Creating a Solid From Zones

This task shows you how to create a solid from the zones you defined for the Composites part.
  You can use Zones Groups created with the For Solid From Zones Creation Only check box.

Available in Composites Engineering Design (CPE).
 

Creating a Solid
Open the Solid1.CATPart document.

  1. Click the Solid From Zones icon .
    The Solid Creation dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the group of zones you want to solidify.

  3. Click OK to create the solid.
    The solid thickness corresponds to the addition of all thicknesses of all materials (as defined in the Material catalog) used to design the Composites part.
    Here we created a solid from Zones Group.1.
If you select Solid without Transition Zones, only zones are solidified and a rough solid is generated. With such a solid, you can visualize the space allocation of the part.
 

Creating a Top Surface
Open the Solid1.CATPart document again.
 

  1. Click the Solid From Zones icon to open the Solid Creation dialog box.

  2. Select Top Surface.

  3. Click OK to create the top surface corresponding to ZonesGroup.1.

    The specification tree is updated accordingly.
 

Creating a Top Surface with Shape Morphing

  1. Open the ShapeMorphing1.CATPart document.

  2. Click the Solid From Zones icon to open the Solid Creation dialog box.

  3. Select Top Surface and Use Shape Morphing.

  4. Click OK to create the top surface corresponding to ZonesGroup.1 with shape morphing.

    The generated top surface with shape morphing is based on the transition zone refinement curves and takes into account the curvature of the surface.

    Section view of the top surface generated with shape morphing. Section view of the top surface generated without shape morphing.
 

Creating a Solid with a Zero Thickness
In case you design a model with reinforcement areas based on zones and transition zones, you will need the solid to have an edge going down to the level of the reference surface of the zone to minimize the thickness.
Open the ZeroThickness1.CATPart document.

  1. Double click Z2 (Zone 2) to make sure it has an empty laminate.

  2. Click the Transition Zone icon and select Z2 as underlying zone.

  3. Select the contour of Z2 so that the transition zone fully covers the zone.

  4. Click the Connection Generator icon to display the thickness points.

  5. Select ZG_01 as the zone group to be analyzed.

  6. Click on Apply, then OK to close the Connection Generator dialog box.
    You can see that the thickness points are not computed between Z2 and its transition zone.

  7. Click the ITP icon .

  8. Select Point.1 as vertex, then click OK.

  9. Create another ITP selecting Point.2.

  10. Rerun the Connection Generator icon on ZG_01.
    This time, all the thickness points are displayed including those having a zero thickness.

  11. Click the Solid From Zones icon .
    The solid is created with its edge going down to the level of the Z2 zone.