Create the Part

Creating the part geometry is generally the first step in the development of a finite element model.

1. Open ANSYS Mechanical APDL using the Helius PFA for ANSYS Launcher tool shown below. This tool launches ANSYS with the necessary environment variables to run Helius PFA with ANSYS.
   This tool is installed with Helius PFA and can be accessed from the desktop shortcut. It can also be found at the following path:

   %install_dir%\bin\ansys-helius-launcher.exe

   

2. Click the Run button in the ANSYS Mechanical APDL Product Launcher to open the ANSYS GUI.
3. Now we are ready to create the geometry for our double-cantilever beam model. Click Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Volumes > Block > By Dimensions.
4. In the dialog that appears, enter the following values and click OK.
   • X1, X2 = 0, 100
   • Y1, Y2 = 0, 10
   • Z1, Z2 = 0, 1