ACP Tutorials

ACP Tutorials
ANSYS, Inc. Release 2024 R1

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Table of Contents
1. Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial ................................................................................................................ 1
1.1. Project Description ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1. Lay-Up Information .................................................................................................................. 2
1.2. Setup and Solution ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.2.1. Opening the Project Archive in Ansys Workbench ..................................................................... 2
1.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data in Ansys Workbench ............................................................. 3
1.2.3. Configuring Properties in ACP .................................................................................................. 9
1.2.3.1. Defining Fabric Properties .............................................................................................. 10
1.2.3.2. Defining Stackup Properties .......................................................................................... 11
1.2.3.3. Examining Stackup Properties ....................................................................................... 12
1.2.3.4. Defining Sub Laminates ................................................................................................. 13
1.2.3.5. Creating Rosettes .......................................................................................................... 15
1.2.3.6. Creating an Oriented Selection Set ................................................................................. 16
1.2.3.7. Creating Plies ................................................................................................................ 18
1.2.4. Running the Analysis in Ansys Mechanical .............................................................................. 22
1.2.4.1. Adding a Static Structural Component ........................................................................... 22
1.2.4.2. Adding Boundary Conditions ......................................................................................... 24
1.3. Post-Processing .............................................................................................................................. 28
1.3.1. Setup ACP-Post ...................................................................................................................... 28
1.3.2. Deformation Plot in ACP ......................................................................................................... 30
1.3.3. Failure Plot in ACP .................................................................................................................. 32
1.3.4. Stress Plot in ACP ................................................................................................................... 36
1.3.5. Through-the-Thickness Plot in ACP ......................................................................................... 39
1.4. Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 41
2. T-Joint Tutorial ...................................................................................................................................... 43
2.1. Project Description ......................................................................................................................... 44
2.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................. 46
2.2.1. Opening the Project Archive in Ansys Workbench ................................................................... 46
2.2.2. Checking the Engineering Data and Model ............................................................................. 47
2.2.3. Defining Fabrics ..................................................................................................................... 48
2.3. Modeling ........................................................................................................................................ 49
2.3.1. Creating the Base Plate ........................................................................................................... 50
2.3.1.1. Defining the Rosette ...................................................................................................... 50
2.3.1.2. Defining the Base Plate's Oriented Selection Set ............................................................. 51
2.3.1.3. Defining a Section Cut .................................................................................................. 54
2.3.1.4. Defining the Base Plate's Plies ........................................................................................ 56
2.3.2. Creating the Stringer .............................................................................................................. 62
2.3.2.1. Defining the Second Rosette and the Stringer's Oriented Selection Set ........................... 62
2.3.2.2. Defining the Stringer's Plies ........................................................................................... 64
2.3.3. Creating the Left Bonding ...................................................................................................... 65
2.3.3.1. Defining the Left Bonding's Oriented Selection Set ......................................................... 65
2.3.3.2. Defining the Left Bonding's Plies .................................................................................... 67
2.3.4. Creating the Right Bonding .................................................................................................... 68
2.3.4.1. Defining the Third Rosette and the Right Bonding's Oriented Selection Set ..................... 68
2.3.4.2. Defining the Right Bonding's Plies ................................................................................. 71
2.3.5. Creating the Cover ................................................................................................................. 71
2.3.5.1. Defining the Cover's Oriented Selection Set ................................................................... 71
2.3.5.2. Defining the Cover's Plies ............................................................................................... 73
2.3.6. Reviewing the Final Model ..................................................................................................... 74
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ACP Tutorials
2.4. Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 76

3. Selection Rules Tutorial ......................................................................................................................... 79
3.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................. 81
3.3. Reinforcements .............................................................................................................................. 82
3.3.1. Checking Initial Failure Results in ACP (Post) ............................................................................ 82
3.3.2. Modifying the Deck in ACP (Pre) ............................................................................................. 85
3.3.2.1. Defining Parallel Selection Rules .................................................................................... 85
3.3.2.2. Defining a Boolean Selection Rule ................................................................................. 87
3.3.2.3. Removing the Deck's Core around the Kneel Tower ........................................................ 88
3.3.3. Checking Failure Results of the Modified Deck in ACP (Post) .................................................... 89
3.3.4. Adding a Reinforcing Patch for the Deck in ACP (Pre) ............................................................... 91
3.3.4.1. Creating a Ply in ACP ...................................................................................................... 92
3.3.4.2. Creating a Ply Using Excel .............................................................................................. 94
3.3.5. Checking Failure Results of the Reinforced Deck in ACP (Post) ................................................. 96
3.4. Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 96
4. Advanced Sandwich Panel Tutorial ....................................................................................................... 97
4.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................. 98
4.2.1. Opening the Project Archive in Ansys Workbench ................................................................... 98
4.2.2. Modifying the Mesh ............................................................................................................... 99
4.3. Reinforcement .............................................................................................................................. 100
4.3.1. Creating Edge Sets ............................................................................................................... 101
4.3.1.1. Creating an Edge Set in Mechanical .............................................................................. 101
4.3.1.2. Creating an Edge Set in ACP ......................................................................................... 103
4.3.2. Defining Local Reinforcements using a Tube Selection Rule ................................................... 105
4.3.3. Tapering the Core ................................................................................................................. 107
4.3.4. Applying a Cut-Off Selection Rule on the Core ...................................................................... 108
4.4. Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 113
5. Solid Modeling Tutorial ....................................................................................................................... 115
5.1. Project Description ....................................................................................................................... 115
5.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 116
5.2.1. Opening the Project Archive in Ansys Workbench ................................................................. 116
5.2.2. Checking the Engineering Data ............................................................................................ 117
5.3. Solution ....................................................................................................................................... 118
5.3.1. Generating a Composite Model ........................................................................................... 118
5.3.1.1. Creating a Fabric .......................................................................................................... 118
5.3.1.2. Defining a Rosette and an Oriented Selection Set ........................................................ 120
5.3.1.3. Creating Plies .............................................................................................................. 122
5.3.2. Extruding a Solid Model ....................................................................................................... 124
5.3.3. Assembling the Solid Composite Part and the Metal Parts .................................................... 130
5.3.3.1. Transferring Data to Mechanical .................................................................................. 130
5.3.3.2. Checking Automatically Defined Contacts ................................................................... 133
5.3.3.3. Adding Boundary Conditions ...................................................................................... 135
5.3.3.4. Solving the Model ....................................................................................................... 137
5.4. Post-Processing ............................................................................................................................ 138
5.4.1. Connecting ACP (Pre) and Static Structural to ACP (Post) ....................................................... 138
5.4.2. Evaluating 3D and 2D Puck Failure Criteria ............................................................................ 139
5.5. Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 146
6. Solid Modeling with Cut-Off Selection Rule Tutorial .......................................................................... 147
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ACP Tutorials
6.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 148

6.2.2. Checking the Model's Properties ........................................................................................... 149
6.3. Modeling ...................................................................................................................................... 151
6.3.1. Creating the First Modeling Ply ............................................................................................. 151
6.3.2. Importing the Geometries .................................................................................................... 152
6.3.3. Applying the Cut-Off Selection Rule ...................................................................................... 154
6.3.4. Creating the Second Modeling Ply and Extruding the Model ................................................. 157
6.3.5. Smoothing the Model's Surface ............................................................................................ 160
6.4. Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 161
7. Kiteboard Tutorial ............................................................................................................................... 163
7.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 164
7.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data ........................................................................................ 165
7.2.3. Modifying the Model and Mesh ............................................................................................ 168
7.2.4. Configuring the Material Data ............................................................................................... 170
7.3. Modeling ...................................................................................................................................... 173
7.3.1. Defining the Rosette and Oriented Selection Set ................................................................... 173
7.3.2. Creating the Bottom Modeling Ply and Defining a Section Cut .............................................. 175
7.3.3. Creating the Core and Top Modeling Plies ............................................................................. 178
7.4. Solution ........................................................................................................................................ 182
7.5. Post-Processing ............................................................................................................................ 187
7.5.1. Post-Processing in Mechanical .............................................................................................. 187
7.5.1.1. Total Deformation in Mechanical .................................................................................. 187
7.5.1.2. Composite Failure Tool in Mechanical ........................................................................... 188
7.5.2. Post-Processing in ACP (Post) ................................................................................................ 190
7.5.2.1. Deformation Plot in ACP (Post) ..................................................................................... 190
7.5.2.2. Stress Plot in ACP (Post) ............................................................................................... 193
7.5.2.3. Failure Plot in ACP (Post) .............................................................................................. 197
7.5.2.4. Through-the-Thickness Plot in ACP (Post) ..................................................................... 206
7.6. Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 208
8. Parameters in ACP Tutorial .................................................................................................................. 211
8.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 212
8.3. Parametrization 1 .......................................................................................................................... 213
8.3.1. Defining Input Parameters in ACP (Pre) ................................................................................. 213
8.3.2. Defining Output Parameters in Mechanical ........................................................................... 216
8.3.3. Defining Output Parameters in ACP (Post) ............................................................................. 223
8.3.4. Solving Additional Design Points .......................................................................................... 228
8.4. Parametrization 2 .......................................................................................................................... 229
8.5. Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 235
9. Other Training Resources .................................................................................................................... 237
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List of Figures
1.1. From Materials to Plies in ACP ............................................................................................................... 19
2.1.T-Joint Stringers on the GER-72 America's Cup Sailboat .......................................................................... 44
2.2. T-Joint Stringers on the GER-72 America's Cup Sailboat - Horizontal View ............................................... 44
2.3. Ribs and Bulkheads on the GER-72 America's Cup Sailboat .................................................................... 77
4.1.The Deformation Plot of the Advanced Sandwich Panel ....................................................................... 114
4.2. The Deformation Plot of the Basic Sandwich Panel ............................................................................... 114
7.1. The CAD Geometry for the Core with Variable Thickness ...................................................................... 178
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Chapter 1: Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial
This tutorial illustrates how to model a simple sandwich panel in ACP. The flat panel with a uniform
thickness lays a good foundation for understanding the ACP tools that can model structures with very
complex geometries and lay-ups. Through the following covered topics:
1.1. Project Description
1.2. Setup and Solution
1.3. Post-Processing
1.4. Summary
You will learn to:
• Configure the model's data in Workbench
• Set up appropriate physics and boundary conditions
• Calculate a solution
• Review the results of the model

The sandwich panel modeled in this tutorial is shown below. The contour and text plots on the model
indicate the solution's failure criteria, outputting the inverse reserve factor (IRF) that measures the
composite failure with critical values ranging from one and upward.
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Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial
1.1.1. Lay-Up Information

The sandwich panel is composed of a foam core and a high tensile strength (T700) carbon fiber rein-
forced plastic. The panel is 300 mm x 300 mm x 16.6 mm. It is clamped on all sides and subjected to
a uniform pressure of 0.1 MPa. It consists of the following lay-up:
• +/- 45° UD fabric
• 90° UD fabric
• +/- 45° UD fabric
• 15 mm foam core
• 3 x 90° UD fabric
Note:
Results shown in this tutorial may differ slightly from the results displayed for your model.
1.2. Setup and Solution

This section guides you through the following steps:
1.2.1. Opening the Project Archive in Ansys Workbench
1.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data in Ansys Workbench
1.2.3. Configuring Properties in ACP
1.2.4. Running the Analysis in Ansys Mechanical

1. The project files are contained in a compressed file and can be downloaded here.
2. Once the download is complete, extract the compressed file. The folder contains two project
archives: a from-start file and a solved file.
3. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the archive:
Basic_Sandwich_Panel_FROM_START_<release>.wbpz
4. Save the Workbench project.
Note:
To check the result in the solved archive file:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Basic_Sandwich_Pan-

el_SOLVED_<Release>.wbpz.
2. Close the warning dialog if it pops up.
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Setup and Solution
3. Right-click the Model cell in the ACP (Pre) system, select Clear Generated Data, then
click OK when the warning dialog pops up.
4. Click Update Project on the project toolbar.
1.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data in Ansys Workbench

1. Right-click Engineering Data and select Edit from the menu.
2. As shown below, select Engineering Data Sources (A). Select Composite Materials (B) from the
Data Source list.
3. You must now define the composite in Engineering Data. There are two ways to do this: you
can import preconfigured materials from the Composite Materials catalog, or you can create new
materials. In this example, you will do the latter, creating new materials as explained below.
Click Engineering Data Sources (C) to unhighlight that section. Then, under Contents of Engin-
eering Data, manually add the name of the new material, UD_T700 (D).
4. You will now create a new unidirectional (regular) material by dragging the required properties
from the Toolbox onto the Properties cell as shown in the image below.
Setup and Solution
Tip:
To display all properties, be sure to deactivate the Filter Engineering Data button
above the Toolbox.
Add the following properties from the Toolbox:
• Under Linear Elastic, add Orthotropic Elasticity.
• Under Strength, add Orthotropic Stress Limits and Tsai-Wu Constants.
• Under Composite, add Ply Type.
5. Assign a value to each material property as shown (A, below). The table below lists all the values
to be entered.
Property (UD_T700) Value Unit

Orthotropic Elasticity
Young's Modulus X direction 1.15E+05 MPa
Young's Modulus Y direction 6430 MPa

Young's Modulus Z direction
6430 MPa
Poisson's Ratio XY 0.28
Poisson's Ratio YZ 0.34

Poisson's Ratio XZ
0.28
Shear Modulus XY 6000 MPa
6000 MPa
Shear Modulus YZ
Shear Modulus XZ 6000 MPa
Orthotropic Stress Limits
Tensile X direction 1500 MPa
Tensile Y direction 30 MPa

Tensile Z direction
30 MPa
Compressive X direction -700 MPa
Compressive Y direction -100 MPa

Compressive Z direction
-100 MPa
Shear XY 60 MPa
Shear YZ 30 MPa
Shear XZ
60 MPa
Tsai-Wu Constants
Setup and Solution
Coupling Coefficient XY -1
Coupling Coefficient YZ -1
Coupling Coefficient XZ
-1
Ply Type
Type Regular
6. Add the core material Coracell_A550 manually.
7. Add the following material properties from the Toolbox.
• From Linear Elastic, select Isotropic Elasticity.
• From Strength, select Orthotropic Stress Limits.
• From Composite, select Ply Type.
Note:
Coracell_A550 is a foam core. In most cases, foam materials have isotropic mech-
anical properties.
8. Now assign a value to each material property according to the table below.
Property (Coracell_A550) Value Unit

Isotropic Elasticity
Derive from Young's Modulus and
Poisson's Ratio
Young's Modulus 85 MPa
Poisson's Ratio 0.3 MPa

Bulk Modulus
70.833 MPa
Shear Modulus
32.692
Orthotropic Stress Limits
Tensile X direction 1.6 MPa
Tensile Y direction 1.6 MPa
Tensile Z direction 1.6 MPa
Compressive X direction -1.1 MPa

-1.1
Compressive Y direction MPa
Compressive Z direction -1.1
MPa
Shear XY 1.1 MPa
Shear YZ 1.1 MPa

