used.
usvr(nuval) User-defined state variables Use the NSVR command to size the usvr array
ing used for the user-defined friction behavior,
fdiss Incremental frictional dissipation The units are energy per unit area. For purely
structural analysis, this argument is used for out-
put only and has no effect on the solution. In
coupled thermal-structural and coupled thermal-
electrical-structural analyses, the dissipation is
converted into heat.
elener Incremental elastic stored energy This argument is used for output only and has no
density effect on the solution.
3.10.3. Defining Your Own Contact Interaction (USERINTER)

As an alternative to the USERFRIC subroutine that allows for user-defined frictional behavior, subroutine
USERINTER is available for defining complex interactions between contacting surfaces, including inter-
actions in the normal and tangential directions, and coupled-field interactions.
You can write a USERINTER subroutine to program your own contact interactions for 2-D and 3-D contact
elements (CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, CONTA177, and
CONTA178) when the existing interaction models are not adequate. The contact normal stress, tangential
stress, and heat flux can be defined as a function of variables such as slip increment, sliding rate, tem-
perature, and other input arguments. You can specify a number of properties or constants associated
with your interaction model, and you can introduce extra solution-dependent state variables that can
be updated and used within the subroutine.
Some of the most commonly used input and output arguments for USERINTER are discussed below.
For a complete list of input and output arguments, see the description of USERINTER in the Guide to
User-Programmable Features.
After writing a USERINTER subroutine to program your interaction model, you incorporate the model
in your analysis by using the command TB,INTER with TBOPT = USER and specifying the interaction
properties on the TBDATA command as shown below. The number of interaction properties is defined
through NPTS on the TB,INTER command.
TB,INTER,1,,2,USER ! Activate user defined contact interaction; NPTS = 2

TBDATA,1,PROP1,PROP2 ! Define interaction properties
Field variables specified with the TBFIELD command are not available for TB,INTER,,,,USER.
Use the NSVR command to specify the number of extra state variables that need to be saved for the
USERINTER subroutine.
Use the USEROU subroutine to store user-supplied element outputs in non-summable miscellaneous
(NMISC) records. You must enter the USRCAL command in order to activate the USEROU subroutine.
The maximum number of user-defined output items should not exceed the number of user-defined
state variables.
The USERINTER subroutine is called at each contact detection point in each iteration.
In a structural analysis, you must define the current stresses. In a coupled thermal-structural analysis or
a coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis, you must also define the heat flux and electric current
density, respectively, across the interface for the current time. The interaction calculation is based on
(a) the relative motion between the contact detection point and the associated intersecting target point,
(b) temperatures, and (c) user-defined state variables. The state variables can be used and updated
within this subroutine. You must also define the material tangent modulus (interface stiffness matrix)
to ensure proper convergence behavior.
If effects of contact damping are taken into account, you need to define the interface damping matrix.
The interface damping matrix can be used in a complex modal analysis, a full transient structural ana-
lysis, or a harmonic analysis at a given frequency.
Some of the input arguments are described in the following table:
USERINTER In- Description Notes

put Argument
dslip(ncomp) Current strain component
strain(1) Slip increment in direction 1 Mechanical component.
strain(2) Slip increment in direction 2 (3-d Mechanical component.
only)
strain(3) Contact normal penetration/gap Mechanical component.
(positive value represents penetra-
tion, negative value represents gap)
strain(4) Temperature at the contact detec- This argument is generally used for coupled
tion point thermal-structural or thermal-electric-structural
analysis. The temperature components strain(4)
and strain(5) can also be used for a structural
analysis as long as it is defined through temperat-
ure loadings.
strain(5) Temperature at the target intersect- This argument is generally used for coupled
ing point thermal-structural or thermal-electric-structural
analysis. The temperature components strain(4)
and strain(5) can also be used for a structural
analysis as long as they are defined through
temperature loadings.
strain(6) Voltage difference between contact This argument is used for coupled thermal-elec-
and target tric-structural analysis.

put Argument
uprop(npropu) User-defined interfacial properties
(defined through the TB,INTER
command)
kupdhis Key to indicate if history-dependent kupdhis = 1: update (converged)
variables (user-defined) need to be kupdhis = 0: do not update (not con-
updated after the substep has converged)
verged
intIn(1) to in- Integer values such as element
tIn(20) number, analysis type, and so on
realIn(1) to Real values such as contact element
realIn(14) length, pinball radius, and so on
The USERINTER subroutine can be used in the time or frequency domain, depending on the analysis
type. For static and transient analyses, the input argument realIn(7) represents the current time value.
For harmonic analysis, the input argument realIn(7) represents the current frequency value.
Some of the input/output arguments are described in the following table:

put/Output
Argument
kstat Contact status: You can make decisions about the contact status
based on the relative position of the contact de-
far-field (kstat = 0) tection point with respect to the target surface,
near-field (kstat = 1) the slip increments, and other state variables.
sliding (kstat = 2)
sticking (kstat = 3)
stress(1) Tangential stress in direction 1 The passed-in values include the contribution
from Lagrange multipliers if the pure Lagrange
multiplier method (KEYOPT(2) = 4) is specified.
stress(2) Tangential stress in direction 2 (3-D The passed-in values include the contribution
only) from Lagrange multipliers if the pure Lagrange
multiplier method (KEYOPT(2) = 4) is specified.
stress(3) Contact normal pressure (positive The passed-in values include the contribution
value for compression, negative from Lagrange multipliers if a Lagrange multiplier
value for tension) method (KEYOPT(2) = 3 or 4) is specified.
stress(4) Heat flux (per area) flowing into the Defined for a coupled thermal-structural or a
contact surface (positive value is thermal-electric-structural analysis.
heat flowing out of the surface;
negative value is heat flowing into
the surface)
stress(5) Heat flux (per area) flowing into the Defined for a coupled thermal-structural or a
target surface (positive value is heat thermal-electric-structural analysis.
flowing out of the surface; negative
value is heat flowing into the sur-
face)

put/Output
Argument
stress(6) Electric current density (per area) Defined for a coupled thermal-electric-structural
flowing from contact to target ele- analysis.
ment (positive value is current
flowing from contact surface to
target surface; negative value is
current flowing from target surface
to contact surface)
usvr(nuval) User-defined state variables Use the NSVR command to size the usvr array
ing used for the user-defined interaction behavior,
mu Friction coefficient This is passed in as the value at the beginning of
the current substep. It is updated to be the value
at the end of the current substep.
keycnv Element level convergence Key to flag if this element satisfies the user
defined element convergence criterion.
= 1, yes, the criterion is satisfied or

there is no criterionl (preset value
before calling)
= 0, no, the element does not satisfy
the element convergence criterion.
If this is the case, the iteration will
not converge but will continue, even
when both force and displacement
converge.
You must define the following output arguments:
USERINTER Description Notes

Output Argu-
ment
dt(ncomp,ncomp)Partial derivative of the ith stress Terms dt(i,,j) (i > 3 or j > 3) are only used for a
component with respect to the jth coupled thermal-structural or a coupled thermal-
component of the relative strain electrical-structural analysis in which the stress
increment array to ensure proper component is a function of the surface temperat-
convergence behaviors ures/voltage or the flux is a function of mechan-
ical strain increments (gap/slip).
dtdp(ncomp) Partial derivative of the frictional This argument contributes to the element stiffness
stresses with respect to the normal matrix when a Lagrange multiplier method (KEY-
pressure OPT(2)= 3 or 4) is used.
damp(3,3) Interface damping matrix (structure This argument contributes to the element damp-
only) ing matrix.
USERINTER Description Notes

Output Argu-
ment
fdiss Incremental frictional dissipation The units are energy per unit area. For purely
structural analysis, this argument is used for out-
put only and has no effect on the solution. In
coupled thermal-structural and coupled thermal-
electrical-structural analyses, the dissipation is
converted into heat.
elener Incremental elastic stored energy This argument is used for output only and has no
density effect on the solution.
keyerr Element level error key Key to indicate if there are any element for-
mulation errors such as abrupt changes in
contact status or too much penetration. The
error could be caused by an incremental step
that is too large or an illegal model.
= 0, no error (preset value before

calling)
= 1, error(s) occurred
The program decides to stop the analysis or

cutback the substep (bi-section) based on
other user input and information at a higher
level.
When using a Lagrange multiplier method for normal constraint (KEYOPT(2) = 3 or 4), you should pick
a very small normal contact stiffness, kn (several orders of magnitude smaller than the contact pressure).
The passed-in normal pressure (stress(3)) includes the contribution from the normal Lagrange multiplier.
When using the Lagrange multiplier method for tangential constraint (KEYOPT(2) = 4), you should pick
a very small tangential contact stiffness, kt (several orders of magnitude smaller than mu*pressure). The
passed-in tangential stresses (stress(1), stress(2)) include the contributions from the tangential Lagrange
multipliers.
Use the following example as a template to activate the user subroutines.
You can preassign the contact pair ID (RID in the example below) to a parameter (‘PAIRID’ in the example
below) and then call subroutine PAREVL inside of USERINTER to get the contact pair ID. Follow the ex-
ample below as a template for using this function inside of USERINTER:
cName = 'PAIRID'
subc(1) = 0.0d0
call parevl(cName,0,subc(1),2,RID,string,kerr)
In this way, one unified USERINTER routine can handle different interactions based on contact pair ID.
Example 3.1: Using the /UPF Command to Link USERINTER

! The /UPF command offers the simplest method for linking
! user-programmable features into ANSYS.
! It cannot be used when ANSYS is run in interactive mode
!
/UPF,userinter.F
/UPF,userou.F
/prep7
…
!
! define contact type
!
ITYPE = 4
et,ITYPE,172
!
!Define user interactions
!
TB,INTER,1, ,1,USER
tbdata,1,0.42 ! define friction coefficient.
!Additional saved variables

! The size of this array is:
! no of variables(nuval)* no of integration points(nintp).
!
nsvr,ITYPE,5*2
…
/solu
…
!
! Activate user subroutine userou
!
usrcal,userou
solve
/post1
…
! output additional state variables
!
! You can find the maximum number of NMISC for contact elements by
! issuing the following function call
!
maxnmisc=etyiqr(ITYPE,-110)
etab,MU1,NMISC,maxnmisc+1
etab,AASR1,NMISC,maxnmisc+2
etab,AASS1,NMISC,maxnmisc+3
etab,RASR1,NMISC,maxnmisc+4
etab,RASS1,NMISC,maxnmisc+5
etab,MU2,NMISC,maxnmisc+6
etab,AASR2,NMISC,maxnmisc+7
etab,AASS2,NMISC,maxnmisc+8
etab,RASR2,NMISC,maxnmisc+9
etab,RASS2,NMISC,maxnmisc+10
!
! Output the user defined variables
!
pretab,MU1,AASR1,AASS1,RASR1,RASS1
pretab,MU2,AASR2,AASS2,RASR2,RASS2
3.11. Controlling the Motion of the Rigid Target Surface

Rigid target surfaces are defined in their original configuration, and the motion of the entire surface is
then defined by the motion on the pilot node (or the different nodes of the target surface if no pilot
node was defined).
You must use a pilot node in any of the following situations to control the boundary conditions (and
motion) of the entire target surface:
• The target surface is subjected to applied forces.
Controlling the Motion of the Rigid Target Surface
• The target surface is subjected to rotations.
• The target surface is connected to other elements (e.g., structural mass element MASS21).
• The motion of the target surface is adjusted by the equilibrium condition.
• When modelling surface-based constraints or a rigid body.
The degrees of freedom of the pilot node represent the motion of the entire rigid surface, including
two translational and one rotational degree of freedom in 2-D, and three translational and three rota-
tional degrees of freedom in 3-D. You can apply boundary conditions (displacement, initial velocity),
concentrated loads, rotations, etc. to the pilot node. To account for a rigid body's mass, define a mass
element (MASS21) on the pilot node. You can also define a follower element (FOLLW201) on the pilot
node; the element-specified external forces and moments will follow the motion of the pilot node.
By default, KEYOPT(2) = 0 for the target element, the program checks the boundary conditions for each
target surface. If all of the following conditions are met, then the program treats the target nodes along
the respective degree of freedom as fixed:
• There are no explicit boundary conditions or prescribed forces for target surface nodes.
• Target surface nodes are not connected to other elements.
• Neither constraint equations nor node coupling have been used to constrain such nodes.
At the end of each load step, the program releases the constraint conditions that were set internally.
The constraint conditions stored in the results file (Jobname.RST) and the database file (Jobname.DB)
may be updated due to this change. You should carefully verify whether the current constraint conditions
are expected before restarting an analysis or resolving the problem in interactive mode.
If you wish, you can control the constraint conditions of target nodes by setting KEYOPT(2) = 1 in the
target element definition.
Keep in mind the following restrictions on the target surface when using a pilot node:
• Each target surface can have only one pilot node.
• The pilot node can be one of the nodes on the target elements or a node at any arbitrary location.
However, it should not be a node on the contact element. The location of the pilot node becomes
important only when rotations or moments are to be applied. For each pilot node, the program
automaticallys define an internal node and an internal constraint equation. The rotational DOF of the
pilot node is connected to the translational DOF of the internal node by the internal constraint
equation. Generally, you should not apply external constraint equations (CE) or node coupling (CP)
to the pilot node.
• The program ignores all boundary conditions on all nodes other than the pilot node when KEYOPT(2)
= 0 (default) for the target elements.
• When KEYOPT(2) = 0 (default), only the pilot node can connect to other elements.
• By setting KEYOPT(2) = 1 for the target elements, you can apply boundary conditions on any rigid
target nodes rather than only on the pilot node. In this case, it is your responsibility to make sure
the rigid target surface is not under-constrained or over-constrained. It is still recommended that you
apply all boundary conditions on the pilot node, even when KEYOPT(2) = 1.
Note
For flexible-to-flexible contact, no special boundary conditions treatment is performed, and

KEYOPT(2) = 0 should be used.
3.12. Applying Necessary Boundary Conditions to the Deformable Ele-

ments
You can apply any necessary boundary conditions as you would for any analysis. For more information
about applying boundary conditions, see the appropriate analysis descriptions in the Structural Analysis
Guide.
3.13. Applying Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loads

Pressure-penetration loads can simulate surrounding fluid or air penetrating into the contact interface,
based on the contact status. You can apply pressure-penetration loads to flexible-to-flexible or rigid-to-
flexible contact pairs. 2-D and 3-D surface-to-surface contact elements (CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173,
CONTA174) support pressure-penetration loading.
Fluid pressure can penetrate into the contact interface from one or multiple locations. The fluid pressure-
penetration load has a path dependent nature. The penetrating path can propagate and vary, and it
will be determined iteratively. At the beginning of each iteration, the program first detects starting
points which are exposed to the fluid pressure. Among the starting points, the program then finds fluid
penetrating points where the contact status is open or lost, or where the contact pressure is smaller
than the user defined pressure-penetration criterion. When a contact detection point has a contact
condition of “penetrating,” it is subjected to the fluid pressure, and its nearest neighboring nodes are
considered to be the starting points which are exposed to the fluid pressure as well.
The fluid pressure will not be applied to an area having a contact status of open unless the edges/ends
of the area belong to the starting points.
Figure 3.27: Path Dependent Fluid Penetration Loading
Fluid pressure is applied
Starting Point
Applying Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loads
The fluid pressure starts to penetrate into the interface between contact and target surfaces from the
penetrating points. The fluid penetration can be cut off when contact between the surfaces is reestab-
lished or when contact pressure is larger than the fluid penetration criterion.
To model fluid penetration loads, you need to specify the following quantities:
• fluid pressure
• fluid penetration starting points
• fluid penetration criterion
• fluid penetration acting time
An example analysis showing how to apply fluid penetrating loading is presented in Appendix A (p. 171).
3.13.1. Applying Fluid Penetration Pressure

The fluid pressure must be applied to contact and target elements using the SFE command:
SFE,ELEM,1,PRES,,VAL1,VAL2,VAL3,VAL4
The pressure is applied only on the corner nodes of the contact and target elements. The pressure on
the midside nodes of CONTA172, CONTA174, TARGE169, and TARGE170 will be averaged using the
pressures of two adjacent corner nodes. VAL3 and VAL4 are not used for 2-D contact and target ele-
ments.
Pressure value VALi, which is applied to the ith node (where i = 1, 2, 3, 4 indicates node I, J, K, L, re-
spectively) of the contact or target element, can be a constant numerical value or a table name. If it is
constant, the magnitude of pressure will be step-applied or ramped based on the KBC command setting.
To specify a table, enclose the table name in percent signs (i.e., %tabname%). Use the *DIM command
to define the table. Only one table can be specified, and it must be specified in the VAL1 position;
tables specified in the VAL2, VAL3, and VAL4 positions will be ignored.
The fluid pressure-penetration load will be automatically applied to the penetrating points on contact
and target surfaces based on the contact status.
By default (KEYOPT(14) = 0 on the contact element), the fluid pressure-penetration load varies during
iterations based on the current contact status. In certain cases, the default can cause an unstable con-
vergence pattern since the contact status and the resulting applied fluid penetration load keep changing
during iterations.
When KEYOPT(14) = 1, the fluid pressure-penetration load will be applied to the contact and target
elements at the beginning of each substep and will remain constant over that substep even if the
contact status keeps changing during iterations. Small increments are often needed to obtain accurate
results.
Keep the following points in mind when defining fluid penetration loads:
• For flexible-to-flexible contact with a symmetric contact pair definition (including a self-contact pair), you
should apply the fluid pressure only to the contact elements.
• For flexible-to-flexible contact with an asymmetric contact pair definition, you should generally apply
fluid pressure on both contact and target elements which are currently or will potentially be exposed to
the surrounding fluid. The program ignores fluid penetration loads applied to a target surface if there are
no fluid penetration loads applied to the associated contact surface within the contact pair. When the
fluid pressures are applied to both contact and target elements, the program has to identify the penetration
paths for both the contact surface and the target surface. The iterative process of determining the penet-
ration path on the target surface is very time-consuming, particularly for 3-D contact models. Use a sym-
metric contact pair definition, therefore, as it does not require the specification of fluid penetration pressure
on the target surface.
• For rigid-to-flexible contact, you should apply the fluid pressure only to the contact elements. The program
automatically applies equivalent forces to the rigid target surface to balance out the applied pressure on
the contact surface. Fluid pressure applied to the rigid target surface will be ignored.
• For situations in which multiple contact pairs are defined on the same surface, contact elements may
overlap each other. In this case, be careful to apply the fluid penetration pressure only once in areas where
contact elements overlap.
• The fluid penetration pressure can only be applied to the contact and target elements using the SFE
command. Other pressure load commands (SF, SFL, SFA) can not be used. In addition, you should not
apply the pressure on the underlying elements.
• The program ignores any fluid penetration pressures applied to MPC based contact pairs.
• The effects of pressure load stiffness are automatically included. If an unsymmetric matrix is needed to
achieve convergence for pressure load stiffness effects, issue the NROPT,UNSYM command.
3.13.2. Specifying Fluid Penetration Starting Points

When a fluid pressure-penetration load is applied, the fluid pressure penetrates to the surface from
defined starting points. There can be one or multiple starting points. The program automatically finds
the default starting points by selecting free end points of 2-D contact/target surfaces or nodes of free
open edges on 3-D contact/target surfaces ("free" meaning that the element is not fully surrounded by
adjacent elements; see figure below).
Figure 3.28: Free End Points (2-D) and Free Open Edges (3-D)
Free End Points

Contact Surface
Contact Surface
Free Open Edge

Target Surface
Target Surface
Free End Points
2D contact: Free End Point 3D contact: Free Open Edge
The starting points are initially exposed to the fluid and are potentially subjected to the penetration
pressure. There are no default starting points if the contact or target surface is continuous with a closed
loop. The default starting points can be overwritten using the SFE command. You can specify starting
points, specify penetrating points, and remove the default starting points with the SFE command and
STAi values, as described below. Be sure to set LKEY = 2 on the SFE command in order to specify the
STAi settings. The command format is:
SFE,ELEM,2,PRES,,STA1,STA2,STA3,STA4
STAi = The program determines whether the ith node is a starting point based on the contact status.
0 (de- The ith node can be a default starting point if the node is a 2-D free point or is on a 3-D free
fault) edge.
STAi = The ith node is the starting point which is initially exposed to the fluid. It can be a penetrating
1 point if the initial contact status is "open." The node may no-longer be the starting point
when the contact status changes during the deformation process.
STAi = The ith node is a penetrating point. The node is always subjected to the fluid pressure in spite
2 of any contact status change.
STAi = The ith node will not be a default starting point even though it belongs to a 2-D free point
-1 or a 3-D free edge node.
Note
If only STA1 is specified and the other STAi values are blank, STA2, STA3, and STA4 will
default to STA1.
3.13.3. Specifying a Pressure-Penetration Criterion

You can specify a pressure-penetration criterion using the contact element real constant PPCN. When
the contact pressure is less than the criterion, the starting point turns into the penetrating point; that
is, fluid pressure starts to penetrate. Thus, a higher criterion value will allow the fluid to penetrate more
easily. When the contact pressure is greater than the criterion, the penetrating point returns back to
the starting point; that is, fluid penetration is cut off. By default, the penetration criterion (PPCN) is zero.
In this case the fluid penetration occurs only when the contact is open, and the cutoff of fluid penetration
occurs only when the contact is reestablished.
You can input PPCN as a constant value or as a table of values. The tabular input can be a function of
initial contact detection point location (at the beginning of solution), contact pressure (positive index
values for PRESSURE), geometric penetration (positive index values for GAP), time, or temperature. To
input a table name, you must enclose the name in % symbols (i.e., %tabname%). Use the *DIM command
to define the table. For more information, see Defining Real Constants in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP.F is also available for defining PPCN. To use this subroutine, you must
3.13.4. Specifying a Fluid Penetration Acting Time

