Chapter 8

Defining the Material

Chapter 8– Defining the Material
Overview Training Manual

INTRO
• In this chapter, we discuss units, importing ANSYS defined
materials, as well as describe how to define a user defined

ODUCTIO
material.
t i l

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
A. UNITS Training Manual

INTRO
A Note on Units

ODUCTIO
• You d
Y do nott needd to
t tell
t ll ANSYS th
the system
t off units
it you are using.
i
Simply decide what units you will use, then make sure all of your
input is consistent.
– For example, if the model geometry is in inches, make sure that all

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other input data — material properties, real constants, loads, etc. —
are in terms of inches.

• ANSYS does NOT do units conversion! It simply accepts all

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numbers you input without questioning their validity.

• The command /UNITS allows you to specify a units system, but it

P
is simply a recording device to let other users of your model know
what units you used.

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
B. ANSYS Defined Materials Training Manual

INTRO
Using the Material Library

ODUCTIO
• This method allows you to choose a predefined set of properties for a
given material.

• ANSYS supplies typical structural and thermal properties (linear only) for

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some common materials,
materials but we strongly recommend that you create your
own material library.

• To choose a material from the library:

– First define the library
yppath.

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• Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Library > Library Path
– Enter the location from which to READ material data, e.g, \v100\ANSYS\matlib.
• Or use the /MPLIB command.

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
…ANSYS Defined Material Training Manual

INTRO
– Then “import” a material from the library.
• Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material
Library > Import Library

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– Choose the units system. This is
used only to filter the list of files
shown in the subsequent dialog.
ANSYS has no knowledge of units

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and does NOT do unit conversion.
conversion
– Choose the desired material file,
such as steel AISI C1020.
• Or use the MPREAD command with the
LIB option
option.

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
C. Material Model GUI Training Manual

INTRO
Specifying Individual Material Properties

ODUCTIO
• Instead of choosing a material name,
name this method involves directly
specifying the required properties through the Material Model GUI.

• To specify individual properties:

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– Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models
• Double-click on the appropriate property to be defined.

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
…Material Model GUI Training Manual

INTRO
• Work through the tree
structure to the material

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t
type tto b
be defined.
d fi d

• Then enter the individual

property
p p y values.

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• Or use the MP command.
– mp,ex,1,30e6
– mp prxy 1 3
mp,prxy,1,.3

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 Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
…Material Model GUI Training Manual

INTRO
• Add temperature dependent
properties

ODUCTIO
• Graph properties vs. temperature

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
…Material Model GUI Training Manual

INTRO
• Copy material models from one
table to another

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• Delete material models

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
…Material Model GUI Training Manual

INTRO
• Material GUI Favorites Option
• Stores shortcuts to groups of

ODUCTIO
f
frequently
tl usedd material
t i l properties.
ti
• Allows you to define a template
based on the currently selected
model in the database,, then specify
p y

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your own name for the template
(which can be a useful descriptor
such as "Steel" or "Metal Plasticity").
• Does nott save specified
D ifi d materials
t i l

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and related data. It does, however,
save your Favorites template to the
ANSYS registry file for use in all

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subsequent
b t analyses.
l

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
D. Listing
g Defined Materials Training Manual

INTRO
• The Material Model GUI shows one material at a time. Multiple
material properties can be listed by:

ODUCTIO
– Utility Menu > List > Properties > All Materials
– Or, use the MPLIST command

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– Note, Nonlinear material properties can be listed using Utility Menu >
List Properties > Data Tables or via the TBLIST command.

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Chapter 8 – Defining the Material
E. Workshops Training Manual

INTRO
• This workshop consists of two exercises:
W8A. User Input Material

ODUCTIO
W8B. Material Library Input

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