Meshing assembly

[Adam.Mayes]

Hello,

Anyone have experience with meshing an assembly. The part is a 2 shot overmolding. The Cad model is in Catia. When I import with design link, the mesh is not matched between the 2 components. I have tried with with many settings like "ignore contact/exact match/fault tolerant'. It always tells me that there is an error meshing faces and to check the cad model.

The cad is good when examined in Catia. No overlaps or intersections between the 2 components. Could this be a translation thing from Catia. I have tried importing both .catPart and .catProduct files. Same results

Thanks

[nishit78]

Hi Adam,

I too am facing these problems increasingly. Fewer and Fewer of my 2-shot models are meshing when i change the options to "precise match".

In my logs i see "First attempt" fail and then it ignores the mesh settings and give me a crappy mesh.

I end up trying many cad tricks to see if i can get a matched mesh on interfacing surfaces but usually it does not work.

I am still using AMI 2012 and my CAD is Pro/E.

[Adam.Mayes]

Hello ni****78.

I sent one of our models to Berndt at autodesk. He examined it and did some repairs with Cad Doctor as it had surface issues that do not show up in Catia. This fixed some issues with the model, allthough in our native Catia there is no issues.

Try meshing with precise match off. Use ignore contact setting. Its my understanding that moldflow will accept a small level of miss match as the solvers have been improved to deal with this. An exact match is hard to get. I am going to purchase Cad Doctor and run all my models through it before meshing.

Adam

[nordhb]

Hi,
yes, this is right.
Even if assembly looks fine from cad modeling and no issues of interference or such seen in cad, there can be issues
on underlying surfaces/faces that builds the model/solid.
Those issues comes from modeling operations in cad. Often many of those issues can be healed in CADdoctor.

If geometry issues, the mesher does a fallback tessellation method.
Also if a "merge" of interface surfaces cannot be done, the precise match cannot take place.

Further, solvers has been reviewed to ensure they can deal properly with non matching mesh.
This was to 2012 release, and has been improved since.
The matching between a cavity and part insert mesh, a perfect match is many times hard to accomplish.
Therefore improvements were made in solver to deal with this.
Basically if you run simulation, and no spotty/strange temperature result at interface you should be ok.

Regards,
Berndt

[mattheworkman]

Attempting a 2 part overmold process.  

I pull in the STP of the assembly and it begins the mesh process and it stops after the 'first attempt' 

Are there other types of files I should be pulling in or is it more than likely a CAD issue?

Attached is my 2 part assembly file in an STP.

[mattheworkman]

I was able to isolate the layer of one part and then mesh it.  But when attempting to mesh the other part it stopped after the first attempt.  

This must mean that there is an issue with this particular part of the assembly?

I'll attempt to pull in as an STL now. 

[Adam.Mayes]

In my experience, cad is usually the issue. Depending on the source of the cad. I see lots of issues from our design department from Catia files but far less from NX for example.

I have been using SimStudio more and more to open cad then export files for moldflow.

[mattheworkman]

Drawn by customer.  I'm opening with FUSION 360 and exporting with STP.  

I'm new to SIMSTUDIO TOOLS but I'll give that a shot. 

WOW.... I'm on the case, simstudio tools is awesome!

[bernor_mf]

Hi,

yes, what @Adam.Mayes says is a good try, to import - export via SimStudio.

I tested your step, and saw the same. One part is meshed.

And also an UFO inside part... Is on symmetrical, so on both sides.

Seems as it should not be there, inside the part. 

I will give it a test via CadDoctor too, just of curiosity 

Regards,

Berndt

[bernor_mf]

Hi,

Cad Doctor showed issues.

After heal and fix in Cad Doctor, and export of study and import to Synergy the assembly is meshed.

Regards,

Berndt

[mattheworkman]

Awesome!!!  Thanks for all the fast replies!!!