Creating a Submodeling Study

A submodeling study is created from an eligible static or nonlinear static study. You refine the mesh of the submodel to get more accurate results for the submodel only, without running the analysis for the parent model.

  1. Create a static or nonlinear static study of a multibody part or an assembly. Apply the loads, fixtures, contact sets, and mesh settings and run the study.
    For bonded component contact, set the mesh option to incompatible. If the mesh is set to compatible for the parent study, the preprocessor switches the option to incompatible mesh and reruns the parent study when you create the submodeling study.
  2. Right-click the study icon at the top of the Simulation study tree and select Create Submodeling Study.
  3. In the Define Submodel PropertyManager, select the bodies from the parent study to include in the submodel.
    • The software creates a new configuration linked to the submodeling study under the parent's study configuration in the ConfigurationManager tree.
    • The software applies the displacement results at the cut boundary from the parent study as a prescribed displacement field to the submodel. The prescribed displacements appear under Fixtures and the loads, under External Loads.
    • The bodies of the parent study that are not part of the submodel appear under Excluded Bodies. To include an excluded body in the submodel, right-click the body and click Include in Analysis.
  4. Optionally, add new connectors between parts of the submodel. Right-click Connections and select the connector to add.
    You cannot add new fixtures or loads to the submodel.
  5. Apply the mesh settings.
    You can mesh each solid or shell part individually, or mesh the whole submodel. Refine the mesh for the submodel parts you want to increase the accuracy of results. Mesh is incompatible for bonded contact.
  6. Run the submodeling study and view the results.
    Result plots from the submodel study appear under the Results folder. The result plots you define in the parent study are the default result plots of the submodel study. You can compare the results between the submodel and parent study.

You can create multiple submodeling studies from a parent study. Each submodeling study links to its own configuration. The submodels appear under Submodel in the parent study tree.

Right-click the submodel to activate the associated submodeling study.