Fastener Definition Dialog Box—Connecting Shells
Click
Refine Model >
Fastener. The
Fastener Definition dialog box opens.
The Fastener Definition dialog box displays the following items:
• Name—Specify a name for the fastener or use the default name.
• Connecting Shells or Connecting Solids—If you select Connecting Shells to create a fastener between shells, the following items are displayed:
|  If you select Connecting Shells and create a fastener between two solids or a solid and a shell, the fastener is ignored during meshing and when an analysis is run on the model. |
• References—Select geometric entities for your fastener. All your previously selected valid geometric references for the fastener appear in the References collector. You can also select the required geometry after the dialog box opens. The following types of references are available for fasteners connecting shells:
◦ Point-Point—Select one point on each of two quilts or midsurfaces. For this reference type, your model need not contain actual holes. Instead, the points selected are used to form the fastener center-line. The surface associated with the first selected point is designated as the head of the fastener. The points you select must meet the prerequisites given in the section
“Fastener Modeling Prerequisites”. A fastener between two points must also meet the following criteria:
▪ The components to be joined must not touch each other. A gap must exist between the parts if they are quilts.
▪ Fasteners cannot be of zero length.
▪ The points can be selected in any order.
| Before meshing or analyzing the model, you must assign shell idealizations to both quilts. |
◦ Edge-Edge—Select edges of holes on each of the components to be fastened. The holes you select must meet the criteria given in the section
“Fastener Modeling Prerequisites”. The hole associated with the first selected edge is designated as the head of the bolt or screw.
• Properties—Specifies the following properties of the fastener:
◦ Stiffness—Fastener stiffness can be defined using one of the following options:
◦ Fastener Head and Nut Diameter—Defines the head and nut diameter for the fastener.
◦ Frictionless Interface—When you select Frictionless Interface, spring stiffness is calculated based on the values specified for Using diameter and material or based on Using spring stiffness property. When you do not select Frictionless Interface, the fastener spring stiffness is modified and simulates interface friction to prevent the ends of the fastener from rotating relative to each other about the fastener’s axis.
After you create the fastener,
measures that compute the forces and stresses in the fastener are automatically created. A fastener icon is also added to your model. The size of the icon depends on the head size of the fastener.