Virtual Parts

Virtual parts are structures created without a geometric support. They represent bodies for which no geometry model is available but which play a role in the structural analysis of single part or assembly systems. Virtual parts are used to transmit action at a distance.

Creating Smooth Virtual Parts: Generates a soft transmission rigid virtual part.

Creating Rigid Virtual Parts: Generates a stiff transmission rigid virtual part.

Creating Smooth Spring Virtual Parts: Generates a soft transmission elastic spring virtual part.

Creating Rigid Spring Virtual Parts: Generates a stiff transmission elastic spring virtual part.

Virtual parts are available only in the Nonlinear Structural Analysis workbench.

Creating Smooth Virtual Parts

A smooth virtual part is a body connecting a specified point, the handle point, to specified part geometries, behaving as an object that will transmit actions (masses, restraints, and loads) applied at the handle point, without stiffening the deformable body or bodies to which it is attached.

The smooth virtual part allows elastic deformation of the regions to which it is attached.

Smooth virtual parts can be applied to the following types of supports:

Point or Vertex Curve or Edge Surface or Face Volume or Part
   

This task shows you how to create a smooth virtual part between a point and a geometry support.

  1. Click the Smooth Virtual Part icon .

    The Smooth Virtual Part dialog box appears, and a Smooth Virtual Part object appears in the specification tree under the Properties objects set.

  2. You can change the identifier of the virtual part by editing the Name field.

  3. Select a face or an edge of the part as a geometry support. You can select several geometry supports.

    The Supports field is updated to reflect your selection.

  4. Position the cursor on the Handler field in the Smooth Virtual Part dialog box and select a vertex or point as the handle point (the handle point symbol appears as your cursor passes over it).

    • This point selected as handle must be a Part Design point.

    • If you do not specifically select a point, the centroid (the point at which the lines meet) will be used as the handle point.

    • When several virtual parts share the same handle point, only one finite element node is generated.

  5. Click OK in the Smooth Virtual Part dialog box.

    A symbol representing the virtual part appears on the corresponding faces.

Creating Rigid Virtual Parts

A rigid virtual part is a rigid body connecting a specified point, the handle point, to specified part geometries, behaving as a rigid object that will stiffly transmit actions (restraints or loads) applied at the handle point, while locally stiffening the deformable body or bodies to which it is attached.

The rigid virtual part does not allow elastic deformation of the regions to which it is attached.

Rigid virtual parts can be applied to the following types of supports:

Point or Vertex Curve or Edge Surface or Face Volume or Part
   

This task shows you how to create a rigid virtual part between a point and a geometry support.

  1. Click the Rigid Virtual Part icon .

    The Rigid Virtual Part dialog box appears, and a Rigid Virtual Part object appears in the specification tree under the Properties objects set.

  2. You can change the identifier of the virtual part by editing the Name field.

  3. Select a face or an edge of the part as a geometry support. You can select several geometry supports.

    The Supports field is updated to reflect your selection.

  4. Position the cursor on the Handler field in the Rigid Virtual Part dialog box and select a vertex or point as the handle point (the handle point symbol appears as your cursor passes over it).

    • This point selected as handle must be a Part Design point.

    • If you do not specifically select a point, the centroid (the point at which the lines meet) will be used as the handle point.

    • When several virtual parts share the same handle point, only one finite element node is generated.

  5. Click OK in the Rigid Virtual Part dialog box.

    A symbol representing the virtual part appears on the corresponding faces.

Creating Smooth Spring Virtual Parts

A smooth spring virtual part is an elastic body connecting a specified point, the handle point, to specified part geometries, behaving as a six degree of freedom spring in series with a massless rigid body that will softly transmit actions (masses, restraints, and loads) applied at the handle point, without stiffening the deformable body or bodies to which it is attached.

The smooth spring virtual part allows elastic deformation of the regions to which it is attached.

Smooth spring virtual parts can be applied to the following types of supports:

Point or Vertex Curve or Edge Surface or Face Volume or Part
   

You can request history output of relative displacements and rotations and of total, elastic, viscous, and reaction forces and moments from a smooth spring virtual part. The support for the history output request is the meshed part.

This task shows you how to create a smooth spring virtual part between a point and a geometry support.

  1. Click the Smooth Spring Virtual Part icon .

    The Smooth Spring Virtual Part dialog box appears, and a Smooth Spring Virtual Part object appears in the specification tree under the Properties objects set.

  2. You can change the identifier of the spring virtual part by editing the Name field.

  3. Select a face or an edge of the part as a geometry support. You can select several geometry supports.

    The Supports field is updated to reflect your selection.

  4. Position the cursor on the Handler field in the Smooth Spring Virtual Part dialog box and select a vertex or point as the handle point (the handle point symbol appears as your cursor passes over it).

    • This point selected as handle must be a Part Design point.

    • If you do not specifically select a point, the centroid (the point at which the lines meet) will be used as the handle point.

    • When several virtual parts share the same handle point, only one finite element node is generated.

  5. Enter values for the six degree of freedom spring constants (translation stiffnesses and rotation stiffnesses).

  6. Click OK in the Smooth Spring Virtual Part dialog box.

    A symbol representing the spring virtual part appears on the corresponding faces.

Creating Rigid Spring Virtual Parts

A rigid spring virtual part is an elastic body connecting a specified point, the handle point, to specified part geometries, behaving as a six degree of freedom spring in series with a massless rigid body that will stiffly transmit actions (masses, restraints, or loads) applied at the handle point, while stiffening the deformable body or bodies to which it is attached.

The rigid spring virtual part does not allow elastic deformation of the regions to which it is attached.

Rigid spring virtual parts can be applied to the following types of supports:

Point or Vertex Curve or Edge Surface or Face Volume or Part
   

You can request history output of relative displacements and rotations and of total, elastic, viscous, and reaction forces and moments from a rigid spring virtual part. The support for the history output request is the meshed part.

This task shows you how to create a rigid spring virtual part between a point and a geometry support.

  1. Click the Rigid Spring Virtual Part icon .

    The Rigid Spring Virtual Part dialog box appears, and a Rigid Spring Virtual Part object appears in the specification tree under the Properties objects set.

  2. You can change the identifier of the spring virtual part by editing the Name field.

  3. Select a face or an edge of the part as a geometry support. You can select several geometry supports.

    The Supports field is updated to reflect your selection.

  4. Position the cursor on the Handler field in the Rigid Spring Virtual Part dialog box and select a vertex or point as the handle point (the handle point symbol appears as your cursor passes over it).

    • This point selected as handle must be a Part Design point.

    • If you do not specifically select a point, the centroid (the point at which the lines meet) will be used as the handle point.

    • When several virtual parts share the same handle point, only one finite element node is generated.

  5. Enter values for the six degree of freedom spring constants (translation stiffnesses and rotation stiffnesses).

  6. Click OK in the Rigid Spring Virtual Part dialog box.

    A symbol representing the spring virtual part appears on the corresponding faces.