Shear XZ
1.1 MPa
Ply Type
Type Isotropic
Homogeneous Core
9. Since structural steel is not needed in this project, you may delete it from the Material list. Right-
click Structural Steel and select Delete from the context menu.
10. To update the model, you must assign an arbitrary material and thickness to its geometry in Ansys
Mechanical. Both properties will be overwritten in ACP later in the tutorial.
a. Return to the Project tab in Workbench and update the entire project.
b. Right-click the Model cell in ACP (Pre) and select Edit. In the opened window:
i. Expand Geometry in the Tree Outline. Select SYS-1/Sandwich Panel and assign a ma-
terial and thickness to its Geometry.
ii. Select the Mesh Face Sizing to assign its Geometry (then Type will automatically
update).
c. Return to Ansys Workbench, right-click the Model cell, and select Update in the context menu.
Setup and Solution
1.2.3. Configuring Properties in ACP

You will now use ACP to further define the sandwich panel as explained in the following sections:
1.2.3.1. Defining Fabric Properties
1.2.3.2. Defining Stackup Properties
1.2.3.3. Examining Stackup Properties
1.2.3.4. Defining Sub Laminates
1.2.3.5. Creating Rosettes
1.2.3.6. Creating an Oriented Selection Set
1.2.3.7. Creating Plies
To open ACP, right-click Setup and select Edit from the context menu.
1.2.3.1. Defining Fabric Properties

When ACP has launched, continue to define the material data:
1. In ACP's Tree View, under Material Data, right-click Fabrics and select Create Fabric.
2. Create two new fabrics with the defined materials shown below. After you create the first fabric,
click OK. Then repeat step 1 above to create the second fabric. Click OK.
Tip:
The Weight/Area field will update to None as shown after you click OK.
Setup and Solution
Tip:
Reorder the Tree View in ACP using keyboard shortcuts and mouse actions. Move items
by:
• Using the Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) keyboard shortcuts
• Dragging one item onto another
1.2.3.2. Defining Stackup Properties

A stackup is a multiaxial reinforcement tape consisting of several plies placed at different orientations.
Typically, these layers are then stitch-bonded to form a fabric, also called a non-crimp fabric (NCF).
See Creating Plies (p. 18), to learn how fabric selection affects ply resolution.
1. Right-click Stackups and select Create Stackup.
2. Define a new -45/+45 Stackup with the UD Biax Carbon.
3. Click Apply. The calculated fields, Thickness and Weight/Area, will automatically update to
the values shown above.
1.2.3.3. Examining Stackup Properties

1. Click the Analysis tab in the Stackup Properties dialog where you created the Biax_Car-
bon_UD stackup. Select the following analysis options as shown below (B):
• Under Layup, select Analysis Plies (AP).
Setup and Solution
• Under Text, select Angles.
• Under Polar, select E1, E2, and G12.
2. Click Apply to generate stackup information (C) and a polar properties plot (D).
3. Click OK to close the Stackup Properties dialog.
1.2.3.4. Defining Sub Laminates

Sub Laminates group fabrics and stackups together. This speeds up modeling for recurring laminates.
1. Right-click Sub Laminates and select Create Sub Laminate from the context menu.
2. Combine the UD Biax Carbon stackup and UD T700 fabric into one Sub Laminate as shown below.
Click Apply.
3. Click the Analysis tab. Again, generate stackup information and a polar properties plot as you
did earlier (see Examining Stackup Properties (p. 12)). Select the Layup, Text, and Polar options
shown below and click Apply.
Setup and Solution
4. Click OK to close the dialog.
1.2.3.5. Creating Rosettes
A rosette is a coordinate system that is used to set the reference direction (A below) of an OSS,
which specifies the direction (0°) all ply angles of an MP are relative to. Both orientation and reference
(B) directions are important concepts in modeling composites.
To create a rosette:
1. In ACP, right-click Rosettes and select Create Rosette.
2. In the Rosette Properties dialog, specify the Origin (location of the rosette) and the 1 Direction
and 2 Direction (the x and y directions of the rosette). There are two ways to do this: by
manually entering the coordinates in their respective fields or by selecting a direction vector
for the rosette. For the latter, hold Ctrl and select two element nodes. The direction vector
aligns along the line between the two select element centers' respective nodes.
3. Click OK.
1.2.3.6. Creating an Oriented Selection Set

ACP uses the Oriented Selection Set (OSS) as part of the layup definition. The orientation direction
of the OSS specifies the stacking direction of the modeling ply. The reference direction specifies
the direction all ply angles are relative to.
The OSS concept creates independence from element properties such as element normal and element
coordinate systems since plies are applied to the OSS and not on Element Sets. Mesh and element
independence make ACP a powerful and flexible tool.
1. Right-click Oriented Selection Sets in the Tree View and select Create Oriented Selection Set.
Setup and Solution
2. In the Oriented Selection Set Properties dialog, define the OSS as shown below:
A. Name: Enter OSS_Plate.
B. Element Sets: Place the cursor in the Element Sets field. Then click on All Elements (under
Element Sets) in the Tree.
C. Point: Under Orientation, place your cursor in the Point field and then click an element or
node that is within the mesh domain of the model.
D. Rosettes: Place your cursor in the Rosettes field. In the Tree, click the Rosette you made
earlier to set the reference direction.
3. Click OK to close the dialog.
Tip:
Plot Properties is a useful feature in ACP. It adjusts the scaling and amount of dis-
played vectors in the direction plots. This is especially relevant when the mesh size is
very fine. To view the various other orientation visualization options, see Orientation
Visualization in the ACP User's Guide.

A ply is a layer of material that is either a fabric, stackup, or sub laminate. The ply resolution indicates
whether it is a modeling, production, or analysis ply.
• A Modeling Ply (MP) is where the ACP lay-up is defined. The other two plies are built automat-
ically from information placed on this level. For instance, a sub laminate is an MP and each of
their materials (either fabric or stackup) displays as a PP.
• A Production Ply (PP) derives from the Ply Material and Number of Layers in the MP properties.
Fabric and stackup materials display as PP resolutions.
• An Analysis Ply (AP) shows the plies used in the section definition for the Ansys solver. A PP
without an AP indicates that the resulting AP contains no elements and is, therefore, not gener-
ated.
Setup and Solution
Figure 1.1: From Materials to Plies in ACP
As shown in the Tree View below, the sandwich panel will have three plies: a bottom, core, and
top. To create one, you must select an OSS, the ply material, the ply angle, and the number of layers.
After each ply definition, you can update the ACP model to visualize the effect.
The following steps guide you through creating a Ply Group for the entire panel:
1. In the Tree, right-click Modeling Groups and select Create Modeling Group. In the Modeling
Group Properties dialog, enter Sandwich for the Name. Click OK.
2. Right-click the new Sandwich group in the Tree and select Create Ply. This opens the Modeling
Ply Properties dialog.
3. You will create three plies. Begin by creating the Bottom ply. In the Modeling Ply Properties
dialog, enter the properties as shown in the image below. For the Oriented Selection Sets
field, put the cursor in the field and click OSS_Plate in the Tree. When you have completed all
the specified fields, click OK.
Setup and Solution
4. If you performed the previous steps correctly, the bottom ply will appear in the Tree under
Modeling Groups/Sandwich. The lightning icon next to the Bottom ply (A, below) is a reminder
to update the visual model so it reflects the changes. To do that, right-click Bottom and select
Update from the context menu. The lightning icon will change to a green checkmark.
5. As you did in steps two through four, now create a Core ply and a Top ply. The table below
lists the properties of each ply.
Ply Name Orientation Ply Material Ply Number Notes

Selection Angle of Layers
Sets
1 Bottom OSS_Plate Sublaminate 0.0 1 One sublaminate
consisting of
stackup, fabric,
stackup.
2 Core OSS_Plate Core 0.0 1 One core fabric
3 Top OSS_Plate UD_T700_200gsm 90 3 Same UD Fabric,
3x
Tip:
To rename an item in ACP's Tree View, you can click the item and then press F2.
1.2.4. Running the Analysis in Ansys Mechanical

This next section of the tutorial will guide you through the following steps in preparation for running
an analysis in Ansys Mechanical.
1.2.4.1. Adding a Static Structural Component
1.2.4.2. Adding Boundary Conditions
1.2.4.1. Adding a Static Structural Component

1. Return to the Workbench application. If there is a lightning icon in the Setup cell of the ACP
(Pre) system, right-click the Setup and select Update in its context menu.
Setup and Solution
2. Now add a Static Structural system to the existing analysis.
3. Connect the A5 Setup cell to the B4 Setup cell. (Click and drag from A5 to B4.) Choose the
option Transfer Shell Composite Data (A, below).
4. Update the Model cell of the Static Structural system.
5. Right-click the B3 Setup cell and select Edit in the context menu. This will open Ansys Mechan-
ical.

1. Insert a Fixed Support to the system. Then add it to the edges of the panel by choosing the
select icon in the toolbar. Click the first edge and select the Apply Selection icon. Add the
Setup and Solution
other three edges to the Geometry scope by clicking on them and selecting the Add To
icon.
2. If needed, set the units to the millimeter base system by clicking the Units icon on the toolbar
and selecting Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA).
3. Add an applied load onto the panel and specify the properties as shown below.
Setup and Solution
4. Solve the analysis in Ansys Mechanical by right-clicking Solution and selecting Solve.
5. Following the analysis, create the total deformation plot of the sandwich panel. To visualize it,
right-click Total Deformation and select Retrieve This Result.
ACP provides a multitude of post-processing analyses. The following instructions will help you get
started in examining the results.
1.3.1. Setup ACP-Post
1.3.2. Deformation Plot in ACP
1.3.3. Failure Plot in ACP
1.3.4. Stress Plot in ACP
1.3.5.Through-the-Thickness Plot in ACP
1.3.1. Setup ACP-Post

In Ansys Workbench, you can choose one of two methods to post-process results for composite ma-
terials: You can do it directly in Mechanical by adding a Composite Failure Tool, or you can add an
ACP (Post) cell into the project schematic. This tutorial will cover post-processing through ACP (Post).
Later tutorials explain post-processing in Mechanical.
1. Return to Workbench and drag an ACP (Post) system onto the ACP (Pre) system.
Post-Processing
2. Drag and drop the Solution cell of the Static Structural system to the Results of ACP (Post).
3. Update the Results cell of ACP (Post). Then, double-click Results to open ACP.
1.3.2. Deformation Plot in ACP

A deformation plot displays the panel's behavior for a specific solution. To create the panel's deform-
ation plot, follow these steps:
1. In ACP, click the Update icon to update the project.
2. In the Tree, right-click Solution 1 under Solutions and select Create Deformation Plot to visualize
the deformations.
3. When the Deformation dialog appears, accept the defaults, and click OK.
Post-Processing
4. In the toolbar, set the deformation scale (A, below) and toggle mesh (B).
5. Update the entire project to visualize the plot.
Note:
To show the plot, ensure that the Show Surface icon is deselected in the toolbar.
1.3.3. Failure Plot in ACP

Failure criteria evaluate the strength of a composite structure. ACP (Post) provides a number of
analyses to assess the strength assessment of a composite. It allows you to create failure definitions,
then combine and configure them.
In this step, a combined Failure Criteria is configured to create an overall failure plot of the composite
structure. The stress limits for your two materials were defined in the Engineering Data at the beginning
of this tutorial. Before you begin, ensure that your material models contain the appropriate failure
parameters. Then, create the failure plot:
1. Right-click Definitions in the Tree and select Create Failure Criteria.
2. In the Failure Criteria Definition dialog, select Max Stress and Tsai-Wu under the Reinforced
Ply Criteria tab. Select Core Failure under the Sandwich Criteria tab.
Post-Processing
3. Click OK.
4. Right-click the Failure Criteria object and select Update.
5. Right-click Solution 1 and select Create Failure Plot.
6. In the Failure Plot dialog, specify the following options as shown in the image below:
a. Under Scoping, select Entire Model (default).
Tip:
To customize the Data Scope, deselect the Entire Model. Then put the cursor in
the Data Scope field and click an element set in the Tree View.
b. For Failure Criteria Definition, select FailureCriteria.1 from the dropdown menu.
c. Enable Show Critical Failure Mode and Show Critical Layer.
Post-Processing
d. Click OK.
e. Hide the deformation scale by clicking on its toolbar icon and deselecting Show.
7. Update the model to see the overall failure plot:
• The contour plot shows the maximum inverse reserve factor of each element (through all layers,
selected failure criteria, and integration points).
• The text plot indicates the critical layer (numerical value) and the critical failure mode (text
value).
Tip:
This icon in the toolbar labels the minimum and maximum values on the plot.
1.3.4. Stress Plot in ACP

A stress plot is a post-processing solution that displays stress values at the bottom, mid or top position
of the ply and at the element center (or at the bottom or top of the laminate if ply-wise is disabled).
1. Right-click Solution 1 and select Create Stress Plot.
Post-Processing
2. Set the scope to the Entire Model, as a Ply-Wise stress plot for the transverse stresses. Select bot
for the Spot and s2 as the Component.
3. Click OK.
4. Update the project.
5. Click any Analysis Ply to see its stress distribution. Ply-wise plots are only visible when a ply is
selected.
Post-Processing
1.3.5. Through-the-Thickness Plot in ACP

A through-the-thickness plot is one of the post-processing analyses of a sampling point. It shows the
through-the-thickness distribution of strains, stresses, or failure results.
Sampling Points are used in post-processing to access ply-wise results. ACP samples through the
specific element near the given coordinates to run detailed analyses (lay-up plots, through-the-
thickness plots, and laminate engineering constants).
The through-the-thickness results can be visualized in the Analysis tab of the Sampling Point. To
view the through-thickness plot:
1. Right-click Sampling Points and select Create Sampling Point.
2. Set the coordinates of your Sampling Point and then click Apply.
3. In the Analysis tab, set the properties as shown in the figure below.
4. Click Apply to visualize the through-the-thickness plot in the same dialog.
Summary
5. Select any analysis ply of the Sampling Point to visualize the stress distribution of a single ply.
1.4. Summary
In this tutorial, you modeled and analyzed a basic structure - the sandwich panel. You have learned the
following:
• How ACP handles lay-up orientations and reference directions (OSS)
• The different hierarchies of plies (Modeling, Production, and Analysis Plies)
• How to set up a combined failure criteria definition
• How to create global failure plots
• How to examine a through-the-thickness plot at a single point (using a Sampling Point)
For more information on using ACP in Ansys Workbench, see Implementation in Workbench in the ACP
User's Guide. For ACP terms and concepts, see Guide for ACP Terminology in the ACP User's Guide.
Chapter 2: T-Joint Tutorial
T-joint sections are omnipresent in composite constructions. They are used to connect two parts at
right angles. This tutorial demonstrates how to model the composite plies of a T-joint section using
Rosettes and Oriented Selection Sets (OSS) in ACP.
The tutorial will cover the following topics:

