Abaqus Mesh Tutorial - Partitioning Geometry to Improve Mesh Quality

The process of meshing a part with complex geometry can be either highly rewarding or, as is more often the case, highly frustrating. Luckily, creating a clean, uniform mesh for a structural analysis has gotten easier as meshing algorithms and tools have improved. We are not at point, however, when one can rely entirely on the pre-processor to generate an adequate mesh, particularly for parts that contain odd geometric shapes and curvature. In such cases, the first step to a good mesh is to assist the pre-processor by dividing the geometry into shapes that are more easily processed. The second step is to select the algorithm that is most appropriate for the partitioned geometry. With this in mind, the focus of this p ost is the use of paritition (or divide) tool sets to improve mesh quality. Abaqus/CAE is the fea software that is used here, but all of the major fea platforms have tools that can be used with the concepts preseneted here. We begin with a simple plate with a hole model that is to be meshed with 8-node solid elements. Generating a mesh on a recatangular shape is possibly the most straightforward task encountered by a mesher. But introduce a hole to that plate and you end up with a mesh that is not uniform:

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Clearly, the hole is tripping up the mesher. Now, consider the partition scheme shown below. By dividing the geometry into shapes that are more basic (simple), we are "tricking" the mesher into using functions that are well suited for the geometry, which translates to a mesh that is more uniform, but still unsatisfactory.

With the geometry already partitioned into simpler shapes, the next step to improve the mesh is to try out different mesh algorithms. In many cases, this is more of a trial and error process. Shown below is the result with a swept mesh using the medial axis algorithm. Now, the mesh is uniform and is at a point where you would be feel confident in the results produced by this mesh.

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In summary, the first step in creating uniform meshes is to divide the geometry into shapes that are less complex. Then, try using different meshing algorithms until you find the best fit for the given shapes. There are numerous other tips and tricks for manipulation of the mesh for composites structural analysis but they deserve their own discussion so we will cover those in the coming months. Stay tuned!

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