Glossary

A

acceleration

A load that generates a uniform acceleration field over a part.

adaptivity boxes

The local specifications relative to the maximum error in the approximate computed solution relative to the exact solution.

adaptivity process

Any specification required for managing the process that will let you perform adaptativity computation (re-meshing).

assembly

A set of parts, each parts being associated with a material and linked possibly to another one by the means of a connection. Assemblies can be modeled with the product Generative Assembly Structural Analysis.

analysis connection

An assembly connections used to specify the boundary interaction between bodies in an assembled system. Once the geometric assembly positioning constraints are defined at the Product level, the user can specify the physical nature of the constraints. 

assembled analysis

An assembly of several basic analysis documents in a global analysis.

associativity

Associativity means that any part modifications occurring outside the Analysis workbench are automatically reflected when performing tasks within the Analysis workbench. In particular, any parametric changes on the parts are automatically accounted for.

axis system

A combination of three normal and unit sized vectors which defines a reference to express geometric entities coordinates. There are two different axis systems called:

  • reference axis system (which corresponds to the model Axis System). 
  • local axis system, whose vectors are normal or tangent to the selected geometry. The presence of material on one side of the selected geometry does not influence the choice of the vectors directions but the nature of the geometric element determinates whether the local axis system will be Cartesian, circular or revolute.

The reference axis system is symbolized at two locations: the bottom and right side of the workbench (without its origin) and at is real place: the model origin.

B

ball join

A restraint (or boundary condition) that generates spherical joins (balls), which allow a rigid body to rotate about a given point (fixes all translation degrees of freedom of a point).

bearing load

A load that simulates contact loads applied to cylindrical parts.

body force

A load type including volume body force and mass body force. This load type is based on the body of the part (that is, its geometry and possibly its mass density). Therefore, body forces represent intensive (volume density-type) quantities, as opposed to forces which are extensive (resultants, i.e., integrals over regions) quantities.

bolt tightening connection

An analysis connection that takes into account pre-tension in bolt-tightened assemblies by simulating the tightening between a bolt and a screw.

boundary condition

Refer to restraint.

buckling case

A procedure for the computation of the system buckling critical loads and buckling modes for a given Static Analysis Case.

C

clamp

A restraint (or boundary condition) applied to surface or line geometries of the part, for which all points are to be blocked (by imposing their translation value) in the subsequent analysis.

computation data

Path to an external storage file directory. 

computation loads

Force / Moment at degrees of freedom

computed loads

Forces / Moments evaluated at nodes by the solver.

computed masses

Mass evaluated at nodes by the solver.

connection

A set of constraints between parts at their common interface or a set of constraint modeled by the means of a virtual body between two parts. Using connections, the user can model an assembly prior to analyze it.

CONSTR-N

A Finite Element type enabling points of a geometry that are linked together and free to translate in order to preserve the average behavior.

For example, imposing a translation to such a linked group enables all of the included points, free to translate differently than the imposed translation but the center of mass of the group must correspond to the imposed behavior: the imposed translation. According to the type of the imposed mechanical behavior (kinematical constraint or load) the corresponding kinematical, static or dynamic tensor will be respected at the center of mass of the selected group.

This particular element is sufficient to model a smooth interface.

contact element

A Finite Element type enabling two linked points free to translate prevented that the linear contact condition is respected. Once the linear contact condition is reached, the contact element behaves like a RIG-BEAM element. The linked points are only free to translate along the two normal directions of the beam.

contact connection

An analysis connection that prevents bodies from penetrating each other at a common interface.

D

degrees of freedom

or DOF
Set of independent displacements that specify completely the displaced or deformed position of a body or a system.

displacement

Translations and rotations at degrees of freedom.

distributed force

A load that generates a distributed force system equivalent to a pure force at a point (given force resultant and zero moment resultant).

distributed mass equipment

A non-structural lumped mass distribution equivalent to a total mass concentrated at a given point.

DOF

Refer to Degrees of freedom.

E

enforced displacement

A load that assigns non-zero displacement values to restrained geometric selections.

external storage

A file of the directory where this structured computed data are stored. The link between the .CATAnalysis document and the External Storage is maintained after the end of a session, in a way similar to the link between a .CATPart document and the associated .CATAnalysis document.

F

fastened connection

An analysis connection that fastens bodies together at their common interface.

finite element model

Models with representations used for performing computer-aided engineering analysis (CAEA) of products. They are complementary to computer-aided design (CAD) models, which are mainly geometric representations of products.

force

A force-type load, including tractions, distributed forces and forces transmitted through a virtual rigid body. The latter includes contact, rigid and smooth transmission types.

frequency case

A procedure for the computation of the system vibration frequencies and normal modes for a given non-structural mass distribution under given restraints.

I

image

A 3D visualization of analysis results on the Finite Element Modeler mesh.

iso-static restraint

A statically speaking determinated support generated on a part.