When the fluid pressure penetration occurs, the fluid pressure is applied normal to the contact/target
surfaces. As with conventional pressure loading, the current amount of fluid pressure at a given substep
will depend on whether the pressure is input as a constant value or a table of values, and whether the
pressure is ramp- or step-applied (KBC command). If the total amount of fluid pressure is applied in-
stantaneously, convergence difficulties may arise due to large changes in stresses near the contact in-
terface. This is also true when the fluid penetration pressure is removed instantaneously, as when the
fluid penetration is cut off. To help stabilize the solution, the program offers an option to ramp the
fluid pressure linearly over a time period, during one or several substeps.
To implement this ramping option, specify the fluid penetration acting time using the contact element
real constant FPAT. Input a positive number to define the fraction of the time increment of the load
step; input a negative number to define the absolute acting time. The default penetration acting time
is 0.01 times the time increment of the current load step.
At each penetrating point, if the time increment of the current substep is less than the fluid penetration
acting time (FPAT > (tn - tn-1)), the fluid pressure is ramped up linearly from the actual applied pressure
of the previous substep to the full current amount of the fluid pressure over the penetration acting
time period; otherwise (FPAT ≤ (tn - tn-1)), the full amount of current fluid pressure will be applied. (See
figures below.) At the pressure-penetration cutoff points, if the time increment of the current substep
is less than the fluid penetration acting time, the fluid pressure is ramped down linearly from the applied
pressure of the previous substep to a zero magnitude over the penetration acting time period; otherwise,
the fluid pressure will be immediately removed.
Figure 3.29: Fluid Penetration Acting Time (FPAT) Greater Than Substep
Pressure
(tn-1) FPAT
Current Applied Pressure

(input via SFE,,,PRES)
Actual Applied Pressure

(reported as output item FPRS)
Time
tn-1 tn
Acual applied pressure is ramped to the full current applied pressure

when FPAT>(tn-tn-1)
Figure 3.30: Fluid Penetration Acting Time (FPAT) Less Than Substep
Pressure
FPAT
Current Applied Pressure

(input via SFE,,,PRES)
Actual Applied Pressure

(reported as output item FP
Time
tn-1 tn
Acual applied pressure is ramped to the full current applied pressure

when FPAT<(tn-tn-1)
3.13.5. Redefining or Modifying the Pressure-Penetration Loads

You can redefine or modify fluid pressure-penetration loads and fluid penetration starting points between
load steps using the SFE command.
You can also modify the pressure-penetration criterion (real constant PPCN) and acting time (real constant
FPAT) using the RMODIF command.
To remove a fluid pressure-penetration load, use one of the following methods:
• Delete the pressure load using the SFEDELE command.
• Apply zero pressure using the SFE command.
• Deactivate the contact elements using the EKILL command.
Because these methods remove the fluid penetration pressure immediately, convergence difficulties
may occur. To avoid this problem you can add an extra load step which applies a small fluid pressure
(for example, VALi = 1e-8) via the SFE command instead of removing the pressure.
3.13.6. Postprocessing Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loads

You can list and display the actual fluid penetration pressure applied on contact and target elements
using FPRS as a contact result item on the PLNSOL, PLESOL, PRNSOL, and PRESOL commands. For
example:
PLESOL,CONT,FPRS
PLNSOL,CONT,FPRS
You can also list and display the fluid penetration pressure applied on target elements by using the
ETABLE command.
3.14. Defining Solution and Load Step Options

Convergence behavior for contact problems depends strongly on the particular problem. The options
listed below are either typical or recommended for most surface-to-surface contact analyses. Please see
the Command Reference for further details.
The time step size must be small enough to capture the proper contact zone. The smooth transfer of
contact forces is disrupted if the time step size is too large. The time step size is specified by a number
of substeps or the time step size itself. The following commands adjust these parameters.
Command(s): NSUBST
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Loads> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Freq and Substps
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Loads> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Time and Substps
Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Sol'n Control ( : Basic Tab)
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Freq and Substps
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Time and Substps
Command(s): DELTIM
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Loads> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Time-Time Step
Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Sol'n Control ( : Basic Tab)
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc>Time-Time Step
Note
A reliable way to set an accurate time step size is to turn automatic time stepping on.
The following options are automatically invoked, but may override them if needed.
Command(s): AUTOTS,ON
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Sol'n Control ( : Basic Tab)
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Time-Time Step or
Time and Substps
If the contact status changes during the iteration process, discontinuity can occur. To avoid a slow
convergence rate and use an updated stiffness matrix, set the Newton-Raphson option to FULL.
Command(s): NROPT,FULL,,OFF
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Analysis Type> Analysis Options
Also, do not use adaptive descent. Adaptive descent usually does not provide any help for surface-to-
surface contact applications, and we recommend turning it off.
In cases where frictional sliding dominates, set the unsymmetric solver option (NROPT, UNSYM,,OFF)
to avoid slow convergence or divergence.
Set the number of equilibrium equations to a number that is appropriate for a reasonable time step
size. This command defaults to between 15 and 26 iterations, depending upon the physics of the
problem.
Command(s): NEQIT
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Sol'n Control ( : Nonlinear Tab)
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Nonlinear> Equilibrium Iter
Solving the Problem
Because the iterations tend to become unstable for large increments, use the line search option to
stabilize the calculations.
Command(s): LNSRCH
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Nonlinear> Line Search
Turn the predictor-corrector option on, except for dynamic analyses.

Command(s): PRED
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Nonlinear> Predictor
Many convergence failures in contact analyses are the result of using too large a value for contact
stiffness (real constant FKN). Be sure to follow the recommendations given earlier in this chapter for
estimating contact stiffness. If such estimated values lead to a convergence failure, reduce the contact
stiffness and restart.
Conversely, if overpenetration occurs in your contact analysis, you probably need a larger value of FKN.
In this case, gradually increase the contact stiffness value to an appropriate level by redefining it using
RMODIF commands over several load steps in a restart.
Note
For most small strains, small displacements, and small sliding problems, set NLGEOM, OFF.
This setting will speed up the searching time; however, if the contact problem involves large
sliding, set NLGEOM, ON.
Note
By default, displacement (U) and rotation (ROT) convergence checking are not active. Issue
the CNVTOL,U or CNVTOL,ROT command to add displacement or rotation convergence
checking, if necessary.
3.15. Solving the Problem

You can now solve the analysis the same as you would for any nonlinear analysis. Keep the following
points in mind:
• Always check the real constant sets which are related to contact pairs and check the constraint con-
ditions on the target surfaces. Any previous "trial runs" could have changed the settings.
• Always check the target surface contact status in the beginning of the analysis. If you detect any
unexpected gap (or no contact) or overestimated penetration, abort the analysis and then check your
geometric model. You can issue the CNCHECK command to verify the initial contact status.
• If your model is experiencing convergence difficulties due to contact, use the NLHIST command as
a debugging tool to monitor contact information during the solution. Before starting the solution,
issue NLHIST to specify the pair-based contact items (such as contact penetration or gap, contact
normal stiffness, etc.) to be tracked. The resulting data are written to a file named Jobname.nlh.
NLDIAG,CONT can also be used to monitor contact information. When turned on, this feature
will track the same contact information available through NLHIST for all defined contact pairs
according to the specified writing frequency (each iteration, substep, or load step). The resulting
output is stored in a text file called Jobname.cnd.
• By default, contact pair output quantities are written to the output file (Jobname.OUT) or to the
screen, as specified by the /OUTPUT command. You can redirect contact pair output to a text file
named Jobname.CNM by issuing the command CNTR,OUT,YES before the solution begins.
• Always check your results carefully using standard engineering guidelines.
See Solve the Analysis in the Structural Analysis Guide.
If you are restarting a contact analysis, follow the normal restart procedures as discussed in Restarting
an Analysis in the Basic Analysis Guide. However, be aware that the constraint conditions of target surfaces
may have been set internally. Verify the constraints carefully before restarting an analysis. Only the real
constants FKN, FTOLN, PINB, and FKOP can be changed, and they can only be changed at the point of
restart or at the beginning of a new load step.
3.16. Reviewing the Results

Results from a contact analysis consist mainly of displacements, stresses, strains, reaction forces, and
the contact information (e.g., contact pressure, sliding, etc.). You can review these results in POST1, the
general postprocessor, or in POST26, the time-history postprocessor. For contact-related results, you
can select CONT as a plotting or list item. While in POST1, you can also review the results from within
the Contact Manager (via the Contact Manager icon in the Standard Toolbar). See the "Output Data"
section of the element descriptions (the Element Reference) for the available output components.
Remember that in POST1, only one substep can be read in at a time, and that the results from that
substep should have been written to Jobname.RST (or Jobname.RCN for the initial contact config-
uration calculated by CNCHECK,POST). (The load step option command OUTRES controls which substep
results are stored on Jobname.RST.) A typical POST1 postprocessing sequence is described below.
3.16.1. Points to Remember

Following are important guidelines for postprocessing contact analysis results:
• When postprocessing results obtained from a contact analysis, the database must be saved after the first
solution is finished because the nodal connectivity of contact elements is updated and internal nodes are
added during the solution.
• In order to reduce the size of the results file, contact element results (such as temperature, ETABLE
quantities, contact pressure, sliding, and so on) are not stored in the results file if the contact status is far-
field. In this case, to correctly plot or list nodal temperatures at contact surfaces, you must select only the
underlying elements before the plot or list operation.
See also Points to Remember in the Structural Analysis Guide.
3.16.2. Reviewing Results in POST1

The steps for reviewing results in POST1 are the same as those for a typical nonlinear analysis (see Re-
viewing Results in POST1 in the Structural Analysis Guide) with the following exceptions:
For step 4, the following shows the various CONT options for the PLNSOL and PLESOL commands. You
can set these options through the Main Menu> General Postproc> Plot Results> Contour Plot>
Reviewing the Results
Nodal Solu or Element Solu menu item. Choose Contact for Item, Comp and you'll see a list of the
options detailed below.
CONT STAT Contact status[1]:
3-closed and sticking

2-closed and sliding
1-open but near contact (near-field)
0-open and not near contact (far-field)
“ PENE Contact penetration
“ PRES[2] Contact pressure
“ SFRIC[2] Contact friction stress
“ STOT[2] Contact total stress (pressure plus friction)
“ SLIDE Contact sliding distance
“ GAP Contact gap distance
“ FLUX Heat flux at contact surface
“ CNOS Total number of contact status changes during substep
“ FPRS Fluid penetration pressure (surface-to-surface contact only)
1. For MPC-based contact definitions, the value of STAT can be negative. This indicates that one or more
contact constraints were intentionally removed to prevent over-constraint. STAT = -3 is used for MPC
bonded contact; STAT = -2 is used for MPC no-separation contact. Negative values are valid for CONTA171,
CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177.
2. For the contact force-based model (used for CONTA175 with KEYOPT(3) = 0, CONTA176 with KEYOPT(3)
= 0 or 1, and CONTA177 with KEYOPT(3) = 0), PRES, SFRIC, and STOT are the contact normal force, contact
friction force, and total contact force, respectively.
For rigid-to-flexible contact or asymmetric flexible-to-flexible contact, the contact element provides the
true pressure and friction stress. However, for symmetric flexible-to-flexible contact, the true pressure
and friction stress is the average of the pressures and friction stresses from both sides of the contact
elements.
Note
The contact results are only reported at the corner nodes of contact elements. Therefore, for
higher order contact elements, mid-side node contact can occur without pressure being re-
ported. In this case, the element’s contact status and contact pressure reported via ETABLE
may give more precise information.
Note that the contact-specific information (CONT) plots as follows. For 2-D contact analyses, the model
will plot in gray and the requested item will be contoured as an area (trapezoid) along the edge of the
model where the contact elements are located. Use the FACT item to scale 2-D contour size. For 3-D
contact analyses, the model will plot in gray and the requested item will be contoured as a 2-D surface
where the contact elements overlay the model.
For tabular listings, you may also list contact-specific information by using the CONT label and its argu-
ments with the PRNSOL or PRESOL commands or their related menu items.
You should not use the PLESOL or PRESOL command to obtain contact forces for contact elements.
The force values reported by these commands may not be accurate for these elements. Instead, use
the ETABLE command to obtain contact force values.
Various sliding/slip quantities are reported through the ETABLE command. The table below described
these quantities for the 3-D case.
TASS/TASR Algebraic sum of sliding components in S and R directions when the contact status
is sliding or sticking (STAT = 2, 3).
AASS/AASR Absolute sum of sliding components in S and R directions when the contact status
is sliding or sticking F(STAT = 2, 3).
SLIDE Amplitude of total accumulated sliding [SQRT*(TASS**2 + TASR**2)] when the
contact status is sliding or sticking (STAT = 2, 3).
GSLID Amplitude of total accumulated sliding when the contact status is near-field, sliding,
or sticking (STAT = 1, 2, 3).
ELSI Total equivalent elastic slip. This represents the reversible tangential motion from
the point of zero tangential stresses.
PLSI Total equivalent tangential plastic slip. This represents the accumulated irreversible
frictional sliding when the contact status is sliding (STAT = 2).
VREL Equivalent sliding velocity (slip rate).
You can also animate contact results over time. See the ANTIME command for details.
Command(s): ANTIME
GUI: Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Animate> Over Time
If you used CNCHECK,POST to evaluate the initial contact state, you can view the contact results items
for the initial contact configuration as you would for any other load step. To do so, you must explicitly
read the results of the first load step from the results file Jobname.RCN by issuing the FILE and
SET,FIRST commands before postprocessing. Otherwise, the result file may be read improperly.
3.16.3. Reviewing Results in POST26

The steps for reviewing results in POST26 are the same as those for a typical nonlinear analysis See
Reviewing Results in POST26 in the Structural Analysis Guide.
Chapter 4: Node-to-Surface Contact
You can use the node-to-surface contact element CONTA175 to model flexible-flexible or rigid-flexible
contact between a surface and a node. Additionally, you can use these elements to represent contact
between two surfaces by specifying one surface as a group of nodes.
Node-to-surface contact is a phenomenon that occurs in most engineering applications: fasteners (nuts,
bolts, rivets, pins), metal forming, rolling operations, dynamic pipe whip, etc. Engineers are interested
in the stresses, deflections, forces, and temperature changes that occur due to contact between struc-
tural parts.
The following node-to-surface contact topics are available:

4.1.The Node-to-Surface Contact Element
4.2. Performing a Node-to-Surface Contact Analysis
4.3. Using CONTA175 for Multiphysics Contact
4.1. The Node-to-Surface Contact Element

Node-to-surface contact is represented by following the positions of points on one surface (the contact
surface, modeled by CONTA175) relative to lines or areas of another surface (the target surface, modeled
by TARGE169 or TARGE170).
CONTA175, in two or three dimensions, is depicted in Figure 4.1: Node-to-Surface Contact Ele-
ments (p. 95).
Figure 4.1: Node-to-Surface Contact Elements
I
Y (or Axial) CONTA175
Y
I CONTA175
target normal target normal
2-D associated target 3-D associated target

surface (TARGE169) surface (TARGE170)
X X
(or Radial)
z
Presented below are characteristics of CONTA175:
• Has one node and its target surface is defined by TARGE169 or TARGE170. CONTA175 uses the same
real constant set as the surface-to-surface contact elements. See Real Constants for more information.
• Supports 2-D/3-D rigid-flexible and flexible-flexible contact.
Node-to-Surface Contact
• Does not support 3-D contact surfaces with midside nodes, but can support 2-D/3-D target surfaces
with midside nodes or 2-D contact surfaces with midside nodes.
• Generates elements using the ESURF command, as do the surface-to-surface contact elements.
• Supports structural, thermal, electric, and magnetic analyses.
Note
CONTA175 is recommended for point-to-surface or edge-to-surface problems. It can also be

used to supplement a surface-to-surface pair at strategic locations where edge contact exists.
For general surface-to-surface contact, CONTA171 through CONTA174 are recommended.
4.2. Performing a Node-to-Surface Contact Analysis

CONTA175 follows the contact pair concept used by surface-to-surface elements CONTA171 through
CONTA174. CONTA175 is paired off with target elements TARGE169 and TARGE170. See Identifying
Contact Pairs for more information. CONTA175 uses most of the same element KEYOPTS and real con-
stants as the surface-to-surface contact elements. These are described below.
You should avoid midside-noded underlying elements of the contact surface, especially in 3-D. The
“effective stiffness” at the contact surface nodes is very nonuniform. For instance, for a 20-node brick
(SOLID186), the corner nodes have a negative stiffness associated with them. However, the node-to-
surface contact algorithm assumes that the stiffness is uniformly distributed across all the surface nodes
when contact is made. This condition can lead to convergence difficulties when using midside-noded
elements in contact. The midside-noded elements can only be used when bonded or no-separation
contact is defined. You can still use midside nodes on 2-D contact surfaces or on 2-D/3-D target surfaces.
The basic steps for performing a node-to-surface contact analysis using CONTA175 are the same as
those used for a typical surface-to-surface analysis using CONTA171 through CONTA174. See Steps in
a Contact Analysis for details.
The Contact Manager provides an easy-to-use interface to help you construct and manage contact
definitions. You can access the manager via the Contact Manager icon in the ANSYS Standard Toolbar,
or via the menu path Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Contact Pair. See GUI Aids for
Contact Analyses (p. 7) for more information on using the Contact Manager.
As mentioned, CONTA175 uses the ESURF command to generate elements between corresponding
contact pairs, similar to the surface-to-surface contact elements. The GUI path is:
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> Surf/Contact> Node to Surf
Since CONTA175 is a one node element, you are not able to plot the contact results. However, you can
list the results using the PRESOL,CONT or PRETAB commands.
4.2.1. CONTA175 KEYOPTS

CONTA175 uses most of the same KEYOPTS that are used by the surface-to-surface contact elements
CONTA171 through CONTA174. KEYOPT(3) and KEYOPT(4) are used but have different meanings when
used with CONTA175. See Element KEYOPTS (p. 35) for a listing of the remaining KEYOPTS.
Using CONTA175 for Multiphysics Contact
4.2.1.1. KEYOPT(3)
KEYOPT(3) in CONTA175 allows you to choose between a contact force-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 0,
default), and a contact traction-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 1). For the contact traction-based model,
the program determines the area associated with the contact node. For the single point contact case,
a unit area is used which is equivalent to the contact force-based model.
When the traction-based model is defined, the real constants FKN, FKT, TNOP, TCC, ECC, and MCC have
the same units used in surface-to-surface contact elements (CONTA171 through CONTA174), as do
postprocessing items such as PRES, TAUR, TAUS, SFRIC, and so on.
When the force-based model is defined, the units of these quantities have a factor of AREA with respect
to those used in the traction-based model. For example, contact stiffness FKN has units FORCE/LENGTH
for the force-based model, but FORCE/LENGTH3 for the traction-based model; PRES is the contact normal
force in the force-based model, but contact pressure in the traction-based model. See the CONTA175
element description for detailed information on the units for these quantities.
The traction-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 1) should not be used if the underlying elements are 3-D beam
or pipe elements.
4.2.1.2. KEYOPT(4)
KEYOPT(4) in CONTA175 allows you to choose the contact normal direction. The contact normal can
be either perpendicular to the target surface (KEYOPT(4) = 0, default or KEYOPT(4) = 3), or perpendicular
to the contact surface (KEYOPT(4) = 1, 2). When contact occurs on the bottom surface of a shell or
beam, and shell thickness effect is included (KEYOPT(11) = 1), or CNOF is defined, KEYOPT(4) = 2 or 3
should be used in order to capture the contact.
Real constant TOLS is used to add a small tolerance that will internally extend the edge of the target
surface. TOLS is useful for problems where contact nodes are likely to lie on the edge of the target (as
at symmetry planes or for models generated in a node-to-node contact pattern). In these situations,
the contact node may repeatedly “slip” off the target surface and so completely out of contact, resulting
in convergence difficulties from oscillations.
Units for TOLS are percent (1.0 implies a 1.0% increase in the target edge length). A small value of TOLS
will usually prevent this situation from occurring. The default value is 10 for small deflection and 2 for
large deflection (NLGEOM,ON).
4.2.2. CONTA175 Real Constants

CONTA175 uses the same real constants used by the surface-to-surface contact elements CONTA171
through CONTA174), except the units of FKN, FKT, TNOP, TCC, ECC, and MCC for the contact force-based
model. See a listing of the real constants in Real Constants (p. 30).
4.3. Using CONTA175 for Multiphysics Contact