2.2. Setup
2.3. Modeling
2.4. Summary
T-Joint Tutorial
Real World Examples of T-Joints

Figure 2.1: T-Joint Stringers on the GER-72 America's Cup Sailboat
Figure 2.2: T-Joint Stringers on the GER-72 America's Cup Sailboat - Horizontal View

You will create five components for the T-joint section by defining their OSSs and plies. The plies are
added in five Modeling Groups following this sequence:
1. Base Plate (p. 50)
Project Description
• [90, 0 +45 -45, 90, 0°] 0.1 mm UD
• 10 mm Honeycomb core
• [0, 90 +45 -45, 0, 90°] 0.1 mm UD
2. Stringer (p. 62)
• 5 x ([0, 90°] 0.1 mm UD)
3. Left Bonding (p. 65)
• 4 x ([+45, -45°] 0.1 mm UD)
4. Right Bonding (p. 68)
T-Joint Tutorial
• 4 x ([+45, -45°] 0.1 mm UD)
5. Base Cover (p. 71)
• [+45, -45, 0, 90°] 0.1 mm UD
2.2. Setup
The following sections will guide you through setting up the project:
2.2.2. Checking the Engineering Data and Model
2.2.3. Defining Fabrics

T_Joint_FROM_START_<release>.wbpz
Setup
2.2.2. Checking the Engineering Data and Model

1. To view the Engineering Data tab, right-click Engineering Data and select Edit.
2. As shown below, there are two materials defined for the layer and the core: Epoxy Carbon UD
395 GPa PrePreg and Honeycomb. Both materials come from the Composite Materials library
in the Engineering Data Sources.
3. Close the Engineering Data tab to return to the project. To view the model in Mechanical, right-
click Model and select Edit.
4. The model's mesh is shown below. There are six face Named Selections (Plate1, Plate2, Plate3,
Plate4, Joint1, and Joint2), and one edge Named Selection (Tapering). You will use the face
Named Selections to model the plies and the edge Named Selection to taper the core of the Base
Plate in later sections. Click a Named Selection in the tree Outline to see its area in the model.
T-Joint Tutorial
5. Close the Mechanical window and return to the project in Workbench.
2.2.3. Defining Fabrics

To create new fabrics for the carbon layer and the core in ACP, follow these steps:
You will create Rosette.1
1. To open ACP, right-click Setup and select Edit.
2. Select Units from the menu and select MPA (mm,t,s,N,C).
3. In the Tree View, expand Material Data, right-click Fabrics, and select Create Fabric.
Modeling
4. Create two new fabrics using the defined materials with the specifications shown below. After
you enter the specifications for the first fabric, click Apply to update the fabric, then click OK to
close the dialog. Follow the same steps to create the second fabric.
Note:
The Weight/Area field will update as shown after you click Apply.
2.3. Modeling
In this section, you will configure the T-joint model's properties and create its five components.
2.3.1. Creating the Base Plate
2.3.2. Creating the Stringer
2.3.3. Creating the Left Bonding
2.3.4. Creating the Right Bonding
2.3.5. Creating the Cover
2.3.6. Reviewing the Final Model
T-Joint Tutorial
2.3.1. Creating the Base Plate

The following steps will guide you through defining the Base Plate:
2.3.1.1. Defining the Rosette
2.3.1.2. Defining the Base Plate's Oriented Selection Set
2.3.1.3. Defining a Section Cut
2.3.1.4. Defining the Base Plate's Plies
2.3.1.1. Defining the Rosette

You will create Rosette.1, which is used to set the Reference Directions of the Base Plate's Oriented
Selection Set (OSS).
1. In the Tree View, right-click Rosettes and select Create Rosette.
2. In the Rosette Properties dialog, specify the Origin by placing the cursor in the field (A, below)
and selecting any element on Plate2 of the model.
Note:
The Origin coordinates will be slightly different from what is shown in this tutorial
depending on which element you select on the model.
Modeling
3. Specify the 1 Direction and 2 Direction (the X and Y directions of the Rosette) by entering the
coordinates as shown (B).
Note:
You can also specify the X and Y directions by choosing two nodes for each direction:
a. Place the cursor in the field.
b. Press Ctr and select the source node on the model.
c. Press Ctr and select the target node.
The coordinates will be slightly different from what is shown in this tutorial.
4. Click Apply to update the Rosette, then click OK to finish creating the first Rosette.
Note:
To rotate the diagram, press and hold the scroll button, position the cursor at the center
of the diagram, and move your mouse in the desired direction.
2.3.1.2. Defining the Base Plate's Oriented Selection Set

OSSs define the basis for lay-up definitions. The Orientation Direction of the OSS specifies the
stacking direction of the modeling ply. The Reference Direction specifies the direction all ply angles
are relative to.
Follow these steps to create an OSS for the Base Plate:
1. In the Tree View, right-click Oriented Selection Sets and select Create Oriented Selection Set.
T-Joint Tutorial
2. In the Oriented Selection Set Properties dialog, specify the Extension by placing the cursor
in the Element Sets field (A, below), then selecting Plate1, Plate2, Plate3, and Plate4 from
the Element Sets in the Tree View.
Tip:
You can select multiple Element Sets by holding the Ctrl key.
3. Specify the Orientation Point by placing the cursor in the field (B), then selecting an element
from the four plates of the model. Specify the Orientation Direction by entering the coordinates
as shown (C).
Note:
Similar to step 3 of the previous section, Defining the Rosette (p. 50), you can define
the Orientation Direction by choosing two appropriate nodes in the model.
Flipping the Orientation Direction will change the plies' build direction.
4. Specify the Reference Direction by choosing Minimum Angle for the Selection Method (D,
above). Then specify Rosettes by placing the cursor in the field (E) and selecting Rosette.1
from the Rosettes in the Tree View.
Modeling
5. Click Apply to update the OSS. The OSS Orientation Point and Orientation Direction are shown
below. Click OK to close the window.
6. You can view the Base Plate's OSS Orientation and Reference Directions by activating the purple
Show Orientations icon and the yellow Show Reference Direction icon on the toolbar.
T-Joint Tutorial
Note:
• On ACP's toolbar, you can select the appropriate direction and visualization arrows
as you build the model to view the normals, orientations, Reference Directions,
and Fiber Directions. However, the graphic performance may decrease if many of
those visualization options are activated.
• The density and size visualization of the arrows might differ depending on the
configuration of Plot Properties. You can view and edit those properties by clicking
the icon on the toolbar shown below.
2.3.1.3. Defining a Section Cut

A section cut provides a visual depiction of the model's lay-up definition along an arbitrary section
plane. Before creating the Base Plate's plies, you will define a section cut that allows you to examine
and verify the layering of the plies in later steps.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Section Cuts and select Create Section Cut.
Modeling
2. In the Section Cut Properties dialog, edit the Position, Scoping, and Extrusion values. Click
Apply.
Note:
For more information about the Section Cut properties, see Section Cuts in the ACP
User's Guide.
3. The section cut slices the model as shown below. Click OK to close the dialog.
T-Joint Tutorial
2.3.1.4. Defining the Base Plate's Plies

The Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial (p. 1) guides you through modeling a composite structure using
Stackups and Sub Laminates. Here, the plies for a modeling component can also be created directly
using a fabric in a Modeling Group. The Group provides efficient organization of Composite
Definitions and streamlines your workflow without affecting the ply-ordering and definition. The
lay-up is defined the same way as in production, where the first ply is the start of the stacking se-
quence.
You will create the Base Plate with six Epoxy Carbon UD plies, a core Honeycomb ply, and another
six Epoxy Carbon UD plies.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Modeling Groups and select Create Modeling Group.
2. In the Modeling Group Properties dialog, enter the Name and click OK.
3. Under Modeling Groups, right-click Base_Plate and select Create Ply.
Modeling
4. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, specify the Oriented Selection Sets by placing the
cursor in the field (A, below), then selecting oss_base_plate from Oriented Selection Sets in
the Tree View. Define the other properties as shown (B). Click Apply to update the ply, then
click OK to close the dialog.
5. View the ply's Fiber Direction by activating the light green Show Fiber Directions icon on the
toolbar.
T-Joint Tutorial
6. Right-click ModelingPly.1 in the Tree View and select Copy to copy the ply.
Tip:
As a shortcut, you can simply select ModelingPly.1 in the Tree View and use the key
command Ctrl+C.
Modeling
7. Right-click Base_Plate and select Paste Ply or Modeling Group to paste the ply. Repeat this
step five times to have a total of six plies.
Tip:
As a shortcut, you can simply select Base_Plate in the Tree View and use the key
command Ctrl+V.
8. From the toolbar, click the Edit Entities with Excel icon.
9. In the Excel Link dialog, specify Modeling Groups by deselecting All. Place the cursor in the
field (A, below), and select Base_Plate from Modeling Groups in the Tree View.
10. Under Pull Mode, select Update Properties Only (B). Click Open Excel (C).
11. When Excel has launched, edit the ply angles by modifying the ply_angle column as shown
below.
T-Joint Tutorial
Note:
You can manually edit the angle for each ply by double-clicking the ply in the Tree
View and specifying the angle in the Modeling Ply Properties dialog.
12. In the ACP's Excel Link dialog, click Pull from (A, below), then click Close all (B).
13. Under Modeling Groups, right-click Base_Plate and click Update to finish creating the first six
Epoxy Carbon UD plies.
14. Create the core Honeycomb ply by following steps 3 and 4 (p. 56) above and using the specific-
ations shown below. You will use the predefined Tapering Edge Set to taper the edges of the
core by 20°.
Modeling
15. In the Tree View, expand Section Cuts, right-click SectionCut.1, and click Update to check the
tapering of the core.
16. Create the last six Epoxy Carbon UD plies by following steps 6 to 13 above and using the spe-
cifications shown below.
Tip:
In step 6, you can copy and paste multiple plies at the same time by following these
steps:
• Hold Ctrl and select multiple plies in the Tree View.
• Right-click the plies and select Copy.
• Right-click ModelingPly.7 and select Paste After.
T-Joint Tutorial
17. Update SectionCut.1 again to visualize your Base Plate's Section Cut.
2.3.2. Creating the Stringer

The following steps will guide you through defining the Stringer:
2.3.2.1. Defining the Second Rosette and the Stringer's Oriented Selection Set
2.3.2.2. Defining the Stringer's Plies
2.3.2.1. Defining the Second Rosette and the Stringer's Oriented Selection Set
1. Create the second Rosette by following the steps in the earlier section, Defining the
Rosette (p. 50). The Origin of Rosette.2 can be any element on Joint1 of the model. Enter the
coordinates or select the appropriate nodes in the model for 1 Direction and 2 Direction as
shown below.
Modeling
2. Create the Stringer's OSS by following the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Oriented
Selection Set (p. 51). For the Orientation Point, select any element on Joint1 or Joint2. Specify
the other properties as shown below.
T-Joint Tutorial
2.3.2.2. Defining the Stringer's Plies

The Stringer's composite lay-up consists of ten Epoxy Carbon UD plies. Create the plies by following
the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Plies (p. 56). Use the specifications shown below.
Modeling
2.3.3. Creating the Left Bonding

You will create the Left Bonding by defining its OSS and plies as described in the following sections:
2.3.3.1. Defining the Left Bonding's Oriented Selection Set
2.3.3.2. Defining the Left Bonding's Plies
2.3.3.1. Defining the Left Bonding's Oriented Selection Set

Create the Left Bonding's OSS by following the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Ori-
ented Selection Set (p. 51). Choose any Plate2 element for the Orientation Point. Specify the
other properties as shown below. You will use two Rosettes for this OSS.
Note:
You can use multiple Rosettes to specify the direction of an OSS. The X direction of each
Rosette controls the OSS direction. Using multiple Rosettes allows varying reference
directions on complex geometries. You will use the angle (minimum or maximum)
T-Joint Tutorial
between the element lay-up orientation and the Z direction of each Rosette as a criterion
to select the appropriate Rosettes.
Modeling
2.3.3.2. Defining the Left Bonding's Plies

The Left Bonding's composite lay-up consists of eight Epoxy Carbon UD plies. Create the plies by
following the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Plies (p. 56). Use the specifications
shown below.
T-Joint Tutorial
2.3.4. Creating the Right Bonding

The following steps will guide you through defining the Right Bonding:
2.3.4.1. Defining the Third Rosette and the Right Bonding's Oriented Selection Set
2.3.4.2. Defining the Right Bonding's Plies
2.3.4.1. Defining the Third Rosette and the Right Bonding's Oriented Selection
Set
1. Create the third Rosette by following the steps in the earlier section, Defining the Rosette (p. 50).
The Origin of Rosette.3 can be any element on Plate3 of the model. Enter the coordinates or
select the appropriate nodes in the model for 1 Direction and 2 Direction as shown below.
2. Create the Right Bonding's OSS by following the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's
Oriented Selection Set (p. 51). Select any Plate3 element for the Orientation Point. Specify
Modeling
the other properties as shown below. Choose the Maximum Angle and two Rosettes for this
OSS.
Note:
Because of the angles between the elements' orientations and the Rosettes' Z direc-
tions here, if you choose Minimum Angle, ACP (Pre) will be unable to determine an
element's Reference Direction and will use an alternate computational method. You
will receive a warning message when this happens.
For more information about the Selection Method for Reference Direction, see Refer-
ence Direction in the ACP User's Guide.
T-Joint Tutorial
Tip:
In this tutorial, you have used Named Selections as Element Sets to create the Left and
Right Bondings' OSSs. Another option is to use Selection Rules to define the extents of
the bonding areas. This is a key strength of ACP that can help eliminate the tedious work
of defining and maintaining multiple Named Selections when you design complex lam-
inates or scale up the model.
Modeling
To learn more about Selection Rules, see Selection Rules in the ACP User's Guide, or
practice using the feature in the Selection Rules Tutorial (p. 79).
2.3.4.2. Defining the Right Bonding's Plies

The Right Bonding's composite lay-up consists of eight Epoxy Carbon UD plies. Create the plies by
following the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Plies (p. 56). Use the specifications
shown below.
2.3.5. Creating the Cover

You will create the Cover by defining its OSS and plies as described in the following sections:
2.3.5.1. Defining the Cover's Oriented Selection Set
2.3.5.2. Defining the Cover's Plies
2.3.5.1. Defining the Cover's Oriented Selection Set

Create the Cover's OSS by following the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Oriented
Selection Set (p. 51). Select any Plate1 or Plate2 element for the Orientation Point. Specify the
other properties as shown below. You will use two Rosettes for this OSS.
T-Joint Tutorial
Modeling
2.3.5.2. Defining the Cover's Plies

The Cover's composite lay-up consists of four Epoxy Carbon UD plies. Create the plies by following
the earlier instructions in Defining the Base Plate's Plies (p. 56). Use the specifications shown below.
T-Joint Tutorial
2.3.6. Reviewing the Final Model

