How can I define a general contact in PrepoMax?

[Majid]

Hello everyone,

I am doing a powder-forming compaction simulation by Abaqus, and I have been requested to perform this simulation in an open-source FEM. I found PrePoMax a great open-source FEM, But I am literally new to this software. I have some questions for you. The questions are as below:

1. I found that it is impossible to import the Abaqus .inp file to this software directly. Could you please tell me how I can convert my Abaqus input file to a compatible format for this software? What would be the easiest method?
2. As you may know, there are so many particles in a powder-forming compaction simulation. In simulations done by Abaqus, a general contact is defined between particles. Also, I have been defining a tangential method (frictionless) contact for particles. Unfortunately, I found neither general contact nor frictionless contact in the Prepomax. I want to know how I can define a general contact in this software.

I would be really grateful if you could help me in this regard.

[FEAnalyst]

@Majid

I found that it is impossible to import the Abaqus .inp file to this software directly. Could you please tell me how I can convert my Abaqus input file to a compatible format for this software? What would be the easiest method?

Check this: A Guide to Modifying Abaqus Input Files for Use in CalculiX - CalculiX (official versions are on www.calculix.de, the official GitHub repository is at https://github.com/Dhondtguido/CalculiX).

@Majid

As you may know, there are so many particles in a powder-forming compaction simulation. In simulations done by Abaqus, a general contact is defined between particles. Also, I have been defining a tangential method (frictionless) contact for particles. Unfortunately, I found neither general contact nor frictionless contact in the Prepomax. I want to know how I can define a general contact in this software.

General contact is unique to Abaqus. Most FEA software doesn’t have any equivalents and at most creates the pairs automatically. In PrePoMax, you can use the Search contact pairs tool to make the manual contact pair creation easier. Regarding the frictionless contact, just don’t add friction to the contact property definition.

[Matej]

@Majid

I am doing a powder-forming compaction simulation by Abaqus, and I have been requested to perform this simulation in an open-source FEM.

I am not sure CalculiX is the right tool for this job.

@Majid

In simulations done by Abaqus, a general contact is defined between particles.

I could add a general contact that would internally create a master-slave contact pair, including all external faces of the selected parts as slave and master surfaces.

[FEAnalyst]

@Matej

I could add a general contact that would internally create a master-slave contact pair, including all external faces of the selected parts as slave and master surfaces.

Right, it can be a nice workaround possible in CalculiX (Abaqus wouldn’t allow it due to overconstraints). But it’s easy to define with the selection box so I wonder if a dedicated feature is needed.

[Matej]

@FEAnalyst

But it’s easy to define with the selection box so I wonder if a dedicated feature is needed.

Solved Not needed.

[Majid]

Dear @Matej and @FEAnalyst Thank you for your guidness. Pardon me, I got a little perplexed. I want to know if the general contact problem was solved with this software.

[Majid]

Dear @FEAnalyst

Do you have a converted Calculix input file from Abaqus? I would be really grateful if you could share the converted input from Abaqus and the original one with me.