You can use node-to-surface contact element CONTA175 to model thermal contact, electric contact,
and magnetic contact as you would use the surface-to-surface contact elements. For multiphysics contact,
we recommend that you use the contact traction-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 1), which allows you to
use real constants TCC, ECC, and MCC consistently with the surface-to-surface contact elements.
If you use the contact force-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 0), you should adjust the values of TCC, ECC,
and MCC up or down as you make the element mesh coarser or finer.
Chapter 5: 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact
Contact between beams undergoing large displacements can be encountered in many practical applic-
ations. Some examples are hydrogen sensors, water supply lines, nuclear power plant piping, cable
wires and coils, woven fabrics, and tennis racquet strings. You can model 2-D beam-to-beam contact
by using 2-D surface-to-surface contact elements, CONTA171 and CONTA172. (See Surface-to-Surface
Contact (p. 11) for details on how to use these elements.) You can model 3-D beam-to-beam contact
by using the 3-D line-to-line contact element, CONTA176.
The following beam-to-beam contact topics are available:

5.1.The 3-D Line-to-Line Contact Element
5.2. Modeling Beam-to-Beam Contact
5.3. Performing a 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact Analysis
5.1. The 3-D Line-to-Line Contact Element

3-D line-to-line contact is represented by following the positions of lines on the contact surface, modeled
by CONTA176 elements, relative to lines on the target surface, modeled by TARGE170 elements. Line-
to-line contact in three dimensions is depicted in the figure below.
Figure 5.1: Line-to-Line Contact Elements
CONTA176
Y
J
X K
Z
I
3-D associated target

line segments (TARGE170)
The CONTA176 element type:
• Has two nodes or three nodes.
• Is paired with a target surface defined by TARGE170 elements.
• Uses the same real constant set as used for the surface-to-surface contact elements. See Real Con-
stants (p. 30) for more information.
• Supports 3-D rigid-flexible and flexible-flexible contact.
• Supports 3-D beams and pipes with or without midside nodes.
• Can be generated by the ESURF command, similar to the surface-to-surface contact elements.
3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact
5.2. Modeling Beam-to-Beam Contact

There are three different scenarios for 3-D beam-to-beam contact:
• Internal contact, where one beam slides inside another hollow beam (Figure 5.2: Internal Contact (One
Beam Sliding Inside Another) (p. 100)).
• External contact, where two beams are roughly parallel and contact each other along their outer surfaces
(Figure 5.3: External Contact (Two Beams Roughly Parallel) (p. 100)).
• External contact, where contact between the exterior surfaces of two beams is pointwise (Figure 5.4: Ex-
ternal Contact (Two Beams Cross Each Other) (p. 101)).
Figure 5.2: Internal Contact (One Beam Sliding Inside Another)
TARGE170 rt
n
rc
CONTA176
Figure 5.3: External Contact (Two Beams Roughly Parallel)
CONTA176
n
rc
rt
TARGE170
Performing a 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact Analysis
Figure 5.4: External Contact (Two Beams Cross Each Other)
CONTA176
rc
rt
TARGE170
For all three scenarios shown above, use 3-D line segments (straight line or parabola) to define the
target surface (TARGE170). You can attach the contact elements and target elements to 3-D beams or
pipes, which can be first or second order elements. Both flexible-flexible and rigid-flexible contact
between two beams can be considered.
When modeling internal contact, the inner beam (or pipe) should usually be considered the contact
surface and the outer beam (or pipe) should be the target surface. The inner beam can be considered
as the target surface only when the inner beam is much stiffer than the outer beam. When modeling
external contact, the target surface should be associated with the stiffer beam or with the beam having
the coarser mesh.
5.3. Performing a 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact Analysis

Contact element CONTA176 follows the contact pair concept used by the surface-to-surface elements
(CONTA171 through CONTA174). You must pair CONTA176 with 3-D target line segments (TARGE170)
to model 3-D beam-to-beam contact. See Identifying Contact Pairs (p. 12) for more information. CON-
TA176 uses most of the same element KEYOPTs and real constants as the surface-to-surface contact
elements. Any differences are described in the next section.
The basic steps for performing a 3-D beam-to-beam contact analysis are the same as those used for a
typical surface-to-surface analysis using CONTA171 through CONTA174. See Steps in a Contact Analys-
is (p. 11) for details.
Use the ESURF command to generate CONTA176 elements between corresponding contact pairs. (In
the GUI, pick Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> Surf/Contact> Surf to
Surf.) This procedure is similar to that used for the surface-to-surface contact elements. If the underlying
elements of target element TARGE170 are part of shell edges, use ESURF,,,LINE to generate 3-D line or
parabola target segments.
When using the line segments to form the target surface or using line-to-line contact elements to form
the contact surface, the nodes must be entered in a sequence that defines a continuous line, as shown
in the figure below.
Figure 5.5: Continuous Line Segments
The line can be made up of linear or parabolic segments, depending on whether the attached beam is
made up of first order or second order elements. If the nodal ordering of the underlying beam elements
is not consistent, you must either change them by reversing the node number order of the selected
elements (ESURF,,REVERSE command) or make a consistent element ordering (ENORM command).
You can list the CONTA176 results using the PRESOL,CONT or PRETAB commands. Since CONTA176 is
a 3-D line element, you can also use the PLLS command to display element table items.
5.3.1. KEYOPTs and Real Constants

CONTA176 uses most of the same KEYOPTs that are used by the surface-to-surface contact elements,
CONTA171 through CONTA174. KEYOPT(3) and KEYOPT(4) differ from the other contact elements, and
KEYOPT(11) is not used by CONTA176. See Element KEYOPTS (p. 35) for a listing of the remaining KEY-
OPTs.
CONTA176 uses the same real constants used by the surface-to-surface contact elements (CONTA171
through CONTA174), except for the units of FKN and FKT. See a listing of the real constants in Real
Constants (p. 30).
5.3.1.1. Real Constants R1, R2

For beam-to-beam contact, an important assumption is that of constant circular beam cross section.
The contact radius is assumed to be the same for all CONTA176 elements in the contact pair. Likewise,
the target radius is assumed to be the same for all TARGE170 elements in the contact pair. You supply
the target and contact radii through real constants R1 and R2, respectively.
For a general beam cross section, you can use an equivalent circular beam in the contact definition
(see figure below). Use these guideline to define the equivalent circular cross section:
• Determine the smallest cross section along the beam axis.
• Determine the largest circle embedded in that cross section.
Performing a 3-D Beam-to-Beam Contact Analysis
Figure 5.6: Equivalent Circular Cross Section
Actual beam
Contact surface
Use the first real constant, R1, to define the radius on the target side (target radius rt). Use the second
real constant, R2, to define the radius on the contact side (contact radius rc).
The contact radius R2 is always a positive number. The target radius R1 can be entered as either a
negative or positive value. Use a negative value when modeling internal contact (a beam or pipe sliding
within another beam or pipe), with the input value equal to the inner radius of the outer beam. Use a
positive value when modeling external contact between the exterior surfaces of two cylindrical beams.
For beam-to-beam contact, the thickness effect is accounted for through the contact and target radii.
Therefore, KEYOPT(11) (which is used for the surface-to-surface contact elements to include or exclude
thickness effects) is not used for CONTA176.
5.3.1.2. KEYOPT(3)
For CONTA176, KEYOPT(3) determines the type of beam-to-beam contact as follows:
• Use KEYOPT(3) = 0 or 2 to model external contact between parallel beams or internal contact between
beams (a beam inside a hollow beam or a pipe inside a pipe). For this case, the sign of the target radius,
R1, will determine whether you are modeling parallel beams (R1 > 0) or a beam inside a beam (R1 < 0).
• Use KEYOPT(3) = 1 or 3 to model beams that cross. The target radius must be a positive value.
KEYOPT(3) also allows you to choose between a contact force-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 0 or 1), and
a contact traction-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 2 or 3). For the contact traction-based model, the program
determines the area (based on beam element length and the contact radius, R2) associated with the
contact node.
When the traction-based model is specified, certain real constants (FKN, FKT, TNOP) and postprocessing
items (PRES, TAUR, TAUS, SFRIC, and so on) have the same units as in the surface-to-surface contact
elements (CONTA171 through CONTA174).
When the force-based model is specified, the units of these quantities have a factor of AREA with respect
for the force-based model, but FORCE/LENGTH3 for the traction-based model; PRES is the contact normal
force in the force-based model, but contact pressure in the traction-based model. See the CONTA176
element description for detailed information on the units for these quantities.
5.3.1.3. Real Constant TOLS

For CONTA176, the contact normal is uniquely defined and is perpendicular to both the contact and
the target surfaces (two contacting beams). Real constant TOLS is used to add a small tolerance that
will internally extend the edge of the target surface. TOLS is useful for problems where contact nodes
are likely to lie on the edge of the target (as at symmetry planes or for models generated in a node-to-
node contact pattern). In these situations, the contact node may repeatedly slip off the target surface
and be completely out of contact, resulting in convergence difficulties from oscillations.
5.3.1.4. KEYOPT(4)
You can use CONTA176 with the multipoint constraint (MPC) approach (KEYOPT(2) = 2) to define surface-
based constraints. The KEYOPT(4) setting will determine the type of surface-based constraint. Set KEY-
OPT(4) = 1 for a force-distributed constraint, or set KEYOPT(4) = 0 for a rigid surface constraint. See
Surface-based Constraints for more information.
Chapter 6: Line-to-Surface Contact
You can use the 3-D line-to-surface contact element, CONTA177, to model flexible-flexible or rigid-
flexible contact between a 3-D beam and a surface or between a shell edge and a surface.
The following line-to-surface contact topics are available:

6.1.The 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Element
6.2. Performing a 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Analysis
6.1. The 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Element

3-D line-to-surface contact is represented by following the positions of lines on the contact surface,
modeled by CONTA177 elements, relative to 3-D surface segments on the target surface, modeled by
TARGE170 elements. Line-to-surface contact in three dimensions is depicted in the figure below.
Figure 6.1: Line-to-Surface Contact Elements
CONTA177
X
Z J
K
I
I K J
CONTA177 Edge of
shell elements
3-D target surface

(TARGE170)
The CONTA177 element type:
• Has two nodes or three nodes.
• Is paired with a target surface defined by TARGE170 elements.
• Uses the same real constant set as used for the surface-to-surface contact elements. See Real Con-
stants (p. 30) for more information.
• Supports 3-D rigid-flexible and flexible-flexible contact.
• Supports 3-D beams and shell edges with or without midside nodes.
• Can be generated by the ESURF command (similar to the surface-to-surface contact elements) in many
cases. See Performing a 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Analysis (p. 106) for details.
Line-to-Surface Contact
6.2. Performing a 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Analysis

Contact element CONTA177 follows the contact pair concept used by the surface-to-surface elements
(CONTA171 through CONTA174). You must pair CONTA177 with 3-D target surface segments (TARGE170)
to model 3-D beam-to-surface or 3-D shell edge-to-surface contact. See Identifying Contact Pairs (p. 12)
for more information. CONTA177 uses most of the same element KEYOPTs and real constants as the
surface-to-surface contact elements. Any differences are described in the next section.
The basic steps for performing a 3-D line-to-surface contact analysis are the same as those used for a
typical surface-to-surface analysis using CONTA171 through CONTA174. See Steps in a Contact Analys-
is (p. 11) for details.
When the underlying elements are beams or edges of shell elements you can use the ESURF command
to create CONTA177 elements. (In the GUI, pick Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Ele-
ments> Surf/Contact> Surf to Surf.) This procedure is similar to that used for the surface-to-surface
contact elements.
When using line-to-surface contact elements to form the contact surface, the nodes must be entered
in a sequence that defines a continuous line, as shown in the figure below.
Figure 6.2: Continuous Line Segments
The line can be made up of linear or parabolic segments, depending on whether the attached beam
or shell edge is made up of first order or second order elements. If the nodal ordering of the underlying
beam elements is not consistent, you must either change them by reversing the node number order
of the selected elements (ESURF,,REVERSE command) or make a consistent element ordering (ENORM
command).
You can list the CONTA177 results using the PRESOL,CONT or PRETAB commands. Since CONTA177 is
a 3-D line element, you can also use the PLLS command to display element table items.
6.2.1. KEYOPTs and Real Constants

CONTA177 uses most of the same KEYOPTs that are used by the surface-to-surface contact elements,
CONTA171 through CONTA174. KEYOPT(3) and KEYOPT(4) differ from the other contact elements. KEY-
OPT(8) is not used by CONTA177. See Element KEYOPTS (p. 35) for a listing of the remaining KEYOPTs.
CONTA177 uses the same real constants used by the surface-to-surface contact elements (CONTA171
through CONTA174), except for the units of FKN, FKT, and TNOP. See Real Constants (p. 30) for a complete
list.
Performing a 3-D Line-to-Surface Contact Analysis
6.2.1.1. KEYOPT(3)
For CONTA177, KEYOPT(3) allows you to choose between a contact force-based model (KEYOPT(3) =
0), and a contact traction-based model (KEYOPT(3) = 1). For the contact traction-based model, the
program determines the area (based on the beam element length and beam section radius) associated
with the contact node.
When the traction-based model is specified, certain real constants (FKN, FKT, TNOP) and postprocessing
items (PRES, TAUR, TAUS, SRIC, and so on) have the same units as in the surface-to-surface contact
elements (CONTA171 through CONTA174).
When the force-based model is specified, the units of these quantities have a factor of AREA with respect
for the force-based model, but FORCE/LENGTH3 for the traction-based model. Furthermore, PRES is the
contact normal force in the force-based model, but contact pressure in the traction-based model. See
the CONTA177 element description for detailed information on the units for these quantities.
6.2.1.2. Accounting for Thickness Effect (CNOF and KEYOPT(11))

For line-to-surface contact, the thickness effect of underlying beam elements (on the contact side) is
accounted for through the contact offset real constant, CNOF. The thickness effect of underlying shell
elements (on the target side) is accounted for by setting KEYOPT(11).
For the case of a beam contacting a solid, input half of the beam thickness for CNOF; KEYOPT(11) is
ignored. For the case of a beam contacting a shell surface, input half of the beam thickness for CNOF
and set KEYOPT(11) = 1 to include the shell thickness effect. CNOF remains constant for the entire
contact pair during the solution. For more information on using CNOF, see Adjusting Initial Contact
Conditions (p. 52). For more information on using KEYOPT(11), see Using KEYOPT(11) (p. 69).
6.2.1.3. Real Constant TOLS

For CONTA177, the contact normal is uniquely defined and is perpendicular to the target surfaces. Real
constant TOLS is used to add a small tolerance that will internally extend the edge of the target surface.
TOLS is useful for problems where contact nodes are likely to lie on the edge of the target (as at symmetry
planes or for models generated in a node-to-node contact pattern). In these situations, the contact
node may repeatedly slip off the target surface and be completely out of contact, resulting in convergence
difficulties from oscillations.
6.2.1.4. KEYOPT(4)
You can use CONTA177 with the multipoint constraint (MPC) approach (KEYOPT(2) = 2) to define surface-
based constraints. The KEYOPT(4) setting will determine the type of surface-based constraint. Set KEY-
OPT(4) = 1 for a force-distributed constraint, or set KEYOPT(4) = 0 for a rigid surface constraint. See
Surface-based Constraints for more information.
Chapter 7: Multiphysics Contact
Multiphysics applications (involving two or more fields) often require the inclusion of contact interaction
between two or more surfaces or between a surface and its surroundings. These contact interactions
can be modeled by using the thermal, electric, and magnetic capabiities of the surface-to-surface and
node-to-surface contact elements (CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, and CONTA175) .
The following multiphysics contact topics are available:

7.1. Modeling Thermal Contact
7.2. Modeling Electric Contact
7.3. Modeling Magnetic Contact
7.1. Modeling Thermal Contact

You can use surface-to-surface contact elements and the node-to-surface contact element, in combination
with thermal-structural coupled field solid elements or thermal elements, to model heat transfer that
occurs in the contact surface. To activate both the structural and thermal DOFs, set KEYOPT(1) = 1. To
activate the thermal DOF only, set KEYOPT(1) = 2.
The following thermal contact features are supported.
• Thermal contact conduction between two contacting surfaces.
• Heat convection from a “free surface” to the environment or between two open surfaces separated by
small gap (“near field” convection).
• Heat radiation from a “free surface” to the environment or between two open surfaces separated by a
small gap (“near field” radiation).
• Heat generation due to frictional dissipation.
• Heat flux input.
Note
When KEYOPT(1) is set to 2 (thermal DOF only), the program ignores heat generation due
to friction.
7.1.1. Thermal Contact Behavior vs. Contact Status

Each contact pair can cover one or more thermal contact features. Which feature is active depends on
the contact status:
Closed Contact: Thermal contact conduction transfers heat between two contacting surfaces.
Frictional Sliding: Frictional dissipated energy generates the heat to both the contact and target surfaces.
Near-Field Contact: Both heat convection and radiation between the contact and target surfaces are taken into
account.The external flux value contributes to the contact surface.
Multiphysics Contact
Free-Surface Contact: Heat convection and radiation between the contact surface and the environment are
taken into account.The external flux value only contributes to both contact and target surfaces. Free-surface
contact refers to either “far-field contact” or a user-specified “free thermal surface” (KEYOPT(3) = 1 on the target
element).
7.1.2. Free Thermal Surface

If you wish to model free surface convection, free surface radiation, or a surface with a supplied heat
flux value, you can define a “free” thermal surface. A free thermal surface can be a contact surface with
no associated target (that is, the contact pair lacks target elements). You can also set KEYOPT(3) = 1 of
the target element type definition to define a free thermal surface. When this KEYOPT is set, both free
surface radiation and convection are considered as long as open contact is detected. In this case, there
is no convective and radiative heat transfer between the contact and target surfaces.
7.1.3. Temperature on Target Surface

For interface heat conduction, near field convection, or near field radiation, a temperature for both the
contact and target surfaces is required. For a general target surface, the temperature varies along the
surface (see figure below). In this case, the temperature at the intersection between the target surface
and the normal from the contact detection point represents the target temperature. For a rigid target,
the temperature on the pilot node represents the entire rigid target surface temperature, if the pilot
node exists.
Figure 7.1: Target Temperature
Target
Target temperature
at the intersection
Far-field
contact
Contact
7.1.4. Modeling Conduction

To take into account the conductive heat transfer between contact and target surfaces, you need to
specify the thermal contact conductance coefficient which is real constant TCC.
7.1.4.1. Using TCC

The conductive heat transfer between two contacting surfaces is defined by
q = TCC X (Tt -Tc)
where:
Modeling Thermal Contact
q: is the heat flux per area.

