Create E-Lines

Use the Create E-Lines tool to create evaluation lines at component interfaces.

Before you begin:
  • Define interfaces to be evaluated which has Lines as mandatory input, unless you create an E-Line with the Elem2Elem option.
  • Turn off the component(s) that are not applicable for the E-Linecreation and/or deselect them while choosing the appropriate component(s) for creation. Make the display selection ready before entering the workflow.

The Create E-lines tool is used to create E-Lines at the interfaces that shall be evaluated for Squeak and Rattle. Create all E-Lines automatically or switch to Manual mode to create E-Lines one by one with more detailed control.

The E-Line creation workflow is designed to facilitate rapid E-Line creation both for advanced users as well as part time analysts. There are two ways to create E-Lines:
  • Fast Create (Part time Analyst): Create E-Lines between multiple entities (Components or Parts) at once without much manual intervention. Use to create many E-Lines at a time, to get a quick and approximate overview of squeak and rattle risk zones.
  • Manual Create (Advanced): Add more control to the creation of E-Lines by selecting the Main and Secondary entity (Component, Part or Element is supported) and gap direction. With these additional options, you can ensure the Z-direction of the E-line coordinate system is aligned with the Gap Direction at realization. Use for detailed analysis to ensure accuracy in results.
Note:
  • Evaluation Points will not be created at the locations where a projection is not found due to a small search tolerance.
  • Where and how E-Lines will be created is dependent on Search Tolerance and Spacing.
The creation of E-Lines is controlled by a set of E-Line properties, also called a Control. Controls for Rattle and Squeak evaluation is predefined based on best practices; you will select which to use at the creation of E-Lines. You have the option to modify the default controls or create a new custom control through menu shown in Figure 1.


Figure 1.


Figure 2.


Figure 3.
Learn more about the HyperWorks Connector Controls workflow. The initial creation of an E-Line is defined by the properties on the control, each E-Line can be individually modified after creation through Manage E-Lines. Properties relevant to the creation of E-lines can be found here.

Fast Create E-Lines

Create E-Lines between multiple components at once without much manual intervention.

Use to create many E-Lines at a time and to get a quick and approximate overview of squeak and rattle risk zones.

  1. From the Setup group, select the Create E-Line tool.
    Figure 4.
    The guide bar opens.
  2. Optional: From the guide bar, click to open edit E-line definition parameters under the Options menu.
  3. Select E-Line evaluation type.
  4. Select components to be included for evaluation.
  5. Select Lines that are used as references in the creation.
  6. Click .
    Here you have an option to create the E-Line first and then Realize them in next step or realize them directly. At Realization the physical FE-entities representing the E-Lines are created.
    Unrealized or realized E-Lines are created between the selected components along the selected lines with the specified spacing.

Manually Create E-lines

Add more control to the creation of E-Lines by selecting Main and Secondary entity (Component or Element) and gap direction.

With these additional options, you can make sure that the Z-direction of the E-Line coordinate system is aligned with the Gap Direction at realization. Use for detailed analysis to ensure accuracy in results.
  1. From the Setup group, select the Create E-Line tool.
    Figure 5.
    The guide bar opens.
  2. Deactivate to open Manual mode.
  3. Optional: Click to open edit E-line definition parameters under the Options menu.
  4. Select E-line evaluation type.
  5. Select Gap Direction Method:
    • Normal to Main
    • In Plane to Main
  6. Select the Main and Secondary entities to define the interface.
    Gap direction is based on this selection. For more details, refer to Create E-Lines Options.
  7. Select Lines that are used as references in the creation.
  8. Click
    Tip:
    • All E-Lines can be edited at a later stage (see Manage and Review E-lines). For a potential process speed-up, you can create all lines in fast mode and edit them later.
    • To create a Single Point E-Line, select an element as Main and another as Secondary. This is used to create flexible attachments such as clips/snaps and diagonal E-Lines to track opening distortion.
    Unrealized or realized E-Lines are created between the selected components along the selected lines with the specified spacing.

Create E-Lines Options

There are several options that can be defined via the options menu, these include E-Line and definition of Contact type based on material property.

General E-Line Properties

Spacing
Defines the spacing between the E-point placements along the created E-Lines.
Search Distance
Defines the tolerance or search distance between interface components/parts.
Gap Direction
Realization Projection direction.
Normal to Main
Z direction will be perpendicular or Normal to Main component.
Figure 6.
In Plane to Main
Z direction will be In Plane to Main component.
Figure 7.
Gap Assignment
Defines which method to use to assign Gap and Tolerance values to E-Lines. The assigned gap and tolerance values can be reviewed in E-Line Review Table.
Default
Predefined template values are assigned.
From DTS File
Values from imported DTS file are assigned (default, if DTS file was imported).
From FE-model
Gap value is determined based on the distance between two components in the projected direction.
Calculated Gap
Distance between two components in the projection direction, averaged along the E-line
Calculated Gap = (Thickness Component 1 – Thickness Component 2)/2
Figure 8.
Gap
Gap value for the interface in the specified gap direction. Defined based on the Gap assignment method.
Tolerance
Design tolerance for gap in the specified gap direction. Defined based on the Gap Assignment method.

Rattle Specific Properties

Contact Types
Contact types based on Young's Modulus value.
Soft/Medium/Hard Young Modulus
Threshold values for definition of Contact type.

Squeak Specific Properties

(Impulse Rate)-1
Inverse of Impulse Rate range is a measure of the material pair compatibility. This is defined based on the material mapping and only applies to Squeak lines.
Main Materials
Mapped Material from Stick-Slip testing for main component in the E-Line.
Secondary Material
Mapped Material from Stick-Slip testing for secondary component in the E-Line.

Material Property

Contact Types
Defined Contact type based on Young's Modulus value.

Advanced

There are several additional advanced options that can be defined via the options menu which controls the creation of E-Lines further.


Figure 9.
E-line ID Range
Define an ID Range for created E-Lines and all entities belonging to them.
Controlled Spacing
Define a limit on the spacing to avoid error in solver and numerical issues.