AE4131

ABAQUS Lecture
Part IV
Patrick Roberts
gt0398b@prism.gatech.edu
x5-2773
Weber 201

Starting ABAQUS CAE

You can start ABAQUS CAE from the start
menu or with a command line by typing
abaqus cae
TIP: You should start ABAQUS CAE via
command line from the directory you want
your results files to end up.

Adjusting geometries

There will be many times where you will

need to change the geometry of a model
after you have created the part(s).
There are two methods to adjust
goemetries
1. Change extrusion depth
2. Change the labeled dimension on a part.

Adjusting extrusion depth

Example: Lets look at a 3D beam that has dimensions of
200mm length, 20 mm height, and 30 mm width. The
width dimension was extruded. We want to change this
to an extrusion of 10 mm.

Adjusting extrusion depth

Click Feature, Edit. Click on the beam to indicate that
is the geometry you want to change.
A dialog will ask for the new extrusion depth. Make sure
that Regeneration on OK is checked.

Adjust by dimensioning
You can adjust a parts geometry by
adjusting a dimension. Lets use the
beam example to show how this can be
done. Lets say the beam must be
shortened to 100 mm. Because this is
not an extruded dimension we must
adjust this using dimensions.

Adjust by dimensioning
1.
2.

3.

Click Feature, Edit. Click on the beam to indicate

that is the geometry you want to change.
A dialog will ask for the new extrusion depth. Make
sure that Regeneration on OK is checked. Click on
Edit Section Sketch. This will put you back in the
sketcher.
The length of the beam needs a dimension. Look on
the button palette on the left for a symbol that looks
like

This button is called Create Dimension Horizontal

Adjust by dimensioning
4.
5.

Click on this button then click the vertical lines at each

end of the beam.
As soon as you click on the second vertical line a
dimension will appear. Place this above the beam.

Adjust by dimensioning
Now that we have a dimension we can adjust the length of
the beam by changing the number in the dimension.
6. Click on the button called Edit Dimension Value

7. Click on the dimension number that will be changed then

hold down the Shift key and click on the end points of
one of the vertical lines.
8. When you are done click the middle mouse button (the
wheel). It will prompt you for the new dimension.
Enter 100 then OK.

Adjust by dimensioning
Your sketch will look like

Adjust by dimensioning
When you click Done the 3D view will
redraw itself to look like

Adding extrusions
There may be times where you would like to
add an extrusion to an existing part. Sort
of like growing an additional geometry on
an existing geometry.
For this example we want to add a small
cantilever extension along the current
longitudinal axis of the existing beam. The
dimensions of this extrusion is 50mm long,
5mm high and 10mm wide.

Adding extrusions
1. From the main menu bar, select Shape, Solid, Extrude.
2. Select a face to define the sketching plane. Select the
face at the free end of the beam.
3. Select an edge that will appear vertical and on the right
side of the sketch. Once this has been selected you will
be placed in the sketcher.
4. Draw a rectangle 5mm high and 10mm wide which is
centered on this face.
5. When this is Done you will be placed in 3D view. Take a
look at the free end of the beam and you will see a red
arrow. Make sure its in the direction of the new
extrusion.

Adding extrusions
6. In the dialog box make sure Type is Blind
and Depth is 50. When you click ok the
beam now looks like.

Some notes about adjusting

models
Depending on where you are in the
assembly of your model you may have to
go back and repeat some of the steps
such as meshing and boundary
conditions.
After you have adjusted a model you
should always verify each step in a
models construction.

Creating Axisymmetric models

If a geometry is symmetric about an axis you should use revolve rather than
extrude. For example lets create a cylinder 50 mm long with a radius of
5mm
1. Click on Part, Create. In the dialog box we indicate that its a 3D, deformable
part but in Type we pick Revolution. You will now be placed in the sketcher.
2. Use of the major axis in sketcher is very important when drawing axisymetric
parts. Draw a rectangle that is 50 high and 5 from the major vertical axis of
the sketch area as seen below.

Creating Axisymmetric models

3. Click Done
4. In the Edit Revolution enter 360 in the
Angle field. When you click ok you will see
the following.

Viewing results along a path

To obtain more insight into the stresses and strains
of a loaded structure we may want to view results
along a line rather than a point.
To demonstrate this we will use the example of the
3D cantilever beam. In this example we want to
see the stresses along a centered vertical line
just inside the structure at the root.

Viewing results along a path

In using the Display Group functionality
spoken of in a previous lecture we will
display just those elements at the root
end.

Viewing results along a path

Now we would like to tell ABAQUS we want
to view the results along the vertical
centerline of the displayed elements.
We do this by defining a path.
There are two ways to define a path 1) using
node numbers and 2) by specifying
points.
If you use nodes the nodes will displace
when the structure is loaded.

Viewing results along a path

In our example we will use nodes.
1. Turn on node labels.
2. In our example nodes 1381 through 1385
define our path.
3. Click on Tools, Path, Create. Will call this
Monitor. Make sure Node list is indicated.
4. In the Edit Node List Path dialog we can enter
the node labels under Node Labels as
1381:1385.

Viewing results along a path

5.
6.

7.

To plot these results go to Tools, XY Data, Create.

In the Create XY Data dialog box that appears, select
Path; and click Continue. The XY Data from Path
dialog box appears with the path that you created
visible in the list of available paths. Accept the default
selections in the X Values portion of the dialog box.
The result that will be plotted is displayed in the Y
Values portion of the dialog box. In this case U is the
field output variable that was selected last (when you
generated the symbol plot).
Click Plot to generate an XY plot of U along the path.

Viewing results along a path