TCC:is the thermal contact conductance coefficient, having units of HEAT/(TIME * TEMPERATURE) for force-based
node-to-surface contact, or units of HEAT/(TIME * TEMPERATURE * AREA) for the traction-based model.
Tt and Tc: are the temperatures of the contact points on the target and contact surfaces.
The TCC value is input through a real constant, which can be made a function of temperature [(Tc +
Tt)/2], pressure (positive PRESSURE index values indicate compression, negative PRESSURE index values
indicate tension), geometric penetration (positive GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP
index values indicate an open gap), time, and initial contact detection point location (at the beginning
of solution) by using tabular input (i.e., %tabname%). For more information, see Defining Real Constants
in Tabular Format (p. 34).
The user subroutine USERCNPROP is also available for defining TCC. To use this subroutine, you must
TCC has units of heat/(time x area x temp). If contact occurs, a small value of TCC yields a measured
amount of imperfect contact and a temperature discontinuity across the interface. For large values of
TCC, the resulting temperature discontinuity tends to vanish and perfect thermal contact is approached.
When not in contact, however, it is assumed that no heat is transferred across the interface. To model
contact conduction between two surfaces where a small gap exists, use KEYOPT(12) = 4 or 5 to define
either the “bonded contact” or “no-separation contact” options (see Selecting Surface Interaction
Models).
Note
If CONV is not defined through the SFE command, real constant TCC will be used instead
for modeling convection between two opening surfaces only if tabular input or a user sub-
routine is used. In this case, TCC can be made a function of temperature [(T(I) + T(J))/2],
geometric gap, time, and initial contact detection point location by using the tabular input
as described above.
7.1.4.2. Using the Quasi Solver Option

You can take advantage of the fast thermal transient solver option (THOPT,QUASI) in the contact ana-
lysis. (See Nonlinear Options in the Thermal Analysis Guide for more information on this solver option.)
To do so, you must use the following contact element key option:
KEYOPT(1) = 2 - Temperature DOF only
The following solver options must also be set:
ANTYPE,TRANS
THOPT,QUASI
EQSLV,JCG/ICCG
When using the fast thermal transient solver, the user subroutines USERFRIC and USERINTER should not
be used.
7.1.5. Modeling Convection

To model convective heat transfer, you must specify the heat convection coefficient CONV using the
SFE command (with KVAL = 1 and CONV as a table parameter). CONV can be a constant value (only
uniform is allowed) or a function of temperature, time, or location as specified through tabular input.
For free surface convection (see Thermal Contact Behavior vs. Contact Status (p. 109) for a definition of
“free-surface contact”), you must also specify bulk temperature through the SFE command (with KVAL
= 2 and CONV as a table parameter). You can access this command through the following GUI paths:
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Loads> Define Loads> Apply> Thermal> Convection> On Elements>
Uniform
Main Menu> Solution> Define Loads> Apply> Thermal> Convection> On Elements> Uniform
The SFE surface load must be applied to the contact elements only. If either the convection coefficient
or bulk temperature is not specified, the convection loading will not be active.
Note
If CONV is not defined through the SFE command, real constant TCC will be used instead
only if it is defined by tabular input or a user subroutine. TCC can be made a function of
temperature [(T(I) + T(J))/2], geometric gap (positive GAP index values indicate penetration,
negative GAP index values indicate an open gap), time, and initial contact detection point
location by using tabular input (i.e., %tabname%).
7.1.6. Modeling Radiation

7.1.6.1. Background
To model radiative heat transfer, specify the following:
• Emissivity value EMIS, specified through the material property definition.
• Stefan-Boltzmann constant SBCT through a real constant.
• Offset temperature TOFFST. If you define your data in terms of degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius, you
must specify a temperature offset using the TOFFST command. You can access this command through
the following GUI paths:
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Loads> Analysis Type> Analysis Options

Main Menu> Preprocessor> Material Props
• Radiation view factor RDVF, specified through a real constant (defaults to 1).
• Environment (ambient) temperature. It is only used for modeling radiation between a portion of the
contact surface to the environment when the contact status is “free-surface contact” (see Thermal Contact
Behavior vs. Contact Status (p. 109)). The temperature is only applied on the contact elements and is input
on the SFE command with KVAL = 2 and CONV as a table parameter (this is the same as the bulk temper-
ature in free surface convection modeling). If the environment temperature is not specified through the
SFE command, the free surface radiation loading will not be active.
7.1.6.2. Using SBCT and RDVF

When contact is open, heat transfer through radiation can occur. The equation is defined by
q = RDVF x EMIS x SBCT [(Te + TOFFST)4 - (Tc + TOFFST)4]
Where
Modeling Thermal Contact
TOFFST: The temperature offset from absolute zero to zero (defined through the TOFFST command.)
EMIS: The surface emissivity (input as material property).
SBCT: The Stefan-Boltzmann constant (input as a real constant).There is no default for SBCT; if it is not defined
the radiation effect is excluded.The Stefan-Boltzmann constant should correspond to the units of the FE model
to be solved (e.g., 0.1190E-10 Btu/hr-in2-R4; 5.67E-8 W/m2-K4)
RDVF: The radiation view factor input as a real constant (defaults to 1). RDVF can be defined as a function of
temperature, geometric gap distance (negative GAP index values indicate an open gap), time, and initial contact
detection point location (at the beginning of solution) by using tabular input (i.e., %tabname%).The user sub-
routine USERCNPROP is also available for defining RDVF (specify the table name %_CNPROP% as the real constant
value). RDVF is only used for near field radiation. For far field radiation, RDVF is set to 1.0 and a user-assigned
value is ignored. Other free-surface conditions recognize user-specified RDVF.
For “near-field” radiation, when an intersection from a contact detection point to the target surface (in
the direction of normal to the contact point) is detected, and the gap distance is smaller than the pinball
radius, Te is the target temperature at the intersection. The radiation modeling here assumes that the
radiative heat transfer occurs in the direction of the normal between two surfaces with a small gap. By
defining RDVF as a function of gap, you can account for geometry effects. Use the Radiosity Solver
method for more generalized radiation problems (see the Thermal Analysis Guide for more information).
For “free-surface contact” radiation, Te becomes the “ambient” temperature defined by “bulk temperature”
input on the SFE command (with KVAL = 2 and CONV as the table). For a definition of free-surface
contact, see Thermal Contact Behavior vs. Contact Status (p. 109).
7.1.7. Modeling Heat Generation Due to Friction

7.1.7.1. Background
In order to model heat generation due to frictional dissipated energy, you would typically perform a
coupled transient thermal-structural analysis. If inertia effects are negligible, you can turn off transient
effects on structural DOFs by using the command TIMINT,STRUC,OFF. However, you must include
transient effects on the thermal DOF. Two real constants are required:
• FHTG is the frictional dissipated energy converted into heat.
• FWGT is the weight factor for the distribution of heat between contact and target surfaces.
7.1.7.2. Using FHTG and FWGT

In the coupled thermal-structural contact modeling, the rate of frictional dissipation is given by
q = FHTG x τ x V
Where
τ: The equivalent frictional stress.
V: The sliding rate.
FHTG: The fraction of frictional dissipated energy converted into heat.This value defaults to 1 and can be input
as a real constant. For an input of true 0, you must enter a very small value (for example, 1E-8). If you enter 0, the
program interprets this as an input of the default value.
The amount of frictional dissipation on contact and target surfaces is defined by
qc = FWGT x FHTG x τ x V
and
qT = (1 - FWGT) x FHTG x τ x V
Where qc is the contact side and qT is the target side, and FWGT is the weight factor for the distribution
of heat between the contact and target surfaces (input as a real constant). By default, FWGT = 0.5. For
an input of true 0, you must enter a very small value (for example, 1E-8). If you enter 0, the program
interprets this as an input of the default value.
7.1.8. Modeling External Heat Flux

You can apply heat flux on the contact elements through the SFE command. Only uniform flux can be
applied. Heat flux cannot be applied on target elements. However, for near field contact, the external
flux is applied on contact and will contribute to target elements.
For a free thermal surface, if KEYOPT(3) of the target element is set to 1, the external flux is only applied
on the contact side. On a given contact element either CONV or HFLUX (but not both) may be specified.
However, you can define two different contact pairs: one models convection and the other models heat
flux.
7.2. Modeling Electric Contact

You can use surface-to-surface contact elements or the node-to-surface contact element, in combination
with thermal-electric elements and solid coupled field elements to model electric current conduction.
You can also use surface-to-surface contact elements, in combination with piezoelectric and electrostatic
elements, to model electric charge across a contacting interface.
KEYOPT(1) provides degree of freedom options for modeling electric contact. For combined structur-
al/thermal/electric contact, set KEYOPT(1) = 3 to activate the structural, thermal, and electric current
DOFs. For pure thermal/electric contact, set KEYOPT(1) = 4 to activate the thermal and electric current
DOFs. For piezoelectric contact, set KEYOPT(1) = 5 to activate the structural and piezoelectric DOFs. For
electrostatic contact, set KEYOPT(1) = 6 to activate the electrostatic DOF.
The electric contact features are:
• Electric conduction between two contacting surfaces.
• Heat generation due to electric dissipation.
• Electric charge across the contacting interface.
7.2.1. Modeling Surface Interaction

7.2.1.1. Background
To take into account the surface interaction for electric contact, you need to specify the electric contact
conductance per unit area if you are using the electric current degree of freedom, or the electric contact
capacitance per unit area if you are using the piezoelectric or electrostatic degrees of freedom. For
either case, this parameter is input as real constant ECC. You can use tabular input to define ECC as a
function of contact pressure (pressure as a table), average temperature on contact detection point
(temperature as a table), time, and other primary variables. If the “bonded contact” or “no-separation
contact” option is set, contact interaction can occur between two surfaces separated by a narrow gap.
Modeling Electric Contact
7.2.1.2. Using ECC

The interaction between two contacting surfaces is defined by
J = ECC x (Vt - Vc)
where:
J = current density for the electric potential (VOLT) degree of freedom (KEYOPT(1) = 3 or 4), or
the electric charge density (KEYOPT(1) = 5, or 6).
ECC = electric contact conductance for the electric potential (VOLT) degree of freedom (KEY-
OPT(1) = 3 or 4), or the electric contact capacitance per unit area for (KEYOPT(1) = 5, or 6).
Vt and Vc = voltages at the contact points on the target and contact surfaces.
The ECC value is input through a real constant, which can be a function of temperature [(Tt + Tc)/2],
contact pressure (positive PRESSURE index values indicate compression, negative PRESSURE index values
indicate tension), geometric penetration (positive GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP
index values indicate an open gap), time, and initial contact detection point location (at the beginning
of solution) by using tabular input (i.e., %tabname%). The user subroutine USERCNPROP is also available
for defining ECC (specify the table name %_CNPROP% as the real constant value).
For the current conduction option, the electric contact conductance ECC has units of electric conduct-
ivity/length. For the piezoelectric and electrostatic options, the electric contact capacitance ECC has
units of capacitance per unit area. To model surface interaction between two surfaces where a small
gap exists, use KEYOPT(12) = 4 or 5 to define either the “bonded contact” or “no-separation contact”
options (see Selecting Surface Interaction Models).
Note
For force-based node-to-surface contact, ECC has units of (electric conductivity)*(LENGTH)

or the capacitance.
7.2.2. Modeling Heat Generation Due to Electric Current

For electric current field analyses (KEYOPT(1) = 3 or 4), the heat generation due to electric current is
given by
q = FHEG x J x (VT - VC)
Where
FHEG: The fraction of electric dissipated energy converted into heat (Joule heating).This value defaults to 1 and
can be input as a real constant. For an input of true 0, you must enter a very small value (for example, 1E-8). If
you enter 0, the program interprets this as an input of the default value.
J: The current density.
Vt and Vc: The voltages at the contact points on the target and contact surfaces.
The amount of electric heat dissipation on contact and target surfaces is defined by
qc = FWGT x q
and
qT = (1 - FWGT) x q
Where qc is the contact side and qT is the target side, and FWGT is the weight factor for the contact
heat dissipation between the contact and target surfaces (input as a real constant). FWGT is the same
real constant used for frictional heat generation. By default, FWGT = 0.5. For an input of true 0, you
must enter a very small value (for example, 1E-8). If you enter 0, the program interprets this as an input
of the default value.
7.3. Modeling Magnetic Contact

You can use surface-to-surface contact elements or the node-to-surface contact element to model
magnetic flux across two contacted bodies. The following situations are possible.
• Non-perfect contact to account for the effects of a small air gap between mating components. This typically
occurs at the interface between adjoining bodies. In this situation, there is a gap permeance effect where
an MMF drop occurs. You can model this effect by inputting the gap permeance real constant, MCC. This
option works best if the magnetic flux is normal to the gap interface.
• Perfect contact across dissimilar meshes. This is typically used to model the air gap in a machine, for ex-
ample, where the rotor and stator meshes meet.
For both types of magnetic contact, you must set KEYOPT(1) = 7 to select the degree-of-freedom option.
For the 2-D case, the magnetic potential degree of fredom, AZ, is active. For the 3-D case, only the
scalar potential degree of freedom, MAG, is active, and scalar potential formulations (reduced (RSP),
difference (DSP), or general (GSP)) are available (see MAGOPT).
Note
3-D magnetic contact is not supported for the MVP formulation (AX, AY, AZ), and the edge-
based formulation (AZ).
Note
Non-perfect magnetic contact is only available for the 3–D contact elements, CONTA173 and
CONTA174.
For more information on which element types should be used for a particular analysis, see the element
discussions in the appropriate chapter of the Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Analysis Guide. For inform-
ation on the use of the AZ degree of freedom, see Specifying Element Types and Options. For more
information on the use of the MAG DOF, see Build the Model.
For details on how to set up a contact analysis, see Steps in a Contact Analysis.
For an example input listing showing a 2-D static magnetic contact analysis, see Example: 2-D Static
Magnetic Contact Analysis.
7.3.1. Using MCC

The magnetic flux across the contacting interface is defined by:
MFLUX = MCC x (Mt - Mc)
Modeling Magnetic Contact
where:
MFLUX = magnetic flux density

Mt , Mc = magnetic potential at the contact points on the target and contact surfaces
MCC = contact permeance coefficient (Henries/meters2 in MKS units)
The MCC value is input through a real constant, which can be a function of temperature [(Tt + Tc)/2],
geometric penetration (positive GAP index values indicate penetration, negative GAP index values in-
dicate an open gap), time, and initial contact detection point location (at the beginning of solution) by
using tabular input (i.e., %tabname%). The user subroutine USERCNPROP is also available for defining
MCC (specify the table name %_CNPROP% as the real constant value).
MCC values can be approximated as µ/t, where µ is the gap permeability and t is the gap width.
If the "no-separation contact" or "bonded contact" option is set (KEYOPT(12) = 4 or 5), contact interaction
can occur between two surfaces separated by a narrow gap.
7.3.2. Modeling Perfect Magnetic Contact

Perfect magnetic contact supports dissimilar meshes on both sides of the contacting interface (MCC =
infinity). You must use the internal MPC approach by setting KEYOPT(2) = 2. You must also set KEYOPT(4)
= 1 or 2 for contact nodal detection, and KEYOPT(12) = 5, 6 for bonded contact.
Chapter 8: Node-to-Node Contact
You can use node-to-node contact elements to model point-to-point contact (flexible-flexible or rigid-
flexible). Additionally, you can use these elements to represent contact between two surfaces by spe-
cifying individual node-to-node contact between the opposing nodes of each surface. This use requires
that the nodes of the two opposing surfaces match up geometrically and that the relative sliding
between the two surfaces is negligible. In addition, the deflections (rotations) of the two surfaces must
remain small.
The following node-to-node contact topics are available:

8.1. Node-to-Node Contact Elements
8.2. Performing a Node-to-Node Contact Analysis
8.1. Node-to-Node Contact Elements

The most commonly used node-to-node element is shown in the following figure.
Figure 8.1: Node-to-Node Contact Element
In terms of solution CPU time, the CONTA178 element shown is the simplest and least expensive of all
contact element types. When modeling conditions warrant its use, it can be an effective tool for mod-
eling a variety of contact situations. Following are some notable features offered with CONTA178:
• Several contact algorithms, including the Lagrange method (KEYOPT(2))
• Semiautomatic contact stiffness (real constants FKN-FKS)
• Flexibility for defining contact normal
• Many contact behaviors (KEYOPT(10))
• Cylindrical and spherical gaps with friction (KEYOPT(1))
• Damper (real constants CV1, CV2)
Node-to-Node Contact
• Multiphysics contact (KEYOPT(6),TCC, ECC)
• Real constants in tabular format
• User subroutines for user-defined friction, interface interactions, and real constants (USERFRIC,
USERINTER, and USERCNPROP)
8.2. Performing a Node-to-Node Contact Analysis

The procedure for performing a node-to-node contact analysis is similar to that described for the node-
to-surface contact elements in Node-to-Surface Contact (p. 95). The following describes the typical
steps in a node-to-node contact analysis. Each of these steps is explained in detail.
1. Create the geometry and mesh the model.
2. Generate the contact elements.
3. Define the contact normal.
4. Define the initial interference or gap.
5. Select the contact algorithm.
6. Apply the necessary boundary conditions.
7. Define the solution options.
8. Solve the problem.
9. Review the results.
8.2.1. Creating Geometry and Meshing the Model

Node-to-node contact elements transmit forces at the nodes (compared to surface-to-surface contact
elements which transmit pressures at Gauss points). This feature limits their use to low order elements
only.
You must identify where contact might occur during the deformation of your model. The nodes on the
two surfaces of potential contact must line up. Once you've identified potential contact surfaces and
created an adequate mesh you can create the contact elements.
8.2.2. Generating Contact Elements

You can generate node-to-node contact element in one of two ways:
1. Use the direct generation method:

Command(s): E
GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> User Numbered> Thru Nodes
2. Use the EINTF command to generate the contact elements automatically at coincident nodes or
offset nodes. This is discussed in detail in the following subsections.
Performing a Node-to-Node Contact Analysis
8.2.2.1. Generating Contact Elements Automatically at Coincident Nodes

If the two bodies are in the “just touching” position, you can use the EINTF command to automatically
generate the contact elements. In this case, the menu path is Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling>
Create> Elements> Auto Numbered> At Coincident Nodes. Only nodes within the tolerance value
set in the first argument (TOLER) are considered as coincident. If you wish to check a subset of nodes
for coincidence, first select all the nodes you wish to check using the NSEL command.
8.2.2.2. Generating Contact Elements Automatically at Offset Nodes

If the two bodies are separated by a gap, the EINTF command can be used to create elements between
offset nodes by specifying the node location increments (DX, DY, DZ) in the coordinate system KCN.
The GUI path is Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> Auto Numbered> Offset
Nodes.
If KOPT is set to 1, the nodes belonging to the contact elements created are rotated into the coordinate
system KCN.
For example, the following figure shows contact between two concentric pipes separated by a gap. In
this example, KCN would be a cylindrical coordinate system centered in O, and DX would be set in ∆
(∆± TOLER).
Figure 8.2: Contact Between Two Concentric Pipes
8.2.2.3. Node Ordering

Node ordering can be critical in determining the contact normal. You can use EINTF,,,LOW or EINTF,,,HIGH
to control node ordering. When using the LOW argument, the 2-node elements are generated from the
lowest numbered node to the highest numbered node. When using HIGH, 2-node elements are generated
from the highest to the lowest. To check the contact normal, use /PSYMB,ESYS. If you discover that the
ordering is incorrect, you can reverse it using EINTF,,,REVE. To determine which side of the interface
contains the I nodes, use the following commands:
ESEL,,ENAME,,178
NSLE,,POS,1
ESLN
NSLE
EPLOT
8.2.3. Defining the Contact Normal

The contact normal direction is of primary importance in a contact analysis with CONTA178. By default
[KEYOPT(5) = 0 and NX, NY, NZ = 0], the program will calculate the contact normal direction based on
the initial positions of the I and J nodes, such that a positive displacement (in the element coordinate
system) of node J relative to node I opens the gap. However, you must specify the contact normal dir-
ection for any of the following conditions:
• If nodes I and J have the same initial coordinates.
• If the model has an initial interference condition in which the underlying elements' geometry overlaps.
• If the initial open gap distance is very small.
In the above cases, the ordering of nodes I and J is critical. The correct contact normal usually points
from node I toward node J unless contact is initially overlapped.
You can specify the contact normal by means of real constants NX, NY, NZ (direction cosines related to
the global Cartesian system) or element KEYOPT(5). The following lists the various options for KEYOPT(5):
KEYOPT(5) = 0
The contact normal is either based on the real constant values of NX, NY, NZ or on node locations when
NX, NY, NZ are not defined. For two dimensional contact, NZ = 0.
KEYOPT(5) = 1 (2,3)
The contact normal points in a direction which averages the direction cosines of the X (Y, Z) axis of the
nodal coordinates on both nodes I and J. The direction cosines on nodes I and J should be very close.
This option may be supported by the NORA and NORL commands, which rotate the X axis of the nodal
coordinate system to point to the surface normal of solid models. The GUI paths for these commands
are, respectively:
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Move/Modify> Rotate Node CS> To Surf Normal>
On Areas
On Lines
With Area
Figure 8.3: Two Concentric Pipes, Normals Rotated Properly
For a pipe-within-a-pipe, this portrays the normals rotated properly.
KEYOPT(5) = 4 (5,6)
The contact normal points to X (Y, Z) of the element coordinate system issued by the ESYS command.
If you use this option, make sure that the element coordinate system specified by ESYS is the Cartesian
system.
8.2.4. Defining the Initial Interference or Gap

With CONTA178, the gap size can be automatically calculated from the GAP real constant plus the node
locations (projection of vector points from node I to J on the contact normal). This is the default (KEY-
OPT(4) = 0) This means that if you want the initial gap to be determined by the node locations only,
set KEYOPT(4) = 0 and the real constant GAP to 0.
If KEYOPT(4) = 1, the initial gap size is only based on the real constant GAP (it ignores the node location).
A negative value for the gap size can be used to model initial interference.
You can ramp initial interference using KEYOPT(9) = 1.
8.2.5. Selecting the Contact Algorithm

You can choose from among the following contact algorithms for CONTA178:
• Pure Lagrange Multiplier
• Lagrange multiplier on the contact normal, penalty on the frictional (tangential) direction.
• Augmented Lagrange method
• Pure penalty method.
When using CONTA178 with the pure penalty method or the augmented Lagrange method, a “semi-
automatic” setting is provided for the contact normal and tangential stiffnesses.
The program provides a default normal contact stiffness FKN, which is based on Young's modulus E
and the size of the underlying elements. FKN and FKS are factors. If you want to import absolute values
for FKN and FKS, use negative values.
8.2.6. Applying Necessary Boundary Conditions

You can now apply necessary boundary conditions as you would do for any analysis type. For more
information on applying boundary conditions, see the appropriate analysis description in the Structural
Analysis Guide.
When using the Lagrange multiplier method, be careful not to overconstrain the model. The model is
overconstrained when a contact constraint at a node conflicts with a prescribed boundary condition
on that degree of freedom at the same node. The following figure illustrates this issue:
Figure 8.4: Example of Overconstrained Contact Problem
Both nodes I and J are fixed in the X direction. The model is overconstrained only when the two bodies
are in contact and bonded contact or rough friction has been defined. It can also occur if the contact
status is “sticking,” In these cases, the constraint in the X-direction is duplicated which causes an over-
constrained model.
“Zero Pivot” and “Numerical Singularity” warning messages indicate overcontraints in a model. Overcon-
straints can lead to convergence difficulties and/or inaccurate results. They can be easily avoided by
changing the contact definition or the boundary conditions.
8.2.7. Defining the Solution Options

Convergence behavior for contact problems depends strongly on the particular problem. The options
listed below are either typical or recommended for most node-to-node contact analyses.
• Set the appropriate auto time step behavior using KEYOPT(7). The SOLCONTROL command turns this
off by default.
• The time step size must be small enough to capture the proper contact zone. The smooth transfer
of contact forces is disrupted if the time step size is too large. A reliable way to set an accurate time
step size is to turn automatic time stepping on. The SOLCONTROL command turns this on by default.
Command(s): AUTOTS,ON
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Sol'n Control ( : Basic Tab)
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Time-Time Step
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc> Time and Substps
• Set the number of equilibrium equations to a number that is appropriate for a reasonable time step
size. With SOLCONTROL,ON, this command defaults to between 15 and 26 iterations, depending
upon the physics of the problem.
Command(s): NEQIT
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Nonlinear> Equilibrium Iter
• Turn the predictor-corrector option on.

