Rigid Link

Chris001

Other bar type FE Packages such as SpaceGass, RISA3D and Strand7 have a rigid link element.
I am not able to identify such an element with a casual search in Mecway. Maybe I have missed something. Can some asssist?

Victor

Not really.

There's node-surface coupling for the CCX solver which connects a node to a set of faces, making them all a single rigid body.

There's also contact with the bonded and constraint equations options for face-to-face rigid connection while keeping the deformability of the surfaces. They don't have to be coincident, so it creates moment arms if it's spanning a gap.

Or you can approximate it using a beam element with high stiffness if connecting to other beam elements, or several beam elements if connecting to solids/shells.

Chris001

Thanks Victor.
I think the high stiffness beam element approach will suffice in the work I am doing.

Vinicius_Petrucci

I need this element to connect to node to node and transfer efforts, but some approach without having to draw element bar node to node would be useful.

Victor

You could move the shell nodes to join with the beam nodes and use Shell offset (in Element properties) to position the shell midplane at the correct distance.

Alternatively, you can generate all the beam elements quickly by selecting the nodes and using Mesh tools -> Extrude.