The Mesh Statistics report is divided into a number of different sections that provide a quick overview of various characteristics of the mesh.
- In the Entity Counts section, it is important to check the Connectivity regions value. There should only be one region. Any more than this will indicate disconnected sections of the part or runner system.
- In the Edge Details section, the integrity of the surface edges are determined.
Free edges are not connected to another surface. This value should be zero in Dual Domain and 3D meshes.
A manifold edge is a mesh edge that has two elements attached to it. This is the only edge type that is allowed for a Dual Domain mesh.
A non-manifold edge has more than two elements attached to it. For a Dual Domain mesh, this value should be zero.
- In the Orientation Details section, the Elements not oriented value should be zero. Orientation is not a meshing error but a data handling requirement of the program. This will be explained in the Mesh editing tutorial.
- In the Intersection Details section, shared surfaces are reported. All values should be zero.
- The Surface Triangle Aspect Ratio section refers to the geometry of the mesh elements. The aspect ratio of an element is the ratio of the longest side to the height perpendicular to that side (a / b in the following figure).
The aspect ratio value should ideally be less than:For: Max. Aspect Ratio Midplane/Dual Domain 6:1 Midplane/Dual Domain-noncritical areas 20:1 Tetra elements 50:1 Dual Domain mesh before conversion to 3D 20:1 Cool and Warp analysis 6:1 Very high aspect ratio triangles should be avoided, especially when the longest side is in the direction of flow as this can affect localized results. The report indicates that there is at least one element with a high aspect ratio. You will investigate this later.
- In the Match Percentage section, the mesh match values should ideally be 85% or higher. Mesh matching is only applicable for Dual Domain meshes. This is a measure of how elements on one surface correspond with elements on the opposite surface.This measure is very important for correct part thickness determination and fiber orientation prediction.
The report shows that there are no major defects in the mesh (overlaps, intersections, disconnected elements) but that the aspect ratio of some elements needs improving. You will now run the Mesh Repair Wizard to check for further mesh defects, and to try to correct the high aspect ratio elements automatically.