L

line mass density

A scalar line mass field of given uniform intensity on a curve geometry. 

line force density

A load that generates a line force field of given uniform intensity on a part edge.

links manager

All the links managed from the CATAnalysis document to other documents: a part, result data or computation data.

load

A distributed force system equivalent to given static resultants, force densities of given intensity or acceleration fields.

M

mass

Non-structural mass densities of given intensity.

mass equipment

An additional mass attached to the geometry (point, line or surface) of the part. It represents a scalar, purely inertial (non-structural) load.

material property

A link to the material (either 2D or 3D) assigned to the part: name, support and thickness.

moment

A transmitted moment-type load, which includes rigid and smooth transmission types.
A load that generates a distributed force system equivalent to a pure couple (given moment resultant and zero force resultant).

O

OCTREE tetrahedron mesh

Automatic mesh specifications generating tetrahedron mesh elements and using OCTREE methods.

orphan mesh

Analysis document built by importing a finite element model or mesh parts. This document is not pointing any geometry.

P

part

A 3D entity obtained by combining different features in the Part Design workbench. Refer to the Part Design User's Guide for further information.

pivot

A restraint (or boundary condition) that generates conical joins (hinges), which allow a rigid body to rotate around a given axis (fixes all degrees of freedom of a point, except for one rotation).

pressure 

A load that generates pressure loads over a surface.

pressure fitting

An assembly type which can be modeled with a virtual restraint or a force, both transmitted through contact. Only normal loads can be applied or transmitted with such modeling. So moment transmission through this interface cannot be analyzed.

pressure fitting connection

An analysis connection that prevents bodies from penetrating each other at a common interface.

properties

Any specification linked to physical properties: material and thickness (surface).

R

restraint

or boundary conditions
Any combination of degrees of freedom on a geometry selection.

Generated restraining joins, either on a geometry selection or on a virtual part or still various types of degree of freedom restraints.

resultant

For the Generative Part Structural Analysis product, the resultant indicates an extensive quantity, an integral over a region, opposed to an intensive quantity which indicates a surface (or volume) density-type quantity.

result data

Path to an external storage file directory. 

RIG-BEAM

A Finite Element type that rigidly links two points.

rigid connection

An analysis connection that fastens bodies together at a common rigid interface.

rotation force

A load that generates a linearly varying acceleration field over a part.

S

sag

Global sag is the general maximum tolerance between discretization and the real part used for the computation.
Local sag is the maximum tolerance between discretization and the real part applied locally, to a chosen area of the model specified by the user.

sensors

A synthesis of analysis results which provide measures that can be re-used in Knowledgeware.

sensor set

A set of different types of object can be generated:

  • Static case: misesmax (Maximum von Mises), dispmax (Maximum Displacement), reaction (Reaction on geometry associated to restrain and connection specifications) and globalerror
  • Frequency case: Frequency (Represents the frequency value) and Frequencies (Represents the list of the frequency values)
  • Buckling case: Buckling Factor

size

Global size is the general size of the longest edge of the finite elements used for the computation.
Local size is an element size different to the general element size and applied locally, to a chosen area of the model specified by the user.

spot welding connection

An analysis connection that fastens bodies together at a common soft interface.

SPRING

Finite element type which has an elastic behavior along all its degrees of freedom. This element models ideally elastic interfaces between parts.

slider

A generalization of the clamp restraint in the sense that you can release some of the clamped directions thus allowing the part to slide along the released translation directions.

slider connection

An analysis connection that fastens bodies together at their common interface in the normal direction while allowing them to slide relative to each other in the tangential directions.

sliding pivot

A restraint (or boundary condition) that generates cylindrical joins (actuators) which allow a rigid body to translate about  and rotate around a given axis (fixes all degrees of freedom of a point, except for one translation and one rotation).

smooth connection

An analysis connection that fastens bodies together at a common soft interface.

static case

A procedure for the computation of the system response to applied static loads under given restraints

storage (external)

An optional computation mode that enables the user to define a directory path where a temporary file will receive solver data during the computation.

surface force density

A load that generates a surface traction field of given uniform intensity on a part face.  

surface mass density

A scalar surface mass field of given uniform intensity on a surface geometry.

surface slider

A restraint (or boundary condition) that generates surface constraint joins, which allow points of a surface to slide along a coinciding rigid surface (fixes the translation degree of freedom for a surface in the direction of the local normal).

T

traction

An intensive (surface density-type) quantity, as opposed to forces which are extensive (that is, resultant) quantities.

V

virtual restraint

A restraint applied indirectly to the part, through the action of a virtual rigid body. The interface specifications (smooth rigid or contact transmission) are selected by the user.

virtual rigid bolt tightening connection

An analysis connection that takes into account pre-tension in a bolt-tightened assembly with a non-included bolt and an ideal screw.

virtual spring bolt tightening connection

An analysis connection that specifies the boundary interaction between bodies in an assembled system.