Patran Contact Pairs & Settings

Part of MSC Nastran 3D Contact Video Series

Mica Parks
February 2015
Patran Contact Pair Settings
Related To Nastran Input
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map

• Majority of this content is related to LBCs Body Pair

Geometric and Physical Contact Parameters.
– What do the various options write to BDF plus notion of the
physical behavior.
ERROR = ?
BIAS = ?

SLIDE = ?

3
IGLUE = ?
JGLUE = ? (NA unless IGLUE>0)
ICOORD = ?

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
 Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map

• Default settings except Master-Slave search 1

ISEARCH (BCONPRG):
1. ERROR is based on element size or shell thickness. 2

2. BIAS=0.9 as shown.
3. IGLUE=0 or not written to BDF so contact is touch.
4. ISEARCH=1 setting search from Slave to Master.
• Default is ISEARCH=0, would not be written to BDF and not
what I suggest using.
3
IGLUE = 0
JGLUE = 0 (NA unless IGLUE>0)
ICOORD = 0

NLOPRM NLDBG=… extra F06 output

ISEARCH = 2
4 ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map

• ICOORD=1 modifies slave node locations if bodies 1

within ERROR & BIAS distance criteria.
• Original intent for bolts in hole, tube in tube.
• Effective with both touch and glue.
• ICOORD settings (BCONPRG):
1. ERROR auto calculated & BIAS=0.9 as shown before.
2. IGLUE=0 or not written to BDF so contact is touch.
3. ICOORD=1 moves only the slave node in contact direction. 2
IGLUE = 0
JGLUE = 0 (NA unless IGLUE>0)
ICOORD = 1

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• ICOORD settings (BCONPRG):
1. ICOORD=2 moves master nodes in the in-plane or
tangential direction.
• ICOORD=1 not on active in this case.
2. SLIDE=# activated with ICOORD=2.
2

1
IGLUE = 0
JGLUE = 0 (NA unless IGLUE>0)
ICOORD = 2
ICOORD=2 physical representation

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• ICOORD settings (BCONPRG):
1. ICOORD=3 is a combination of ICOORD=1 & ICOORD=2.
2. SLIDE=# is shown but not written to BDF. This is an error
on Patran’s part and should be fixed in next version.
• Suggest using Patran ICOORD=2 to get SLIDE then manually
change to ICOORD=3 2

SLIDE ?
1
IGLUE = 0
JGLUE = 0 (NA unless IGLUE>0)
• Patran incorrectly does not write SLIDE if ICOORD = 3
ICOORD=3. Due to incorrect documentation in 2013
QRG, PAT-23193. Correct documentation below:

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• IGLUE > 0 settings (BCONPRG):
1. IGLUE=1 contact is glue and slave nodes projected/moved
onto master surface. Not moment carrying glue. 2
2. BIAS=0.0 is default with IGLUE<>0 but not reflected in
Patran.
• Only means to know this is look at QRG BCPARA. 3
3. ICOORD=2 and SLIDE=0.055 is left on for reference. It is
effective with glue but the focus of this slide.
1
IGLUE = 1
JGLUE = 0
ICOORD = 2

• BCPARA shown is Patran default and can be problematic.

ISEARCH = 2
– BCPARA overwrites unset contact values.
ISEARCH = 1
– BCPARA 1st 0 indicates it is active for pre-load check and all subsequent ISEARCH = 0
SUBCASES/STEPs
– NLGLUE=0 indicates permanent glue is active. But if any IGLUE=0 (touch) in model
or no initial glue is detected in the model then permanent glue isn’t activated.
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• IGLUE > 0 settings (BCONPRG):
1. IGLUE=2 contact is glue but slave nodes are NOT
moved/projected onto master patch/elements. Not moment 2
carrying glue.
2. BIAS=0.0 is default with IGLUE<>0 but not reflected in
Patran.
• Only means to know this is look at QRG BCPARA.

1
IGLUE = 2
JGLUE = 0
ICOORD = 0

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• IGLUE > 0 settings (BCONPRG):
1. IGLUE=4 contact is glue and moment is carried. Slave
nodes are NOT moved/projected onto master 2
patch/elements.
2. BIAS=0.0 is default with IGLUE<>0 but not reflected in
Patran.
• Only means to know this is look at QRG BCPARA.

