Manufacturing Solutions

MF-0052: Creating a 3D Mesh Starting from a Surface Mesh

MF-0052: Creating a 3D Mesh Starting from a Surface Mesh

Previous topic Next topic Expand/collapse all hidden text  

MF-0052: Creating a 3D Mesh Starting from a Surface Mesh

Previous topic Next topic JavaScript is required for expanding text JavaScript is required for the print function  

In this tutorial you will learn how to use the Flow3D Wizard to create a 3D mesh starting from a surface mesh. The size and quality of the surface mesh will determine the quality of the created solid mesh. The size of the tetrahedral elements created in the core (that is inside the layered mesh) is directly determined by the size of the surface mesh. Hence, it is important to have reasonably fine and uniform mesh on the surface.

 

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 1: Load the model
1.From the Start menu, select All Programs > Altair > HyperMold.
2.Click the File Open icon fileOpenModel-24 and browse to MF_0052.hm.

Note: The model files for this tutorial are located in the file mfs-1.zip in the subdirectory \HyperMold\moldflow\MF-0052. See Accessing Model Files.

3.Click Open.

 

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 2: Set the project directory
1.On the Utility menu, click on Flow3D Wizard.

MF_0052_01

2.In the tab, click Set Project Directory. Specify a project directory and a project name and click OK.

MF_0052_02

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 3:  Set the model unit
1.In the tab, click Set Model Unit. Select the model length unit and click OK.
MF_0052_03

 

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 4: Set the model information
1. Click Set Model Info. Set the options as shown below and click OK.

MF_0052_04

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 5: Select the surfaces
1.Select the surface components and add them as volumes in the Select Components dialog.
Select base1, boss1_shared, and boss2_shared as a new volume
Select boss1 and boss1_shared and add them as a new volume
Select boss2 and boss2_shared and add as a new volume

MF_0051_02a

2.Click Apply to save the information and close the dialog.

 

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 6: Flow3D mesh
1.In the tab, click Volume Mesh. The Flow3D Mesh dialog opens.

MF_0052_06

2.Click Mesh. It will take few seconds to create the 3D mesh. The newly created 3D mesh is placed in the components flow3d_mesh0, flow3d_mesh1 and flow3d_mesh2.
3.Click on the Model tab and expand the Component folder.
4.Right-click on the components flow3d_mesh0, flow3d_mesh1 and flow3d_mesh2 and click Show. All the 3D elements are shown.

 

hmtoggle_plus1greyStep 7: Export the data
1.Click Export in the Flow3D Wizard. The Export Moldflow Data Files dialog appears.
2.Click Export to export the model.
This deck can be imported in Moldflow Plastics Insight(MPI) and solved.

MF_0052_09

 

Return to Moldflow Tutorials