Do bonded contacts have to physically touch?

Using SimScale Solid Mechanics / FEA
1

Hi Everyone,

I have a really simple question regarding the setting up of a Bonded Contact. Do the two surfaces to be bonded need to be in contact with each other, like in the first image.

Playground Part Studio 4.png1371×830 130 KB

Or can we have a gap between the parts like in the second image.

Playground Part Studio 4-1.png1389×887 112 KB

If we can have a gap, how large can that gap be?

Thanks!
Christopher

2

Hey @cjquijano,

they do not need to be in contact. The solver does not test on contact faces or even interpenetration except if you define physical contacts for those face pairs. If you define a bonded contact, the nodes of the slave surface that should be bonded to the master surface are calculated via a maximum distance (taking the master face element normal into account).

You can define this distance manually by setting the positional tolerance value for the bonded contact.

Best Alex

3 Likes
3

Hi @cjquijano @afischer, even with Pyhsical Contact you can force contact between parts that have a gap between them using the Fictitious Clearance option.

Best,
Richard