Stress Analysis thin sheet multiple thickness

[punisher]

I have an assembly of multi-thickness, thin sheets, essentially welded together. (see image attachment)

One component is composed of land and bay areas, a single planar sheet where the edges are thin, and the central body is thickened.

I can get Inventor to treat the remaining multi-thickness, right angle components as midplane by going with separate bodies.

The top plate is a single planar sheet, and Inventor will not treat it properly as a mid-planed plate.

Will Inventor translate the constraints properly if I build the thin region separate from the central thicker region in order to produce feasible mid-planed mesh?

Question already posted by other in forum - using local control to develop multiple element thicknesses through cross section of plate (by thin face selection), one cannot verify that the smaller elements along the cross section are built properly through the entire component.

Does anyone have any other strategies in this regard?

[blair]

Simulation Mechanical allows for both Mid-Plane and Solid body meshing. I don't think that functionality has been included in the FEA within Inventor.

It's either all Mid-Plane or Solid Body meshing. If the model has Symmetry I would reduce the model size for meshing by using either 1/2 or 1/4 of the model depending on it's Symmetry.

[punisher]

Hey thanks for checkin in.

It's not a matter of differing mesh types, etc, it's a matter of a bulding the deck in such a manner that inventor will midplane the two separate, and then constrain them together properly, bonded.

The last test run I did in 2014 did permit hidplane and solid meshing in the same environment. It picked up the gaps between components, etc. I

Once I get a suitable solution for this, I will compare results with Algor.

Do you think building the thin plate edge as one component, and the thicker middle as another component, and midplaning those would get it through with valid results?

Thanks again

[blair]

If you have Algor, (must be about release v23-v24) I would build it as a assembly. How large of an assembly are we talking about and can you use Symmetry?

Might be easier just to use Symmetry and solid mesh if you are building up flat layers.

[punisher]

I have run it in multiple scenarios in Algor and get somewhat consistent results.

Problem is that I need an Inventor solution if possible.

[blair]

Looking at your Pic, I sill might try Deriving it to a solid. It looks like you should be able to cut it and only get 1/4 of the model and use Symmetry and mesh it as a solid and not mid-plane.