1
IGLUE = 4
JGLUE = 0
ICOORD = 0

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• IGLUE > 0 settings (BCONPRG):
1. IGLUE=3 contact is glue and moment is carried. Slave
nodes are moved/projected onto master patch/elements. 2
2. BIAS=0.0 is default with IGLUE<>0 but not reflected in
Patran.
• Only means to know this is look at QRG BCPARA.

1
IGLUE = 3
JGLUE = 0
ICOORD = 0

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• IGLUE > 0 settings (BCONPRG):
– IGLUE=1 and IGLUE=3 can and do cause grounding!!
• They are intended for glueing meshes that are perfectly
aligned.
• If for some reason these settings are desirable turn on
ICOORD=1
– IGLUE=2 (no moment) and IGLUE=4 (include moment) are
better options.
• Activate with “Retain Gaps/Overlaps”
IGLUE = 4
JGLUE = 0
ICOORD = 0

ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• JGLUE > 0 settings require IGLUE >0 (BCONPRG):
1. JGLUE=1 separation based on FNTOL with options
between force or stress based on IBSEP.
• Technically FNTOL is effective with touch, IGLUE/JGLUE is not
required. Next slide.
2. JGLUE=2 further granularity for separation between normal
and tangential stress

1
IGLUE = 1
JGLUE = 1, 2
2 ICOORD = 0
JGLUE = 0
JGLUE = 1

JGLUE = 2 ISEARCH = 2
ISEARCH = 1
ISEARCH = 0
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• Patran will give the false impression FNTOL is dependent glue; IGLUE>0 &
JGLUE>0. Not the case. PAT-23819
• Touch default FNTOL is outlined in BCPARA IBSEP
and based absolute value of the largest component
of residual force vector. Generally a good value
except with large concentrated force.
• Increasing FNTOL makes touch ‘sticky’. Not unlike
P/CGAP with large open stiffness. Use with caution!
Contact Interaction
Patran Settings & Toggles Map
• You can play games turning on IGLUE then JGLUE to change FNTOL then
uncheck IGLUE to get desired effect.
• In this case it may be best to explore the actual
location of the values, under Properties.
• Here you can change all the same settings the LBC
form but it isn’t as friendly.
 Patran Breaking Glue
• Force based breaking glue.
– IGLUE>0, JGLUE=1 then FNTOL
• Stress based breaking glue.
– IGLUE>0, JGLUE=2 then BGM, BGN,
BGSN and BGST

contact normal tangential stress

– This feature can be used for

delamination and crack initiation
– After breaking, standard touching
contact is activated if it comes into
contact again

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Contact Interaction
N2S Who’s Master? Who’s Slave?

• ISEARCH controls Master-Slave search order.

= 1 or Single Sided
• Most accurate and best option when problems arise.
=2 is Automatic
• Let Nastran determine Master-Slave based on element
density and thickness.
• Generally problematic unless set BCPARA THKOFF=1.
= 0 is Double Sided (Default)
• Okay shotgun approach but fails with changing density as
shown in last slide. 50% chance of getting good contact.

=2
=1
=0
 Patran Contact LBCs Modify – Master-Slave

• It may be necessary to modify

Deformable Body Master-Slave setup.
• Plot Contours is a nice method to check
relationship. But modification must be
done on the LBCs form.
• Use Reverse Bodies to flip relationship.
• Remember:
– Slave = more nodes, finer mesh
– Master = less nodes, coarse mesh
*Patran 2014 arrow Master-Slave reverses.
= Master
= Slave *Patran 2013 shown

3/24/2015 18
 Patran COPTs – Ignore Thickness
• How topology is conveyed to contact interaction.
COPTS(Slave)/M(Master) = A + 10*B + 1000*C
• Default shell thickness, (10*B) with B=1:
COPTS/M = 1011
• “Ignore Thickness” B=6:
COPTS/M = 1061

3/24/2015 19
 Patran COPTs – Ignore Thickness
• Edge-Edge ignore thickness.

– Initial model

– Bad! Default thickness causes

connection between top face. Will get
odd results.

– Good. Ignore thickness contact is at

element edges or centerline.

– Bad! Default thickness causes

connection between bottom face. Will get
odd results
• Face-Face ignore thickness if FEM was created so
thickness was not accounted for.

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