Review the model's final composite lay-up by looking at the Section Cut, Angle Plot, Thickness Plot,
and Sampling Point.
• To view the Section Cut, expand Section Cuts in the Tree View, right-click SectionCut.1, and click
Update.
• To view the Angle Plot, right-click Angle.1 from the Layup Plots and click Update (A, below). Ac-
tivate the Show Legend icon from the toolbar (B), then click SectionCut.1 (C) to show the plot.
Modeling
• To view the Thickness, right-click Thickness.1 from the Layup Plots and click Update.
• Use the Sampling Point to access the ply-wise results. You may view the through-the-thickness
data of any point in the model by following the instructions in the previous tutorial, Through-the-
Thickness Plot in ACP (p. 39). Specify its properties in the Analysis tab of the Sampling Point
Properties dialog as shown. The plot below displays data of the Sampling Point (490,0,2360)
with the Sampling Direction (0,-1,0).
T-Joint Tutorial
2.4. Summary
In this tutorial, you modeled a T-joint in ACP-Pre. You have learned to:
• Use an OSS in combination with multiple Rosettes to control the composite lay-up orientation and
Reference Direction
• Use an OSS to build the composite lay-ups in different directions from the same surface
• Model the composite plies
You can create multiple T-joint structures based on this model by:
• Using Ctr+C and Ctr+V to copy and paste the original model
• Using the Excel interface
• Using ACP's scripting feature. For more information, see Scripts in the ACP User's Guide
The concepts of T-joint modeling can be applied to the modeling of bulkheads as well.
Summary
Figure 2.3: Ribs and Bulkheads on the GER-72 America's Cup Sailboat
Chapter 3: Selection Rules Tutorial
ACP's Selection Rules enable you to define specific lay-up areas without depending on the mesh and
the geometry of the model. This tutorial illustrates the use of Selection Rules to reinforce the lay-up of
a Class40 sailboat by identifying and eliminating critical failures.
The tutorial covers the following topics:

3.2. Setup
3.3. Reinforcements
3.4. Summary

The sailboat components are shown below: deck (A), keel tower (B), bulkhead (C), and hull (D).
Selection Rules Tutorial
You will go through swift iterations of analyzing the failure area of the deck as shown in the following
image, modifying the lay-up, and defining a patch to reinforce the structure locally.
Note:
Results shown in this tutorial may differ slightly from the results displayed in your model.
Setup
3.2. Setup
Follow these steps to open the project in Ansys Workbench:
1. Download the compressed project file here.
2. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the archive: Class40_FROM_START_<Release>.wbpz.
Note:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Class40_SOLVED_<Re-

lease>.wbpz.
3.3. Reinforcements
In this section, you will first review the failure plot of the sailboat's deck, then go through swift iterations
of modifying the lay-up to reinforce the laminate and eliminate the critical failures.
3.3.1. Checking Initial Failure Results in ACP (Post)
3.3.2. Modifying the Deck in ACP (Pre)
3.3.3. Checking Failure Results of the Modified Deck in ACP (Post)
3.3.4. Adding a Reinforcing Patch for the Deck in ACP (Pre)
3.3.5. Checking Failure Results of the Reinforced Deck in ACP (Post)
3.3.1. Checking Initial Failure Results in ACP (Post)

In this tutorial, the ACP model contains a failure plot that is ready for analysis. To check the failure
plot in ACP (Post), follow these steps:
1. In Workbench, select Update Project.
2. Right-click the Results cell in the ACP (Post) system and select Edit to open ACP (Post).
3. In the ACP's Tree View, expand Solutions. Under Solution 1, right-click Failure.1 and select Update
to activate the failure plot.
Reinforcements
Tip:
Alternatively, you can activate the failure plot by clicking the Update icon on the
toolbar.
The failure plot is now visible in your model. The red elements are critical failures.
Note:
The acronym cf stands for Core Failure. For more information, see Core Failure in the
ACP User's Guide.
4. In the Tree View, expand Sampling Points, right-click SamplingPoint.1, and select Properties.
5. In the General tab of the Sampling Point Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Sampling
Point field (A, below), then select one of the model's critical failure elements (B). Keep the default
settings for the other properties.
6. Switch to the Analysis tab and specify the properties as shown (A, below), then click Failures (B).
In the Edit properties dialog, accept the default failure mode measure and click OK.
Note:
You can change to a different failure mode measure to see the differences in analysis.
For more information about failure mode measures, see Failure Mode Measures in the
ACP User's Guide.
Reinforcements
7. Click Apply (C, above). The failure plot through the element's thickness is shown (D). Examine the
results, then close the Sampling Point Properties dialog and ACP (Post).
Note:
For more information about the failure results, see Failure Analysis and Sampling Points
in the ACP User's Guide.
3.3.2. Modifying the Deck in ACP (Pre)

ACP's Selection Rules enable you to select elements through geometrical operations. This feature can
be used to define local reinforcements (patches) or staggering. In this tutorial, you will learn about
Parallel and Boolean Selection Rules, but ACP also offers six other useful Selection Rules. For more
information, see Selection Rules in the ACP User's Guide.
In the previous section, the plot shows the core failures around the center of the sailboat's deck. Here,
you will create Selection Rules to define that area and remove the core of the deck's lay-up accordingly.
3.3.2.1. Defining Parallel Selection Rules
3.3.2.2. Defining a Boolean Selection Rule
3.3.2.3. Removing the Deck's Core around the Kneel Tower
3.3.2.1. Defining Parallel Selection Rules

The Parallel Selection Rule is defined by two parallel planes. The planes are defined by an origin,
a normal vector, and two distances. The distances are offsets of the planes from the origin along
the normal vector.
Define two Parallel Selection Rules following these steps:
1. In Workbench, select the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system, then select Edit to open ACP (Pre).
2. In the Tree View, right-click Selection Rules, then select Create Parallel Selection Rule.
3. Specify the properties for the rule as shown (A, below), then enable Include Rule Type (B).
Note:
Lower Limit and Upper Limit are the distances from the two parallel planes to the
Origin. To determine the limits, you can enable the Distance Measure icon on
the toolbar to measure the distances between the chosen Origin to two appropriate
points in the model. You can also enable the Show Cube Axes icon to display
the plot box with coordinate system.
Enabling Include Rule Type selects all elements between the two parallel planes.
Otherwise, the elements outside the planes will be selected.
4. Click Apply (C, above). The Parallel Selection Rule is now visible in your model. Close the Parallel
Selection Rule Properties dialog to finish creating the first rule.
Reinforcements
5. To create the second Parallel Selection Rule, follow steps 2 to 4 above and use these specifica-
tions:
3.3.2.2. Defining a Boolean Selection Rule

The Boolean Selection Rule allows you to combine other rules based on Boolean operations. In this
section, you will define a Boolean Selection Rule to select the intersection of the two Parallel Selection
Rules created previously.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Selection Rules, then select Create Boolean Selection Rule. This
opens the Boolean Selection Rule Properties dialog.
2. Under Selection rule, click the table rows and select the two Parallel Selection Rules (p. 85)
you created earlier from the drop-down menu. Click Apply, then click OK. The result of the
Boolean Selection Rule is now visible in your model.
3.3.2.3. Removing the Deck's Core around the Kneel Tower

In this section, you will use the previously created Boolean Selection Rule to remove the core ply
of the deck around the keel tower.
1. In the Tree View, expand Modeling Groups. Under deck, double-click Corecell_A450_20mm.2.
2. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, switch to the Rules tab. Under Selection rule, select
BooleanSelectionRule.1 (A, below). Under Type, select Remove (B), then click Apply (C).
3. The selected area of the ply is removed from your model as shown below. Close the Modeling
Ply Properties dialog and ACP (Pre).
Reinforcements
3.3.3. Checking Failure Results of the Modified Deck in ACP (Post)

In this section, you will check the failure results in ACP (Post) after modifying the deck in the previous
steps.
1. In Workbench, update the project, then open ACP (Post). Activate the failure plot by following
step 2 in the earlier section, Checking Initial Failure Results in ACP (Post) (p. 82).
Note:
The acronym pmA stands for Puck matrix tension failure. For more information, see
Puck Failure Criteria in the ACP User's Guide.
2. In the Sampling Point Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Sampling Point field (A, below),
then select any critically failing red element (see the image above).
3. Switch to the Analysis tab and create a failure plot through the element's thickness by following
step 5 in the earlier section, Checking Initial Failure Results in ACP (Post) (p. 82).
Reinforcements
Note:
The laminate fails on the inside of the deck at the edge of the area where the deck's
core was removed. For more information about the failure results, see Failure Analysis
and Sampling Points in the ACP User's Guide.
4. Close ACP (Post). In Workbench, open ACP (Pre) by right-clicking Setup and selecting Edit as
shown below.
3.3.4. Adding a Reinforcing Patch for the Deck in ACP (Pre)

In this section, you will add another Triax ply after the Triax.4 ply of the deck's lay-up to reinforce
the area analyzed in the previous section.
You can add a ply to an existing Modeling Group using one of the two methods:
3.3.4.1. Creating a Ply in ACP
3.3.4.2. Creating a Ply Using Excel
3.3.4.1. Creating a Ply in ACP

The first method to add a ply to an existing Modeling Group is to create a ply directly in ACP (Pre).
1. In the Tree View, right-click Triax.4 and select Create Ply After.
2. In the General tab of the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Oriented
Selection Sets field (A, below), then select deck from the Oriented Selection Sets in the Tree
View. Specify the other properties as shown (B).
Reinforcements
3. Switch to the Rules tab. Under Selection rule, select ParallelRule.1 and ParallelRule.2 (A,
below). Change the Template of both to True (B).
4. Specify the parameter values as shown (C, above). Click Apply, then click OK. The ply is now
visible in your model.
3.3.4.2. Creating a Ply Using Excel

The second method to add a ply to an existing Modeling Group is to input data from an Excel
spreadsheet.
2. In the Excel Link dialog, specify the Modeling Groups by deselecting All. Place the cursor in
the field (A, below), and select deck from Modeling Groups in the Tree View. Click the Link to
Existing File icon (B), then select the acp-tut-3-deck.xls file.
3. Under Pull Mode, select Update Entities (C, above). Click Open Excel (D).
Reinforcements
4. When the Excel window is launched, check that row 17 contains the data for Triax.5 as shown
below.
6. In the Tree View, check that Triax.5 is added to the deck Modeling Group under Triax.4 (A,
below). Click the Update icon on the toolbar (B) to finish creating the ply.
3.3.5. Checking Failure Results of the Reinforced Deck in ACP (Post)

Check the final failure results of the reinforced deck in ACP (Post) by following steps 1 to 3 in the
earlier section, Checking Initial Failure Results in ACP (Post) (p. 82).
You have eliminated the critical failures on the sailboat's deck near the keel tower:
3.4. Summary
In this tutorial, you reinforced the lay-up of a sailboat's deck to eliminate critical failures. You have
learned how to:
• Analyze failures using Failure Plots and Sampling Points
• Use Selection Rules to define specific lay-up areas
• Reuse Selection Rules as templates for a ply
• Create a ply by adding data using Excel
• Use short iterations of analyzing and modifying the lay-up to eliminate critical failures
Chapter 4: Advanced Sandwich Panel Tutorial
This tutorial is a continuation of the Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial (p. 1) and describes these advanced
modeling features of ACP-Pre on a sandwich panel:
• Edge Sets
• Tube Selection Rule
• Cut-Off Selection Rule

4.2. Setup
4.3. Reinforcement
4.4. Summary

The Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial (p. 1) finished with the localization of the critical failure mode on
one layer of the top face sheet. Here, you will learn to use various advanced ACP features to modify
and reinforce the lay-up. The composite structures strength is increased by implementing:
• Local reinforcements
• Tapered edges
• A core with variable thickness
Advanced Sandwich Panel Tutorial
Note:
4.2. Setup
4.2.2. Modifying the Mesh

Advanced_Sandwich_Panel_FROM_START_<release>.wbpz
Note:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Advanced_Sandwich_Pan-

el_SOLVED_<Release>.wbpz.
Setup
4.2.2. Modifying the Mesh

A refined mesh will show more accurate results in later steps. Modify the mesh in Mechanical by fol-
lowing these steps:
1. In Workbench, right-click the Model cell in the ACP (Pre) system to open Mechanical.
2. In Mechanical, select Units from the Home tab and choose Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA).
3. In the tree Outline, expand Mesh and click Face Sizing.
4. In the Details pane, modify the properties as shown below.
5. In the tree Outline, right-click Mesh and select Update.
4.3. Reinforcement
In this section, you will use Edge Sets, a CAD geometry, and Selection Rules to define local reinforcements
and modify the core.
Reinforcement
4.3.1. Creating Edge Sets

4.3.2. Defining Local Reinforcements using a Tube Selection Rule
4.3.3.Tapering the Core
4.3.4. Applying a Cut-Off Selection Rule on the Core
4.3.1. Creating Edge Sets

You will create two Edge Sets using two different methods - one in Mechanical and the other in ACP.
They accomplish the same objective and are interchangeable. They differ as Edge Sets created in ACP
can also be altered in ACP, whereas the ones from Mechanical will have a padlock on their icon.
4.3.1.1. Creating an Edge Set in Mechanical
4.3.1.2. Creating an Edge Set in ACP
4.3.1.1. Creating an Edge Set in Mechanical

The first method to create an Edge Set is by using Named Selections in Mechanical. In this section,
you will create a two-edge Edge Set.
1. In the Geometry window, select the bottom left corner of the panel (A, below) to ensure its
coordinate is (-150, -150, 0) (B). This is where the two edges start.
Note:
You will find the coordinate of the selected element on the status bar at the bottom
of the Mechanical window.
2. In the tree Outline, right-click Model (A4, C4), select Insert, then choose Named Selection.
3. Select the two edges as shown below.
Tip:
You can select multiple elements by holding the Ctrl key.
4. In the Details pane, click Geometry (A, below), then click Apply (B).
5. In the tree Outline, right-click Selection under Named Selections, click Rename, then enter
taper_2_edges.
The Named Selection's properties are shown below:
Reinforcement
6. Close the Mechanical window. In Workbench, right-click the Model cell in the ACP (Pre) system
and click Update. The Edge Set will be automatically imported into ACP.
4.3.1.2. Creating an Edge Set in ACP

The second method to create an Edge Set is by using Element Sets in ACP. In this section, you will
create an all-edge Edge Set.
1. In Workbench, right-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select Edit.
2. In the Tree View, right-click Edge Sets and select Create Edge Set.
3. In the Edge Set Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Element Set field (A, below), then
select All_Elements from Element Sets in the Tree View. Specify the other properties as shown
(B).
Note:
Use Limit Angle to control how far the Edge Set goes around the Element Set. The
Edge Set is extended from the origin in both directions until the angle between two
elements is bigger than the Limit Angle. When you specify a negative Limit Angle,
the Edge Set is the whole boundary of the selected Element Set.
Origin defines the starting point to find the edge. Here, the Origin is the center of
the panel.
4. Click Apply to update the Edge Set, then click OK to close the dialog. The newly created
all_edges Edge Set will appear under the taper_2_edges Edge Set created in Mechanical.
Note:
The Edge Set created in Mechanical has a padlock on its icon indicating that it cannot
be altered in ACP.
Reinforcement
4.3.2. Defining Local Reinforcements using a Tube Selection Rule

