Machining Process Simulation
Lecture Unit 7
Finite Element Method – Meshing, Element Stiffness Matrices
apl. Prof. PD Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Inform. Andreas Zabel
Direct Stiffness Method
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 2
Introduction – Meshing
Simple beam or truss problems: meshing automatically provided by structure,
i.e. beams or trusses themselves
More complicated geometries?
E.g. Cutting simulation:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 3
Fundamentals of Meshing – Breaking up into Finite Elements
Complete body (the continuum) is subdivided by virtual lines or faces of preliminary arbitrary geometry
Common geometries: triangles, rectangles (sometimes polygons)
Straight or curved edges
Assumptions for each finite elements
Elements are defined by nodes
Elements are connected at nodes (sharing edges)
Example: triangular elements
with straight edges
Finite: in contrast to (infinite) analytical
solution: “non-infinitesimal”
(not infinite -> finite)
Only limited accuracy
Calculation only at nodes
Approximation of geometry
Zabel 4
Meshes: Storage and Representation
Element and nodes stored in lists
*Node *Element, type=CPE3
1, 1.57379353, 0.465310127 1, 49, 4, 5
2, 1.67439425, 0.482655078 2, 40, 58, 38
3, 1.77499521, 0.5 3, 43, 44, 42
4, 1.77499521, 1.64999998 4, 44, 15, 16
5, 0.899995744, 1.64999998 5, 4, 54, 3
6, 0.911344409, 1.5535351 6, 49, 5, 6
7, 0.922693133, 1.45707047 7, 26, 4, 52
8, 0.945390821, 1.26414073 8, 52, 4, 49
9, 0.956739545, 1.16767609 9, 54, 4, 26
10, 0.968088508, 1.07121122 10, 58, 40, 39
11, 0.979437292, 0.974746585 …
12, 1.00213468, 0.78181684
13, 1.01348364, 0.685352206
14, 1.02483237, 0.588887334
15, 1.03618109, 0.492422611
…
Zabel 5
Element Representation
2 4
1 3
Node list: Element list:
1 0,0 0,0 1 1 2 3
2 0,5 0,5
2 2 4 3
3 1,0 0,0
4 1,5 0,5
+ definition of a starting node (e.g. rightmost)
Zabel 6
Element Types – Meshes
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 7
Finite Element Approach
Displacements of the element’s nodes are the unknown values in the system of equations!
The displacements within a finite element are calculated by shape functions, depending on the
nodal displacements:
If the displacements are known, the strains
(and the stresses via the constitutive models)
are known:
Displacement-strain relations:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 8
Shape Functions
Displacement field of a finite element:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 9
Shape Functions
Often used polynomials:
(linear)
(quadratic)
(bilinear)
Other types of functions possible
Aim: complete description of the displacement field within a finite element by its nodal displacements:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 10
Shape Functions
At node 1 the following must apply:
Therefore: the shape function owns the property to become 1 at node and to become 0 at all other nodes
2 points, linear 3 points, quadratic 4 points, cubic
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 11
Example for Shape Function
Example element with three nodes (coordinates are normalized in -coordinate system from -1 … 1)
2 (internal node)
1 3
Function is parabolic, underlying these conditions: and
So:
Zabel CADFEM 12
Example for Shape Function
by superposition of a linear and a parabolic function
: disappears at and is 1 at
To ensure that is 0 at -1 and that a parabolic function is provided, must be subtracted
This yields:
And:
Zabel CADFEM 13
General Scheme for Shape Functions
Middle nodes are added
1 2 (int.) 3 (int.) 4
for 3 nodes
for 4 nodes
General scheme (additional information see literature, e.g. Bathe):
+ if 3rd node + if 3rd and 4th
present node present
Zabel CADFEM/Bathe 14
Finite Element Approach
Stresses inside an element calculated by the strains, using a material law, e.g. Hooke‘s law:
All loads (line, surface, volume) only act on the nodes of the elements -> loads must be distributed to nodes
A lot of scientific literature, specific lectures etc. on the finite element method is available
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 15
Element Stiffness Matrices
2D-Elements:
3D-Elements:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 16
Element Stiffness Matrices
Displacement field within a finite element at an arbitrary position
is approximated by multiplying the nodal displacements with the shape functions :
Here:
Expressing the deformations by the displacements:
With a differential operator:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 17
Element Stiffness Matrices
Now: element with 4 nodes
Then, 4 shape functions (one for each node) exist:
As a matrix:
And complete:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 18
Derivation of Element Stiffness Matrix by Principle of Virtual Work
For deriving the element stiffness matrices, the principle of virtual work is used
Virtual displacements:
Virtual strains:
Internal virtual work must equal the external virtual work:
Here, the internal work is the stored potential energy
and the external work is generated by the acting external forces
Increase of external work:
here are the volume forces and are the nodal loads (force times displacement)
Increase of internal work: : specific strain energy
Zabek Rieg/Hackenschmidt 19
Derivation of Element Stiffness Matrix by Principle of Virtual Work
Specific strain energy of a simple bar:
Work (energy) as the product of force and path (here: ) so: with:
Therefore: (Work per volume)
This can be set up and be integrated for all three coordinate axis:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 20
Derivation of Element Stiffness Matrix by Principle of Virtual Work
Overall:
Replace (with: ):
And then:
This must be true for arbitrary values of , therefore:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 21
Derivation of Element Stiffness Matrix by Principle of Virtual Work
Already known: (constitutive law -> material behavior)
Then the left side of: transforms
to: because:
and with: we get for the left side:
Overall expression (neglecting volume forces):
This is Hooke‘s law, with element stiffness matrix:
Displacements: and external forces: already known as:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 22
Material Matrices (Constitutive Law)
Material matrix
Bar
Beam
is the material matrix:
Plain
stress
with as Poisson‘s ratio and as Young’s modulus
for a plain stress situation
Plain
strain
Material matrix
Axial
Kirchhoff sym.
