non-bonded surfaces

[RogerGuinn5084]

I have a complex model, which is various chunks of CRES molded into a resin over-mold. looking for a static stress solution, here

The peices are not actually bonded, but retained by various extrusions and clips. Thus, they will actually slide.

Now, I could go in and somehow put in a bunch of zero-length contact or gap elements (I am a new ALGOR user-have pity on me) to set things up, but that would be very tedeous and time consuming.

What's the best way to do this?

The assembly comes in from SolidWorks as a STEP file.

Any answers would be appreciated

[John_Holtz · Accepted solution]

If I understand your description, you want to use Surface Contact between the parts. See these pages in the Help documentation:

Autodesk Algor Simulation > Meshing Overview > Mesh Overview > Creating Contact Pairs

Autodesk Algor Simulation > Meshing Overview > Mesh Overview > Creating Contact Pairs > Types of Contact 

[zhuangs]

If you are using MES with nonlinear material models or Static stress with nonlinear material models, you can follow John's method.  And if you want to use the zero-length contact or gap elements, you can choose 'Point-to-Point" type, when you select contact type.  This type can automatically generated  a bunch of zero-length contact or gap elements between the two surfaces in a contact pair.  Note that you need to input a tiny maximum initial distance.

-Shoubing

[RogerGuinn5084]

Thank you, folks.

It works just like you said. Wonderful. Takes forever to solve, but it does the trick.