Generate Contacts Automatically

Use the Auto Contacts tool to determine contact interfaces between selections of components or elements. Based on the user-specified options like proximity tolerance, surface creation method, main surface type, and secondary type, the tool generates contacts based on set segments or node and element combinations.

Auto contact generation works independent of whether the model is FE or geometric.
Restriction: This workflow is only available in the OptiStruct profile.
  1. From the Model ribbon, Contacts tool group, click the Auto Contacts tool.
    Figure 1.


  2. On the guide bar, click to set contact calculation options for Sliding and Tied contacts.
    Some of the main parameters include:
    • The maximum feature angle used to identify contacts
    • The contact surf (set) types - main and secondary
      • Main - Surface (elems) or Segment (Set Segment)
      • Secondary - Node, Surface (elems), or Segment (Set Segment)
    • The method for creating main and secondary surfaces
    • The property to attach to the contact pairs
  3. Select the contact type that gets generated from the guide bar drop-down.
  4. If using a proximity tolerance to determine the distance between selections, enter a value.
  5. Select the components or elements to create contact interfaces between.
    Figure 2.


  6. Optional: If the Property Options setting is set to Use existing property, you can select and assign a PCONT property.
  7. Click Find.
    The evaluation is executed. If valid contacts are found, a model tour style guide bar appears that you can use to review the various node, surface, or segment creations.
  8. Review the next or previous contact by clicking or on the guide bar.
    Figure 3.


  9. Optional: Use the options on the display toolbar to toggle the visibility of associated components and main/secondary interfaces as well as adjust the transparency level.
    Figure 4.


  10. Optional: Edit the content of the Secondary and Main selectors (node, surface, or segment selections) to correct and/or improve the contact generated by the tool.
    Note: The entity selectors on the model tour guide bar are restricted by the main and secondary types defined in the options menu. If set to Node, only nodes are available for selection. If set to Surfaces, you can only select elements. If set to Segments, you can only select faces/edges.
  11. Optional: Use the checkbox beneath the guide bar to swap the main and secondary interfaces.
  12. Click one of the action buttons on the guide bar.
    • - Reject individual contacts
    • - Reject all contacts and return to the Create context
    • - Accept contacts and exit the tool

Generate Contacts Automatically in the Abaqus Interface

Use the Auto Contact tool to identify and create contacts.

Restriction: This workflow of the Auto Contact tool is only available in the Abaqus profile.
The Auto Contact tool uses the following logic to identify and create contacts:
  • The surface of the component or an element set defined as rigid body and the surface defined as rigid surface will always be a main surface.
  • The surface of a component or an element set with coarser mesh will be a main surface.
  • The surface of a component or an element with less stiffness (uses young’s modulus of the material) in comparison with the mating surface will be a secondary surface.
  • The larger surface will be identified as a main surface.
  1. From the Model ribbon, Contacts tool group, click the Auto Contacts tool.
    Figure 5.


    The Auto Contact dialog opens.
  2. Define contact options.
    Application region
    Select the components or elements to detect contact.
    Contact tolerance type
    Use proximity tolerance or shell thickness from the property.
    Proximity tolerance
    A real value.
    Feature angle
    A value to determine the extent of curvature required to identify contact surface.
    Surface creation method
    Consolidate
    Create a single contact pair involving multiple pairs of main and secondary surfaces.
    Do no consolidate
    Create an individual contact pair for each pair of main and secondary surfaces.
    Extend surface to feature
    Create larger main and secondary surfaces that may extend to feature edges based on the angle of preference.
    Add layers to extend main surfaces
    Extends the main surface by layers of elements based on the options chosen.
    Restriction: This option is only available for Consolidate and Do not consolidate surface creation methods.
    Feature angle for layers
    The allowable angle for the layer extension on the main surface.
    Contact type
    Select Contact or Tie.
    Secondary type
    Define the secondary surface as element based or node based.
    Contact surface name prefix
    Your preferred prefix for the name of the main and secondary surface.
    Define main and secondary with components
    Define the main and secondary surface using the entire component.
    Property option
    Generate a new contact property or use an existing one.
    Property options to generate
    Select an existing card or specify the card that needs to be created.
    Create contact/tie in confirmed state
    Create the contact without reviewing.
    Run penetration check before contact creation
    Check for any mesh interferences.
    Consider contact within a component
    Select a single component and detect contact between disjointed elements within the component.
  3. Click Create.