Create the Geometry Components

We will use components to define the ply groupings and assign material properties. Five components need to be created for the beam and one for the rubber pad.

1. Click Select > Entities and choose Elements from the drop-down menu. Click OK.
2. Select all elements on the bottom 5 rows of the beam. Click OK.
3. Click Select > Comp/Assembly > Create Component.
4. Name the component bottom_0 and choose Elements. Click OK.
5. Repeat this process four more times for the following groups of elements:
   • Rows 6-10 (from bottom), bottom_90
   • Rows 11-15 (from bottom), middle_0
   • Rows 16-20 (from bottom), top_90
   • Rows 21-25 (from bottom), top_0
6. Finally, repeat steps 1-4 for all elements of the rubber pad. Name the component rubber.

Note: To quickly select the elements that make up the ply layers, orient the beam so that you are viewing the end of the beam. Choose the Box radio button to select multiple elements and draw a rectangle around the specific rows of elements. You can always plot these selections to make sure you have selected the correct elements.