A Tube Selection Rule is a cylinder of variable axial direction with a constant inner and outer radius.
In this section, you will create a Tube Selection Rule and apply it to the Edge Set created in ACP to
define local reinforcements.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Selection Rules and select Create Tube Selection Rule.
2. Specify the Tube Selection Rule's properties as shown below. Click Apply, then click OK. The Tube
Selection Rule is visible in your model.
Note:
Enabling Include Rule Type selects all elements between the tube's inner and outer
radii. Otherwise, the elements outside the tube will be selected.
3. In the Tree View, right-click sandwich_top under Modeling Groups, then select Create Ply. You
will use this ply to reinforce the area of the panel specified by the Tube Selection Rule created
above.
4. In the General tab of the Modeling Ply Properties, place the cursor in the Oriented Selection
Sets field (A, below), then choose OSS_Plate from the Oriented Selection Sets in the Tree View.
Specify the other properties as shown (B).
5. In the Rules tab, choose TubeRule.1 as the Selection rule. Click Apply, then click OK. The local
reinforcement ply is now visible in your model.
Reinforcement
4.3.3. Tapering the Core

In this section, you will use the Edge Set created in Mechanical to create a tapered core with variable
thickness.
1. In the Tree View, expand Modeling_Groups. Right-click the core ply under sandwich_core and
select Properties.
2. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, switch to the Thickness tab. Choose Nominal for Type
(A, below). Under Edge set, select taper_2_edges and set the Angle to 10 (B). Click Apply, then
click OK.
3. In the Tree View, expand Layup Plots, right-click Thickness.1, then click Update to visualize the
thickness plot. Alternatively, click Show to visualize the thickness plot if it does not show up.
4. Close the ACP window.
4.3.4. Applying a Cut-Off Selection Rule on the Core

When you use a Geometry Cut-Off Selection Rule, ACP will cut the ply at the intersection with the
imported CAD geometry. In contrast to other Selection Rules that only affect the in-plane directions
of the ply, a Cut-Off Selection Rule also considers the laminate thickness. In this section, you will import
a CAD geometry to define a Geometry Cut-Off Selection Rule and apply it to the core of the sandwich
panel.
1. In Workbench, under Component Systems in the Toolbox, click Geometry and drop it into the
Project Schematic pane.
Reinforcement
2. Right-click Geometry, select Import Geometry, then select Browse. Choose the Core_limit.stp
file in the project folder.
3. Click the A2 Geometry cell and drop it onto the B5 Setup cell to connect the two cells.
4. Right-click the B5 Setup cell and select Refresh. Double-click the cell to open ACP.
5. In the ACP's Tree View, expand Geometry and CAD Geometries. You can see that Core_limit.stp
is automatically imported into ACP. Right-click Core_limit.stp, then select Update. The CAD
geometry is now visible in your model.
6. Under Geometry, right-click Virtual Geometries and select Create Virtual Geometry.
7. In the Virtual Geometry Properties dialog, change the Name to Core_limit.stp (A, below).
Place the cursor in the Sub Shapes field (B), then select the Core_limit.stp CAD geometry from
the Tree View. Click Apply, then click OK.
Reinforcement
8. In the Tree View, right-click Selection Rules and select Create Cutoff Selection Rule.
9. Specify the properties of the Selection Rule as shown below. Click Apply, then click OK.
Note:
For this tutorial, the imported geometry corresponds to the top ply of the model.
Therefore, its offset value is zero.
10. In the Tree View, expand Modeling_Groups. Right-click the core ply under sandwich_core and
select Properties.
11. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, switch to the Rules tab. Choose CoreLimitRule as the
Selection Rule. Click Apply, then click OK.
12. In the Tree View, expand Layup Plots, right-click Thickness.1, then select Update to see the up-
dated thickness plot in your model.
Summary
Note:
The effects of the Thickness Rule created earlier in Tapering the Core (p. 107) and the
Cut-Off Selection Rule are now combined.
4.4. Summary
In this tutorial, you reinforced the lay-up to increase the strength of the sandwich panel's composite
structure. You have learned how to:
• Modify the Mechanical mesh
• Create Edge Sets in Mechanical and ACP
• Use a Tube Selection Rule to define local reinforcements
• Taper a core
• Use a CAD geometry to define a Cut-Off Selection Rule
Additional Exercises
• Solve the model and observe the different results compared to Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial (p. 1).
Figure 4.1: The Deformation Plot of the Advanced Sandwich Panel
Figure 4.2: The Deformation Plot of the Basic Sandwich Panel
• Modify the Cut-Off Selection Rule and solve again to see the differences. For example, you can disable
Ply Tapering to see the changes in the core's thickness distribution.
Chapter 5: Solid Modeling Tutorial
In the earlier tutorials, you analyzed two-dimensional stress and failure results of simple composite
models. In this tutorial, you will create a thicker composite structure for a doubly curved tensile test
specimen. A thick composite structure is three-dimensional, so the shell elements alone cannot accurately
represent the stress state of the structure. A more accurate method is to generate a solid model from
this composite structure and analyze the stress on the solid elements.
In this tutorial, you will learn to:
• Extrude a solid structure from a composite model
• Assemble the solid composite part and the metal parts
• Analyze the 2D and 3D failure results

5.2. Setup
5.3. Solution
5.5. Summary

The main components of the model are the solid composite part (A, below) and the metal parts (B).
Solid Modeling Tutorial
You will generate a composite model in ACP (Pre). The lay-up consists of 2 x [0, 0, -30, +30, 0, 0°]
0.232 mm symmetric UD. Next, you will use a provided CAD geometry to extrude the model into a solid
structure. Then, you will assemble the solid composite part with the metal parts in Mechanical for further
analysis in ACP (Post).
Note:
5.2. Setup
5.2.2. Checking the Engineering Data

Setup
3. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the archive: Solid_Modeling_FROM_START_<Re-

lease>.wbpz.
Note:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Solid_Modeling_SOLVED_<Re-

lease>.wbpz.
5.2.2. Checking the Engineering Data

The engineering data includes two materials defined for this tutorial. Follow these steps to check the
data in Workbench:
1. Double click the Engineering Data cell in the ACP (Pre) system.
2. You will use Epoxy Carbon UD (395 GPa) Prepreg (A, below) to define the composite model's
fabric in later steps. Structural Steel (B) is the material of the metal parts.
3. When you finish reviewing, close the Engineering Data tab to go back to the Project tab.
5.3. Solution
In this section, you will create a composite model, extrude it into a solid structure, then assemble the
structure with the provided metal parts.
5.3.1. Generating a Composite Model
5.3.2. Extruding a Solid Model
5.3.3. Assembling the Solid Composite Part and the Metal Parts
5.3.1. Generating a Composite Model

The following steps will guide you through creating a composite model in ACP (Pre):
5.3.1.1. Creating a Fabric
5.3.1.2. Defining a Rosette and an Oriented Selection Set
5.3.1.1. Creating a Fabric

1. Right-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select Edit to open ACP.
Solution
2. In ACP, select Units from the menu and select MPA (mm,t,s,N,C).
3. In the Tree View, expand Material Data. Right-click Fabrics and select Create Fabric.
4. Define the fabric using the Material and Thickness as shown in the image below. Click Apply,
then click OK.
5.3.1.2. Defining a Rosette and an Oriented Selection Set

In the earlier tutorials, you learned that Rosettes set the directions for Oriented Selection Sets (OSS)
and OSSs define the basis for a composite model's lay-up. In this section, you will create an Edge
Wise Rosette and an OSS.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Rosettes and select Create Rosette.
2. In the Rosette Properties dialog, select Edge Wise from the Type drop-down menu (A, below).
For the Edge Set, select Edge1 from the drop-down menu (B). Keep the other properties as
default.
3. Click Apply (C, above) then close the dialog. The Rosette is now visible in your model.
Note:
For an Edge Wise Rosette, the X direction (1 Direction) is projected on to the point
on the Edge that is closest to the origin of the Rosette. When you define an OSS using
this Rosette, the OSS' Reference Direction is determined along the Edge Set.
Solution
4. In the Tree View, right-click Oriented Selection Sets and select Create Oriented Selection Set.
5. In the Oriented Selection Set Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Element Sets field (A,
below), then select All_Elements from Element Sets in the Tree View (B).
6. The Orientation Point defines the model's reference surface on which the plies are applied.
Define it by clicking the Orientation Point field and selecting any element on the reference
surface (C, above). The Orientation Direction, a vector defining the normal direction at the
Orientation Point, will be defined automatically.
7. Place the cursor in the Rosette field (D, above) and select Rosette.EdgeWise from Rosettes in
the Tree View (E). Click Apply (F), then close the dialog.
8. Enable the Show Reference Direction icon on the toolbar to view the OSS' Reference Direction.

Follow these steps to create the plies for the composite model:
1. In the Tree View, right-click Modeling Groups and select Create Modeling Group (A, below).
In the Modeling Group Properties dialog, name the Group PlyGroup.1 (B). Click Apply, then
close the dialog.
2. Right-click the newly created PlyGroup.1 in the Tree View, then select Create Ply.
3. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Oriented Selection Sets field
(A, below), then select OrientedSelectionSet.1 under Oriented Selection Sets in the Tree View.
4. Select Epoxy Carbon UD (395 GPa) Prepreg from the Ply Material drop-down menu. Leave
the other properties as default. Click Apply (C), then close the dialog.
5. In the Tree View, right-click ModelingPly.1 and select Copy (or press Ctr+C).
Solution
6. Right-click PlyGroup.1 and select Paste (or press Ctr+V) 11 times to have a total of 12 plies.
8. In the Excel Link dialog, specify Modeling Groups by deselecting All. Place the cursor in the
field (A, below), and select PlyGroup.1 from Modeling Groups in the Tree View.
9. Under Pull Mode, select Update Properties Only (B, above). Click Open Excel (C).
10. When Excel has launched, modify the ply_angle column as shown in the image below.
12. Under Modeling Groups, right-click PlyGroup.1 and click Update to finish creating the plies.
13. Close the ACP window and go back to Workbench.
5.3.2. Extruding a Solid Model

In this section, you will import a CAD geometry into ACP to extrude the composite model into a solid
structure.
1. In Workbench's toolbar, under Component System, click Geometry and drop it into the Project
Schematic pane.
Solution
2. Click the D2 Geometry cell and drop it onto the B5 Setup cell to connect the two cells. This
particular geometry component is used for editing the definition of the Solid Model and is not
the primary geometry of the composite structure.
3. Right-click Geometry, select Import Geometry, then select Browse. Choose the extru-
sion_guide.stp file from the project folder.
4. Click Update Project on the toolbar.
5. Open ACP again. In the Tree View, expand Geometry and CAD Geometries. You can see that
extrusion_guide.stp is automatically imported into ACP.
6. Under Geometry, right-click Virtual Geometries and select Create Virtual Geometry.
7. In the Virtual Geometry Properties dialog, change the Name to CADGeometry.1 (A, below).
Place the cursor in the Sub Shapes field (B), then select the extrusion_guide.stp CAD geometry
from the Tree View.
8. Click Apply (C, above), then close the dialog. The virtual geometry is now visible in your model.
Solution
9. In the Tree View, right-click Solid Models, then select Create Solid Model.
10. In the Solid Model Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Element Sets field, then select
All_Elements from Element Sets in the Tree View. Keep the other properties as default. Click
Apply, then close the dialog.
11. In the Tree View, expand Solid Models and Solid Model.1. Right-click Extrusion Guides, then
select Create Extrusion Guide.
12. In the Extrusion Guide Properties, select Edge1 from the Edge Set drop-down menu (A, below).
Select Geometry from the Type drop-down menu (B).
13. Select CADGeometry.1 from the CAD Geometry drop-down menu (C, above). Click Apply (D),
then close the dialog to finish creating the first Extrusion Guide.
Note:
When you generate a Solid Model from curved geometries and thick lay-ups, the
boundary edges can be extruded in undesirable directions (A, below). An Extrusion
Guide allows you to control the extrusion direction of the edges (B) using an edge set
and a geometry or a direction vector. You can use multiple Extrusion Guides for one
Solid Model. Using two edge sets, such as Edge1 and Edge2 in this tutorial, is the
minimum requirement for properly defined composite solid models.
Solution
14. Create the second Extrusion Guide by following steps 10 to 12 above and using Edge2 as the
Edge Set.
15. Click the Update icon on the toolbar. The composite model has been extruded into a solid
structure.
16. Close the ACP window and go back to Workbench.
5.3.3. Assembling the Solid Composite Part and the Metal Parts
The following steps will guide you through assembling the solid composite part and the metal parts
in Mechanical.
5.3.3.1.Transferring Data to Mechanical
5.3.3.2. Checking Automatically Defined Contacts
5.3.3.4. Solving the Model
5.3.3.1. Transferring Data to Mechanical

In this section, you will transfer the solid composite model data from ACP (Pre) and the provided
metal part data from Metal Parts into Static Structural.
1. In Workbench, right-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select Update.
Solution
2. Under Analysis System in the Toolbox, click Static Structural and drop it into the Project
Schematic pane.
3. Click the B5 Setup cell and drop it onto the C4 Model cell to connect the two cells (A, below).
When prompted, select Transfer Solid Composite Data (B).
4. Click the D4 Model cell and drop it onto the C2 Model cell to connect the two cells.
5. Right-click the Model cell in the Static Structural system and select Properties.
6. In the Properties of Schematic C2 dialog, expand General Model Assembly Properties. Change
Length Unit to mm, then close the dialog.
Solution
7. Right-click Model and select Update to finish the data transfer.
5.3.3.2. Checking Automatically Defined Contacts

The contact regions between the solid composite part and the metal parts are automatically defined
by Mechanical.
Note:
For more information about contact regions, see Contact Region in the Mechanical
Object Reference.
To check the contacts, follow the steps below:
1. In Workbench, double-click the Model cell in the Static Structural system to open Mechanical.
2. The meshes and materials of the solid composite part and the metal parts are imported from
ACP (Pre) and Metal Parts analysis systems. You cannot modify them here.
3. In Mechanical's Home tab, click Units and select Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA).
4. In the tree Outline, expand Connections and Contacts, then double-click Contact Region. The
two contact regions used in this tutorial are Contact Region and Contact Region 2. The in-
formation of the first is shown in the Details pane (A, below). The contact body and the target
body are visible in your model (B).
Note:
Due to the auto-generation of contacts, some additional contact regions are created
and automatically suppressed in this section. You may delete them without affecting
the analysis.
Solution
5. Continue to check Contact Region 2 by following step 4 above.