Command(s): PRED
Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Load Step Opts> Nonlinear> Predictor
• Set the Newton-Raphson option to FULL, with adaptive descent on.

Command(s): NROPT,FULL,,ON
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Unabridged Menu> Analysis Type> Analysis Options
• For analysis involving friction, using NROPT, UNSYM is useful (and sometimes required if the coefficient
of friction µ is > 0.2) for problems where the normal and tangential (sliding) motions are strongly
coupled.
• NLGEOM, ON is supported but the contact normal is not updated during the analysis. Make sure that
only small rotations occur along the contact surfaces (except for the cylindrical gap option).
• Many convergence failures in contact analysis are the result of using too large a value for contact
stiffness (real constant KN). Be sure to follow the recommendations given previously in this section
for an initial estimate for contact stiffness. If such estimated values lead to a convergence failure, reduce
the contact stiffness and restart. (You must also explicitly define the tangent stiffness - see the Note
below.)
• Conversely, if overpenetration occurred in your contact analysis, you probably used a value of KN
that was too small. In this case, gradually increase the contact stiffness value to an appropriate level
by redefining it using new R commands over several load steps in a restart. (You must also explicitly
define the tangent stiffness - see the Note statement below.)
Note
Although you can change the contact stiffness value (real constant KN), you cannot change
any other real constants between load steps. Therefore, if you plan to change KN in a restart
(or from one load step to the next), you cannot allow the value of the tangent (or "sticking")
contact stiffness (real constant KT) to be defined by default, because the program would
then attempt to redefine the tangent stiffness as the contact stiffness changed. You must
explicitly define the tangent stiffness whenever you change the contact stiffness to maintain
a consistent value for the tangent stiffness throughout all load steps.
8.2.8. Solving the Problem

You can now solve the analysis the same as you would for any linear or nonlinear analysis. See Solve
the Analysis in the Structural Analysis Guide.
8.2.9. Reviewing the Results

Postprocessing of contact result items for these elements requires the use of ETABLE commands.
The steps for reviewing results in POST26 are the same as those for a typical nonlinear analysis See
Reviewing Results in POST26 in the Structural Analysis Guide.
For general information on postprocessing, refer to the Basic Analysis Guide.
Chapter 9: Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies
You can use the internal multipoint constraint (MPC) approach (KEYOPT(2) = 2), in conjunction with
certain bonded and no separation contact definitions (KEYOPT(12) = 4, 5, or 6), to define various contact
assemblies and kinematic constraints. This capability is available for contact elements CONTA171,
CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177. By this method, the program
builds MPC equations internally based on the contact kinematics. You can use this method to model
the following contact assemblies and surface-based constraints:
• Solid-solid assembly - both contact and target surfaces paste onto solid element faces
• Shell-shell assembly - both contact and target surfaces paste onto shell element faces
• Shell-solid assembly - the contact surface pastes onto shell element faces and the target surfaces paste
onto solid element faces
• Rigid surface constraint - the contact nodes are constrained to the rigid body motion defined by the pilot
node (similar to the CERIG command)
• Force-distributed constraint - the forces or displacements applied to the pilot node are distributed to
contact nodes, in an average sense, through shape functions (similar to the RBE3 command)
• Coupling constraint - the degrees of freedom at contact nodes are forced to have the same solution as
at the pilot node (similar to the CP command)
• Beam-solid assembly - one beam end-node is the pilot node which connects to the solid or shell surface
(use the rigid surface constraint or force-distributed constraint type of MPC)
The internal MPC approach can overcome the drawbacks of the traditional contact algorithms and
other multipoint constraint tools. For example:
• Degrees of freedom of the contact surface nodes are eliminated, reducing the wave front size of the system
equation solver.
• No contact stiffness is required as input. For a small deformation problem, this represents true linear
contact behavior; no iterations are needed to solve the system of equations. For large deformation problems,
the MPC equations are updated during each iteration, overcoming the small strain restriction in conven-
tional constraint equations.
• Both translational and rotational degrees of freedom can be constrained.
• Generation of internal MPC is simple because it uses contact pair definitions.
• Shape functions are taken into account automatically; no weight factor is needed for a force-distributed
multipoint constraint (which is similar to the RBE3 command) if you use higher order elements or
axisymmetric elements. In addition to forces, displacements can be applied on the pilot node for this type
of MPC.
The following MPC topics are available:
Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies
9.1. Modeling Solid-Solid and Shell-Shell Assemblies

9.2. Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly
9.3. Surface-Based Constraints
9.4. Modeling Rigid Bodies
9.5. Overconstraint Detection and Elimination
9.6. Restrictions and Recommendations for Internal MPC
Before using the internal MPC feature, be sure to review the last topic listed above on restrictions and
recommendations.
9.1. Modeling Solid-Solid and Shell-Shell Assemblies

To define solid-solid or shell-shell assemblies using the internal MPC approach, you must set the following
key options on the contact elements:
KEYOPT(2) = 2 MPC based approach

KEYOPT(12) = 4, 5, No separation (see note below), bonded always, or
or 6 bonded initial
KEYOPT(4) = 1, 2, or Nodal detection or surface projection based method
3 for CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174
KEYOPT(4) = 0 or 1 Contact normal direction for CONTA175
Note
When used with the MPC approach, the no separation option (KEYOPT(12) = 4) is only valid
for modeling solid-solid assemblies that represent a slider line or slider plane.
The following key options are ignored: KEYOPT(8) (it is always set to 2 internally), KEYOPT(10).
The following real constants are used: R1, R2, ICONT, PINB, CNOF, PMAX, PMIN, TOLS. All other real
constants are ignored.
This function works similarly to the CEINTF command for small deformation analysis (NLGEOM,OFF).
Comparing it to the CEINTF command, the contact surface acts as "region A nodes," and the target
surface acts as "region B elements."
The contact surface must be defined on the deformable bodies, and the target surface must be defined
on either deformable or rigid bodies in the contact pair. In order to prevent overconstraint, only asym-
metric contact is supported. If symmetric pairs are defined, the program automatically selects one pair
and ignore the other pair (acting as KEYOPT(8) = 2). The self-contact pair definition is not supported.
9.1.1. Choosing the Nodal Detection Method

The nodal detection method (KEYOPT(4) = 1) and the surface projection based method (KEYOPT(4) =
3) are well suited for contact pairs in which the contact surface normal direction is nearly opposite to
the target surface normal direction. These methods, however, should not be used when the projection
along the contact normal does not intersect the target surface. KEYOPT(4) = 2 can be used for all cases,
regardless of the normal directions. This option is also well suited for the case when the contact normal
direction is nearly perpendicular to the target normal direction.
Modeling Solid-Solid and Shell-Shell Assemblies
The surface projection based method (KEYOPT(4) = 3) enforces contact constraints on the overlapping
area of contact and target elements in an average sense, rather than on each contact node as the other
nodal detection methods do (KEYOPT(4) = 1 and 2). Therefore, each internal constraint equation due
to the projection based method can involve multiple contact nodes and target nodes. In general, this
method provides much more accurate and smoother stress distributions near the contact interface in-
volving dissimilar meshes than the other contact detection options. This holds true even more so for
higher order elements involved in contact. However, the projection based method may significantly
increase computational cost. The cost can be more expensive when the target element meshes are
much more refined than the contact element meshes. This method should only be used for contact
regions where the accuracy of local stresses is critical.
When the contact node does not exactly lie on the target surface (i.e., offsets exist), using the projection
based method for a solid-solid assembly may not represent rigid body rotation correctly. To ensure the
correct behavior for rigid body rotation, you can move the contact nodes onto the target surface by
issuing the CNCHECK,ADJUST command in the beginning of the analysis.
9.1.2. Controlling Behavior at the Contact Surface

For the bonded always option (KEYOPT(12) = 5) and no separation option (KEYOPT(12) = 4), any contact
node that lies inside the pinball region (PINB) can be the constrained node in the MPC definition if an
intersection with the target surface is detected in the contact normal direction. This holds true at the
beginning of deformation, as well as during the deformation process. A relatively small PINB may be
used to prevent any false contact. When KEYOPT(12) is set to the bonded always or no separation option,
PINB defaults to 0.25 (25% of the contact depth) for small deformation analysis (NLGEOM,OFF), and 0.5
(50% of the contact depth) for large deformation analysis (NLGEOM,ON). (The default PINB value may
differ from what is described here if CNOF is input. See Using PINB (p. 61) for more information.)
For the "bonded initial" option (KEYOPT(12) = 6), only those contact nodes that are initially in contact
or have a very small gap but lie inside the adjustment zone (ICONT) are always constrained via internal
MPC. Those contact nodes that are initially open will never be constrained, even though they may later
penetrate into the target surface during the deformation process. In order to capture contact, you
should specify proper ICONT or CNOF values. Use CNCHECK in conjunction with ICONT to move all the
contact nodes that are inside the ICONT zone onto the target surface in the initial configuration, without
causing any strain. When the "bonded initial" option is set and KEYOPT(5) = 0 or 4, ICONT defaults to
0.05. See Adjusting Initial Contact Conditions (p. 52) for more information on using KEYOPT(5), CNOF,
and ICONT.
9.1.3. Controlling Degrees of Freedom Used in the MPC Constraint

You can use KEYOPT(4) on the target element (TARGE169 or TARGE170) to control individual degrees
of freedom for the constraint. For example, if you are using TARGE170 elements with 3-D contact ele-
ments, you might specify that only UX, UY, and ROTZ be used in the constraint. You can do this by
entering a six digit value for KEYOPT(4). The first to sixth digits represent ROTZ, ROTY, ROTX, UZ, UY,
UX, respectively. The number 1 (one) indicates the DOF is active, and the number 0 (zero) indicates the
DOF is not active. Therefore, to specify that UX, UY, and ROTZ be used in the constraint, you would
enter 100011 as the KEYOPT(4) value.
For the 3-D case, you can also use KEYOPT(5) of the target element (TARGE170) to explicitly define the
type of constraint. In most cases, the program automatically constrains the translational degrees of
freedom for a solid-solid assembly and constrains both translational and rotational degrees of freedom
for a shell-shell assembly. The constraint types available through KEYOPT(5) are as follows:
KEYOPT(5) = 0 - Auto constraint type detection (default)
KEYOPT(5) = 1 - Solid-solid constraint (no rotational DOFs are constrained)

KEYOPT(5) = 2 - Shell-shell constraint (both translational and rotational DOFs are constrained, but
they are decoupled)
For a shell-shell assembly, you can also use the shell-solid constraint types (KEYOPT(5) = 3, 4, and 5).
See Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly (p. 130) for more information on the shell-solid constraint types.
Keep these important points in mind when determining the type of constraint to use for the assembly:
• For the 3-D case, if you specify KEYOPT(4), only the degrees of freedom that are common to both the
KEYOPT(4) degree-of-freedom set and the KEYOPT(5) degree-of-freedom set will be considered in the
constraint equations.
• When the no separation option (KEYOPT(12) = 4 on the contact element) is used with the MPC approach
to model solid-solid assemblies, only the KEYOPT(5) = 0 and 1 options (auto detection or solid-solid con-
straint) described above are valid. If the auto detection option is set and the program finds a shell-shell
or shell-solid constraint in this situation, the solution will terminate.
• If overconstraint occurs in bonded shell-shell assemblies when using the MPC algorithm, you can switch
to the penalty method or the augmented Lagrangian method. See Bonded Contact for Shell-Shell Assem-
blies (p. 65) for more information.
• The shell-shell constraint type (KEYOPT(5)=2) constrains the rotational and translational degrees of freedom
from both sides. However, the rotational and translational degrees of freedom are decoupled. This option
can model situations where one shell edge lines up well with another shell surface. This provides a valid
answer which is closer to a matching mesh solution.
If a certain amount of gap or penetration exists in the assembly interface, the shell-shell constraint
option causes artificial constraints to be added, which can result in an inaccurate solution. In this
case, it is recommended that you use a shell-solid constraint type by setting KEYOPT(5) = 3, 4, or 5
on the target element. One drawback of using the shell-solid constraint type is that the initial gap
or penetration will remain during the solution (similar to setting KEYOPT(9) = 1 on the contact element).
9.1.4. Using the MPC Approach for Multiphysics Applications

The MPC approach can be used for multiphysics applications as well as structural applications. The de-
grees of freedom specified for the contact elements via KEYOPT(1) determine the physics fields that
will be considered for contact. See Multiphysics Contact for more information on multiphysics contact
capabilities.
If the temperature degree of freedom is active in the model (KEYOPT(1) = 1 or 2), the program builds
MPC equations not only for structural degrees of freedom, but also for the temperature DOF. In this
case, the real constant TCC is ignored. If only the temperature DOF is set (KEYOPT(1) = 2) and other
solution options are defined (ANTYPE,,TRANS; THOPT,QUASI; EQSLV,JCG/ICCG), the internal MPC ap-
proach can support fast thermal transient analysis (see Nonlinear Options in the Thermal Analysis Guide).
Internal MPC equations for temperature DOF are built to support heat transfer between the two bonded
surfaces.
9.2. Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly

The 3-D shell-solid assembly provides a transition from a shell element region to a solid element region.
This approach is useful when local modeling requires a full three-dimensional model with a relatively
fine mesh, but other parts of the structure can be represented by shell elements (see Figure 9.1: Example
of Shell-Solid Assembly (p. 131)). No alignment is required between the solid element mesh and the
Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly
shell element mesh. The contact surface or edge must be built on the shell element side. The target
surface must be built on the solid elements side.
Figure 9.1: Example of Shell-Solid Assembly
Constraint interface
Shell elements
Solid elements
To define a shell-solid assembly using the internal MPC approach, you must set the following key options
on the contact elements:
KEYOPT(2) = 2 MPC-based approach

KEYOPT(12) = 5 or 6 Bonded always or bonded initial
KEYOPT(4) = 1 or 2 Nodal detection for CONTA171, CONTA172, CON-
TA173, CONTA174 [1]
KEYOPT(4) = 0 or 1 Contact normal direction for CONTA175
1. The surface projection based method for contact detection (KEYOPT(4) = 3) is usually not suitable for
modeling shell-solid assemblies.
The following real constants are also used: ICONT, FTOL, PINB, CNOF, PMAX, PMIN, TOLS.
The following key options are ignored: KEYOPT(8), KEYOPT(10), KEYOPT(1) > 0.
In most cases, the program automatically constrains both translational and rotational degrees of freedom
for a shell-solid assembly (see Figure 9.2: Shell-Solid Assembly (Original Mesh) (p. 132)). However, you
can use KEYOPT(5) of the target element (TARGE170) to explicitly define the type of constraint:
KEYOPT(5) = 0 - Auto constraint type detection (default). Based on the underlying element type,
this option automatically identifies the appropriate constraint type: solid-solid constraint, shell-shell
constraint, or shell-solid constraint.
KEYOPT(5) = 3 - Shell-solid constraint; both translational and rotational DOFs are constrained on
shell nodes; only translational DOFs are constrained on solid nodes (see Figure 9.3: Shell-Solid As-
sembly with Shell-Solid Constraint Option (p. 133)).
KEYOPT(5) = 4 - Shell-solid constraint, all directions. This option acts the same as KEYOPT(5) = 3 if
an intersection is found from the contact normal to the target surface. Otherwise, constraint equations
are still built as long as contact nodes and target segments are inside the pinball region. (See Fig-
ure 9.4: Shell-Solid Constraint - No Intersection (use KEYOPT(5) = 4 or 5) (p. 134) later in this section.)
KEYOPT(5) = 5 - Shell-solid constraint, anywhere inside the pinball region. Constraint equations are
always built as long as contact node(s) and target segments are inside the pinball region, regardless
of whether an intersection exists between the contact normal and the target surface. (See Fig-
ure 9.4: Shell-Solid Constraint - No Intersection (use KEYOPT(5) = 4 or 5) (p. 134) later in this section.)
Figure 9.2: Shell-Solid Assembly (Original Mesh)
Shell elements
(thickness t )
Contact elements
(pre-existing)
Solid elements
Target elements
TARGE170
(on top of solid)
Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly
Figure 9.3: Shell-Solid Assembly with Shell-Solid Constraint Option
MPC equations for

shell edge solid surface
FTOLN
(influence distance)
For the shell-solid constraint option (KEYOPT(5) = 3 on TARGE170), the program automatically creates
an internal set of force-distributed constraints (similar to the RBE3 command) between nodes on the
shell edges and nodes on the solid surface. The program uses the pinball region (PINB), initial adjustment
zone (ICONT), and influence distance (FTOLN) to determine which nodes on the shell edge will be
constrained with which nodes on the solid surface. Each shell node acts as the master node, and asso-
ciated solid nodes act as slave nodes.
For the bonded always option (KEYOPT(12) = 5), any shell node that lies inside the pinball region (PINB)
will be included in the constraint if an intersection with the target surface is detected in the contact
normal direction. This holds true at the beginning of deformation, as well as during the deformation
process. A relatively small PINB value may be used to prevent any false contact. The default for PINB is
0.25 (25% of the contact depth) for small deformation analysis (NLGEOM,OFF), and 0.5 (50% of the
contact depth) for large deformation analysis (NLGEOM,ON). (The default PINB value may differ from
what is described here if CNOF is input. See Using PINB (p. 61) for more information.)
For the bonded initial option (KEYOPT(12) = 6), only the shell nodes that initially lie inside the adjustment
zone (ICONT) are included in the constraint sets. Shell nodes that lie outside ICONT are not constrained
with the solid nodes. The default for ICONT is 0.05 (5% of the contact depth).
The influence distance (FTOLN) is used for the shell-solid constraint option (KEYOPT(5) =3 on TARGE170).
Each solid node is included in the constraint set if the perpendicular distance from the solid node to
any shell edge is smaller than the influence distance. FTOLN defaults to half the thickness of the shell.
A positive FTOLN value represents a scaling factor on the shell half-thickness, and a negative value
represents an absolute distance value.
A shell-solid assembly can be used in a substructure analysis. However, if a superelement is defined to

represent the shell elements, shell thickness is unknown in the use pass. In this case, you must overwrite
the default setting of FTOLN (originally a factor of the shell thickness) to account for the zero thickness
of the superelement. Input an absolute value for FTOLN (that is, input a negative value) to capture all
constrained nodes when the constraint equations are built.
The KEYOPT(5) = 4 option (shell-solid constraint, all directions) can be used for the case when the shell
node does not overlap or intersect the contact surface (see figure below). However, if any intersection
is detected from the contact normal to the target surface, this option may not be the best choice because
it only builds very localized constraints between the shell node and the target segment which is inter-
sected. The same is always true for KEYOPT(5) = 3.
The KEYOPT(5) = 5 option (shell-solid constraint, anywhere inside pinball) is the recommended shell-
solid constraint because constraint equations are always built between a shell node and all target seg-
ments which are inside the pinball region, regardless of the contact normal and contact intersection.
Thus, the pinball size is important since a larger pinball will result in a larger constraint set. This option
is useful when you wish to completely constrain one contact side to another. The stresses are more
evenly distributed at the shell-solid interface for this option than they would be for other shell-solid
constraint types.
Figure 9.4: Shell-Solid Constraint - No Intersection (use KEYOPT(5) = 4 or 5)
Shell elements
Pinball region
Target normal
Contact normal
Shell node
Solid elements
Keep the following points in mind when modeling shell-solid assemblies:
• For the shell-solid constraint type (KEYOPT(5) = 3, 4, or 5), KEYOPT(9) is ignored, and initial penetration
or gap always remains constant. To close the initial penetration or gap, issue the command
CNCHECK,ADJUST in the beginning of the analysis.
• The shell-solid constraint (KEYOPT(5) = 3, 4, or 5) is not always capable of transmitting all components
of the moment at the shell nodes due to transverse shear locking of shell elements; a typical example
is the moment component that is parallel to the normal of the solid surface.
9.3. Surface-Based Constraints

A surface-based constraint can be used to couple the motion of nodes on the contact surface to a single
pilot node on the target surface. The multipoint constraint (MPC) capability of the contact elements
(KEYOPT(2) = 2) allows you to define three types of surface-based constraints:
• Rigid surface constraint - In this type of constraint, the contact nodes are constrained to the rigid body
motion defined by the pilot node (see Figure 9.5: Rigid Surface Constraint (p. 135)), similar to a constraint
defined by the CERIG command.
• Force-distributed constraint - In this type of constraint, forces or displacements applied on the pilot node
are distributed to contact nodes (in an average sense) through shape functions (see Figure 9.6: Force-
Distributed Constraint (p. 135)), similar to a constraint defined by the RBE3 command.
Surface-Based Constraints
• Coupling constraint - In this type of constraint, the degrees of freedom of contact nodes are constrained
to have the same solution as the degrees of freedom of the pilot node (see Figure 9.7: Coupling Con-
straint (p. 136)), similar to a constraint defined by the CP command.
Figure 9.5: Rigid Surface Constraint
Figure 9.6: Force-Distributed Constraint
Figure 9.7: Coupling Constraint
In Figure 9.7: Coupling Constraint (p. 136), the pilot node's x-direction has been rotated by 45 degrees. Only
UX is included in the coupling constraint, so UY on the contact nodes are left free. The resulting deform-
ation shows that UX (rotated 45 degrees from global x) is constant on the contact nodes, but UY is
nonuniform.
These surface-based constraints can be used in the following applications:
• To apply loads and boundary conditions to the pilot node (such as torque load or drill rotation). Example:
a bolt head submitted to a torque force using a force-distributed constraint.
• To model rigid bodies. Example: rigid body definition in multi-body dynamics.
• To model rigid end conditions. Example: using a rigid surface constraint to model a rigid end plate or rigid
plane section of 3-D solid elements.
• To model interactions with other joints. Example: two flexible parts linked by a hinge. This can be modeled
by two force-distributed constraint definitions whose pilot nodes are connected by a revolute joint element.
• To define transitions between solid and structure elements. Example: a beam element connected to a
solid element face.
9.3.1. Defining Surface-Based Constraints

