Strategy: Keeping Models Simple
Strive for simplicity as you build your part. When you work with a part in Creo Simulate, you want the software to focus on the essentials of your design, not the cosmetics.
If a feature is not necessary for an analysis or design study and has no anticipated effect on the results, omit it for the time being. Also, if possible, omit areas of your design that cannot be changed. After you finish your Creo Simulate optimization, you can add these items back into your design.
This approach offers several advantages. First, Creo Simulate design studies run more quickly for simpler parts. Second, if you omit unnecessary portions of the design from your part, you do not risk setting up relationships that may artificially restrict the changing of your design variables. Third, you can use analysis results from a partly-developed model to answer questions about how you should build the remainder of the model.
Simplified designs offer different advantages at each design stage.
• Conceptual Design Stage—In this early design stage, you can quickly and easily conduct feasibility studies, even though you do not have a fully constructed part or assembly.
• Intermediate Design Stage—You can complete a finite element model of a partially defined assembly, or a part that has a few key areas still undefined. There are two advantages:
◦ You can vary the completed areas of your part without having to wait for the incomplete areas to be fully defined.
◦ You can guide the design of the incomplete areas with the results of the analysis.
• Analysis of a Complete Part—You can reduce the complexity of the finite element representation of the part or assembly.
There are a number of
methods you can use to simplify a part or assembly. You should determine the best approach by evaluating the nature of your model and your simulation goals.