In this section, you will add a Fixed Support to one end and a Remote Displacement to the other
end of the model.
Note:
For more information about Fixed Support and Remote Displacement, see Fixed Support
in the Mechanical User's Guide and Remote Displacement in the Mechanical User's Guide.
1. In the tree Outline, right-click Static Structural (C3), select Insert, then select Fixed Support.
2. In the Details pane, choose Named Selection from the Scoping Method drop-down menu.
Select ns_fixed_support(Metal Parts) as the Named Selection. Keep the other properties as
default.
3. In the tree Outline, right-click Static Structural (C3), select Insert, then select Remote Displace-
ment.
4. In the Details pane, choose Named Selection from the Scoping Method drop-down menu,
then select ns_remote_displacement(Metal Parts) as the Named Selection (A, below).
5. Define the X, Y, Z Components and the Rotation X, Y, Z values as shown (B, above).
6. Click Static Structural (C3) in the tree Outline to view the Fixed Support and the Remote Dis-
placement in your model.
Solution
5.3.3.4. Solving the Model

1. In the tree Outline, under Static Structural (C3), right-click Solution (C4). Select Deformation,
then select Total.
2. The Total Deformation's information is shown in the Details pane. Keep the properties as default.
3. Switch to the Solution tab of the ribbon and click Solve. The assembly result is now visible in
your model.
4. Close Mechanical and go back to Workbench.
For a thick solid composite model, the 3D failure analysis shows a more accurate stress state of the
structure than a 2D analysis. In this section, you will create and compare the 3D and the 2D Puck failure
results on the model.
5.4.1. Connecting ACP (Pre) and Static Structural to ACP (Post)
5.4.2. Evaluating 3D and 2D Puck Failure Criteria
5.4.1. Connecting ACP (Pre) and Static Structural to ACP (Post)

Follow the steps below to set up ACP (Post):
1. In Workbench, click ACP (Post) from Component Systems in the Toolbox and drop it onto ACP
(Pre).
2. Click the C4 Solution cell and drop it onto the D5 Results cell to connect the two cells.
3. Right-click the Results cell in the ACP (Post) system and select Update to finish transferring data
from ACP (Pre) and Static Structural.
Post-Processing
5.4.2. Evaluating 3D and 2D Puck Failure Criteria

In this section, you will evaluate both 3D and 2D Puck Failure criteria. It is good practice to use multiple
failure criteria for your results since some are only applied to certain materials (see Failure Criteria vs.
Ply Type Table in the ACP User's Guide).
1. Double-click Results to open ACP (Post).
2. In the Tree View, right-click Definitions and select Create Failure Criteria.
3. In the Failure Criteria Definition dialog, change the Name to FailureCriteria_Puck3D (A,
below). Enable Puck, then click Configure (B).
Note:
For more information about Puck failure criteria, see Puck Failure Criteria in the ACP
User's Guide.
4. In the Puck Configuration dialog, select 3D from the Specification drop-down menu (C, above),
then click OK (D) to close the dialog. Click Apply (E) in the Failure Criteria Definition dialog to
finish creating the Puck 3D failure criteria.
5. Define the Puck 2D failure criteria following steps 2 to 4 above and using the specifications shown
below.
Post-Processing
Note:
You can apply any Reinforced Ply Criteria shown above in 3D analysis and evaluate
them at the same time.
6. In the Tree View, expand Solutions, then right-click Solution 1 and select Create Failure Plot.
7. In the Failure dialog, change the Name to Failure_Puck3D (A, below). Deselect Entire Model
(B), then place the cursor in the Data Scope field (C) and select All_Elements from Element Sets
in the Tree View.
8. In the Failure Criteria Definition, select FailureCriteria_Puck3D from the drop-down, then
specify the other properties as shown in the image (D, above). Click Apply (E), then close the
dialog. The 3D failure plot is now visible in your model:
Post-Processing
9. Define the 2D failure plot following steps 6 to 8 above and using the specifications as shown in
the image below.
10. The 2D failure plot is shown in your model. Compare this with the 3D plot above to see the dif-
ferences.
11. In the Tree View, right-click Sampling Points and select Create Sampling Point.
12. In the Sampling Point Properties, define the coordinates of Sampling Point as
(22.4076,3.2309,12.7004) (A, below) and Sampling Direction as (0.5000,-
0.8660,0.0000) (B).
13. Switch to the Analysis tab, then define the properties as shown in the image below.
Post-Processing
14. Click Apply to visualize the stress and failure results. Analyze the stresses and the differences in
the 3D and 2D failure results.
Note:
• Given the doubly curved shape and part thickness, the off-plane stress s3 is significant.
• The 2D failure criterion does not take the off-plane stress s3 into account.
5.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you defined a composite model and extruded it into a solid composite structure for
further analysis. You have learned to:
• Use a CAD geometry to extrude a composite model into a solid structure
• Assemble a solid composite structure with metal parts
• Use a 3D analysis to evaluate the stresses and failures on a solid composite structure
Chapter 6: Solid Modeling with Cut-Off Selection Rule
Tutorial
In composite modeling, a small resin pocket forms when the first ply finishes away from a part's peri-
meter and a second larger ply covers the first. The empty pockets create an area with inferior structural
behavior that contains more stress peaks and higher inverse reserve factors (IRFs). ACP allows you to
define degenerate elements to fill these pockets. These wedge shape elements are called ply Drop-Offs.
They cannot hold layered information and must be created with a homogenous material (uniform at
all points) during an extrusion process.
In this tutorial, you will learn to:
• Define a solid composite model with ply Drop-Offs
• Smooth the model's surface using ACP's Snap-To Geometry feature

6.2. Setup
6.3. Modeling
6.4. Summary

The model consists of a predefined fabric, a Rosette, and an Oriented Selection Set (OSS). You will define
two Modeling Plies with Epoxy_Carbon_UD_230GPa_Prepreg using the following lay-ups:
1. 20 x (0° 0.5 mm UD)
2. 2 x (0° 0.5 mm UD)
You will define the first ply and use a Cut-Off Selection Rule to taper the layers. After adding the second
ply, you extrude the composite model into a solid structure and use Resin_Polylite_413 as the global
Solid Modeling with Cut-Off Selection Rule Tutorial
homogeneous material for the Drop-Off elements. Finally, you will smooth the model's surface using
an imported Snap-To geometry.
Note:
6.2. Setup
6.2.2. Checking the Model's Properties

3. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the archive: Solid_Mod-

el_with_Cutoff_Rule_FROM_START_<Release>.wbpz.
Note:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Solid_Mod-

el_with_Cutoff_Rule_SOLVED_<Release>.wbpz.
Setup
6.2.2. Checking the Model's Properties

Follow these steps to check the predefined properties:
1. In Workbench, double-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system to open ACP.
2. In the ACP's Tree View, expand Material Data to see the predefined materials and fabric. Expand
Rosettes and Oriented Selection Sets to check those properties. Double-click each property to
see its specifications.
3. Click the Update icon on the toolbar.
4. Click Rosette.1 in the Tree View to see its position and direction in the model.
5. Similarly, click OrientedSelectionSet.1 in the Tree View to see its Orientation and Reference Dir-
ection in the model.
Modeling
6.3. Modeling
In this section, you will create a composite model with two Modeling Plies, import the geometries to
define the Cut-Off Selection Rule and the Snap-To geometry, then extrude the composite model into
a solid structure and smooth its surface.
6.3.1. Creating the First Modeling Ply
6.3.2. Importing the Geometries
6.3.3. Applying the Cut-Off Selection Rule
6.3.4. Creating the Second Modeling Ply and Extruding the Model
6.3.5. Smoothing the Model's Surface
6.3.1. Creating the First Modeling Ply

Follow these steps to create the first ply:
1. In the Tree View, right-click Modeling Groups and select Create Modeling Group (A, below).
Change the Group's Name to PlyGroup.1 (B), click Apply (C), then close the dialog.
2. Under Modeling Groups, right-click PlyGroup.1 and select Create Ply.
3. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Oriented Selection Sets field (A,
below), then select OrientedSelectionSet.1 under Oriented Selection Sets in the Tree View.
Choose Epoxy_Carbon_UD_230GPa_Prepreg_0.5mm from the Ply Material drop-down menu
(B).
4. Enter 20 in the Number of Layers field (C, above). Click Apply (D), then close the dialog.
5. In the Tree View, expand Section Cuts. Right-click the predefined SectionCut.1 and select Update
to view the layers of PlyGroup.1.
6. Close ACP and go back to Workbench.
6.3.2. Importing the Geometries

In this section, you will import two CAD geometries into ACP.
1. In Workbench, click Geometry from Component Systems in the Toolbox, then drop it into the
Modeling
2. Right-click Geometry, select Import Geometry, then select Browse. Choose the
CUT_OFF_GEOMETRY.stp in the project folder.
3. Click the A2 Geometry cell then drop it onto the B5 Setup cell to connect the two cells.
4. Follow steps 1 to 3 above to import the geometry from SNAP_TO_GEOMETRY.stp.
5. Right-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select Update, then double-click that cell
to open ACP.
6.3.3. Applying the Cut-Off Selection Rule

In this section, you will create a Cut-Off Selection Rule based on the imported geometry to taper the
first modeling ply.
1. In ACP's Tree View, expand Geometry. Right-click Virtual Geometries and select Create Virtual
Geometry.
Modeling
Note:
The two CAD geometries are imported into ACP and shown above.
2. In the Virtual Geometry Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Sub Shapes field (A, below),
then select CUT_OFF_GEOMETRY.stp from CAD Geometries in the Tree View.
3. Click Apply (B, above), then close the dialog. The virtual geometry is now visible in your model.
4. In the Tree View, right-click Selection Rule and select Create Cutoff Selection Rule.
5. In the Cutoff Selection Rule Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Cutoff Geometry field (A,
below), then select CADGeometry.1 under Virtual Geometries from the Tree View.
6. Define other properties as shown (B, above). Click Apply (C), then close the dialog.
7. Expand PlyGroup.1 under Modeling Groups. Right-click ModelingPly.1 and select Properties.
8. In the Modeling Ply Properties dialog, switch to the Rules tab. Under Selection rule, select
CutoffSelectionRule.1 from the drop-down menu. Click Apply, then close the dialog.
Modeling
9. Update the Section Cut by following step 5 in the earlier section, Creating the First Modeling
Ply (p. 151). The result of the Cut-Off Selection Rule will be visible in your model.
Note:
You can verify the final configuration of the model in ACP by counting the total sum
of layers after creating the second Modeling Ply and extruding the model, wherein the
sum is 18 layers. The first Cutoff Geometry removes four layers from the first Modeling
Ply. Then the second Modeling Ply creates two more layers, accounting for the sum.
6.3.4. Creating the Second Modeling Ply and Extruding the Model
In this section, you will create a second Modeling Ply on top of the first one, extrude the composite
model into a solid structure, and use a global Drop-Off material to fill the gaps between the two plies.
1. Define a two-layer Modeling Ply following steps 2 to 4 in the earlier section, Creating the
First Modeling Ply (p. 151), and using the specifications shown in the image below.
2. Update the Section Cut. As shown below, the second ply covers the first ply, but there are
small empty pockets between the two plies.
3. In the Tree View, right-click Solid Models and select Create Solid Model.
4. In the Solid Model Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Element Sets field (A, below),
then select All_Elements from Element Sets in the Tree View. Select Surface Normal from
the Offset Direction drop-down menu (B).
Modeling
5. For Global Drop-Off Material, select Resin_Polylite_413 from the drop-down menu (C,
above). Click Apply (D) and close the dialog. The solid structure is visible in your model.
6. Zoom in to the edge of the model. The empty pockets (shown below) were filled with Res-
in_Polylite_413 during the extrusion process. These elements are called Drop-Off elements.
6.3.5. Smoothing the Model's Surface

In this section, you will smooth the solid model's surface using ACP's Snap-To Geometry feature.
1. Create a virtual geometry, CADGeometry.2, based on SNAP_TO_GEOMETRY.stp by following

steps 1 to 3 in the earlier section, Applying the Cut-Off Selection Rule (p. 154).
2. In the Tree View, expand Solid Models and SolidModel.1. Right-click Snap To Geometry and
select Create Snap-To Geometry.
3. In the Snap-To Geometry Properties dialog, select CADGeometry.2 from the CAD Geometry
drop-down menu (A, below). Choose OrientedSelectionSet.1 as the Oriented Selection Set (B).
Click Apply (C), then close the dialog.
Summary
4. Click the Update icon on the toolbar to solve the model. The waviness in the original structure
is improved:
6.4. Summary
In this tutorial, you defined a composite model, extruded it into a solid composite structure with Drop-
Off elements, and smoothed its surface. You have learned to:
• Use a Cut-Off Selection rule to taper a ply
• Create Drop-Off elements during extrusion to fill the gaps between two plies
• Smooth the surface of a solid model using the Snap-To Geometry feature
Chapter 7: Kiteboard Tutorial
This tutorial guides you through the complete process of modeling, solving, and post-processing a
kiteboard in ACP and Mechanical. You will reinforce your knowledge of defining a basic laminate and
using a CAD geometry to define a core with variable thickness. You also learn post-processing in both
Mechanical and ACP (Post).