The contact surface can be generated via the ESURF command. The contact nodes on the contact
surface are the slave nodes of the MPC equations. The pilot node is the only target segment on the
target surface side. It is the master node of the MPC equations. Forces and displacements can be applied
on the pilot node and the contact nodes. You can define a follower element (FOLLW201) on the pilot
node so that the element-specified external forces and moments on the follower element will follow
the motion of the pilot node.
For a force-distributed constraint, use the following contact element key options:
Force-distributed Constraint KEYOPT Settings

KEYOPT(4) = 1 Indicates a force-distributed constraint for CON-
TA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CON-
TA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177
For a rigid surface constraint, use the following contact element key options:
Rigid Surface Constraint KEYOPT Settings

KEYOPT(4) = 2 Indicates a rigid surface constraint for CONTA171,
CONTA172, CONTA173, and CONTA174
KEYOPT(4) = 0 Indicates a rigid surface constraint for CONTA175 ,
CONTA176, and CONTA177
For a coupling constraint, use the following contact element key options:
Coupling Constraint KEYOPT Settings

KEYOPT(4) = 3 Indicates a coupling constraint for CONTA171,
CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175,
CONTA176, and CONTA177
The following key options are ignored for surface-based constraints: KEYOPT(8), KEYOPT(5), KEYOPT(7),
KEYOPT(10).
With the exception of PINB, none of the standard contact real constants are used for surface-based
constraints using internal MPC.
9.3.2. Defining Influence Range (PINB)

By default, all the contact nodes are included in the surface-based constraints. You can select a subset
of nodes from these contact nodes by defining a radius of influence range, PINB. The nodes that lie
within the spherical range (radius = PINB) centered about the pilot node are selected for the definition
of the surface-based constraints.
9.3.3. Degrees of Freedom of Surface-Based Constraints

Use KEYOPT(1) of the contact elements to specify the degrees of freedom to be used in the constraint
set. You may include other field degrees of freedom in addition to the structural DOFs.
The pilot node has both translational and rotational degrees of freedom. The active degrees of freedom
at the pilot node depend on the defined type of target elements. Use TARGE169 for 2-D surface-based
constraints that contain UX, UY, and ROTZ degrees of freedom. Use TARGE170 for 3-D surface-based
constraints that contain UX, UY, UZ, and ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ degrees of freedom. Generally, you should
always set KEYOPT(2)=1 for the target element to indicate that boundary conditions for rigid target
nodes will be user-specified; otherwise, the program may apply internal constraints on the pilot node.
The degrees of freedom of the surface-based constraints can also be controlled by using KEYOPT(4) of
the target element (TARGE169 or TARGE170). For example, for the 3-D case (TARGE170), you might
specify that only UX, UY, and ROTZ be used in the constraint. You can do this by entering a six digit
value for KEYOPT(4). The first to sixth digits represent ROTZ, ROTY, ROTX, UZ, UY, UX, respectively. The
number 1 (one) indicates the DOF is active, and the number 0 (zero) indicates the DOF is not active.
Therefore, to specify that UX, UY, and ROTZ be used in the constraint, you would enter 100011 as the
KEYOPT(4) value.
The basic formulation for the rigid surface constraint is similar to the MPC184 rigid beam and rigid link
elements. However, this constraint type offers additional flexibility when you fully or partially constrain
the degrees of freedom. For examples, the following are possible configurations:
• All six degrees of freedom are selected, which is equivalent to the MPC184 rigid beam.
• One rotational degree of freedom is excluded, which is equivalent to the MPC184 revolute joint.
• Only three translational degrees of freedom are selected, which is equivalent to the MPC184 spherical
joint or MPC184 rigid link.
9.3.4. Specifying a Local Coordinate System

You can specify the surface-based constraint in a local coordinate system. For the rigid surface constraint,
rotate the contact nodes into a local coordinate system. For the force-distributed constraint and the
coupling constraint, rotate the pilot node into a local coordinate system.
When KEYOPT(12) = 5 is set on the contact elements, the coordinate system does not rotate and it
keeps its initial configuration. When the rotation is finite and KEYOPT(12) = 6 is set on the contact ele-
ments, the coordinate system in which the constrained degrees of freedom are specified will be co-rotated
according to the rotation of the pilot node. The degrees of freedom of the surface-based constraints
will be assigned with the co-rotated system. This is true even for the constrained degrees of freedom
specified in the global coordinate system.
Note
If all degrees of freedom are included in the constraint equations, there will be no difference
between the KEYOPT(12) = 5 and KEYOPT(12) = 6 settings.
Figure 9.8: Slider Link (p. 139) shows an example of a slider link modeled with contact. A local cylindrical
coordinate system is defined at a contact node such that the x-direction is coincident with the line
connecting the contact node and pilot node. KEYOPT(4) = 10 is set for the target element type to specify
that only the y degree of freedom is constrained and other degrees of freedom are free. The coordinate
system at the contact node will be co-rotated according to the rotation of the pilot node.
Figure 9.8: Slider Link
Contact node
Rigid body
Pilot node
Apply rotation
In another example, a cylindrical ring is clamped at one end and loaded by a torque at the other end
(Figure 9.9: Free Radial Expansion Under Torque Load (p. 139)). A rigid surface constraint is used with all
the contact nodes rotated into a cylindrical coordinate system. If the x-direction constraint is free
(KEYOPT(4) = 110), the ring is allowed to expand in the radial direction.
Figure 9.9: Free Radial Expansion Under Torque Load
9.3.5. Additional Guidelines for a Force-Distributed Constraint

• The pilot node is a dependent node (meaning the degrees of freedom for this node are removed). The
contact nodes are independent nodes (the degrees of freedom are retained). If the pilot node has constraints
applied to it, internally-generated MPC equations are rewritten so that the degrees of freedom of the pilot
node are no longer dependent DOF.
• KEYOPT(4) of TARGE169 and TARGE170 controls the number of degrees of freedom of the pilot node.
• The number of internally-generated MPCs is equal to the number of degrees of freedom defined by KEY-
OPT(4) of TARGE169 and TARGE170.
• When the constrained surface is built on a symmetric geometry model instead of the “full” geometry
model, you must define the symmetry conditions using KEYOPT(6) of the target element (TARGE169 or
TARGE170). Otherwise, you might get unexpected results (as shown by (c) in the figure below). When
defining symmetric conditions, the pilot node must be located on the symmetry plane/edge.
Figure 9.10: Defining Symmetry Conditions for Force-Distributed Constraints
9.3.6. Additional Guidelines for a Rigid Surface Constraint

• The pilot node is an independent (retained) node in the constraint equation. The contact nodes are the
dependent (removed) nodes. Use great caution when you apply any displacement constraints, coupling
(CP command), or constraint equations (CE command) on the contact nodes since redundant constraints
are likely to occur.
• KEYOPT(4) of TARGE169 and TARGE170 controls the DOF set (the number of DOF) of the contact (dependent)
nodes used in the internally-generated MPCs.
• The number of internally-generated MPCs is equal to the number of contact nodes times the number of
DOF.
• The contact surface does not require underlying elements.
9.3.7. Additional Guidelines for a Coupling Constraint

• The pilot node is an independent (retained) node in the constraint equation. The contact nodes are the
dependent (removed) nodes. It is strongly recommended that you do not apply any displacement con-
straints, coupling (CP command), or constraint equations (CE command) on the contact nodes in the same
DOF direction as the coupling constraint since redundant constraints are likely to occur.
• KEYOPT(4) of TARGE169 and TARGE170 controls the DOF set (the number of DOF) of the pilot node (the
independent DOF) used in the internally-generated MPCs.
• The DOF set defined by KEYOPT(4) follows the nodal coordinate system of the pilot node. Each contact
node can have its own nodal coordinate system, which does not affect the solution.
• The number of internally-generated MPCs is equal to the number of contact nodes times the number of
DOF.
9.3.8. Modeling a Beam-Solid Assembly

The surface-based constraint technique can be used to apply transitions between solid and structure
elements; for example, a beam element connected to the solid or shell element face. One beam end
node must be the pilot node and the solid/shell nodes must be the contact nodes. The rigid surface
constraint is generally well-suited for the solid beam to solid surface case (see Figure 9.11: Beam-Solid
Assembly Defined by Rigid Surface Constraint (p. 141)), and the force-distributed constraint is well-suited
for the flexible beam (such as a thin wall beam) to solid/shell surface case (see Figure 9.12: Beam-Solid
Assembly Defined by Force-distributed Constraint (p. 142)).
Figure 9.11: Beam-Solid Assembly Defined by Rigid Surface Constraint
Solid elements
Pilot node
Beam elements
Contact elements
Figure 9.12: Beam-Solid Assembly Defined by Force-distributed Constraint
Shell elements
Pilot node
Beam elements
Contact elements
9.4. Modeling Rigid Bodies

Rigid bodies are widely used for numerical simulation of multibody dynamic applications. The definition
of a rigid body is similar to the definition of a rigid surface constraint, except that all the elements are
defined by target elements. The motion of the rigid body is governed by the degrees of freedom at a
pilot node which allows accurate representation of the geometry, mass, and rotary inertia of the rigid
body. Each rigid body is only associated with one pilot node. The pilot node can be one of the nodes
on a target element or a node at any arbitrary location. It can be connected to point mass, follower
(FOLLW201), and deformable elements. For transient analysis you should locate the pilot node at the
gravity center of the rigid body if the center of mass is known or can be approximated. You can add a
point mass element, MASS21, to the gravity center. See Modeling Rigid Bodies in a Multibody Analysis
in the Multibody Analysis Guide for more details.
9.4.1. Modeling Contact between Rigid Bodies

You can model contact between two rigid bodies by specifying a contact pair consisting of a contact
surface on one rigid body and a target surface on another rigid body. These contact and target elements
should overlap the existing contact elements defined for the rigid bodies. Use either the augmented
Lagrange algorithm or penalty algorithm (KEYOPT(2) on the contact elements) to avoid overconstraint
between rigid body constraints and contact constraints.
You cannot use the multipoint constraint (MPC) algorithm (KEYOPT(2) = 2) with bonded or no-separation
contact behavior (KEYOPT(12)) to connect two rigid bodies; doing so would cause the model to be
overconstrained. Instead, add a third rigid body which connects the first two rigid bodies at their pilot
nodes.
Restrictions and Recommendations for Internal MPC
MPC bonded contact between a flexible body and a rigid body is allowed. For this case, the contact
surface of the MPC bonded contact pair must belong to the flexible body. Otherwise, the MPC bonded
constraints and rigid body constraints would be redundant.
It is possible to model two rigid bodies that are connected or overlapping through shared rigid body
nodes or pilot nodes. To prevent overconstraint, the program internally merges the two rigid bodies
into one rigid body and treats the second pilot node as a regular rigid body node.
9.5. Overconstraint Detection and Elimination

When a degree of freedom is subjected to multiple constraints, overconstraint occurs. Overconstraint
can be caused by the combination of the following constraints within the model:
• User-specified constraints, including displacement constraints, constraint equations (CE command), and
coupling (CP command)
• Lagrange multiplier-based contact definitions
• MPC-based contact definitions
• Constraints introduced through joint elements
Overconstraint may result in convergence difficulties or inaccurate solutions. In order to prevent this
problem, the program tries to detect and eliminate overconstraints automatically. You can verify the
eliminated constraints during postprocessing.
At the beginning of a contact analysis, warning messages may appear outlining the cause of the potential
overconstraints. Use the CNCHECK,DETAIL command to identify the overconstraints indicated by the
messages. Manually remove as many unnecessary constraints as possible.
Some overconstraints occur only during the solution due to new deformed configurations or due to
changes in contact status. The program eliminates a limited set of overconstraints detected during
solution; appropriate messages are issued when this occurs. For MPC-based contact pairs, the contact
statuses (contact result item STAT) are set to negative values if one or more contact constraints are re-
moved. STAT is set to -3 for bonded contact; STAT is set to -2 for no-separation contact. Be aware that,
due to complexities, certain overconstraints may not be easily detected.
The way the program removes the overconstraint is not unique. The order of the redundant constraints
will influence how they are removed (the first encountered is kept, the next is removed). You should
always verify the modified model carefully. You can list and display the contact status using STAT as a
contact result item for the PLESOL and PRESOL commands; for example:
PLESOL,CONT,STAT
9.6. Restrictions and Recommendations for Internal MPC

The following restrictions and guidelines apply when using the internal MPC approach.
• To prevent overconstraint, displacement boundary conditions and other constraint equations or coupling
equations (ideally) should not be applied on the contact nodes for solid-solid, shell-shell, and shell-solid
assemblies, or for rigid surface constraints and coupling constraints.
• The Sparse and PCG solvers are recommended to solve models with constraint equations.
• The MPC-based algorithm must be used with nodal detection (KEYOPT(4) = 1, 2, or 3) for CONTA171,
CONTA172, CONTA173, and CONTA174. If nodal detection is not set, the program issues a warning message
and automatically sets KEYOPT(4) = 2.
• MPC no-separation contact (KEYOPT(12) = 4) may cause a discontinuity when contact nodes slide from
one target segment to another. However this is not the case for MPC bonded contact (KEYOPT(12) = 5 or
6).
• The internal MPC option does not support rigid-flexible contact when rigid surfaces are modeled by any
primitive segments (such as circle, cylinder, cone, or sphere).
• The shell-solid assembly is usually used for the case where the solid mesh is fine with respect to the shell
thickness. The shell-solid interface should be located in a region of the structure where shell theory is
valid for an approximation. The accuracy of local stresses near the shell-solid interface (at least within the
shell thickness range) is not guaranteed. We recommend you include at least two solid elements along
the layer of the shell-solid interface.
• Using the force-distributed constraint type of MPC with a large number of contact nodes can result in
large and dense submatrices for the global stiffness matrix. This may significantly increase the peak memory
required during element stiffness assembly. Consider reducing the number of contact nodes if real memory
or virtual memory is limited.
• The force-distributed constraint creates internal constraint equations such that the motion of the pilot
node is the average of the contact nodes. For the rotations, a least-squares approach is used to define
the "average rotation" at the pilot node from the translations of the contact nodes. If the contact nodes
are colinear, then one of the rotations on the pilot node that is parallel to the colinear direction can not
be determined in terms of the translations of the contact nodes. Therefore, the associated moment com-
ponent on the pilot node in that direction can not be transmitted. When this case occurs, a warning
message is issued.
• The contact related postprocessing items (ETABLE items, PRESOL,CONT, etc.) are not supported for the
internal MPC option.
• MPC contact only generates internal constraint equations. It does not calculate element internal force and
stiffness matrices. Therefore, during postprocessing the option ITEM = CONT is not valid on the PRNLD,
NFORCE, and FSUM commands.
• You can use the CELIST command to list the internally-generated constraint equations associated with
MPC contact . You can also use CELIST to convert the internal constraint equations to external constraint
equation after a SOLVE command has been issued. (See CELIST for details.)
• MPC contact generates constraint equations that can include constant terms. These terms are included
on the right hand side of the system equation. Thus, they are scaled by the LVSCALE command when it
is used in a mode superposition analysis. These terms are considered as harmonically varying loads when
included in a harmonic analysis.
Chapter 10: Dynamic Contact and Impact Modeling
Performing contact analysis in a transient dynamic procedure is always challenging due to the presence
of contact chattering (frequent change in contact status). One of the reasons for contact chattering is
that the contact constraints enforce constraints on nodal displacements (penetration) but do not impose
any constraints on nodal velocities. Since nodal velocities and nodal accelerations are dependent on
nodal displacements (see Section 17.2 Transient Analysis in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference), any
constraints on nodal displacements make the nodal velocities and nodal accelerations inconsistent. This
introduces numerical errors in the transient dynamic solution in subsequent time increments and, if
left untreated, leads to numerical instability (non-convergence or incorrect solution).
Numerical damping is usually added to the time integration scheme to suppress such numerical errors.
However, addition of numerical damping does not work in several cases. For example, in problems with
multiple or repeated impacts there is constant growth of numerical error in the solution, and the ana-
lysis eventually fails to converge in spite of large numerical damping. In other situations the analysis
may converge with addition of numerical damping, but the system response may be underdamped or
overdamped depending on the growth of numerical error.
A more appropriate solution to the contact chattering problem is to treat nodal displacement and
nodal velocities consistently. One such solution is provided by Energy and Momentum Conserving
Contact (p. 145).
10.1. Energy and Momentum Conserving Contact

In transient dynamic analysis with contact, if the contact and target surfaces impact each other with
nonzero relative velocities, it is important to satisfy momentum and energy balance for the contact/target
interface. This helps to more accurately predict the duration of impact and the rebound velocities after
separation. This can be achieved by using impact constraints with any of the 2D or 3D contact elements:
CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, CONTA177, and CONTA178.
Impact constraints include constraints on penetration and relative velocity (see Energy and Momentum
Conserving Contact in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference). To activate the impact constraints the
following contact options must be defined for a contact element:
• Contact algorithm must be one of the following:
– Augmented Lagrangian (KEYOPT(2) = 0)
– Penalty function (KEYOPT(2) = 1)
– Lagrange multiplier on contact normal and penalty on tangent (KEYOPT(2) = 3)
– Pure Lagrange multiplier on contact normal and tangent (KEYOPT(2) = 4)
• Standard or rough contact (KEYOPT(12) = 0 or 1)
• Impact constraints (KEYOPT(7) = 4)
Dynamic Contact and Impact Modeling
The impact constraints can be used with both frictionless and frictional contact.
10.1.1. Energy Conservation

The impact constraints are active only on the contact/target interface, so energy conservation is enforced
only for contact elements. The underlying finite elements defining the interior of impacting bodies do
not satisfy energy conservation. To ensure energy conservation, the following conditions must be satisfied
for contact elements:
• Relative velocity constraint should be satisfied exactly.
• No numerical damping should be used.
• No friction should be specified.
Energy conservation is relatively easy to satisfy for rigid impact (when both contact and target surfaces
are rigid) as compared to flexible impact (when the target surface is rigid and the contact surface is
flexible, or both surfaces are flexible). This is because the underlying finite elements for flexible bodies
excite higher frequencies, which can make the time integration scheme unstable unless some numerical
damping is used. For rigid bodies undergoing only translation motion and impact, numerical damping
is generally not needed; however, when rigid bodies are undergoing large rotations, a small amount
of numerical damping is necessary to keep the time integration scheme from becoming unstable.
10.1.2. Automatic Time Stepping

An automatic time stepping scheme is provided to adjust the time increment size. This can be activated
by SOLCONTROL,ON,ON at the procedure level when AUTOTS,ON is set. This scheme starts adjusting
size of the time increments before impact such that there is minimum penetration in the substep where
contact is first detected. This is important because the contact algorithm will enforce the relative velocity
constraints to only prevent further penetration.
If the automatic time stepping scheme is not used, there may be some uncontrolled penetration of the
surfaces depending on the size of the time increment for the substep where contact is first detected
before the relative velocity constraint prevents further penetration.
When using fixed time increment, fixed number of substeps, or automatic time stepping (AUTOTS,ON)
without SOLCONTROL,ON,ON, you should make sure that the penetrations remain sufficiently small.
10.1.3. Penetration and Relative Velocity

When using the impact constraints, the penetration value depends on two factors:
• Size of the time increment where contact is first detected
• Accuracy of relative velocity constraint
The “initial” penetration value depends on the size of the time increment, as explained above. There is
no contact force associated with this value. The remaining penetration value comes from the enforcement
of relative velocity constraint using the contact algorithm. The value of this penetration depends on
the choice of contact algorithm, contact normal stiffness (FKN), and/or allowable penetration (FTOLN).
The contact normal force is directly related to this penetration value.
Energy and Momentum Conserving Contact
10.1.4. Impact Between Rigid Bodies

