Tutorial A2: Define the Analysis, Properties, and Mesh

Define Material Properties

1. In the Model tree, right-click Materials > New.
2. In the dialog, click Select Material. The Material DB dialog will become populated with the available materials.
3. Click on Load Database.
4. Browse to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor Nastran 2025\In-CAD\Materials, and open the ADSK_materials.nasmat file. The material tree is populated with the available materials.
5. Under the Aluminum Alloys category, select Aluminum 7075 Heat Treated (T6) Wrought.

   

6. Click Close and then OK to create the material.

Define Element Properties

1. In the Model tree, under Idealizations, check for any existing definitions under the standard categories, such as Solids and Shells. Solid 1, shown below, is an example of an existing definition:
   

   If there are any existing definitions, right-click Idealizations > Delete All. Doing this ensures that you won't have unwanted materials appearing in the part mesh and participating in the analysis.

2. In the Model tree, right-click Idealizations > New.
3. Select Shell Elements from the Type drop-down menu.
4. Ensure that Material is set to Aluminum 7075 Heat Treated (T6) Wrought.
5. Enter 0.1 in the t (thickness) field.

   

6. Click OK.

Define the Mesh

1. Right-click Mesh Model > Edit.
2. Type 2.0 in the Element Size field.

   

3. Click OK to generate the mesh. The mesh should look as shown below.
   

Typically, it is wise to define a material orientation for shell element models. However, this is not done in this case.