Defining Ranges of Values for a Material

This task shows you how to add, edit and use a range of values to a material.

Some parameters may vary due to the manufacturing process, e.g. the cured thickness depends on the pressure applied during molding.
To take those variations into account, it is necessary to have not only a value to represent the nominal material parameter
also a range of acceptable values.

Available in Composites Engineering Design (CPE) and Composites Design for Manufacturing (CPM).
Open CompositesCatalog.CATMaterial from the Samples directory.

Adding a Range in the Material Catalog

  1. In the material catalog, right-click the material and select Properties in the contextual menu.

  2. In the Composites tab, right-click the value field of the parameter and select Add Range:

  3. The Range dialog box is displayed.

    Select the required options and edit the values that appear.

    Click OK in the Range dialog box and OK in the Properties dialog box.
Once a range has been added, you can suppress it or edit it using the contextual menu:
 

Adding a Range in the Material Feature

  1. When you add a material in the Composites Parameters, this material feature is stored under the Materials used node.
    Right-click the parameter for which you want to create a range and select Definition in its contextual menu.

     

  2. The Edit Parameter dialog box is displayed.
    Right-click the value field and select Add Range in its contextual menu:

  3. The Range dialog box is displayed.

    Select the required options and edit the values that appear.

    Click OK to validate and exit the dialog box.
  • This range modification is local. It applies to the Composites part you are working in, not to the material catalog from which you have added materials.
  • If you synchronize the cache materials stored under Materials used with materials from a catalog,
    the nominal values and ranges that you may have modified locally will be erased and replaced by those of the catalog.
    Parameters will be reset to their locked status.
  • Once a range has been added, you can suppress it or edit it using the contextual menu:
 

Using the Range

  1. When you add a material in the Composites Parameters, this material feature is stored under the Materials used node.
    By default, the parameters of the material are locked and cannot be edited:

    Right-click the parameter you want to edit and select Unlock in its contextual menu:

    The lock on the parameter is removed.

  2. Right-click the parameter again and select Definition. You can now change the value of the parameter:

    Key-in a value within the range you have defined in the catalog.
    If you enter a value that is not within this range, an error message will be displayed.
    Click OK to validate and exit the dialog box.
Depending on values used for the parameter, the spinner may be de-activated, e.g. in the case above,
as the spinner step is 1mm, using the spinner would lead to errors.
In those cases, key-in the required values.
  • This modified value is local to the Composites part and will be used for the whole Composites part,
    i.e. you cannot apply a different value to different plies.
  • If you synchronize the cache materials stored under Materials used with materials from a catalog,
    the nominal values and ranges that you may have modified locally will be erased and replaced by those of the catalog.
    Parameters will be reset to their locked status.