When using impact constraints to model impact between rigid bodies, a coefficient of restitution (real
constant COR) can be used to model loss of energy during impact. The coefficient of restitution defines
the ratio of relative velocity of rigid bodies after impact to relative velocity of rigid bodies before impact
, so its value varies between 0 and 1. A value of 0 indicates that the rigid bodies stick to each other
after impact, while a value of 1 indicates that the rigid bodies rebound after impact with the magnitude
of relative velocity after impact being the same as before impact.
Chapter 11: Spot Welds
The traditional way of modeling spot welds involves matching the meshes of different parts at the spot
weld connection points, which introduces meshing difficulties and often requires parts to be meshed
manually. In addition, this approach does not take into account the effects of the spot weld radius, and
it underestimates the strength of the spot weld connection when the radius of the spot weld is the
same or lesser order of magnitude than the mesh size.
The ANSYS spot weld feature, based on the internal multipoint constraint (MPC) approach, offers a robust
alternative to the traditional method. This feature allows you to easily model thin sheet components
that are connected with spot welds, rivets, or fasteners. The spot weld can be located anywhere between
the parts that are to be connected, independent of the mesh and the node locations. The figure below
shows an example of the spot weld configuration. Each spot weld set connects two or more surfaces.
Figure 11.1: Example Spot Weld Configuration
Node 3 Surface 3
Spot weld radius
Node 2 Surface 2
Basic Spot Weld Set
Node 1 Surface 1
Spot Welds
There are several advantages to using this mesh independent spot weld capability:
• Parts can be meshed independently.
• A basic spot weld set can be easily defined by specifying two surfaces to be connected and a single node
called the spot weld node near the surfaces. The spot weld node determines the location of the spot
weld.
• This approach takes into account effects of the spot weld radius input by the user. The program creates
multipoint constraint equations (MPCs) internally through two contact pair definitions, one on each spot
weld surface. The internal constraint equations (force-distributed constraints) couple the motion of the
surface nodes to the motion of the spot weld node in an average sense.
• The spot weld can be rigid (default) or deformable. To specify a deformable spot weld, you simply define
a deformable beam element type prior to creating the spot weld.
The following spot weld topics are available:

11.1. Defining a Spot Weld Set
11.2. Listing and Deleting Spot Welds
11.1. Defining a Spot Weld Set

The general procedure for defining a spot weld set consists of the following steps:
1. Define the basic spot weld set (SWGEN command)
2. Define any additional surfaces for the existing spot weld set (SWADD command)
In addition, the SWLIST and SWDEL commands are available for listing and deleting spot weld sets.
11.1.1. Creating a Basic Spot Weld Set with SWGEN

Use the SWGEN command to define a basic spot weld set (in the GUI, pick Main Menu> Preprocessor>
Modeling> Create> Element > SpotWeld> Create New Set). The required arguments are:
• Name of the spot weld set
• Spot weld radius
• Spot weld surfaces
• First spot weld node
You can optionally specify the following:
• Second spot weld node
• Spot weld projection direction
• Search radius
• Contact and target element types
All of these inputs are discussed in detail below.
Defining a Spot Weld Set
Spot Weld Set Name (Ecomp):

Use the Ecomp argument to assign a name to a new basic spot weld set. The spot weld set is a com-
ponent composed of new beam, target, and contact elements. The name entered for the Ecomp argu-
ment will be used to list, delete, output, or add new surfaces to the spot weld set.
Spot Weld Surfaces (NCM1, NCM2):

Each basic spot weld set contains two surfaces, surface 1 and surface 2, to be connected together. Use
arguments NCM1 and NCM2 to specify these surfaces. You can input the name of a predefined node
component or a meshed area number. If no nodal component names matching NCM1 and NCM2 are
found, they are assumed to be meshed area numbers.
Spot Weld Nodes (SND1, SND2):

You must specify the first spot weld node, SND1. The location of each spot weld depends on SND1. If
you specify the second spot weld node (SND2), it is used to determine the spot weld projection direction.
The second node will be generated automatically if it is not specified. You should locate SND1 and SND2
(referred to as node 1 and node 2 in figures that follow) as close to the corresponding surfaces as possible.
They can be nodes on the corresponding surfaces or independent nodes in space. If they are not on the
corresponding surfaces, node 1 will be moved to surface 1 and node 2 will be moved to surface 2.
The program determines the actual location for the spot weld nodes by first projecting node 1 onto
surface 1 along the spot weld projection direction. Next, the program projects node 2 to surface 2
along the spot weld projection direction. The spot weld nodes are moved to the surfaces in the
beginning of the analysis.
Spot Weld Projection Direction:

By default, the projection direction is a surface normal vector from node 1 to surface 1 (see figure below).
If you specify node 2 (SND2), the projection direction is in line with the two spot weld nodes. If node 2
is not specified, you can still explicitly define the projection direction with the DIRX, DIRY, and DIRZ
arguments.
Figure 11.2: Default Projection Direction for Node 1
Original position of
Node 1
Node 1 Surface 1
after projection
Once the actual location of node 1 has been determined, the program projects node 2 to surface
2 along the spot weld projection direction that was used for node 1. The figure below shows the
projection locations of nodes 1 and 2 given a default projection normal to surface 1.
Spot Welds
Figure 11.3: Default Projection Direction for Nodes 1 and 2
Node 2 Surface 2
Node 1
Surface 1
Node 1
The figure below shows spot weld node 1 projected as specified by the user (either through the
input of DIRX, DIRY, and DIRZ, or by the specification of a second spot weld node).
Figure 11.4: User-specified Projection Direction, Node 1
Node 1
Node 1 Surface 1
after projection
The figure below is another example showing the projection location of spot weld nodes 1 and 2
given a user-specified projection direction.
Figure 11.5: User-specified Projection Direction, Nodes 1 and 2
Node 2 Surface 2
User-defined
projection
direction
Node 1 Surface 1
Node 1
Spot Weld Radius (SWRD):

Each spot weld is assumed to have a circular projection onto the spot weld surfaces. The projection is
defined by the required spot weld radius argument SWRD. For each spot weld surface, the program
builds six force-distributed constraint equations through a contact pair. The spot weld radius determines
the influence range of the constraint equations. Each spot weld node couples with a group of nodes on
the corresponding surface within the radius. (See Figure 11.7: Nodes Included in Constraint Equa-
tions (p. 155) later in this section.)
Search Radius (SHRD):

The program creates a contact pair for each spot weld surface. The contact pair contains one contact
element defined by the spot weld node, and target elements overlaid fully or partially on the correspond-
ing spot weld surface. Only the surface nodes that fall within a sphere of radius, called the search radius,
with its center at the original position of the corresponding spot weld node are used to form target
elements (see figure below). The search radius must be larger than the spot weld radius. If the search
radius argument (SHRD) is not defined, the program uses a default search radius that is four times the
spot weld radius.
Spot Welds
Figure 11.6: Search Radius for Spot Weld
Search radius
Spot weld radius Original position of
node 1
TARGE170 elements
within search radius
CONTAC175
Surface 1 (spot weld node 1)
Target and Contact Element Types (ITTY, ICTY):

By default, the program automatically creates the target and contact element types required for the
spot weld. However, you may use the ITTY and ICTY arguments to specify the target and contact
element types, respectively. You must also set certain key options if you specify the element types to
be used. See The Components of a Spot Weld (p. 154) for more information.
11.1.2. The Components of a Spot Weld

Each new spot weld set created by the SWGEN command consists of a beam element and two node-
to-surface MPC contact pairs (see Modeling a Shell-Solid Assembly (p. 130) for more information). Each
node-to-surface pair will generate 6 constraint equations. You can choose either a rigid MPC184 element
(the default) or a deformable BEAM188 element to link the spot weld surfaces. Below are detailed ex-
planations of how these items are generated:
1. Contact Pairs: Two node-to-surface contact pairs are created for each new spot weld set. One pair is for
spot weld surface 1 and the other is for surface 2. Each contact pair has only one contact element,
CONTA175, which is defined by the associated spot weld node. The target elements (TARGE170) are
formed by a group of surface nodes lying within the region of the search radius. The program creates
an independent real constant ID for each contact pair, and proper contact and target element type IDs.
If you prefer, you can specify the contact or target element type IDs to be used. To specify a contact
element type, use the ICTY argument on SWGEN and set the following contact element options
for that element type: KEYOPT(2) = 2 (MPC approach), KEYOPT(12) = 5 (bonded always). To specify
a target element type, use the ITTY argument on SWGEN and set the target element option KEY-
OPT(5) = 4 (shell-solid constraint) for that element type.
2. Force-distributed constraint equations: For each contact pair, the program internally forms force-dis-
tributed constraint equations that distribute the internal forces of the spot weld node (that is, the contact
node) to the surface nodes (that is, the target nodes) lying within the region of the spot weld radius.
This includes all elements that fall entirely or partially within the radius (see the figure below). In other
words, it couples the motion of certain surface nodes to the motion of the spot weld node (in an average
sense). There are six constraint equations generated for each spot weld surface (that is, each contact
pair).
Figure 11.7: Nodes Included in Constraint Equations
Spot weld radius CONTAC175
Nodes to be constrained
TARGE170 elements
Surface 1
3. Beam element: A beam element is created to connect spot weld surface 1 and surface 2. The two beam
end-nodes are the spot weld nodes, node 1 and node 2 (see Figure below). The spot weld set can be
rigid or deformable. By default, the program creates a rigid beam element (MPC184 with KEYOPT(1)=1)
to represent a rigid spot weld. However, if the currently defined element type is BEAM188 with a solid
circular cross-section, the program assumes the spot weld set is deformable and a BEAM188 element is
created. In this case, you must input the material properties with the MP command and define the
geometry of the beam section using the SECTYPE and SECDATA commands (see the example listing
below). Generally, BEAM188 is capable of handling a short beam situation.
Figure 11.8: Beam Element Created for Spot Weld
Node 2 Surface 2
Beam element
(MPC184 or
BEAM188)
Node 1
Surface 1
The following example input shows typical commands used to define a spot weld with a deformable
BEAM188 element having a circular cross section.
Spot Welds
MP,EX,3,200000000000. ! spot weld material properties

MP,NUXY,3,0.3
SECTYPE,3,beam,csolid ! define a circular solid beam section
SECDATA,2.75e-002 ! beam circular radius
ET,3,188 ! element type for a deformable spot weld
TYPE,3
MAT,3
SECNUM,3
*SET,NODE1,9000 ! define parameter for node number
N,NODE1,0.1,0.5,10.2 ! define spot weld node
SWGEN,SWELD1,2.75e-2,2,3,NODE1 ! Spot weld name = SWELD1
! Radius = 2.75e-2
! Spot weld surfaces = areas 2 and 3
Note
All limitations that are documented for the MPC184 link/beam element in the Element Ref-
erence also apply when the element is used in a rigid spot weld definition. Please read the
MPC184-Link/Beam description carefully, especially the assumptions and restrictions.
11.1.3. Adding Surfaces to a Basic Set

Once a basic spot weld set has been created, additional surfaces can be added to the existing spot
weld set. Use the SWADD command to define the additional surfaces (in the GUI, pick Main Menu>
Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Element > SpotWeld> Add More Surfaces). Each added surface
(input as NCM1 through NCM9) can be specified by an existing nodal component name or by a meshed
area number.
In the example command below, four surfaces are added to an existing spot weld set named SWELD1.
The four surfaces include area number 3, area number 4, nodal component FAC5, and nodal component
FAC6. The search radius is 0.8.
SWADD,SWELD1,0.8,3,4,FAC5,FAC6 ! Adds 4 surfaces to spot weld SWELD1.
For each new surface, the program creates a new spot weld node, a new contact pair, and a new beam
element (see figure below). The location of the new node is determined by projection of one of the
closest existing spot weld nodes onto the newly added surface along the spot weld projection direction.
The new node-to-surface contact pair contains the new spot weld node as a single contact node in the
pair, and surface nodes within the range of the search radius (SHRD) specified on the SWADD command.
The search radius defaults to 4 times the spot weld radius (SWRD) defined for the basic spot weld set.
Each new contact pair will create 6 force-distributed constraint equations internally. A new beam is
created to link the new surface to the closest existing surface through the spot weld nodes.
Figure 11.9: Surfaces Added to Basic Spot Weld Set
More surfaces
Node 4 Surface 4
Beam 3
Node 3 Surface 3
Beam 2
Spot weld radius
Node 2 Surface 2
Basic spot weld
Beam 1
Node 1 Surface 1
Node 1
After all spot weld nodes are created, the nodes of the beam elements may be reordered to link every
two adjacent spot weld nodes (see Figure below). The ordering is important for the output, which is
calculated for each beam in a spot weld set.
Spot Welds
Figure 11.10: Node Reordering for Beam Elements
Reordered surfaces
Node 3
Surface 3
Beam 3
Node 4 Surface 4 (inserted

between 2 and 3)
Beam 2
Node 2 Surface 2
Basic spot weld
Beam 1
Node 1 Surface 1
Assuming the basic spot weld set is named SWELD, below is an example of commands that could have
produced the above figure.
SWADD,SWELD, ,3 ! Add Area 3 to spot weld set SWELD
SWADD,SWELD, ,4 ! Add Area 4 (between surfaces 2 and 3) to SWELD
Listing and Deleting Spot Welds
Initially, when spot weld surface 3 was added, a beam was created between surfaces 2 and 3. When
surface 4 was added between surfaces 2 and 3, the beam that went between surfaces 2 and 3 was re-
defined to go between surfaces 2 and 4, and a new beam was created to link surfaces 4 and 3.
You can add more surfaces by repeating the SWADD command. However, the maximum number of
allowable surfaces for each spot weld set (including the two surfaces used for the basic set) is 11.
11.2. Listing and Deleting Spot Welds

Use the SWLIST command to list the spot weld sets for a specific spot weld or for all spot weld sets (in
the GUI, pick Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Element > SpotWeld> List). To ensure
that all defined spotwelds are listed, issue CMSEL,ALL (to select all components) before issuing the
SWLIST command. The listing will include nodes, beams, and contact pair information. If the SWLIST
command is issued in POST1 (in the GUI, pick Main Menu> General Postproc> List Results> SpotWeld
Solution), the beam forces and moments, are also output in the beam local coordinate system. The
output includes axial force, shear forces, torque, and bending moments. For a deformed spot weld set,
axial stress and bending stress are also reported.
Use the SWDEL command to delete a specified spot weld set or all spot weld sets. In the GUI, pick
Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Element > SpotWeld> Delete.
Chapter 12: Debonding
The debonding capability refers specifically to separation of bonded contact. It can be used to simulate
interface delamination where the interface is modeled using bonded contact with the augmented
Lagrangian method or the pure penalty method. A cohesive zone material must be used to define the
traction separation behavior of the interface. The following contact elements support debonding:
CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177.
An alternative method of modeling interface delamination is to use interface elements with a cohesive
zone material (see Interface Delamination and Failure Simulation). However, debonding with contact
elements has the following advantages over delamination with the interface elements:
• Parts forming the interface can be meshed independently.
• Existing models with contact definitions can be easily modified for debonding.
• Standard contact and debonding can be simulated with the same contact definitions.
• Debonding can be used for various applications; for example, delamination, spot weld failure, and
stitch failure.
12.1. Including Debonding in a Contact Analysis

Debonding can be defined in any model that includes surface-to-surface (CONTA171 through CONTA174),
node-to-surface (CONTA175), line-to-line (CONTA176), or line-to-surface (CONTA177) contact. For a de-
tailed discussion on how to set up a contact analysis, see Surface-to-Surface Contact (p. 11).
To activate debonding for a contact pair, the following contact options must be defined for the contact
element:
• Augmented Lagrangian method or pure penalty method (KEYOPT(2) = 0 or 1)
• Bonded contact (KEYOPT(12) = 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6)
In addition, you must specify a cohesive zone material model with bilinear behavior for the contact
elements. Two ways to specify the material data are available:
• Bilinear material behavior with tractions and separation distances (TB,CZM command with TBOPT = CBDD)
• Bilinear material behavior with tractions and critical fracture energies (TB,CZM command with TBOPT =
CBDE)
This material model is discussed in more detail in the following section.
Once you have defined the required input parameters, you can solve the analysis the same as you
would for any nonlinear analysis (see Solving the Problem (p. 91)). After debonding is completed, the
surface interaction is governed by standard contact constraints for normal and tangential directions.
Frictional contact is used if friction is specified for contact elements.
Debonding
12.1.1. Cohesive Zone Materials Used for Debonding

A cohesive zone material model is needed to model debonding in a contact analysis. This material is
defined using the data table method (TB and TBDATA commands). Temperature dependent data is
also allowed (TBTEMP command). On the TB command, use Lab = CZM to denote a cohesive zone
material, and use TBOPT = CBDD or CBDE to indicate the specific material data you will provide. The
two data definitions are described below. For more information on this material, see Cohesive Zone
Material (CZM) Model in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
12.1.1.1. Bilinear Material Behavior with Tractions and Separation Distances (TBOPT
= CBDD)
This is a linear elastic material behavior with linear softening characterized by maximum traction and
maximum separation. To define this material, use the TB,CZM command with TBOPT = CBDD. Specify
the material constants as data items C1 through C6 on the TBDATA command:
Constant Symbol Meaning

C1 σmax maximum normal contact stress [1]
C2 contact gap at the completion of debonding
δnc
C3 τmax maximum equivalent tangential contact

stress [1]
C4 tangential slip at the completion of debond-
δct
ing
C5 η artificial damping coefficient
C6 β flag for tangential slip under compressive
normal contact stress; must be 0 (off ) or 1
(on)
1. For contact elements using the force-based model (see the description of KEYOPT(3) for CONTA175,
CONTA176, and CONTA177), input a contact force value for this quantity.
Sample command input for this material is shown below.

TB,CZM,1,2,,CBDD
δnc δct
TBDATA,1,σmax, ,τmax, ,η,β
12.1.1.2. Bilinear Material Behavior with Tractions and Critical Fracture Energies (TBOPT
= CBDE)
This is a linear elastic material behavior with linear softening characterized by maximum traction and
critical energy release rate. To define this material, use the TB,CZM command with TBOPT = CBDE.
Specify the material constants as data items C1, through C6 on the TBDATA command:

C1 σmax maximum normal contact stress [1]
C2 Gcn critical fracture energy density (energy/area)
for normal separation [2]
Including Debonding in a Contact Analysis

C3 τmax maximum equivalent tangential contact
stress [1]
C4 Gct critical fracture energy density (energy/area)
for tangential slip [2]
C5 η artificial damping coefficient
C6 β flag for tangential slip under compressive
normal contact stress; must be 0 (off ) or 1
(on)
CONTA176, and CONTA177), input a contact force value for this quantity.
CONTA176, and CONTA177), this quantity is critical fracture energy.
Sample command input for this material is shown below.

TB,CZM,1,2,,CBDE
TBDATA,1,σmax,Gcn,τmax,Gct,η,β
12.1.2. Debonding Modes

Debonding involves separation of surfaces forming an interface. The direction of separation determines
the debonding mode. The program detects the debonding mode based on material data that you input
for normal and tangential directions:
• Mode I debonding involves separation normal to the interface. It is activated by inputting data items
C1, C2, and C5 on the TBDATA command.
• Mode II debonding involves slip tangent to the interface. It is activated by inputting data items C3,
C4, and C5 on the TBDATA command.
• Mixed mode debonding involves both normal separation and tangential slip. It is activated by input-
ting data items C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5, and C6 on the TBDATA command.
12.1.3. Other Considerations for Debonding

Artificial Damping
Debonding is generally accompanied by convergence difficulties in the Newton-Raphson solution. Arti-

ficial damping can be used to stabilize the numerical solution. It is activated by specifying the damping
coefficient η (input on TBDATA command as C5 using TB,CZM). The damping coefficient has units of
time and should be smaller than the minimum time step size so that the maximum traction and max-
imum separation (or critical fracture energy) values are not exceeded in debonding calculations.
Tangential Slip under Normal Compression
An option is available to control tangential slip under compressive normal contact stress for mixed
mode debonding. By default, no tangential slip is allowed for this case, but it can be activated by setting
the flag β to 1 (input on TBDATA command as C6 using TB,CZM).
Pinball Radius and Mesh Density
Debonding
When using a fine mesh for underlying elements of bonded surfaces, you may need to increase pinball
radius (PINB) for contact elements so that it is greater than the maximum separation value in the normal
direction (contact gap when normal contact stress goes to zero). The default value for PINB is based
on the depth of the underlying element. If PINB is smaller than the maximum separation value, debonding
calculations will be bypassed when the contact gap exceeds PINB.
12.1.4. Postprocessing
All applicable output quantities for contact elements are also available for debonding: normal contact
stress (PRES), tangential contact stress (TAUR, TAUS, SFRIC), contact gap (GAP), tangential slip (TASR,
TASS, SLIDE), etc. In addition, the following debonding specific output quantities are available as NMISC
data: debonding time history (DTSTART), debonding parameter (DPARAM), and critical fracture energy
(DENERI, DENERII).
For more information on how to review results in a contact analysis, see Reviewing the Results (p. 92)
in Surface-to-Surface Contact (p. 11).
Chapter 13: Contact Surface Wear
Wear is the progressive loss of material from the surface of a solid body when in contact with another
body. Although wear is a complex phenomenon that involves both mechanical and chemical processes,
it can be approximated by models that relate various quantities at the contact surface to material loss.
In Mechanical APDL, the material loss due to wear is approximated by repositioning the contact nodes
at the contact surface. The new coordinates of the nodes are determined by a wear model. The following
models are available for defining wear:
• Archard wear model
• User-defined wear model
Since the contact nodes are moved to new positions, the contact variables (for example, contact pressure)
change. The underlying continuum elements also experience a loss in material (and volume), thus sim-
ulating the wear.
See Including Wear in a Contact Analysis (p. 165) for details on implementing these models.
13.1. Including Wear in a Contact Analysis

