WEBINAR on

Multi-point
Constraint (MPC)
Technology

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 Agenda
Multipoint Constraint (MPC)

• What are Multipoint Constraints or MPCs?

• Where do we use MPCs?

• Advantages of MPC over traditional contact

• What is new at 12.0 for MPC

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 What is MPC?

• Multi-point constraints enforce compatibility at

an interface using internally generated
constraint equations.
• For example, the constraint equation that would transfer action
between ROTZ at node 2 and UY at nodes 1 and 3 has this form:
0 = UY3 - UY1 - 10*ROTZ2

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

Where do we use MPC?

• MPC can be used to bond different element types

at interfaces with incompatible mesh regions:
• Two solid element surfaces

• Solid/Shells surfaces or edges

• Beam to Shells/Solids

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… Where do we use MPC?

• MPC is the surface based constraint technology

behind:
– Remote forces and displacements
– Remote points
– Structural and Thermal Point Mass
– Joints and Springs

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 …Where do we use MPC?

• MPC is the technology behind the joint options

available in workbench
x-axis Revolute joint
z-axis Revolute joint
Universal joint
Slot joint
Point-in-plane joint
Translational joint
x-axis Cylindrical joint
z-axis Cylindrical joint
x-axis Planar joint
z-axis Planar joint
Weld joint
Orient joint
Spherical joint A Joint between flexible bodies typically consists of
General joint two surface based constraints tied together at the
Screw joint respective pilot nodes with an MPC184 element
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… Where do we use MPC?

MPC is also the technology behind connecting

rigid bodies to flex bodies in workbench
• Flexible
– Usual 3D meshed models
– Nonlinear material options

• Rigid
– Point mass representation of
3D geometry

• Force-distributed
constraint
– Connect flexible bodies to
joints

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 …Where do we use MPC?

Lumped mass of rigid body is represented

by MASS21 element tied to the pilot node of
flex body surface based constraints via a
TARGE170 line element

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 How does MPC differ from
traditional contact ?

• Limitations of traditional bonded or no-

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

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 How does MPC differ from manually
generated constraints?

• Limitations of manual constraint tools (CERIG

and RBE3)
– Only suitable for small strain.
– RBE3 only supports force constraints applied on
the master node, not displacements.
– RBE3 requires manual definition of weighing
factors.
• MPC surface constraints calculate weighing factors
automatically.

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 Advantages of MPC

• Improved solution efficiency over traditional

bonded contact:
– For a large assemblies with MPC bonded (or
no-separation) contact, the CPU run time is
faster than the same analysis using default
algorithm.

Contact CPU Time

Iterations
Algorithm (seconds)
Aug-Lagrange 4 2710
MPC 1 880

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 … Advantages of MPC

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

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 New at 12.0

• Overconstraint detection and elimination

– When a degree of freedom is subjected to multiple
constraints, overconstraint occurs
• results in solver-failure convergence difficulties or inaccurate
solutions.
– The program automatically eliminates a limited set of
overconstraints detected during solution and issues
appropriate warning messages.
– For troubleshooting purposes, you can display certain
eliminated constraints in the POST1 postprocessor

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 … New at 12.0
The assembly is connected with MPC contacts

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

Contact status
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 … New at 12.0

• Advanced tools to improve shell and beam

connections At 11.0,constraint
equations only built at
nodes whose target and
contact normals
intersection

At 12.0 Constraint equations

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

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