7.2. Setup
7.3. Modeling
7.4. Solution
7.6. Summary

In this tutorial, you will build a kiteboard as instructed from defining the engineering and material data
to modeling the lay-up and post-processing for analyzing potential weaknesses. The kiteboard is approx-
imately 1.4 m x 0.4 m. The impact resistant edge, inserts, and curvature are ignored in this model, although
the board has a small curvature. The lay-up consists of:
• [-45, 0, 45°] carbon plain woven fabric
• Foam core of variable thickness, max. 17.5 mm
• [-45, 0, 45°] carbon plain woven fabric
Note:
Kiteboard Tutorial
7.2. Setup
7.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data
7.2.3. Modifying the Model and Mesh
7.2.4. Configuring the Material Data

Kiteboard_FROM_START_<release>.wbpz
Note:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Kiteboard_SOLVED_<Re-

lease>.wbpz.
Setup
7.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data

In this section, you will create a new material for the core of the kiteboard and add a predefined
material from the Engineering Data Sources for the other layers.
1. In Workbench, right-click the Engineering Data cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select Edit.
2. In the Engineering Data pane, click the cell below Structural Steel and enter Core to create a
new material.
3. Drag Orthotropic Elasticity under Linear Elastic from the Toolbox and drop it onto the A1
Property cell.
Kiteboard Tutorial
4. Define the Orthotropic Elasticity property values as shown in the image below. Change the Unit
to MPa.
5. Follow steps 3 and 4 above to add Ply Type from Composite and define the Type as Orthotropic
Homogeneous Core.
6. Follow steps 3 and 4 above to add Orthotropic Stress Limits from Strength and define the
property values as shown in the image below.
Setup
7. Click the Engineering Data Sources tab (A, below), select Composite Materials under Data
Source (B). Select Epoxy Carbon Woven (230 GPa) Prepreg under Contents of Composite
Materials, then click the icon (C) to add the material to the Engineering Data.
Note:
Composite Materials is a repository with many typical materials (UD, woven, core,
resin, and fiber) already defined to be used in ACP workflows. These materials should
be considered only for educational purposes.
8. Click the Engineering Data Sources tab again (A, below) to go back to Engineering Data. Select
the added material, Epoxy Carbon Woven (230 GPa) Prepreg (B), then change the Shear Mod-
ulus XY property value to 19500 MPa (C).
Kiteboard Tutorial
9. Close the Engineering Data tab.
7.2.3. Modifying the Model and Mesh

Follow these steps to modify the model and mesh in Mechanical:
1. In Workbench, right-click the Model cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select Refresh. Double-click
the cell to open Mechanical.
2. In Mechanical, switch to the Home tab. In the Tools group, select Units, then choose Metric (mm,
kg, N, s, mV, mA).
Setup
3. In the tree Outline, expand Geometry, then click Geom\Kiteboard (A, below). In the Details
pane, specify a Thickness of 1 mm and choose any material for the Assignment (B).
Note:
The thickness definition and material assignment in this step are only placeholders.
Parts defined as a composite lay-up later in ACP will replace these values, while correct
material data for eventual non-composite parts, not defined in ACP (Pre), must be
defined here.
4. Click any element in the model, then select the entire model by clicking the Select Parent
Body icon.
Kiteboard Tutorial
5. In the tree Outline, right-click Mesh, select Insert, then select Sizing (A, below). In the Details
pane, define the Element Size as 10 mm.
6. Close Mechanical. In Workbench, right-click the Model cell in the ACP (Pre) system and select
Update.
7.2.4. Configuring the Material Data

This section guides you through defining two fabrics and a stackup that are used to model the kite-
board in later steps.
1. Double-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system to open ACP.
2. Select Units from the menu, select MPA (mm,t,s,N,C).
Setup
3. Create two fabrics by following steps 3 and 4 in Defining Fabrics (p. 48) and using the specifications
shown in the image below.
4. You will use a (-45°, 0°, 45°) stackup for the bottom and top plies. Follow the instructions in Defining
Stackup Properties (p. 11) to define a stackup with the properties below.
Kiteboard Tutorial
5. Switch to the Analysis tab of the Stackup Properties dialog. Specify the properties as shown in
the image, then click Apply. Examine the stackup, then click OK to close the dialog.
Modeling
7.3. Modeling
This section guides you through modeling the kiteboard with three Modeling Plies in ACP (Pre):
7.3.1. Defining the Rosette and Oriented Selection Set
7.3.2. Creating the Bottom Modeling Ply and Defining a Section Cut
7.3.3. Creating the Core and Top Modeling Plies
7.3.1. Defining the Rosette and Oriented Selection Set

In earlier tutorials, you learned the importance of Rosettes and Oriented Selection Sets (OSS) in
composite modeling. In this section, you will create a Rosette and an OSS.
1. In the Tree View, expand Element Sets. Right-click All_Elements and select Update. The Element
Set is visible in your model.
Kiteboard Tutorial
2. Create a Rosette by following the instructions in Defining the Rosette (p. 50) and using the spe-
cifications as shown in the image below.
3. Create an OSS by following the steps in Defining the Base Plate's Oriented Selection Set (p. 51)
and using the property values as shown in the image below.
Modeling
7.3.2. Creating the Bottom Modeling Ply and Defining a Section Cut
In this section, you will create the kiteboard's bottom Modeling Ply using the stackup and configure
a section cut to verify the correct layering of the ply.
1. Create the bottom Modeling Ply by following steps 1 to 4 in Defining the Base Plate's Plies (p. 56)
and using the specifications as shown in the image below.
2. Click ModelingPly.1 in the Tree View (A), then select the Show Orientation icon from the toolbar
(B) to view the Orientation of the ply.
Kiteboard Tutorial
3. You can also view the Reference and Fiber Direction of the ply by choosing the appropriate icons
from the toolbar.
4. To create a section cut, follow the instructions in Defining a Section Cut (p. 54) and use the
specifications as shown in the image below.
Modeling
Note:
You can show or hide the section cut in the model by right-clicking SectionCut.1 in
the Tree View, then selecting Show or Hide.
5. Examine and verify the layering of the Modeling Ply, then close ACP (Pre).
Kiteboard Tutorial
7.3.3. Creating the Core and Top Modeling Plies

This section guides you through creating the core with variable thickness using Virtual Geometry.
This thickness will replace the placeholder thickness defined in step 3 of the earlier section, Modifying
the Model and Mesh (p. 168). Then, you will create another Modeling Ply on top of the core ply.
Figure 7.1: The CAD Geometry for the Core with Variable Thickness
1. In Workbench, drag Geometry from Component Systems in the Toolbox and drop it onto the
2. Double-click the title and rename Geometry to kiteboard_core.
Modeling
3. Right-click Geometry, select Import Geometry, then select Browse. Choose the kite-
board_core.stp file from the project folder.
4. Click the C2 Geometry cell and drop it onto the B5 Setup cell to connect the two cells.
5. Right-click the B5 Setup cell and select Update. Double-click the cell to open ACP.
6. In the ACP's Tree View, expand Geometry and CAD Geometries. The kiteboard_core.stp geometry
is automatically imported into ACP.
Kiteboard Tutorial
7. Right-click Virtual Geometries and select Create Virtual Geometry (A, below). In the Virtual
Geometry Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Sub Shapes field (B), then select the kite-
board_core.stp CAD geometry from the Tree View. Click Apply, then click OK.
8. Create the core Modeling Ply by using the specifications as shown in the image (A, below). Switch
to the Thickness tab, then define the Type and Core Geometry properties as shown (B). Click
Apply, then click OK.
9. Create the top Modeling Ply by using the values as shown in the image below.
Modeling
10. Right-click SectionCut.1 in the Tree View and click Update to visualize the three Modeling Plies.
Kiteboard Tutorial
11. Close ACP and go back to Workbench.
7.4. Solution
In this section, you will create a rear binder, add boundary conditions, and simulate a force of 1029 N
on the kiteboard in Mechanical.
1. In Workbench, under Analysis System in the Toolbox, add a Static Structural system to the Project
Schematic pane.
Solution
2. Click the B5 Setup cell and drop it onto the C4 Model cell to connect the two cells (A, below). When
prompted, select Transfer Shell Composite Data (B).
3. Right-click the Model cell in the Static Structural system and select Refresh, then double-click the
cell to open Mechanical.
Kiteboard Tutorial
4. In Mechanical's Geometry window, select the model's face as shown in the image below.
5. In the tree Outline, right-click Model, then select Insert and Named Selection.
6. Right-click the Named Selection, select Rename, then change the name to rear_binder.
Solution
7. Create a Remote Point by right-clicking Model, then selecting Insert and Remote Point. Rename
it to support.
8. In the Details pane, select Named Selection from the Scoping Method drop-down menu, then
select rear_binder for the Named Selection (A, below). Choose Deformable as its Behavior (B).
Kiteboard Tutorial
9. Create a Remote Displacement by right-clicking Static Structural, then selecting Insert and Remote
Displacement. Rename it to rear_binding_support.
10. In the Details pane, define the Scoping Method and the Remote Points as shown in the image
(A, below), then specify the other values like below (B).
11. Hold Ctrl and select all nine faces of the model.
12. Create a force by right-clicking Static Structural, then selecting Insert and Force. Rename it to
force_105Kg_1g.
13. In the Details pane, select Components from the Define by drop-down menu (A). Specify the Z
Component to 1029 N (B).
Post-Processing
Note:
The force of 1029 N corresponds to a 104.9 kg person landing on the kiteboard's rear end
after a jump.
14. Click Solve in the Home tab or the Model tab.
In earlier tutorials, you only used ACP (Post) for post-processing. Here, you will explore more options
with Mechanical and other post-processing features in ACP (Post).
7.5.1. Post-Processing in Mechanical
7.5.2. Post-Processing in ACP (Post)
7.5.1. Post-Processing in Mechanical

This section guides you through the following in Mechanical:
7.5.1.1.Total Deformation in Mechanical
7.5.1.2. Composite Failure Tool in Mechanical
7.5.1.1. Total Deformation in Mechanical

Adding a Total Deformation object in Mechanical provides a plot that corresponds to ACP (Post)'s
deformation plot. Follow these steps to create a deformation plot using this object:
1. In the tree Outline, right-click Solution and select Insert. Select Deformation, then click Total.
2. Switch to the Display tab, then select Thick Shells and Beams in the Style group.
Kiteboard Tutorial
3. Right-click Total Deformation object and select Retrieve This Result to visualize the plot.
Note:
The default deformation scale is 1.2 (Auto Scale). You can view and change this by
navigating to the Display group of the Result tab.
7.5.1.2. Composite Failure Tool in Mechanical

The Composite Failure Tool provides result data that corresponds to the failure definition in ACP
(Post). Follow these steps to create a failure plot using this tool:
1. In the tree Outline, right-click Solution and insert a Composite Failure Tool under Composites.
Post-Processing
2. In the Details pane, switch Maximum Stress and Core Failure to On (A). In the Worksheet
pane, configure the Maximum Stress and Core Failure properties as shown in the image below
(B).
3. Expand Composite Failure Tool under Solution to check the Inverse Reserve Factor.
Kiteboard Tutorial
4. Right-click Inverse Reserve Factor and select Retrieve This Result to view the Composite
Failure plot.
Note:
You can use probes to identify result quantities at any point or locate the minim-
um/maximum value on an object. To do the former, select the result plot of interest,
then go to the Result tab, click the Probe icon, and hover over the plot to obtain the
result values. You can also click the object to create a probe annotation for the loca-
tion of interest. To do the latter, go to the Result tab, click the Maximum and/or
Minimum icon in the toolbar, and then select the result plot of interest.
5. Close Mechanical and go back to Workbench.
7.5.2. Post-Processing in ACP (Post)

In the Basic Sandwich Panel Tutorial (p. 1), you learned the basics of the deformation, stress, failure,
and through-the-thickness plots. Here, you will review the concepts and use other features to analyze
the results from those plots.
7.5.2.1. Deformation Plot in ACP (Post)
7.5.2.2. Stress Plot in ACP (Post)
7.5.2.3. Failure Plot in ACP (Post)
7.5.2.4.Through-the-Thickness Plot in ACP (Post)
7.5.2.1. Deformation Plot in ACP (Post)

In this section, you will setup up ACP (Post), check the imported result file, then create a deformation
plot.
1. Under Component Systems in the Toolbox, click ACP (Post) and drop it onto the ACP (Pre)
system.
Post-Processing
2. Click the C4 Solution cell and drop it onto the D5 Result cell to connect the two cells (A, below).
Right-click the D5 Result cell and select Update (B), then double-click the cell to open ACP
(Post).
3. In the Tree View, expand Solutions, then right-click Solution 1 and select Properties.
4. In the Solution Properties dialog, place the cursor in the File Path field to check that the result
file was automatically inserted for post-processing. Close the dialog.
Kiteboard Tutorial
5. Right-click Solution 1 and select Create Deformation Plot (A, below). In the Deformation
dialog, specify the properties as shown (B), then click Apply and close the dialog.
Post-Processing
6. Under Solution 1, right-click Deformation.1 and select Show to visualize the plot on the
model. Compare the result with that of the earlier section, Total Deformation in Mechanic-
al (p. 187).
7.5.2.2. Stress Plot in ACP (Post)

ACP enables you to create stress plots for the composite model and individual Analysis Plies. You
can also view the stress value of each element in the model and view different plot results when
you change the stress type and component.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Solution 1 and select Create Stress Plot (A, below). In the Stress
dialog, disable Ply-Wise then specify the properties as shown in the image (B). Click Apply and
close the dialog.
Kiteboard Tutorial
2. Under Solution 1, right-click Stress.1 and select Show to visualize the plot on the model. The
plot shows the stress across all plies of the kiteboard.
Post-Processing
3. Select any element on the model to view the exact stress value of that element.
4. Double-click Stress.1 in the Tree View to open the Stress dialog. Enable Ply-Wise to view the
stress result for each Analysis Ply.
Note:
For more information about Analysis Ply, see Figure 1.1: From Materials to Plies in
ACP (p. 19).
Kiteboard Tutorial
5. Right-click Stress.1 and select Show (A, below). Expand Modeling Groups and click any Ana-
lysis Ply (B) to view the stress on that ply.
Post-Processing
Tip:
You can change the stress type and component by modifying Spot and Component in
step 1 or 4 to see different stress results.
7.5.2.3. Failure Plot in ACP (Post)

In this section, you will create a failure plot with the same failure criteria as the ones used in the
earlier section, Composite Failure Tool in Mechanical (p. 188). Similar to stress plots, failure plots
enable you to examine the failure result of the whole structure, separate layers, or individual ele-
ments. You can also examine the failure modes, check on which plies the critical failures occur, and
modify the plot legend.
1. In the Tree View, right-click Definition and select Create Failure Criteria.
2. In the Failure Criteria Definition dialog, enable Max Stress, then click Configure (A). Specify
the Max Stress properties as shown (B), then close the Max Stress Configuration dialog.
Kiteboard Tutorial
3. Switch to the Sandwich Criteria tab and enable Core Failure. Click Apply, then close the dialog.
Post-Processing
4. In the Tree View, right-click Solution 1 and select Create Failure Plot (A, below). In the Failure
dialog, disable Ply-Wise then specify the properties as shown (B). Click Apply and close the
dialog.
Kiteboard Tutorial
Tip:
You can enable Ply-Wise to view the failure results layer by layer.
5. Right-click Failure.1 in the Tree View and select Show to visualize the failure result. The plot
shows the failure across all plies of the kiteboard. The failure area corresponds with the failure
in a real-life jump load testing scenario.
Post-Processing
6. Activate the Toggle Text Plot icon on the toolbar to show the failure modes in the model.
Kiteboard Tutorial
Note:
Failure Mode Notations
Maximum Strain e1t, e1c, e2t, e2c, e12

Maximum Stress s1t, s1c, s2t, s2c, s3t, s3c, s12, s23,
s13
Tsai-Wu 2D and 3D tw
Tsai-Hill 2D and 3D th
Hashin hf (fiber failure)
hm (matrix failure)
hd (delamination failure)
Puck (simplified, 2D and pf (fiber failure)
3D)
pmA (matrix tension failure)
pmB (matrix compression

failure)
Post-Processing
pmC (matrix shear failure)
pd (delamination)
LaRC (2D) lf (fiber failure)
lmt (matrix failure tension)
lmc (matrix failure

compression)
Cuntze 2D and 3D cft (fiber tension failure)
cfc (fiber compression failure)
cmA (matrix tension failure)
cmB (matrix compression

failure)
cmC (matrix wedge shape

failure)
Sandwich Failure wb (wrinkling bottom face)
Wrinkling
wt (wrinkling top face)
Sandwich Failure Core cf (core failure)
Hoffman ho
• e = strain
• s = stress
• 1 = material 1 direction
• 2 = material 2 direction
• 3 = out-of-plane normal direction
• 12 = in-plane shear
• 13 and 23 = out-of-plane shear terms
7. Double-click Failure.1 in the Tree View to open the Failure dialog. Ensure than Ply-Wise is
unchecked (A, below). Enable Show Critical Failure Mode and Show Critical Layer (B). Click
Apply, then close the dialog.
Kiteboard Tutorial
8. Zoom into the failure area of the model. The plot still shows the failure across all plies, but the
annotation indicates that the core failures occur on ply 4.
Post-Processing
9. Select any element to view the exact failure value of that element. The maximum inverse reserve
factor (Irf) value of this model is 1.00979 (A, below). However, the legend shows a maximum
of 1.125 (B).
10. Open the Failure dialog and switch to the Legend tab. Uncheck Use Defaults (A, below) and
try modifying the other properties to get different contour settings shown on the legend.
Kiteboard Tutorial
11. The setting shown in the image (B, above) results in more accurate maximum and minimum
values on the legend. Compare the result with that of the earlier section, Composite Failure
Tool in Mechanical (p. 188).
7.5.2.4. Through-the-Thickness Plot in ACP (Post)