The following contact elements support modeling wear: CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174,
and CONTA175.
To activate contact surface wear, define wear as a material model via the TB,WEAR command and assign
it to the contact elements. You must also define the wear properties via the TBDATA command. You
can use the TBFIELD command in conjunction with TBDATA to define the properties as a function of
temperature and/or time. The TBTEMP command can also be used to define temperature dependent
wear data.
The implementation of wear involves two stages. First, the amount of wear is calculated by a wear
model. Next, the geometry is updated to account for wear. This process is explained below.
13.1.1. Wear Models

The wear models calculate how much and in what direction a contact node is to be moved to simulate
wear based on the contact results at the contact nodes. A generalized form of the Archard wear model
is available. In addition, you can specify a user-defined wear model using the USERWEAR subroutine.
13.1.1.1. Archard Wear Model
The Archard wear model relates the rate of wear, w ɺ , to contact pressure, sliding velocity, and material
hardness. The wear is in the direction opposite to the contact normal. The Archard model is defined by
the TB,WEAR command with TBOPT = ARCD. The material constants required by the model are specified
as data items C1 through C4 on the TBDATA command:
Contact Surface Wear
Con- Meaning
stant
C1 Wear coefficient, K
C2 Material hardness,
H
C3 Pressure exponent,
m
C4 Velocity exponent,
n
A sample command input for the Archard wear model is shown below.
TB,WEAR,1,,,ARCD
TBDATA,1,K,H,m,n
Material hardness and yield stress of the material are often closely related. If the material model of the
underlying solid element is a plastic model defined using the TB command with Lab = BISO, MISO,
BKIN, MKIN, the element average value of the current yield stress can be used to estimate the hardness
as H = yield stress/3. To activate this option, the hardness value (C2) on TBDATA should be entered as
-99. This option is only available for the material models mentioned above. In addition, the underlying
solid element should be one of the following types: PLANE182, PLANE183, SOLID185, SOLID186, SOLID187,
or SOLID285.
At each substep of the solution, the yield stress at the previous substep is used for estimating the
hardness. Thus, there is a lag of one substep for updating the hardness from the yield stress, and the
yield stress data is not available at the first substep of the solution. For this reason, no wear can take
place at the first substep if this option is used.
There is also an option to use the Archard model as a postprocessor only. To activate this option, enter
an additional fifth constant (C5) with a value of -99 on the TBDATA command. In this case, the Archard
model is used to calculate the wear, but the contact nodes are not moved; thus wear is just a postpro-
cessing variable and does not affect the solution. This option can be of help in deciding if the geometric
correction calculated by the wear law is of intended magnitude or not. This can potentially help if
solution convergence becomes a problem due to large wear. This option is not available for analyses
involving rezoning.
For more information on the Archard model, see the discussion of contact surface wear in the Mechan-
ical APDL Theory Reference.
13.1.1.2. User-Defined Wear Model (USERWEAR)

You can specify a user-defined wear option which utilizes the USERWEAR subroutine. This option is
activated by the TB,WEAR command with TBOPT = USER. The material constants required by the
model are specified as data items on the TBDATA command. A sample command input is shown below:
TB,WEAR,1,,4,USER
TBDATA,1,C1,C2,C3,C4
For this option, you must write a USERWEAR subroutine to define the wear model. USERWEAR is called
at contact detection points that are closed. For efficiency reasons, this subroutine is not called if the
contact detection point is open. Some of the input arguments are described below.
Including Wear in a Contact Analysis
USERWEAR Input Description

Argument
strain(1) Slip increment in direction 1
strain(2) Slip increment in direction 2 (3-D only)
strain(3) Contact normal penetration/gap (positive value represents penetration,
negative value represents gap)
stress(2) Tangential stress in direction 2 (3-D only)
stress(3) Contact normal pressure
temperature Temperature at the contact detection point
dtime Time increment
ndim Set to 2 for 2-D; set to 3 for 3-D
YieldStress Current yield stress value (element average) of the underlying material if
the material is defined by the TB command with Lab = BISO, MISO, ANISO,
BKIN, MKIN, DP, or ANAND; and underlying solid element is of type: 182,
183, 185,186,187 or 285
nTbprop Number of TBDATA for TB,WEAR per field
Tbprop(nTbprop) The data defined by TBDATA at a given temperature and current time
coor(6) Coor(1-3) - current x,y,z coordinate of the contact detection point
Coor (4-6) - initial x,y,z coordinate of the contact detection point

localr(3,3) The direction cosines of the local surface coordinate system at contact
detection.
localr(1,1), localr(1,2), localr(1,3) in slip direction 1
localr(2,1), localr(2,2), localr(2,3) in slip direction 2 (3-D only)
localr(3,1), localr(3,2), localr(3,3) in normal direction

TotWearOld(ndim) Total wear at the contact point at the previous substep
You also need to define the following output arguments:
USERWEAR Out- Description

put Argument
WearInc Increment of wear
WearDir (ndim) Direction cosines in the global coordinate system in which the wear incre-
(Optional) ment will be applied. If WearDir is not defined, ANSYS applies wear in the
direction opposite to the contact normal.
13.1.2. Geometry Update Due to Wear
The wear increment (the rate of wear times the time increment: w ɺ x ∆t) calculated by the wear model
is used to move the contact node along the direction opposite to the contact normal at that node.
During the nonlinear solution process, at the iteration in which the force and displacement convergence
criteria set by the user are met for a particular substep, the wear increment and direction at that iteration
are used to move the contact nodes. Since this repositioning of contact nodes results in a loss of equi-
Contact Surface Wear
librium, additional iterations are required to achieve convergence. If the solution fails to converge after
the wear is applied, the usual procedure of bisection is used. The wear increment is discarded and the
increment is repeated, applying the bisection.
Since wear is a material removal process, the underlying solid element does not experience any strain
or stress due to the movement of the contact nodes undergoing wear. A large wear increment can
result in the opening of an initially closed contact pair. This may result in convergence problems, espe-
cially if rigid body motion occurs. Thus, it is highly recommended that you use very small time increments
when modeling wear.
13.1.3. Assumptions and Restrictions

You should keep the following assumptions and restrictions in mind when modeling wear.
• Wear is only active for quasi-static and transient dynamic analyses (ANTYPE,0 or 4). If a linear perturbation
analysis follows a static or transient dynamic base analysis that included wear, the affect of wear is also
included in the linear perturbation analysis.
• Wear (TB,WEAR) must be defined before the first SOLVE command is issued. You can modify the wear
data by redefining TB,WEAR between load steps, but wear must be defined before the first load step.
• If the wear data is changed between load steps, TB,WEAR must be redefined to the current values if you
restart the analysis. This is due to the multiframe restart architecture, whereby the restart database is
based on the beginning of the solution (see Multiframe Restart in the Basic Analysis Guide for more inform-
ation).
• It is recommended that you use wear only with the following contact algorithms: Augmented Lagrangian
or Penalty function (KEYOPT(2) = 0 or 1). Using wear with the pure Lagrangian contact algorithm can
result in convergence problems and is not recommended.
• Wear is only available when the contact detection point is a nodal point (KEYOPT(4) = 1, 2, or 3).
• Wear is only available for the following contact surface behaviors: standard and rough (KEYOPT(12) = 0
and 1).
• When modeling wear, it is recommended that the underlying elements (beneath the contact elements)
are structural solid elements or structural coupled-field solid elements.
• Wear is not available for layered solids.
• Wear should be used with asymmetric contact pairs. Using wear with symmetric contact pairs can result
in convergence problems and is not recommended.
• During rezoning, since the geometry is updated with accumulated wear, the wear is initialized to zero
(similar to displacement) upon a subsequent restart.
13.1.4. Postprocessing
The total wear vector components at a node of a contact element are available as NMISC data. To help
in the visualization of the surface that has undergone wear, the wear is also added to the nodal displace-
ments in the Jobname.RST file.
The total volume lost due to wear for a contact pair can be tracked via the NLHIST command.
Including Wear in a Contact Analysis
For more information on how to review results in a contact analysis, see Reviewing the Results (p. 92)
in Surface-to-Surface Contact (p. 11).
Appendix A. Example 2-D Contact Analysis with Fluid
Pressure-Penetration Loading
This example represents a planar seal compression with applied fluid pressure-penetration loading at
the contact interface. It demonstrates the application of the fluid pressure loads and the propagation
of the fluid penetration path from one starting point into the contact interface.
A.1. Problem Description

The model represents a half symmetry planar hyperelastic seal. Figure 1: Diagram of Planar Seal Mod-
el (p. 171) shows a diagram of the model, and Figure 2: Meshed Planar Seal Model (p. 172) shows the
meshed half symmetry model.
Figure 1: Diagram of Planar Seal Model
0.865 inches
applied
displacement
1/2 symmetry
Example 2-D Contact Analysis with Fluid Pressure-Penetration Loading
Figure 2: Meshed Planar Seal Model
The seal is compressed by a displacement-controlled load in the first load step. Fluid pressure is applied
to all contact elements in the second load step (see Figure 3: Fluid Pressure Loading on Planar Seal (p. 172))
so that the fluid opens and penetrates into the contact interface that was previously closed by compres-
sion.
The fluid pressure is applied using the SFE command with the load key set to 1 (LKEY = 1 on SFE).
Using SFE with the load key set to 2 (LKEY = 2 on SFE), all default starting points are suppressed (STA1
= -1) and two elements are chosen as starting locations initially exposed to the fluid (STA1 = 1). (See
Specifying Fluid Penetration Starting Points (p. 86) for more information on the STA values.) From this
location the fluid penetrates gradually by opening the bottom part of the contact surface, while the
top part of the contact surface completely closes.
Figure 3: Fluid Pressure Loading on Planar Seal
At the end of the first load step (compression load step) most of the contact is closed as shown in the
above figure. Plots of contact fluid pressure at an intermediate substep of load step 2 and at the end
of load step 2 are shown in Figure 4: Intermediate Fluid Pressure Distribution (p. 173) and Figure 5: Final
Fluid Pressure Distribution (p. 173).
Problem Description
Figure 4: Intermediate Fluid Pressure Distribution
Figure 5: Final Fluid Pressure Distribution
Three contact elements at the bottom of the seal are used for time history postprocessing, representing
each region that undergoes fluid penetration. Time history results for fluid contact pressure and gap
are printed and plotted to show the path of fluid penetration along the bottom contact elements. The
fluid pressure history is shown in Figure 6: Time History of Fluid Pressure for Three Contact Ele-
ments (p. 174).
Figure 6: Time History of Fluid Pressure for Three Contact Elements
A.2. Input File

/title,Seal compression with fluid pressure-penetration loading
/com =====================================================================
/com OBJECTIVE:
/com The objective of this test is to verify the path of fluid
/com penetration pressure with rigid-flex contact
/com and CONTA171 default keyoptions.
/com
/com DESCRIPTION:
/com The model represents a planar seal that is compressed. Fluid
/com pressure is applied to all contact elements so that the fluid
/com penetrates and opens the contact that used to be closed by
/com compression.
/com
/com The fluid pressure is applied after the compression, and one
/com starting point is chosen to be initially in fluid (STA=1 on SFE).
/com From this location the fluid penetrates gradually at the bottom
/com surface.
/com
/com TEST SPECIFICATIONS:
/com SOLID ELEMENTS: PLANE182 - PLANE STRESS
/com TARGET ELEMENT: TARGE169
/com CONTACT ELEMENT: CONTA171, K(14)=0, K(2)=0, K(4)=0
/com MATERIAL MODEL: HYPERELASTIC
/com
/com
/com RESULTS:
/com At the end of load step 1 there are 3 regions where contact is
/com closed at the bottom surface. One element from each of these
/com regions is chosen, and the time history results for fluid
/com contact pressure and gap are printed and plotted to show the
/com path of fluid penetration along the bottom contact elements.
/com Notice that at the time when the contact opens
/com (gap is not zero), the FPRS is nonzero.
/com =====================================================================
/prep7
Input File
et,1,182 ! PLANE182 with plane stress option
tb,HYPER,1,1,2,MOON
tbtemp,0
tbdata,,80,20,0,,,
/com **** Build the model ****
k,1
k,2,0.333,0
k,3,0.867,0.867
k,4,1.1,0.867
k,5,1.1,1
k,6,0.8,1
k,7,0.267,0.133
k,8,0,0.133
l,1,2
*repeat,7,1,1
l,8,1
lfillt,1,2,0.20
lfillt,2,3,0.15
lfillt,5,6,0.20
lfillt,6,7,0.15
lfillt,7,8,0.05
lfillt,8,1,0.05
al,all
k,98,-1.0,0
k,99,1.1,0
lstr,99,98
k,100,-1.0,1.0
k,101,1.1,1.0
lstr,100,101
lcomb,8,13
lcomb,8,14
esize,0.02 ! Set element attributes and meshing parameters

type,1
mat,1
smrtsize,5
amesh,all ! Mesh the model

allsel
lsel,s,,,4 ! BCs to model half symmetry

nsll,s,1
d,all,ux,0
allsel
/com **** Contact pair creation ****
et,2,169
et,3,171
keyopt,3,10,2
mp,mu,2,0.2 ! Friction
r,2
/com **** Top and bottom rigid targets ****
type,2
real,2
mat,2
lesize,15,,,1
lesize,16,,,1
lmesh,15,16
/com **** Contact on the planar seal ****
lsel,s,line,,1,12
lsel,u,line,,4
nsll,s,1
type,3
esurf
allsel,all
finish
/solu
allsel
esel,s,ename,,169
nsle
nsel,r,loc,y,1
d,all,uy,-0.865 ! Move top rigid target
nlgeom,on
time,1
nsubst,25,2000,5
outres,all,all
allsel
nropt,unsym ! Unsymmetric due to friction
solve
esel,s,ename,,171 ! Select only contact elements

sfe,all,1,PRES, ,150 ! Apply fluid pressure of 150 to all contact elements
sfe,all,2,pres,,-1 ! Suppress default starting points (STA1 = -1)
nsel,s,loc,x ! Select a location for starting points

esln
esel,r,ename,,171 ! Reselect only the contact elements
sfe,all,2,pres,,1 ! Specify the above location to be initially in fluid (STA1 = 1]
allsel
nsubst,100,1000,10
solve
finish
/com **** Post1 postprocessing ****
/post1
/show
set,2,last
finish
/com **** Post26 time history postprocessing ****
/post26
timerange,1,2
esol,2,523,138 ,cont,fprs,CONTFPRS1
esol,3,523,138 ,cont,gap,CONTGAP1
/com *****************************************************************************
/com History of contact gap and fluid pressure for an element in the
/com region that opens first
/com *****************************************************************************
prvar,2,3
esol,4,578,53 ,cont,fprs,CONTFPRS2
esol,5,578,53 ,cont,gap,CONTGAP2
/com ****************************************************************************
/com History of contact gap and fluid pressure for an element in the
/com region that opens later
/com *****************************************************************************
prvar,4,5
esol,6,517,6,cont,fprs,CONTFPRS3
esol,7,517,6,cont,gap,CONTGAP3
/com ****************************************************************************
/com History of contact gap and fluid pressure for contact element
/com that opens last
/com *****************************************************************************
prvar,6,7
Input File
/title,Time history of fluid pressure for three contact elements

/axlab,y,Fluid pressure
plvar,2,4,6
finish
initial interference, 123
Index internal MPC, 127
line-to-line, 4
B line-to-surface, 105
beam-to-beam contact, 99 localized contact zone, 20
bolt thread modeling, 27 magnetic contact, 116
moving contact nodes, 59
node ordering in node-to-node analysis, 121
C node-to-node, 2, 5, 119
contact analysis, 1
node-to-surface, 2, 4, 95
asymmetric vs. symmetric contact, 14
node-to-surface KEYOPTS, 96
beam-to-beam, 2, 99
node-to-surface real constants, 97
birth and death option, 70
normals, 7, 21, 24, 122
bolt thread modeling, 27
open far-field contact status, 60
boundary conditions for node-to-node contact, 123
open near-field contact status, 60
boundary conditions for surface-to-surface contact,
overall steps, 11
84
overconstrained contact problem, 123
chattering controls, 38
penalty stiffness, 24
choosing surfaces, 13
penetration, 38
conduction, 110
piezoelectric elements, 114
contact algorithm, 38, 123
pinball region, 60
contact direction, 21
point-to-point, 5
contact location detection, 49
point-to-surface, 4
Contact Manager, 7, 11
radiation, 112
contact pairs, 9, 12
results, 92
contact status, 60, 109
rigid-to-flexible, 1, 11, 82
contact stiffness, 38-39
self contact, 14, 61
contact surface elements, 3
shells, 69
Contact Wizard, 8
sliding contact status, 60
convection, 111
slippage, 49
debonding, 161
solution options for node-to-node contact, 124
deformable contact surface, 22
solution options for surface-to-surface contact, 90
direct generation to create rigid target elements, 16
solving, 91
electric contact, 114
spurious contact, 61
electrostatic elements, 114
Stefan-Boltzmann constant, 112
emissivity, 112
sticking contact status, 60
explicit dynamics, 1
summary of contact capabilities, 2
flexible-to-flexible, 1, 11
superelements, 65
fluid pressure-penetration loads for surface-to-sur-
surface interaction for electric contact, 114
face contact, 84
surface interaction models, 62
free surface convection, 110
surface-to-surface, 2-3, 11, 22
free surface radiation, 110
surface-to-surface KEYOPTS, 35
free thermal surface, 110
surface-to-surface material properties, 24
friction model, 44
surface-to-surface real constants, 24, 29
gap, 123
symmetric/unsymmetric solver, 44
Gauss integration points, 49
target element shapes, 16
generating node-to-node contact elements, 120
target surface definition, 15
generating surface-to-surface contact elements, 24
target surface element types and real constants, 16
geometry correction, 25
target surface modeling and meshing tips, 20
heat flux, 110, 114
target surface nodal number ordering, 21
heat generation due to electric current, 115
target surface pilot node, 15, 82
heat generation due to friction, 113
target surface primitives, 15
initial contact conditions, 52
Index
temperature required, 110

thermal contact, 109
thickness effect, 69
time step control, 70
using meshing tools to create rigid target elements,
18
wear, 165
contact stabilization, 66
contact surface wear, 165
D
debonding, 161
delamination
in a contact analysis, 161
F
fluid pressure-penetration loads, 84
I
internal MPC, 127
L
line-to-surface contact, 105
M
magnetic analysis
contact, 116
multipoint constraint, 127
P
penalty stiffness
in contact analysis, 24
pilot node
in contact analysis, 15, 82
S
spot welds, 149
W
wear, 165

ANSYS Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide

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ANSYS Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide

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ANSYS Mechanical APDL Contact Technology

ANSYS, Inc. Release 15.0

ANSYS, Inc. is certified to ISO 9001:2008.

U.S. Government Rights

Published in the U.S.A.

3.9.4.5. Using KEYOPT(10) .......................................................................................................... 42

3.13.5. Redefining or Modifying the Pressure-Penetration Loads ....................................................... 89

7.2.1.2. Using ECC .................................................................................................................... 115

12. Debonding ........................................................................................................................................ 161

9.5. Rigid Surface Constraint ...................................................................................................................... 135

1.1. General Contact Classification

1.2. Contact Capabilities

Table 1.1: Contact Support

Note- Node- Surface-to-Sur- Line- Line-

Note- Node- Surface-to-Sur- Line- Line-

1.2.1. Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements

• Allow modeling of fluid pressure penetration loads.

1.2.2. Node-to-Surface Contact Elements

1.2.3. 3-D Line-to-Line Contact

1.2.4. Line-to-Surface Contact

1.2.5. Node-to-Node Contact Elements

The following contact-related GUI topics are available:

2.1. The Contact Manager

Figure 2.1: Contact Manager Toolbar

– Display a detailed listing of status information for each contact pair.

2.2. The Contact Wizard

Figure 2.2: Example of a Contact Wizard Dialog

2.3. Managing Contact Pairs

2. Reverse normals of elements that are not oriented correctly

3.1. Using Surface-to-Surface Contact Elements

3.2. Steps in a Contact Analysis

1. Create the model geometry and mesh

2. Identify the contact pairs

3. Designate contact and target surfaces

4. Define the target surface

5. Define the contact surface

6. Set the element KEYOPTS and real constants

7. Define/control the motion of the target surface (rigid-to-flexible only)

8. Apply necessary boundary conditions

9. Apply fluid pressure-penetration loads

10. Define solution options and load steps

11. Solve the contact problem

12. Review the results

3.3. Creating the Model Geometry and Mesh

3.4. Identifying Contact Pairs

Figure 3.1: Localized Contact Zones

3.5. Designating Contact and Target Surfaces

3.5.1. Asymmetric Contact vs. Symmetric Contact

3.5.1.2. Using KEYOPT(8)

3.6. Defining the Target Surface

3.6.1. Pilot Nodes

3.6.3. Element Types and Real Constants

3.6.3.1. Defining Target Element Geometry

• For CONTA171 and CONTA172:

– R1 is the radius if the target shape (TARGE169) is a circle.

– R1 is the radius if the target shape (TARGE170) is a cylinder, cone, or sphere.

– R2 is the radius of a cone at the second node.

• For CONTA176, used to model 3-D beam-to-beam contact:

To set the real constant number for the target elements:

3.6.4. Using Direct Generation to Create Rigid Target Elements

GUI: Main Menu> Preprocessor> Modeling> Create> Elements> Elem Attributes

You then specify the element shape. Possible shapes are:

• Straight line (2-D and 3-D)

• Parabola (2-D and 3-D)