plate
Reissner
Mindlin
3D
stress
state
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 23
Numerical Integration
To evaluate the element stiffness matrices they have to be integrated
That is only possible for very simple elements completely analytically (e. g. 1D bar: )
In most cases numerical integration must be used
One method is the Gauß-Legendre quadrature:
That means, that the integral over the function is calculated by a sum over a product of weights and the
function values at discrete points
Approximation of the area below a function’s graph by rectangle of height and width
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 24
Numerical Integration
Transformation of element into appropriate form to carry out the Legendre-integration:
Numerical integration:
Gauß weights:
Supporting points:
Values for specific elements taken
from tables
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 25
Multiple Numerical Integration
2-dimensional case:
3-dimensional case:
For triangles (example):
For Tetrahedrons (example, tetrahedron coordinates):
Values for and are pre-calculated and stored in tables
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 26
Element Stiffness Matrices
Element-stiffness matrix needs displacement-strain matrix
Integration by Gauss-Legendre needs natural coordinates
Displacements of the node:
Coordinates of each point within an element can be interpolated also using the shape functions:
with as the index of a node
are functions of:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 27
Element Stiffness Matrices
For the partial derivations are needed:
Chain rule:
As a matrix:
Symbolic: with as Jacobian matrix
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 28
Element Stiffness Matrices
Here:
But we need:
Given:
Therefore: , i.e. the Jacobian matrix has to be inverted!
This inversion only works, if all elements are numbered in the right way and if they are not deformed to strong
That is the reason that for e.g. FE-based chip formation simulations remeshing or other techniques such as
CEL or ALE are necessary
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 29
Invalid Elements
3 4
Angle between two edges
has to be < 180o Crossing edges
7 8 7
Edge 1: 1-8-4 2
6 Edge 2: 4-7-3 1
5
4 Angle: 180o 6
8
3
2 6
1 2
5 3
5 Invalid node numbering
Special connection elements necessary 7
1 8 4
Large deformation
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 30
Element Stiffness Matrices
Remind: shall be determined
Coefficients of are functions of
Therefore: (without derivation) with as Jacobian determinant
Then the element stiffness matrices are:
2D:
3D:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 31
Load Application
Element stiffness matrix:
Mass matrix:
Volume forces:
Surface forces:
Initial stresses:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 32
Constant Line Load
Line loads on surface: with:
Example line load: coordinate systems and are congruent:
And:
2 5 1
with:
6 8
4
3 7
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 33
Constant Line Load
Therefore:
Detailed (with: ):
Shape functions for plane element with 8 nodes:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 34
Constant Line Load
Both coordinate systems are congruent, so:
Node 2:
with: it follows:
Load component at node 2:
Node 6: and :
Load component at node 6:
35
Constant Line Load
Node 3:
with: it follows:
Load component at node 3:
Summarized (the overall line load has the length of 2, so the values have to be divided by 2):
Node 2:
Node 6:
Node 3:
For plane elements with quadratic shape functions the load is distributed as:
Zabel Rieg/Hackenschmidt 36
Summary
Meshing
Element stiffness matrices – derivation and calculation
Application of loads
Zabel 37
Literature
Argyris, J.; Mlejnek, H. P.: Die Methode der finiten Elemente. Band 1. Vieweg Verlag. Braunschweig. 1986
Bathe, K.-J.: Finite Elemente Methoden. 2. Auflage. Springer-Verlag. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Tokyo.
2002
Rieg, F.; Hackenschmidt, R.: Finite Elemente Analyse für Ingenieure. 2. Aufl. Hanser Verlag, ISBN: 3-446-
22478-5, 2003
Schwarz, H. R.: Methode der finiten Elemente. B. G. Teubner. 3. Auflage. Stuttgart. 1991
Steinke, P.: Finite-Elemente-Methode – Rechnergestütze Einführung. 4. Auflage. Springer Verlag. Heidelberg,
Dordrecht, London, New York. 2012
Zienkiewicz, O. C.: Methode der finiten Elemente. Carl Hanser Verlag. 2. Auflage. München, Wien. 1984
Zienkiewicz, O. C.; Taylor R. L.: The Finite Element Method. Volume 1. The Basis. 5th Edition. Butterworth
Heinemann. Oxford 2002.
N. N.
Zabel 38