To create a through-the-thickness plot to analyze a particular sampling point, follow these steps:
1. In the Tree View, right-click Sampling Points and select Create Sampling Point.
Post-Processing
2. In the Sampling Point Properties dialog, place the cursor in the Sampling Point field, then
select any element you want to analyze in the model (A). Specify the Sampling Direction as
shown (B).
3. Switch to the Analysis tab. Specify the properties as shown in the image below. Click Stresses,
then choose the stress type when the Edit properties dialog opens, and close the dialog. Click
Apply to generate the plot.
Kiteboard Tutorial
4. Change the stress type in step 3 to view a different stress plot or change the Sampling Point
in step 2 to analyze a different element.
7.6. Summary
In this tutorial, you built a complete kiteboard from configuring the data and modeling to solving and
post-processing. You have applied the basic knowledge of the process from earlier tutorials and learned
how to:
• Simulate a force on the model in Mechanical
Summary
• Post-process in Mechanical using Total Deformation and Composite Failure Tool
• Generate stress plots and failure plots for individual Analysis Plies in ACP (Post)
• Examine stress and failure results of individual model elements in ACP (Post)
• Modify legend settings to get a more accurate plot visualization in ACP (Post)
Additional Exercise: Reinforce the kiteboard to eliminate the critical failures by following the instructions
in the Selection Rules Tutorial (p. 79).
Chapter 8: Parameters in ACP Tutorial
A parameter is a numerical or another measurable factor that helps define a particular system, enabling
definition manipulation of key simulation properties. You can then manipulate the parameters at the
project level in ACP to investigate design alternatives. The ACP's Parameter feature connects inputs and
outputs to the Parameter interface in the Workbench project schematic. You can use this to create
parametric studies and optimize a model. In this tutorial, you will learn to:
• Define input parameters from the modeling ply angles
• Define output parameters for bending and torsion stiffness of the model
• Define expression output parameters to evaluate specific failures
• Specify design variations in Ansys Workbench and evaluate design points to optimize the model
• Define an unbound input parameter to control the width of a reinforcing strip

8.2. Setup
8.3. Parametrization 1
8.5. Summary

This tutorial is divided into two main parts. The first part walks you through defining input parameters
based on the modeling plies in ACP (Pre) and output parameters based on the loads and failures in
Mechanical and ACP (Post) to evaluate different design points of the model. The second part guides
you to define a custom input parameter using Selection Rules to reinforce the model.
Parameters in ACP Tutorial
The predefined lay-up consists of 6 x 0° 0.254 mm woven fabric. The boundary conditions and loads
have already been defined. There are two load steps: a bending load and a torsional load.
Note:
8.2. Setup
Follow these steps to open the project in Ansys Workbench:
1. Download the compressed project file here.
2. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the archive: Parameters_in_ACP_FROM_START_<Re-

lease>.wbpz.
Note:
To check the result in the solved archive files:
1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Paramet-

ers_in_ACP_SOLVED_PART_<Number>_<Release>.wbpz.
Parametrization 1
In this section, you will first define the input parameters in ACP (Pre) and output parameters in Mech-
anical and ACP (Post). Then, you will create multiple design points to evaluate the results of different
lay-up scenarios.
8.3.1. Defining Input Parameters in ACP (Pre)
8.3.2. Defining Output Parameters in Mechanical
8.3.3. Defining Output Parameters in ACP (Post)
8.3.4. Solving Additional Design Points
8.3.1. Defining Input Parameters in ACP (Pre)

Follow these steps to create input parameters based on the modeling plies' angles:
1. In Workbench, double-click the Setup cell in the ACP (Pre) system to open ACP.
2. In the ACP's toolbar, click Units and select MPA (mm,t,s,N,C).
3. Six 0° modeling plies were defined for the project. Double-click each ply in the ACP's Tree View
to examine its properties.
4. Update the model to view the thickness of the lay-up.
Parametrization 1
5. In the Tree View, right-click Parameters and select Create Parameter.
6. In the Parameter Properties dialog, change the parameter's name to Modeling-

Ply.1.ply_angle (A, below). Place the cursor in the Object field (B) and select ModelingPly.1
from the Tree View. Specify the other properties as shown (C), then click Apply and close the
dialog.
7. Follow steps 5 and 6 above to create five more parameters for the other modeling plies, then
close ACP.
8. In Workbench, the Parameter Set system has been created and connected to the ACP (Pre) system.
Double-click either cell to open the Parameters tab.
9. Examine the Input Parameters' properties, then close the tab.
8.3.2. Defining Output Parameters in Mechanical

Follow these steps below to examine the bending and torsional loads in Mechanical, then define the
output parameters from these loads.
Parametrization 1
1. In Workbench, double-click the Model cell in the Model, Static Structural system to open
Mechanical.
2. Click Remote Displacement Support in the tree Outline to view it in the model.
3. There are two load steps for this model. Select Remote Displacement Load (A), then click step
1 in the Graph pane (B) to view the bending load.
4. Switch to step 2 to view the torsional load on the model.
Parametrization 1
5. In the Home tab, Solve the model.
6. In the tree Outline, select Total Deformation under Solution to view the deformation plot.
7. In the Graph panel, click the icon to view the deformation changes through time.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 above to view the Moment Reaction Torsion and the Moment Reaction
Bending.
Parametrization 1
9. In the tree Outline, click Moment Reaction Torsion (A, below). In the Details pane, check Z Axis
under Minimum Value Over Time (B) to make it a parameter.
10. Follow the previous step to create another parameter from Moment Reaction Bending using the
properties shown below.
11. Close Mechanical. The Parameter Set cell connects the input and output parameters from the
two systems. In Workbench, update the project (A), then double-click Parameter Set (B) to view
the results.
12. In the Parameter Set tab, examine the Output Parameters values, then close the tab.
Parametrization 1
8.3.3. Defining Output Parameters in ACP (Post)

In this section, you will define two expression output parameters in ACP (Post) based on the failure
results. An expression output parameter is created using a Python script.
1. In Workbench, click ACP (Post) under Component System in the Toolbox, then drop it onto the
ACP (Pre) system (A, below).
2. Click the B4 Solution cell in the Model, Static Structural system and drop it onto the C5 Results
cell of the ACP (Post) system (B, above) to connect the two cells.
3. Right-click the Results cell of the ACP (Post) system and select Update, then double-click the
cell to open ACP.
4. In the Tree View, right-click Definitions and select Create Failure Criteria.
5. In the Failure Criteria Definition dialog, activate Max Stress and click Configure (A). In the Max
Stress Configuration dialog, specify the properties as shown (B), then close the dialog. Click
Apply, then click OK (C).
6. In the Tree View, expand Solutions, then right-click Solution.1 and select Create Failure Plot.
Parametrization 1
7. In the Failure dialog, define the properties as shown, then click Apply and close the dialog.
Note:
The Solution Set option specifics the load or time step for which the results display in
Mechanical.
8. Follow steps 6 and 7 above to create Failure.2 using the specifications shown below.
9. In the Tree View, right-click Parameters and select Create Parameter.
10. In the Parameter Properties dialog, change the Category to Expression Output (A). Clear the
Source field, then add the script below into the field to create a parameter based on Failure.1
(B):
return_value = db.active_model.solutions["Solution 1"].plots["Fail-

ure.1"].minmax[1]
Click Apply and close the dialog.
Parametrization 1
11. Follow steps 9 and 10 above to create the second parameter based on Failure.2 using the script
below:
return_value = db.active_model.solutions["Solution 1"].plots["Fail-

ure.2"].minmax[1]
12. Close ACP. In Workbench, update the project again, then double-click Parameter Set.
13. In the Parameter Set tab, examine the ACP (Post)'s Output Parameters values.
8.3.4. Solving Additional Design Points

A design point is a single set of parameter values representing one design alternative. Each design
point is a snapshot of your design given a set of input parameter values, where output parameter
values are calculated by updating the project. Design points enable you to perform what-if studies.
Follow these steps to create additional design points to get the results from various lay-up settings:
Parametrization 2
1. Open the Table of Design Points in the Parameter Set tab and add three design points using
the ply angles shown below.
2. Click Update All Design Points to compute the output parameter results for the design points.
3. Examine the output values to evaluate which design point results in a more optimized model,
then close the Parameter Set tab.
In the first part of the tutorial, you defined input parameters that link to ACP objects. This section is
dedicated to the parametrization of the existing design when reinforcement is required. You will create
an unbound input parameter, a custom parameter that is not directly associated with a model property.
Then, you will use ACP's Script feature to import the parameter value and modify the reinforcing strips.
1. Open ACP (Pre). Follow steps 2 to 4 in the earlier tutorial, Defining Parallel Selection Rules (p. 85),
to define two Parallel Selection Rules with the specifications below.
2. Follow the instructions in Defining a Boolean Selection Rule (p. 87) to create a Boolean Selection
Rule with the properties shown below.
3. Right-click PlyGroup.1 under Modeling Groups in the Tree View, then select Create Ply to define
a modeling ply with the specifications below.
Parametrization 2
4. Switch to the Rules tab and select BooleanSelectionRule.1 from the Selection rule drop-down
menu. Define the other properties as shown, then click Apply and close the dialog.
5. In the Tree View, right-click Parameters and select Create Parameter (A). In the Parameter Prop-
erties dialog, define its Name as ReinforcementWidth.1 (B). Change the Category to Unbound
Input and the Type to Float (C). Click Apply, then close the dialog.
6. Close ACP and go back to Workbench. Double-click the Parameters cell in the ACP (Pre) system
(A). In the Parameters tab, edit the value of P11 ReinforcementWidth.1 to 20 (B).
7. Close the Parameters tab. Right-click the Setup cell of the ACP (Pre) system and select Update.
Then double-click the cell to open ACP.
8. In the Tree View, right-click Scripts, then select Create Script.
Parametrization 2
Note:
Scripts enable more complex parametrization than is possible with input parameters
alone. You can use scripts to execute Python code as part of updating the model. Scripts
are marked for execution whenever a parameter or the script itself changes.
9. In the Input Script dialog, clear the Source field and paste the script below in the field. Click Apply
and close the dialog.
# Get the Unbound Input parameter value
model = db.active_model
reinforcement_width = model.parameters['ReinforcementWidth.1'].value
half_width = reinforcement_width / 2
# Modify the Boolean Selection Rule to get the desired width

boolean_selection_rule = model.selection_rules['BooleanSelectionRule.1']
boolean_selection_rule.selection_rules = [
(model.selection_rules['ParallelSelectionRule.1'], 'intersect', True, (-half_width, half_width)),
(model.selection_rules['ParallelSelectionRule.2'], 'add', True, (-half_width, half_width))
]
10. Update the model to view the reinforcing strips, then close ACP.
Note:
In this example, an Unbound Parameter is created and used to parameterize a Boolean

Selection Rule. As a result, a Modeling Ply is generated, which consists of unconnected
ply domains. Using unconnected plies is not recommended since several downstream
features do not support disconnected modeling plies - such as draping, flat wrap, and
solid model extrusion. However, this tutorial's example is well suited for demonstrating
the usage of Unbound Parameters.
11. In Workbench, update the project, then double-click Parameter Set.
12. In the Parameter Set tab, examine the ACP (Post)'s Output Parameters values, and compare the
results with the earlier section, Defining Output Parameters in ACP (Post) (p. 223).
Summary
8.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you evaluated the model's bending load, torsion load, and failure results by using para-
meters. You have learned how to:
• Define parameters in ACP and Mechanical
• Use ACP scripts to create unbound input and expression output parameters
• Define design points to evaluate results from different design scenarios
Chapter 9: Other Training Resources
• The Example Analyses in the ACP User's Guide demonstrate the following workflows:
– Analysis Using Variable Material Data
– Analysis of a Mapped Composite Solid Model
– Shear Dependent Materials in Composite Analysis
• Further training materials for ACP are available on the ANSYS Learning Hub.

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2.4. Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 76

6.2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 148

You will learn to:

• Configure the model's data in Workbench

• Set up appropriate physics and boundary conditions

• Review the results of the model

1.1. Project Description

1.1.1. Lay-Up Information

• +/- 45° UD fabric

• +/- 45° UD fabric

1.2. Setup and Solution

1.2.1. Opening the Project Archive in Ansys Workbench

3. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the archive:

4. Save the Workbench project.

To check the result in the solved archive file:

1. Start Ansys Workbench and Open the solved archive: Basic_Sandwich_Pan-

2. Close the warning dialog if it pops up.

4. Click Update Project on the project toolbar.

1.2.2. Configuring the Engineering Data in Ansys Workbench

Add the following properties from the Toolbox:

• Under Linear Elastic, add Orthotropic Elasticity.

• Under Strength, add Orthotropic Stress Limits and Tsai-Wu Constants.

• Under Composite, add Ply Type.

Property (UD_T700) Value Unit

Young's Modulus Y direction 6430 MPa

Poisson's Ratio YZ 0.34

Tensile Y direction 30 MPa

Compressive Y direction -100 MPa

6. Add the core material Coracell_A550 manually.

7. Add the following material properties from the Toolbox.

• From Linear Elastic, select Isotropic Elasticity.

• From Strength, select Orthotropic Stress Limits.

• From Composite, select Ply Type.

Property (Coracell_A550) Value Unit

Poisson's Ratio 0.3 MPa

Tensile Y direction 1.6 MPa

Tensile Z direction 1.6 MPa

Compressive X direction -1.1 MPa

Shear YZ 1.1 MPa

1.2.3. Configuring Properties in ACP

1.2.3.1. Defining Fabric Properties

• Using the Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) keyboard shortcuts

• Dragging one item onto another

1.2.3.2. Defining Stackup Properties

1. Right-click Stackups and select Create Stackup.

2. Define a new -45/+45 Stackup with the UD Biax Carbon.

1.2.3.3. Examining Stackup Properties

• Under Layup, select Analysis Plies (AP).

• Under Text, select Angles.

• Under Polar, select E1, E2, and G12.

3. Click OK to close the Stackup Properties dialog.

1.2.3.4. Defining Sub Laminates

4. Click OK to close the dialog.

1.2.3.5. Creating Rosettes